COME and WELCOME TO JESUS CHRIST. (1)

JOHN VI. xxxvii.

All that the Father giveth Me, ſhall come to Me, and him that cometh to Me, I will in no will wiſe caſt out.

A Little before in this Chapter, you may read. That the Lord Jeſus walked on the Sea, to go to Capernaum, having ſent his Diſciples before in a Ship, [gap] but the Wind was contrary, by which means the Ship was hindred in her Paſſage. Now, about the fourth watch of the Night▪ Jeſus came walking upon the Sea, and overtok them▪ at the ſight of whom they were afraid,

Note, When Providences are black and terrible to God's People, the Lord Jeſus ſhews himſelf to them in a wonderful Manner; which ſometimes they can as little bear, as they can the things that were before terrible to them. They were afraid of the Wind & Water; they we[gap]e alſo afraid of their Lord & Saviour, when he appeared to them in that ſtate.

[gap] he ſaid, Be not afraid, it is [gap].

Note, That the End of the appearing of the Lord Jeſus unto his People, (though the manner of his appearing be never ſo terrible) is to allay their Fears and Perplexities.

Then they received him into the Ship, & immediately the Ship was at Land whither it went.

Note, When Chriſt is abſent from his People, they go on but ſlowly & with great difficulty; but when he joineth himſelf unto them; Oh! how faſt they ſteer their Courſe; how ſoon are they at their Journeys end.

The People now, among whom he laſt Preached, when they ſaw that both Jeſus was gone & his Diſciples, they alſo took Shipping, & came to Capernaum, ſeeking for Jeſus. And when they had found him, they wondringly ask'd him, Rabbi, When cameſt thou hither? But the Lord Jeſus ſlighting their Complement, anſwer'd, Verily, verily, ye ſeek me not, becauſe ye ſaw the Miracles, but becauſe ye did eat of the Loaves, and were filled.

Note, A People may follow Chriſt far, for baſe Ends, as theſe went after him beyond Sea for Loaves: A Man's Belly may carry him a great way in Religion; yea, a Man's Belly will make him venture far for Chriſt.

Note again, They are not feigning Complements, but gracious Intentions, that crown the Work in the Eye of Chriſt: Or thus, It is not the Toil & Buſineſs of Profeſſors, but their Love to him, that makes him approve of them.

Note again, When Men ſhall look for friendly Entertainment at Chriſt's Hand, (if their Hearts be rotten) even then will they mee[gap] with a Check and Rebuke, Ye ſeek me not becauſ[gap] ye ſaw the Miracles, but becauſe ye did eat of th[gap] [gap]oaves and were filled.

Yet obſerve again, he doth not refuſe to giv[gap] [gap] theſe, good Counſel; he bids them Labou[gap] [gap] Meat that endureth to eternal Life. O [gap] would Jeſus Chriſt have even thoſe Profeſſor

that come to him with Pretences only, come to him ſincerely, that they may be ſaved.

The Text, you will find, is after much more Diſcourſe with, & about this People; and it is uttered by the Lord Jeſus, at the Concluſion of the whole; & intimateth, that ſince they were Profeſſors in Patience only, & therefore ſuch as his Soul could not delght in, as ſuch, that he would content himſelf with a Remnant that his Father had beſtowed upon him. As if he ſhould ſay, I am not like to be honour'd in your Salvation; but the Father hath beſtowed upon me a Peeple, & they ſhall come to me in Truth, & in them will I be ſatisfy'd. The Text before may be called Chriſt's Repoſe; in the fulfilling whereof he reſted himſelf content, after much Labour, and many Sermons ſpent, as i[gap] were in vain. As he ſaith by the Prophet, I have laboured in vain, I have ſpent my ſtrength for n[gap]ught, and in vain, Iſa. 49.4.

But as he ſaith there, My Judgment is with the Lord, and my Work with my God: So in the Text he ſaith; All that the Father giveth me, ſhall come to me, and him that cometh to me, I will in no wiſe c[gap] out. By theſe Words therefore, the Lord Jeſ[gap] comforteth himſelf under the Conſideration of the Diſſimulation of ſome of his Followers. He alſo thus betook himſelf to reſt under the Conſideration of the little effect that his Miniſtry [gap]ad in Capernaum, Corazin & Bet[gap]ſa[gap]da▪ I thank once, O Father, ſaid he, Lord of Heaven and Earth, becauſe thou haſt hid theſe things from the Wiſe are Prudent, and haſt revealed them to Babes, even ſo, Father, for ſo it ſeemed good in thy fight. Mat. 11.25. Luke 10.31.

The Text, in the general ſtandeth of two parts

and hath ſpecial reſpect to the Father and the Son; as alſo to their joynt Management of the Salvation of the People. All that the Father giveth me, ſhall come to me; and he that cometh to me, I will in no wiſe caſt out.

The firſt part of the Text (as is evident) reſpecteth the Father, & his Gift; the other part, the Son, and the Reception of his Gift.

Firſt, For the Gift of the Father, there is this to be Conſidered; to wit,

The Gift it ſelf; and that is a Gift of certain Perſons to the Son. The Father giveth, and that Gift ſhall come: And him that cometh: The Gift then is of Perſons; The Father giveth Perſons to Jeſus Chriſt.

Secondly Next you have the Son's Reception of this Gift, and that it ſheweth it ſelf in theſe Particulars.

1. In the hearty Acknowledgment of it to be a Gift: The Father giveth me.

2. In his Reſolution to bring them to Himſelf; All that the Father giveth Me, ſhall come to Me.

3. And in his determining, that not any thing ſhall make him diſlike them in their coming: And him that cometh to me, I will in no wiſe caſt out.

Theſe things might be ſpoken to at large, as they are in this Method preſented to view; but I ſhall chooſe to ſpeak to theſe Words;

1. By way of Explication.

2. By way of Obſervation.

Firſt, By way of Explication; (All) that the Father giveth me. This Word All is often uſed in Scripture, and is to be taken more largely, or more ſtrictly, even as the Truth or Argument, for the ſake of which it is made uſe for, will bear: Wherefore, that we may the better

underſtand the mind of Chriſt in the uſe of i[gap] here, we muſt conſider, that it is limited & reſtrained only to thoſe that ſhall be ſaved, to wit, to thoſe that ſhall come to Chriſt, even to thoſ[gap] whom he will in no wiſe caſt out. Thus alſo th[gap] Words All Iſrael is ſometimes to be taken; (tho' ſometimes it is taken for the whole Family of Jacob) And ſo All Iſrael ſhall be ſaved. Rom. 11. By All Iſrael here he intendeth not All of Iſrael in the largeſt ſenſe; for they are not All Iſra[gap] which are of Iſrael, neither becauſe they are [gap] the Seed of Abraham, are they all Children; B[gap] in Iſaac ſhall thy Seed be called; that is, they wh[gap] are the Children of the Fleſh, theſe are not th[gap] Children of God, but the Children of the Promiſe are counted for the Seed. Rom. 9 6, 7,

The word (All) therefore, muſt be limited enlarged, as the Truth & Argument, for the ſak[gap] of which it is uſed, will bear; elſe we ſhall abuſe Scriptures, and Readers, & our Selves, and All. And I, if I be lifted up from the Earth, ſai[gap] Chriſt, will draw All Men after Me. John 12.3[gap] Can any Man imagine that by all, in this place he ſhould mean all and every individual Ma[gap] in the World; and that not rather that all i[gap] conſonant to the ſcope of the Place? And if b[gap] being lift up from the Earth, he means as it ſhould ſeem his being taken up into Heaven; & if, by drawing all Men after Him, he meant a drawing them into that Place of Glory: then muſt be mean by all Men, thoſe & only thoſe that ſhall in Truth be eternally Saved from the Wrath to come: For God hath concluded them all in Unbelief, that he might have Mercy upon all, [gap] 11.52. Hence again you have all and all, two alls; but yet a great deſparity between the [gap]

made mention of in the firſt place, and that all made mention of in the ſecond. Thoſe intended in this Text are the Jews, even all of them, by the S[gap] (all) that you find in the Words. The ſecond all doth alſo intend the ſame People; but yet only ſo many of them as God will have Mercy upon. He hath concluded them all in Unbelief, that he might have Mercy upon all. The all alſo in the Text is likewiſe to be limited and reſtrained to the Saved, and to them only. But again.

The Word (giveth) or hath given, muſt be reſtrained after the ſame manner, to the ſame limited Number. All that the Father giventh Me; [gap]o[gap] all that are ſeven. If you take the Gift of [gap] Father to the Son in the largeſt ſenſe; for [gap] that ſenſe, there are many given to him, [gap]ot ſhall never come unto him; yea, many we given unto him, that he will caſt out. I [gap]all therefore firſt ſhew you the Truth of [gap]is, and then in what ſenſe the Gift of the Text muſt be taken.

Firſt, T[gap] all things are given to Chriſt, if o[gap] take the Gift of the Father to him in the [gap]rgeſt ſenſe, cannot be intended in the Text, [gap] evident.

1. Becauſe then all the Men, yea, all the things in the World muſt be ſaved All things, Faith he, are delivered unto me by the Father, Mat. 11.17. This I think, no rational Man in the World will conclude. Therefore the Gif[gap]

[gap]ended in the T[gap]s, muſt be reſtrained [gap]o ſome to a Gift that's given by way of ſpeciality by the Father to the Son.

2. It muſt not be taken for all that, in any ſenſe, are given by the Father to him; becauſe

the Father hath given ſome, yea, many to him to be daſh'd in pieces by him. Ask of me ſaid the Father to him, and I will give thee the Heathen for thine Inheritance, and the uttermoſt parts of the Earth for thy Poſſeſſion. But what muſt be done with them? Muſt he ſave them all? No, Thou ſhalt break them with a rod of Iron; thou ſhalt daſh them in pieces like a Potter's Veſſel, Pſal. 2. This Method he uſeth not with them that he ſaveth by his Grace, but with thoſe that Himſelf and Saints ſhall rule over in Juſtice & Severity, Rev 2.26, 27. Yet, as you ſee, they are given to him. Therefore the Gift intended in the Text, muſt be reſtrained to ſome; to a Gift that is given by way of ſpecialty by the Father to the Son.

In Pſal 18 He ſaith plainly, that ſome are given to him, that he might deſtroy them; Thou haſt given me the Necks of mine Enemies, that I might deſtroy them that hate me, ver. 40. Theſe therefore cannot be of the Number of thoſe that are ſaid to be given in the Text; for thoſe, even all of them, ſhall come to him, and he will in no wiſe caſt them out.

3. Some are given to Chriſt, that he by them might bring about ſome of his high and deep Deſigns in the World. Thus Judas was given to Chriſt, viz That by him, even as he was determined before, he might bring about his Death, & ſo the Salvation of his Elect by his Blood. Yea, and Judas muſt ſo manage this Buſineſs, as that he may loſe himſelf for ever in bringing it ſo to paſs: Therefore the Lord Jeſus, even in his loſing of Judas, applies himſelf to the Judgment of his Father, if he had not in that thing done that which was right, even

in [gap]ring Judas ſo to bring about his Maſters D[gap]ch, as that he might by ſo doing bring about his own eternal Damnation.

Thoſe ſaid he, that thou gaveſt me have I kept, and none of them is loſt but the Son of Perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, John 17.12. Let us then grant that Judas was given to Chriſt, but not as others are given to him; nor of thoſe made mention of in the Text; for then he ſhould have failed to have been ſo received by Chriſt, and kept to eternal Life. Indeed he was given to Chriſt, but he was given to him to loſe him in the way that I have mentioned before; he was given to Chriſt, that he by him might bring about his own death, as was before determin'd, & that in the overthrow of him that did it. Yea, he muſt bring about his own Death, as was before determin'd; and that in the overthrow of him that did it: Yea, he muſt bring about his Dying for us, in the loſs of the Inſtrument that betray'd him; that he might even fulfil the Scripture in his Deſtruction, as well as in the Salvation of the reſt. And none of them is loſt, but the Son of Perdi[gap]on▪ that the Scripture might be fulfilled.

The Gift therefore in the Text muſt not be taken in the largeſt Senſe, but even as the Words will bear, viz. For ſuch a Gift as he accepteth, and promiſeth to be an effectual means of Eternal Salvation to. All that the Father giveth Me, ſhall come to Me; and him that cometh to Me, I will in no wiſe caſt out. Mark! They ſhall come that are in ſpecial given to Me; and they ſhall by no means be rejected; For this is the Subſtance of the Text.

Thoſe therefore intended, as the Gift in the

Text, are thoſe that are given by Covenant to the Son; thoſe that in other places are called the Elect, the Choſen, and the Sheep, and the Children of the Promiſe, &c.

Theſe be they that the Father hath given to Chriſt to keep them; thoſe that Chriſt hath promiſed eternal Life unto; thoſe to whom he hath given his Word, and that he will have with him in hi[gap] Kingdom, to behold his Glory.

This is the Wall of the Faather that hath ſent me, that of thoſe that he hath given me, I ſhould loſe nothing, but ſhould raiſe it up at the laſt Day, and I give unto them eternal Life, and they ſhall never Periſh; neither ſhall any man pluck them out of my Hand. My Father that gave them me, is greater than all; and no Man is able to pluck them out of my Fathers Hand. As thou haſt given him power over all Fleſh, that he ſhould give eternal Life to as many as thou haſt given him. Thine they were, and thou gaveſt them me, and they have kept thy Word: I Pray for them: I Pray not for the World, but for thoſe that thou haſt given me, for they are thine; and all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am Glorified in them.

Keep through thine own Name, thoſe whom thou haſt given me, that they may be one as we are Father, I will that thoſe wh[gap]r[gap] thou haſt given me▪ may be with me where I am; that they may be, hold my Glory which thou haſt given me; for thou lovedſt me before the Foundation of the World, Joh. 6.39 Chap. 10 28. Chap. 17.26 9 10 24.

All theſe Sentences are of the ſame in port with the Text; and the Alls and Manys. Theſe They, &c in theſe their ſeveral Sayings of Chriſt, are the ſame with all the Given in the Text. All that the Father giveth.

So that (as I ſaid before) the Word all, as alſo other Words, muſt not be taken in ſuch ſort as our fooliſh Fancies, or groundleſs. Opinions will prompt us to; but do admit of an Enlargement, or Reſtriction, according to the true Meaning and Intent of the Text. We muſt therefore diligently conſult the meaning of the Text, by comparing it with other the Sayings of God; ſo ſhall we be better able to find out the Mind of the Lord in the Word which he hath given us to know it by.

As that the (Father) giveth.

By this word (Father) Chriſt deſcribeth the Perſon giving; by which we may learn ſeveral uſeful things: 1. That the Lord God & Father of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, is concerned with the Son, in the Salvation of his People. True, his Acts, as to our Salvation, are diverſe from thoſe of the Son; he was not capable of doing that, or thoſe things for us, as did the Son; he Died not, [gap]e ſpilt not his Blood for our Redemption, as the Son; but yet he hath a Hand, a great Hand in our Salvation too. As Chriſt ſaith, The F[gap] ther himſelf loveth you, and his love is manifeſt in chuſing of us, in giving us to his Son; yea, and in giving his Son alſo to be a Ranſom for us. Hence he is called, The Father of Mercies, and the God of all Comforts▪ For here even the Father hath himſelf found out and made way for his Grace to come to us, th[gap] the Sides and the Heart's Blood of his well beloved Son, Col. 1.12. The Father therefore is to be remembred and adored, as one having a chief Hand in the Salvation of Sinners: we ought to give Thanks to the Father, who