and goes into the Vineyard with the reft of the Labourers, that had born the Burden and Heat of the Day. Well, but how was he received by the Lord of the Vineyard? Why, when Pay-day came, he had even as much as the reft; yea, had his Money firft. True, the others murmured at him; but what did the Lord Jefus answer them? 3 Is thine Eye evil because mine is good? I will give unto this laft even as unto thee, Mat. 20.

Secondly, The other Inftance is, The Thief upon the Cross; he came late alfo, as even at an Hour before his Death; yea, he strayed from Jefus Chrift as long as he had Liberty to be a Thief; and longer too; for could he have deluded the Judge, and by lying Words efcaped his juft Condemnation, for ought I know, he had not come as yet to his Saviour: but being convicted and condemned to die, yea, fastened to the Crofs, that he might die like a Rogue, as he was in his Life; behold the Lord Jefus, when this wicked one, even now, defireth Mercy at his Hands, tells him, and that without the leaft Reflection upon him for his former mifpent Life;, To Day thou shalt be with me in Paradife, Luke 23 43.

Let no Man turn this Grace of God into Wantonnefs; my Defign is now to encourage the coming Soul.

Objection.

But is not the Door of Mercy fhut against some before they die?

Anf. Yea; and God forbids that Prayers should, be made to him for them, Jer 7. 16. Jude 22.. Queft. Then why may not I doubt that I may. be one of these?

Anf. By no Means, if thou art coming to Jesus \Chrift: because when God shuts the Door upon, Men,

Men, he gives them no Heart to come to Jesus: Christ. None come but those to whom it is given of the Father: But thou comeft, therefore it is givento thee of the Father.

Be fure therefore, if the Father hath given thee an Heart to come to Jefus Chrift, the Gate of Mercy yet ftands open to thee: For it ftands not with the Wildom of God to give Strength to come to the Birth, and yet to fout up the Womb, Ifa. 66, 9. To give Grace to come to Jefus Christ, and yet fhut up the Door of his Mercy upon thee. Incline thine Ear, faith he, and come unto me. Hear,. and your Souls fhall live, and I will make an everlafting Covenant with you, even the fure Mercies of David, Ifa. 55. 3.

Objection.

But it is faid, that fome knocked when the Door was fhut.

Anf. Yes; But the Texts in which thefe Knockers are mentioned, are to be referred unto the Day of Judgment, and not to the coming of the Sinner to Chrift in this Life. See the Texts, Matt. 25, 11. Luke 13, 24, 25.

These therefore concern thee nothing at all,. thou art coming to Jefus Chrift, thou art coming Now! Now is the acceptable Time, behold now is the Day of Salvation, 2 Cor. 6. 2. Now God is upon the Mercy-feat; now Chrift Jefus fits by,. continually pleading the Victory of his Blood for Sinners and now, even as long as this World lafts, this Word of the Text fhall ftill be free, and fully fulfilled; And him that cometh to me, I will in no wife caft out.

Sinner, the greater Sinner thou art, the greater Need of Mercy thou haft, and the more will Chrift be glorified thereby: Come then, come

and

and try: Come, taste and see how good the Lord is so an undeferving Sinner.

Objection 6.

But (fays another) I am fallen fince I began to come to Chrift; therefore I fear I did not come aright, and fo confequently that Christ will not receive me.

Anf. Falls are dangerous; for they difhonour Chrift, wound the Confcience, and caufe the Enemies of God to speak reproachfully. But it is no good Argument, I am fallen, therefore I was not coming aright to Jefus Chrift. If David, and Solomon, and Peter had thus objected against themfelves, they had added to their Griefs; and yet at least, as much Caufe as thou. A Man whose Steps are ordered by the Lord, and whofe Goings the Lord delights in, may yet be overtaken with a Temptation that may caufe him to fall, Pfal, 37. 23, 24. Did not Aaron fall; yea, and Mofes himfelf? What fhall we fay of Hezekiah and Jebojaphat? There are therefore Falls and Falls; Fails pardonable, and Falls unpardonable: Falls unpardonable, are Fal's against Light, from the Faith to the defpifing of, and trampling upon Jefus Chrift and his blessed Undertakings, (Heb. 6. 2, 3, 4, 5. Chap. 1o. 28, 29.) Now as for fuch, there remains no more Sacrifice for Sin: Indeed, they have no Heart, no Mind, no Defire to come to Jefus Chrift for Life, therefore they muft perifh: Nay, fays the Holy Ghoft, It is impoffible that they should be renewed again unto Repentance. Therefore, Thefe God hath no Compaffion for, neither ought we; but for other Falls, though they be dreadful (and God will: chaftife his People for them) they do not prove thee a graceless Man, one not come to Jefus Chrif for Life.

It is faid of the Child in the Gospel, That, while he was yet a coming, the Devil threw him down, and tore him, Luke 9. 4.

Dejected Sinner, it is no Wonder that thou haft caught a Fall in coming to Jefus Chrift: Is it hot rather to be wondered at, that thou haft not caught before this, a thoufand Times a thoufand Falls confidering:

1. What Fools we are by Nature.

2. What Weakneffes are in us.

3. What mighty Powers the fallen Angels, our implacable Enemies, are.

4. Confidering alfo how often the coming Man is benighted in his Journey, and alfo what Stumbling-blocks do lie in his Way.

5. Alfo his Familiars (that were fo before) now watch for his Halting, and feek by what Means they may, to caufe him to fall by the Hand of their ftrong ones.

What then? Muft we because of thefe Temp. tations, incline to fall? No; Muft we not fear Falls? Yes, Let him that thinketh be ftandeth, take Heed left he fall, 1 Cor. 10. 12. Yet let him not utterly be caft down; The Lord upholdeth all that fall, and raifeth up thofe that are bowed down. Make not light of Falls: Yet halt thou fallen ? Ye bave, faid Samuel, done all this Wickedness;. yet turn not afide, from following the Lord, but fer ve him with a perfect Heart, and turn not afide, for the Lord will not forfake his People (and he counted the coming Sinner one of them) because it baib pleafed the Lord to make you his People, 1 Sam. 12,

20, 21, 22.

(Shall come to me)

Now we come to fhew what Force there is in this Promise to make them come to him. All that the Father giveth me, jball come to me.

I will peak to this Promise;

First, In general

Secondly, In particular.

In general. This Word (Shall) is confined to Thefe (All) that are given to Chrift. All that the Father giveth me, fhall come to me. Hence conclude,

First, That coming to Jefus Chrift aright, is an Effect of their being (of God) given to Chrift before. Mark, They fhall come; Who? Those that are given: They come then, because they were given: Thine they were, and thou gavest them me. Now, this is, indeed, a fingular Comfort to them that are a coming in Truth to Chrift, to think that the Reafon why they come, is, Because they were given of the Father before to him. Thus then may the coming Soul reafon with himfelf as he comes. Am I coming indeed to Jefus Chrift? This Coming of mine is not to be attributed to me, or my Goodnefs, but to the Grace and Gift of God to Chrift; God gave first my Perfon to him, and therefore hath now given me a Heart to come.

Secondly, This Word fall come, maketh thy Coming, not only the Fruit of the Gift of the Father, but also of the Purpofe of the Son; for thefe Words are a divine Purpose; they fhew us the heavenly Determination of the Son. The Father bath given them to me, and they fhall; yea, they fhall come to me. Chrift is as full in his Refolution to fave thofe given to him, as is the Father in giving of them. Chrift prized the Gift of his Father, he will lofe nothing of it; he is refolved to fave it every Whit by his Blood, and to raise it up again at the laft Day: and thus he fulfils his Father's Will, and accomplisheth his own Defires, John 6. 39. Thirdly,