not only attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul, but besought him, saying, If ye have judged me faithful to the Lord, come into my house and abide there. (Acts xvi.) In this way also many others, having heard the voice of Christ, have opened the door, and received him as being all their salvation and all their desire.

2. If the heart be opened, it is the Lord's doing. He alone who made the heart can find his way into it. All the buman faculties lie open to the stroke of his Spirit: he can wound and heal, break down and build up, and make what impressions he pleases upon them. Doors, locks, bolts and bars are not so much to him as they were to Sampson, who bore them away from the Philistines with perfect ease. The promise made to Cyrus is also true of Christ: I will open before him the two-leaved gates, and the gates shall not be shut. I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron. Nothing is too hard for Omnipotence. He who will one day open our graves can open our hearts. All souls are mine, saith the Lord: he has a right in them, and a power over them. It was not Paul's preaching, but the Lord himself, that opened the heart of Lydia; and such is the depravity of human nature, that men will not frame their doings to turn unto God. If left to themselves, Christ might knock for ever, and they would not open unto him. Whenever therefore a poor sinner closes in with the gospel, it may be truly said, This is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes.

3. Though the Lord opens the heart, yet it is in a way perfectly agreeable to the party himself. We are not the less willing, because we are made so in the day of his power. That which is an act of power with regard to the holy Spirit, is a voluntary act with regard to the human will. That work which was greatly opposed by the sinner before it was

wrought, is greatly approved by him when wrought. A people whom I have not known shall serve me: as soon as they hear of me they shall obey me: the strangers shall submit themselves unto me. Believers are said to submit, to yield, to give themselves up to the Lord, which implies a freedom from constraint, and that what they do is from the heart. When the understanding is enlightened with heavenly truth, the soul humbled with a sense of sin and wrath, and the Lord Jesus exhibited as a suitable and all-sufficient Saviour, there is no hesitation about his admission: no, the sinner is now as ready and active to let him in, as he was before resolute and determined to keep him out. His language now is, Lift up your heads, oh ye gates, and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors, and the King of glory shall come in. Christ's worth makes way for him as much as his power; and though he can by his omnipotence open the door to himself, in spite of all the reluctance and opposition on the part of the sinner, yet he will not so excrcise his power but that the sinner shall be willing to have it opened. Neither the necessity of divine decrees, nor the efficacy of divine operations tend to destroy the free-agency or accountableness of man.-We now proceed to the next part of our text.

III. I will come in to him.

Here unbelief, under the disguise of humility, starts up, and though silent for a time, opens its mouth afresh; and its language is, This cannot be! It is improbable-impossible! I am not worthy that thou shouldst come under my roof. Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, oh Lord!' Satan also puts forth his last and most vigorous efforts, that he may not be dispossessed of those strong holds which he has so long considered as his own, • Thou Lord, (says he come in! It is true, if thou wilt do it, there is none can hinder thee. But look at his

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filthy garments, and see into what a heart thou art about to enter; how sinful and polluted, how rent and divided! Besides, this man has acknowledged me as his rightful lord and master: and shall the lawful captive be delivered?' Yes, says the Saviour, I will come in, let sin, satan, and unbelief say what they will. I will not upbraid, neither will I forsake the poor sinner who opens. the door, and is willing to receive me. I will come. I will do it certainly : nothing shall prevent me. I will do it immediately: nothing shall delay me.-Now this coming implies three things-nearness-possession-and inhabitation.

1. Nearness. Thus David prays: Oh when wilt thou come unto me! With respect to the immensity of God, he is not far from every one of us; for in him we live, and move, and have our being. But it was his gracious presence that David longed for, and it is this which the soul that opens to Christ shall enjoy, as did the church of old. I am come into my garden, my sister, my spouse. The word "come" implies the freedom with which he acts: he is neither forced nor fetched, but freely comes. He is under no constraints but those of his own love.

2. Possession. The saints are Christ's property by the Father's gift and his own purchase; but they become his possession by the power of his all-conquering grace. It is this which delivers them from the tyranny of Satan, who kept them under heavy bondage, and makes them the willing subjects of his spiritual kingdom. Christ comes as a King to take possession of his royal mansion, and brings all his rich provisions with him. He comes as the Lord into his temple, and says, This is my rest for ever: here. will I dwell, for I have desired it. From henceforth I will have the command of this soul, and it shall be at my disposal.

3. Inhabitation is also implied. He not only comes near to the soul to converse with it, but into it to dwell there, and becomes the vital principle of all holy obedience. I live, says the apostle; yet not 1, but Christ liveth in me. Christ is the christian's life; the life of all his graces, duties and comforts. He may exist without Christ as a man, but not as a christian. Christ comes into the heart that he may drive Satan out. He purifies and adorns it that he may make it his residence for ever. The kingdom of God is within you, says our Lord; and it is a kingdom of righteousness, peace, and joy in the holy Spirit. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the spirit is life because of righteousness. In respect of justification, we do not live by what we can do ourselves, but by what Christ has done for us and in respect of sanctification, we do not live by what we are in ourselves, but by what we are in Christ. Upon him depend all our ability for the service of God, and all our liveliness when engaged in it. The last particular in our text is,

IV. And I will sup with him, and he with me.

This may refer to gospel-ordinances, for which Christ's coming into the soul is both our title and meetness; as also a participation of gospel privileges. Eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness, saith the Lord. Eat, ok friends, drink, yea, drink abundantly, oh beloved. Supper being the principal meal among the jews, it may also imply intimate fellowship and communion, as well as the amplitude and excellency of the provision which Christ makes for his people. Aud being the last meal in the day, it may denote the constancy of those supplies. So long as the saints are upon the earth, Christ will afford them all needful refreshment and comfort, and all their wants shall be supplied in heaven.

The feast however is mutual: I will sup with him, and he with me. Christ is delighted with those graces of the Spirit which are from him, and those fruits of righteousness which are by him, while the believer feasts upon the precious promises and gracious communications of the Redeemer. My soul shall be satisfied, says David, as with marrow and fatness. The obedience and sacrifice of Christ are a continual feast: My flesh is meat indeed, says he; and my blood is drink indeed. As food is suited to the hungry, so are the blessings of the gospel to the souls of believ ers. God's mercies and their miseries correspond..

In the world to come the fellowship of the saints with Christ and with God will be full and complete, uninterrupted and everlasting. They shall then be ravished with the contemplation of the divine excellencies and glories; and however their felicity may admit of increase through the enlargement of their faculties, it is certain that it will not admit of any abatement.

From what has been said, we may see the absolute necessity of opening the heart to Christ in order to salvation. It is not enough that we open our doors to the poor, our purses for the support of his interest, or our mouths to plead his cause: all this may be where the truth is not cordially embraced, and where there is no sincere love to Christ. Until the heart be opened, we can perform no duty that will be acceptable to him: he will not sup with us, nor shall we sup with him. There can be no communion where there is no love. This is the one thing needful to our present comfort and future happiness. This is the end of all the threatenings, promises, invitations and ordinances; and till the heart be engaged, our profession is a cheat, and our hopes are vain. We may have friendship with the saints, but no fellowship with Christ: they may acknowledge us as