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was ready to forgive him this Act of Backfliding, Eph. 4. 28.

Now all thefe are Examples, particular Inftances of Chrift's Readiness to receive the Backfliders to Mercy; and, obferve it, Examples and Proofs that he hath done so, are to our unbelieving Hearts, ftronger Encouragements than bare Promises, that fo he will do. But again, the Lord Jefus hath added to thefe, for the Encouragement of returning Backfliders, to come to him::

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Firft, A Call to come, and he will receive them, Rev. 2. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 14, 15, 16, 20, 21, 22. Chap. 3. 1, 2, 3, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22. Wherefore New Teftament Backfliders have Encouragement to come.

Secondly, A Declaration of Readiness to receive them that come, as here in the Text, and in many other Places, is plain: Therefore, "Set thee up thefe Marks, make thee thofe high Heaps, (of the golden Grace of the Gospel) fet thine Heart towards the High Way, even the Way that thou wenteft (when thou didft backflide) turn again, O Virgin of Ifrael; turn again to thefe thy Cities," Jer. 31. 21.

And him that (cometh) He faith not, And him that talketh, that profeffeth, that maketh a Show, a Noise, or the like, but him that cometh. Christ will take Leave to judge, who, among the many that make a Noife, they be that indeed are coming to him. It is not him that faith he comes, nor him of whom others affirm that he comes: But him that Chrift himself fhall fay doth come; that is concerned in this Text. When the Woman that had the Bloody Iffue came to him for Cure, there were others as well as the, that made a great Buftle about him, that

touched,

touched, yea, thronged him; Ah, but Chrift could diftinguish this Woman from them all. "And he looked round about upon them all, to fee her that had done this Thing," Mar. 25. 26-32.

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He was not concerned with the thronging, or touching of the reft; for theirs were but accidental, or at beft, void of that which made her touch acceptable. Wherefore Chrift must be Judge who they be that in Truth are coming to him; "Every Man's Ways is right in his own Eyes, but the Lord weigheth the Spirits :" It ftandeth therefore every one in Hand to be certain of their coming to Jefus Chrift; for as thy coming is, fo fhall thy Salvation be: If thou Gomeft indeed, thy Salvation fhall be indeed; but if thou comeft but in outward Appearance, fo fhall thy Salvation be: But of coming, fee before, as alfo afterwards in the Ufe and Application.

"And him that cometh (to me.)"

;

Thefe Words (to me) are alfo to be well heeded; for by them, as he fecureth those that come to him, fo alfo he fhews himself unconcerned with those that in their coming rest short, to turn aside to others: For you must know, that every one that comes, comes not to Jefus Chrift; fome that come, come to Mofes, and to his Law, and their take up for Life; with thefe Christ is not concerned With these this Promise hath not to do. "Chrift is become of none Effect unto you: whofo of you are justified by the Law, ye are fallen from Grace," Gal. 5. 3, 4. Again, fome that came, came no farther than the Gospel-ordinances, and there ftay; they came not through them to Chrift: With these neither is he concern

ed:

ed; nor will their Lord Lord avail them any Thing in the great and difmal Day. A Man may come to, and alfo go from the Place and Ordinances of Worship, and yet not be remembred by Chrift," So I faw the Wicked buried, faid Solomon, who had come and gone from the Place of the Holy, and they were forgotten in the City, where they had fo done; this is alfo Vanity," Eccl. 8. 10.

To me.] Thefe Words therefore are by Jesus Chrift very warily put in, and ferve for Caution and Encouragement; for Caution, left we take up in our coming any Thing short of Chrift; and for Encouragement to thofe that fhall in their coming, come past all, till they come to Jefus Chrift: "And him that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out "

Reader, if thou loveft thy Soul, take this Caution kindly at the Hands of Jefus Chrift. Thou feeft thy Sickness, thy Wound, thy Neceffity of Salvation: Well, go not to King Jareb, for he cannot heal thee, nor cure thee of thy Wound, Hof. 5. 13. Take the Caution, I fay, left Chrift, inftead of being a Saviour unto thee, becomes a Lion, a young Lion to tear thee, and go away, ver. 4.

There is a coming, but not to the most High: There is a coming, but not with the whole Heart, but as it were feignedly; therefore take the Caution kindly, Jer. 30. 10. Hof. 7. 16.

And him that cometh To me] Chrift, as a Saviour, will ftand alone, becaufe his own Arm alone hath brought Salvation unto him: He will not be joined with Mofes, nor fuffer John Baptift to be tabernacled by him: Į say they must vanish, for Chrift will ftand alone, (Luke 9. 28, 36.) yea, God the Father will have it fo; therefore they must be parted from him, and a Voice from

Heaven must come to hid the Difciples hear, only the beloved Son. Chrift will not fuffer any Law, Ordinance, Statute, or Judgment to be Partners with him in the Salvation of the Sinner. Nay, he faith not, And him that cometh to my Word, but, and him that cometh to Me. The Words of Chrift, even his most bleffed and free Promifes, fuch as this in the Text, are not the Saviour of the World; for that is Christ himself, Chrift himself only. The Promises therefore are but to encourage the coming Sinner to come to Jefus Chrift, and not to reft in them fhort of Salvation by him.

And him that cometh [to me,] the Man therefore that cometh aright, cafts all Things behind his Back, and looketh at (nor hath his Expectations from ought but) the Son of God alone, and David faid, " My Soul, wait thou only upon God; for my Expectation is from him: He only is my Rock, and my Salvation; he is my Defence; I fhall not be moved," Pfal. 92. 5. His Eye is to Chrift, his Heart is to Chrift, and his Expectation is from him, from him only.

Therefore the Man that comes to Chrift, is one that hath had deep Confiderations of his own Sins, flighting Thoughts of his own Righteoufnefs, and high Thoughts of the Blood and Righteoufnefs of Jefus Chrift; yea, he fees, as I have faid, more Virtue in the Blood of Chrift to fave him, than there is in all his Sins to damn him. He therefore fetteth Chrift before his Eyes, there is nothing in Heaven or Earth, he knows, that can fave his Soul and Secure him from the Wrath of God, but Chrift; that is, nothing but his perfonal Righteousness, and Blood.

"And him that cometh to me, I will in no wife caft out." In no wife: by thefe Words

there

there is fomething expreffed; and fomething implied. That which is expreffed is Jefus Chrift, his unchangeable Refolution to fave the coming Sinner; I will in no wife reject him, or deny him the Benefit of my Death and Righteoufnefs. This Word therefore is like that which he speaks of the everlafting Damnation of the Sinner in Hell-fire," he fhall by no Means depart thence;" that is, never, never come out again; no, not to all Eternity, Mat. 5. 25. chap. 25. 26. So that as he that is condemned into Hell-fire, hath no Ground of Hope for his Deliverance thence; fo him that cometh to Chrift, hath no Ground to fear he fhall ever be caft in thither.

Thus faith the Lord: If Heaven above can be measured, or the Foundation of the Earth, fearched out beneath, I will alfo caft away all the Seed of Ifrael, for all that they have done, faith the Lord, Jer. 31. 37.

Thus faith the Lord, "If my Covenant be not with Day and Night, and if I have not appointed the Ordinances of Heaven and Earth, then will I caft away the Seed of Jacob." "But Heaven cannot be measured, nor the Foundations of the Earth fearched out beneath; his Covenant is alfo with Day and Night, and he hath appointed the Ordinances of Heaven; therefore he will not caft away the Seed of Jacob, who are the coming ones; but will certainly fave them from the dreadful Wrath to come, Jer. 33. 25, 26. • chap. 50. 4, 5. By this therefore it is manifeft, that it was not the Greatness of Sin, nor the long Continuance in it, no, nor yet the Backfliding, nor the Pollution of thy Nature, that can put a Bar in against, or by an Hindrance of the Salvation of the coming Sinner: For, if indeed this could be, then would this folemn and abfolute Determination of the Lord Jesus, of it

felf

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