HEAR, O Heavens; give ear O Earth, be astonished, O our Souls! Jesus, the Lord of life and glory; Jesus, the Lamb of God; Jesus, the son of the Highest, not only gave himself to the accursed death of the Cross, to save a perishing, hell-deserving world; but Living, condescends to offer; nay intreat for a reconciliation. Jesus, is come, he calls; he knocks at the door of our hearts for admittance; for liberty of forming him­self in, and communing with our souls; Awake from the Death-begotten dream; Awake from these carnal slumbers; why thus deaf, when the beloved Jesus calls? Why thus luke-warm in his service? Why thus averse; thus inattentive to his affectio­nate cries?

[Page 4]Lift up O our Souls, and be lifted up ye doors of our hearts, that the King of Glory may come in: He now invites us to a union and fellowship with himself; to a par­ticipation of the joys of the New-Jerusalem, the city of God: O, the infinite goodness, the unfathomable love, the stupendious grace of a crusified Jesus!

Ye careless and profane; may I engage your attention to this Grace? will ye hear this language of divinity? will ye listen to the heavenly voice of your Friend? These are his words, O, Sinner, "I know thyworks, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot, so then, because thou art luke-warm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my Mouth: Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased in goods and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and blind and naked." Yet, this is a strange work to me: I esteem your happiness far more elegible; why wilt thou not accept of peace and righteousness at my hands? "I coun­cil thee to buy of me gold, tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white rai­ment that thou mayest be cloathed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thy eyes, with eye salve, that [Page 5] thou mayest see. As many as I love I rebuke and chasten; be zealous therefore and re­pent."

And to induce you, to accept of my coun­sel, and that I may leave you without any show of excuse for refusal, I further assure you that according to the will and appointment of the father, I shall readily assist you by my spirit through the gospel; while you zea­lously attend thereto; and carefully improve the grace and talents given; and will bring you home to myself, unless your obstinacy prevent. "Behold," (attend to my words, and rely on my varacity) "I stand at the door and knock; if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him and he with me."

Such is the Covenant of Grace, and the ap­pointment of Heaven; that, whosoever shall hear and open to me; he shall obtain the "gold tried in the fire; the white raiment, and the eye-salve;" and I will love him.

This, O sinner, is the unfathomable love of God, this, is the voice of a once crusified Jesus unto thee, if you hear, it is life; if you refuse, it is death to thy Soul forever.

But, let us more particularly, enquire how Christ helps us to come to him; or what is implied in his standing and knocking at the [Page 6] door; what may be implied in our hearing his voice, and opening the door to him; what in his coming into our hearts, and our supping together.

Firstly. What is Christ doing on his part to bring us to a state of reconciliation: Or, what shall we understand by his standing and knocking at the door?

Omiting several niceties, and minute ex­planations on these terms, Behold, Standing, Knocking, Door, &c. (on which some have spent much Labour) I shall only observe in general, that we understand hereby that Christ in the Gospel Dispensation, its Ordi­nances and institutions, continualy seeks and endeavours to make impressions on the hearts of Sinners, that, he may bring them to a sense of duty, and bow their stubborn wills to his own sovereign pleasure.

Hence, we are naturally led to observe, that Christ makes the first advance towards the Sinner for Reconciliation and Peace: " Behold (says Christ) I stand at the door." Though we are the offending party, and as such, ought to make the first suit for recon­ciliation; yet Christ knowing our infirmity, is pleased to magnify his Grace towards us, by making the first offers: and thus prove himself the best of friends unto us, though [Page 7] we are the worst of enemies to him: This is of the Lords mercies, and marvelous in our eyes; it is an instance of the unparralleled love of Christ to our ruined Race, and ardent desire to save that which was lost. Did Je­sus wait for us to make the first advance to­wards reconciliation, eternal death would be inevitable. Our corrupt nature could never lead us unto God: Our fall from Rectitude is spiritual death in the soul; that we can put forth no holy exercise untill Christ quicken us from dead works, to serve the living God, we are by nature enemies to the cross of Christ, " For the carnal mind is enmity against God:" How then can we ask for re­conciliation? while thus averse to the cross, how shall we bow to the Scepter of Jesus, and come to his footstool for mercy? impossi­ble, Jesus, and he only, can lead man to this.

Again, Jesus comes near to invite us: He don't stand aloft, or at a distance when he calls; no, but he comes to the very threshold of the heart, he touches it with his power; behold I stand at the door, and knock: Christ by his word and spirit comes to the heart of every sinner under the gospel, and the sinner knows him to be there, pleading for admit­tance; sometimes in a way of mercies, at others, in a way of afflictions, we can't plead [Page 8] that we never had an opportunity to make our peace with Christ; Jesus has come, he has come near even to the very door of our hearts, and knocked for admittance, that if we perish, we must perish with blood on our heads. But,

Furthermore; Jesus by standing and knocking at the door of our hearts, mani­fests both a willingness and ardent desire to en­ter in and set up his throne there. As we mani­fest an intent to enter our neighbour's house by knocking at his door, so does Christ by knocking at the door of our hearts. The si­militude is easy and familiar, emblematical of intimacy and friendship: Such is the will of Christ here exhibited: He would be familiar: He would be at home in all our hearts: He wishes to make us all partakers of his own felicity and will effect it, if we will suf­fer him to fit us for such heavenly enjoy­ments.

This is the tenor of the Gospel; from This, flow all the kind invitations of Jesus Christ; see his desire to the house of Israel, " Turn ye, turn ye, for why will ye die, O house of Is­rael; for as I live faith the Lord, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that he turn from his evil way and live." It is by our own will, not God's that we perish; he [Page 9] accounts it his strange work to execute wrath, he would fain withhold the sword of his ven­geance that mercy might take the lead, though he be highly provoked; though he has made bare his arm and brandished his sword; yet through the pleading of mercy, and his ar­dent desire after our happiness, he will stay his hand for a season: An instance of this prerogative of deity towards the house of Is­rael▪ we have most excellently described by the Prophet Hosea, Ch. XI. 8, 9. How shall I give thee up Ephraim? How shall I deliver thee Israel? How shall I make thee as Ad [...] ­ah? How shall I set thee as Zeboim? Mine heart is turned within me, my repentings are kindled together. I will not execute the fierceness of mine anger, I will not return to destroy Ephraim, for I am God, and not man." Christ is not only willing to save; but loath to destroy; it is the desire of his soul to communicate of happiness to his creatures, it is infinitely more elegible to him, to glorify himself in our sal­vation; than in our damnation.

But yet further, though we are averse to the cross; yet the matchless Jesus, not only desires our salvation, but is using means for our conversion: Behold (says he) I stand at the door and knock. Christ now that he is come, is neither idle nor silent; but he knocks [Page 10] at the door of our hearts; he accuses the slumbering soul, and brings home convictions to the conscience. Many are the means of his grace, and divers the methods of his operati­ons; but he leaves none without a call; nay, repeated calls both of his gospel, his mini­sters, his providences and his holy spirit. This work, he generally begins in the days of our youth, while the mind is flexile and the con­science tender; he takes this opportunity, as the fairest, to engage our thoughts on the things of religion; his calls are the calls of mercy, and invitations of his grace; the Spirit moves gently on the heart, revealing the truths of the gospel: endeavouring to take our affec­tions from youthful lusts and vanities, and set them " on things above, where Christ is at the right hand of GOD."

But if these calls are not heard, he will chastise us; neither our encreasing in years, nor ingratitude under mercies, can stay his paren­tal rebuke: Jesus will verily come and knock harder at the door; he will come with the rod of correction, and teach us the instabili­ty of human devices, and the uncertainty of temporal enjoyments.

Are we still ungrateful under mercies, and incorrigible under chastisements, he will knock louder at the door; he will be heard [Page 11] and understood before he departs: Judgments grow severe and smite on every side: The spirit sets home convictions on the conscience with fearful energy, and the terrors of the Lord sound dreadful in our ears, till we hear as it were, the thundering and see the light­ning from Mount Sinai, flushing immediate vengeance from the Almighty. Here let us see and admire the love of God to our hell-deserving race: Is it not boundless unfathoma­ble love? Why did Jesus bleed for such re­bels? Nay, why does he strive with such un­grateful wretches, who always resist his spi­rit? Why does he use such means, and work thus variously to spare us from deserved ruin? Why does he not rather arise in wrath, to avenge abused grace, and with his uplifted arm hurl the whole race down to irremida­ble woe? He is God! He is God, not man.

Yet my friends, notwithstanding all this goodness and grace of the beloved Jesus, is it not a lamentable truth, that the greater part of us have not regarded these kind calls, so as to open the door unto Christ; but from our awaknings have turned, like the dog to his vomit; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire?

I observe but this once more; Behold (says Christ) I stand at the door: here is the for­bearance [Page 12] and long sufferance of God manifest; the calls of Christ are not hasty and flighty; he does not call and pass right on; but stands at the door, he waits for our answer; when he offers peace and reconciliation, he expects our answer, whether we accept or not; nay, he does not leave us at the first refusal; but still forbears; how many days, months and years has he waited on us? How often been refused? Yet this day we have the offers of life and salvation sounding in our ears; we are witnesses for Christ that he is long-suffering and gracious. Let us take heed lest we tire his patience. He says he will not always strive with man; if his visits are less frequent do we feel more careless and indifferent, de­pend on it, that it is time to awake, and cry mightily unto God for his returns, lest he de­part for ever; perhaps this is the last offer; now then is the time, or never; this lost, Hell is certain.

We have no excuse to make; but are mur­derers of our own souls; Christ is free and his throne will be forever guiltless: (Speaking after the manner of men) he departs with an acking heart and weeping eyes: Shall we see his sorrow; shall we hear his lamentation? " O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the Prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto [Page 13] thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings and ye would not?" O ye careless and hard-hearted sinners how of­ten have I knocked at the door of your hearts, how often called you by my word and spirit, that you would forsake the foolish and live? How have I strove to deliver you from Hell? But ye would not be delivered.

Thus we briefly see what Christ is doing to engage us to accept of his council, or what is implied in his standing and knocking at the door.

Let us now see what is required on the sinner's part in return; Or,

Secondly, shew what is implied in our hear­ing the voice, and opening the door unto Christ; If any man hear my voice, and open the door (says Christ) I will come in to him, &c. might I enlarge, it would be well to note something on the universality of this call, " if any man:" but suffice it to say, that the call of the gospel is not special, or personal; but general, extending to all men. " Through the redemption which is in Jesus Christ," all men are freed from their first-covenant of grace, or brought into a saveable state, that if we perish we must perish of free choice; none are excluded this covenant, or call of the [Page 14] gospel; to a compliance with which, salvati­on is connected, not as a reward to our works or endeavours; but through (as it were) an additional grant of that grace, which first pro­posed the covenant, or call of the gospel: Hence saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in, &c. Christ not only proposes the terms on which he will be re­conciled; but also draws the line where he will first meet the sinner for this purpose, not according to our work but according to his grace.

Where this line is drawn; and what is requisite to our coming thereto; is the present subject-matter of enquiry.

Let us then as proposed inquire into the import of hearing Christ's voice; which is proposed as the first branch of duty: This, beyond doubt is a knowledge of, and assent to the truths of the gospel revelation; together with a belief, or strong persuasion that Christ by his spirit, through his gospel, is knocking at the door of our hearts for admittance. This, by our former divines has been called a law work, or the first step is conversion. It is a state of rational conviction, and spiritual awaknings or the state of the almost Christ [...] To this state of consideration and awakening, [Page 15] the means of grace have a peculiar tendency to bring mankind; especially when accompa­nied with the spirit of God: Hence the men that traveled to Emaus felt their hearts burn within them, while Christ talked to them, and explained the scriptures: In like manner, the heart of Lydia was opened (under the preaching of Paul) to receive the truth. Un­der the preaching of Peter the Jews were so pricked to the heart, that they cried as in agony, "men and brethren what shall we do to be saved."

Every person that has come to years of discretion, is a witness for Christ, that he hath knocked at the door of his heart: All hear the voice of Christ, in his word, providence, or spirit, however careless and inattentive they may be: Not all that hear the voice of Christ shall be saved, no, but from this step many may, and do fall away, and turn to their former wickedness, like the dog to his vomit: But these are difficult to be renewed again unto repentance: Such was the state of the man that walked through dry places seeking rest, and finding none; but returning to his house, be found it empty, swept and gar­nished; and taking to himself seven other spi­rits more wicked than himself they entered in and dwelt there; and his last state was worse [Page 16] than his first. This is a true representation of sinners falling from their convictions, and the fearful consequences of such conduct.

Hence furthermore, our hearing the voice of Christ is not sufficient to bring us to that line which he has drawn, but he requires that we open the door to him: This will bring us to that line, at which, by an act of grace he has appointed to meet the returning sinner: But fully to determine how much is implied in this phraze of " opening the door" is not a little difficult. Modesty in expression and thought, becomes mortals on such an impor­tant point: Let it be our attendant while we prosecute our inquiry.

It is observable here, that some have placed the " opening of the door," in an assent of the understanding or in hearing the voice as just considered; which we found short of the end, in that many might and did fall therefrom, [...] yielding their members servants [...] righteousness unto holiness.

Others have placed it, in a consent of the will, which, (though an indeterminate phraze; yet, as it is generally understood for a united act of understanding, will and affections,) as far over-shoots the mark, as the other fell short; for it supposes a gracious exercise in the heart, anticedent to a principle of holiness, or [Page 17] the implantation of the new nature; which in the best view, is absurd and contradictory.

To avoid both of these extremes, we must see what man can do in a state of nature, un­der the awaknings of God's spirit; and whe­ther this will not remove the obstacles which hinder Christ from entering the heart. Where, be it observed, that though man, by his fall from rectitude, lost all moral power, nay, and has his " understanding darkned through the ignorance that is in him;" yet, he is a rational creature and free-agent; and on this consideration, arises the requirement in our text, not because Christ cannot enter the most perverse and stubborn heart, but because he will treat us as free agents and ac­countable creatures; therefore the opening of the door, is something not only consistent with this, but within its reach, under the influences of God's spirit. Let us view man in this character of rationality; we shall find him always acting by the first law of nature, self-preservation, this is the case of all men in a state of spiritual awaknings; they seek to avoid the impending evil, however they may mistake the means: Fear of pu­nishment for sin, rouses them to fly from the wrath to come; and apprehensions of mercy in Christ, supports them under these [Page 18] fears. This is according to the principle implanted in our nature and as such is ration­al and laudable, though not meritorious; but in the present case, is the highest source from which a man can act without a prin­ciple of grace: And in this we must allow him to be a free-agent, capable of choosing and refusing; and of consequence, capable of moral honesty and sincerity: He may have the same kind and same degree of sin­cerity and honesty in all his intentions and resolutions to avoid sin, from a fear of hell and apprehension of mercy through Christ, as he can have to fulfil any moral obligation towards man: As it is possible he may fail in both; so is it possible he may per­severe in both, under the power of God's spirit; though as yet void of a true principle of grace: He is as capable of the one, as the other, the latter of which, no man doubts of; and why of the former? Both, are acts of real honesty and sincerity differing but in the object of intention; which can never alter a man's capability of performance.

A man under convictions of sin, and awak­nings of the spirit may have as sincere pre­sent intentions to avoid sin; as the best Saint; though arising from a different source, viz. Fear of punishment and appre­hension [Page 19] of mercy in the Lord Jesus; and therefore more likely to fall away. And the man that does thus exert his honesty and sincere endeavours and intentions of avoiding sin, and yielding that Christ shall take the lead; does for the present lay down his car­nal weapons; not out of love; but of ne­cessity; that he may escape a greater evil: And in so doing, I conceive acts from the highest principle of human nature in its fal­len state; and goes to his utmost stretch un­til Christ comes into the heart.

I imagine (though with reverence to­wards God, and deference to my fathers) that this will answer to all intents and pur­poses, the opening the door to Christ. What impediments, what bars, what obstacles are there in the way? None most certainly; but Christ may enter the heart without mo­lestation: For though there are no longings or out-breathings of soul after Christ, from a principle of love, so neither on the contrary is there resisting or striving against him: Otherwise the honesty and sincerity of reso­lution contended for, is entirely destroyed.

And that a man (consistent with free agency) may (under the awaknings of the spirit) be brought to this state of passive­ness and resignation, is not to be doubted; it [Page 20] has been asserted by all ancient Calvinistical divines, as the state where Christ meets the sinner with saving grace. But to make the idea clearer, suffer the following similitude suited ro the idea, sinners commonly have of GOD: Suppose a man was captivated by a cruel nation, by whose laws all captives should be burnt at the stake; but yet from some self end, or compassion they should make this offer to him; that it he would submit to take their mark, and wear their livery, by which, he should be bound to them for ever; he should be immediately unloosed, and enjoy their privileges; I say, suppose a man in this case; would he not be capable of the strictest honesty, and highest degree of liberty in his choice? Beyond doubt: And if he should accept; though not out of love to them, but dread of the faggot, yet the reward is certain; not for the sake of his choice, but according to their appointment, for the fulfilment of their veracity, and ma­nifestation of grace. Exactly such is the case with the awakned sinner; he has no alterna­tive but submission to Christ or the devil; he sees a flaming hell on one hand, and has a glimmering hope on the other: Reason de­cides the choice (though against carnal af­fection) and honest and sincere resolutions af­fect [Page 21] it, and through an appointment and grant of grace, the consequence is happy and certain.

When the man thus honestly and sincere­ly chuses a submission to Christ, he may en­ter the heart without violence to the will or free-agency of the man: This removes the impediments which lay in the heart to obstruct Christ; or it opens the door to him: The man can do no more till Christ come in; he cannot put forth exercises of grace to welcome him into his heart, anticedent to the implantation of the new nature; there­fore, stands in this state of passiveness and resignation, while Christ enters and forms himself in the soul. Which is the next thing to be considered, viz.

Thirdly, I will come in to him.

Here is the line where we first meet Christ: Having yielded the point of saving ourselves, as above, he is ready to help us; by applying to our souls the healing Balm of Giliad. But had Christ come in before this resignation, he must have deprived us of free-agency, and made us act as meer machines, not accountable creatures, and thus have destroyed all virtue throughout the whole moral system: But the holy Jesus will sooner suffer us to go down to hell, ac­cording to our own choice, than do this to [Page 22] have his saving influences; we most see and feel our guilty state and need of his assist­ance, and submit to receive it: Then he enters the heart by our permission; and hav­ing passed the door he takes full possession of the heart. Now he binds the strong man, the influences of Satan, and destroys the old man, the body of sin and corruption: Having got possession of the understanding, he leads on to the will and affections: He rases the devil's kingdom to the ground and sets up his own in its stead, and thus leads captivity captive and gives gifts unto men. He forms the soul into a conformity to the divine pattern; gives a new heart and a new spirit, fitting the man for every good work; and he believes to the salvation of the soul. This leads us to consider in the last place.

Fourthly, What is implied in Christ's sup­ing with the returning sinner, & he with him. Eating and drinking, are often used in scrip­ture for enjoyment and fulness of spiritual good things: Our supping with Christ may then imply that we experience the blessed­ness of them who hunger and are filled with the fullness of Christ: And also that we are now at peace and agreement; for being formed in Christ, we can no more be at va­riance, but delight in him and he in us; [Page 23] hence he says, my father will love him and I will love him, and we will come unto him and take up our abode with him. Christ not on­ly sanctifies, but abides in our hearts, and delights to commune with us by his spirit hence this supping together is called the Fellowship of the Spirit, there are spiritual communications from Christ to believers and out breathings of soul in believers after Christ: Truly says the beloved desciple our fellowship is with the father, and in his son Jesus Christ. Christ not only puts life into the soul; but maintains it, and upholds fellowship with it: This is the blessedness of them that open the door unto the Amen, the faithful and true witness, he sups with them, and they with him.

AMEN.