These observations lie all of them in the words, and are plentifully confirmed by the Scriptures of truth; but I shall not at this time speak to them all, but shall pass by the first, second, third, fourth, and sixth, partly because I design brevity, and partly because they are touched upon in the explicatory part of the text. I shall therefore begin with the fifth observation, and so make that the first in order, in the following discourse.
Coming to Christ not by the power of man, but by the drawing of the Father.
OBSERVATION FIRST. First, then, coming to Christ is not by the will, wisdom, or power of man, but by the gift, promise, and drawing of the Father. This observation consists of two parts. First, the coming to Christ is not by the will, wisdom, or power of man; second, it is by the gift, promise, and drawing of the Father.
If you examine the explanation of the first part of the text, you will discover that it contains this truth. I shall, therefore, here follow the method propounded, viz: show,
First, coming to Christ is not by the will, wisdom, or power of man. This is true because the word does positively say it is not.
1. It denies it wholly to be by the will of man. “Not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man” (John 1:13). And again, “It is not of him that wills, nor of him that runs” (Rom 9:16).
2. It denies it to be of the wisdom of man, as is manifest from these considerations:
(1.) In the wisdom of God, it pleased him, that the world should not know him. Now, if by their wisdom they cannot know him, it follows, by that wisdom, they cannot come unto him; for coming to him is not before, but after some knowledge of him (1 Cor 1:21; Acts 13:27; Psa. 9:10).
(2.) The wisdom of man, in God’s account, as to the knowledge of Christ, is reckoned foolishness. “Hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?” (1 Cor 1:20). And again, The wisdom of this world is foolishness with God (2:14). If God hath made foolish the wisdom of this world; and again, if the wisdom of this world is foolishness with him, then verily it is not likely, that by that a sinner should become so prudent as to come to Jesus Christ, especially if you consider,
(3.) That the doctrine of a crucified Christ, and so of salvation by him, is the very thing that is counted foolishness to the wisdom of the world. Now, if the very doctrine of a crucified Christ is counted foolishness by the wisdom of this world, it cannot be that, by that wisdom, a man should be drawn out in his soul to come to him (1 Cor 3:19; 1:18,23).
(4.) God counted the wisdom of this world as one of his greatest enemies; therefore, by that wisdom, no man can come to Jesus Christ. For it is not likely that one of God’s greatest enemies should draw a man to that which best of all pleases God, as coming to Christ doth. Now, that God counts the wisdom of this world as one of his greatest enemies, is evident, (a.) For that it castes the greatest contempt upon his Son’s undertakings, as afore proved, in that it counts his crucifixion foolishness; though that be one of the highest demonstrations of Divine wisdom (Eph 1:7, 8). (b.) Because God had threatened to destroy it, bring it to naught, and cause it to perish; which surely he would not do, was it not an enemy, would it direct men to, and cause them to close with Jesus Christ (Isa 29:14; 1 Cor 1:19). (c.) He hath rejected it from helping in the ministry of his Word, as a fruitless business, and a thing that comes to naught (1 Cor 2:4, 6, 12, 13). (d.) Because it causes perish, those that seek it, and pursue it (1 Cor 1:18–19). (e.) And God has proclaimed, that if any man will be wise in this world, he must be a fool in the wisdom of this world, and that is the way to be wise in the wisdom of God. “If any man seems to be wise in this world, let him become a fool so that he may be wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God” (1 Cor 3:18–20).
No comments:
Post a Comment