veth me, fhall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wife cast out." By these words, therefore the Lord Jefus comforteth himfelf under the confideration of the diffimulation of fome of his followers. He also thus betook himself to reft under the confideration of the little effect that his miniftry had in Capernaum, Chorazin, and Bethfaida; “I thank thee, O Father, faid he, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou haft hid these things from the wife and prudent, and hast revealed them to babes; even fo, Father, for it fo feemed good in thy fight," Mat. xi. 25. Luke x. 21.

The text, in the general, confifts of two parts, and hath special respect to the Father and the Son; as also their joint management of the falvation of the people. "All that the Father giveth me, fhall come to me; and him that cometh to me, I will in no wife cast out."

The first part of the text (as is evident) refpecteth the Father and his gift; the other part the fon and reception of that gift.

First, For the gift of the Father there is this to be confidered, to wit.

The gift itself; and that is the gift of certain perfons to the Son. The Father giveth, and that gift fhall come: "And him that cometh." The gift then is of perfons; the Father giveth perfons to Jefus Chrift.

Secondly, Next you have the Son's reception of this gift, and that fheweth itself in these particulars:

1. In his hearty acknowledgment of it to be a gift: "The Father giveth me."

2. In his taking notice, after a folemn manner, of all and every part of the gift: "All that the Father giveth me."

3. In his refolution to bring them to himself; "All that the Father giveth me, fhall come to me."

4. And in his determining, that not any thing fhall make him diflike them in their coming: "And him that cometh to me I will in no wife caft out."

These things might be spoken to at large, as they are in this method presented to view; but I fhall chufe to speak to the words,

1. By way of explication.

2. By way of observation

Firft, By way of explication, « ALL that the Father giveth me." This word all, is often ufed in fcripture, and is to be taken more largely, or more strictly, even as the truth or argument, for the fake of which it is made ufe of, will bear; wherefore that we may better understand the mind of Chrift, in the use of it here, we must confider, that it is limited and restrained only to thofe that fhall be faved, to wit, to those that fhall come to Chrift: even to those whom he will in no wife caft out." Thus alfo the words, " all Ifrael," is fometimes to be taken, (though fometimes it is taken for the whole family of Jacob.) And fo❝ all Ifrael fhall be faved," Rom. xi. By "all Ifrael," here, he intendeth not of all Ifrael, in the largest fense; for they are not all Ifrael which are of Ifrael;" neither because they are the feed of

Abraham, are they all children; but in Ifaac fhall thy feed be called; (that is,) "They who are the children of the flesh; these are not the children of God, but the children of the promife are counted for their feed," Rom. ix. 6, 7,8.

This word all, therefore, muft be limited, and enlarged, as the truth and argument for the fake of which it is used will bear: elfe we fhall abuse scriptures and readers, and ourselves, and all. And I, "If I be lifted up from the earth," faith Christ, "will draw all men after me," John xii. 32. Can any one imagine, that by all, in this place, he fhould mean all and every individual man in the world, and not rather that all that is confonant to the scope of the place? And if, by being "lifted up from the earth," he means, as he fhould feem his be ing taken up into heaven; and if, by "drawing all men after him," he means a drawing them into the place of glory; then muft he mean by all men, thofe, and only thofe, that shall in truth be eternally faved from the wrath to come: "For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all," Rom. xi. 32. Here again you have all and all two alls; but yet a greater difparity between the all made mention of in the first place, and that all made mention of in the fecond. Those intended in this text are the Jews, even all of them, by the firft all that you find in the words. The fecond all doth alfo intend the fame people: but yet only fo many of them as God will have mercy upon. "He hath con

cluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all." The all also in the text, is likewife to be limited and restrained to be saved and them only. But again.

The word giveth, or hath given, must be reftrained, after the fame manner, to the fame limited number: "All that the Father giveth me," Not all that are given if you take the gift of the Father to the Son, in the largest fenfe; for in that fenfe there are many given to him that fhall never come unto him; yea, many are given unto him, that he will caft qut. I fhall therefore firft fhew you the truth of this, and then in what fenfe the gift in the text may be taken.

First, That all that are given to Chrift, if you take the gift of the Father to him, in the largeft fenfe, cannot be intended in the text, is evident,

1. Because then all the men, yea, all the things in the world, muft be faved. "All things, faith he, are delivered unto me by the Father," Mat. xi. 27. This I think, no rational man in the world will conclude: Therefore the gift intended in the text, must be reftrained to fome, to a gift that is given by way of fpeciality by the Father to the Son.

2. It must not be taken for all, that in any fenfe are given by the Father to him, becaufe the Father hath given fome, yea, many to him, to be dashed in pieces by him, "Afk of me, faid the Father to him, and I will give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the. uttermoft parts of the earth for thy poffeffion.j

But what must be done with them? muft he fave them all? No, "Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou fhalt dafh them in pieces like a potter's veffel," Pfalm ii. This method he useth not with them that he faveth by his grace, but with those that himself and faints fhall rule over in juftice and feverity, Rev. ii. 26, 27; yet, as you fee they are given to him; therefore the gift intended in the text, must be reftrained to fome, to a gift that is given by way of speciality by the Father to the Son.

In Pfalm xviii. he faith plainly, that fome are given to him that he might deftroy them: "Thou haft given me the neck of mine enemies, that I might deftroy them that hate me," verfe 40. Thefe therefore cannot be of the number of those that are faid to be given in the text; for thofe, even all of them, fhall come to him, and "he will in no wife caft them out.

3. Some are given to Chrift, that he by them might bring about fome of his high and deep defigns in the world. Thus Judas was given to Chrift, to wit, that by him, even as he was determined before, he might bring about his death, and fo the falvation of his elect by his blood. Yea, and Judas must fo manage this bufinefs, as that he muft lofe himfelf for ever in bringing it to pafs. Therefore the Lord Jefus, even in his lofing of Judas, applies himself to the judgment of his Father, if he had not in that thing done that which was right, even in fuffering Judas fo to bring