that they shall soon bring themselves into a converted state. They take great pains in religion; they confess the sins of their past life, and stir up grief in their hearts because of them; they wait patiently on ordinances, and take much pains to work the works of God: but when they find out that they are not a whit nearer being saved than when they began when they are told they must be drawn to Christ -that God is not obliged to save them-that they deserve nothing at his hand but a place in hell-that if ever they are saved, it is of mere free grace—then they are offended. They cannot bear this kind of preaching; they go back, and walk no more with Jesus. Is any hearing me in this condition ? Alas! proud sinner, stop one moment before you leave the divine Saviour. Is it a hard saying, that an infinitely hateful rebel and worm should be unable to buy Christ with so many tears and prayers?

1st Warning. Many go so far with Christ, who do not go the whole way. Many hear Christ's words for a time with joy and eagerness, who yet are offended by them at last. This is a solemn warning. Do not think you are a Christian because you sit and listen to the words of Christ. Do not think you are a Christian because you have some pleasure in the words of Christ. Many are called—few are chosen. Many went back, and only twelve remained. So doubtless it will be found among you. Those only are Christians who feed upon Christ, and live by him.

2d Warning. Those that go back generally walk no more with Jesus. Perhaps they did not intend to bid an eternal farewell to the Saviour. Perhaps they said, as they retired, I will go home and think about it; I will hear him again concerning this matter. At a more convenient season I will follow him. But, alas! that season never came-they walked no more with Jesus. Take warning, dear friends, you that are anxious about your souls. Oh! do not be easily offended. Do not lose a sense of your lost condition. Oh! do not grow careless of your Bible and the means of grace. Oh! do not go back to the company of sinners. These are all marks of one who is going back from Jesus. Wait patiently for the Lord, until he incline his ear and hear your cry. Still press to hear the words of Jesus. Still cry for the teaching Spirit. "If any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him"-"No man having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God."

II. Lesson. The careful anxiety of Christ lest his own true disciples should go away: "Then said Jesus to the twelve, Will

? -Verse 67.

ye also go away I have no doubt the heart of Jesus was grieved when the multitude went away, and walked no more with him. That good Shepherd never yet saw a lost sheep running on to destruction, but his heart bled for it: "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, how often would I have gathered thy children together!" He could see all the future history of these men— how they would lose all their impressions-how they would harden in their sins-how, like a rolling snowball, they would gather more and more wrath around them, and, I doubt not, he wept in secret over them, and said: If ye had known, even you; but now they are hid from your eyes." He traced their history up to that hour when he would say: Depart from me." But however much Christ grieved over their departure, this only fanned the flame of his love to his own, so that he turned round and said: 66 Will ye also go away?"

66

whom

1. Observe how much love there is in these words. When the crowd went away he did not cry after them— his soul was grieved, but he spoke not a word; but when his own believing disciples were in danger of being led away, he speaks to them: "Will ye also go away ?"-ye whom I have chosen-ye whom I have washed- -ye I have sanctified and filled with hopes of glory-“Will ye also go away?" Oh! see Christians, how anxiously Christ watches over you. He is walking in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks, and his word is: "I know thy works." He watches the first decaying of the first love. He speaks aloud: " "Will ye also go away?"

2. Observe, Christ keeps his disciples from backsliding, by putting the question to them: “Will ye also go away ?" It is probable that some of the twelve were inclining to go away with the rest. We are often deceived by examplecarried away from Christ before we think of it: but Christ wakens us by the question: "Will ye also go away?" Think of this question, you that have known Christ, and yet are going back to sin and the world. May God write it on your hearts: "Will ye also go away? Christians, if you would keep this word in your heart, it would keep you from the thought of going away.

III. Lesson. A true believer has none to go to but Christ.

Both the Bible and experience testify, that believers do oftentimes go away from Christ. The same lips that said: "My Lord, and my God," are often found saying: “I will go after my lovers." But this passage plainly shows that it needs but the word of the tender Saviour to reach the heart of the backslider, and he says: "Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life."

Two reasons are here given why the believer cleaves to Christ.

1. "Thou hast the words of eternal life." To unconverted minds the words of Christ are hard sayings-to his own, they are tried words words of eternal life. The very thing that drives the world away from Christ, draws his own disciples closer and closer to him. The world are offended when Christ says we must eat his flesh—it is a word of eternal life to the Christian. The world go away when they hear of Christ dwelling in the soul-the Christian draws nearer, and says: Lord, evermore dwell in me. The world walk no more with Jesus when they hear, It is all of grace-the Christian bows in the dust, and blesses God, who alone has made him to differ: "Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life." Dear friends, try yourselves by this. Are the words of Christ to you hard sayings, or are they the words of eternal life? Oh! may God enable you to judge fairly of your

case.

2. "We believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God." Ah! it is this that rivets the believing soul to Christ-the certain conviction that Christ is a divine Saviour. If Christ were only a man like ourselves, then how could he be a surety for us? He might suffer in the stead of one man, but how could he suffer in the stead of thousands? Ah! but we believe and are sure that he is the Son of the living God, and therefore I know he is a sufficient surety for me. To whom else can I go for pardon? If Christ were only a man like ourselves, then how could he dwell in us, or give the Spirit to abide with us for ever? But we believe and are sure that he is that Christ, the Son of the living God, and therefore I know he is able to dwell in me, and put the Spirit in me for ever. To whom, then, can I go for a new heart but unto Christ? O dear brethren! have you been thus taught?—then blessed are ye; "for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto you, Father which is in heaven." Hold fast by this sure

but

my

faith-you cannot be too sure, and then you will never, never go away from Christ.

Some of you are very wavering in your life, like a wave of the sea, driven with the wind, and tossed; at one time cast upon the shore, at another time running back into the sea. There is no decision about your Christianity or about your holiness. Why is this? Ans. Unbelief. Oh ! if you would believe and be sure, then you would never depart from him. You would say: "To whom shall we go?

thou hast the words of eternal life."

"And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.”—JOHN v. 40.

THERE is nothing more sad, and nothing more strange than that when there is a Saviour that is enough for all the world, so few should come to him to be saved. If a lifeboat were sent out to a wreck, sufficient to save all the crew, and if it came back with less than half of them, you would inquire, with anxiety, why the rest had not been saved by it. Just so, when Christ has come to seek and save that which was lost, and yet the vast majority are unsaved, it behoves us to inquire why so many are not saved by Christ. We have the answer in these words: "Ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.”

Doctrine. Sinners are lost, not by reason of anything in Christ, but by reason of something in themselves. They will not come to Christ, that they might have life.

I. Show that it is not by reason of anything in Christ that sinners are lost.

1. It is not because Christ is not sufficient to save all.

The whole Bible shows that Christ is quite sufficient to save all the world-that all the world would be saved, if all the world were to come to Christ: "Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world." The meaning of that is, not that the sins of the whole world are now taken away. It is quite plain that the whole world is not forgiven at present. (1.) Because the whole world is not saved. (2.) Because God everywhere calls sinners to repentance, and the first work of the Spirit is to convince of sin-of the heavy burden that is now lying on Christless souls. (3.) Because forgiveness in the Bible is everywhere attached to believing. When they brought to Jesus a man sick of the palsy, Jesus, seeing his faith, said unto him: "Son, be of good cheer; thy sins are forgiven thee." Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved. The simple truth of the Bible is, that Christ hath suffered and died in the stead of sinners-as a common person in their stead; and every man that is a sinner hath a right to

come.

Christ is quite sufficient for all, and I would prove it by this argument: If he was sufficient for one sinner, then he must be sufficient for all. The great difficulty with God (I speak as a man) was, not how to admit many sinners into his favour, but how to admit one sinner into his favour. If that difficulty has been got over in Jesus Christ, then the whole difficulty has been got over. If one sinner may come unto God clothed in Christ, then all sinners may. If one sinner may have peace with God, and God be yet just and glorious, then every sinner may have peace with him. If Christ was enough for Abel, then he is enough for all that come after. If one dying thief may look to him and be saved, so may every dying thief. If one trembling jailer may believe on Jesus, and rejoice believing, so may other trembling sinner. O brethren! you may doubt and wrangle about whether Christ be enough for your soul, but if you die Christless, you will see that there was room enough under his wings, but you would not.

every

2. Sinners are lost, not because Christ is unwilling to save all. The whole Bible shows that Christ is quite willing and anxious that all sinners should come to him. The city of refuge in the Old Testament was a type of Christ; and you remember that its gates were open by night and by day. The arms of Christ were nailed wide open, when he hung upon the cross; and this was a figure of his wide

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