Page images
PDF
EPUB

thefe are expreffed by the fpoufe in one word, Draw me, we will run after thee. The paffive gathering is God's drawing finners to Chrift, the active gathering is their running to him when drawn. This is fuch a necessary diftinction, that it must be taken along with the whole of our difcourfe upon this fubject; wherein we must confider this gathering fometimes in an active and fometimes in a paffive fenfe, becaufe the one cannct be without the other. When irresistible When irrefiftible power is put forth, there must be a gathering, Pfal. cx. 3. "Thy people fhall be willing in the day of thy power:" And where there is fuch a gathering, it is a fruit of that exerting of divine power in its irrefiftible efficacy.-Hence I offer,

2. A fecond remark, that in this gathering of the people to Shiloh, there are certain gatherers employed. The great and glorious gatherer is God himfelf, when he draws finners to himfelf with the cords of love and bands of a man; that is, in a powerful irrefiftible manner; and yet not violating the will, as Arminians dream; but with loving and rational arguments, conquering, carrying, captivating, and overpowering the whole foul. God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghoft, are employed in this gathering-work: it is done by the care of the Father, by the pains of the Son, and by the power of the Holy Ghoft: it is done by the motion of the Father, by the mediation of the Son, and by the might of the eternal Spirit. God the Father is the gatherer; he is faid to gather into one all things by Christ, Eph. i. 10. Chrift himself, to whom the gathering is, is alfo the gatherer, John xi. 52. where it is faid of him, that he would gather together into one, the children of God that were scattered abroad. And that the Holy Ghoft is the immediate gatherer, is plain, in that as the Father fends the Son to gather, fo the Son fends the Spirit to gather the people to him: hence the Spirit is faid to reveal Chrift, to teftify of Chrift, to glorify Christ, to invite the people to Chrift, Rev, xxii. 17. The Spirit and the Bride fay, Come. And he not only fays it externally to the ear by his word; but internally to the foul, by his common motions; and efficacioufly to the

heart,

heart, by his irrefiftible operation; like that word by which the world was made, when God faid, Let there be light, and there was light: fo, when the Spirit fays, Let there be faith, there is faith. Hence, he that is called the Spirit of faith, 2 Cor. iv. 13. is alfo the Spirit of power, 2 Tim. i. 7. For he both begins and carries on the work of faith with power, and fo powerfully draws finners to Chrift, and effectually gathers the people to Shiloh. The principal gatherers then are the bleffed perfons of the glorious Trinity: the Father does it, through the Son, by the Holy Ghoft. This adorable three-in-one work to each other's hand. There are fubordinate gatherers, which God does employ; particularly minifters of the gofpel, whofe greateft work lies in winning fouls, and gathering people to Chrift; therefore called, workers together with God, 2 Cor. vi. 1. Their principal bufinefs is to found the trumpet, and gather the people to Shiloh: they are to preach Chrift, to proclaim Chrift, to offer Chrift, to invite finners to Chrift, and that is all they can do. They may caft down the gofpel-net, but they will take no thing, unless the Lord himself gather in the fish; Except the Lord build the city, the builders build in vain. The gospel is then the power of God to falvation; that is, his organical power, the inftrument of his power, when it is the miniftration of the Spirit; "Not by ftrength, nor by might, but by my Spirit, faith the Lord." Seek then, that his power may accompany the word, otherwife, it will not be a gathering word.-Now, as minifters are the fubordinate gatherers, under Heaven's influence, by office; fo may private Chriftians, whofe fouls are gathered to Chriít: they may be gatherers in their ftation, not indeed by office minifterially and authoritatively, but by private admonition and counsel charitatively. Thus parents, by their precept and example, may be the inftruments of gathering their children to Christ; mafters, their fervants; and private Chriftians, their neighbours. And happy thefe that through grace are thus employed, whether as minifters or Chriftians! for they are wife," He that winneth fouls is wife. And they that be wife," (Dan. xii. 3.) or, as it may be read," they

that

[ocr errors]

that be teachers, fhall fhine as the brightnefs of the firmament: and they that turn many to righteoufnefs, as the ftars for ever and ever." But then again,

3. The third remark I offer is, that there are certain airths, or particular quarters from whence the gathering of the people is made. Whence are they gathered, may you fay? Why, this is to be confidered beth in point of place, and in point of fate.

This

Ift, In point of place. Whence is the gathering to Shiloh, and from what airth? Why, even from every airth; " They fhall come from the eat, and from the weft, and from the north, and from the fouth, and fhall fit down in the kingdom of God," Luke xiii. 29. gathering to Shiloh, confidered even literally and extenfively, will be from all the four quarters, and from all the four corners of the earth; from Europe, Afia, Africa, and America. Hence it is faid of Chrift's dominion, Pfal. lxxii. 8. that he fhall have it from fea to fea, and from the river to the ends of the earth: and not only the large continent, but the little ifles are included, ver. 10, 11. "The kings of Tarshish and the ifles fhall bring prefents, and the kings of Sheba and Seba fhall offer gifts: yea, all kings fhall fall down before him, and all nations fhall ferve him." You have all the four airths mentioned, Ifa. xliii. 5, 6. “I will bring thy feed from the east, and gather thee from the weft; and will fay to the north, Give up; and to the fonth, Keep not back: bring my fons from afar, and my daughters from the ends of the earth." While the ifles and ends of the earth are fo much mentioned, even the outmoft ends of the earth, to be Chrift's poffeffion; we may therein fee and wonder at the grace of God, that in his council of old, concerning the gathering of the people to Shiloh, he had a view to our remote northern ifles among the reft; even Britain and Ireland, Scotland and Zetland. When God will count the people that were gathered to Shiloh, it will be faid of poor, remote Scotland, This man and that man was born there; and, O that the number were increased, and a greater gathering-time would come than ever hath been! O for a gathering of power, a day of power! However, it is from all airths that the VOL. IV.

[ocr errors]

ga

gathering of the people fhall be to Chrift: it is not confined to one place; to him fhall the gathering be, from Afia in the eaft, and from America in the weft, from Africa in the fouth, and from Europe in the north, not forgetting the European ifles in the midst of the northern feas.

2dly, In point of ftate. Whence is the gathering of the people to Shiloh, and from what airth? from what fiate and condition are they to be gathered? Here let me allude to the four elements, water, fire, earth, and air, out of which they are gathered.

(1.) Some are gathered as it were out of the water, and fifhed out of the flood; and hence, as minifters in gathering fouls, are called, Fishers of men, and the gofpel, the Fifh-net caft into the fea for gathering of every kind, Matth. xiii. 47.; fo, they are gathered out of the fea of a trouble fome tempeftuous world, out of the floods of fin and mifery, where they are fwimming. When the Lord gathers people to himself, he must fish them, and gather them out of many waters and great depths, even out of the depth of fecurity, out of the depth of fenfuality, where they are swimming pleasantly, yet dangeroufly, ready to fwim in to the dead fea of everlafting deftruction. Nothing but the hand of God could reach to the bottom of the depth whence the Lord does gather his elect.

(2.) Some are gathered as it were out of the fire: Zech. iii. 2. Is not this a brand plucked out of the fire? There is the fire of luft and lewdnefs, that fome are burning in; For wickedness burns as the fire, Ifa. ix. 18. and to be gathered out of the Torrid Zone, and brought to a temperate climate, is a great matter. Out of this fire they must be gathered, that are gathered unto Shiloh. There is the fire of God's wrath, which is a confuming fire, wherein they are in utmost danger of be ing confumed for ever; but when the Lord gathers the people, he puts his hand, as it were, into the midst of the fire, and plucks them as brands out of the burning. Again,

(3.) They are gathered out of the earth; out of the duft and dung of the earth. Some are grovelling

on

on the earth, and licking the duft like ferpents, having their hearts and affections clogged with the clay, in refpect of their worldly-mindednefs, earthly difpofitions, and covetoufnefs, while the heart is fo fet upon earthly things, that they are loft, and hid among the clay, and covered with the duft; and from thence they must be gathered; "For the iniquity of his covetoufness was I wroth, and fmote him; I hid me, and was wroth, and he went on frowardly in the way of his heart. I have feen his ways, and will heal him; and lead him alfo, and restore comforts unto him, and to his mourners," Ifa. lvii. 17, 18. O the kindnefs of God, in gathering fouls out of fuch a difmal fituation! Yea, fome are not only covered with the duft, but lying among the dung of this earth, flicking in the miry clay, and wallowing in all the grofs abominations and pollutions of the world, fuch as thefe mentioned, I Cor. vi. 9, 10, 11.; yet out of the very dung does he gather the people to Shiloh; "Such were fome of you, but ye are wafhed, but ye are fanctified, but ye are juftified." He gathers his fheep out of the moft dirty mire. Let none prefume; for he is fovereign, and lets fome ftick and perish in the mire let none defpair; for he is merciful, and draws out fome from the very dung. When Antigonus, a king, paft by a ditch, into which a fheep was fallen, the historian fays, he pulled it out, though foul, and dirty, with his own hand; for which he was exceedingly beloved, and commended by his fubjects.But behold the King of Ifrael is yet kinder; he not only ftoops to filthy ditches of fin, into which his fheep are fallen, and gathers them with his arm, but lays them in his bofom, Ifa. xl. 11. that he may warm them with his heart-love, and wafh them with his heart-blood. Again,

4. They are gathered out of the air, in a manner; while the prince of the power of the air is flying away with them, they are gathered out of his claws. Some that are Satan's captives, they are flying in the air, as it were, with the wings of pride and vanity, exalting themfelves above all that is called God. They learn of Lucifer to be proud and lofty; looking down upon others,

B 2

« PreviousContinue »