438. Monday after Twenty-fourth Sunday after Trinity.
Heavenly Father, draw us to thy Son,
our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
John 6, 37-40. All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.
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Every sinner who comes to Jesus, and abides with him in penitence and faith, is a gift from the Father to the Son. For “all that the Father giveth me shall come to me”; but “no man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him.” Therefore no man is to brood on his election; if he wish to come to Jesus, this is because of the fact that the Father draws him; and it cannot be that the Father would draw him without the earnest purpose of giving him to the Son. This declaration, “all that the Father giveth me shall come to me,” is one exceedingly precious to sinners who seek mercy. And how many have not been comforted by that which follows: “Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out!” It has been the lifeline of thousands; it has drawn countless souls out of the waters of sin up into the city of God. It seemed to them that they must of necessity be cast out by reason of their many sins, their stubborn obstinacy, their hardness of heart, their faithlessness, their unbelief, and their love of self; in short; by reason of their thoroughly corrupt and wicked hearts; but he says: Him that cometh to me, no matter who or what he may be, I will in no wise, for no cause whatever, cast out; but will receive and save him. The invitation is so urgent that the poor heart could not resist it. Was any man, then, who comes to him cast out? Search the gospels from beginning to end, and see if you can find a case in which a sinner sought Jesus, and was repulsed. Then make trial of it for yourself! Nor is it possible that the Lord could cast off any man who seeks him. The Father sent the Son into the world for the very purpose that he was to seek and save that which was lost; and can you then think it possible that the Son might cast off the miserable sinner whom the Father draws to him? No; the will of the Father is the will of the Son also, even to death on the cross for our sake. Our salvation is fixed and sure, thank God! And it is great and glorious likewise; for it is the will of the Father, that we may have everlasting life. We shall see the Son, and be raised up incorruptible in eternal glory. Death shall swallow us, certainly; but death is itself “swallowed up in victory,” and thus it can do nothing but carry us into the kingdom of victory. — Dear heavenly Father, draw us to thy Son, and give us grace to believe the love with which thou dost love us; that we may overcome our unbelief, our sin, and our fear of death, and see light in the darkness. Lord, thou knowest how faint-hearted and unbelieving we are; have mercy on us, give us victory by thy word, give us a foretaste of the life everlasting, and give us perfect holiness on thy day of judgment. Amen.*
Author of good! To thee we turn:
Thine ever-wakeful eye
Alone can all our wants discern,
Thy hand alone supply.
O let thy love within us dwell,
Thy fear our footsteps guide!
That love shall vainer love expel,
That fear all fears beside.
[suggested tune: Dundee (TLH 49), listen here]
* Here the head of the family says a short morning or evening prayer in his own words, and closes with the Lord’s Prayer and the Benediction. This is to be done every day. If the stanzas are not sung, they may be read in their proper place before the impromptu petition and the Lord’s Prayer.