Waiting for the Key of the House

“He that made the sotil hath most right to dwell in it; it is a most ctirioiis house, of God’s ow7i framing, and there ought he to dwell. But he will not enter by force and violence, but by conse7it; he expecteth love to give up the keys, (Rev. iii. 20) — Behold, I stand at the door, a?id hiock: if ajiy 77ian hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, a?id will snp with him J Why should Christ stand at the door and hiock, and ask leave to e7tter 17ito his ow7i house? He hath right enough to enter, only he waiteth till we ope7i to hi77i” Here our author admirably expresses the Lord’s respect to the nature and constitution which he has impressed upon man. Inanimate matter obeys the divine law by force, but a human being can only obey God with his will, since unwilling obedience would be no obedience at all. There can be no such thing as unwilling love, unwilling trust, or unwilling holiness. Voluntariness enters into the essence of a moral act. Having, therefore, so fashioned man, the Lord doth not forget this fact, but ever treats man as a free agent. The divine compulsions of his grace are only such as are congruous with a willing and nilling creature. Man is sweetly led to repentance and faith, and by mighty arguments drawn to trust and love the Lord Jesus. We do not surrender our hearts to Jesus otherwise than with our own full and free consent. We are right glad to become his disciples, and to be taught the way of service. He does not break in like a burglar, but he enters the castle of the soul like a conqueror to whom the governor in all lowliness hands the keys.

My heart, it is hard for a theologian to explain how grace overcomes the will, and yet never violates it, and yet thou dost understand it perfectly by experience. Christ’s love wooed thee and won thee, and led thee captive, and yet never was a will more free than thine when thou wast altogether bound to thy Beloved.