Englands duty under the present gospel liberty from Revel. III, vers. 20

Thirdly, Christ knocking at the door of the Heart, implies the method of the Spirit in Conversion; to be congruous and agreeable to the nature of Man's Soul; mark Christ's expression in the Text, he doth not say, Behold I come to the door and break it open by violence; no, Christ makes no forcible Entries whether sinners will or no; he will come in by consent of the Will or not at all. I stand and knock, if any Man open the door, I will come in to him. There is a great difference between a friendly admission by consent, and a forcible entrance; in a forcible entrance bars of Iron are brought to break open the door; but in a friendly admission one knocks and the other opens: Forcible actions are unsuitable to the nature of the Will, whose motions are free and spontaneous; therefore it is said, Psal. 110. 3. The people shall be willing in the day of thy power. 'Tis true, the Power of God is upon the Will of Man in the day of his Conversion, or else it would never open to Christ; but yet that Power of God doth not act against the freedom of Man's Will, by co-action and force; no, but of unwilling he makes it willing; taking away the obstinacy and reluctancy of the Will by the efficacy of his Grace, which some Divines call victrix delectatio, a sweet and pleasant victory; and so the door of the Will still opens freely, Hosea 11. 4. I drew them with the cords of a Man, with the bands of Love. I drew them, there's Almighty Power; but how did this Power draw them? With the cords of a Man, i. e. with rational ⟨p. 139⟩arguments, convincing the Judgment. Beasts are driven and forced, but Men are drawn by reason, and will not move without it if they act like themselves; it must be confessed, that when the day of God's Power is come, for the bringing home of a poor sinner to Christ, he cannot resist the Power of God's Spirit that draws him effectually; Every one that hath heard and learned of the Father, cometh unto me; yet still the Soul comes freely by the consent of his Will; for this is the method of Christ in drawing Souls to him. There is in the day of a sinners Conversion a kid, an offer made for the Will both by Satan and Christ. Satan bids Riches, Honours, and Pleasures, with ease and quietness to the flesh in the enjoyment of them;