“Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with Me in my throne…”
Rev. 3:20-21
“Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and We will come unto him, and make our abode with him.”
John 14:23
“That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love…”
Eph. 3:17
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Subsections
You must Choose Christ to be Saved
Compatibility of Irresistible & Resistible Grace
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Order of
Bible Verses 20
Articles 10
Books 3
Quotes 75+
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Bible Verses
Old Testament
Dt. 6:5 “And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.”
Dt. 10:16 “Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiffnecked.”
Josh. 24:23 “Now therefore put away, said he, the strange gods which are among you, and incline your heart unto the Lord God of Israel.”
1 Sam. 7:3 “Prepare your hearts unto the LORD, and serve Him only.”
Ps. 24:6-9 “This is the generation of them that seek Him, that seek thy face, O Jacob. Selah. Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in… Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.”
Prov. 23:26 “My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways.”
Song 5:2-6
“I sleep, but my heart waketh: it is the voice of my beloved that knocketh, saying, ‘Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled…’ My beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door, and my bowels were moved for him.
I rose up to open to my beloved; and my hands dropped with myrrh, and my fingers with sweet smelling myrrh, upon the handles of the lock. I opened to my beloved; but my beloved had withdrawn himself, and was gone: my soul failed when he spake: I sought him, but I could not find him…”
Jer. 4:4 “Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, and take away the foreskins of your heart.”
Eze. 18:31 “Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel?”
Joel 2:12-13 “Therefore also now, saith the Lord, turn ye even to Me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning: And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord your God: for He is gracious…”
Zech. 1:13 “Thus saith the Lord of hosts, ‘Turn ye unto Me, saith the Lord of hosts, and I will turn unto you…”
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New Testament
Mt. 22:37 “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.”
Lk. 19:4-10
“And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycomore tree to see him: for he was to pass that way. And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, ‘Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house.’ And he made haste, and came down, and received Him joyfully.
And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, That he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner. And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord: Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold. And Jesus said unto him, ‘This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.'”
John 1:12 “But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.”
John 14:23 “Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.”
Acts 2:40 “And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, ‘Save yourselves from this untoward generation.'”
Eph. 3:17 “That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love…”
Col. 1:27 “To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory
Col. 2:6 “As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him:”
Jm. 1:21 “Receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.”
1 Jn. 3:23-24 “And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment. And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.”
Rev. 3:20-21 “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne…”
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Articles
1600’s
Rous, Francis – The Art of Happiness... (London: Stansby, 1619), pt. 3 Rous was a Westminster divine.
1. ‘How man fastens himself unto happiness’
“Let us therefore go out of ourselves, as out of tabernacles of misery, and leave a large and open room for Him to enter, who is the fulness of infinite felicity.
Next, if we consider Christ’s manner of entering; Christ enters into us, killing and giving life: killing our old nature, and begetting in us a new.” – pp. 209-10
2. ‘How a man may get this faculty which unites man to God’
“But perchance thou wilt ask: If the opening of the eyes be from God alone, to what purpose shall advice be given to thee, in a matter that lies not in thee, and which is not effected by advice, but by supernatural operation?
To this I answer that although the power that must enlighten thee does descend from above, yet usually it does communicate itself unto us by the service of certain means, left with us here below. Again, when grace does first breath upon us, it works by degrees, which degrees being by some neglected, or misconstrued, it has bred unto them a greater difficulty and hardness of travail in the new birth; but being perceived and duly entertained, they turn into testimonials unto us, yea to encouragements unto farther degrees of grace.” – pp. 228-30
Pareus, David – pp. 79-83 in ch. 3 in A Commentary upon the Divine Revelation of the Apostle and Evangelist John (d. 1622; Amsterdam, 1644)
Grosse, Alexander – Sweet & Soul-Persuading Inducements leading unto Christ… (London: G.M., 1642), ‘Sweet & Soul-Persuading Inducements leading unto Christ’
4. ‘Work our hearts to a joyful receiving of Christ coming in the ministry of the Gospel’
5. ‘The means disposing and enabling us to receive Christ’
6. ‘Inducements persuading to a joyful embracement of Christ’
7. ‘Declare Christ’s welcome and our joy at Christ’s comming by our prepared, humble and hearty receiving of Christ’
Grosse (1596?–1654) was an English, partially-conforming presbyterian divine.
Gray, Andrew – ‘The Indispensable Duty of Giving the Heart to Christ’ on Prov. 23:26 in 12 Select Sermons (d. 1656), pp. 175-96
Gray was a Scottish covenanting minister.
Clarkson, David – Christ’s Gracious Invitation to Sinners on Rev. 3:20 in Practical Works, (d. 1686; Edinburgh: J. Nichol, 1865), vol. 2, pp. 34-100
“Why, this is it that Christ offers, no less than Himself, to be thine forever. This is it which He offers when He stands and knocks at thy heart: ‘Open to me; I will be thy God, the Lord thy Redeemer. Though thou hast rebelled against Me, and followed after strange gods, yet now renounce those idols; Open to me, I will be thy God, and that by covenant more durable than heaven and earth.’
‘Open to me, thy Redeemer will be thy husband. Though thou hast played the harlot with many lovers… I will marry thee to Myself in an everlasting covenant that shall never be broken; I will rejoice over thee as a bridegroom over his bride.’
‘Open to me, I will make over no less than Myself unto thee. Thou shalt have that which it is the glory and happiness of Heaven to have, myself, communion with Me; I will come and sup with thee, and thou with Me. Art thou poor? Open to Me;’ The commander of Heaven and earth will be thine to enrich thee… Thus Christ offers Himself; and oh how wonderful is it, that He should come to vile worms, and knock, and wait, and entreat that Himself may be accepted!” – p. 42
“Were not the heart closed, the door shut, Christ would not need to knock; were not the sinner unwilling to open, Christ would not be put to stand knocking, the heart would open to Him at his first approach, at his first knock.” – p. 45
“(4) Wilfully. Christ comes and stands; He stands and knocks. Why does He not enter? Why, you will not open. He stands, He is ready to take possession; why is He yet without? Why, you will not give it Him. If Christ did not stand, did not knock, you might pretend a better reason why ye do not open. But when He stands ready to enter, what can be alleged why he is not admitted, but because you will not open?” – p. 61
“as also that Christ not only stands and knocks, but calls at the heart, makes use of his voice to procure admission.” – p. 66
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1700’s
Boston, Thomas – “Christ Demanding Admission into Sinners’ Hearts” on Ps. 24:9 (1716) in Works, vol. 3, pp. 93-117
Edwards, Jonathan – Sermon Notes on Rev. 3:20(a) in Sermons, Series II, 1734 (WJE Online, vol. 49)
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1800’s
Alexander, Archibald – “Christ Standing & Knocking at the Door” in Practical Truths (NY: American Tract Society, 1857), pp. 75-78
Smyth, Thomas – ‘Give yourself unto the Lord’ in The Well in the Valley in Works, vol. 8, pp. 447-51
Smyth was an American, southern presbyterian minister in Charleston, SC.
Spurgeon, Charles – ‘The Heart: A Gift for God’ #1995 on Prov. 23:26 in MTP 33.661-68
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Books
1600’s
Sedgwick, Obadiah – The Riches of Grace Displayed in the Offer & Tender of Salvation to Poor Sinners: wherein is set out the Gracious Behavior of Christ Standing at the Door & Knocking for Entrance, the dutiful behavior of sinners in hearing Christ’s voice and opening to Him, and the Comfortable Event upon them Both (London, 1657) 271 pp. ToC
Sedgwick was a Westminster divine.
Bunyan, John – The Holy War: the Battle For Mansoul (1682; Monergism) 245 pp. Overview
This novel is an allegory of a king seeking to reclaim a city: the souls of men.
“I told you but now that they of the King’s army had this winter sent three times to Mansoul to submit herself.
The first time the trumpeter went, he went with words of peace, telling them that the captains, the noble captains of Shaddai, did pity and bewail the misery of the now perishing town of Mansoul, and were troubled to see them so much to stand in the way of their own deliverance. He said, moreover, that the captains bid him tell them, that if now poor Mansoul would humble herself and turn, her former rebellions and most notorious treasons should by their merciful King be forgiven them, yea, and forgotten too. And having bid them beware that they stood not in their own way, that they opposed not themselves, nor made themselves their own losers, he returned again into the camp.
The second time the trumpeter went, he did treat them a little more roughly; for, after sound of trumpet, he told them that their continuing in their rebellion did but chafe and heat the spirit of the captains, and that they were resolved to make a conquest of Mansoul, or to lay their bones before the town walls.
He went again the third time, and dealt with them yet more roughly; telling them that now, since they had been so horribly profane, he did not know, not certainly know, whether the captains were inclining to mercy or judgment. ‘Only,’ said he, ‘they commanded me to give you a summons to open the gates unto them.’” – pp. 58-59
Flavel, John – Christ Knocking at the Door of the Sinners’ Hearts, or the Solemn Entreaty of the Saviour & his Gospel in the Day of Mercy (1689; American Tract Society, 1880) 400 pp. ToC
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Quotes
* – Westminster divine
Order of
1500’s
Megander
Bullinger
Bale
Fulke
Beza
Napier
Perkins
1600’s
Throckmorton
Cartwright
Maxey
Wilson
Dod
Ainsworth
Boys
King
Pinke
J. Dyke
Preston
D. Rogers
Adams
Jones
Sibbes
Ward
Diodati
Lockyer
Smallwood
Downame & Reading
Rutherford *
Roberts
A. Burgess *
Burroughs *
Mayer
Binning
Ashe *
Dickson
Hall
Guild
Hacket
Lightfoot *
Newcomen *
Gataker *
Annesley
Greenhill *
Durham
Lye
Sedgwick *
Arrowsmith *
Ambrose
Gearing
T. Vincent
N. Vincent
Daille
Swinnock
Polhill
Ness
Manton
Wamphray
Gale
Gurnall
Brooks
Charnock
Ball
Watson
Collinges
Bunyan
Baxter
Flavel
Keach
1700’s
Henry
Tong
Wadsworth
R. Erskine & J. Fisher
E. Erskine
Whitefield
Haddington
1800’s
Nettleton
Chalmers
Ryle
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1500’s
Kaspar Megander
in Augustine Marlorate, A Catholic Exposition upon the Revelation of St. John (1574), ch. 3, pp. 69-70 Megander (1495–1545) was a Swiss reformer who assisted Zwingli.
“By the name of ‘door‘ [in Rev. 3:20], he means man’s heart. That does the Lord knock at by the preaching of his Word, crying out and bearing witness of the force and effectualness of it to our spirit. And the same preaching is never fruitless. For the godly receive comfort by it, and the ungodly are condemned by it.”
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Henry Bullinger
A Hundred Sermons upon the Apocalypse… (1561), on Rev. 3:20, pp. 134-36
“Hereby also the Lord allures the Laodiceans to repentance, showing that every time is meet for conversion and that God is evermore ready to receive sinners, and provokes them always that they should amend and live. And this matter he expounds in an allegorical and goodly speech taken out of the fifth chapter of the book of Canticles. For he fains the Lord to stand at the door and knock, yea and to promise to them that open the greatest familiarity and joys unspeakeable.
First, therefore is declared the benevolence of God towards sinners and his most ready will always to receive the same, yea and his infinite study to move men to repentance [Rom. 2:4] that they might live. For the Lord stands at the door and knocks. The word of ‘standing’ does signify that God is always prepared, always watches over our salvation. For He sits not still, nor lies not on the one side like a sluggard: He stands busily to his work. And ‘I stand’ says He, not ‘I stood’, or ‘shall stand’: But ‘I stand’ evermore ready, evermore loving and gentle.
What does He? He knocks, and that indeed at the door, desiring to be let in. For like as he that knocks at the door seriously covets to be let in: so God desires earnestly to be of us received. And God uses sundry kinds of knocking. For He warns and excites with his Word by the prophets, again by signs and wonders, and also by sundry chances and movings. These things may be seen in the city of Jerusalem. He sends to them his prophets and apostles. He shows diverse wonders. He brings on them sorrowful chances that they might admonish them: Such as are reported, Lk. 13, of the Galileans, and of those whom the tower of Siloh had overwhelmed. We may see the like at this day how the Lord knocks. Therefore He said truly, ‘Jerusalem, Jerusalem, etc.’ Mt. 23. These are doubtless the parts and doings of God which will not that a sinner should die, but rather convert and live.
Then must we see what is required of us, verily that we should hear the knocking and noise of the Knocker, and that also we open and receive such as desire to come in. Here are they confuted which speak of man as though he were a block and image, ‘I know not what manner of drawing,’ sayng: ‘It is neither in the runner, nor in the willer, etc.’ Certain [persons] altogether abstain from well-doing, saying, ‘If I be chosen, it is enough.’ But the Scripture requires everywhere hearing and obedience. We know that the elect are only saved, and that the elect in Christ: In Christ to be they that believe: That faith is of hearing, hearing by the Word of God. Therefore says the prophet, ‘This day if you heare his voice. etc.’ [Ps. 95] This same is recited of the apostle, Heb. 4. The apostle also, 2 Tim. 2, ‘In a great house there be not only vessels of gold, but of earth also. If any purge himself, etc.’
And therefore the Lord says, ‘I knock’: It shall be thy part not to despise Him that knocks, but to open unto Him. And he recites indeed two things, [1] to hear, which both in the 8th and 9th of John is required of the children of God and of the true sheep: And [2] to open, that is to receive the Lord, or believe, to obey, and to frame themselves after the will of God and to do penance.
Notwithstanding we must here beware, that we think not that man has power of himself to receive the Lord. The Lord illumines his elect, and by Him we can do all things, without whom we can do nothing. Other places must be conferred with this as Jn. 15; 2 Cor. 3; Phil. 2. They therefore that open, do open by the grace of God. They that open not being wrapped in their sins, through their own fault open not, and not through any fault of God.
Let us hear moreover what the Lord promises to them that open, that is to say, to such as receive Christ with true faith. The Lord promises to them two things chiefly.
First, ‘I will go into him’, says He. The scripture signifies that Christ dwells everywhere through faith in the hearts of the faithful and with a most straight knot to be joined unto them… And in the 14th chapter [of John] He says, ‘He that loves Me, will keep my Word: And my Father and I will come unto him, and will make abode with him.’ St. Paul says that he lives not now, but that Christ lives in him. [Gal. 2:20] The same affirms that Christ through faith dwells in the hearts of the faithful. And so the Lord enters the hearts of them that let Him in. Not the least part of felicity consists in this conjunction. For to be united with God is blessedness, which begins here, and is made perfect in another life.
And therefore in the second place the Lord says: ‘And I will sup with him, and he with Me.’ Whereby he notes not only again a most dear friendship and familiarity (for the table is consecrated to amity) but rather the fruition of eternal glory. For by the supper are signified the joys, celestial, greatest and unspeakeable, which after their souls the godly receive immediately after death: but more fully in the end of times when the bodies shall arise again. Therefore is it not applied to a dinner, but to a supper, as it is also in the 14th of Luke. Then if we receive Christ, we shall have Him dwelling with us continually whilst we live in this world. And in the world to come we shall have the full fruition of all the joys celestial. These things be certain and true.”
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John Bale
The Image of both Churches after the most wonderful and heavenly Revelation of St. John... (d. 1563), ch. 3, p. 50 Bale was an Anglican reformer.
“3. Behold I stand at the door of thy heart as one ready to help thy weakness. (2 Thess. 2; Ps. 106) And I knock at the portal of thy conscience as one that would gladly comfort thee, I send forth my heavenly Word to succour thee, lighten thee, raise thee up and save thee.
4. If any man with a glad heart will hear my voice, or the true preaching of my Word (Jn. 10; Mk. 16; Gal. [?]; Lk. [?]) and open the door of his faith, thankfully to receive it, I will come in unto him, enduing with all spiritual delights, as righteousness, peace, love and joy in the Holy Ghost.
5. Yea to him shall I make manifest as to my friend the hidden mysteries of the Scripture (Jn. 15; Lk. 14; Mt. 8; [?] Cor. 2) and secret counsels of my Father. And he shall finally sup with Me and I with him in the eternal habitacle of God, where no heart can esteem what He has prepared for them that love Him.”
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William Fulke
Prælections upon the Sacred & Holy Revelation of St. John (1573), ch. 3, on verse 20, p. 25
“Whereby He signifies that He has long ago looked that they should repent from the bottom of their heart and receive his grace into their heart. Moreover this place does plainly teach us that we cannot rightly receive Christ before He first offer Himself to be received of us.
‘I will enter in unto him and will sup with him, etc.’ The gentleness and mercy of the Lord is marvelous, which so willingly pardons so great injuries done unto Him by his servant, that forgetting all injuries, He does of his own accord offer pardon, and in sign of perfect reconciliation, He will gently come and sup with him.
For men are wont by such tokens to renew friendship that is broken between them. But those whom Christ vouchsafes to be partakers of his table (as He vouchsafes all the faithful) He feeds their minds with spiritual dainties, whereby they shall be nourished unto eternal life, namely with righteousness freely given, quietness of conscience, and unspeakable joy, where with the godly are fed by the Holy Ghost, whereof also He has given a most excellent pledge, the holy comunion of his body and blood, which when we receive by faith, we have Him everlastingly dwelling with us.”
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Theodore Beza
The Psalms of David Truly Opened & Explained by Paraphrasis... (London: Denham, 1581), on Ps. 24, p. 39
“Yet does he exhort the people that they should not only regard the outward building, and the outward rites and sacrifices: but that they should chiefly give their hearts unto Him that promised to dwell in the Temple. And this same doctrine does even now at this day declare the true use of the sacraments, and does much more appertain unto us, unto whom the truth is plainly revealed, all the shadows of the law being abolished, than it did to the old fathers.”
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John Napier
A Plain Discovery of the Whole Revelation of St. John set down in Two Treatises… (1593), 2nd Treatise, ch. 3, p. 95 Napier (1550-1617) was reformed, and was the mathematician who discovered logarithms.
“20. Behold, I stand ever ready knocking at the door of your conscience: whoso yields unto mine admonitions and opens his heart and mind by penitence and remorse, I will certainly dwell in him and will communicate all things with him, and he with Me.”
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William Perkins
Lectures Upon the Three First Chapters of the Revelation… (1595; London: Field, 1604), pp. 331–34
“‘I stand.’ Christ expresses his mind by borrowed speeches: for in this verse [Rev. 3:20] He compares every man to a house or householder, and our hearts to doors by which an entrance is made: and Himself to a guest or stranger which comes to the house, and desires to be let in and entertained: yet not so much to look for kindness to be shown [to] Him, as to show favor to us.
By this similitude Christ purposes to show this Church, what his mind is toward it: and He expresses it by two signs here set down: first, a desire of their conversion, which He heartily seeks and looks for, ‘I stand and knock.’ Secondly, his promise after their conversion, ‘If any, etc.’ He will have fellowship, even mutual fellowship with them.
Now of the words in order as they lie. The scope and substance of them being thus first thus generally propounded, I here note two things.
First, that this Church (if we regard the greater part of it) had no true fellowship with Christ as yet, nor Christ with them: because He was not yet received into their houses, but stood at their doors which were shut. This may seem strange: but the cause is evident; the truth is, there were many good things in them: for they knew the Gospel and liked it, and professed it, and were partakers of the seals of the covenant: and yet they were tainted with one great sin of lukewarmness, which closed up the door of their hearts, so that though they had many good things, yet this one sin kept out Christ. By which we see, that one sin, in a man endued with many good graces, keeps out Christ, and bars Him from all fellowship and society with Him…
…
Seeing then Christ standing at the door of men’s hearts knocks so earnestly to save men’s souls, we again ought to be earnest to receive and embrace the Gospel. He knocks in good earnest, and we must accordingly by God’s grace be as earnest. So much for the first token of Christs love, his desire of their conversion, which He shows by two signs; first his waiting, secondly his knocking, and that joined with crying.”
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George Gifford
Sermons upon the Whole Book of the Revelation (London: Field, 1599), Sermon 10, pp. 109-11 Gifford (1547-1600) was a partially-conforming puritan.
“‘Behold I stand at the door and knock, etc.’ Here is yet further kindness declared: the Lord stands at the door knocking to be let in. He is the Good Shepherd, He seeks up that which goes astray, He stands knocking at the door of man’s heart to enter and to make it his temple to dwell in. Mark here diverse things:
As first that the Lord does not only knock and call at the door of man’s heart, but continues the same: for He stands at the door, and has stood at the door, as the word imports. This is much that He must wait upon us, moving us to receive Him: but the truth is, we never have any mind of Him but when He does stand knocking at the door of our heart.
Then further behold how difficult a thing it is for the heart of man to receive Christ and to be turned to God… we are so fast asleep that He may knock and knock again, we regard Him not.
But let us take heed, for albeit his kindness is marvellous, yet He will not always offer Himself, nor always be found… Be not therefore too bold with Him: if He have by his Word and by the motions of his Spirit, stood daily knocking at the door of thy heart, showing thy sins and moving thee to repentance, and thou hast made light thereof, take heed lest those knockings of his cease and thine heart be more hardened, so that there is no feeling of any godly sorrow unto repentance.
Make much of this knocking, make much of these motions of the Spirit, for many that have had great remorse and beginnings for to repent, are now hardened and boldened in sin. Most miserable are they which despise his knocking and drive Him away. On the contrary part, they be a thousand times blessed which open unto Him, and so receive Him.
For mark what He says, ‘If any do hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me.’ What more happy guest can be received in? what good thing can be wanting where He is? If Christ dwell in the heart by faith, if the graces and power of Christ be received in, all evil and misery is driven out, and all goodness and felicity do succeed. Darkness is driven out, the Devil is expelled, sin is destroyed and horror of the dreadful judgment does vanish away. There is light, there is God, there is righteousness, and peace and joy of the Holy Ghost.
Full notably does the prophet David set forth this, Ps. 24, when he says:
‘Lift up your heads ye gates, and be ye lift up ye everlasting doors, and the king of glory shall come in. Who is the king of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle.’
…He sets it forth that we shall receive all good things by Him, in these words, that ‘if any open the door, He will come in and sup with him, etc.’ He brings all the dainties with Him, and compares it unto a supper, for we shall be fed with them: we shall be even filled abundantly with all sweet joys: this supper shall never be ended.
…
If any man will say then, how are those former speeches to be construed? Thus you must understand:
First, that God works upon the hearts of men, not as men work upon blocks or stones, which have no sense nor understanding: for man has understanding, he has a will, he has affections.
Then secondly, that free is opposed to bond, and free is opposed to compelled.
In respect of the [latter] one, man has free will, in respect of the other he has not. Man naturally loves and delights in evil, his will not forced or compelled, does choose the same: man despises and rejects the Gospel of his own will. In this respect his will is free unto all evil, that is, he wills evil not compelled, but carried thereunto with pleasure.
…The mark what Christ says, ‘No man comes unto Me, unless the Father that sent Me draw him, John 6. This drawing is not by force, but God reforms the will and the affections, so that a man joyfully receives Christ and therefore is said to open the doors of his heart.”
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1600’s
Job Throckmorton
Of Faith, pp. 63-64 as given in Richard Baxter, Richard Baxter’s Confession of his Faith… (London: 1655), ch. 10, sect. 3, p. 396 Throckmorton (1545-1601) was an English puritan.
“Let us care for nothing but to get Christ, and let Christ be the end of our faith and works, and then let Christ alone for bringing us to life, heaven, and happiness. Let us by faith make way for Christ to come into our hearts to be our Prophet, Priest, King, and Shepherd, that we may receive Him offering Himself, and then He will make way for us to God, heaven and eternal happiness.”
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Thomas Cartwright
A Plain Explanation of the Whole Revelation of St. John… (d. 1603; London: 1622), ch. 3, p. 22
“And he says, though He be a king, yea, the King of Kings, yet He stands at the door and knocks, that is, calls them to repentance and promises if they will let Him in, that is, turn from their sin and yield to his will, He will come unto them and sup with them, signifying what exceeding joy and comfort they should receive by Him; yea, they should be made partakers of the joys of Heaven: where he alludes to the comfort that friends have one of another when they meet together at their dinners, suppers and feasts, which thing, if it be comfortable to men, much more comfort shall it minister unto us, to be partakers of the company of Christ Jesus Himself in his heavenly banquet.
A second benefit he notes in that those that do thus receive Him and overcome shall not only receive comfort, but glory also and honor in his Kingdom…”
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Anthony Maxey
The Golden Chain of Man’s Salvation (London: T.E., 1607), 2nd Sermon, ‘God hardens not’, pp. 72-75 Maxey (d. 1618) was the dean of Windsor.
“Saint Augustine makes it plain again, Non ideo non habet homo Deus non dat, sed quia homo non acipit [A man does not lack it because God does not give, but because the man does not receive]: men become hardened, and want the spirit of grace, why? Not because God does not offer it unto them, but because they receive it not, when it is offered.
For example: One of us being sick and like[ly] to die, the physician knowing our case, he takes with him some preservative to comfort us, and comes to the door and knocks; if we will not or be not able to let him in, we perish and die, and the cause is not in the physician, but in ourselves that let him not in. Amartema nosema, ‘Sin is a disease’, whereof we are all sick, for we have all sinned: Rom. 6:12. Christ is the Physician of our souls: Venit de cœlo magnus medicus, quia per totum ubique iacebit agrotus [A great physician came from heaven, because everywhere the sick man lay throughout the whole world]. Christ the great Physician came down from heaven, because all mankind was generally infected.
He comes to the door of our hearts and knocks, Rev. 3:20, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock.” He brings with Him arton tes zoes, ‘the bread of life’ [Jn. 6:35], his eternal Word to comfort us, if we let Him in, if we open the door of our hearts, He will come in and sup with us, as He did with Mary [Lk. 10], and forgive us all our sins; but if we will not, or through long contagion of our sin be not able to let Christ in, we die in our sins and the case is evident, not because Christ does not offer grace, and comfort unto us, but because we receive it not when it is offered, Merito perit agrotus qui non medicum vocat, sed ultre venientem respuit, ‘worthily does that sick patient perish, who will neither send for the physician himself, nor accept of his help when it is offered.'”
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Thomas Wilson
A Christian Dictionary... (London: Jaggard, 1612), ‘O.P.’
“‘To Open’
…
3. To let in and receive Christ, to dwell in our hearts by faith. Thus we open to Christ. Rev. 3:20, ‘I stand at the door and knock, if any man open, etc.’ Ps. 24:9.
…
‘to Open the Heart’
To enable and give power to the soul to behold, and through faith, to embrace Christ as our Savior, with good feeling of his saving mercies. Acts. 16:14, God opened the heart of Lydia. Our hearts are locked up by unbelief, and opened by faith.”
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John Dod
Seven Godly & Fruitful Sermons… (London: Kyngston, 1614), ‘Of extinguishing the graces of the Spirit’
pp. 189-90
“Therefore the evangelist John makes this the first work of the Spirit, that it shall convince the world of sin (Jn. 16:8): which is so needful, that without it Christ Jesus can never enter into the heart: for He promises to dwell only with them that are humble in spirit and contrite in heart (Isa. 57:15), through the sight of their iniquities, and of God’s displeasure justly deserved for the same: and calls those alone unto Him that are weary and heavy laden (Mt. 11), groaning and sighing under the burden of their sins.”
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pp. 202-3
“The Galatians were truly regenerated, and had received Christ into their hearts: yet their graces were so choked and quenched, that He was as it were without fashion or form: so that the apostle did as it were travail again until Christ was fashioned anew in them (Gal. 4:19). David also upon the committing of his sin was brought unto that case, that he prayed God to create in him a new spirit (Ps. 51). What, was the Spirit quite gone? No, for by and by after he prays that God would not take his Holy Spirit from him: but the graces thereof were wonderfully decayed, and therefore he desires that they might be renewed.
But that none may abuse this doctrine, let us consider what punishments do follow upon the quenching of the Spirit in this sort.”
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Henry Ainsworth
Annotations on the Pentateuch, Psalms & Canticles (1616-1623; Blackie & Son, 1843), vol. 2, on Song of Solomon 5:2, p. 720
“That knocketh.
Christ’s voice is uttered by preaching his gospel, calling to repentance, faith, and obedience, Heb. 3:7-8,15; 4:2. His knocking signifies a more earnest provocation and desire to be let in, Mt. 7:7; Lk. 13:25; and it may imply his chastisements also whereby He would call her to repentance; as He says to the church in Laodicea, (when it was fallen to be neither cold nor hot,) ‘As many as I love I rebuke and chasten, be zealous, therefore, and repent. Behold I stand at the door and knock,’ Rev. 3:19-20.
Open to Me.
…So we open the door unto Him when we give Him entrance into our hearts, He calling upon us by his Word and works; when we repent, believe, and accept Christ with his graces, etc., Rev. 3:20.”
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John Boys
Exposition of the Dominical [Lordly] Epistles & Gospels used in our English Liturgy... (d. 1625; 1638)
4th Sunday in Advent, p. 109
“Yet it is a good observation of [an]other [Aquinas and Rupertus], that John [the Baptist] is not crier, but the voice of the crier: for it is Christ who cries in preachers; He speaks by the mouth of all his holy prophets: He cries, ‘O ye foolish, how long will ye love foolishness?’ He cries, ‘Repent for the kingdom of God is at hand.’ He cries, ‘Come unto Me all ye that are wearied and laden, and I will refresh you.’ To day then if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, but suffer the words of exhortation and doctrine: be moved at his cry, lest He despise your call. As He says in the first of the Proverbs (v. 23): Because I have called, and ye have refused, I have stretched out mine hand, and none would regard: therefore they shall call upon Me, but I will not answer: they shall seek Me early, but they shall not find Me. Think on this all ye that forget God, ye that suffer Christ to stand and knock, and cry at the door of your hearts, and yet you will not let Him in.”
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Ascension Day Evening Prayer, Psalm 24, p. 912
“Others (Immanuel Tremellius & Thomas Wilcox) interpret this of the doors of our heart, according to that Apoc. 3:20, ‘Behold I stand at the doors and knock, if any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in unto him, etc.’ In the Gospel’s history we find that Christ had a fourfold entertainment among men. Some received Him into house, not into heart, as Simon the Pharisee (Lk. 7:44), who gave Him no kiss, nor water to his feet: some into heart, but not into house, as the faithful centurion, esteeming himself unworthy that Christ (Mt. 8:8) shouId come under his roof: some neither into soul nor heart, as the graceIess Gergesites, Mt. 8:54; some both into house and heart, as Lazarus (Jn. 11:11, 15), Mary (Lk. 10:38), Martha.
Now that Christ may dwell in our hearts by faith (Eph. 3:17), and that our bodies may be temples of his Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 6:19); we must as our prophet exhorts here, ‘lift up our souls,’ that is, in the words of St. Paul, Col. 3:2, our affections must be set on things which are above, and not on things which are on earth, if we desire to lift up our heart unto Christ’s verity, we may not lift it up unto the world’s vanity (Augustine in location), that is, we must not fasten our love too much upon the things of this life, but on those pleasures at God’s right hand, which are evermore…
O Lord, which art the God of my salvation (Ps. 18:47), I lift my heart to Thee (Ps. 25:1), desirous to seek Thee, both in the right ubi, ‘where’ Thou mayst be found, and in the right quando, ‘while’ Thou mayst be found: Open my dull ears and hard heart, that thy Son my Savior may come in and dwell with me: Grant me grace that I may still hear while He calls, open while He knocks, and hold Him also when I have Him, that I may both ascend thine hill, and stand in thine holy place, that I may not only sojourn in thy tabernacle, but also rest and dwell upon the mountain of thine holiness.”
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Henry King
An Exposition upon the Lord’s Prayer delivered in Certain Sermons… (London: Haviland, 1628), ‘Thy Kingdom Come’, p. 129 King (1592-1669) was an Anglican bishop and poet.
“…in the Revelation that Ecce venio [‘Behold, I come’] (Rev. 16:15) tells us the King of Glory is not far off. O then (as it is in the Psalm) ‘Lift up yourselves ye everlasting gates, that the King of Glory may enter in.’ (Ps. 24:7) The heart is the gate at which Christ must enter, ’tis the fort, the citadel which He would have yielded into his possession, ‘My son give me thy heart (Prov. 23:26); Let us therefore prepare our hearts for the entertainment of so great a guest, that so our souls may hold the same course hereafter which our prayers here do.”
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William Pinke
The Trial of a Christian’s Sincere Love Unto Christ (d. 1629; Oxford: Lichfield, 1636), p. 23 Pinke (1599?–1629) was an English puritan in the established Church.
“It’s true which our Saviour told Nicodemus, Jn. 3:17, that God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. Christ does not knock at any man’s heart with that intent that He may have the more advantage against Him, if he let Him not in; no He comes with purpose and desire to bring in salvation with Him…”
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Jeremiah Dyke
‘Of Quenching & Not Quenching of the Spirit’ (d. 1620; 1640; RBO, 2018)
p. 16
“The motions of the Spirit are the knockings and rappings at the door of the heart, ‘I stand at the door and knock.’ Now when one raps at the door, we do not only take notice that one knocks, but we command the door to be opened, we are angry with our servants if they do not presently go and open the door. So that is what we should do when the Spirit knocks, allow Him not to stand knocking too long, but make haste to open the door and give Him entrance.
The motions of the Spirit are the strivings of the Spirit, as in Gen. 6:3, ‘My Spirit shall not always strive with man.’ He strives in them to bring us to some good or to know some evil. Now when we find Him striving with us, we should not strive against those motions; we should strive with ourselves to let the Spirit of God overcome us in His strivings. We should close with Him and do what He calls for, and second [confirm] His counsels by our obedience.”
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p. 17
“‘I stand at the door and knock, if any will open.’ What then? ‘I will come in to him and sup with him and He with me’ (Rev. 3:20), as if He should say:
‘If any will listen to these motions of the Spirit, he will have the sweet work and the sweet consolations of the Spirit in him; the Spirit shall come in, shall cheer and refresh him.’
He that will make much of these sparks shall have a comfortable fire kindled, at which he shall warm and comfortably refresh himself. See how the cherishing of the motions of the Spirit keeps it from quenching and causes it to enflame and burn. But on the contrary, when a man neglects the knocks of the Spirit and does not yield obedience to them, opens not the door, that causes a sad quenching of the Spirit.
See an example in Song of Solomon 5:2, ‘It is the voice of my Beloved that knocks, saying, ‘Open to me, my sister.” There are the motions of the Spirit of Christ. And she takes notice of them, therein she did right. It is the voice of my Beloved that knocks. But she failed in the second thing, she does not arise presently and open, but she shucks and shuffles (verse 3) and has her put-offs, ‘I have put off my coat, etc.’ Well, what is the issue [result]? Verse 5, she arose to open to her beloved after her heart smote her for not opening before, but it was too late, for verse 6. See, how for lack of obedience to the motions of the Spirit, she quenched the comforts and joy of the Spirit.”
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p. 47
“‘Behold, I stand at the door and knock, If any man will open…’ (Rev. 3:20). Alas, we cannot open the door, it is so locked and barred and bolted that it is impossible for us to open it.
True, it is so, but yet there is a way to open, and that is to be opening when God would help us to open. When God offers to help you to open the door, then set upon opening the door, and whatever the bolts, bars and locks are, you shall be sure to have it open. Ah, but when does God offer to help us to open it? Then when His Spirit knocks, when in the motions of it He solicits us to open, then God offers His help to help us to open. Take that time and then set on the work and the door shall be opened. But if that time is neglected we may strive to open but cannot open, because then that power is gone that would have helped us to open. See Eccl. 9:12, ‘For man also knoweth not his time.'”
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John Preston
The Doctrine of the Saints’ Infirmities, Delivered in Several Sermons... (London: Okes, 1636), 2nd Sermon, on Mt. 12:18-20, pp. 132-36
“…and therefore because they missed of the time, their misery was great on them… there is a time for a man to come in and take the offer that Christ makes, a time when He is kind and gentle, and ready to receive us; if we know not this time, and so overslip it, our misery will be great upon us. Now then it is very requisite to know and find out this time, because if we choose God’s time, God will join with us in the work, and so it will be done with ease…
Now if you will open when Christ knocks at the door, hearken to the motions of the Spirit, and blow them and nourish them, and it will be done with much ease; but if you miss this time, your misery is great; you may desire, and cry, and pray, and never the better, Eccl. 9:12. For a man also knows not his time…”
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Daniel Rogers
A Practical Catechism... (London: Norton, 1632), pt. 2, 4th Article, pp. 182-83
“…but as for that which no hypocrite or unsound professor can attain to, a broken, hungry, self-deined heart, that Christ and his grace might enter and dwell there, oh, how harsh is it?… what shall they look for that despise the grace of the Gospel, and that offer which God has honored by so many miracles, and such abundance of sermons, and the powerful ministry of so many preachers? Beware of refusing such salvation, as being a more spiritual wickedness than any moral offense.
Thirdly, its reproof to all cavillers that descant upon this free, plain and simple-hearted offer of God. Being urged to receive it, they answer so they would if they knew themselves elected. But (say they) we are afraid God means it us not. If we be chosen, we are sure to be called to believe it: if not, none of their preachers can give it us. It must be God (say they) and not man that must work our hearts and draw us.
But, oh vain jangler, tell me, has not God revealed his will in his offer? Dost thou know his secrets? Is not his offer ingenuous? Say not in thine heart, ‘Who shall go up to Heaven or descend, etc? Lo, the Word is in thy mouth, it is neare thee.’ (Dt. 29:19) If Jeremiah in the dungeon had told Ebedmelech [Jer. 38] he knew not whether he meant to help him out or no, and so have refused to come out, had he not justly been left there still?
So, when the Lord lets down the ladder of his offer, into thy dungeon, casts thee his cords and rags to put under thy armholes, that He may draw thee out, dost thou cavil and say, ‘Lord, I know not whether thou meanst me well or no; perhaps Thou wilt pull me out a little way, and then let me fall back again; perhaps I am not elected!’ Is not this a woeful dishonor to the simplicity of the offer? Was he ever tied at all to offer it? and dost thou distrust his ingenuous meaning in it?
Thy blood be upon thy own head, in that thou choosest rather to smite the Lord to thy own destruction than to set thy foot in his ladder and put on his cords, that thou mightst come out! The way for thee is first to step upward that thou mayst come to the top than to leap to the top at first, to break thy neck backward.”
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Thomas Adams
A Commentary or Exposition upon the divine Second Epistle General, written by the blessed Apostle St. Peter (London: Badger, 1633), on 2 Pet. 1:16, p. 298
“But alas, how should Christ come in power to help us, whom we have rejected comming in power to convert us! Does He come now, and we will not know Him; and can we hope He will come then when we call Him?
Open your hearts, all ye that fear the Lord, and let Him in… and has the Gospel of Christ lost the powerfulness? No, if it have not power to convert us, it will have power to confound us. If Christ be not suffered to come unto us, He will not be hindered from coming against us. Oh let us come unto Him, that He may come unto us: subject we our hearts and lives to the obedience of his Gospel… Let us now honor Him when He comes in grace, that He may honor us when He comes in glory.”
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William Jones
A Commentary upon the Epistles of Saint Paul to Philemon, and to the Hebrews together… (London, R.B., 1635), on Heb. 3:11, p. 133
“Christ spake by saint Paul and the rest of the apostles in their time (2 Cor. 13:3), and He speaks by us, which are His ambassadors at this day: therefore harden not your hearts against his preaching, lest He shut you out of his rest, but reverently embrace his preaching;
let Christ enter into your hearts by his Word and Spirit, that ye may have rest and peace of conscience in this life; and be received up into his everlasting rest where ye shall never be molested any more, in the life to come.”
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Richard Sibbes
Bowels Opened, or a Discovery of the Near & Dear Love, Union & Communion betwixt Christ & the Church (London: G.M., 1639)
5th Sermon, pp. 153-55
“For if we give not entrance to Christ, all this will be a further aggravation of our damnation. How will this justify the sentence upon us hereafter, when Christ shall set us on the left hand (Mt. 25) and say:
‘Depart from Me [Mt. 7], for I invited you to come to Me, I knocked at the door of your hearts, and you would give Me no entrance. ‘Depart from us,’ said you; Therefore now depart you from Me.’
What do profane persons in the Church, but bid Christ depart from them, especially in the motions of his Spirit; they entertain Him in the outward room, the brain; they know a little of Christ, but in the heart, the secret room, He must not come there to rule. Is it not equal that He should bid us (Mt. 23:41), ‘Depart ye cursed I know you not? You would not give entrance to Me, I will not now to you.’ As to the foolish virgins He speaks and, Prov. 1:28, wisdom knocks and has no entrance, therefore in times of danger, they call upon her, but she rejoices at their destruction; Where God magnifies his mercy in this kind in sweet allurements and inviting by judgments, mercies, ministry and Spirit, He will magnify his judgment after.
Those that have neglected Heaven with the prerogatives, and advantages in this kind, they shall be cast into Hell. ‘Woe to thee Chorazin,’ etc. as you know in the Gospel (Mt. 11:21). This is one thing that may humble us of this place and nation, that Christ has no further entrance, nor better entertainment after so long knocking? For the entertaining of his Word is the welcoming of Himself, as it is, Col. 3:16, ‘Let the word of God dwell plentifully in you,’ and ‘Let Christ dwell in your hearts by faith.’ Eph. 3:17. Compare those places, Let the Word dwell plenteously in you by wisdom, and let Christ dwell in your hearts by faith. For then does Christ dwell in the heart when the truth dwells in us. Therefore what entertainment we give to his truth, we give to Himself.
Now what means of knocking has He not used among us a long time? For works of all sorts, He has drawn us by the cords of a man, by all kind of favors. For mercies, How many deliverances have we had (No nation the like; we are a miracle of the Christian world) from foreign invasion and domestical conspiracies at home? How many mercies do we enjoy? Abundance together with long peace, and plenty. Besides, if this would not do, God has added corrections with all these, in every element, in every manner, infection in the air, judgments in inundations; we have had rumors of wars, etc. threatenings, shakings of the rod only, but such as might have awaked us; And then He has knocked at our hearts by the example of other nations. By what He has done to them, He has showed us what He might justly have done to us; we are no better then they.”
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6th Sermon, p. 167
“And then for what He suffers in his minister? There He knocks, and says, ‘Open in them.’ And how was He used in the apostles that were after Him, and in the ministers of the Church ever since. What have they endured? for He put a spirit of patience upon them. And what indignities endured they in the primitive Church, that were the publishers of the Gospel, those sweet publishers thereof, drawing men to open to Christ, were killed for preaching.”
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A Heavenly Conference between Christ & Mary after his Resurrection… (d. 1635; London: 1654), pp. 21-22
“I answer briefly that God does always begin to us, and is beforehand with us in all dealings with ourselves. He gives us many motions, and never withdraws Himself from us but when He is despised and slighted first: therefore let us take heed that we labor to answer Christ’s call when He does call. If we slight it, then in a judicious course, He ceases to speak further to us, if we slight his beginnings of revelations…
We would not yield to all the passages of salvation; but when He was beforehand with us, and offered many sweet motions, yet we loved our sins better then our souls, and so repelled all. Therefore I beseech you do not refuse the sweet messages from Heaven, the gracious and sweet motions of the spirit of Christ, make much of them. God has begun to you, be sure to answer. Learn it of Mary, when Christ began [after his resurrection], she set not her heart and infidelity against it, but she opened her heart, and said, ‘Rabboni’ [Jn. 20:16]; learn therefore the duty of spiritual obedience, when God speaks, ‘Speak Lord, for thy servant hears.’ Do not shut your ears to the motions of God’s blessed Spirit, do not harden your hearts against his voice, but open your hearts as she did, ‘Rabboni’.”
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Richard Ward
Theological Questions, Dogmatical Observations & Evangelical Essays upon the Gospel of Jesus Christ according to St. Matthew... (London: Cole, 1640), on Mt. 7-8 Ward (c.1601-1684) was a covenanting, London minister on the side of Parliament.
on 7:7-8, p. 401
“Question 2: Why must we continue thus long knocking? Why may we not give over if the gate be not speedily opened unto us?
First, because the Lord stands long knocking at the door of our hearts before He can get entrance, and calls long before we will hear Him; And therefore there is great reason that we should continue long calling and crying unto Him and knocking at the door of mercy. Read Cant. 5:2 etc. and Apoc. 3:20.”
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on 8:6, p. 450
Question 1: How does it appear that God will hear our prayers?
…
Thirdly, the Lord is always ready and prepared to hear and to help: He stands at the door and knocks, Cant. 5:2; Rev. 3:20. And therefore we may be sure that when we knock at the gate of his mercy, He will hear and open unto us.”
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Jean Diodati
Pious Annotations, upon the Holy Bible (London: T.B., 1643), on Song 5, verse 2, p. 201
“‘That knocketh.’ moving my heart by secret inspirations, to give full admittance and entrance to his grace and virtues, Rev. 3:20.
‘Open to me.’ receive Me in thine heart, by a lively act of faith, for it is mine only place of refuge and abode upon earth, out of which I find nothing but annoyance and displeasure in the world.”
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Nicholas Lockyer
Balm for Bleeding England & Ireland… (London: Rothwell, 1643), p. 117 Lockyer (1611–1685) was an English clergyman and Independent minister who took the Solemn League and Covenant. He was a close supporter of Oliver Cromwell and later an ejected minister and nonconformist.
“Set wide open your hearts, those everlasting-doors to the King of Glory, and only to the King of Glory, and the King of Glory in much glory will come in; a glorious throne will He erect in your souls.”
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Mr. Smallwood
The English Annotations, 3rd ed. (1658) As the end of the quote demonstrates, Smallwood is speaking of conversion.
Song 5:2 – “…it is the voice of my beloved that knocketh, saying, Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled: for my head is filled with dew, and my locks with the drops of the night.”
“It is the voice of my beloved that knocketh, saying, Open to me.
This is another sudden apprehension, and sensible acknowledgement of the Church’s, to which she is quickened and excited by the strong and mighty calls and pulsations, by which Christ endeavors to awaken her; whose voice she cannot but know and confess, though she be not so dutiful as she ought to be in obeying it; and therefore she does here aggravate and bewail her fault, which is so much the greater because of his importunity, and tender vehemency for admission:
For when Christ calls, and knocks, and begs at the door of our souls to enter, what vile ingratitude is it to shut Him out? When He solicits and entreats so many ways; by his Word and ministers; by his rods and corrections (which have their voice, Mic. 6:9) by his mercies and kindness, but chiefly by the constant admonitions, and provocations, and motions of his Spirit; what inexcusable, obstinate madness is it to deny and drive Him away? Is anything so worthy to be harbored there, as He is? And is it not an incomparable honor, that He will vouchsafe to come under our roof?
Whosoever is shut out, sure he deserves an hospitable reception, who will come and sup with such as we are, and brings his feast along with him. Aperi Christo sed extraneis claude, seculo claude, etc. [‘Open to Christ, but to outsiders, shut, shut the world’], drive away and banish all things else, but give Him the best lodging.
It is demanded, Can we open? Is it in our power? Has not He the keys Himself, and is not He the door Himself? Does not He shut and none can open? Yes, but when He bids you to open, He lends you a key; and when He infuses grace and says He enables you to open, it is his gift, but your grace; his inspiration, but your improvement: And oh! How blessed are they that are but his turn-keys, his door-keepers. Is there a greater honor, or happiness than to co-operate with God, in that which of all others is the most God-like work, the salvation of souls?”
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Mr. Downame & Mr. Reading
The English Annotations
1st edition, 1645, HT: Donald Maclean
Rev. 3:20 – “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.”
“[Christ knocks] At the door of men’s consciences, both by outward means and inward motions, Ps. 16:7, as one desirous of admittance; Cant. 5:2.”
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3rd edition, 1657
“I stand at the door. As attending and waiting, with much patience, Cant. 5:2
And knock. At the door of men’s consciences, both by outward means, and inward motions, Ps. 16:7, as one desirous of admittance, Cant. 5:2.
Hear my voice. Not give me bare hearing, but hearken to what I say, John 5:29; Heb. 3:7; Ps. 97:7
Open. To receive and entertain Me by faith; not in his house, but in his heart, John 3:11,12.”
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Samuel Rutherford
Christ Dying & Drawing Sinners to Himself… (London: 1647), pt. 3, ‘All Men’, pp. 461-62
“…but take these for marks of deluded men:
…
2. Profession [of Christianity] looks like paradise and the rainbow; its big in its own eyes and the fairest for variety of coulors, but its a self-plague and does carry millions of souls to hell without din and noise of feet, it’s Christ acting judicially on the hypocrite within pistol shot of a besieged soul, making fire-works under the earth; and when all within are sleeping, Christ springs a powder-mine, and burns up all forward: Gospel-fire-works makes more than ordinary fury in the soul; Open, open to Christ;”
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Francis Roberts
Clavis Bibliorum, or ‘The Key of the Bible’… (1648; London: J.R., 1675), on Ps. 24, p. 873
“The intended scope of it [Ps. 24] may be considered literally and mystically:
…
2. Mystically, according to the spiritual mystery and truth intended, it is; To set out the kingdom of Christ, generally over the whole world, but peculiarly over his Church and saints, described by their properties, and dignified with great privileges; and to incite all to open the gates of their hearts, with up-lifted joy, to entertain this King.”
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Anthony Burgess
Spiritual Refining: or A Treatise of Grace and Assurance (1652; Ames, Iowa, 1990), Section 12, Sermon 108
“Christ is said To knock at the door (the outward call here spoken of) and if any admit Him, He will come in and sup with him, Rev. 3:20. So then you see, to be called to the graces and duties of the Gospel, is matter of great joy and comfort;… Oh then how great is the madness and folly of all recusants to this gracious offer!”
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Jeremiah Burroughs
Four Useful Discourses... (d. 1646; London: Parkhurst, 1675), bk. 1, Sermon on Lk. 10:5-6, p. 145
“The ministers of the Gospel are as this dove, and they come with an olive leaf in their mouths; and they do not get it from the wilderness, but they take it from Paradise; they bring it from the Scriptures, from those blessed things of the Gospel, that are revealed in the Word, and bring it to your souls. Now therefore you should open your hearts and take in the blessed message of peace and reconciliation.”
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John Mayer
A Commentary upon the Whole Old Testament... (London: 1653)
on Jeremiah, ch. 31, p. 435
“…but then comes forgiveness when Jesus comes by faith into the heart, and takes possession there.”
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on Ezekiel, ch. 18, v. 23, p. 421
“He offers him grace and pardon for all that is past to turn him, yea He counsels him to turn, and entreats him, by his benefits seeks to lead him to repentance (Rom. 2:4), and which is more then all this, He knocks at the door of his heart by his Spirit (Rev. 3:20), and who can say then but that it is true, which is here said, He delights not in his dying?”
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Hugh Binning
The Sinner’s Sanctuary… (d. 1653; Edinburgh: Swintown, 1670)
sermon 14, on Rom. 8:4, p. 113
“I beseech you, once know and consider your estate, that you may open your hearts to this Redeemer, that you may be willing to be stripped naked of all your imaginary righteousness, to put on this, which will satisfy the Law fully. Will you die in your sins, because you will not come to Him to have life? Will you rather be condemned with sin, than saved with Christ’s righteousness?”
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sermon 16, on Rom. 8:4-5, p. 124
“Then Christianity, its chief residence, its royal-sent, is in the spirit of a man, and so He is one after the spirit. ‘Be ye renewed in the spirit of your minds,’ Eph. 4:23. As it is of a high descent, so it must have the highest and most honorable lodging in all the creation, that is, the spirit of a man, without this there is no room else fit for it, and suitable to it, in this lower world; ‘My son give me thine heart,’ says wisdom, Prov. 23:26. It cares for nothing besides, if it get not the heart, the inmost cabinet of the imperial city of this isle of man, for ‘out of it are the issues of life,’ that flow into all the members. Do not think that grace will lodge one night in your outward man, that you can put on Christianity upon your countenance or conversation without; except you admit it into your souls, it can have no suitable entertainment there alone, it’s of a spiritual nature, and it must have a spirit to abide in.
Everything is best preserved and entertained by things suitable to its nature; such do incorporate together, and inbosom one with another, whereas things keep a greater distance with things different in nature; a flame will die out among cold stones, without oily matter. This heavenly fire that is descended into the world can have nothing earthly to feed upon; it must die out except it get into the immortal spirit, and then furnish (to speak so) perpetual nourishment to it, till at length all the spirit be set on flame and changed, as it were, into that heavenly substance, to mount up above from whence it came. Do not think, my beloved, to superinduce true religion upon your outside, and within to be as rotten sepulchers:
You must either open your hearts to Christ or else He will not abide with you; such a noble guest will not stay in the suburbs of the city if you take Him not into the palace; and truly the palace of our hearts is too unworthy for such a worthy guest, it has been so defiled by sin; how vile is it? but if you would let him enter, He would wash it and cleanse it for Himself.”
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Simeon Ashe
Christ the Riches of the Gospel & the Hope of Christians, a Sermon… (London, A.M., 1654), p. 32
“Secondly, Those who have not as yet received Christ to dwell in them are to be moved, as they desire Heaven’s glory hereafter and the comfortable hopes of it here upon earth, to give entertainment unto Jesus Chist. Zacchaeus upon a hint given of Christ’s willingness to come into his house, comes down out of the sycamore tree quickly, and receives him joyfully (Lk. 19:4).
Now do you with seriousness consider with what 1. importunity, 2. patience, 3. and promises the Lord Jesus calls upon you for entertainment. ‘Behold, I stand at the door and knock, if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me.’ (Rev. 3:20)”
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David Dickson
A Brief Explication of the First Fifty Psalms (London: T.M., 1655), on Ps. 24, verses 7-10
“…he exhorts all the members of the visible Church to the intent they may receive righteousness and salvation from God (who is in covenant with his Church) heartily to welcome Christ Jesus, the King of glory and Lord of hosts…
He exhorts, I say, patent doors to be made unto Him, wherever he offers Himself to kingdoms, cities, incorporations, visible Churches, families and hearts of men in special. Whence learn:
1. The way to make men true converts, true believers, true saints and inheriters of Heaven, is to receive Christ heartily and honorably, to cast up doors in hearty consent of faith and love, like triumphant archers for welcoming so glorious a conquerour to be their guest; ‘Lift up your heads, O ye gates, etc.’
2. Whosoever shall receive the offer, and open the heart to Him, He shall close covenant with Him; ‘Be ye lift up ye everlasting doors, and the King of glory shall come in.’
3. He is an unknown King till He be manifested to us; and such as are wise, when they hear of Him, will seek to know Him. ‘Who is this King of glory?’ will be their question.
4. Such as seek to know Christ, shall indeed have experimental knowledge of Him: That He is able to save them to the uttermost, to work all their work for them, to defend them from their adversaries, and to give them complete victory; ‘He is the Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle.’
5. We have need again and again to hear the offer of Christ’s grace, and to be wakened up to observe Christ and his glory: need to be exhorted again and again to open our hearts wide to Him. ‘Lift up your heads, ye gates,’ the second time.”
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Joseph Hall
A Plain & Familiar Explication: by way of Paraphrase, of All the Hard Texts of the Whole Divine Scriptures… (d. 1656; Oxford: Talboys, 1838), vol. 2, on Rev. 3:20, p. 553
“Behold, I have used all means for thy conversion: I have patiently expected it, and earnestly importuned it, and still I continue so doing; and if any man hear the voice of my Word, and open the door of his heart to Me, yielding to those my vehement solicitations, I will impart Myself to the soul of that man, and will have mutual fellowship with him, and he with Me.”
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William Guild
Love’s intercourse between the Lamb & his Bride, Christ and his Church, or a clear explication and application of the Song of Solomon (London: Wilson, 1657), on Song 5:3, p. 210
“…Under which two excuses [in the text] are comprehended all others of like sort, which flesh and blood does minister, for hindering to rise and open to Christ, and obey his calling, such as we see, Mt. 22, and are usually suggested by our corruption, as the quitting of our pleasure, or profit, our ease, credit, or companions, if we do so; and that we shall fall in disgust, hatred, and obloquy, and other like inconveniences: Neither is it a fit time as yet (but as Felix said to Paul, Acts 24:25) we may take a more convenient season for that, or the like purposes, etc. Such excuses do absenters of themselves from public exercises of divine worship, make, and profaners of the Lord’s Sabbath; such also do covetous extortioners, revengeful oppressors: unclean whoremongers, riotous, drunkards and the like, frame to themselves, and obtrude, and all for this end, to keep Christ out, though He frequently call and knock at their door to enter in.
Observations:
1. We see hereby, that it is not an easy matter, but a very hard and difficult one to bring the soul and Christ together, into a near and constant fellowship… but take heed to his voice who calls and knocks, and, as the Father spake at Christ’s baptism from heaven, hear Him and obey.
2. We see, how strong is carnal corruption, and remnants of sin in the regenerate, to hold Christ at the door, and to sleight his voice, calling on the•… to open; and therefore, how much more stronger is the same in the unregenerate, and it is no marvel that they open not unto Him and disobey his voice.”
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John Hacket
A Century of Sermons… (London: Clark, 1675), 1st Sermon on Incarnation, on Lk. 2:7, p. 7
“Christ was straightened for room in the inn, and thrust into the stable, that you might open your heart wide, and enlarge it, to give Him an habitation to content Him.”
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John Lightfoot
The Works of the Reverend & Learned John Lightfoot… (d. 1675; London: Scot, 1684), ‘A Sermon preached at Hertford Assize, March 17, 1664’, on Jn. 8:9, pp. 1083-84
“II. Secondly, there is a conviction of conscience that brings with it some overpowering, some more, some less, some for one end, some for another. I say, some overpowering. In that dispute about the resistibility or irresistibility of grace, as far as I can see into the dispute, this distinction might be useful and advantageous toward the determining of it, viz. to consider what the Spirit of God does to the heart by way of trying it, and what it does with intent and resolution to overpower it.
The former part of the distinction you have in Ex. 20:20, ‘Fear not, for the Lord is come to prove,’ or try, ‘you.’ The latter in Isa. 26:11, ‘They will not see, but they shall see and be ashamed.’ The former in Rev. 3:17, Christ stands at the door and knocks, to try whether He shall be entertained. The latter in Eze. 22:14, ‘How can thy heart endure and thy hands be strong in the day that I shall deal with thee, when I break in resolved to overpower thee?’ As in that blasted conviction I spake of before, there was a trying but no overpowering, so there is some overpowering conviction also, that is but for trial…”
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Matthew Newcomen
The Best Acquaintance & Highest Honor of Christians, or a Discourse of Acquaintance with God (London: Parker, 1679), ch. 4, pp. 48-49
“Sixthly, by his not only offering acquaintance with us upon these terms, by his ambassadors, his ministers, but by his coming personally by his Spirit to our several hearts, inviting and soliciting us to this acquaintance. According to that of our Lord Jesus Christ, ‘Behold I stand at the door and knock; if any man hear my voice, and open to Me, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me.’
The Greeks and Romans of old were wont always to have their feasts at supper; therefore when it is said here, ‘I will come in to him, and sup with him,’ it is as if He had said, ‘I will come in to him and feast with him.’ And feasting together was of old a symbol of perfect reconciliation, and intimate friendship and acquaintance. Now, behold here the wonderful goodness and condescension of God, and his gracious disposition and inclination towards peace and acquaintance with his poor creatures…
Behold therefore, I say, and admire the gracious disposition of God towards sinful man, and the great desire He has towards peace and renewed acquaintance with Him.”
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Thomas Gataker
An Antidote Against Error Concerning Justification… (d.1654; London: Brome, 1670), pp. 50-54
“Lastly, justifying faith is such a faith whereby we embrace, entertain, receive, admit Christ, not into our houses, but into our hearts; and whereby conseqently we are united unto Christ, so as that He is said to be in us, and we in Him. ‘To as many as received Him,’ says He, ‘He gave this priviledge to become the sons of God, even to those that beleive in his name.’ Where to ‘receive Him,’ is to give Him entertainment, not so much in their houses, which Matthew, Zacheus, and others of them also did, as in their hearts: according to that of the apostle, ‘that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith,’ Eph. 3:17. Whence it is that they that are in the faith, are said to have Christ in them. ‘Examine yourselves,’ says the apostle, ‘whether ye be in the Faith: do you not know that Christ is in you?’ 2 Cor. 13:5, thereby implying that if they be in the faith, then Christ is in them…
we cannot with any good ground rely on Him or trust Him for the discharge of us from the guilt of our sins, unless we be content to receive, and do willingly embrace Him, on such terms as God offers Him, and as He offers Himself unto us, and on no other terms than these is He offered unto any. But a man may believe that Christ is the Savior of the world, yea that he cannot be saved but by Christ, and yet for all that may refuse to receive Him and yield himself up unto Him, because he mislikes the conditions on which He is tendered unto Him, or delay to do it at present, in hope that he may timely enough do it hereafter.
As when a company of rebels are up in arms against their leige lord, and a proclamation of pardon and impunity is published by him unto all such of them as will lay down their arms, put themselves upon his mercy, acknowledge their offence and by solemn oath engage themselves to due allegiance and constant obedience for the future; albeit that they all know him to be their lawful sovereign, and believe that he will be as good as his word to all that so accept of it, nor know which way to escape, but that first or last they shal be surprised, if they do stand out, and have execution done upon them; yet there may be diverse among them that will choose rather to persist in their rebellious courses, or refuse at least to yield themselves up to him and to accept of his gracious offer, either out of a stoutness of stomach and a stifness of self-will, or out of an extreme malice and inveterate hatred against the person of their prince, or out of a strong affection to some adverse party, or out of a fond conceit that they may keep for some good space of time out of the way, undiscovered and unsurprised, or that when they perceive themselves near to be attached, they may then by a tender of themselves attain the benefit of the offer, there being no limitation of time mentioned in it.
In the same manner: although a man do beleive that Jesus is the Savior of mankind, and that there is no way for him to attain salvation but by Christ, yet for all that may he refuse to receive Christ for his Lord and Savior or to accept of salvation by Christ, because he mislikes the conditions upon and under which Christ and salvation by Christ is offered and tendred unto him, and without which it cannot be had. But what are those terms, that are so necessarily reqired, and with so much difficulty received? Why these are: ‘If any man will come after me, says our Savior, [Greek], let him utterly deny himself,’ Mt. 16:24…
he must not be his own man anymore, but he must in resolution at least be Christ’s alone, wholly at his command, will and disposal…
This word or saying, that Christ came to save sinners, it is a sure saying, such as we may write and rest upon it, we may with good ground afford credit unto it, yea and it is withal a very acceptable saying, a saying worthy of all acceptance, 1 Tim. 1:15, and indeed who would not accept of such a gracious offer? would not willingly and gladly entertain such tidings, the glad tidings of salvation, and of salvation not temporal, but eternal? See Isa. 52:7; Nah. 1:15; Rom. 10:15, yea but what is the reason then that this so acceptable message finds so little acceptance in the world, that so few do accept of it? that when this Savior came unto his own, He found so sorry welcome among them, his own refused to receive Him? Jn. 1:11. It is not in the thing offered; that no damned wretch in Hell would refuse to accept; but it is in the terms whereupon the offer is made and tendred, which mans corrupt nature will in no wise condescend unto…
The stoutness, or hautiness of the flesh, of man’s carnal heart or mind (and there is an emphasis also in the word ‘flesh’, which of itself has an intimation of infirmity and weakness, Gen. 6:3; Heb. 5:7, yea sometime of a pliable and yeilding disposition, apt to receive any but slight impression, Eze. 36:26; 2 Cor. 3:3, that such a sorry peice of flesh as man’s heart is, should be so stiff, and so stubborn) is enmity against God; not averse to him, but enmity itself against him; stands out in such defiance against Him, and whatsoever He wills and enjoins, that it neither does submit itself, nor can be subjected unto his law…”
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Samuel Annesley
Communion with God, in Two Sermons… (London: Tyler, 1655), sermon 2, pp. 41-42
“‘Alas, this business is beyond my strength, I cannot change mine own heart; though there are encouragements and helps, I know not which way to go, nor how to plead them.’
Well, but is the Spirit of God able to quicken thee, and to teach thee, and to enable thee? He stands especially engaged, ’tis his immediate work to prevail upon the heart. Go to the Spirit, and beg of Him, that He would lead thee to the Father, and to Christ, that thou mayst have fellowship with the Father and the Son.
‘Alas, I cannot go unto the Spirit, I have so long resisted Him, so often grieved Him, with what face can I go? I am unworthy of his guidance.’
Well, but Jesus Christ stands engaged; and never speak of merit that day thou speakest of Christ. Go to Christ, and beg that He would send his Spirit into thy heart. Jesus Christ is thy Kinsman, he knows how to pity thee; and the Spirit of Grace is at his dispose. Oh then go to Christ.
‘Alas, I cannot go to Christ, I have no ability to go, nor so much as a will to move towards Him. I cannot go to Christ.’
Well, but the Father is engaged to draw thee, though thou canst not go; a man may be drawn, which has no natural willingness of his own. The Father stands engaged to change the will, and absolute promises are theirs that lay claim to them (provided they do not overthrow their own claim). Go therefore and tell the Father thy case.”
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Ezekiel Greenhill
Sermons of Christ… (London: R.I., 1656), “Christ’s Willingness to Save Sinners, Sermon 1”, p. 156
“So in the 23rd [of] Proverbs, v. 26. ‘My son give me thy heart;’ ‘O my son,’ says God, ‘give Me thy heart;’ Christ is the Everlasting Father, and He says, ‘My son, give me thy heart, come to Me.’
One place more in the 3rd [chapter of] Revelation is worth your observing; ‘Behold, I stand at the door and knock, if any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to him and will sup with him, and he with Me:’ ‘Behold I stand at the door and knock;’ I came down from heaven into mine ordinances, I knock at the door of your hearts and consciences, if any man will open now, if any many would have water of life from me, if any man would have bread of life from Me, if any man would have communion with Me, let him but open and receive Me in, and I will sup with him and he with Me: what sweet invitations have we from Christ, how forward, how ready is the Lord Jesus to do poor sinners good.”
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James Durham
Commentary on the Song of Solomon
Song 5:2, “I sleep, but my heart waketh: it is the voice of my beloved that knocketh, saying, Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled: for my head is filled with dew, and my locks with the drops of the night.”
[Durham understands the Bride to be the visible church. Thus the sincere and well-meant offers of grace are made to gospel hearers alike for the purpose of conversion, including the unconverted and reprobate, as is clear from Durham’s citation of the conversion of Lydia, those in Ps. 81 who would not hear but clung to their idols, Durham’s language of begetting faith, the Word being rejected, that such common operations of the Spirit are not saving, are sometimes frustrated forever, etc.]
“Therefore it’s his voice or word that not only calls, but knocks, implying some force it had upon her: By voice is understood the Word, as Chap. 2:8,10, yet, as backed with the Spirit and power, and as commended thereby to the conscience, 1 Cor. 2:4, and convincingly demonstrated to be the very voice of Christ; yet, so as rods inward and outward, and other means may have their own place, being made use of by Him, yet still according to the word.
His great end [purpose] for which he knocks, is in that word open; which, as it implies her case, that her heart was in a great measure shut upon Him, and that by some carnal indisposition He was kept out of it, and was not made welcome; So it requires the removing of all that stopped his way, and the casting open of the heart by faith to receive his Word, and by love to receive Himself…
…
This opening then, imports the removing of every thing that marred fellowship with Christ, and the doing of every thing that might dispose for enjoying of it, as awaking, rising, etc. all which follows in the 4th verse, and while He commands to open, He calls for the entertaining of fellowship with Him, which now is by her drowsiness interrupted: Which two parts of the verse put together, hold forth,
1. That Christ’s own Bride may shut the door on him, and so make a sad separation betwixt him and her.
2. Christ’s word is the great and ordinary external mean, whereby he knocks at men’s hearts, and which he makes use of for begetting faith in them.
3. That in a believers secure condition, there will be sometimes more than ordinary convictions, stirrings and motions by the Word.
4. That the Word of God, backed with power, will reach the securest heart and affect it.
5. That believers will discern Christ’s voice and call, when their condition is very low.
6. It will be refreshful to them to have Him knocking; she looks on it as a kindly thing, even to have his knock bearing-in convictions, challenges, or somewhat else on her; though it please not her flesh, yet in as far as she is renewed, it will be the voice of her Beloved to her.
7. Christ has a way of following his own, even when they are become secure; and sometimes then, will make his call, challenges or convictions pursue more hotly and pressingly than at other times.
8. When Christ knocks and presses hardest, it’s for our own good, and it’s a token of love in Him to do so; for, there is nothing more deplorable, than when He says to one under indisposition, and in an evil case, ‘Let him alone.’
9. When Christ calls by his Word, it is then our duty to open to him, and to receive him; and this can no more be slighted without sin, than prayer, mortification and other commanded duties; can be neglected or slighted without sin.
10. Christ may call very pressingly, and his Word may have some work on the conscience and affections of hearers, and they be some-way affected with it, and yet the Word be rejected, and the heart not made open to Christ; as here she sleeps still notwithstanding; and the following verse confirms it.
11. There are some operations of the Spirit, which though they be more than a common work on the generality of hearers, yet are not saving, and may be, and often are, even by believers frustrated for a time, and by others for ever; for, this knocking gets a refusal, verse 3. So deceiving, beguiling and dangerous are common motions to rest on, when the finger of gracious Omnipotency is not applied, as verse 4.
12. Christ’s design when He knocks fastest, is friendly, and yet it sometimes says things are not right: This is the end of all his knocking and speaking to a people, and then it is plainest when He speaks most powerfully.”
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Christ Crucified, Seventy-Two Sermons on Isaiah 53 (Glasgow: Adam, 1792), Sermon 2, on Isa. 53:1, p. 74
“It is expressed under the similitude of a standing and a knocking at a door, because the gospel brings Christ a knocking and calling hard at sinners’ door, Rev. 3:20:
‘Behold I stand at the door and knock; if any man will hear my voice, and will open the door, I will come in to him and sup with him and he with me.’
So Cant. 5:2. By the sleepy Bride it is said, ‘It is the voice of my Beloved that knocketh.’ And Psalm 24, last four verses, it is cried out, ‘Lift up your heads ye gates, and be lift up ye everlasting doors, that the king of glory may come in’: Which is an earnest invitation to make way for Christ Jesus, wanting nothing but an entry into the heart…”
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Commentary on Revelation, on Rev. 3:20
“The second way He presses it, verse 20, is, by a most instant and importunate pursuing of His offer, with a protestation of his being there, and of his making the same. This is done four ways;
1. By showing His work and posture, I stand at the door and knock. Hearts are naturally as castles shut and guarded by the Devil against Christ: When He comes with His ordinances, He does thereby, as it were, lay a siege at them, and by His word knock at the doors thereof to gain their consent; and the more pungently he presses by His ordinances, He is said to knock the more: And in this respect, Song 5:2, His voice is said to knock at the believer’s door in their sleepy condition. Here these two things are imported:
1. Christ’s continuing to deal with His Church, and to wait upon her in His ordinances, notwithstanding of her many former refusals. Thus, He is said to stand at the door: Whereby is holden forth their ingratitude to him, in keeping of Him out, and His patience that still waits on.
2. In this, by the other word, is imported His growing more instant in His dealing with them: Therefore He is said to knock. And indeed if the former sharp threatening and charge, and the sweet free offer be considered, it may well be said that now His knocks are doubled.
2. The second way He presses in this verse, is, by making His offer particular, as it were, bringing it to every man’s door, If any man hear My voice, and open the door, etc.”
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Thomas Lye
The Morning Exercise Methodized (London: E.M., 1660), Sermon 18, p. 397
“2… Look yonder on the amiable Jesus Christ (for a marriage between whom and thy precious soul I am now wooing). Do but observe his condescending willingness to be united to thee: That great Ahasuerus courts his own captive Esther. The Potter makes suit to his own clay, woos thee, though He wants [needs] thee not; is infinitely happy without thee, yet is not, cannot be satisfied but with thee.
Heark how He commands, entreats, begs thee to be reconciled, 2 Cor. 5:20; Swears and pawns his life upon it, that He desires not thy death, Eze. 33:11; seals his oath with his blood; and if after all this thou art fond of thine own damnation and hadst rather be at an agreement with Hell, than with Him; see how the brinish tears trickle down his cheeks, Lk. 19:41-42. He weeps for thee, that dost not, wilt not weep for thyself: Nay, after all this obdurate obstinacy, is resolved still to wait, that He may be gracious, Isa. 30:18.
Stands yet and knocks, though his head be wet with rain, and his locks with the dew of the night; fain He would have thee open the door, that He may be come in and sup with thee, and thou with Him, Rev. 3:20.”
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Obadiah Sedgwick
The Bowels of Tender Mercy sealed in the Everlasting Covenant... (London: Mottershed, 1661), Gifts of the Covenant, ch. 10, sect. 2, p. 549
“4. The great work of faith to receive the Lord Jesus into our hearts.”
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John Arrowsmith
Theanthropos, or God-man: being an Exposition upon the first eighteen verses of the first chapter of the Gospel according to St John... (d. 1659; London: 1660), v. 18, ‘The only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him’
“First, does Christ declare the mind of the Father? get then intimacy and familiarity with Jesus Christ; take Him into thy heart, that lay in the bosom of the Father.”
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Isaac Ambrose
Looking Unto Jesus… (d. 1664; Edinburgh: Ormiston, 1723), pp. 246–47
“3. The wooings of Christ to gain your hearts: Consider Him bowing the heavens and coming down, and laying aside his robes of majesty, and putting on your filthy garments: Consider Him going about from place to place, on no other errand, but to gain your hearts and win your souls: And, whoever spake such effectual words as Christ spake when He was upon the earth? Who ever gave such precious jewels to a bride, as Christ gave to his spouse? Who ever put on such apparel as Christ did, when He wooed his Church?…
Ah! poor Sinners, see your Jesus hanging on the cross, dropping out his last blood, breathing out his last breath, stretching out his dying arms to encircle sinners; and come, Oh come and throw yourselves into his bleeding arms! Away with all prejudicate opinions! Who shall say Christ is not willing to save him, and not blaspheme eternal love? Speak truth: Corrupt hearts speak truth; say not Christ is unwilling, but you are unwilling; ‘I would, but ye would not.’ [Mt. 23:37]
4. The weepings of Christ if He cannot prevail. Thus we find Him in the Gospel expressing Himself, not only in words, but in tears. And when He was come near Jerusalem, He beheld the city, and wept over it, Lk. 19:41… What? Christ to weep for you, over you? Methinks, if you had hearts of stone, it should melt your hearts.”
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William Gearing
The Love-Sick Spouse, or the Substance of Four Sermons (London: Simmons, 1665), ch. 7, pp. 15–16 Gearing (c. 1625 – c. 1690) was an English puritan minister.
“Because thou hast rejected the Lord tendering Himself to thee, therefore now He stands at a distance from thee: many proffers did He make to thee, but thou slightest them; many calls thou hast from Him, and wouldst not hear them; many knocks has He given at the door of thy heart, and begged for entrance, but thou keptst thy heart shut still against Him.”
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Thomas Vincent
Words of Advice to Young Men delivered in Two Sermons… (London: Parkhurst, 1668), sermon 1, sect. 5, pp. 25-26
“3. You must open your hearts and give entertainment unto Christ, if you ever expect to have the gate of Heaven opened unto you, and to be entertained by Christ in his Kingdom. Such as shut the door of their hearts against Christ when they are young, will find (if Christ does not withdraw, and leave knocking) that the door will be faster bolted and barred within against Him; the longer you hold it out, the more will Satan strengthen the fort against Christ, and more easily beat off whatever assaults are made upon you by the Word and Spirit. Christ will come in most willingly to them that open to Him presently; and the match will quickly be made up, if in youth you hearken to the motion.
Let me beseech you, therefore, my dearly beloved young ones, to open the door to Christ without any further delay; by me He stands now and knocks for entertainment; what answer shall I return, that you have harbored lusts there, where his lodging should be, and would not part with them? that you put me off till a further day, until you had a little longer tasted the sweets of sin: O take heed of such carriage of heart towards Christ, Qui non est hodie, cras minus aptus erit, if you be not willing to open to Christ now, you will be more unwilling tomorrow: do it then presently; may I be instrumental to join the Lord Jesus Christ and you together in marriage; receive Him into your hearts, and accept of Him, to love, honor, and obey Him, and do it heartily and resolvedly, and He is yours.”
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Nathanael Vincent
The Day of Grace in which the Chief of Sinners may be Turned & Healed (London: Parkhurst, 1669), ‘The Day of Grace’ on Lk. 19:41-42, pp. 98-99
“2. This Day of Grace is not passed when the sinner sets open the door of his heart that Christ the Lord may enter. That promise is most sure, ‘If any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come into him, and sup with him, and he shall sup with Me,’ Rev. 3:20.
Christ complains of the Jews that they would not come to him that they might have life; but if any are made willing to come, the waters of life are open, and none that desire shall be denied them, Rev. 22:17, ‘Let him that is a thirst come, and whoever will, let him drink of the waters of life freely.’ Doest thou know Christ? Art thou acquainted with his kingdom as well as his priesthood? and art thou willing to have his kingdom set up in thy heart, and thy very thoughts and affections brought into obedience and captivity? Art thou willing thus to receive Him? Certainly thou shalt be received by Him and have power to become a child of God, Jn. 1:12.”
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Jean Daille
49 Sermons upon the Whole Epistle of the Apostle St. Paul to the Colossians… (London: White, 1672), pt. 1, 15th Sermon, p. 147
“If we have truly received Jesus Christ into our hearts…”
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George Swinnock
The Christian Man’s Calling, in The Works (d. 1673; Banner of Truth), 2.478-79
“3… Oh, how little will they have to say for themselves upon whom grace waited so many years, knocking hard at the door of their hearts for acceptance, and they refused to open to it [Rev. 3:20], or bid it come in. How justly will they suffer long in the other world, to whom God was so long-suffering to no purpose in this world, Rom. 4:2.”
.
The Door of Salvation Opened by the Key of Regeneration, in his Works (d. 1673; Banner of Truth), 5:140-41 HT: Tony Byrne
“Now the Son of the ever blessed God tenders Himself to you with many entreaties, goes after you up and down, night and day, knocking at the door of your heart, with all his graces, comforts, and fruits of his death, by the ministry of his word, the motions of his Spirit, multitudes of temporal and spiritual mercies;
but you, unworthy wretch, slights both Him and his precious attendants, and esteems your shop and stock, your corn and carnal comforts, far before Him…”
.
Edward Polhill
Precious Faith considered in its Nature, Working & Growth (London: Cockerill, 1675), ch. 14, p. 444-45
“…do it obedientially, hearken to the commands, that thy peace may be as a river flowing in the joys of faith: If thus thou wilt hear and open to Christ, who stands and knocks at the door of thy heart, He will come in to thee, and sup with thee, and thou with Him, Rev. 3:20. He will come in to thee in intimate communion, and sup with thee in the acceptance of thy graces, and thou shalt sup with him at a banquet of love:
Thou mayst experimentally say that the Gospel is come to thee in power and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance, as the apostle speaks, 1 Thess. 1:5. In power in, the first work of conversion; in the Holy Ghost, in the gracious indwelling of it after faith; and in much assurance, in the sealings of truth and love upon the heart.”
.
Christopher Ness
The Crown & Glory of a Christian, consisting in a Sound Conversion… (London: Newman, 1676), bk. 2, pp. 10-13
“1. When the Lord Jesus comes and stands knocking at the door of your heart with the hammer of his Word, and with the hand of his Spirit, then bow yourself with all your might (as Sampson did, Judg. 16:30) to pull back every bolt and to draw in every bar that would keep the door shut against this blessed and bleeding Redeemer. The duty indeed is yours, but the ability is his: as much as in you lies, cause every lust of your heart to make room for your dear Jesus.
2. Welcome Christ into your heart with joy. Say to Him as Laban did to Abraham’s servant, ‘Come in thou blessed of the Lord, thou art welcome; wherefore standest thou without?’ Gen. 24:31. Christ will come to you with a blessing in his hand to bestow on you, as he did to Jacob, Gen. 32:26, etc. David-literal says to his son (that invited him to his house), ‘Why should we be chargeable to thee, my son?’ 2 Sam. 13:25. But this David-spiritual will not be chargeable: wheresoever He comes, where He comes to sup with any soul, He brings his supper with Him, Rev. 3:20, and eats but of his own honeycomb, and of his own honey, Cant. 5:1. This blessed guest brings his blessing with Him, as the ark did to the house of Obed-Edom.
3. When Christ is come into your house to dwell in your heart by faith, Eph. 3:17, be careful to keep his habitation quiet and comfortable; to this end you must adjure your corruptions by the roes and by the hinds of the field that they stir not up nor awake your beloved until He please, Cant. 2:7. ‘Tis pity such a blessed guest should meet with any disturbance; lay God’s charge upon your lusts…”
.
Thomas Manton
Works
vol. 12, Sermons Upon Romans 8, Sermon 8, p. 288
“3. This external and internal calling may be ineffectual or effectual.
[1.] The ineffectual call consists in the bare tender and offer of grace, but it is not entertained. God may knock at the door of the heart that does not open to Him; knock by the word, knock by the motions of the Spirit and checks of conscience; so ‘many are called, but few are chosen,’ Matt 22:14. There is not the fruit of election, nor are these the called according to purpose.
[2.] The effectual call is when God changes the heart, and brings it home to Himself by Jesus Christ…”
.
vol. 21, Two sermons on Eze. 18:23, Sermon 1, pp. 463-79
“He tarries the sinner’s leisure till the day of patience be quite spent ere [before] He executes this threatening of the new covenant; and offers men all this while many helps and advantages, enticing them by his mercies, awing them by his judgments, persuading them by his Word, drawing them by his Spirit, knocking at the door of their hearts by the serious impressions of his grace, and awakening them by the stings and checks of their own consciences; all which are so many signs and evidences that He takes no pleasure in the death of sinners, as the prejudiced world thinks, but does all that becomes Him to do, as a prudent and gracious lawgiver (though not all that He could do as an almighty God) and sovereign disposer of his grace;”
.
One Hundred & Ninety Sermons on the Hundred & Nineteenth Psalm… (d. 1677; London: T.P., 1681), sermon 98, p. 605
“6. The effects of this first [divine] work are these:
(1) A hearty welcoming of Christ Jesus into the soul; they do not take up with comfort on this side [of] Christ; Men’s troubles are known by their satisfaction…
But if we see the necessity of a Savior, receive Him into our hearts and believe in Him with all our hearts, desire and delight and all is carried after Christ, and after the refreshings of his grace and are satisfied with none but Christ, and our hearts pant for Him, as the hart pants after the water brooks, you ought to bless God that He has left the impression of the effect, though He has not left the impression of the way; Ps. 42:1.”
.
John Brown of Wamphray
Christ the Way the Truth & the Life (1677), ch. 6
“9. There must be a satisfaction with the terms of the gospel, and the heart must actually close with Christ, as He is offered in the gospel. The heart must open to Him, and take Him in, Rev. 3:20. The soul must embrace and receive Him, John 1:12. The man must take Him, as his Lord and Master King, Priest and Prophet; must give up himself to Him as his Leader and Commander, and resolve to follow Him in all things, and thus close a bargain with Him.
…
8. That, as to them, all Christ’s entreaties, motives, allurements, patience and long suffering, his standing at the door and knocking, till his locks be wet with the dew, etc., are in vain: yea, they are contemptuously rejected, despised, slighted, and undervalued.”
.
Theophilus Gale
Christ’s Tears for Jerusalem’s Unbelief & Ruin, Now Humbly Recommended to England’s Consideration in this Her Day of Trial & Danger (London: Widdowes, 1679), bk. 1, ch. 9, pp. 68-69
“(5) This lamentation of Christ over impenitent Jerusalem teaches us also that man’s ruin is from himself? If after all Christ’s gracious invitations, all his unwearied forbearances, all his bitter and salt tears, Jerusalem will stil persist in her rebellious contempt of his gracious offers, how inexcusable is her sin, and inevitable her ruin? What will prevail upon her, if Christ’s tears and entreaties will not prevail? What can save her, if her Redemer’s grace and mercy save her not?
What is it that keeps evangelic sinners from being saved? is it any defect in the object, or its revela∣tion? is it mere simple ignorance, or impotence in the subject? No; but it is wilfull blindness and impotence: they shut their eyes and will not see; they bolt their hearts and will not open to Christ, who knocks at the door of the soul by many gracious invitations of his Gospel and Spirit. And do not such deservedly perish, who electively embrace their own ruin, and wilfully reject the things that belong to their peace, Mt. 23:37?”
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William Gurnall
The Christian in Complete Armor (†1679), 1:116-17
“God speaks with sinners through his messengers. They come for God’s purpose, and their words, counsels, exhortations, and reproofs are his. When sinners reject the words which God’s ministers bring in his name, they are actually striving with the Spirit. They are wrestling with Christ as if He were present. When God comes to reckon with sinners, it will prove just so. God will remind them of his striving and their unkind resistance. The Spirit strives with the consciences of men, debating in their own hearts the case against them, and shows man his sin in all its ugly colors.
He does this so well that the creature can sometimes smell the very fire and brimstone about him, and makes him feel at present in a temporary hell. At other times, he parleys and works with them, and makes gracious overtures and offers of the gospel to them. He opens a door of hope and woos and beseeches them to throw down their rebellious arms and come to Christ for life. He reveals how Christ is in a present disposition to embrace their first motion towards mercy.
The Spirit follows the sinner from place to place, and from time to time suggesting such encouragements. Many, however, cast off the Spirit’s hands in resistance. This carries such malignity in it, that some have felt the horror of the unpardonable sin, even though their condition is not final.
Take heed, however, sinners, how you respond to the Spirit when He comes knocking at the door of your hearts. Open at this knock, and He will be your guest; you will have his sweet company. Repulse Him, and you have not a promise He will knock again. If once He stops striving with you, unhappy man, you are lost forever.”
.
Thomas Brooks
The Unsearchable Riches of Christ in Works (d. 1680), vol. 3, p. 194
“Use 4. If Christ be so rich, Oh! then, open to Christ when He knocks. Christ knocks by his word, and He knocks by his rod; He knocks by his Spirit, and He knocks by his messengers, and He knocks by conscience. Oh, open to Him! for He is very rich.
Though you shut the door against a poor man, yet you will open it to one that is rich; and why not then to Christ, who would fain have entrance? Rev. 3:20, ‘Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to Him, and will sup with Him, and He with me.’”
.
Precious Remedies Against Satan’s Devices in Works, vol. 1, Appendix, pp. 147-48
“Here the Lord Jesus Christ stands knocking at the Laodicean’s door; He would fain have them to sup with Him, and that He might sup with them; that is, that they might have intimate communion and fellowship one with another.
Now, pray tell me, what preparations or qualifications had these Laodiceans to entertain Christ? Surely none; for they were lukewarm, they were ‘neither hot nor cold,’ they were ‘wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked’; yet Christ to show his free grace and his condescending love, invites the very worst of sinners to open to Him, though they were no ways so prepared or qualified to entertain Him.”
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Stephen Charnock
The Works of Stephen Charnock, 5 vols. (d. 1680; Edinburgh: Banner of Truth, 1997), vol. 5, “Man’s Enmity to God,” p. 521
“(2) God has been importunate in entreaties of us. God offers not only truce, but a peace, and has been most active in urging a reconciliation. Can He manifest his willingness in clearer methods, than that of sending his Son to reconcile the world to Himself? Can He evidence more sincerity than by his repeated and reiterated pressing of our souls to the acceptance of Him?
God knocks at our hearts, and we are deaf to Him; He thunders in our ears, and we regard Him not; He waits upon us for our acceptance of his love, and we grow more mad against Him; He beseeches us, and we ungratefully and proudly reject Him; He opens his bosom, and we turn our backs; He offers us his pearls, and we tread them under our feet; He would give us angels’ bread, and we feed on husks with swine. The wisdom of God shines upon us, and we account it foolishness. The infinite kindness of God courts us, and we refuse it, as if it were the greatest cruelty. Christ calls and begs, and we will not hear Him either commanding or entreating…”
.
Nathanael Ball
Spiritual Bondage & Freedom, or a Treatise containing the Substance of Several Sermons… from John 8:36 (London: Robinson, 1683), pp. 36–38 Ball (1623–1681) was an English, partial conformist presbyterian minister.
“1. That this offer is real. Christ does not deceive, or dissemble with sinners, but really He does desire they should have liberty. Men sometimes make offers of good things to one another, but they are not sincere in them. But it is not so with Christ; He is a real well-wisher to sinners’ souls. He has expressed it all the ways that can be desired.
Would you believe his reality, if He does woo sinners? Why, so He does, Lk. 14:23, compel them to come in, viz. by importunate entreaty. Would you believe his reality, if He does wait for sinners? Why, so He does, Rev. 3:20, ‘Behold I stand at the door, and knock, etc.’ Would you believe his reality if He does weep for sinners? Why, so He does, He wept over Jerusalem, Lk. 19:41-42. Would you believe his reality if He does die for sinners? Why, so He did, Rom. 5:8. While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Nay, would you believe his reality if he should be damned for sinners? Why, so He was, though not in respect of the place, yet in respect of the pains of Hell: He was ;’made a curse for us,’ Gal. 3:13.
What would you have Christ to say or do more than He has said and done, to convince you, that He would have sinners to be partakers of this freedom. Has He not said so in his Word? Has He not sealed it with his blood? Has He not accepted and embraced from time to time, whoever came unto Him? Does He not engage Himself by his faithful promise, to do so still to the end of the world, that He will in no wise cast out such as come to Him, Jn. 6:37. And yet what a wonder is it, that the world is so unbelieving still? and so hard to be persuaded, that Christ has any loving thoughts or purposes towards them? Oh this cursed unbelief, and hardness of heart, that is in men and women that makes them that they will not come to Christ that they might have life!”
.
Thomas Watson
The Saint’s Delight (London: T.R., 1657), “Christ’s Loveliness”, pp. 353-54
“Christ makes the feast, Lk. 15:23, and the angels make the music, verse 7. But if men will not receive the tenders of grace, Christ grieves, Mk. 3:5. He is like a judge that passes the sentence with tears in his eyes, Lk. 19:42, ‘And when He came nigh the city, He wept.’ ‘Ah sinners, I come to save you, but you put away salvation from you (Acts 13). I come with healing under my wings, but you bolt out your Physician; I would have you but open your hearts to receive Me, and I will open Heaven to receive you, but you will rather stay with your sins and die, than come to Me and live, Ps. 81:11, ‘Israel would none of me.’ Well sinners, I will weep at your funerals.’
Oh how lovely is Christ in his disposition! He comes with his supplying oil to pour into sinners’ wounds; He would fain break their hearts with his mercies, He labors to overcome their evil with his good.”
.
A Body of Practical Divinity (d. 1686; London: Parkhurst, 1692), The Lord’s Prayer, ‘Thy Kingdom Come’, Use 4, p. 488
“2… When sinners shall consider they were in a fair way to the kingdom; they had a possibility of salvation; though the door of Heaven were strait, yet it was open; they had the means of grace; the jubilee of the gospel was proclaimed in their ears; God called but they refused;
Jesus Christ offered them a plaister of his own blood to heal them, but they trampled it under foot; the Holy Spirit stood at the door of their heart knocking and crying to them to receive Christ and Heaven, but they repulsed the Spirit and sent away this Dove, and now they have, through their own folly and willfulness, lost the Kingdom of Heaven.”
.
John Collinges
Matthew Poole’s English Annotations on the Holy Bible. Collinges was one of the men who finished Poole’s Commentary after he died, having gotten to Isa. 58.
Rev. 3:20, “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.”
“There is a double interpretation of this text, each of them claiming under very valuable interpreters; some making it a declaration of Christ’s readiness to come in to souls, and to give them a spiritual fellowship and communion with Himself; others interpreting it of Christ’s readiness to come to the Last Judgment, and to take his saints into an eternal joyful fellowship and communion with Himself: hence there is a different interpretation of every sentence in the text.
I stand at the door; either, in my gospel dispensations, I stand at the door of sinners’ hearts; or, I am ready to come to judge the world.
And knock, by the inward monitions and impressions of my Spirit, or my ministers more externally; or, I am about to knock, that is, I am ready to have the last trump sounded.
If any man hear my voice, and open the door; that is, if any man will hearken to the counsels and exhortations of my ministers, and to the monitions of my Spirit, and not resist my Holy Spirit; or, if any man has heard my voice, and opened his heart to Me.”
.
The Works of John Collings, vol. 1 (London: Tomlins, 1655), Sermon 9, “A Cordial for a Fainting Soul”, pp. 151–54
“And from hence let us be instructed, upon what sad terms every child of the devil is damned, and such especially as live in places where the Lord Jesus Christ is preached; they will be damned for not receiving Christ, for not opening the door of their hearts, and stretching out their hearts in the desires and pantings after Christ, for not closing with an offered Christ and promise; your damnation will not be (sirs) for not meriting Christ; No, God never required that at your hands. God never required you should earn Him, He requires nothing but that you should receive Him, that you should be willing, and your hearts should be open to let in the Lord Jesus Christ, and that you should hunger and thirst after Him, and close with Him, not pay a penny, only take, and that freely.
…
Sinners, your damnation is of yourselves: if you will be saved you may. Heaven goes a begging this day, whosoever will let him drink of the water of life freely; it may be some of you have been great sinners, some of you old corrupted sinners: yet if you will, I say, if you will, you may be the Sons of God, heirs, joint heirs with the Lord Jesus Christ. You that are children of wrath, if you will, you may be heirs of grace. Behold Christ stands at the door and knocks: this day He knocks once more; He cries, ‘whosoever will’…
Remember (sirs) Jerusalem might have been gathered, even as a hen gathers her chickens under her wings, but she would not; if you will not, Christ has washed his hands of your blood: your damnation is of yourselves. And ah! think, (poor creatures) think what bad terms these are to be damned upon: what a gnawing upon your conscience in Hell another day will it be to think, If I would I might have been saved; Heaven and glory might have been mine if I would, but now I am tormented, and shall be so forever, because I would not have the Lord Jesus Christ; this makes damnation the heavier, to think, there is no more required but only to open the door to receive the Lord Jesus Christ.
…
Behold! He stands at the door and knocks: He is willing, He is willing, He stands at the door: thy opening is after his knocking; He knocks this day, He calls to thee (Ah Lord! Break open the door that will not open!) thou are prevented with love, He stands at the door, and knocks before thou canst have the least thought of opening; Hark (sinner!) hear Him knocking; ‘Turn, turn, why will ye die O house of Israel?’ Hear Him calling, drunkard, vain person, swearer, Sabbath breaker, turn, open the doors of your hearts.”
.
John Bunyan
Works, 1:171-72
“‘O’, says the soul, ‘Lord, I have come to you upon an earnest business! I am arrested by Satan, my conscience convicts me, and I will be accused before the judgment seat of God… Lord, I am distressed, undertake for me!’ O consider your advocate a friend, and not an enemy! You must open your heart to Him and reveal your whole cause unto Him.”
.
Richard Baxter
A Paraphrase on the New Testament with Notes, Doctrinal & Practical... (1685), on Rev. 3, verse 20
“20. ‘Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me.’
20. I have my time of offering mercy, and desiring you to entertain it: And if any man hear and obey this call, I will come in by my Spirit, and take habitual possession of him, and have spiritual communion with him, and he with Me.
Note: Though it be not without the grace of Christ that we open to him when He knocks, and receive his offered special grace, yet, in this, He lays so much on man as to make our opening, that is, our accepting-faith, the condition of his entering for a fixed habitation by habitual love and holiness. On which account divines used to say that faith and repentance, wrought first in conversion, are the conditions or qualifications for consequent justification and sanctification.”
.
John Flavel
England’s Duty under the Present Gospel Liberty from Rev. 3, verse 20: wherein is opened the admirable condescension and patience of Christ in waiting upon trifling and obstinate sinners… (London: Wotton, 1689), sermon 7, doctrine 7
p. 231
“7th Doctrine: That Jesus Christ will not refuse to come in to the soul of the vilest sinner, when once it is made heartily willing to open to Him.
‘If any man open, I will come in to him.’ [Rev. 3:20] It is not unworthiness, but unwillingness that bars any man from Christ: thousands have missed of Christ by their unwillingness, but Christ never put off one soul upon account of its unworthiness; Christ is not the sale, but the gift of God; you come not to make a bargain, but to receive a free gift: Faith is a marriage with Christ, wherein nothing but your hearty consent is expected; so runs the strain of the whole Scriptures, Isa. 55:1, ‘Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters…'”
.
p. 244
“Here you see how the waters of free grace rise higher and higher; an invitation is much, a promise of welcome is more; but the actual grants of mercy is most satisfying of all. Come on poor trembling soul, don’t be discouraged, stretch out the small weak arms of thy faith to that great and gracious Redeemer; open thy heart wide to receive Him, He will not refuse to come in; He has sealed thousands of pardons to as vile wretches as thyself; He never yet shut the door of mercy upon a willing, hungering soul.”
.
Benjamin Keach
A Golden Mine Opened… the Substance of Near Forty Sermons… (London: Marshall, 1694), on Heb. 2:3, Application, pp. 386–87 Keach (1640–1704) was an English, Calvinistic Baptist minister.
“6. But here is sad news to such who slight this salvation and refuse Jesus Christ: great will their condemnation be: The men of Nineveh shall rise up in judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold a greater than Jonah is here. The greatness of this Savior who preaches the Gospel to you and is come to save you will aggravate your condemnation. What was Jonah to Jesus Christ?…
O know you, sinners, this day, that Jesus Christ, this glorious King, and Prince of the kings of the earth, this mighty Savior is come to your doors: ‘Behold, I stand at the door and knock’: Will you not open the door, nor cry to Him to help you to open to Him, to enable you to believe in Him? What do you say, shall the Son of God stand at your doors, and you not so much as ask, ‘Who is there? Who is at my door?’ Shall Christ be kept out of your hearts, and stand at your doors, whilst sin commands the chiefest room and has absolute power over you, and rules in you? How will you be able to look this blessed Savior in the face another day? Is He come through a sea of blood to offer his love to you, and to espouse you unto Himself forever, and will not you be persuaded to break your league with the old lovers, who will at last stab you at the very heart, and betray your souls into the hands of divine wrath? Nay, they have done it already: What are your lovers but your lusts…
And to deliver you from them, and from that wrath which is due to you for them (I mean, for your sins) is Christ come, and this great Savior is offered to you.”
.
1700’s
Matthew Henry
Commentary on the Whole Bible
on Ps. 24, verses 7-10
“Or it may be taken as a poetical figure designed to represent the subject more affectingly. God, in his Word and ordinances, is thus to be welcomed by us, 1. With great readiness: the doors and gates must be thrown open to Him. Let the Word of the Lord come into the innermost and uppermost place in our souls; and, if we had 600 necks, we should bow them all to the authority of it.”
.
On Song 5, verses 2-8
“He knocks, to awaken us to come and let Him in, knocks by his Word and Spirit, knocks by afflictions and by our own consciences; though this is not expressly quoted, yet probably it is referred to (Rev. 3:20), ‘Behold, I stand at the door, and knock.’ He calls sinners into covenant with Him and saints into communion with Him…
…
III. The excuse she made to put off her compliance with this call (Song 5:3): ‘I have put off my coat; how shall I put it on again?’ She is half asleep; she knows the voice of her beloved; she knows his knock, but cannot find in her heart to open to Him… Making excuses (Lk. 14:18) is interpreted making light of Christ (Mt. 22:5), and so it is. Those put a great contempt upon Christ that cannot find in their hearts to bear a cold blast for him, or get out of a warm bed.
IV. The powerful influences of divine grace, by which she was made willing to rise and open to her beloved. When He could not prevail with her by persuasion He put in his hand by the hole in the door, to unbolt it, as one weary of waiting, Song 5:4. This intimates a work of the Spirit upon her soul, by which she was unwilling made willing, Ps. 110:3. The conversion of Lydia is represented by the opening of her heart (Acts 16:14) and Christ is said to open his disciples’ understandings, Lk. 24:45. He that formed the spirit of man within him knows all the avenues to it, and which way to enter into it; he can find the hole of the door at which to put in his hand for the conquering of prejudices and the introducing of his own doctrine and law. He has the key of David (Rev. 3:7), with which He opens the door of the heart in such a way as is suited to it, as the key is fitted to the wards of the lock, in such a way as not to put a force upon its nature, but only upon its ill nature.
V. Her compliance with these methods of divine grace at last: ‘My bowels were moved for Him.’ The will was gained by a good work wrought upon the affections: My bowels were moved for Him, as those of the two disciples were when Christ made their hearts to burn within them. She was moved with compassion to her beloved, because his head was wet with dew. Note, Tenderness of spirit, and a heart of flesh, prepare the soul for the reception of Christ into it… Note, When we apply ourselves to our duty, in the lively exercises of faith, under the influence of divine grace, we shall find it will go on much more readily and sweetly than we expected. If we will but rise up, to open to Christ, we shall find the difficulty we apprehended in it strangely overcome, and shall say with Daniel, ‘Now let my Lord speak, for thou hast strengthened me,’ Dan. 10:19… Those that open the doors of their hearts to Christ, those everlasting doors, must meet Him with the lively exercises of faith and other graces, and with these must anoint Him.
…
1. She did not open to Him at his first knock, and now she came too late, when afterwards she would have inherited this blessing. Christ will be sought while He may be found; if we slip our time, we may lose our passage.”
.
on Eze. 18, verse 31
“We must ‘make us a new heart and a new spirit.’ This was the matter of a promise, Eze. 11:19. Here it is the matter of a precept. We must do our endeavour, and then God will not be wanting to us to give us his grace. St. Augustine well explains this precept:
Deus non jubet impossibilia, sed jubendo monet et facere quod possis et petere quod non possis.
‘God does not enjoin impossibilities, but by his commands admonishes us to do what is in our power and to pray for what is not.'”
.
William Tong
in Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible. Tong (1662-1727) was one of the puritans that finished Henry’s Commentary when died, still on Acts.
Rev. 3:20, “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.”
“(2) If they would comply with his admonitions, he was ready to make them good to their souls: Behold, I stand at the door and knock, etc., v. 20. Here observe,
[1.] Christ is graciously pleased by his Word and Spirit to come to the door of the heart of sinners; He draws near to them in a way of mercy, ready to make them a kind visit.
[2.] He finds this door shut against Him; the heart of man is by nature shut up against Christ by ignorance, unbelief, sinful prejudices.
[3.] When He finds the heart shut, He does not immediately withdraw, but He waits to be gracious, even till his head be filled with the dew.
[4.] He uses all proper means to awaken sinners, and to cause them to open to Him: He calls by his Word, He knocks by the impulses of his Spirit upon their conscience.”
.
Benjamin Wadsworth
Twelve Single Sermons on Various Subjects (Boston: B. Green, 1717), Sermon 9, ‘God’s Bow Bent & Sword Drawn against the Wicked’, pp. 183–85 Wadsworth (1670–1737) was an American Congregational minister and president of Harvard.
“Oh believe it, God has not one drop of mercy for the finally obstinate and rebellious sinner. In this world, God’s mercy (as it were) goes a begging to them, ‘tis brought to their very doors and offered to them; Christ stands at the door and knocks for entrance. They actually enjoy many outward mercies, and spiritual eternal mercies are offered to them and urged on them; but when God’s patience is ended, let them cry and pray as long as they will, not the least drop of mercy shall be obtained for them. And as they shall not have the least drop of mercy, so they shall have wrath and misery without mixture; pain without mitigation or intermission.”
.
John Willison
Sacramental Meditations, in The Whole Works of John Willison, 1816, vol. 3
Meditation 25, pp. 286-88
“A crucified Christ, with all his purchase, is offered to all the hearers of the gospel: for Christ in his Word, and by his ministers in the gospel-offer, speaks to all and every one of them; yea, speaks to every sinner, man and woman in particular, as though He called them by name and surname. And every man is bound to take the call and offer home to himself, as if he were so named, and believe that Christ stands at his door and knocks, saying, ‘If you, or any man, will open to me, I will come in.'”
.
Advice 2, pp. 314-16
“‘Behold, I stand at the door and knock.’
Rev. 3:20
Lost sinner! I bring you good tidings; the eternal Son of God has undertaken a long journey, and endured great sufferings, to purchase salvation for you! A dear purchase it is, dear has it cost Him to obtain it! and now He has brought it the length of your door, and there, O man! Christ is standing, knocking, and saying, ‘This day salvation is come to this door; open and take it in.’ Now, can you refuse, O sinner! to take in Christ’s purchased salvation, when Christ has come with it to your very door, even the door of your heart? Behold, He stands at it, and knocks for entrance. Open, open! etc.
The arguments for your opening are strong and many:
1. Consider at whose door Christ does stand, even at the door of a creature infinitely below Him. O it is a beggar’s door, that has nothing to entertain Christ when He enters! yet says He, ‘Open to me, and I will bring in provision with Me, and make you a rich feast.’ It is at the door of a poor Lazarus, that is all full of ulcers and sores; yet, says Christ:
‘Open, and I will bring in the balm of Gilead, a plaster of my blood for healing all your sores, and, for as costly as it is, it shall cost you nothing.’
It is even at the door of an enemy, a mortal enemy, that Christ stands; you have spoke ill of Him, thought ill of Him, and done ill to Him; you have affronted Him, wounded Him, and lodged his traitors and murderers: yet, says Christ:
‘Open, and hearken to the offers and terms of reconciliation which I have purchased for you with my blood; they are most surprising and safe, easy and honorable.’
It is at the door of Satan’s slaves that Christ stands, those who have been long drudging at his work, and feeding upon his husks; yet, says Christ, Open to me, and I will set you at liberty, and make you God’s freemen and children. Why, then, will you not open and receive Him joyfully? O sinner! stand amazed at God’s condescending goodness, in standing at the door of such a smoky cottage, so ill swept, and out of order! Good reason have you to cry out, ‘Lord, I am not worthy you should come under my roof.’ But seeing that you humble yourself to visit the unworthy in such a manner, come in, and but speak the word, and the house shall be cleansed, diseases healed, grievances redressed, and the soul made happy. It is highly your interest then to open the door, and welcome in your Savior, who stands and knocks for access.
2. Again, consider who it is that stands at your door: It is even the King of glory, a King of infinite power and majesty! And will you not lift up the gates of your souls to this King? Were is but an earthly king that knocked at your door, you would soon open and receive Him; yea, count it a great honor that you had such a person in your house. But what are clay kings to the King of glory to the Prince of the kings of the earth? to our great Immanuel, the glorious Plant of renown, the Head of the elect world?
Who then would not cast the gates wide open to such a glorious King? Again, He is ‘the everlasting Father,’ and the Father of all believers, that stands and knocks! A Father full of pity, that follows after his prodigal children, and invites them to return to Him! And will not a child open the door to his Father? Can you find in your heart to keep your compassionate Father standing at your door? Nay, further, it is your Husband that knocks, a loving Husband, that has suffered much for your cause: And will not an affectionate spouse open and let in her husband? Moreover, it is your Physician that knocks, who brings healing medicines for all your diseases, by which He has cured many thousands before now! And will not a sick and dying man let in such a Physician? Open, O sinner! why will you die?
3. Consider Christ’s patience and long-suffering at your door; He does not knock and then go away, as one indifferent whether you open or not; no, He knocks and stands still; He stands and knocks again, and that after many repulses! No beggar, wanting an alms, would stand so long at our doors, as Christ stands at a beggar’s door, not seeking to take from him, but wanting to give unto him. O wonder at his goodness and long patience! Behold, He that has a throne of glory to sit on, and ten thousand times ten thousand to bow before Him, is willing, O sinner, to stand at your door! Yes, He stands, whilst you do lie in the bosom of your lusts. He stands without, whilst his enemies are let in, and allowed to possess the best seats! He stands at the door, while Satan is let in, and gets the easy chair! O wonderful patience! that Christ, after so many affronts and repulses, and after seeing enemies preferred before Him, should continue to stand at your door and knock! But, O sinner! do not try his patience too much, nor provoke Him too long; for, observe the text, He now stands, He is on his feet ready to go away; the knock will be given that will prove the last, and you know not but the present knock may be it; do not then delay to open one moment longer.
4. Consider Christ’s earnest desire to be let into your heart; He not only stands at the door, but He knocks; yea, knocks loud, and knocks often, to convince you of his earnestness. Many a loud knock does He give, by his calls and invitations in his Word, “Come unto Me, open unto Me, look unto Me.” Many a knock gives He by his promises to you, “I will come in, I will sup with you,” etc.
Many a knock gives He by his threatenings of wrath and vengeance against those who shut their doors against Him. Many a knock gives He by your own conscience, and by his own Spirit, raising convictions, inclinations, desires and purposes within your heart, to bring you to a Savior.
And many a rap and knock does He give at your door on sacramental occasions. Then it is He knocks aloud with his nailed hands and pierced feet, and stands at your door iwth his wounds open, his blood streaming, and his garments dyed with blood; and all this to show his earnestness to be let into your heart. Open then to Christ, O sinner! while He is knocking, be assured He will not knock always; this may possibly be the last day of the Spirit’s knocks and strivings with you; so that, if you refuse to open at this present knock, God may strike you dead and senseless all your life, clap a seal on the door that it shall never open; you may hear ministers knock after this, but never hear God’s Spirit knock again; and ‘woe unto you if He depart from you.’
Remember, O man! for as many knocks God gives at your door, He keeps an exact account of them all, and will reckon them all up to you at the judgment-seat. And can you think He will open heaven to you then, who will not open heart to Him now? No, no; his ear will be as deaf to you hereafter, as yours is to Him now. Read and believe that terrible word, Prov. 1:24, etc.
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Advice 3, pp. 317-19
“’If any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in and sup with him.’
Rev. 3:20
Great and precious are the promises which Christ makes to them who hearken to his voice in the gospel-offers, and open their heart to receive Him as offered to them in all his offices: I will come in, and bring all the benefits of my purchase with Me, to entertain and feast that soul, even pardon, peace, light, life, grace and glory.
1. Observe, the duty called for is to hear Christ’s voice, and open the door to Him; that is, to accept and embrace the free gospel-offers, and heartily to acquiesce in the gospel-method of a sinner’s reconciliation and sanctification through the righteousness of our glorious Immanuel, and willingly receive and submit to Him as our Prophet, Priest, and King. What is the preaching of the gospel, but Christ’s charming voice calling lost sinners home to Himself? What is it, but Christ’s following them with invitations and entreaties to come to Him and live? This is Christ’s voice which He would have sinners to hear, Come and live; though they generally refuse to hear the voice of his sovereign offering him his life, as condemned sinners do? Jn. 5:40, “Ye will not come to Me that ye may have life.” Yet behold, after many refusals, He follows his offers with arguments, strong arguments, to prevail with sinners; and after the greatest obstinancy He is loth to break off his treaty with them, Hos. 11:8, “How shall I give thee up, Ephraim? Why will ye die?” What reason can you give for refusing life, or for choosing death?
2. Observe who it is that Christ calls to hear his voice and open their doors to Him: It is not this or that man only, or any particular sort of men, it is any man, every man that sits under the gospel. “If any man will hear my voice and open the door, (says Christ), I will come in.” “If any man will open (be he old man or young man), I will come in.” If the greatest sinner, the most crimson-colored sinner, will open, I will come in. “Any man,” if the swearer will open, if the sabbath-breaker, if the murderer, if the drunkard, if the unclean, if the thief, if the cheat, if the liar, if the mocker, if the prayerless man, if the man that hates God and godliness, will open to Me, “I will come in and sup with him.” O what encouragement does this word, “if any man,” give to ever sinner to flee to Christ! If any man, whoever he be, whatever he has done, if he will welcome Me, receive Me in the gospel-offers, I will come in to him.
3. Observe, Christ requires sinners to open the door, that He may come in to teach them; however unable they be, this is their duty; they must mint, and use all means to do it, and look up to Him for strength. He will have the sinner’s consent, and the soul made willing to receive Him. O then cast open the door, open it wide, receive Christ wholly, receive Him without reserve, open before him the “two-leaved gates,” not the wicker, or one leaf only, but both leaves of the door! Let Christ have the full and free consent of the soul, an abundant entrance into it.
There are some resolving to open the door to Christ, others perhaps are beginning to open it: O let them not halt in doing it! With some the door is half open, and there they stop. They are almost, but not altogether Christians. O almost Christian! why do you halt? Why would you lose all the pains you have been at? A little more would cast the door wide open, and make you an altogether Christian. Go then a little further, O sinner! to save your soul. Open to Christ all the powers and faculties of your soul. Open to Him fully here, as you would have Him to open freely to you hereafter. Oh! what mean you to open to Christ by halves? Alas! the half open door will be ready to go to again, and if so, it may never open for the future. Let this be your concern then to go a little further than the almost Christian, and rest not in fair beginnings.
4. Observe, how great the advantage is of opening the door to Christ: Why? I will come into the house, says He; even the friend of sinners, the King of glory will come in, the best guest that ever came into a poor man’s house: How honorable, how profitable, how happy and blessed, must such a visit be!
Question: For what end will Christ come in?
Answer: He will come in to enlighten the house; for the soul is a dark dungeon while Christ is shut out: He will come in to adorn and enrich the soul with the ornaments and treasures of his grace: He will come in to reign in the soul, and pull down the tyrant that has long oppressed you: As in the text, He will come in and sup with you, and cause you to sup with Him: And, because you have no fitting provision in the house, He will bring it with Him. And O how rare are Christ’s dainties, his hidden manna, the fruits of the tree of life, the grapes of Canaan, the bread that comes down from heaven! How excellent is the water of life! One drop of it would be an everlasting spring in your soul, that would keep you from thirsting after the creature anymore. What a rich feast are the graces of the Spirit quickened to a lively exercise! What a blessed feast is pardon of sin, peace with justice, peace with the law, an interest in Christ’s purchase, intimations of Christ’s love, gospel-promises applied, communion with God, views of eternal life, well-grounded hopes of immortal glory! etc. O how precious and delicate are those gospel-rarities which are set before you on the communion-table, and freely tendered to everyone that opens the door to Christ!
Who would not welcome such a Guest, that brings such glorious provision with Him? Had poor sinners spiritual appetites sharpened for Christ’s feast, there would not be so many shut doors against Him.
5. Observe, how solemnly Christ offers these gospel-blessings to you, with a Behold I stand, etc. Christ takes witnesses upon it, witnesses against the refusers: Behold, ye angels, and witness for me how kind and bountiful my offers are to Adam’s rebellious children! Behold, ye ministers, and witness against those who shut Me out! Behold, ye stones and timber of the house, ye elements and communion-tables, bear witness for me and against them! Behold, ye fellow-communicants and hearers, bear witness one against another, that I knocked, I called, I knocked loud, I knocked long, but ye kept your doors bolted against Me. \
It is a melancholy thought for those who are ministers to entertain, that they will one day be brought in as witnesses against those who shut out their Savior; but when called, they must witness against such, though never so dear to them now, that Christ called, but they refused; He made kind and large offers, but they regarded them not. O, then, let every soul set about sweeping and washing all the rooms, and case open all the doors, as wide as they can, to the King of Glory, and receive Him with acclamations and praise! Take the crown off the head of self, and put it on the head of Christ, ascribing all the glory of your salvation to Him, and nothing to free-will, or your own doings.”
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Ralph & Ebenezer Erskine & James Fisher
The Westminster Assembly’s Shorter Catechism Explained by Way of Question and Answer (Philadelphia: Young, 1765), Question 30.40, p. 168
“…and sinners ought to seek after this happy relation to Christ, while He is yet standing at their door and knocking, Rev 3:20; and while the gates of the city of refuge are not yet closed, Zech 9:12.”
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Ebenezer Erskine
‘God in Christ, A God of Love’, a sermon on 1 Jn. 4:16, in The Whole Works of the late Rev. Ebenezer Erskine (d. 1754), vol. 1, pp. 280-81
“2. He has a love, not only of benevolence, but of beneficence; He not only wishes you well, but does well unto you. O Sirs! many a good turn has He done you, particularly you who are members of the visible church; He gives you line upon line, precept upon precept; He makes you to hear the joyful sound, the voice of the turtle[-dove]; many a minister has He sent you; many an offer of Christ, and of life through Him, has He made to you; many a time has He knocked at thy door, by word, by conscience, and the motions and whispers of his Spirit; so that He may say to us, as He did of his vineyard, Isa. 5:4, “What could have been done more for them, that I have not done?”…
Thus, I say, God’s love of benevolence and beneficence is, in some respects, extended unto all.”
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George Whitefield
‘The Conversion of Zacchaeus’ on Lk. 19:9-10 in Sermons on Important Subjects, pp. 401-12
“With what different emotions of heart may we suppose Zaccheus received this invitation? Think you not that he was surprised to hear Jesus Christ call him by name, and not only so, but invite Himself to his house?
Surely, thinks Zaccheus, I dream: it cannot be; how should He know me? I never saw Him before: besides, I shall undergo much contempt, if I receive Him under my roof. Thus, I say, we may suppose Zaccheus thought within himself.
But what says the Scripture? “I will make a willing people in the day of my power.” [Ps. 110:3] With this outward call, there went an efficacious power from God, which sweetly over-ruled his natural will: and therefore, verse 6, “He made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully;” not only into his house, but also into his heart.
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And thus it is with all, that, like Zaccheus, receive Jesus Christ by faith into their hearts: the very moment they find rest in Him, they are freely justified from all things from which they could not be justified by the law of Moses; “for by grace are we saved, through faith, and that not of ourselves, it is the gift of God.
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You say you have faith; but how do you prove it? Did you ever hear the Lord Jesus call you by name? Were you ever made to obey the call? Did you ever, like Zaccheus, receive Jesus Christ joyfully into your hearts? Are you influenced by the faith you say you have, to stand up and confess the Lord Jesus before men? Were you ever made willing to own, and humble yourselves for, your past offenses?
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He came not only to save, but to seek and to save that which was lost. He came to Jericho to seek and save Zaccheus; for otherwise Zaccheus would never have been saved by Him. But from whence came He? Even from Heaven, his dwelling-place, to this lower earth, this vale of tears, to seek and save that which was lost; or all that feel themselves lost, and are willing, like Zaccheus, to receive Him into their hearts to save them; with how great a salvation?
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The power of his death and resurrection is as great now as formerly. Make haste therefore, make haste, O ye publicans and sinners, and give the dear Lord Jesus your hearts, your whole hearts. If you refuse to hearken to this call of the Lord, remember your damnation will be just: I am free from the blood of you all… Let all that love the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity say, Amen.”
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John Brown of Haddington
Addresses to Children Concerning Salvation (Torwood Press, 2013)
“An Address to the Young Readers of this Catechism” (1781), p. 31
“‘Behold, I stand at the door’ of your heart and ‘knock: Open to Me, my sister, my love, my undefiled; for my head is filled with the dew, and my locks with the drops of the night.’… ‘When He waits to be gracious, and exalts Himself to show mercy.’ why tire out his patience till He ‘shut up all his tender mercies in his wrath?’ ‘Is it a small thing for you to weary men,’ weary parents, and ministers? ‘But will ye weary my God also?‘”
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Two Short Catechisms Mutually Connected (Edinburgh: 1769), Appendix: “An Address to the Rising Generation”, pp. 9-15
“He ‘comes in the name of the Lord to save us–to seek and to save that which was lost; and him that comes unto Him, He will in no wise cast out;’ all day long He stretches out his hands to invite and receive a disobedient and gainsaying people. Now the Master comes! knocks at the door of thy heart, and calls for you…
‘My son, my child, give me your heart.’ Open to Me, your God, your Savior; for my head has been ‘filled with the dew’ of divine wrath, ‘and my locks with the drops’ of fearful affronts ‘for thy sake:’…”
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1800’s
Asahel Nettleton
Remains of the Late Rev. Asahel Nettleton, ed. B. Tyler (Hartford: Robins & Smith, 1845), Sermon 25, ‘Christ Standing at the Door’
“Christ knocks at the door of thy heart, O sinner. Though invisible to mortal eyes, He is here, whether you regard it or not. He knocks. But how?
By his Word—by a preached gospel—by the admonitions of conscience—and by the strivings of his Spirit. Nor is this all. He calls. “Unto you O men, I call, and my voice is unto the sons of men.” [Prov. 8] He calls by all the invitations of mercy contained in the Bible.”
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“He does not knock at the door of his friends merely, but at the door of his enemies. He knocks at the door of the vilest of sinners…
3. Behold the extent of his willingness to receive sinners. The sinner sometimes says, ‘I am willing to receive Christ, but He is not willing to receive me.’ But what says the text? ‘Behold I stand at the door and knock.’ Does not this imply his readiness and willingness to come in? Nor is this all—He calls, ‘Open unto Me—open unto Me.’ Nor is this all—He says, ‘if any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in.’ He positively declares that He is willing.
Nor is this all—you may say, I am such a great sinner—I have rejected him so long, that He will not receive me now. But what says the Savior? ‘If any man hear my voice’—vile as he may be, if he is on the side of hell—‘if any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to him, and sup with him, and he with Me.’
If you are not now a Christian, permit me to say that you have never heard his voice, nor opened the door, nor been willing to receive Him. You have never complied with the invitation in the text. The Savior is ready and willing, but you will not come to Him that you might have life. [Jn. 5:40]
4. Behold your danger. The Savior stands at your door. He does not sit. He stands ready to enter or ready to depart… He may say, as he once said to the Jews, ‘I go my way. Ye shall see me, and shall die in your sins.’ How often ‘I would,’ and ‘ye would not.'”
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Thomas Chalmes
“The Embassy of Reconciliation” in Sermons & Discourses by Thomas Chalmers (NY: Robert Carter & Brothers, 1877), p. 549
“The mighty God who fills all space and reigns in majesty over all worlds, standing at the door of the sinner’s heart, humbling Himself to the language of entreaty, beseeching the sinner to come and be reconciled to Him, begging for admittance, and protesting that if you only come unto Him through Christ, He is willing to forgive all, and to forget all. Oh! my brethren, ought not this to encourage you? Yes! and if you refuse the encouragement, it ought also to fill you with terror.”
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J.C. Ryle
Old Paths: Being Plain Statements of Some of the Weightier Matters of Christianity (London: Charles J. Thynne, 1898), pp. 376–402
“(2) Believing is the soul’s receiving Christ. St. Paul says, “Ye have received Christ Jesus the Lord.” (Col. 2:6) Christ offers to come into man’s heart with pardon, mercy, and grace, and to dwell there as its Peace-maker and King. He says, ‘I stand at the door and knock.’ (Rev. 3:20) The believer hears his voice, opens the door and admits Christ as his Master, Priest and King.”
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“Therefore also now, saith the Lord, turn ye even to Me with all your heart… And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord your God: for He is gracious…”
Joel 2:12-13
“Receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.”
James 1:21
“As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him:”
Col. 2:6
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Related Pages
On Union with Christ & the Fruits of the Fellowship Ensuing Therefrom
The Sincere Free Offer of the Gospel
On the Gospel Call as God’s Desire, Wish & Pleasure
Is an Aspect of God’s Will Ineffectual?
Only Initial Aspect of Regeneration is Monergistic
That Regeneration Changes & Determines the Will, & not the Intellect Only
On being Born Again as Subsequent to Faith, in receiving Christ & the Fullness of Life by Faith