No man can come to me, except the Father—draw him, &c.— In explaining this passage, we will, first, shew the propriety of our Lord's answer; secondly, give a plain and full explication of it; and, thirdly, confirm that explication by some remarks: I. There is some difficulty in perceiving the propriety of the answer which the Lord Jesus here makes. The objection of the Jews was, "How can he say that he came down from heaven, when he was born of earthly parents, whom we know?" Our Lord's answer to this is somewhat indirect; the violence of their prejudices made it necessary that it should be so; but it tended to warn those who were prejudiced, without exasperating them: for, 1st, when we consider the answer in the most general view, the assertion that divine teaching was necessary for their receiving him as the Messiah, and the quotation of a passage from the Old Testament, in which this teaching had been foretold, implies a plain insinuation, that it would not be altogether so easy to distinguish the Messiah as they imagined; and that since they ought to expect some difficulty, they should not be positive thathe did not come down from heaven, merely because they knew not exactly in what manner he did so. But, 2nd, It had a still more immediate referenceto their objection. They expected that the Messiah should descend from heaven in a visible and glorious manner, and this was the sign they demanded, John 6:30. (see on John 6:63.) but this sign was so accurately determined, and so minutely described by their doctors, that if it had truly belonged to the Messiah, they must have known him instantly: there could have been no room for doubt, and consequently no need of divine teaching. By asserting therefore the necessityof this teaching, he intimated, that they were mistaken concerning the nature of the sign, that is, concerning the manner of the Messiah's descent from heaven; that no such decisive mark as they expected would attend him, and that on this account they could not conclude from what they knew of the nativity of Jesus, that he was not truly the Messiah. 3rdly, To be drawn by the Father, is commonly and properly understood of men's being enlightened and convinced by the immediate influence of the divine Spirit; but it likewise implies their being taught by the ancient revelations which God had given. According to this sense of the expression, the general import of Christ's answer is, "You cannot perceive me to be the Messiah, or to have come downfromheaven,exceptyouunderstandtheintimationsofhis character, which God hath already given by the prophets: except you apprehend the true meaning of the predictions concerning him,you will mistake their meaning in the particular to which your present objection refers, as well as in many others: you ought therefore to study them the more carefully; by doing this you will attain the knowledge of the real character of the Messiah. For it is predicted, that in his time God will teach all who are disposed to learn, and then you will easily get over the difficulties which now perplex you: for every man that hath in this manner heard and learned of the Father, will, through the operations of my grace, discern me to be the Messiah, and come unto me."
II. The propriety of our Lord's answer being thus shewn, we proceed to give a plain and full explication of it. Our Lord replies to the murmurs of the Jews, "You cannot object my birth on earth, and the meanness of my relations, as things inconsistent with a heavenly extraction; for I assure you, that, while you believe your teachers, who havegreatlycorrupteddivinerevelation;whileyou entertain the prejudices wherewith theyhave filled your minds, and follow the sensual inclinations which have hitherto governed you, you cannot believe on me; for no man can do this except the Father draw him; that is, teach, convince, and persuade him. You need not be surprised when I tell you that no man can believe on the Messiah except the Father draw him; for though you may imagine that all men will flock with great cheerfulness to him, and yieldthemselves his willing subjects, without any extraordinary means made use of to persuade them; yet the prophets insinuate the contrary, when they promise, that, under the dispensation of the Messiah, men shall enjoy the teaching of the Father in a far more eminent manner than under any preceding dispensation. See Isaiah 54:13.Jeremiah 31:34.Micah 4:2. Before the advent of Christ, the Father spake to the world concerning him by the prophets; and when he appeared in the human nature on earth, he demonstrated the truth of his divine mission by the testimony of John, and by voices from heaven, declaring him to be his beloved Son, and commanding all men to hear him. He did the same likewise by the doctrines which he inspired the Lord Jesus as man to preach, by the miracles which he gave him to perform, and by the influences of the Spirit, which he empowered him to dispense. Every one, therefore, who hath heard and understood what the Father has said concerning the Messiah, whether by the prophets, by John the Baptist, and by the voices from heaven, or by Christ's doctrine, miracles, and Spirit, and has learned thereby to form a just notion of the Messiah, will come to, or believe on Jesus, as the Messiah."
III. Such appears to be the exact meaning of this difficult passage. We observe further upon it, that the expression does not import any force or constraint, as is plain from Jeremiah 31:3 where God says to Israel, with lovingkindness have I drawn thee. Thus also our Lord uses the expression, chap. John 12:32 if I be lifted up from the earth, I will draw all men unto me; that is, being put to death on the cross, and raised from the dead, exalted into heaven, and preached through the world, I will by my word and Spirit convince and persuade men to follow me. See also Solomon's Song of Solomon 1:4 and Hosea 11:4. Wherefore, by the Father's drawing men to Christ we may well understand, as explained above, his persuading them to believe on him by the several proofs wherewith he has supported the divine mission of his Son. Accordingly, in the following verse, the effect which the Father's drawing has upon men, is described by their hearing and learning of the Father. What confirms this interpretation is, that our Lord himself ascribes the whole of the evidence of his mission to the Father: for he calls his doctrine the word which his Father had given him, chap. John 17:8 and says expressly, that his miracles were done by the Father, chap. John 14:10. Nevertheless, in the Father's drawing men to Christ, we should at all timesremember,thatthereismoreincluded than merely establishing the divine mission of his Son by sufficient evidence; for in this sense, he has as really drawn those who do not believe, as those who do; contrary to the text, which says, that every man who hath heard and learned of the Father, that is, who is drawn by him, cometh to Jesus. It is plain therefore, that by the Father's drawing men, we are likewise to understand his supplying whatever influences of his Spirit and grace are necessary to impress the evidences of religion on men's minds. To conclude, a conviction supposes a teachableness of disposition, and a love of truth. His drawing men to Christ must imply, his bestowing on them dispositions and affections which, qualify them for being drawn by him. These he offers to all, being not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance, 2 Peter 3:9. But too many reject them, resisting the first drawings of grace, and trampling under foot those divine seeds which would otherwise spring up into faith and regeneration. See John 6:65.