Knowest thou not, sinner, that among the unsanctified there are to be found multitudes of men and women of more raised and ex- cellent parts, nimble wits, strong memories, solid judgments ; yea, men and women of cleaner conversations, strict morality, adorned with excellent homolitical virtues, capable, if called, to do him abundantly more service than thou canst ; yet these are past by, and he becomes a suitor to such a poor worthless thing as thou art ; yea, and rejoices in his choice. Matth. xi. 25. " I thank thee, O *' Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these *' things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto *' babes.'" Here is the triumph of free-grac^.
5. And lastly. This justly increases the wonder, that ever Jesus Christ should desire and dehght to dwell in such an unclean heju-t as thine, which, from the beginning, hath been the seat and throne of Satan, full of all uncleanness and abominations. O that ever Christ should make an overture of love to such a polluted soul ! That he should chuse to erect his throne where Satan's seat was ! Look into thine own heart, sinner, and think what can Christ see there to be desired ? Thou knowest thy heart hath been a sink of sin, thy conscience like the common sewer, into which all the filth of thy life hath been cast ; yet Christ passeth by thee, as thou liest in thy blood and filthiness, and casteth love upon thee, and desire to- wards thee, as it is, Ezek. xvi. 6, 8. All these things put together make it justly admirable, and astonishing in our eyes, that ever Jesus Christ, the Lord from heaven, should become an earnest suitor for union and communion with the souls of sinners.
I. tfse,Jbr Injbrmati<m.
Infer. 1. If Christ be such an earnest suitor for union and corn- niunion with the souls of sinners, then it follows, That sinners can justly charge their damnation upon none hut themselves. Your blood must be upon your own heads ; salvation by Christ is not only free- ly offered, but you are with great importunity persuaded to accept it. Christ offers you life, you chuse rather to die than accept it upon his terms ; where noAv can your damnation be charged but upon your own Anlful obstinacy ? Hosea xiii. 9. 0 Israel, thy de* struct ion is of thyself ! Thou art the author of thine own ruin ; / ^'ould have gathered thy children, saith Christ to Jerusalem, but tlwu icouldest not ; your ruin, therefore, lies upon yourselves, and upon none beside. Indeed, if the ministers of Christ be negligent m their duty, they may come in as accessories to your destruction ; but that is a poor relief to you ; as for myself, I hope I may with Paul, take God to record this day, that 1 am free from the blood of all men. Now, consider what a dismal aggravation of your de- struction ^\-ill this be, that you perished by your owi\ hands : this cuts off all plea and apologv.
InJ'. 2. Hence it also follows, That distressed sinners have no rea^ son to question Chrisfs icilUngness to receive them, zvhen their hearts are made icilling to come unto him. It were no less than a blas- phemous imputation of insincerity to Christ himself, to question his willingness to I'eceive broken-hearted sinners, after so many protes- tations as he hath made in the gospel, of his zeal and earnestness for their salvation ; that scripture, John vi. 37. puts it out of doubt, " Him that cometh unto me, I will in no wise cast out.'' I know guilt breeds many fears and jealousies in the hearts of sinners ; will Christ ever accept and receive such a one as 1 1! Try him, soul, he hath said he will ; let him have but the deliberate consent of thy heart to his terais, and then, if thou be rejected, thou wilt be the first soul in the world that ever met with a repulse from him.
InJ'. 3. By Chrisfs earnest suit for the soids of sinners, you may estimate the invaluable zcvrth, and precious imture of the soul of 7?ian. Were not the soul of a creature of great value, Jesus Christ would never be so deeply concerned about the winning and saving of it. Sinners have a vile esteem of their own souls, they will sell them for nought ; but Christ knows their true worth, and his solici- tude to save them is answerable to his estimation of them ; he counts when he hath gained a soul, he hath gained a treasure. There- fore he pleads, woos and waits so earnestly and assiduously for the salvation of them. Two things speak the gi'eat value of the soul of man.
1. That it is a marriageable creature to Christ now.
2> That it is capable of glory with Christ hereafter;
1. It is a marriageable creature to Christ now, capable of espou- sals to the Son of God ; upon which account it is that Christ so earnestly seeks its love, and sues for its consent. Now this is a dig- nity beyond all other creatures in heaven or earth ; no angel in heaven, no other creature but the soul of man on earth is capable of espousals to Christ ; it is a dignity above that of angels, for Christ took not on him their nature, and the h^^postatical union is the ground and foundation of the mystical union. They are mem- bers indeed of Christ's kingdom, and he is to them a head of do- minion ; but this honour was never conferred upon angels to be members of his body, flesh, and bones, as the saints are, Eph. v, 30.
2. As the soul is capable of espousals to Christ on earth, so it is capable of glory with Clirist in heaven throughout eternity, John, xvii. 24. " Father, I will that they also whom thou hast given me, " be with me where I am, that they may behold the glory which " thou hast given me.'^ It hath a natural capacity of enjoying eter- nal blessedness which the souls of other creatures have not And this >vill be the aggravation of hell-torments, that men capable of the highest happiness, should, as it were, receive that capacity in vain ; but that which constitutes an actual right to the everlasting enjovment of Christ in glory, is the soufs espousals to him here in the way of grace. Upon these two accounts it is, that Clirist puts such a price upon them, courts their love so passionately ; laments their loss so pathetically ; and encourages his ministers to all dili- gence in persuading and wooing them for him with such abundant rewards, Dan. xii. 3. Know then your own worth and dignity, neither pawn nor sell so precious a thing as thy soul for any thing Satan can set before tliee by way of exchange for it ; What shall a man give in excJiangeJbr his soul ?
Inf. 4. Is Christ such an earnest suitor for union zvith sinners ? then certainly^ they are the enemies of Christy and the souls of men, that any way endeavour to hinder or break off the match betwixt Christ and them?