2. As you must give up all to Christ, so we must derive and draw all we want from him ; else your choice of Christ is not entire and full : God hath stored up in Christ all that you want, a suitable and full supply for every need ; and made it all communicable to you, 1 Cor. i. 30. " Who of God is made unto us, wisdom and *' righteousness, sanctification and redemption." All the believer's fresh springs are in Christ. Have I any difficult business to do that requires counsel.'* then I must repair to Christ the fountain of wisdom : Am I under any guilt ? then I must repair to Christ for righteousness : Is my soul defiled by corruption ? then must I go to Christ for sanctification : Do I groan under troubles of soul or body, temptations, afflictions.? &c. then must I relieve myself by the faith and hope o£ that complete redemption, and final de- liverance, procured by Christ from all these. If you consent to be Christ's, you must not look for justification, partly upon his righ- teousness, and partly ujx)n your own graces and duties ; but must make mention of his righteousness, even of his only. If there be but one conduit in a town, and not a drop of water to be had else- where, then all the inhabitants of that town repair thither for water. In the whole city of God there is but one conduit, one fountain, and that is Christ ; there is not one drop of righteousness, holiness, strength or comfort to be had elsewhere. Then we fetch all from Christ, when we live upon hhn, as the new-born infant doth upon the mother's breast.
3. Then is our consent to, and choice of Christ entire and full, when we are ready to deny, give up, and part with any thing we have for his sake ; reckoning nothing to be lost to us, which goes to the glory of Christ. How dear soever our liberties, estates or lives are to us, if the Lord have need of them, we must let them go. Thus you read, Rev. xii. 11. " They loved not their hves " unto the death." These three things shew saving faith to be another manner of thing than the world generally understands it to be; and it is impossible for any man's will to open to, and re- ceive Christ, upon terms of such deep self-denial as these, untii there be,
1. A conviction of our sin and misery. Vol. IV. K
2. A discovery of Christ in his glory and necessity. S. The drawing power of the Spirit upon the souL
1. Comdction of our sin and misery makes these terms of reUgion acceptable ; poor sinners stand debating with Christ, excepting and objecting against his teniis, until the Lord hath shaken them by conviction over hell, made them to see the dreadful danger they are in ; and then the next cry is, Men and hrethren^ what shall we do ? Acts iii. 37. q. d. Prescribe any means, impose upon us the greatest difficulties, we are willing to comply vn\h them.
% Nor will souls ever comply with those terms of the gospel, until a discovery hath been made to them of Jesus Christ in his glory and necessity. When a man feels his wants, and sees a com- plete remedy, his will then complies and bows readily and freely ; the convinced sinner sees a full and suitable supply in Christ for all his wants, a complete Saviour, in whom there is nothing defective^ but in all respects according to the wish of a sinner's heart, 1 Cor. i. 24.
3. To all this must be superadded the powerful drawings of the Spirit, in the virtue whereof the will comes home to Christ, John vi. 44. " No man can come unto me, except the Father which hath '' sent me draw him."" When these things are past upon the soul, then it hears Christ's voice, his powerful call, which breaks asunder all the ties and bonds betwixt a man and his lusts ; a man and his earthly enjoyments ; and without these things the -will is unpersuad- able to comply wiXh the difficulties and severities of religion. This is the first thing, wliat the opening of the door_, or consent of the will to receive Christ is.
Secondly^ The next thing to be opened in order is. How it ap- pears that Jesus Christ will not refuse to come into the soul of any sinner, be his sins or unworthiness ever so great, when once he is made heartily willing thus to embrace and receive Christ upon his own terms. Oh, sinner ! what good tidings are these to thy soul, that Christ will not disdain to be in union and communion with thee, as ^ile as thou art, if thy will stand thus open to him ! The tidings are sweet, and I hope thou wilt find them as sure and certain, as they are svseet and comfortable, when thou shalt have seriously pursued and pondered the following evidences.
Evidence 1. The truth of this sweet assertion clearly evidenceth itself from the form and manner of gospel-invitations. They are designedly put into large, general, free, and most extensive terms, to assure sinners that Christ will not be shy of the worst sinner in the world, thus made willing to embrace him ; they ai'e so framed on purpose to anticipate or take away all objections from sinners. No other condition is put in the gospel, but this only. Art thou heartily willing to take Christ upon his own terms ? The offisrs of Clirist
are extended to all that thirst and desire after him, John vii. 37. to the greatest of sinners, upon this only condition, that they be wil- ling and obedient, Isa. i. 18, 19- " Go preach the gospel to every "creature: lie that believeth shall be saved," Mark xvi. 15, 16. It is extended to all nations, " For in Christ Jesus there is neither " Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision. Barbarian, " Scythian, bond nor free," Col. iii. 11. If there be any poor soul of any quality or condition whatsoever, under the cope of heaven, whose will is wrought up to a hearty compliance with the terms of the gospel, Christ \vill not be shy of coming into that soul, though it hath been never so vile and abominable ; the heart of a Mary Magdalen, which had been an habitation of devils ; the soul of a Saul, a bloody, raging persecutor, will make as delightful habita- tions for Christj as the soul of the most civilized person in the world, when once the will is thus opened.