Rev. iii. 20, ' 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 mth him, and he with me.' Pray tell me at whose door was this that Christ stood and knocked ? Was it not at the Laodiceans" door ? Was it not at their door that thought their penny as good silver as any ? that said they were rich, and had need of nothing, when Christ tells them to their very faces, ' that they were poor, and miserable, and blind, and naked.' None more unprepared, unqualified, and unfitted for union and communion with Christ than these lukewarm Laodiceaus ; and yet the Lord Jesus is very ready and willing that such should have inti- mate communion and fellowship with him.
' If any man will open, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, a.nd he vs'ith me.' The truth of this you have further evidenced, Prov. i. 20-24, and viii. 1-6, and ix. 1-6. All these scriptures with open mouth speak out the truth asserted, viz., That the want of preparations or qualifications shall not hinder the soul's interest in Christ, if the soul will adventure itself by faith upon Christ. I pray, what qualifica- tions and preparations had they in Ezek. xvi., when God saw them in their blood, and yet that was a time of love, and God even then spread his skirt over them, and made a covenant with them, and they became his. What qualifications or preparations had Paul, Mary Magdalene, Zaccheus, and Lydia, &c. ? And yet these believed in Christ, these had a blessed and glorious interest in Christ, &c.
Ay, but some may object, and say,
Obj. What is the meaning of that text. Mat. xi. 28, ' Come unto me, all you that are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest ' ?
Ans. Ihere is a threefold answer to be given to this objection.
First, Though the invitation be to those that are weary and heavy laden, yet the promise is made to coming, to believing.^
Secondly, This text shews only this, that those that are burdened and bowed down under sin, and under the sense of di\ane wrath, are to come to Christ, and that there is no way for them to obtain ease and rest but by coming to Christ. But this text doth not shew that only these must come to Christ, or that only these may come to Christ.
Thirdly, and lastly. No one scripture speaks out the whole mind of God f and therefore you must compare and consult this scripture with the scriptures, and instances lately cited, and then you will clearly see that souls may believe in Christ, and come to obtain an interest in Christ, though they are not so and so prepared, nor so and so qualified, as some would have them.
[6.] Sixthly, Get this principle rooted in your hearts, That Christ is
' Some men there be that would have men better Christians before they come to Christ, before they believe in Christ, than usually they prove after they are come to Christ. Surely, did legal preachers seriously weigh the following scriptures, they would not so vehemently, I say not angerly, press the absolute necessity of such and such qualifications before faith in Christ, as they do : Mark xvi. 16 ; John iii. 34 ; Heb. xi. 6 ; Kom. xiv. 28 ; John v. 12 ; Mat. vii. 17, 18, xii. 33 ; Rom. viii. 2 ; CTal. v. 6.
* The dove found no rest till she returned to the ark. No more will the troubled soul till it returns to Christ.
' Adoro pUnitudinem Scripfurarum. — TertuUian.
20G THE U>sSEAECHABLE [EPH. III. 8.
appointed and anointed by the Father to this very office of receiv- ing and saving poor sinners}
Turn to Isa. Ixi. 1-4, John vi. 28, and Ps. Ixviii. 18, 'Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive ; thou hast received gifts for men ; yea, for the rebellious also (what for ?), that the Lord God might dwell among them.' Christ has received gifts for rebellious sinners, for rebellious Sabbath breakers, for rebellious swearers, for rebellious dnmkards, &.c.
' That the Lord God might dw^ell among them.' That is, that he mio-ht have near communion and fellowship with them.
[7.] Seventhly, Get this principle rooted in you, That it is the de- light of Chnst to give poor sinners an interest in himself.
He is not only able to do it, but it is his delight to do it. Christ's soul is in nothing more. Witness his leaving his Father's bosom ; wit- ness his laying down his crown ; witness those many sufferings and deaths that he went through in this world ; witness those gospel accla- mations, Mark xvi. 16, Rev. xxii. 17 ; witness those persuasive exhorta- tions and gracious impetrations and entreaties, Ezek. liii. 11, Mat. xi. 28, 2 Cor. V. 20 ; witness divine injunctions and commiuations, 1 John, v. 23, Mat. xi. 21 ; witness those pathetical lamentations, Mat. xxiii. 37, Luke xix. 42, Ps. Ixxxi. 13 ; and witness tlie inward motions and secret excitations of his blessed Spirit, Gen. vi. 3, all which speak out his great willingness and delight to save poor sinners ; so in Ps. xl. 7, 8, ' I delight to do thy will, O my God ; thy law is in my heart ;' or, as the Hebrew hath it, '•yn "jinn, ' It is in the midst of my bowels.' Now mark, the will of the Father was the salvation of sinners. This was the will of the Father, ' That Jesus Christ should seek and save them that are lost,' Mat. xviii. 1 1 . Now, saitli Christ, ' I delight to do thy will, O my God ;' it is the joy and rejoicing of my heart to be a-seeking and a-saving lost sinners. When Christ was an hungry, he went not into a victualling house, but into the temple, and taught the people most part of the day, to shew how much he delighted in the salvation of sinners, &c."
[8.] Eighthly, Get this principle riveted in your hearts, That as there is nothing in Christ to discourage you from looking after an interest in him, so there is everything in ChHst thcd may encourage you to get an interest in him.
Look upon his name •? ' Thy name is an ointment poured out, and therefore do the virgins love thee,' Cant. i. 3. The name of Jesus hath a thousand treasures of joy and comfort in it, saith Chrysostom ; and so hath all his other names. If you look upon Clirist in his natures, in his offices, in his graces, in his beauties, in his gifts, and in his works, you will find nothing but what may encourage you to believe in him, and to resign up yourselves to him. Ah, poor sinners, what would you have ? Is there not power in Christ to support you, and mercy in
• Moses was faithful in his office as a servant, bnt Christ as a Son, Heb. iii. 2-6. Christ liiid never entered into glory had he not been faithful in his offices, &c.
" Cliri.st did w much deli;,'ht, and his heart was so much set upon the conveision and salvati(m of the Samaritans, that he neglected his own body to save their souls, as you may clearly see in John iv.
3 Tlie name of a Saviour is honey in the mouth, and music in the ear, and a jubilee in the heart, saith one. [Bernard, as before.— G.]
EpH. III. 8.] RICHES OF CHRIST. 207