Mark for thy comfort, the gospel calls men who in their own sense and feeling think themselves furthest off ; he that is poor, and sees his want, ' Blessed are the poor in Spirit.' Mat. v. 3. But I have no gi-ace, Oh that I had grace ! ' Blessed are they that hunger and thirst,' Mat. v. 6. If thou mourn for thy sins, ' Blessed'are they that momii,' Mat. v. 4. Thou findest a heavy load of thy sins, ' Come unto me all ye, that are weary, and heavy laden, and I will ease you,' Mat. xi. 28. The gospel takes away all the objections and misdoubtings of the unbelieving heart, God is so willing to come to him. Therefore stand not ca^dlling, intei-pret all to the best. God will have us to despau- in ourselves, that we may trust in him ; and then we ai'e fittest to trust in God, when we despair in ourselves ; then we make God all in all. He hath righteousness enough, holiness enough, satisfaction enough, he hath all enough for thee.
And for men that are not yet believers, how wondrously doth God labour to bring such men to a good hope ! If they j'ield themselves and come in, there is an offer to eveiy one that ' will come in and take the water of life,'
There is a command. He that hath commanded, ' Thou shalt not mur- der. Thou shalt not steal,' he lays a charge on thee that thou believe, 1 John iii. 23, ' This is his command, that we believe in the Son of God.' And think with thyself, thou committest a sin against the gospel, which is worse than a sin against the law ; for if a man sin against the law, he may have help in the gospel. But if he sin against the gospel there is not another gospel to help him. God offers thee comfort. He commands thee to trust in him. And thou rebellest, thou offendest him, if thou do not be- lieve.
Is not here encom-agement, if thou be not more wedded to thy sinful course, than to the good of thy soul ? If thou wilt still live in thy shis, and wilt not trust in God, then thou shalt be damned. There is no help for thee if thou beUeve not, ' the wi-ath of God hangs over thy head,' John
156 COMMENTARY ON
iii. 36. * Thou art condemned already,' John iii. 18, by nature. If thou believe not, thou necdest no further condemnation, but only the execution of God's justice.
Naturally thou art born the child of wrath, and God threatencth thee, to stir thee up, and to make thee come in. He uscth sweet allurements, be- sides the connnands and threatenings, ' Come unto me, all ye that are weary and heavy laden, and I will ease you,' Mat. xi. 28. And ' Why will ye perish, 0 house of Israel,' Jer. xxvii. 13. And, ' 0 Jerusalem, Jerusalem, how oft, &c.,' Mat. xxiii. 37 '? God complains of thee, he allures thee, he sends his ambassadors. ' We are ministers in Christ's name to beseech you to be reconciled,' 2 Cor. v. 20, to come in, to cast down your weapons, yom' sins, to believe in God, and trust in his mercy, and to hope for aU good from him. What should keep thee off ? He is willing to have thee believe.
Ohj. ' Oh, if I were elected,' &c.
Trouble not thyself with dark scruples of his eternal decree ! Obey the command, obey the threatening, and put that out of doubt. If thou yield to the command, if thou obey the threatening, if thou be drawn by that, undoubtedly thou art the child of God. Put not in these doubts and j ang- lings, things that are too high for thee till thou believe. Indeed, when thou believest, then thou mayest comfort thyself ; I believe, therefore I know I shall be saved. ' Whom he hath chosen, them he calls ; and whom he calls, he justifies,' Rom. viii. 30. I find myself freed from the sentence of con- demnation in my heart, therefore I know I am called, I know I am elected. Then with comfort thou mayest go to those disputes. But not before a man obeys. Put those cavils out, and obey the gospel, when salvation is ofiered, ■when Satan puts these things to thee, when thou art threatened and com- manded.
How shall this justify God at the day of judgment against damned wretches, that have lived in the bosom of the church, and yet would not believe. They will believe after their own fiishion ; if God will save them, and let them live in their sinful courses. But they will rather be damned than they will part with them. Ai-e they not worthy to be damned ? judge thyself, that rather than they will alter their course, and receive mercy with it, rather than they will receive Christ, whole Christ, as a king and a priest, to rule them as well as to satisfy for them- — they will gild over their wicked courses, and will have none of him at all. They will rather be damned than take another course ; their damnation is just.
If thou take whole Christ, and j'ield to his government, he useth all means to strengthen thy faith after thou believest, and he useth all means to allure thee to believe. It is a point of much consequence, and all depends upon it. It is the sum of the gospel to trust in God, in Christ. Therefore I have been a little the longer in it. Till we can bring our hearts to this we have nothing.