6. * But this, it is said, is an uncomfortable doctrine. The devil spoke like himself, that is, without either truth or shame, when he dared to suggest to men that it is such. ’Tis the only comfortable one, ’tis _very full of comfort_, to all self-destroyed, self-condemned sinners. That _whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed_: that _the same Lord over all, is rich unto all that call upon him_: here is comfort, high as heaven, stronger than death! What! Mercy for all? For _Zaccheus_, a public robber? For _Mary Magdalen_, a common harlot? Methinks I hear one say, then I, even I, may hope for mercy! And so thou mayest, thou afflicted one, whom none hath comforted! God will not cast out thy prayer. Nay, perhaps he may say the next hour, _Be of good cheer, thy sins are forgiven thee_; so forgiven that they shall reign over thee no more; yea, and that _the Holy Spirit shall bear witness with thy spirit that thou art a child of God_. O glad tidings! Tidings of great joy, which are sent unto all people. _Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters: come ye and buy, without money, and without price._ Whatsoever your sins be, _though red, like crimson_, though _more than the hairs of your head: return ye unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon you: and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon_.
7. When no more objections occur, then we are simply told, that “salvation by faith only, ought not to be preached as the first doctrine, or at least not to be preached to all.” But what saith the Holy Ghost? _Other foundation can no man lay, than that which is laid, even Jesus Christ._ So then, _That whosoever believeth on him shall be saved_, is and must be the foundation of all our preaching; that is, must be preached first. * “Well, but not to all.” To whom then are we not to preach it? Whom shall we except? The poor? Nay, they have a peculiar right to have the gospel preached unto them. The unlearned? No. God hath revealed these things unto unlearned and ignorant men from the beginning. The young? By no means. _Suffer these_ in any wise, _to come unto_ Christ, _and forbid them not_. The sinners? Least of all. _He came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance._ Why then, if any, we are to except the rich, the learned, the reputable, the moral men. And ’tis true, they too often except themselves from hearing; yet we must speak the words of our Lord. For thus the tenor of our commission runs, _Go and preach the gospel to every creature_. If any man wrest it or any part of it to his destruction, he must bear his own burden. But still, _as the Lord liveth, whatsoever the Lord saith unto us, that we will speak_.
8. At this time more especially will we speak, That _by grace ye are saved through faith_: because never was the maintaining this doctrine more seasonable than it is at this day. Nothing but this can effectually prevent the increase of the _Romish_ delusion among us. ’Tis endless to attack one by one, all the errors of that church. But salvation by faith strikes at the root, and all fall at once where this is established. It was this doctrine (which our church justly calls _the strong rock and foundation of the Christian religion_) that first drove Popery out of these kingdoms, and ’tis this alone can keep it out. Nothing but this can give a check to that immorality, which hath _overspread the land as a flood_. Can you empty the great deep, drop by drop? Then you may reform us, by dissuasives from particular vices. But let the _righteousness which is of God by faith_ be brought in, and so shall its proud waves be stayed. Nothing but this can stop the mouths of those who _glory in their shame, and openly deny the Lord that bought them_. They can talk as sublimely of the law, as he that hath it written by God in his heart. To hear them speak on this head, might incline one to think, they were not far from the kingdom of God. But take them out of the law into the gospel; begin with the righteousness of faith, _with Christ, the end of the law to every one that believeth_: and those who but now appeared almost, if not altogether Christians, stand confess’d the sons of perdition; as far from life and salvation (God be merciful unto them!) as the depth of hell from the height of heaven.