When we come to God, we must bring nothing but Christ with us. Any ingredients of our own, will poison faith. He that builds upon duties or graces, knows not the merits of Christ. This makes believing so hard, so far above nature; if thou believest, thou must every day renounce thy obedience, thy sanctification, thy duties, thy graces, and nothing but Christ must be held up. Thou must take from God’s hand. Christ is the gift of God. Faith is the gift of God. Pardon a free gift. Ah, how nature storms, frets, rageth at this, that all is of _gift_, and it can purchase nothing with tears and duties; that all its workings are excluded, and of no value in heaven!
Consider, didst thou ever yet see the merits of Christ, and the infinite satisfaction made by his death? Didst thou see this when the burthen of sin and the wrath of God lay heavy on thy conscience? That is grace. The greatness of Christ’s merit is not known but to a poor soul at the greatest loss. *Slight convictions will but have slight prizings of Christ’s blood and merits.
*10. _Despairing sinner!_ Thou lookest on thy right hand and on thy left, saying, _Who will shew us any good_? Look at Christ and be saved, all ye ends of the earth. There is none else. He is a Saviour, and there is none besides him. Look any where else, and thou art undone. God will look at nothing but Christ, and _thou_ must look at nothing else. Christ is lifted up on high (as the brazen serpent in the wilderness) that sinners at the ends of the earth, at the greatest distance may see him. The least sight of him will be saving, the least touch healing to thee; and God intends thou shouldst look on him, for he hath set him on a high throne of glory, in the open view of all poor sinners. Thou hast infinite reason to look on him. For he will bear thy burdens; he will forgive, not only till seven times, but seventy times seven. It put the faith of the apostle to it to believe this, _Luke_ xvii. 4, 5. because _we_ are ♦hard to forgive, we think Christ is hard.
♦ “heard” replaced with “hard”
11. Hear what he said, _I have found a ransom. In him I am well pleased._ God will have nothing else; nothing else will do thee good, or satisfy conscience but Christ, who satisfied the Father. God doth all upon the account of Christ. Thy deserts are hell, wrath, rejection. Christ’s deserts are life and pardon. He will not only _shew_ thee the one, but he will give thee the other. It is Christ’s own glory and happiness to pardon. Consider, while Christ was upon earth, he was more among Publicans and Sinners than among _Scribes_ and _Pharisees_: and he hath the same love now in heaven; he is God and changeth not. He went through all temptations, sorrows, desertions; and hath drank the bitterest of the cup, and left thee the sweet; the condemnation is out. Christ drank up all the Father’s wrath at one draught; and nothing but salvation is left for thee. Thou sayst thou canst not believe, thou canst not repent: fitter for Christ, if thou hast nothing but sin and misery. Go to Christ with all thy impenitency and unbelief, to get faith and repentance; that is glorious. Tell Christ, _Lord, I have brought no righteousness, no grace to be justified by; I am come for thine, and must have it_. We would be bringing to Christ, and that must not be; not a penny of nature’s highest improvements will pass in heaven.