embowelled unto you, ye would not believe that such a way were so
contradictory to the gospel. For, first, ye who are so, have this
principle in your hearts, which is the foundation of it: I cannot come to
Christ so unclean, I must be a little washen ere I come, the most gross
uncleanness and hardness of my heart must be taken away, and so I shall be
accepted. Alas, what derogation is this to the blessed Saviour! What
absurdity is it! I am too unclean to come to the fountain, I must be a
little purged before I come to this fountain that cleanseth from all sin.
I pray you, why was the fountain opened? Was it not for sin and
uncleanness? And this thou sayest by interpretation, if I were so and so
humbled, then I might come, and be worthy to come; when the want of such a
measure debars thee as unworthy, doth not the having of it in thy
estimation make thee worthy? And so ye come with a present in your hand to
Jesus Christ, with a price and reward to him who gives freely. Again, thou
deniest Christ to be the only fountain of all grace, and so it is most
dishonourable to him. If thou would have repentance before thou come to
him, where shalt thou have it? Wilt thou find it in thy heart, which is
desperately wicked? Wilt thou seek it of God, and not seek it in the
mediator Jesus Christ? God out of a mediator will not hear thee. In a
word, there is both extreme sin and extreme folly in this way: great sin,
because it contradicts the tenor of the gospel, it dishonours the Lord
Jesus, the exalted Prince, as if he were not the fountain of all grace; it
is contrary both to the freedom of his grace, and to the fulness of it
also. It is great folly, for thou leavest the living fountain, and goest
seeking water in a wilderness; thou leavest the garden where all herbs
grow, and wanderest abroad to the wild mountains; and because thou canst
not find what thou seekest, thou sittest down and weepest beside it.
Repentance is in Christ, and no repentance so pleasing to God as the
mournings and relentings of a pardoned sinner; but thou seekest it far
from him, yea, refusest him for want of that which thou mayest have by
choosing him. Therefore we declare this unto you, that whatever ye be,
whatever ye want, if ye think ye stand in need of Jesus Christ, embrace
him. If ye be exceeding vile in your own eyes, and cannot get repentance
as ye would to cleanse yourselves, here is the fountain opened, and ready
to wash in. Yet this we must tell you