arest thy willingness in so speaking; and he declares
his willingness in so promising. Nay, thy looking afar off on him, is a
fruit of his willingness; "ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you,"
and loved you first. If ye will not yet believe this, look upon his
command; this is his command, that ye believe on the Son, 1 John iii. 23.
What warrant have ye to do any duty he commands? And why do ye more
question this? Is not this his command? And is it not more peremptory,
because a new command, and his last command? And when withal he
boasts(159) us into his Son, that we may have life, oh, who should have
the face to question any more his willingness! Other grounds than these I
know none; and I think if any come to Christ, or pretend to come, on other
grounds, he comes not right. If the most holy man come not in among
ungodly sinners; if he do not walk upon the grounds of his own extreme
necessity, and Christ's sufficiency, he cannot come to Jesus Christ. There
is a conceit among people, which, if it were not so common as it is, I
would not mention it, it is so ridiculous--how can I come to Christ so
unclean and so guilty, nothing but condemnation in me? If I were such and
such, I would come to him. Alas! there can nothing be imagined more
absurd, or contrary even to sense and reason. If thou wert such and such,
as thou fanciest a desire to be, thou wouldst not come to Christ; thou
neededst him not. That which thou pretendest as a reason why thou shouldst
not come, is the great reason pressed in the gospel why thou shouldst
come. What madness is this? I am so unclean, I will not come to the
fountain to wash;--wherefore was the fountain opened, but for sin and
uncleanness? And the more uncleanness, the more need; and the more need,
the more reason to come. Necessity is a great errand, and our errand is a
sufficient warrant. I am pursued by the law, I have condemnation within
me, and nothing but condemnation. Well then, come to Christ Jesus, the
city of refuge, where no condemnation is. Wherefore was this city
appointed, but for this end? I beseech you every one who useth those
debates, and taketh a kind of delight in them, know what they mean, how
they wrong your own souls; how they dishonour Christ, and so God the
Father; nay, how foolish and ridiculous they are,--that if it were not your
perplexity indeed, they deserved no answer, but a rebuke or silence. I
have seen people take delight in moving objections against th