The unbelievers preparing for Christ. By T.HThe vnbeleevers preparing for Christ. By T.H

Men think that they would be saved, every man will be ready to say, I would have Christ rule in me, but this same willing of Christ is a hard matter; whosoever doth will heartily to receive Christ, shall have him and salvation by him: but we shall find it a hard matter to bring our hearts to this willing of Christ, as we shall here hereafter; and thus we see the three points that arise out of the text, and by this time we are entered into our work, let us proceed with the pursuit of the first point, which is this, The offer of grace from God is altogether free. There is nothing but only Gods will that moves him, nothing but his own good pleasure that persuades him to show mercy to a poor soul, there is nothing out of ⟨p. 7⟩God that can move him, or purchase this favour from him, but it is from out of the goodness of his nature, and the freeness of his will, he will have it so. In the 21 of the Revel. 6. there is a marvellous pregnant place for this purpose, there saith the text, I will give unto him that is a thirst, of the fountain of the water of life freely. There are three things or phrases considerable. First, God will give him to drink, and what is freer than gift; nay, that we may know that he will not give it us upon any consideration, he will give it freely; nay, mark further, he will give it to every one that thirsteth: though a man desireth it earnestly, even as a man that is a thirst desireth drink, though he do what he can to obtain it, though he use all means for the procuring of it, yet God will give it him, and that freely; and this cuts the throats of merit-mongers the Papists, that stand so much upon their merits, and therefore it is observable in the 4. of Zach. 7.9. in the building of the material Temple, the text saith, That Zerubbabels hands which had laid the foundation thereof, should finish it. The same hand which laid the first stone, so the same hand should lay the last: the meaning of the place is this; when the poor people of Israel were to build the Temple in time of persecution, they had no ability of themselves to do it, yet the Lord bids them go on cheerfully, for I will dispose of all things, for the gold and silver is mine: and hereby the Lord doth quippe at a secret conceit of theirs;

Men thinke that they would be saved, every man will be ready to say, I would have Christ rule in me, but this same willing of Christ is a hard matter; whosoever doth will heartily to receive Christ, shall have him and salvation by him: but wee shall finde it a hard matter to bring our hearts to this willing of Christ, as wee shall here hereafter; and thus wee see the three points that arise out of the text, and by this time we are entred into our worke, let us proceede with the pursuite of the first point, which is this, The offer of grace from God is altogether free. There is nothing but onely Gods will that moves him, nothing but his owne good pleasure that perswades him to shew mercy to a poore soule, there is nothing out of