The sound believer, or, A treatise of evangelical conversion discovering the work of Christs…The sound beleever, or, A treatise of evangelicall conversion discovering the work of Christs…

If Faith cometh for all to Christ,¹ and fetcheth all from him, then never be discouraged because thou hast nothing to bring unto him; let all thy wants and miseries be arguments and motives therefore to come unto him, Revel. 3.17, 18. Because thou art poor and naked, nay because thou knowest it not, and art not affected with it, therefore come unto me, and buy eye-salve, and gold, and white raiment. Lord pardon my sin, saith David, ²because it is great: have mercy upon me, for I am consumed with grief, and am in trouble. ³Let mercy and truth continually preserve me, for innumerable evils have compassed me round about. ⁴Let us return unto the Lord, because he hath wounded us. I am a dog, therefore let me have crumbs, said the woman of Canaan: oh this is cross to sense and reason, and we cannot believe while we are so exceeding poor, empty, vile, that the Lord should look upon us; but beloved, you little think what wrong you do to your selves, & the Lord Jesus hereby: for by this means Christ is not so much exalted, nor the creature humbled, both which concurring in faith, make those acts of faith most precious; for while you stand upon something, and would have something to bring to Christ, you hereby exalt your selves; but when you come with sense of nothing ⟨p. 210⟩else but woes and wants, and see Christ now making of you welcome, oh this is not only mercy, but ravishing mercy. If you should come with sense of somewhat to Christ, and to see his love to you; you might glorify mercy in the height, and length, and breadth of it, but not in the depth of it, unless you see it reaching its hand to you, when you are fallen into so low and poor a condition as nothingness and emptiness, and misery it self. And therefore do not come to Christ only for the benefits of the covenant, but for the condition of it also, when you feel a want of faith it self; as Hezekiah did, Isay 38.14. Lord I am oppressed, undertake for me.