Now when Christ offers, the other part of the relation holds, we may take. We have an interest to accept what he proffers. Consider it by an example: If one give me a million, and I receive it not, I am never the richer: and so if God offer me his Son, and with him all things, I am nothing the better, if I receive him not. That he is born and given, what's that to us? unless we can say, To us a child is born, to us a Son is given, Isa. 9.6. Faith comes with a naked hand to receive that which is given; we must empty our selves of what is in us. Consider thy estate, the Lord sets down how it is with us, when he comes to look upon us. Ezek. 16.6. And when I passed by thee, and saw thee polluted in thy blood, I said unto thee, when thou wert in thy blood, live. Why is this set down? Its to show how God finds nothing in us when he comes to show Mercy. He finds nothing in us that is lovely; when he comes to bestow his Son upon us. ⟨p. 398⟩For its said, Rev. 1.5, That Christ loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood. He doth first cast his love upon us when we are unwashed, as I may say unwashed and unblest: When no eye pitied thee, and thou wast cast out in the open field; when thou wast in thy blood, I said unto thee, live; when he comes to m•king up of the match, verse 9. Then I washed thee with water, yea, I throughly washed away thy blood from thee, and I anointed thee with oil: I clothed thee also with embroidered work, and shod thee with badgers skins, &c. that is, when Christ comes to cast his affections on us, and to wed us unto himself, he finds us polluted, not with a rag on us. Full of filth, just nothing have we, he takes us with nothing; nay, we are worse then nothing: so that here is the point, what ground is there whereby a man that is dead, and hath no goodness in him, (make him as ill as can be imagined,) what ground hath he to receive Christ? Yes, To as many as received him, to them he gave the power to become the sons of God. First, The receiving of Christ, and then comes Believing. It is the receiving of this gift, that is the means whereby Christ is offered to us. The Apostle joining the first and second Adam together, makes the benefit we have by the second to lie in the point of receiving. Rom. 5.
Now when Christ offers, the other part of the relation holds, we may take. We have an interest to accept what he proffers. Consider it by an example: If one give me a million, and I receive it not, I am never the richer: and so if God offer me his Son, and with him all things, I am nothing the better, if I receive him not. That he is born and given, what's that to us? unless we can say, To us a child is born, to us a Son is given, Isa. 9.6. Faith comes with a naked hand to receive that which is given; we must empty our selves of what is in us. Consider thy estate, the Lord sets down how it is with us, when he comes to look upon us. Ezek. 16.6. And when I passed by thee, and saw thee polluted in thy blood, I said unto thee, when thou wert in thy blood, live. Why is this set down? Its to shew how God finds nothing in us when he comes to shew Mercy. He finds nothing in us that is lovely; when he comes to bestow his Son upon us. ⟨p. 398⟩For its said, Rev. 1.5, That Christ loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood. He doth first cast his love upon us when we are unwasht, as I may say unwasht and unblest: When no eye pittied thee, and thou wast cast out in the open field; when thou wast in thy blood, I said unto thee, live; when he comes to m•king up of the match, verse 9. Then I washed thee with water, yea, I throughly washed away thy blood from thee, and I anointed thee with oyl: I clothed thee also with embroydered work, and shod thee with badgers skins, &c. that is, when Christ comes to cast his affections on us, and to wed us unto himself, he finds us polluted, not with a rag on us. Full of filth, just nothing have we, he takes us with nothing; nay, vve are vvorse then nothing: so that here is the point, what ground is there vvhereby a man that is dead, and hath no goodness in him, (make him as ill as can be imagined,) what ground hath he to receive Christ? Yes, To as many as received him, to them he gave the power to become the sons of God. First, The receiving of Christ, and then comes Believing. It is the receiving of this gift, that is the means vvhereby Christ is offered to us. The Apostle joyning the first and second Adam together, makes the benefit vve have by the second to lie in the point of receiving. Rom. 5.
