The riches of grace displayed in the offer and tender of salvation to poor…

2. Christ doth come to the so•l in a gracious way upon free, not upon mercenary terms: I will love them freely, so the Prophet, Hosea 14. 4. Being justified freely, so the Apostle, Rom. 3. 24. He is ours for his own sake, not ours for our own sake. Now where a benefit is collated in a gracious way, according to the latitude of that graciousness, there is an indefinite access opened to persons. Suppose a Prince proclaims that if any offender will but come to him, he shall have pardon and promotion: Or a rich man, if any poor man will come to my house, he shall have an alms, why! no offender needs to dispute, doth the King mean me? nor needs any poor ⟨p. 132⟩man to except, surely he means not me? If thou be a poor man, the alms is as free, and as ready, and as sure for thee as any one that cometh: So when Christ is to be bestowed, he is a rich alms amongst a company of poor sinners; He saith to one, come and I will be thine, and to another come, and to every one come, if thou be a poor needy sinner, come, drink of the waters of life freely; sinfulness is no exception, for I bestow my self on none but sinners: It is an exception to meriting, but not to receiving: Though the poor man must not challenge, yet he must open his hand.

2. Christ doth come to the so•l in a gracious way upon free, not upon mercinary termes: I will love them freely, so the Prophet, H•sea 14. 4. Being justified freely, so the Apostle, Rom. 3. 24. He is ours for his own sake, not ours for our own sake. Now where a benefit is collated in a gracious way, according to the latitude of that graciousnesse, there is an indefinite accesse opened to persons. Suppose a Prince proclaimes that if any offender will but come to him, he shall have pardon and promotion: Or a rich man, if any poor man will come to my house, he shall have an almes, why! no offendor needs to dispute, doth the King mean me? nor needs any poore ⟨p. 132⟩man to except, surely he means not me? If thou be a poor man, the alms is as free, and as ready, and as sure for thee as any one that cometh: So when Christ is to be bestowed, he is a rich alms amongst a company of poore sinners; He saith to one, come and I will be thine, and to another come, and to every one come, if thou be a poore needy sinner, come, drink of the waters of life freely; sinfulnesse is no exception, for I bestow my self on none but sinners: It is an exception to meriting, but not to receiving: Though the poore man must not challenge, yet he must open his hand.