The poor doubting Christian drawn to Christ. Wherein the main hindrances, which keep men…

Isaiah 66.2. The Lord looks to him that is of an humble and contrite Heart, and that trembleth before him. A poor Creature cannot but observe every Word of God, and tremble at every Truth; whose Mediation is such as this: Here is Salvation indeed, but it is not mine; here is Mercy, but I have no Part in so great Mercy; and thus he shakes at every Apprehension of every Word of God, concluding certainly that he shall never enjoy any Part of it. But mark what the Text saith, The Lord looks at such a trembling Soul; that is, he casts sweet Intimations of his Goodness and Love into him, and saith, Thou poor trembling Sinner, to thee be it spoken, I have an Eye toward thee in the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore he further saith, Isaiah 40.2. Comfort ye, comfort ye my People, speak comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her Warfare is accomplished, and her Iniquity is pardoned: tell Jerusalem she is accepted, tell her what my Mind is.

And here he goes on, and saith to his Minister, speak to the Heart of such an humble Penitential, and tell him from Me, nay tell him from Heaven, and tell him from the Lord Jesus Christ, and from under the Hand of the Spirit, that his Person is accepted, and his Sins are all of them done away, and he himself shined upon in great Mercy.

Here Ephraim is the Picture of a Soul truly humbled, in whose Behaviour we may see the Behaviour of a true Penitent towards God, and God's Dealing towards him. The Text saith, Jer. 31.18, 19, 20. Surely I have heard Ephraim bemoaning himself (there's the Heart broken and thirsty) thou hast chastised me, and I was chastised; turn thou me, and I shall be turned; thou art the Lord my God. Surely after that I was turned, I repented, and after that I was instructed, I smote upon my Thigh; I was ashamed, yea, even confounded, because I did bear the Reproach of my Youth. Thus the Sinner, as if he should have said, I am the Wretch that have seen all the Means of Grace in an abundant Measure, and yet never profited under the Hand of any. The Lord hath corrected me, but I would not be tamed; and he instructed me, but I would not learn. Lord turn me, thou art my God; I have nothing in my self; nay, now I see the Evils which before I never perceived; and I observe the Baseness of my Course, which before I considered not. Now I am ashamed of my Abuse of Grace so plainly revealed: I am even now confounded with the Sense of those Abominations my Soul did formerly take Pleasure in. This may be conceived to be the Mourning of a poor and much broken Sinner. And now mark God's Answer: Ephraim is my Son, he is a pleasant Child: For since I spake against