QUESTION. But is it not the best way, if one can, to mend first?
ANSWER. This is just as if a sick man should say, "Is it not best for me to be well before I go to the physician?" or as if a wounded man should say, "When I am cured I will lay on the plaster."
QUESTION. But when a poor creature sees its vileness, it is afraid to come to Christ, is it not?
ANSWER. Yes, but without ground; for he has said, "Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not;" and "to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word." Isa. 35:4; 66:2.
QUESTION. What encouragement can be given us thus to come?
ANSWER. The prodigal came thus, and his father received him, and fell upon his neck and kissed him. Thus Christ received the Colossians, and consequently all that are saved. Luke 15; Col. 2:13.
QUESTION. Will you give me one more encouragement?
ANSWER. The promises are so worded, that they that are scarlet sinners, crimson sinners, blasphemous sinners, have encouragement to come to him with hopes of life. Isa. 1: 18; Mark 3:28; John 6:36; Luke 24:47; Acts 13:36
TEMPTATIONS OF THE SOUL COMING TO CHRIST.
No sooner doth Satan perceive what God is doing with the soul in a way of grace and mercy, but he endeavoreth what he may, to make the renewing thereof bitter and wearisome work to the sinner. O what mists, what mountains, what clouds, what darkness, what objections, what false apprehensions of God, of Christ, of grace, of the word, and of the soul's condition, doth he now lay before it, and haunt it with! whereby he dejecteth, casteth down, daunteth, distresseth, and almost driveth it quite into despair. Now, by the reason of these things, faith and all the grace that is in the soul is hard put to it to come at the promise, and by the promise, to Christ; as it is said, when the tempest and great danger of shipwreck lay upon the vessel in which Paul was, "They had much work to come by the boat." Acts 27:16. For Satan's design is, if he cannot keep the soul from Christ, to make his coming to him and closing with him as hard, as difficult and troublesome as he by his devices can. But faith, true justifying faith, is a grace that is not weary by all that Satan can do; but meditateth upon the word, and taketh stomach and courage, fighteth and crieth; and by crying and fighting, by help from heaven, its way is made through all the oppositions that appear so mighty, and draweth up at last to Jesus Christ, into whose bosom it putteth the soul; where, for the time, it sweetly resteth, after its marvellous tossings to and fro.