The Spirit of Bondage and Adoption, Treatise 1 · Chapter 14
CHAP. XIV. An Objection anſwered from Chriſts Invitation of ſinners unto him, without requiring ſuch conditions as neceſſary to their admiſsion.
Obj You ſeem by what is ſaid hitherto to drive ſome from Chriſt, at leaſt for ſuch or ſuch a ſpace of time, until they be humbled and broken ſufficiently. Whereas Chriſt invites Whoſoever will to come unto him, and no where qualifies his acceptance of him by ſuch conditions, [Provided, That no ſinner that comes under ſuch and ſuch a guilt lay hold on me, without ſuch preparative meaſures of the Spirit of Bondage.] And how then can you warrant that which hath been ſaid in this point?
Anſw. I anſwer, 'Twere pity but that Miniſters tongue ſhould cleave to the roof of his mouth, that forbids any to come to Chriſt whom Chriſt calls. But you ſhall ſee, that Chriſt, though he call all ſinners, Joh. 6. 37. Apocal. 22. 17. yet he calls them under the qualifications of hungry and thirſty ſouls, Iſai. 55. 1. Ho, every one that thirſteth, come ye to the waters; he requires not money, but he requires thirſt. He requires nothing to move him to give, but ſomething to qualifie and diſpoſe us to receive. And looks that they be weary and heavy laden, Mat. 11. 28. elſe they will not value, and he knowes they will not value his reſt.
I do not bid men ſtay from Chriſt til they have ſuch qualifications, but I invite them rather to ſeek thoſe qualifications from Chriſt, which fit them for him, and without which they cannot ſavingly come to him.
But I ſhall give yet a more diſtinct anſwer. Chriſt therefore to whom ſinners are invited to come, is an univerſal good, and therefore there is in him a confluence of many good things. Now as in a publick Magazine every man may have free acceſſe to call for what is proper for him, but every man may not be admitted to every thing there, but only ſome few who are priviledged by their condition and relations to the Treaſurer, and are able to manage the whole for their own private good and the publick benefit. So in Chriſt there is Grace, and Power, and Wiſdom, and Merit, and Priviledges, and Peace, and Commands, and Rewards. Now though every man be invited to Chriſt, yet every one that is called may not be admitted to finger all theſe precious commodities, but ſuch only as his condition is capable of, and at preſent moſt needs. So a ſoul under the power of ſin, is invited preſently, even the next moment to come to Chriſt, and receive his yoak; i. e. ſubmit to his government, and yeild up himſelfe to be ſaved in his way, and in order thereunto to caſt himſelf upon abſolute Promiſes of the firſt grace, by prayer, and waiting for power ſo to do. He calls ſinners, to what? to Repentance, Luke 5. 32. and penitents to reſt, Matth. 8. 28.
But to thoſe other advantages which are offered to ſinners in Chriſt, no ſinner is called, as a ſinner; but to ſome as an humbled contrite ſinner, to others, as a renewed, converted ſinner. Thoſe whom God calls, them he juſtifies, and whom he juſtifies, them he glorifies, Rom 8. 30 He calls ſinners, juſtifies when called, glorifies when juſtified. For the application of the Merit of Chriſt, and Juſtification thereby, preſuppoſeth the condemnation of the Law to have paſſed upon every perſon to whom it is due, and that not only in the ſentence of the Law and Court of God, but in the ſentence of the heart and Court of Conſcience alſo Thence the difference between the Phariſee and the Publican in point of divine Juſtification is in Scripture attributed to the ſelf-juſtification of the one, and ſelf condemation of the other; not to the procuring cauſes, but the diſpoſing qualifications, Luke 18. 14. And the Apoſtle Paul tells us, that whiles the Jewes went about to make their own righteouſneſſe by the Law to ſtand, they failed of Juſtification, becauſe that kept them from ſubmitting to the righteouſneſſe of God, Rom. 10. 3. And as for Comfort and Reward, they preſuppoſe Juſtification, and (by conſequence) ſelf-condemnation, and a ſpirit of bondage. For peace with God, and joy and comfort in the hope of the glory of God, follow Juſtification, Rom. 5. 1, 2.
Thus then (to apply althat hath been ſaid:) If what hath been before ſaid, ſeem too ſeverely to knock any of thoſe upon the fingers who lay hold on Chriſt, know it is only the preſumptuous ſinner who is thus handled, becauſe he layes not hold on that in Chriſt, which he regularly ought to come to him for; and faſtens upon that which (in the condition wherein he ſtands, and under the diſpoſition and frame of ſpirit which at preſent poſſeſſeth him) belongs not to him. And herein Miniſters are no way blameable. As if a great Prince proclaim a free grant of ſome eſpecial bounty or favour to all that will receive it; ſuppoſe pardon and liberty to a thouſand Malefactors, and that without any conſideration of any thing to be given or performed by them, only (becauſe he will have them ſenſible of his goodneſſe therein, and warned from ſuch courſes for the future) he reſolves they ſhal al be brought to the trial of the Law, and abide its ſentence, and receive their pardon upon the Gallowes, at the very in ment in which the ladder is turning, or the cart driving away; and then alſo not without acceptance of it upon ſuch termes, and conditions to be mutually ſigned. If now a rabble of Theeves or Murtherers, that fear the Law will one day overtake them, and therefore are willing to ſecure themſelves for time paſt, and to fortifie themſelves againſt Juſtice in the practice of the ſame villaines for time to come, ſhall rudely intrude and challenge the benefit of the Princes free Pardon, without any ſuch formalities as are before mentioned; are they to be blamed who are but the inſtruments for the diſtributing of theſe pardons, if they bid them ſtand off, yea, and knock off their fingers, if they ſhall lay hold upon them in ſuch a diſorderly way? This is the caſe of the Miniſters of Jeſus Chriſt now adayes. A company of brazen-faced, preſumptuous Intruders, make a tumult and arrogate to themſelves and their complices, the name of Saints, and challenge an intereſt in Chriſts pardons, priviledges, and comforts, in a way quite inconſiſtent with the ſtanding rule of the Word, and the conſtant experiences of all that are Saints indeed. And becauſe the Miniſters of the Goſpel will not betray their truſt, and let go the pardons and priviledges which Chriſt hath put in their keeping upon ſuch termes, and contend earneſtly againſt their irregular wayes of demanding them, and adviſe them to be contented to take them in the way and order preſcribed by Chriſt, to ſeek of him in the uſe of meanes, a new heart, ſenſible of the burthen of their ſinnes, and the wrath due unto them, and in that way to come to Chriſt for pardon and peace, and it ſhall then be as freely theirs as any ones in the World; theſe impudent ſlanderers reproach the Miniſters of the Goſpel as unfaithful to their truſt, as ſtreightening the free grace of their Maſter Chriſt for their own ends, and with theſe clamors get into corners, and forge counterfeit writings and ſeals themſelves, and invite others to come in, and take the like from them, at the ſame rate on which they came by theirs.
And thus becomes this deluded generation to be ſo peſtered with a rabble of drunken, lying, Sabboth breaking, unclean, heretical, blaſphemous pretenders to Saintſhip, and ſalvation, which are the reproach and burthen of this, and will be (except God be infinitely gracious unto this Land beyond expectation) the bane (as to Religion and godlineſſe) of ſucceeding generations.