Page:Choice drop of honey from the rock Christ, or, A short word of advice to all saints and sinners (2).pdf/12

12 Graces may be Evidences, the Merits of Chriſt (alone without them) muſt be the Foundation of thy Hope to bottom on. Chriſt only can be the Hope of Glory, Col. 1. 27.

When we come to God, we muſt bring nothing but Chriſt with us. Any Ingredients, or any previous Qualifications of our own, will poiſon and corrupt Faith. He that builds upon Duties, Graces, &c. knows not the Merits of Chriſt. This makes believing ſo hard, ſo far above Nature; if thou believeſt, thou muſt every Day renounce (as Dung and Droſs, Phil. 7, 1. 8.) thy Privileges, thy Obedience, thy Baptiſm, thy Sanctification, thy Duties, thy Graces, thy Tears, thy Meltings, thy Humblings, and nothing but Chriſt muſt be held up; every day thy Workings, thy Self-ſufficiency muſt be deſtroyed. Thou muſt take all out of God's Hand. Chriſt is the Gift of God, John 4. 10. Faith is the Gift of God, Epheſ. 2. 8. Pardon a free Gift, Rom. 5. 16. Ah, how Nature ſtorms, frets, rageth at this, that all is of Gift, and it can purchaſe nothing with its Actings, and Tears, and Duties; that all Workings are excluded, and of no Value in Heaven.

If Nature had been to contrive the way of Salvation, it would rather have put it into the Hands of Saints or Angels, to ſell it, than of Chriſt (who gives freely) whom therefore it ſuſpects; it would have ſet up a way to purchaſe by doing; therefore it abominates the Merits of Chriſt, as the moſt deſtructive Thing to it. Nature would do anything to be ſaved, rather than to go to Chriſt, or cloſe with Chriſt; Chriſt will have nothing; the Soul will force ſomewhat of his own upon Chriſt. Here in that great Controverſy, Conſider didſt thou ever yet ſee the Merits of Chriſt, and the infinite Satisfaction, made by his Death? didſt thou ſee this when the Burthen of Sin and the Wrath of God lay heavy on thy Conſcience? that is Grace. The Greatneſs of Chriſt's Merits is not known but to a poor Soul at the great loſs. Slight Convictions will but have