then the believing and acknowledging the gospel is the
end and purpose to that. "Ye believe in God, believe also in me." This
takes in completely the two books of saving faith towards God as a
Lawgiver and Judge, and faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ as a Saviour
and Redeemer; and it doth but beget misapprehensions in many, when the one
is looked upon as a condition without which we shall not be welcome to the
other. Truly, I think, both are proposed as essentials of saving faith;
none of them in such a way as to procure right and warrant to the other,
but only in such an order as is suitable to any reasonable nature to be
wrought upon, and that is all. It is only required of you, upon that
account, because fleeing unto a Saviour for refuge is a rational and
deliberate action, which necessarily includes the sense of misery without
him. But the sense of sin and misery is not urged as one thing which ye
should go about to prepare, and fit yourselves for more welcome at
Christ's hand as commonly it is taken. Here it is easy to understand how
the command of believing belongs unto all who hear it, even to the vilest
and grossest sinners, who are yet stout, hard hearted, and far from
righteousness, (Isa. xlvi. 12.) those who are spending their money for
that which is not bread, and their labour for that which satisfies not,
and those whose hearts are uncircumcised, and their lives profane. And yet
the commandment of coming to the Son and believing on him for life, is
extended unto them all. All are invited, requested, commanded, and
threatened to this duty. There is no bar of exclusion set down in the
gospel to hold out one, and let in another; as many suppose these
promises, that sound condition wise, to be limitations and restrictions of
the right and warrant to persons to believing. Indeed it is true all are
not exhorted at the first hand to assurance of God's love, and an interest
in Christ. There is no question that none have right to this seal, but
them who have believed and set to their own seal to the character or truth
of the word. But all are charged to believe in Christ that is, out of a
sense of their own lost estate, to embrace a Saviour for righteousness and
strength. Neither is there any fear that men can come too soon to Christ.
We need not set down exclusions or extractions, for if they be not
sensible of sin and misery, they will certainly not come to him at all.
And therefore the command that enjoins them t