and nothing but Christ must be held up; every day thy workings and thy self-sufficiency must be destroyed. Thou must take all out of God’s hand. Christ is the gift of God, John iv. 10. Faith is the gift of God, Eph. ii. 8. Pardon is a free gift, Rom. v. 16. Ah, how nature storms, frets, and rageth at this, that all is of gift, and it can purchase nothing with its actings, and duties; that all workings are excluded, and of no value in heaven; that all must be of sovereign grace and unmerited free love and favour!
If nature had been to contrive the way of salvation, it would rather have put it in the hands of saints or angels, to sell it, than of Christ (who gives freely) whom therefore it suspects; it would have a way set up to purchase by doing: Therefore it abominates the merits of Christ, as the most destructive thing to it. Nature would do any thing to be saved, rather than go to Christ, or close with him: 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 merit’s of Christ, and the infinite satisfaction made by his death? Didst thou see this when the burthen of sin, are the wrath of God lay heavy on thy conscience? That is grace. The greatness of Christ’s merits is not
