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out them muſt be the foundation of thy hope to bottom on. Chriſt only can be the hope of glory, Col. i. 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 you believeſt, thou muſt every day renounce (as dung and droſc, Phil. ill. 7, 8.) thy priviliges, thy obedience, thy baptiſm, thy ſanctification, thy duties, thy graces, thy tears, thy meltings, and thy humblings, 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 tears, and duties; that all workings rye excluded, and of no value in heaven.
It nature had been to contrive the way of ſalvation, it would rather have put it in
