Ans. 1. I answer , when we haue a sure word that it is giuen to euery man vnder Heauen , without any restraint at all , why should any except himselfe ? Indeed when Christ was offered , freely to euery man , and one receiued him , another reiected him , then the Mystery of Election and reprobation was reuealed ; the reason why some receiued him being , because GOD gaue them a heart , which to the rest hee gaue not ; but , in point of offering of Christ , we must be general without hauing respect to Election . For otherwise the Elect of CHRIST should haue no ground for their faith , none knowing he is elected vntill he hath beleeued and repented .

But Christs righteousnesse being offered to men in state of vnregeneration , How shall I know it belongs to me ? There is no other ground but this Syllogisme . This righteousnes belongs to euery man that beleeues : but I beleeue , therefore it belongs to me . Therefore , though it be applyed onely to the beleeuers , yet it must be offered to euery man .

Answ. 2. Againe , we are bound to beleeue that the thing is true , before we can beleeue our share in it ; we doe not therefore make it true because we beleeue ; but our beleeuing presupposeth the object of our Faith , which is this , that CHRIST is giuen : now the very beleeuing doth not cause Christ to be giuen ; but he is giuen , and therefore we beleeue . In all actions the object is in order of nature before the action it selfe ; my beliefe makes not a thing true , but it is true in it selfe , and therefore I beleeue it . It being true that CHRIST is offered to all men , therefore I beleeue that I am reconciled and adopted , and that my sinnes are forgiuen .

Againe , Ans. 3. if he should not be offered to euery man , we could not say to euery man , if thou dost beleeue thou shalt be saued ; but this we may say to all , euen to Iudas , if thou beleeuest , Iudas , thou shalt be saued .

Againe , Ans. 4. if it were not offered to all , then wicked men should bee excluded as much as the Deuils ; but Christ tooke their nature on him , therfore it is possible for them , if they beleeue , to be saued .

But how differs this from the doctrine of the Aduersaries ; Obiect . for they also say that Christ is offered equally to all :

I answer , Ans. In 2 respects : ( not to run through all ) The first is this , We say , Though CHRIST be offered , and freely giuen to all , yet GOD intends him onely to the Elect. They say , His intention is the same to all , to Iudas as to Peter . The other is , They affirme , that as CHRIST is offered to all men , so all men haue sufficient grace to receiue him , there is an ability by that aswell as a freedom , and vniuersality in the offer . This we altogether deny . Though Christ be giuen to all , yet the gift of faith is a fruit of Election . God giues faith and repentance , and ability to receiue him , where hee pleaseth . The gate is open to all , we shut out none ; but none will come in , but those whom GOD inables . A Pardon may be offered to all , and yet none accept it , but those whose mindes GOD hath inclined . Therefore that he is offered to all it is without question . They that question it , doe it because they doe not vnderstand the Doctrine of our Diuines ; for we propound it no otherwise in substance then they doe , only we differ in the method : but it will be your wisdome to looke to that which will be of vse , and yeeld comfort when you come to dye . As this you may build on , The Gospel is preached to euery creature vnder heauen , & therefore I haue my share in it . If a Pardon be offered to some , whose names alone are inserted therein , you cannot say on any good ground , I I am pardoned : but when the Pardon is generall , and offered to all , then I can beleeue the Pardon belongs to me . Were it onely to the Elect , whose names are written in the pardon , we should first enquire whether we be elect or no , but that 's not the method . Build you on the sure promise , they that are pardoned , shall take hold of it , they that take not hold of it , shall be excluded .

4. Quest. The next thing a man will desire to know , is this . Vpon what qualifications it is giuen . What qualifications are expected ? Doth not GOD require to finde something in vs , if he giue it vs ?

Ans. I answer , that it is offered to all , and no qualification at all is required as praeexistent to be found in vs , but any may come and take it . GOD requires no qualification as concerning our sinnes ; he saith not , you shall be pardoned , so your sinnes be of such a number , or of such a nature , but though they be neuer so many , though of neuer so extraordinary a nature , though they may be aggrauated with all the circumstances that can be , yet there is no exception at all of you , the pardon runnes in generall termes , This is the Lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world . And seeing it is in generall termes , why will you interline and restraine it ? You see it runnes in generall , and so you may take it .

And as it is propounded generally , so is it generally executed : 1 Cor. 6.9 . 1 Cor. 6.9 . you shall finde , the greatest sinnes that can bee named are there pardoned : Be not deceiued , you know how no fornicator , nor adulterer , nor vncleane person , &c. shall enter into the Kingdome of God , and such were some of you : but now you are iustified , now you are sanctified , now you are washed . Though they had committed the greatest sinnes , you see , it is generally executed , without exception .

But there is another sort of qualification . Is there not something first to bee done ? I know , that though I haue committed all the sinnes of the world , yet they shall not prejudice my pardon ; but I must doe something to qualifie mee for it . No , not any thing as antecedareous and precedent to the pardon ; it is onely required of thee to come with the hand of faith , and receiue it in the middest of all thy vnworthinesse , whatsoeuer it be , lay hold on the pardon , and embrace it , and it shall be thine .

1. Obiect . But you will object , then to what end is the Doctrine of humiliation ? to what end is the Law preached to be a Schoolmaster , if no qualification be required ?

Ans. 1. I answer , humiliation is not required as a qualification ; for no teares of ours can giue satisfaction . And againe , it hath beene found in a Reprobate ; For Iudas had it . Neither is it any part of sanctification .

But how is it required then ?

Ans. 2. As that without which we will not come to CHRIST . As for example , If wee say to a man , The Physician is ready to heale you ; before you will be healed , you must haue a sense of your your sicknesse : this sence is not required by the Physician : ( for the Physician is ready to heale him ) but if hee be not sicke , and haue a sence of it , he will not come to the Physician . If at a generall Dole it be proclaimed , let all come hither that be hungry , Simile . a man is not excluded if hee be not hungry , but else he will not come : therefore we preach , that none receiue the Gospell but the poore , those that be humble , and touched with sence of sin and wrath ; and we preach so , because indeed no man will come without it .

5. Quest. In the next place , the Question will bee , How this righteousnesse of CHRIST is made ours ; or , What is to be done of him to whom it belongs .

To this I answer ; Ans. though no precedent qualification be required , yet this must be taken , a man must not reflect on himselfe , and consider , Am I worthy of it ? but he must take it as a Plaster , which if it be not applyed , will not heale ; Simile . or as meate , which if it be not eaten , doth not nourish . As the Husband wooes his Spouse , and sayes thus , I require nothing at thy hands , no condition at all , I doe not examine whether thou art wealthy , or no ; whether thou be faire , or no ; whether thou bee out of debt , or well conditioned , it is no matter what thou art , I require thee simply to take me for thy Husband . After this manner comes Christ to vs ; we must not say , Am I worthy to make a Spouse for Christ ? Am I fit to receiue so great mercies ? Thou art only to take him . When we exclude all conditions , wee exclude such a frame and habit of minde , which we thinke is necessarily required to make vs worthy to take him . Simile . As if a Physician come and offer thee a Medicine , by which thou maist be heal'd , and say , I require nothing at your hands , onely to drinke it , for else it will doe you no good : So GOD offers the righteousnesse of Christ , which is that that heales the soules of men ; GOD lookes for nothing at your hands , it matters not what your person is , onely you must take it . So you shall finde himselfe expressing it , Esay 55.1 . Esay 55.1 . where he compares this to the offer of Wine and Milke : Come buy Wine and Milke without money . Let him that is athirst come , and hee that hath no money . As if he had said , it is freely offered , you are onely to take it .

What this taking is . But , when you heare you must take it , the Question will be , What this taking is .

Ans. I answer , This taking is nothing else but that which we call Faith : and therefore that we may not erre in the maine , I will declare what Faith is . Faith , what . And it is nothing else but this , when these two things concurre , that God the Father will giue his Sonne , and freely offers righteousnesse , and we receiue this rghteousnesse , taking Christ for our Husband , our King and Lord . Obiect .

But , you will say , Faith is more : for Fides est actus intellectus , It is an act of the vnderstanding , assenting to Truths for the Authority of the Speaker ; therefore the mind and will must concurre to make vp this Faith . Answ.

For the better vnderstanding of it , marke this word , the righteousnesse of God is reuealed ; wherein is likewise implyed , ( though it bee not expressed ) that it is offered : for to what purpose , or what comfort is it to see that there is such a righteousnesse , if it be nothing to vs ? but it is so reuealed , that it is also offered . Now being both reuealed , and offered , you must finde something in men answerable to both these : to the reuelation of it the vnderstanding assenting to it as a Truth , that CHRIST is come in the flesh , and offered to all men .

Againe , to answer to the matter of the offer , there is also an act of the will , whereby it comes in , and takes or embraceth this righteousnesse . Both these , 1 Tim. 1.15 . 1 Tim. 1.15 . are put together , This is a faithfull saying , and worthy to be receiued , that Iesus Christ came into the world to saue sinners . It is true , saith the vnderstanding , and therefore that beleeues it ; but it is worthy to be receiued , saith the will , therfore that comes in , Simile . takes and accepts it . As in matter of marriage , If one come and tell a Woman , there is such a man in the world that is willing to bestow himselfe on you , if you will take him , and accept him for your husband : Now ( marke what it is that makes vp the marriage on her part : ) first she must beleeue that there is such a man , and that that man is willing to haue her , that this message is true , that it is brought from the man himselfe , and that it is nothing else but a true declaration of the mans minde . This is an act of her minde or vnderstanding : But will you take him , and accept of him for your Husband ? now comes the will , and the concurrence of these two makes vp the match . So wee come and tell you , There is such a one , the Messiah , that is willing to bestow himselfe on you ; If you beleeue that we deliuer the message from Christ , and doe consequently embrace and take him , now are you iustified , this is the very translation of you from death to life , at this very instant you are deliuered from Satan , possessed of a Kingdome , and saluation is come to your house .

Now because this taking of CHRIST is the maine point which makes CHRIST ours , and the want whereof is the cause that euery man is condemned , Three things must concurre in receiuing Christ . ( it comming neerest to life and death ) that you may know what it is , we must tell you that this is required therein : First , there must not be Error personae , errour of the person . Secondly , you must vnderstand aright what this taking is . Thirdly , there must be a compleat deliberate will , which must concurre to this action of taking .

These three being declared , we shall not easily be deceiued in it .

First , when you heare of this righteousnes of CHRIST , and of its being made ours , you you must know , that first CHRIST himselfe is made ours , and then his righteousnesse , as first you must haue the Husband , and then the benefits that come by him . I say , take heede that there be not an errour of the person , that you mistake him not . And this excludes all ignorant men , that take not Christ indeed , but onely in their owne fancie . Therefore when you come to make this marriage , you must know that CHRIST is most holy , that he is also such a one as will bring persecution with him , as sayes of himselfe , that he knowes not where to lay his head , such a one as for whose sake you must part with euery thing ; such a one as is hated in the World , and for whose sake you must be hated : some would haue the man , but they know not the man , and so many thousands are deceiued , that are willing to take CHRIST , but they know not what they take , they vnderstand not Christ aright , there is an errour of the person , and so a misse of the match , and consequently of Justification : for , so as to make him their Lord , so as to be subiect to him , they take him not , they do not consider that he requires such and such things at their hands .

Secondly , If there be no mistake of the person , yet what is this taking ? In marriage , there is a certaine forme to be obserued , and if that forme be mist of , there is a misse of the match . This taking therefore is nothing but this , So to take him , as to be diuorced from all other Louers ; so to serue him , as you serue no other Master ; so to bee subject to him , that you be subject to nothing in the World besides . This is properly to take CHRIST ; and this excludes the greatest part of men , they being ready to take Christ , but then they will loue the World too : but GOD tels them , that if they loue the World , the loue of the Father nor the Sonne is not in them . You must haue your affections weaned from euery kinde of vanity . Goe thorow the whole Vniuerse , looke on all the things that are , Riches , and Pleasures , and Honours , Wife , and Children , if your heart be not weaned from euery of them , you take him not as a Husband .

Againe , others will serue CHRIST and their riches too , their credit too , their owne praise with men too ; but CHRIST tels them no man can serue both ; you must serue him alone , and be obedient to none but him : if you doe so , you take him for your Lord indeede . So many will be subject to him as a King , but they will bee subject to their lusts too ; if their lusts command them , they cannot deny them , some they will reserue ; and , you know , how many this excludes . Therefore you shall find that no man can take Christ and his wealth : you know , the young man was shut out , because he would not let goe his possessions , which he must part with , or else haue none of him . So , Ioh. 5.44 . Ioh. 5.44 . If you receiue the praise of men , how can you beleeue ? That is , if you be not weaned and diuorced from all , you cannot beleeue . Though you be the off-scowring of men , though you bee mocked and scorned , it matters not ; but if you seeke the praise of men , you cannot beleeue .

Where , by the way , you may marke something , and adde it to that I said before . What is the reason that the seeking praise of men should hinder from beleeuing ? Certainely , if Faith were onely an Act of the vnderstanding , assenting to the truth for the Authority of its Speaker , it would bee no hindrance or impediment to the act of the mind , in beleeuing that such a thing is true ; so that it must needs haue reference to the will . Therefore , saith CHRIST , While you seeke the praise of men , how can you beleeue ? That is , take me for your GOD and LORD whom you will serue altogether ? So that to take CHRIST with a iustifying faith , is nothing else but to receiue him , as it is expressed in many other places of Scripture : Ioh. 1.11 . Ioh. 1.11.12 . Hee came vnto his owne , and his owne receiued him not ; but to as many as receiued him , he gaue power to become the sonnes of God , euen to them that beleeue on his Name . And so it is not ( as the Papists say ) a meere act of the vnderstanding , but a taking of him for your GOD , your Sauiour , to whom alone you will bee subject , and giue your selfe .

Last of all ; When these two are done and effected , so that there is no errour either in the person or in the forme , there is yet one thing more remaines behinde , and that is , to take and accept him with a compleate , a deliberate , and true will . For , euen as in other matches , put the case the person bee knowne , and the forme duely obserued , yet if there does not concurre a compleat will , it is not properly a match : and therefore those matches are vnlawfull , which are made before yeeres of discretion , when a man hath not the vse of his will , or when a man is in a phrenzie , because there is then no compleat or deliberate will ; Three things required in the will in taking Christ . so in this spirituall Match , you shall see how many the want of such a will excludes .