Just as the sinner looks upon the excellency of Christ and of grace, and upon his own insufficiency which makes him not venture upon the promise; so he looks too altogether upon his own sinfulness and worthlessness, and therefore dares not venture upon it. He views the number of his sins so many and vile, and the continuance of them so long and durable; and he sees the floods of abominations coming in so forcefully upon his soul, and Satan to boot (who helps him forward in all this); he therefore dares not make toward Christ.
But this is the policy of the devil, who (if he can) will make a man see sin through his own spectacles; or not see it at all, and then say, there is mercy enough in a Saviour, and I may therefore live as I wish. But when the sinner necessarily sees his sin, then the devil will let him see nothing but sin; and this is to the end that he may despair forever.
Now, here the poor sinner is at a standstill, and can go no further. For if you tell him of the mercy of God, and of the plenteous redemption in Christ, and of the riches of the freeness of God’s grace: “What (he says), should I think there is any mercy for me, and that I have any interest in Christ? That would be strange.” And thus the soul is always poring, and always too fastened and settled upon his corruptions; ever picking at the sore, without ever going to the physician. Where note, that a man is as well kept from looking to Christ by despair, as by presumption. Before he sees his sin, he thinks his condition is good, and that he has a sufficiency of his own, and he need not go to Christ. And when he sees his sin, then he beholds so much vileness in himself, and in his sin, that he dares not go to Christ, lest when he comes before him, he sends him down to that ever-burning lake of fire and brimstone. The devil is very subtle in this. But this doesn’t hinder our title to Christ; nor should it discourage us from laying hold on salvation. For,
- Observe it: For whom Christ did come into the world, and for whom did he die when he came? Was it for the righteous? They didn’t need him (Luk 5.31-32): it was for the poor sinner who judges himself, who condemns himself, and who finds that he cannot save himself. Paul says, 1Tim 1.15, Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the chief. And the prophet Zechariah, 13.1, There is a fountain opened for sin and for uncleanness; that is, for all sorts of sins, and all kinds of sinners; let their iniquities be ever so great, and ever so vile, there is a fountain set open for them, come who will. There was none ever saved who was not first a rebel; nor any received to mercy, who did not first oppose the mercies of God, and his grace in Christ. The fiery serpents stung the people in the wilderness; first they were stung, and then being stung, there was a brazen serpent to heal them, But,
- Observe the folly of this plea: what Scripture ever said that the greatness of man’s sin could hinder the greatness of God’s mercy? — no Scripture says so. We see that David prays to the contrary, Psa 25.16, 11, Have mercy upon me, O Lord, and pardon my sins, for they are great. No, God himself does quite the contrary, Isa 43.24-25, You have served me with your sins, and wearied me with your iniquities; yet I am He that blots out your transgressions for my name’s sake. When the Jews tired God with their distempered manners, and burdened him with their sinful courses; then the Lord, for his own name’s sake, would not so much as remember their iniquities against them (Psa 103.12).
- Again, observe that sins, though they be ever so heinous of themselves, if the soul can see them, and the heart be burdened with them, they are so far from hindering the work of faith, and from making you incapable of mercy, that they rather fit you to go to Christ. The truth is (which I pray you to notice), it is not properly our unworthiness, but our pride and haughtiness that hinder us from coming to Christ. For we would have something from ourselves, and not all from him. But I say to the distressed soul who sees the vileness of his sins, suppose that your sins were fewer. Yet upon such a supposition, you would not go to Christ, as if persuaded of the freeness of his grace. Rather, because your sins are not many, and upon a conceit that you have some worthiness in yourself, and would bring something to Christ, and not receive all from him — you therefore keep back. Is it not plain, then, that it is your pride and self-conceitedness that hinder you? You think you must first have so much grace and holiness; and that Christ must not justify the ungodly, but the godly man. But I tell you that, upon such terms, he will never justify you, nor any man while the world stands.
But the soul replies again, My sins are worse than so, not only because they are many, but because of the mercy and salvation that I have rejected, and which have been offered me from day to day. But I answer: this cannot hurt you, provided that you can see those evils of yours. For then, though you have cast away the kindness of the Lord, yet the Lord will not cast you away, if you will come and seek him earnestly again and again. Isa 57.17-18. For the iniquity of his covetousness I was angry (says God) and I struck him; I hid myself, and he went on frowardlike in the way of his own heart. If this could have hindered Judah, he would never have received mercy. But the text says, I have seen his ways and will heal him. Jer 3.1, You have played the harlot with many lovers, yet return again to me, says the Lord. So then, there is no time too late, if a man has but a heart to return. There is no limitation of the riches of God’s free grace, except the sin against the Holy Ghost.
Thomas Hooker. THE POOR DOUBTING CHRISTIAN DRAWN TO CHRIST.
