The prodigal came thus, and his father received him, and
fell upon his neck and kissed him. Thus Christ received the
Colossians, and consequently all that are saved. Luke 15; Col. 2:13.
QUESTION. Will you give me one more encouragement?
ANSWER. The promises are so worded, that they that are scarlet
sinners, crimson sinners, blasphemous sinners, have encouragement to
come to him with hopes of life. Isa. 1: 18; Mark 3:28; John 6:36;
Luke 24:47; Acts 13:36
TEMPTATIONS OF THE SOUL COMING TO CHRIST.
No sooner doth Satan perceive what God is doing with the soul in a
way of grace and mercy, but he endeavoreth what he may, to make the
renewing thereof bitter and wearisome work to the sinner. O what
mists, what mountains, what clouds, what darkness, what objections,
what false apprehensions of God, of Christ, of grace, of the word,
and of the soul's condition, doth he now lay before it, and haunt it
with! whereby he dejecteth, casteth down, daunteth, distresseth, and
almost driveth it quite into despair. Now, by the reason of these
things, faith and all the grace that is in the soul is hard put to
it to come at the promise, and by the promise, to Christ; as it is
said, when the tempest and great danger of shipwreck lay upon the
vessel in which Paul was, "They had much work to come by the boat.
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