Thomas Wilcox

“ Men talk bravely of believing while whole and sound, but few know it. Christ is the mystery of the gospel. Grace is the mystery of Christ. Believing is the most wonderful thing in the world. Put any thing of thine own to it, and thou spoilest it; Christ will not so much as look at it for believing. When thou comest to Christ, thou must leave behind thee thy own righteousness, and bring nothing but thy sin, (O that is hard!) ”

“ Thou thinkest, oh. what monument of grace should I be? there are many thousands as rich monuments as thou: Tbe greatest sinner did never pass the grace of Christ. When the clouds are blackest then look towards Christ the pillar of the father's love, set up in heaven for all sinners to look upon continually. ”

“ If thou hast looked at duties and qualifications more than at the merits of Christ, it will cost thee dear. No wonder thou goest complaining, graces may be evidences, but the merits of Christ alone must be the foundation of thy hope.
When come to God, we must bring nothing but Christ with us. Any ingredients or any previous qualifications of our own, will poison faith. He that builds on duties or graces knows not the merits of Christ: This makes believing so far above nature. ”

“ All the power in nature cannot get up so high, in a storm of sin and guilt, as really to believe there is any willingness in Christ to save. When sin chargeth sin upon the conscience, then charge it upon Christ, that is gospel-like; that is to make him Christ, he serves for that purpose.—To accept his blood and righteousness alone for salvation, that is the whole sum of the gospel. When the soul in all duties and distresses, can say nothing but Christ for justification, sancitification, and redemption ”

“ If thou believest, thou must every day renounce thy obedience, thy sanctification, thy duties, thy graces, thy tears, thy meltings, thy humblings, and nothing but Christ must be held up; thou must take all out of God's hand. Christ is the gift of God; faith is the gift of God. ”

“ God will look at nothing but Christ, and thou must look at nothing else. Christ is lifted on high, as the brazen serpent in the wilderness, that sinners at the ends of the earth, at the greatest distance may see him, and look towards him. ”

“ Christ foiled Satan with; in all the scripture there is not an ill word against a poor sinner stript of his own righteousness; nay, plainly points this man for the grace of the gospel and none alse. Believe but Christ's willingness, and that will make thee willing. If thou find thou cannot believe, remember it is Christ's work to make thee believe. Put him upon it. He works to will and to do; mourn for thy unbelief, which is setting up guilt above Christ, an undervaluing Christ, accounting his blood an unholy, a common and unsatisfying thing. ”

“ Christ will be a pure Redeemer, and thou must be an undone sinner, or Christ and thou will never agree. It is the hardest thing in the world to take Christ alone for righteousness; that is to acknowledge him Christ. ”

“ Do not argue with Satan, he desires no better, bid him go to Christ and he will answer him; it is his office to be our advocate, his office to answer the law as our surety, his office to answer justice as our Mediator, he is sworn to that office; put Chrift upon it; if thou wilt do any thing thy self to give satisfaction for sin, thou renouncest Christ the righteous. ”

“ If nature had been to contrive the way of salvation, it would rather have put it into the hands of saints or angels, to sell it, than of Christ who gives it freely. It would have set np a way to purchase by doing; therefore it abominates the merits of Christ, as the most destructive thing to it. Nature could any thing to be saved rather than come to Chrift, or close with him. ”