3. Do not say, “But I am not _contrite enough_: I am not _sensible enough_ of my sins.” I know it. I would to God, thou wert more _sensible_ of them, more _contrite_ a thousand fold than thou art. But do not stay for this. It may be God will make thee so, not before thou believest, but by believing. It may be, thou wilt not weep much, till thou lovest much, because thou hast had much forgiven. In the mean time, look unto Jesus. Behold how he loveth thee! What could he have done more for thee which he hath not done? “O Lamb of God, was ever pain, Was ever love like thine!” Look steddily upon him, till he looks on thee, and breaks thy hard heart. Then shall thy _head_ ♦be _waters, and_ thy _eyes fountains of tears_. 4. Nor yet do thou say, “I must _do_ something more, _before_ I come to Christ.” I grant, supposing thy Lord should delay his coming, it were meet and right to wait for his appearing, in doing, so far as thou hast power, whatsoever he hath commanded thee. But there is no necessity for making such a supposition. How knowest thou that he will delay? Perhaps he will appear, as the day-spring from on high, before the morning-light. O do not set him a time. Expect him every hour. Now, he is nigh! Even at the door! 5. And to what end wouldst thou wait for _more sincerity, before_ thy sins are blotted out? To make thee more worthy of the grace of God? Alas, thou art still _establishing thy own righteousness_. He will have mercy, not because thou art worthy of it, but because his compassions fail not: not because thou art righteous; but because Jesus Christ hath atoned for thy sins. Again, if there be any thing good in _sincerity_, why dost thou expect it, _before_ thou hast faith? Seeing faith itself is the only root of whatever is really good and holy. Above all, how long wilt thou forget, that whatsoever thou dost, or whatsoever thou hast, before thy sins are forgiven thee, it avails nothing with God, toward the procuring of thy forgiveness? Yea, and that it must all be cast behind thy back, trampled under foot, made no account of, or thou wilt never find favour in God’s sight: because until then thou canst not ask it, as a mere sinner, guilty, lost, undone, having nothing to plead, nothing to offer to God, but only the merits of his well-beloved Son, _who loved_ thee, _and gave himself for_ thee. 6. * To conclude. Whosoever thou art, O man, who hast the sentence of death in thyself, who feelest thyself a condemned sinner, and hast the wrath of God abiding on thee: unto thee saith the Lord, Not, do this; perfectly obey all my commands and live: but, _Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved. The word of faith is nigh unto thee_; now, at this instant, in the present moment, and in thy present state, sinner as thou art, just as thou art, believe the gospel: and _I will be merciful unto |thy| unrighteousness and |thy| iniquities will I remember no more_.