world_. But thou wilt perhaps say, How shall this great work, the knowledge of Christ, be effected in me? It might rather be said, since Christ has an infinite power, and also an infinite desire to save mankind, how can any one miss of this salvation, but through his _own unwillingness_ to be saved by him? Consider how was it, that the lame and blind, the lunatic and leper, the publican and sinner, found Christ to be their Saviour, and to do all that for them, which they wanted to be done to them? It was because they had a _real desire_ of having _that_, which they asked for, and therefore in true _faith_ and _prayer_, applied to Christ, that his Spirit and power might enter into them, and heal that which they wanted, and desired to have healed in them. Every one of these said in _faith and desire, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me whole_. And the answer was always this, _According to thy faith, so be it done unto thee_. This is Christ’s answer now, and thus it is done to every one of us at this day, as _our faith is, so is it done unto us_. And here lies the whole reason of our falling short of the salvation of Christ, it is because we have no will to it. *But you will say, Do not all Christians desire to have Christ to be their Saviour? Yes. But here is the deceit; all would have Christ to be their Saviour in the _next world_, and to help them into heaven when they die. But this is not _willing_ Christ to be thy Saviour; for his salvation, if it is had, must be had in this world, if he saves thee, it must be done in this life, by changing and altering _all that is within thee_, by helping thee to a new heart, as he helped the blind to see, the lame to walk, and the dumb to speak. For to have salvation from Christ, is to be made like unto him; it is to have his humility and meekness, his mortification and self-denial, his renunciation of the spirit, wisdom, and honours of this world, his love of God, his desire of doing God’s will, and seeking only his honour. To have these tempers formed in thy heart, is to have salvation from Christ; but if thou willest not to have these tempers, if thy faith does not seek, and cry to Christ for them in the same reality, as the lame asked to walk, and the blind to see, then thou art _unwilling_ to have Christ to be thy Saviour.