“If you are a poor distressed sinner, whose heart is ready to sink for fear that God never will have mercy on you, you need not be afraid to go to Christ, for fear that He is either unable or unwilling to help you.
Here is a strong foundation, and an inexhaustible treasure, to answer the necessities of your poor soul. And here is infinite grace and gentleness to invite and embolden a poor unworthy fearful soul to come.
If Christ accepts of you, you need not fear but that you will be safe; for He is a strong lion for your defense. And if you come, you need not fear but that you shall be accepted; for He is like a lamb to all that come to Him, and receives them with infinite grace and tenderness.
’Tis true He has awful majesty; He is the great God, and is infinitely high above you. But there is this to encourage and embolden the poor sinner: that Christ is man as well as God; He is a creature, as well as the Creator; and He is the most humble and lowly in heart of any creature in heaven or earth. This may well make the poor unworthy creature bold in coming to Him.
You need not hesitate one moment, but may run to Him, and cast yourself upon Him. You will certainly be graciously and meekly received by Him. Though He be a lion, He will only be a lion to your enemies. But He will be a lamb to you.
Any one of you that is a father or mother won’t despise one of your own children that comes to you in distress. Oh how much less danger is there of Christ despising you, if in your heart you come to Him!”
–Jonathan Edwards, “The Excellency of Christ,” in Sermons and Discourses, 1734–1738 (ed. M. X. Lesser and Harry S. Stout; vol. 19; The Works of Jonathan Edwards; New Haven; London: Yale University Press, 2001), 19: 583–584. You may read this wonderful sermon in its entirety here.
