The person to whom he is held out is no other than a lost sinner, a lost soul. Christ came to seek and save them that were lost. I mean not only these that are sensible of their lost state, but these that are in a lost state, whether they be sensible of it or not. If the gospel comes to them, the offer of Christ comes to them: "To you, O men, do I call; and my voice is to the sons of men" (Proverbs 8:4). We are warranted to preach the gospel to every creature, Mark 16:15.
Some will offer Christ upon such and such terms, saying, you must be so and so humbled, so and so penitent, before Christ can be offered to you; so that a man that finds himself a lost, sinful, unhumbled, impenitent, wretched creature, can never come to their hand, or meddle with what they offer. How contrary is that strain of preaching to the design of the gospel, which is to compel those very sinners to come in, whom the legal strain of doctrine would keep out and exclude as if the gospel call were only to saints, or to sinners so and so qualified; and so leading men in to themselves for a ground of faith, instead of leading them out of themselves to Christ, exhibited to them in a "word of salvation sent to them" (Acts 13:26).
Hence see the nature of faith; it is a coming in as we are: poor, maimed, halt, blind, and naked as we are, without tarrying and waiting for better qualifications, which we shall never have till we come in to Christ for them. The legal strain supposes some good quality about the sinner, before he be allowed to meddle with the word of salvation; and so shuts the door of the gospel, which it pretends to open. We need be at no pains to hinder sinners from coming to Christ, to receive the offer, for they are unwilling enough of themselves.