All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. John 6.37.
COME AND WELCOME TO JESUS CHRIST
Extracts from a sermon by John Bunyan, 1628-1688
“All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.” John 6.37.
1. That they that are coming to Jesus Christ, are ofttimes heartily afraid that Jesus Christ will not receive them.
I told you that this observation is implied in the text; and I gather it, from the largeness and openness of the promise: ‘I will in no wise cast out.’ For had there not been a proneness in us to ‘fear casting out,’ Christ needed not to have, as it were, waylaid our fear, as He doth by his great and strange expression, ‘In no wise;”And him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.’ There needed not, as I may say, such a promise to be invented by the wisdom of heaven, and worded at such a rate, as it were on purpose to dash in pieces at one blow all the objections of coming sinners, if they were not prone to admit of such objections, to the discouraging of their own souls. For this word, ‘in no wise,’ cutteth the throat of all objections; and it was dropped by the Lord Jesus for that very end; and to help the faith that is mixed with unbelief. And it is, as it were, the sum of all promises; neither can any objection be made upon the unworthiness that thou findest in thee, that this promise will not assoil.*
But I am a great sinner, sayest thou.
‘I will in no wise cast out,’ says Christ.
But I am an old sinner, sayest thou.
‘I will in no wise cast out,’ says Christ.
But I am a hard-hearted sinner, sayest thou.
‘I will in no wise cast out,’ says Christ.
But I am a back-sliding sinner, sayest thou.
‘I will in no wise cast out,’ says Christ.
But I have served Satan all my days, sayest thou.
‘I will in no wise cast out,’ says Christ.
But I have sinned against light, sayest thou.
‘I will in no wise cast out,’ says Christ.
But I have sinned against mercy, sayest thou.
‘I will in no wise cast out,’ says Christ.
But I have no good thing to bring with me, sayest thou.
‘I will in no wise cast out,’ says Christ.
Thus I might go on to the end of things, and show you, that still this promise was provided to answer all objections, and doth answer them. But I say, what need it be, if they that are coming to Jesus Christ are not sometimes, yea, oftentimes, heartily afraid, ‘that Jesus Christ will cast them out?….
Thy fears that Christ will not receive thee may arise from thine own folly, in inventing, yea, in thy chalking out to God, a way to bring thee home to Jesus Christ. Some souls that are coming to Jesus Christ are great tormentors of themselves upon this account; they conclude, that if their coming to Jesus Christ is right, they must needs be brought home thus and thus.
As to instance: 1. Says one, If God be bringing of me to Jesus Christ, then will He load me with the guilt of sin till He makes me
roar again. 2. If God be indeed a-bringing me home to Jesus Christ, then must I be assaulted with dreadful temptations of the devil. 3. If God be indeed
a-bringing me to Jesus Christ, then, even when I come at Him, I shall have wonderful revelations of Him.
This is the way that some sinners appoint for God; but, perhaps,
He will not walk therein; yet will He bring them to Jesus Christ. But now, because they come not the way of their own chalking out, therefore they are at a loss. They look for heavy load and burden;
but, perhaps, God gives them a sight of their lost condition, and addeth not that heavy weight and burden. They look for fearful temptations of Satan; but God sees that yet they are not fit for them, for is the time come that He should be honoured by them in such a condition. They look for great and glorious revelations of Christ, grace, and mercy; but, perhaps. God only takes the yoke from off their jaws, and lays meat before them. And now again they are at a loss, yet a-coming to Jesus Christ; ‘I drew them,’ saith God, ‘with :cords of a man, with bands of love -I took the yoke from off their jaws, and laid meat unto them.’ Hos. 11.4.
Now, I say. If God brings thee to Christ, and not by the way that thou hast appointed, then thou art at a loss; and for thy being at a loss, thou mayest thank thyself. God hath more ways than thou knowest of to bring a sinner to Jesus Christ; but He will not give thee beforehand an account by which of them He will bring thee to Christ. Is. 40.13. Job 33.13. Sometimes He hath His ways in the whirlwind; but sometimes the Lord is not there. Na. 1.3. 1 Ki. 19.11. If God will deal more gently with thee than with others of His children, grudge not at it; refuse not the waters that go softly, lest He bring upon thee the waters of the rivers, strong and many, even these two smoking firebrands, the devil and guilt of sin. Is. 8.6,7. He saith to Peter, ‘Follow me.’ And what thunder did Zacchaeus hear or see? Zacchaeus, ‘Come down,’ said Christ; ‘and he came down,’ says Luke, ‘and received him joyfully.’
But had Peter or Zacchseus made the objection that thou hast made, and directed the Spirit of the Lord as thou hast done, they might have looked long enough before they had found themselves coming to Jesus Christ. Besides, I will tell thee, that the greatness of sense of sin, the hideous roaring of the devil, yea and abundance of
revelations, will not prove that God is bringing thy soul to Jesus Christ; as Balaam, Cain, Judas, and others, can witness.
Further, consider that what thou hast not of these things here, thou mayest have another time, and that to thy distraction. Wherefore, instead of being discontent, because thou art not in the fire, because thou hearest not the sound of the trumpet and alarm of war, ‘Pray that thou enter not into temptation;’ yea, come boldly to the throne of grace, and obtain mercy, and find grace to help in that time of need. Ps. 88.15. Mat. 26.41. He. 4.16.
Poor creature! thou criest. If I were tempted, I could come faster and with more confidence to Christ. Thou sayest thou knowest not what. What says Job? ‘Withdraw thine hand far from me: and let not thy dread make me afraid. Then call thou, and I will answer: or let me speak, and answer thou me.’ Job 13.21,22. It is not the over-heavy load of sin, but the discovery of mercy; not the roaring of the devil, but the drawing of the Father, that makes a man come to Jesus Christ; I myself know all these things…..
Trouble not thyself, coming sinner. If thou seest thy lost condition by original and actual sin; if thou seest thy need of the spotless righteousness of Jesus Christ; if thou art willing to be found in Him, and to take up thy cross and follow Him; then pray for a fair wind and good weather, and come away. Stick no longer in a muse and doubt about things, but come away to Jesus Christ. Do it, I say, lest thou tempt God to lay the sorrows of a travailing woman upon thee. Thy folly in this thing may make Him do it. Mind what follows:
‘The sorrows of a travailing woman shall come upon him.’ Why? ‘He is an unwise son; for he should not stay long in the place of the breaking forth of children.’ Hos. 13.13.
2. What hast THOU found in him, sinner?
What! come to Christ, and find nothing in Him!—when all things that are worth looking after are in Him!—or if anything, yet not enough to wean thee from thy sinful delights, and fleshly lusts! Away, away, thou art not coming to Jesus Christ.
He that has come to Jesus Christ, hath found in Him, that, as I said, that is not to be found anywhere else. As,
1. He that is come to Christ hath found ‘God in him reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses to them’. And so God is not to be found in heaven and earth besides. 2 Co. 5.19,20.
2. He that is come to Jesus Christ hath found in Him a fountain of grace, sufficient, not only to pardon sin, but to sanctify the soul, and to preserve it from falling, in this evil world.
3. He that is come to Jesus Christ hath found virtue in Him; THAT
virtue, that if He does but touch thee with His Word, or thou Him by faith, life is forthwith conveyed into thy soul. It makes thee wake as one that is waked out of his sleep; it awakes all the powers of the soul. Ps. 30.11,12. Song 6.12.
4. Art thou come to Jesus Christ? Thou hast found glory in Him, glory that surmounts and goes beyond. ‘Thou art more glorious -than the mountains of prey.’ Ps. 76.4.
5. What shall I say? Thou hast found righteousness in Him; thou hast found rest, peace, delight, heaven, glory, and eternal life.
Sinner, be advised; ask thy heart again, saying, Am I come to Jesus Christ? For upon this one question, Am I come, or, am I not? hangs heaven and hell as to thee. If thou canst say, I am come, and God shall approve that saying, happy, happy, happy man art thou! But if thou art not come, what can make thee happy? yea, what can make that man happy that, for his not coming to Jesus Christ for life, must be damned in hell?
3. Encouragement
Coming sinner, I have now a word for thee; be of good comfort, ‘He will in no wise cast out.’ Of all men, thou art the blessed of the Lord; the Father hath prepared His Son to be a sacrifice for thee, and Jesus Christ, thy Lord, is gone to prepare a place for thee. Jn. 1.29. He. 10. What shall I say to thee?
Thou comest to a FULL Christ; thou canst not want anything for soul or body, for this world or that to come, but it is to be had in or by Jesus Christ. As it is said of the land that the Danites went to possess, so, and with much more truth, it may be said of Christ; He is such an one with whom there is no want of any good thing that is in heaven or earth. A full Christ is thy Christ.
He is full of grace. Grace is sometimes taken for love; never any loved like Jesus Christ. Jonathan’s love went beyond the love of women; but the love of Christ passes knowledge. It is beyond the love of all the earth, of all creatures, even of men and angels. His love prevailed with Him to lay aside His glory, to leave the heavenly place, to clothe Himself with flesh, to be born in a stable, to be laid in a manger, to live a poor life in the world, to take upon Him our sicknesses, infirmities, sins, curse, death, and the wrath that was due to man. And all this He did for a base, undeserving, unthankful people; yea, for a people that was at enmity with Him. ‘For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more, then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be
saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.’ Ro. 5.6-10…..
Coming sinner, the Jesus to whom thou art coming is lowly in heart, He despiseth not any. It is not thy outward meanness, nor thy inward weakness; it is not because thou art poor, or base, or deformed, or a fool, that He will despise thee: He hath chosen the foolish, the base, and despised things of this world, to confound the wise and mighty. He will bow His ear to thy stammering prayers, He will pick out the meaning of thy inexpressible groans; He will respect thy weakest offering, if there be in it but thy heart. Mat. 11.20. Lk. 14.21. Pr. 9.4-6. Is. 38.14,15. Song 5.15. Jn. 4.27. Mar. 12.33,34. Ja. 5.11. Now, is not this a blessed Christ, coming sinner?
* assoil: acquit, release, or atone for