God can remove him Mat. 12. 41. But Secondly This Doctrine of coming to Christ informeth us Where poor destitute Sinners may find Life for their Souls and that is in Christ This Life is in his Son he that hath the Son hath Life And again Whoso findeth me findeth Life and shall obtain Favor of the Lord Prov. 8. Now for further Enlargement I will also here propound three more Questions 1. What Life is in Christ 2. Who may have it 3. Upon what Terms First What Life is in Jesus Christ 1. There is Justifying Life in Christ. Man by Sin is Dead in Law and Christ only can deliver him by his Righteousness and Blood from this Death into a State of Life For God sent his Son into the World That we might Live through him 1 Joh. 4. 9. That is through the Righteousness which he should accomplish and the Death that he should dye 2. There is Eternal Life in Christ Life that 's endless Life for ever and ever He hath given us Eternal Life and this Life is in his Son 1 Joh. 5. Now Justification and Eternal Salvation being both in Christ and no where else to be had for Men Who would not come to Jesus Christ Secondly Who may have this Life I answer Poor Helpless miserable Sinners Particularly 1. Such as are willing to have it Whosoever will Let him take the Water of Life Revel 22. 17. 2. He that Thirsteth for it I will give to him that is a Thirst of the Fountain of the Water of Life Revel 21. 6. 3. He that is weary of his Sins This is the Rest whereby ye may cause the Weary to rest and this is the Refreshing Isa. 28. 12. 4. He that is Poor and Needy He shall spare the Poor and Needy and shall save the Souls of the Needy 5. He that followeth after him crying for Life He that follows me shall not walk in Darkness but shall have the Light of Life Joh. 8. 12. Thirdly Upon what Terms may he have this Life Answ. Freely Sinner Dost thou hear Thou may'st have it Freely Let him take the Water of Life Freely I will give him of the Fountain of the Water of Life Freely And when they had nothing to pay he Frankly forgave them both Luk. 7. Freely without Money or without Price Ho! Every one that Thirsteth come ye to the Waters and he that hath no Money Come ye Buy and Eat Yea come buy Wine and Milk without Mony and without Price Isa. 55. 1. Sinner Art thou Thirsty art thou Weary art thou Willing Come then and regard not your Stuff for all the Good that is in Christ is offered to the Coming-Sinner without Mony and without Price He has Life to give away to such as want it and that have not a Penny to purchase it and he will give it Freely Oh What a blessed Condition is the Coming-Sinner in But Thirdly This Doctrine of Coming to Jesus Christ for Life Informeth us That It is to be had no where else Might it be had Any where else the Text and Him that spoke it would be but little set-by For What great Matter is there in I will in no wise cast out if another stood by that could Received them But here appears the Glory of Christ that none but He can Save And here appears his Love that though none can Save but He yet he is not Coy in Saving But him that comes to me saith he I will in no wise cast out That none can Save but Jesus Christ is evident from Acts 4. 12. Neither is there Salvation in any other and he hath given us Eternal Life and this Life is in his Son If Life could have been had any where else it should have been in the Law but it is not in the Law For by the Deeds of the Law no Man living shall be Justifyed and if not Justifyed then no Life Therefore Life is no where to be had but in Jesus Christ Gal. 3. Quest. But why would God so order it that Life should be had no where else but in Jesus Christ Answ. There is Reason for it and that both with Respect to God and to Us. First With Respect to God First That it might be in a way of Justice as well as Mercy And in away of Justice it could not have been if it had not been by Christ because He and He only was able to answer the Demand of the Law and give for Sin what the Justice thereof required All Angels had been Crushed down to Hell for ever had that Curse been laid upon them for our Sins which was laid upon Jesus Christ But 't was laid upon Him and He bare it and answered the Penalty and Redeemed his People from under it with that Satisfaction to Divine Justice that God himself doth now proclaim That he is Faithful and Just to forgive us if by Faith we shall venture on Jesus and trust to what he has done for Life Rom. 3. 24 25 26. 1 Joh. 1. 9. Secondly Life must be by Jesus Christ that God might be Adored and Magnifyed for finding out this Way This is the Lord's Doings that in all Things he might be Glorifyed through Jesus Christ our Lord. Thirdly It must be by Jesus Christ that Life might be at God's dispose who hath great Pity for the Poor the Lowly the Meek the Broken in heart and for them that others care not for Psal. 34. 6. Psal. 138. 6. Psal. 25. Psal. 51. 17. Psal. 147. 3. Fourthly Life must be in Christ to cut off boasting from the lips of men This also is the Apostles reason in Rom. 3. 26 27. And Ephes. 2. 8 9 10. Secondly Life must be in Jesus Christ with respect to us First That we might have it upon the easiest Termes to wit Freely as a gift not as wages was it in Moses hand we should come hardly at it Was it in the Popes hand we should pay soundly for it but thanks be to God it is in Christ laid up in him and by him to be communicated to sinners upon easie Termes even for receiving accepting and imbraceing with Thanksgiving As the Scriptures plainly declare Joh. 1. 11 12. 2 Cor. 11. 4. Heb. 11. 13. Col. 3. 13 14 15. Secondly Life is in Christ for us that it might not be upon so brittle a foundation as indeed it would had it been any where else The Law it self is weak because of us as to this But Christ is a tryed stone a sure foundation one that will not fail to bear thy burden and to receive thy Soul coming sinner Thirdly Life is in Christ that it might be sure to all the seed Alas the best of us was life left in our hands to be sure we should forfeit it over and over and over or was it in any other hand we should by our often backslidings so offend him that at last he would shut up his bowels in everlasting displeasure against us But now it is in Christ it
Come Welcome TO JESUS CHRIST OR A plain and profitable Discourse upon the Sixth of John 37 Vers. Shewing the Cause Truth and Manner of the Coming of a Sinner to Jesus Christ with his Happy Reception and Blessed Entertainment Written by J. Bunyan And they shall come which were ready to Perish Isa. 27. 13. LONDON Printed for B. Harris at the Stationers Arms in Swithings Rents in Cornhil by the Royal Exchange 1678. Come Welcome TO JESUS CHRIST John 6. 37. All that the Father giveth me shall come to me and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out A Little before in this Chapter you may read That the Lord JESUS walked on the Sea to go to Capernaum having sent his Disciples before in a Ship But the Winds was contrary by which means the Ship was hindred in her Passage Now about the fourth watch of the night Jesus came Walking upon the Sea and overtook them at the sight of whom they were afraid Note When Providences are black and terrible to Gods People the Lord Jesus shews himself to them in wonderful manner the which somtimes they can as little bear as they can the things that before were terrible to them They were afraid of the Wind and the Water they were also afraid of their Lord and Saviour when He appeared to them in that State But He said be not afraid it is I. Note That the End of the appearing of the Lord Jesus unto his people though the manner of his appearing be never so terrible is to alay their fears and perplexities Then they received him into the Ship and immediately the Ship was at the Land whether it went Note When Christ is absent from his people they go on but slowly and with great difficulty but when he joyneth himself unto them Oh! how fast they stear their course how soon are they at their Journies end The people now among whom he last preached when they saw that both Jesus was gon and his Disciples they also took shipping and came to Capernaum seeking for Jesus And when they had found him they wonderingly asked him Rabbi when camest thou hither But the Lord Jesus slighting their complement answered Verily Verily ye seek me not because ye saw the Miracles but because ye did eat of the Loaves and were filled Note A People may follow Christ far for base ends as these went after him beyond Sea for Loaves a mans belly will carry him a great way in Religion yea a mans belly will make him venture far for Christ. Note again They are not feigning complements but gracious intentions that crowns the work in the eye of Christ Or thus It is not the toyl and business of professors but their love to him that makes him approve of them Note again When men shall look for friendly entertainment at Christ's Hand if their hearts be rotten even then will they meet with a check and rebuke Ye seek me not because ye saw the Miracles but because ye did eat of the Loaves and were Filled Yet observe again He doth not refuse to give even to these good counsel he bids them Labor for the meat that endureth to eternal Life O how willingly would Jesus Christ have even those Professors that come to him with pretences only come to him sincerely that they may be saved The Text you will find is after much more discourse with and about this people and it is uttered by the Lord Jesus as the conclusion of the whole and intimateth that since they were Professors in pretence only and therefore such as his soul could not delight in as such that he would content himself with a Remnant that his Father had bestowed upon him As who should say I am not like to be Honoured in your Salvation but the Father hath bestowed upon me a people and they shall come to me in Truth and in them will I be satisfied The Text therefore may be called Christ's repose in the fulfilling whereof he resteth himself content after much Labor and many Sermon spent as it were in vain As he saith by the Prophet I have Labored in vain I have spent my strength for nought and in vain Isa. 49. 4. But as there he saith my Judgment is with the Lord and my work with my God So in the Text he saith All the Father giveth me shall come to me and them that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out By these words therefore the Lord Jesus comforteth himself under the consideration of the dissimulation of some of his followers He also thus betook himself to rest under the consideration of the little effect that his Ministry had even in Capernaum Corazin and Bethsaida I thank thee O Father said he Lord of Heaven and Earth because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them to babes even so Father for so it seemed good in thy sight Matt. 11. 25. Luke 10. 21. The Text in the general standeth of two parts and hath special respect to the Father and the Son As also to their joynt management of the Salvation of their People All that the Father giveth me shall come to me and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out The first part of the Text as is evident respecteth the Father and his gift the other part the Son and his reception of that gift First For the gift of the Father there is this to be considered about it to wit The gift it self and that is a gift of certain persons to the Son The Father giveth and that gift shall come And Him that cometh The gift then is of Persons the Father giveth Persons to Jesus Christ. Secondly Next you have the Sons reception of this gift and that sheweth it self in these particulars 1. In his hearty acknowledgment of it to be a gift The Father giveth me 2. In his taking notice after a solemn manner of All and every part of the gift All that the Father giveth me 3. In his resolution to bring them to himself All the Father giveth me shall come to me 4. And in his determining that not any thing shall make him dislike them in their coming And him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out These things might be spoken to at large as they are in this method presented to view but I shall chuse to speak to the words 1. By way of Explication 2. By way of Observation First By way of Explication All that the Father giveth me This word All is often used in Scripture and is to be taken more largely or more strictly even as the Truth or argument for the sake of which it is made use of will bare wherefore that we may the better understand the mind of Christ in the use of it here we must consider that it is Limited and Restrained only to those that shall be Saved to wit to those that shall come to Christ even to
Heb. 3. And therefore this Man is counted worthy of more glory than Moses even upon this account because more Faithful than he as well as because of the dignity of his person Therefore in him and in his truth and faithfulness God rested wel pleased and hath put all the government of this People upon his shoulders Knowing that nothing shall be wanting in him that may any way perfect this design And of this He to wit the Son hath already given a proof for when the time was come that his Blood was by Divine Justice required for their Redemption Washing and Changing he as freely poured it out of his Heâ—â—t as if it had been Water out of a vessel not sticking to part with his own Life that the life which was laid up for them in Heaven might not fail to be bestowed upon them And upon this account as well as upon any other it is that God calleth him his righteous servant Isa. 53. For his righteousness could never have been compleat if he had not been to the uttermost faithful to the work which he undertook It is also because he is faithful and true that in Righteousness he doth Judge and make Work for his peoples deliverance He will faithfully perform this trust reposed in him The Father knows this and hath therefore given his Elect unto him Thirdly The Fathers giving of them to Him to save them declares unto us that he is and will be gentle and patient towards them under all their provocations and miscarriages It is not to be imagined the tryals and provocations that the Son of God hath all along had with these people that have been given to him to save them indeed he is said to be a tryed stone for he has been tryed not only by the devil guilt of sin death and the curse of the Law but also by his peoples ignorance unruliness falls into sin and declining to errors in life in Doctrine Were we but capable of seeing how this Lord Jesus has been tryed even by this people ever since there was one of them in the world we should be amazed at his Patience and gentle Carriages to them It is said indeed the Lord is very pitiful slow to anger and of great mercy and indeed if he had not so been he could never have indured their manners as he has done from Adam hitherto Therefore is his pitty and bowels towards his Church preferred above the pitty and bowels of a mother towards her Child Can a woman forget her sucking Child that she should not have Compassion on the Son of her Womb yea they may forget yet will I not forget thee saith the Lord Isa. 49. 15. God did once give Moses as Christs Servant an handful of this people to carry them in his bosom but no further than from Egypt to Canaan and this Moses as is said of him by the Holy Ghost was the Meekest man that was then to be found in the Earth yea and he loved the people at a very great rate yet neither would his meekness nor love hold out in this work he failed and grew pationate even to the provoking of his God to Anger under this work that God had laid upon him And Moses said unto the Lord wherefore hast thou afflicted thy Servant But what was the affliction Why the Lord had said unto him carry this people in thy bosom as a nursing father beareth the sucking child unto the Land that he sware unto their fathers Not I sayes Moses I am not able to bear all this people because it is too heavy for me if thou deal thus with me kill me I pray thee out of hand and let me not see my Wretchedness Numb 11. 11 12 13 14. God gave them to Moses that he might carry them in his bosom that is that he might shew gentleness and patience towards them but he failed in the work he could not exercise because he had not that sufficiency of patience towards them But now it is said of the person speaking in the Text That he shall gather his Lambs with his arm shall carry them in his bosom and shall gently lead them that are with young Isa. 40. 10 11. Intimating that this was one of the qualifications that God looked for and knew was in him when he gave his Elect to him to save them Fourthly The fathers giving of them to him to save them declares to us that he hath a Sufficiency of wisdom to wage with all those difficulties that would attend him in his bringing of his Sons and Daughters unto glory He hath made him to us to be Wisdom yea he is called Wisdom it self and God saith moreover that he shall deal prudently And indeed he that shall take upon him to be the Saviour of the people had need be Wise because their adversaries are subtile above any Here they have to incounter with the Serpent who for his Subtilty out-witted our Father and Mother when their wisdome was at highest Gen. 3. But if we talk of Wisdom our Jesus is wise wiser than Solomon wiser than all men wiser than all the Angels he is even the Wisdom of God Christ the Wisdom of God 1 Col. 1. And hence it is that he turneth sin temptation persecutions falls and all things for good unto this people Rom. 8. Now these things thus concluded on do shew us also the great and wonderful love of the Father in that he should chuse out one every way so well prepared for the work of mans Salvation Herein indeed perceive we the love of God Huram gathered that God loved Israel because he had given them such a King as Solomon 2 Chro. 2. 11. But how much more may we behold the love that God hath bestowed upon us in that he hath given us to his Son and also given his Son for us All that the Father giveth me shall come In these last words there is closely inserted an answer unto the Fathers end in giving of his Elect to Jesus Christ. The Fathers end was that they might come to him and be Saved by him and that sayes the Son shall be done They shall come to me and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out Here therefore the Lord Jesus positively determineth to put forth a sufficiency of all Grace that shall Effectually perform this promise They shall come That is he will cause them to come by infusing of an effectual blessing into all the means that shall be used to that end As was said to the evil Spirit that was sent to perswade Ahab to go and fall at Ramah Gilead Go Thou shalt perswade him and prevail also go forth and do so 1 King 22. 22. So will Jesus Christ say to the means that shall be used for the bringing of those to him that the Father hath given him I say he will bless it effectually to his very end it shall perswade them and shall prevail also Else as I said the
kill us we shall but die Here now was necessity at work and this necessity drove them to go thither for life whether else they would never have gon for it Thus it is with them that in truth come to Jesus Christ Death is before them they see it and feel it he is feeding upon them and will eat them quite up if they come not to Jesus Christ and therefore they come even of necessity being forced thereto by that Sense they have of their being utterly and everlastingly undone if they find not safety in him These then are they that will come indeed these are they that are invited to come Come unto me all ye that Labor and are Heavy Laden and I will give you rest Matt. 11. 28. Take two or three things to make this more plain to wit that coming to Christ floweth from a sound sense of the absolute need that a Man hath of him as afore 1. They shall come with Weeping with Supplication will I lead them I will cause them to walk by the Rivers of Waters in a plain way wherein they shall not stumble Jer. 31. 9. Mind it they come with Weeping and Supplication they come with Prayers and Tears Now Prayers and Tears are the effects of a right Sense of the need of Mercy Thus a senseless Sinner cannot Come he cannot Pray he cannot Cry he cannot come sensible of what he sees not nor feels In those Days and at that time the Children of Israel shall come they and the Children of Judah together going weeping they shall seek the Lord their God they shall ask the way to Zion with their Faces thitherward saying come and let us joyn our selves to the Lord in a perpetual Covenant that shall not be forgotten Jer. 50. 4 5. Secondly This coming to Christ it is called a running to him as flying to him a flying from Wrath to come By all which Termes is set forth the sense of the man that comes to wit That he is affected with the sense of his sin and the Death due thereto that he is sensible that the avenger of Blood pursues him and that therefore he is cut off if he makes not speed to the Son of God for Life Mat. 3. 7. Psal. 143. 9. Flying is the last work of a man in danger all that are in danger do not Fly No not all that see themselves in danger flying is the last work of a man in danger all that hear of danger will will not fly Men will consider if there be no other way of escape before they Fly Therefore as I said flying is the last thing When all Refuge fails and a man is made to see that there is nothing left him but Sin Death and Damnation unless he flyes to Christ for Life then he flies and not till then Thirdly That the true coming is from a sense of an absolute need of Jesus Christ to save c. is evident by the Out-cry that is made by them that come even as they are coming to him Lord save or I perish Men and Brethren what shall we do Sirs what must I do to be saved and the like This Language doth sufficiently discover that the truly coming Souls are Souls sensible of their need of Salvation by Jesus Christ and moreover that there is nothing else that can help them but Christ. Fourthly It is yet further evident by these few things that follow it is said that such are pricked in their Hearts that is with the sentence of Death by the Law and the least prick in the Heart kills a Man Acts 2. 37. such are said as I said before to Weep to Tremble and to be astonished in themselves at the evident and unavoidable danger that attends them unless they fly to Jesus Christ Acts 9 chap. 16. Fifthly Coming to Christ is attended with an honest and sincere forsaking of all for him If any Man come to me and hate not his Father and Mother and Wife and Children and Brethren and Sisters yea and his own Life also he cannot be my Disciple And whosoever doth not bear his Cross and come after me cannot be my Disciple Luk. 14. 26 27. By these and the like expressions elsewhere Christ describeth the true Commer or the man that indeed is coming to him he is one that casteth all behind his Back he leaveth all he forsaketh all he hateth all things that would stand in his way to hinder his coming to Jesus Christ. There are a great many pretended Commers to Jesus Christ in the World And they are much like to the man that you read of in Matt. 21. 30. that said at his Fathers bidding I go Sir and went not I say there are a great many such Commers to Jesus Christ they say when Christ calls by his Gospel I come Sir but still they abide by their Pleasures and carnal Delights They come not at all only they give him a Courtly Complement but he takes notice of it and will not let it pass for any more than a Lie He said I go Sir and went not he dissembled and lied Take heed of this you that flatter your selves with your own deceivings words will not do with Jesus Christ coming is coming and nothing else will go for coming with him Before I spake to the other Head I shall answer some Objections that usually lie in the way of those that in Truth are coming to Jesus Christ. Objection I. Though I cannot deny but my mind runs after Christ and that too as being moved thereto from a sight and consideration of my lost Condition For I see without him I perish yet I fear my ends are not right in coming to him Quest. Why what is thine end in coming to Jesus Christ Answer My end is that I might have Life and be saved by Jesus Christ. This is thy Objection well let me tell thee that to come to Christ for Life and to be saved though at prethou hast no other end is a lawful and good coming to Jesus Christ. This is evident because Christ propoundeth Life as the only Argument to prevail with sinners to come to him and also blameth them because they come not to him for Life And ye will not Come to me that ye might have Life Joh. 5. Besides there are many other Scriptures whereby he allureth Sinners to come to him in which he propoundeth nothing to them but their safety As He that believeth in him shall not perish he that believeth is passed from Death to Life He that believeth shall be Saved He that believeth on him is not condemned And believing coming are all one So that you see to Come to Christ for Life is a lawful coming and good And let me add over and above that for a man to come to Christ for Life though he comes to him for nothing else but Life he gives much honour to him First He Honoureth the Word of Christ and consenteth to the Truth of it and that in
4. Rom. 7. The works strugglings and oppositions of the Flesh are more manifest than are the works of the Spirit in our hearts and so are sooner felt than they What then let us not be discouraged at the sight and feeling of our own infirmities but run the faster to Jesus Christ for Salvation Fourthly Get thy heart warmed with the sweet promise of Christs acceptance of the coming sinner and that will make thee make more hast unto him Discouraging thoughts they are like unto cold weather they benumb the senses and make us go ungainly about our business but the sweet and warm gleads of the promise are like the comfortable beams of the Sun which liven and refresh You see how little the Bee and Flye do play in the Air in Winter why the cold hinders them from doing of it but when the Wind and Sun is warm who so busie as they Fifthly But again he that comes to Christ flyes for his life now there is no man that Flyes for his life that thinks he speeds fast enough on his Journey no could he he would willingly take a mile at a step Oh I come not fast enough say'st thou Oh my sloth and heartlesness say'st thou O that I had wings like a dove for then would I flee away and be at rest I would hasten mine escape from the windy storme and tempest Psal. 55. 6 8. Poor coming Soul thou art like the man that would ride full gallop whose horse will hardly trot now the desire of his minde is not to be judged of by the slow pace of the dull jade he rides on but by the hitching and kicking and Spurring as he sits on his back Thy flesh is like this dull Jade it will not Gallop after Christ. It will be backward though thy soul and heaven lies at stake but be of good comfort Christ judgeth not according to the fierceness of outward motion Mark 10. 17. but according to the sincerity of the heart and inward parts Joh. 1. 47. Psal. 51. 6. Mat. 26. 41. Sixthly Ziba in appearance came to David much faster than did Mephibosheth but yet his heart was not so upright in him to David as was his T is true Mephibosheth had a Check from David Why wentest thou not with me Mephibosheth said he but when David come to Remember that Mephibosheth was Lame for that was his plea Thy Servant is Lame 2 Sam. 19. he was content and concluded he would have come after him faster than he did And Mephibosheth appealed to David who was in those days as an Angel of God to know all things that are done in the earth if he did not believe that the reason of his backwardness lay in his Lameness not his mind Why poor coming sinner thou canst not come to Christ with that outward fierceness of Carrear as many others do but doth the reason of thy backwardness lie in thy mind and will or in the sluggishness of the flesh canst thou say sincerely The Spirit truly is willing but the flesh is weak Mat. 26. 41. yea canst thou appeal to the Lord Jesus who knoweth perfectly the very inmost thought of thy heart that this is true then take this for thy comfort he hath said I will assemble her that halteth I will make her that halteth a remnant and I will save her that halteth Mich. 4. 6 7. Zeph. 3. 19. what canst thou have more from the sweet lips of the Son of God But. Seventhly I read of some that are to follow Christ in Chains I say to come after him in Chaines Thus saith the Lord the labor of Egypt and the Merchandize of Ethiopia and the Sabeans men of stature shall come over unto thee and they shall be thine They shall come after thee in Chaines shall they come over and they shall fall down unto thee they shall make Supplication unto thee saying surely there is none else to save Isa. 45 14. Surely they that come after Christ in Chaines come to him in great difficulty because their steps by their chaines are straightened And what Chaines so heavy as those that discourage thee thy Chain which is made up of guilt and filth is heavy it is a wretched bond about thy neck by which thy strength doth fail Lam. 1. 14. chap. 3. 17. But come though thou comest in chaines 't is glory to Christ that a sinner come after him in Chaines The blind man though called surely could not come apace to Jesus Christ but Christ could stand still and stay for him True he rideth upon the Wings of the Wind But yet he is long Suffering and his long Suffering is Salvation to him that cometh to him Mark 10. 49. 2 Pet 3. 9. Eighthly Hadest thou seen those that came to the Lord Jesus in the days of his flesh how slowly how hobblingly they come to him by reason of their infirmities and also how friendly and kindly and graciously he received them and gave them the desire of their hearts thou wouldest not as thou dost make such Objections against thy self in thy coming to Jesus Christ. Objection 5. But sayes another I fear I come too late I doubt I have stayed too long I am afraid the Door is Shut Answ. Thou canst never come too late to Jesus Christ if Thou dost come This is manifest by two instances First By the Man that came to him at the Eleventh Hour This Man was Idle all the day long He had a whole Gospel day to come in and he play'd it all away save only the last hour thereof But at last at the Eleventh Hour he came and goes into the Vineyard to Work with the rest of the Labourers that had born the Burden and heat of the day Well but how was he received of the Lord of the Vineyard Why when pay day came he had even as much as the rest yea had his mony first True the others Murmured at him but what did the Lord Jesus Answer them Is thine Eye Evil because mine is Good I will give to this last even as unto thee Mat. 20. Secondly The other instance is The Thief upon the Cross He came late also even as at an Hour before his Death yea he stayed from Jesus Christ as long as he had liberty to be a Theif and longer too for could he have deluded the Judge and by lying words have escaped his Just Condemnation for ought I know he had not come as yet to his Saviour but being Convicted and Condemned to Die yea fastned to the Cross that he might Die like a Rogue as he was in his Life behold the Lord Jesus when this wicked one even now desireth Mercy at his Hands tells him and that without the least reflexion upon him for his former Mis-spent Life To Day thou shalt be with me in Paradice Luke 23. 43. Let no Man turn this Grace of God into Wantonness my design is now to encourage the coming Soul Object But is not the Door of Mercy Shut against
some before they Die Answ. Yes And God forbids that Prayers should be made to him for them Jer. 7. 16. Jud. 22. Quest. Then why may not I doubt that I may be one of these Answ. By no means if thou art coming to Jesus Christ because when God Shuts the Door upon Men he gives them no heart to come to Jesus Christ. None comes but those to whom it is given of the Father But thou comest therefore it is given to thee of the Father But sure therefore if the Father hath given thee an Heart to come to Jesus Christ the Gate of Mercy yet stands Open to thee For it stands not with the Wisdom of God To give strength to come to the Birth and yet to Shut up the Womb Isa. 66. 9. to give grace to thee to come to Jesus Christ and yet Shut up the Door of his Mercy upon thee Encline your Ear saith he come unto me hear and your Souls shall Live And I will make an Everlasting covenant with you even the sure Mercies of David Isa. 55. 3. Object But it is said that some knocked when the Door was Shut Answ. Yes But the Texts in which these Knockers are Mentioned are to be referred unto the day of Judgment and not to the coming of the Sinner to Christ in this Life See the Texts Mat. 25. 11. Luke 13. 24 25. These therefore concern thee nothing at all that art coming to Jesus Christ thou art coming Now Now is the acceptable time behold now is the day of Salvation 2 Cor. 6. 2. now God is upon the Mercy-Seat now Christ Jesus Sits by continually pleading the Virtue of his Blood for Sinners and now even as long as this World lasts this word of the Text shall still be free and fully fulfilled And him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out Sinner the greater Sinner thou art the greater need of Mercy thou hast and the more will Christ be gloryfied thereby come then come and try come tast and see how good the Lord is to an Undeserving Worthless Sinner Objection 6. But sayes another I am fallen since I began to come to Christ therefore I fear I did not come aright and so consequently that Christ will not receive me Answ. Falls are dangerous for they dishonour Christ wound the conscience and cause the Enemies of God to speak reproachfully But it is no good argument I am fallen therefore I was not coming aright to Jesus Christ. If David and Solomon and Peter had thus objected against themselves they had added to their griefs and yet they had at least as much cause to do it as thou A Man whose steps are ordered by the Lord and whose goings the Lord delights in may yet be over-taken with a Temptation that may cause him to fall Psal. 37. 23 24. Did not Aaron fall yea Moses himself what shall we say of Hezekiah and Jehosaphat There are therefore falls and falls falls pardonable and falls unpardonable falls unpardonable are falls against Light from the Faith to the despising of and trampling upon Jesus Christ and his blessed undertakings Heb. â— 2 3 4 5. Chap. 10. 28 29. Now as for such there remaines no more Sacrifice for sin Indeed they have no heart no mind no desire to come to Jesus Christ for life therefore they must perish nay sayes the Holy Ghost 't is impossible that they should be renewed again unto repentance Therefore these God hath no Compassion for neither ought we but for other falls though they be dreadfull and God will Chastise his people for them they do not prove thee a graceless man one not Coming to Jesus Christ for life It is said of the Child in the Gospel That while he was yet a-coming the Devil threw him down and tore him Luk. 9. 42. Dejected Sinner is it a wonder that thou hast caught a fall in thy Coming to Jesus Christ Is it not rather to be wondred at that thou hast not caught before this a thousand times a thousand falls Considering First What fools we are by nature Secondly What weaknesses are in us Thirdly What mighty powers the fallen Angels our implacable Enemies are Fourthly Considering also how often the Coming-man is be-nighted in his Journey and also what stumbling-blocks do lie in his way Fifthly Also his familiers that were so before now watch for his haulting and seek by what means they may to cause him to fall by the hand of their strong ones What then must we because of these Temptations incline to fall No. Must we not fear falls yes Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall Yet let him not be utterly cast down The Lord upholdeth all that fall and raiseth up all those that are bowed down Make not light of falls yet hast thou fallen ye have said Samuel done all this wickedness yet turn not aside from following the Lord but serve him with a perfect heart and turn not aside for the Lord will not forsake his people and he counteth the coming sinner one of them because it hath pleased the Lord to make you his people 1 Sam. 12. 20 21 22. Shall come to me Now we come to shew what force there is in this Promise to make them come to him All that the father giveth me shall come to me I will Speak to this promise First In general Secondly In particular In general This word shall is confined to these all that are given to Christ. All that the father giveth me shall come to me Hence I conclude First That coming to Jesus Christ aright is an effect of their being of God given to Christ before Mark they shall come Who those that are given they come then because they were given Thine they were and thou gavest them me Now this is indeed a Singular comfort to them that are coming in truth to Christ. Thus then may the coming Soul reason with himself as he comes Am I coming indeed to Jesus Christ this coming of mine is not to be attributed to me or my goodness but to the grace and gift of God to Christ God gave first my Person to him and therefore hath now given me a heart to come to him Secondly This word shall come maketh thy coming not only the fruit of the gift of the Father but also of the purpose of the Son for these words are a divine purpose they shew us the Heavenly determination of the Son The Father hath given them to me and they shall yea they shall come to me Christ is as full in his resolution to save those given to him as is the Father in the giving of them Thirdly These words shall come make thy coming to be also the effect of an absolute Promise Coming sinner thou art concluded in a Promise thy coming is the fruit of the faithfulness of the Promise of the faithfulness of an absolute Promise 'T was this promise by the vertue of which thou at first received'st strength to come
Eternal Hence it is called the peace of God and That passeth all understanding Fourthly The person speaking in the Text hath enough of all things truly Spiritually good to satisfie the desires of every longing Soul And Jesus stood and Cried saying If any man thirst let him come unto me and drink And to him that is athirst I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely Joh. 7. 37. Rev. 21. 6. Fifthly With the person speaking in the Text is power to perfect and defend and deliver those that come to him for safegard All power saith he in heaven and earth is given unto Me Mat. 28. 18. Thus might I multiply instances of this nature in abundance But Secondly they that in truth do come to him do therefore come to him that they may receive it at his hand They come for light they come for life they come for reconciliation with God they also come for peace they come that their Soul may be satisfied with Spiritual good and that they may be protected by him against all Spiritual and Eternal damnation and he alone is able to give them all this to the filling of their joy to the full as they also find when come to him This is evident First From the plain declaration of those that already are come to him Being Justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ by whom also we have access with boldness into this grace wherein we stand and rejoyce in hope of the glory of God Rom. 5. Secondly 'T is evident also in that while they keep their eyes upon him they never desire to change him for another or to add to themselves some other thing together with him to make up their Spiritual Joy God forbid said Paul that I should Glory save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Yea and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and do count them but dung that I may win Christ and be found in him not having mine own Righteousness which is of the Law but that which is thorough the faith of Christ the righteousness which is of God by faith Philipians 3. 7 8 9. Thirdly 'T is evident also by their earnest desires that others might be made partakers of their blessedness Brethren said Paul my hearts desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they might be saved that is that way that he expected to be saved himself as he saith also to the Galatians Brethren saith he I beseech you be as I am for I am as ye are That is I am a sinner as you are now I beseech you seek for life as I am seeking of it as who should say For there is a sufficiency in the Lord Jesus both for me and you Fourthly 'T is evident also by the Triumph that such men make over all their enemies both Bodily and Ghostly Now thanks be to God said Paul who causeth us always to triumph in Jesus Christ. And who shall separate us from the Love of Christ our Lord. And again O death where is thy sting O Grave where is thy victory The sting of death is Sin and the strength of sin is the Law but thanks be to God who giveth us the victory thorow our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Cor. 2. 14. Rom. 8. 35. 1 Cor. 15. 55 56. Fifthly 'T is evident also for that they are made by the Glory of that which they have found in him to suffer and endure what the Devil and Hell it self hath or could invent as a means to separate them from him Again Who shall separate us from the Love of Christ Shall tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or Sword as it is written for thy sake we are killed all the day long we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter Nay in all these things we are more than Conquerors through him that loved us For I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor Angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other Creature shall be able to separate us from the Love of God which is in Christ Jesus Rom 8. Shall come to Me. O the heart attracting glory that is in Jesus Christ when he is discovered to draw those to him that are given to him of the Father Therefore those that come of old rendered this as the cause of their coming to him And we beheld his glory as of the only begotten of the Father Joh. 1. 14. And the reason why others come not but perish in their sins is for want of a sight of his glory If our Gospel be hid it is hid to them that are lost in whom the God of this world hath blinded the minds of them that believe not lest the Glorious Light of the Gospel of Christ who is the image of God should shine unto them 2 Cor. 4. 3. 4. There is therefore heart-pulling glory in Jesus Christ which when discovered draws the man to him wherefore by shall-come to Me Christ may mean when his glory is discovered then they must come then they shall-come to Me. Therefore as the True Comers come with Weeping and Relenting as being sensible of their own Vileness so again it is said That the Ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with Singing and Everlasting Joy upon their Heads they shall obtain Joy and Gladness and Sorrow and Sighing shall flye away That is at the Sight of the Glory of that Grace that shews it self to them now in the Face of our Lord Jesus Christ and in the Hopes that they now have of being with Him in the Heavenly Tabernacles Therefore it saith again With Gladness and Rejoycing shall they be brought they shall enter into the King's Palace Isa. 35. 10. Chap. 51. 11. Psal. 45. 15. There is therefore Heart-attracting Glory in the Lord Jesus Christ which when discovered subjects the Heart to the Word and Makes us Come to him 'T is said of Abraham That when he dwelt in Mesopotamia the God of Glory appeared unto him Act. 7. 2. saying Get thee out of thy Country And what then why away he went from his House and Friends and all the World could not stay him Now as the Psalmist sayes Who is the King of Glory He answers The Lord mighty in Battle And who was that but He that spoiled Principalities and Powers when he did Hang upon the Tree Tryumphing over them thereon And who was that but Jesus Christ even the Person speaking in the Text Therefore he said of Abraham He saw his Day Yea saith he to the Jews Your Father Abraham rejoiced to see my Day and he saw it and was Glad Psal. 24. 8. Col. 2. 14 15. Jam. 1. 1. Joh. 8. 56. Indeed the Carnal Man sayes at least in his Heart There is no Form or Comliness in
Hos. 11. 10 11. When God Roars as oft-times the Coming Soul hears him Roar what Man that is coming can do otherwise than Tremble Amos 3. 8. But Trembling he comes He sprang in and came Trembling and fell down before Paul and Silas Act. 16. Should you ask him that we mentioned but now How long is it since you began to fear you should miss of this Damosel you Love so The Answer would be Ever since I began to Love her But did you not fear it before No nor should I fear it now but that I vehemently Love her Come Sinner let us apply it How long is it since thou begannest to Fear that Jesus Christ will not Receive thee Thy Answer is Ever since I began to desire that he would save my Soul I began to Fear when I began to Come And the more my Heart burns in Desires after him the more I feel my Heart fear I shall not be Saved by him See now Did not I tell thee That thy Fears were but the Consequence of strong Desires Well fear not Coming-Sinner Thousands of Coming-Souls are in thy Condition and yet they will also get safe into Christ's Bosom Say sayes Christ to them that are of a fearful Heart Be strong fear not Your God will come and Save you Isa. 35. 4. Chap. 63 1. Thirdly Thy Fear that Christ will not Receive thee May arise from a Sense of thine own Unworthyness Thou seest what a poor sorry wretched worthless Creature thou art And seeing this thou fearest Christ will not Receive thee Alas say'st thou I am the Vilest of all Men a Town-Sinner a Ring-leading Sinner I am not only a Sinner my self but have made others two-fold worse the Children of Hell also Besides Now I am under some Awakenings and Stirrings of Mind after Salvation even now I find my heart Rebellious Carnal Hard Treacherous Desperate prone to Unbelief to Despair It forgetteth the Word it wandreth it runneth to the Ends of the Earth There is not I am perswaded one in all the World that hath such a desperate wicked Heart as mine is My Soul is careless to do Good but none more earnest to do that which is Evil Can such an one as I am Live in Glory Can an Holy a Just and Righteous God once think with Honour to his Name of Saving such a Vile Creature as I am I fear it Will he shew Wonders to such a dead Dog as I am I doubt it I am cast out to the loathing of my Person yea I loath my self I stink in mine own Nostrils How can I then be accepted by an Holy and Sin-abhorring God Psal. 38. 5 6 7. Ezek. 16. Chap. 20. 42 43 44. Saved I would be and Who is there that would not were they in my Condition Indeed I wonder at the Madness and Folly of others when I see them so Merry in their Chains while I see them Leap and Skip so carelesly about the Mouth of Hell Bold Sinner How darest thou tempt God by Laughing at the Breach of his Holy Law But Alas They are not so bad one way but I am worse another I wish my Self were any Body but my Self And yet here again I know not what to wish When I see such as I believe are coming to Jesus Christ O I bless them But am confounded in my self to see how unlike as I think I am to every good Man in the World They can Hear Read Pray Remember Repent be Humble and Do every thing better than so Vile a Wretch as I. I Vile Wretch am good for nothing but to burn in Hell-Fire and when I think of that I am confounded too Thus the Sense of Unworthyness creates and heightens Fears in the Hearts of them that are coming to Jesus Christ But indeed it should not For who needs the Physitian but the Sick Or who did Christ come into the World to Save but the Chief of Sinners Mar. 1. 17. 1 Tim. 1. 15. Wherefore the more thou feest thy Sins the faster fly thou to Jesus Christ. And let the Sense of thy own Unworthyness prevail with thee yet to go faster As it is with the Man that carrieth his broken Arm in a Sling to the Bone-setter still as he thinks of his broken Arm and as he feels the Pain and Anguish he hastens his Pace to the Man And if Satan meets thee and asketh Whether goest thou Tell him Thou art Maimed and art going to the Lord Jesus If he objects thine own Unworthiness Tell him That even as the Sick seeketh the Physitian and as he that hath broken Bones seeks him that can Set them So thou art going to Jesus Christ for Cure and Healing for thy Sin-sick-Soul But it oft times happeneth to the Coming-Soul as it happeneth to him that flies for his Life He despairs of Escaping and therefore delivers up himself into the Hand of the Purfuer But up up Sinner be of good chear Christ came to Save the Unworthy Ones Be not Faithless but Believe Come away Man the Lord Jesus calls thee saying And him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out Fourthly Thy Fear that Christ will not Receive thee may arise from a Sense of the exceeding Mercy of being Saved Sometime Salvation is in the Eyes of him that desires it so great so huge so wonderful a thing that the very Thoughts of the Excellency of it ingenders Unbelief about obtaining it in the Heart of those that unfeignedly desire it Seemeth it to you said David a Light thing to be a King's Son-in-Law 1 Sam. 18. 23. So the Thoughts of the Greatness and Glory of the Thing propounded as Heaven Eternal Life Eternal Glory to be with God and Christ and Angels These are great Things Things too Good saith the Soul that is little in his own Eyes Things too Rich saith the Soul that is truly poor in Spirit for me Besides the Holy Ghost hath a way to greaten Heavenly things to the understanding of the coming sinner yea and at the same time to greaten too the sin and unworthiness of that sinner Now the Soul staggeringly wonders saying What! to be made like Angels like Christ To live in Eternal bliss joy and felicity This is for Angels and for them that can walk like Angels If a Prince a Duke or Earl should send by the Hand of his Servant to some poor sorry beggarly scrub to take her for his Master to wife and the Servant should come and say My Lord and Master such an one hath sent me to thee to take thee to him to wife he is rich beautiful and of excellent qualities he is Loving Meek Humble Well-spoken c. What now would this poor sorry beggarly Creature think what would she say or how would she frame an answer When King David sent to Abigail upon this account and though she was a rich woman yet she said Behold Let thine hand maid be a Servant to wash the feet of the Servants of my Lord. 1 Sam.
is with one that can pity pray for pardon yea multiply pardons It is with one that can have Compassion upon us when we are out of the way with one that hath an heart to fetch us again when we are gone astray with one that can pardon without upbraiding Blessed be God that life is in Christ For Now 't is sure to all the seed But Fourthly This Doctrine of coming to Jesus Christ for life informs us of the evil of Unbelief that wicked thing that is the only or chief hindrance to the coming sinner Doth the Text say 〈◊〉 Doth it say And him that cometh I will in no wise cast out Then what an evil is that that keepeth sinners from coming to Jesus Christ And that evil is unbelief For by faith we come by Unbelief we keep away Therefore It is said to be that by which a Soul is said to depart from God because it was that which at first caused the world to go off from him and that also that keeps them from him to this day And it doth it the more easily because it doth it with a wile This sin may be called The White Devil for it often-times in its Mischievous doings in the Soul shews as if it was an Angel of Light Yea it Acteth like a Counsellor of Heaven Therefore a little to discourse of this evil disease First It is that sin above all others that hath some shew of reason in its attempts For it keeps the Soul from Christ by pretending its present unfitness and unpreparedness as want of more sense of sin want of more repentance want of more humility want of a more broken heart Secondly It is the sin that most Suiteth with the Conscience the Conscience of the coming sinner tells him that he hath nothing good that he stands inditable for Ten Thousand Tallents that he is a very ignorant blind and hard-hearted sinner unworthy to be once taken notice of by Jesus Christ And will you says Unbelief in such a case as you now are presume to come to Jesus Christ Thirdly It is the sin that most Suiteth with our Sense of feeling The coming sinner feels the workings of sin of all manner of sin and wretchedness in his flesh He also feels the Wrath and Judgement of God due to sin and oft-times staggers under it Now sayes unbelief you may see you have no grace for that which works in you is corruption You may also perceive that God doth not love you because the Sense of his Wrath abides upon you Therefore how can you bear the face to come to Jesus Christ Fourthly It is the sin above all others that most Suiteth with the Wisdom of our flesh the Wisdom of our flesh thinks it prudence to question a while to stand back a while to hearken to both sides a while and not to be rash sudden or unadvised in too bold a presuming upon Jesus Christ And this Wisdom Unbelief falls in with Fifthly It is that sin above all other that continually is whispering the Soul in the ear with mistrusts of the faithfulness of God in keeping promise to them that come to Jesus Christ for life It also suggesteth mistrust about Christs willingness to receive it and save it And no sin can do this so Artificiently as Unbelief Sixthly It is also that sin which is always at hand to enter an Objection against this or that Promise that by the Spirit of God is brought to our heart to comfort us and if the poor coming sinner is not aware of it it will by some evasion slite trick or cavil quickly wrest from him the Promise again and he shall have but little benefit of it Seventhly It is that above all other sins that weakens our Prayers our faith our love our diligence our hope and expectations It even taketh the heart away from God in duty Eightly Lastly This sin as I have said even now it appeareth in the Soul with so many sweet pretences to safety and security that it is as if it were Counsel sent from Heaven Biding the Soul be wise wary considerate well advised and to take heed of too rash a venture upon Believing Besure first that God loves you take hold of no promise untill you are forced by God unto it neither be you sure of your Salvation doubt it still though the testimony of the Lord has been often confirmed in you live not by faith but by sense and when you can neither see nor feel then fear and mistrust then doubt and question all This is the Devilish counsel of Unbelief which is so covered over with specious pretences that the wisest Christian can hardly shake off these reasonings But to be brief Let me here give thee Christian Reader a more particular description of the qualities of Unbelief by opposing Faith unto it in these Twenty five particulars First Faith believeth the word of God but Unbelief questioneth the certainly of the same Psal. 106. 24. Secondly Faith believeth the word because it is true but Unbelief doubteth thereof because it is true 1 Tim. 4. 3. Joh. 8. 45. Thirdly Faith sees more in a promise of God to help than in all other things to hinder But Unbelief notwithstanding Gods promise saith How can these things be Rom. 4. 19 20 21. 2 King 7. 2. Joh. 3. 4 12. Fourthly Fourthly Faith will make thee see love in the heart of Christ when with his mouth he giveth reproofs But Unbelief will imagine wrath in his heart when with his mouth and word he saith he loves us Mat. 15. 22 23 24 25 26 27 28. Numb 13. 2. chap. 14. 3. Fifthly Faith will help the Soul to wait though God deferres to give but Unbelief will take snuff and throw up all if God make any tarrying Psal. 25. 5. Isa. 8. 17. 2 King 6. 33. Psal. 106. 13 14. Sixthly Faith will give comfort in the midst of fears but Unbelief causeth fears in the midst of comfort 2 Chro. 20. 20 21. Mat. 8. 26. Luk. 24. 36 37. Seventhly Faith will suck sweetness out of Gods rod but Unbelief can find no comfort in his greatest mercies Psal. 23. 4. Numb 21. 5. Eighthly Faith maketh great burdens light but Unbelief maketh light ones intollerably heavy 2 Cor. 4. 13 14 15 16 17 18. Mal. 1. 2 13. Ninethly Faith helpeth us up when we are down but Unbelief throws us down when we are up Mich. 7. 8 9 10. Heb. 4. 11. Tenthly Faith bringeth us near to God when we are far from him but Unbelief puts us far from God when we are near to him Heb. 10 22. Chap. 3. 12 13. Eleventhly Where Faith reigns it declareth Men to be the Friends of God but where Unbelief reigns it declareth them to be his Enemies Jam. 5. 23. Heb. 3. 18. Rev. 21. 8. Twelfthly Faith putteth a Man under Grace but Unbelief holdeth him under Wrath Rom. 3. 24 25 26. Chap. 4 16. Ephes. 2. 8. Joh. 3. 36. 1 Joh. 5. 10. Heb. 3. 17. Mark 16.
bin but Fools bables about instead of a sufficient salve to so weighty a Question as this was Wherefore since this poor wretch lacked Salvation by Christ I mean to be saved from Hell and Death which he knew now was due to him for the sins that he had committed Paul bids him like a poor condemned sinner as he was to proceed still in this his way of self-seeking saying Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shall be saved Acts 16. 30 31 32. I know that afterwards thou wilt desire to glorifie Christ by walking in the way of his precepts but at present thou wantest life the avenger of blood is behind thee and the devil like a Lyon is roaring against thee well come now and obtain life from these and when thou hast obtained some comfortable perswasion that thou art made partaker of life by Christ then and not tell then thou wilt say Bless the Lord O my Soul and all that is within me bless his holy name Bless the Lord O my Soul and forget not all his benefits Who forgiveth all thine iniquities and healeth all thy diseases who redeemeth thy life from distruction and Crowneth thee with loving kindness and tender mercies Psal. 103. 1 2 3 4 5. Objection 3. But I cannot believe that I come to Christ aright because sometimes I am apt to question his very Being and Office to save Thus to do is horrible but may'st thou not Judge amiss in this matters How can I Judge amiss when I Judge as I feel Poor Soul thou maist Judge amiss for all that Why I think that these questionings come from my Heart Answ. Let me answer That which comes from thy heart comes from thy will and affections from thy understanding Judgement and Conscience For these must acquiess in thy questioning if thy questioning be with thy heart And how say'st thou for to name no more dost thou with thy Affection and Conscience thus question Answ. No my Conscience trembles when such thoughts come in to my mind and my affections are otherwise inclined Then I conclude that these things are either suddenly injected by the devil or else are the fruits of that body of sin and death that yet dwels in thee or perhaps from both together If they come wholly from the devil as they seem because thy Conscience and affections are against them or if they come from that body of death that is in thee and be not thou curious in enquiring from whether of them they come the safest way is to lay enough at thy own door nothing of this should hinder thy coming nor make thee conclude thou comest not aright And before I leave thee let me a little query with thee farther about this matter First Doest thou like these wicked blasphemies Answ. No no their presence and working kills me Secondly Doest thou mourn for them pray against them and hate thy self because of them Answ. Yes yes but that which afflicts me is I do not prevail against them Thirdly Dost thou sincerely chuse mightest thou have thy choice that thy heart might be affected and taken with the things that are best most heavenly and holy Answ. With all my heart and death the next hour if it were Gods will rather than thus to sin against him Well then thy not liking of them thy mourning for them thy praying against them and thy loathing of thy self because of them with thy sincere chusing of those thoughts for thy delectation that are heavenly and holy clearly declares that these things are not countenanced either with thy Will Affections Understanding Judgement or Conscience and so that thy heart is not in them but that rather they come immediatly from the devil or arise from the body of death that is in thy flesh of which thou oughtest thus to Say Now then it is no more I that doth it but sin that dwells in me Rom 7. 16 17. I will give thee a pertinent instance In Deut. 22. Thou mayest read of a betrothed damsel one betrothed to her beloved one that hath given him her heart and mouth as thou hast given thy self to Christ yet she was met with as she walked in the field by one that forced her because he was stronger than she Well what judgment now doth God the righteous judge pass upon the damsel for this The man only that lay with her saith God shall die but unto the damsel thou shalt do nothing there is in the damsel no sin worthy of death For as when a man riseth against his Neighbor and slayeth him even so is this matter he found her in the field and the betrothed damsel cryed and there was none to save her Deut. 22. 25 26 27. Thou art this damsel the man that forceth thee with these blasphemous thoughts is the devil and he lighteth upon thee in a fit place even in the field as thou art wandering after Jesus Christ but thou cryest out and by thy cry did'st shew that thou abhorrest such wicked leudness Well the Judge of all the earth will do right he will not lay the Sin at thy door but at his that offered the violence and for thy comfort take this into consideration also That he came to heal them that are oppressed with the devil Acts 10. 38. Objection 4. But saith another I am so heartless so slow and as I think so indifferent in my coming that to speak truth I know not whether my kind of coming ought to be called a coming to Christ. Answ. You know that I told you at first that coming to Christ is a moving of the heart and affections towards him But saith the Soul my dulness and indifferency in all holy Duties demonstrate my heartlesness in coming and to come and not with the heart signifies nothing at all Answ. The moving of the heart after Christ is not to be discerned at all times by thy sensible affectionate performing of duties but rather by those secret groanings and complaints which thy soul makes to God against that sloth that attends thee in Duties Secondly But grant it to be even as thou say'st it is that thou comest so slowly c. yet since Christ bids them come that comes not at all surely they may be accepted that come though attended with those infirmities which thou at present groanest under He saith And him that cometh he saith not if they come sensibly so fast But And him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out He saith also in the Eighth of the Proverbs As for him that wanteth understanding that is an heart for oft-times the understanding is taken for the heart Come eat of my bread and drink of the wine that I have Mingled Thirdly Thou may'st be vehement in thy spirit in coming to Jesus Christ and yet be plagued with sensible sloth So was the Church when she cryed Draw me we will run after thee And Paul when he said When I would do good evil is present with me Song 1.
gracious words these words are like drops of honey as it is said Pleasant words are as an honey-Comb sweet to the Soul and health to the bones These are gracious words indeed even as full as a faithful and a merciful High Priest could speak them Luther saith When Christ speaketh he hath a mouth as wide as Heaven and Earth That is to speak fully to the incouragement of every sinfull him that is coming to Jesus Christ. And that his word is certain hear how himself confines it Heaven and Earth saith he shall pass away but my word shall not pass away Isa. 63. 1. Mat. 24. 35. It is also confirmed by the testimony of the Four Evangelists who gave faithful relation of his loving reception of all Sorts of coming sinners whether they were publicans harlots thieves possessed of Devils Bedlams and what not Luk. 19 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8. Mat. 21. 21. Luk. 15. Chap. and Chap. 23. 41 42. Mark 19. 9. Chap. 5. 1 2 3 to 9. This then shews us First The greatness of the merits of Christ. Secondly The willingness of his heart to impute them for Life to the great if coming sinners First This shews us the greatness of the Merits of Christ for it must not be supposed that his words are bigger than his worthyness He is Strong to execute his word he can Do as well as Speak He can do exceeding abundantly more than we ask or think even to the uttermost and out side of his word Ephes. 3. 20. Now then since he concludeth Any Coming Him it must be concluded that he can save to the uttermost Sin Any coming Him He speaketh in Righteousness in very faithfulness when he began to build this blessed Gospel Fabrick the Text It was for that he had first sat down and counted the cost and for that he knew he was able to finish it What Lord Any him Any him that cometh to thee This is a Christ worth looking after this is a Christ worth coming to This then should learn us diligently to consider the Natural force of every word of God and to judge of Christ's ability to save not by our sins or by our shallow apprehensions of his Grace but by his word which is the true measure of Grace And if we do not judge thus we shall dishonor his Grace lose the benefit of his word and needlesly fright our selves into many Discouragements though coming to Jesus Christ. Him any him that cometh hath from this word of Christ to feed himself with hopes of Salvation As thou art therefore coming O thou coming sinner Judge thou whether Christ can savethee by the true Sense of his words Judge coming sinner of the Efficacy of his Blood of the perfection of his Righteousness and of the prevailancy of his intercession by his word And him saith he that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out In no wise that is for no Sin Judge therefore by his word how able he is to save thee It is said of Gods Sayings to the Children of Israel There failed not ought of any good thing which the Lord had spoken to the house of Israel all came to pass And again Not one thing hath failed of of all the good things which the Lord your God spoke concerning you all are come to pass unto you and not one thing hath failed thereof Josh. 21. 45. Chap. 23. 14. Coming sinner what promise thou findest in the word of Christ strain it whether thou canst so thou dost not corrupt it and his Blood and Merits will answer all what the word saith or any true Consequence that is drawn there-from that we may boldly venture upon As here in the Text he saith And Him that cometh indefinitetively without the least intimation of the rejection of any though never so great if he be a coming-sinner Take it then for granted that thou whoever thou art if coming art intended in these words neither shall it injure Christ at all if as Benhadad's Servants served Ahab thou shalt catch him at his word Now saith the Text The Men did diligently observe whether any thing would come from him to wit any word of grace and did hastily catch it And it happened that Ahab called Benhadad his brother The men replyed therefore Thy brother Benhadad catching him at his word 1 King 20. 33. Sinner coming sinner serve Jesus Christ thus and he will take it kindly at thy hands When he in his argument called the Canaanitish woman Dog she catcht him at it and said Truth Lord yet the Dogs eat of the Crumbs that fall from their Masters Table I say she catcht him thus in his words and he took it kindly saying O woman great is thy faith be it unto thee even as thou wilt Mat. 15. 26. Catch him coming sinner catch him Secondly The other thing that I told you is shewed us from these words is this The willingness of Christ's heart to impute his merits for Life to the great if coming sinner And him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out The awakned coming sinner doth not so easily question the power of Christ as his willingness to save him Lord if thou wilt thou canst said one Mar. 1. 40. He did not put the If upon his power but upon his will he concluded he could but he was not as fully of perswasion that he would But we have the same ground to believe he will as we have to believe he can and indeed ground for both is the Word of God If he was not willing why did he promise why did he say he would receive the coming sinner Jacob took him there Thou saidst says he I will surely do thee Good Gen. 32. 12. For from this promise he concluded that it followed in reason He must be willing The Text also gives some ground for us to draw the same conclusion And him that cometh to me I Will in no wise cast out Here is his willingness asserted as well as his power suggested It is worth your observation that Abraham's Faith considered rather his power than his willingness that is he drew this Conclusion I shall have a Child from the Power that was in God to fulfill the Promise to him for he concluded he was willing give him one else he would not have promised one He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief but was strong in faith giving glory to God being fully perswaded that what he had promised he was able to perform Rom. 4. 20 21. But was not his faith exercised or tryed about his willingness too No there was no shew of reason for that because he had promised it indeed had he not promised it he might Lawfully have doubted it but since he had promised it there was left no ground at all for doubting because his willingness to give a Son was demonstrated in his promising him a Son These words therefore are sufficient ground to incourage any coming sinner
Revel 12. Luk. 20. 35. Secondly and more Particularly First Christ hath Everlasting Life for him that cometh to him and he shall never Perish For he will in no wise cast him out But for the rest they are Rejected Cast out and must be Damned Joh. 10. 27 28. Secondly Christ hath Everlasting Righteousness to cloath them with that come to him and they shall be covered with it as with a Garment But the rest shall be found in the Filthy Rags of their own stinking Polutions and shall be wrapt up in them as in a Winding-sheet and so bear their Shame before the Lord and also before the Angels Dan. 9. 24. Isa. 57. 2. Revel 3. 4 18. Chap. 15. 16. Thirdly Christ hath pretious Blood that like an open Fountain stands free for him to wash in that comes to him for Life And he will in no wise cast him out But they that come not to him are Rejected from a Share therein and are left to ireful Vengeance for their Sins Zech. 13. 1. 1 Pet. 1. 18 19. Job 13. 8. Chap 3. 36. Fourthly Christ hath precious Promises and they shall have a Share in them that come to him for Life For he will in no wise cast them out But they that come not can have no Share in them because they are True only in him For in Him and only in Him all the Promises are Yea and Amen Wherefore they that come not to him are no whit the better for them Psal. 50. 16. 2 Cor. 1. 20 21. Fifthly Christ hath all Fulness of Grace in himself for them that come to him for Life And he will in no wise cast them out But those that come not to him are left in their Graceless State and as Christ leaves them Death Hell and Judgement finds them He that findeth me saith Christ findeth Life and shall obtain Favour of the Lord but he that sins against me wrongeth his own Soul All that hate Me love Death Prov. 8. 33 34 35 36. Sixthly Christ is an Intercessor and ever liveth to make Intercession for them that come to God by him But their Sorrows shall be multiplyed that hasten after another or other Gods their Sins and Lusts Their Drink-Offerings will he not offer nor take up their Names into his Lips Psal. 16. 4. Heb. 7. 25. Seventhly Christ hath wonderful Love Bowels and Compassions for those that come to him For He will in no wise cast them out But the rest will find him a Lyon Rampant he will one Day tear them all to peices Now Consider this saith he ye that forget God lest I tare you in peices and there be none to deliver you Psal. 50. 22. Eighthly Christ is He by and for whose sake those that come to him have their Persons and Performances accepted of the Father And he will in no wise cast them out But the rest must flye to the Rocks and Mountains for Shelter but all in vain to hide them from his Face and Wrath Revel 6. 15 16 17. But again These Words Cast out have a special Look to what will be hereafter even at the Day of Judgement For then and not till then will be the great Anathema and Casting out made manifest even manifest by Execution Therefore here to speak to this and that under these two Heads As 1. Of the Casting out it self 2. Of the Place into which they shall be cast that shall then be cast out First The Casting out it self standeth in two Things 1. In a Preparitory Work 2. In the manner of Executing the Act. The Preparitory Work standeth in these three Things First It standeth in their Separation that have not come to him from them that have at that Day Or thus At the Day of the great Casting out those that have not now come to him shall be separated from them that have for them that have He will not cast out When the Son of Man shall come in his Glory and all the Holy Angels with him then he shall sit upon the Throne of his Glory and before him shall be gathered all Nations and he shall separate them one from another as a Shepheard divideth the Sheep from the Goats Matth. 25. 31 32. This dreadful Separation therefore shall then be made betwixt them that now come to Christ and them that come not And good Reason for since they would not with us come to him now they have time Why should they stand with us when Judgement is come Secondly They shall be placed before him according to their condition they that have come to him in great Dignity even at his right hand For he will in no wise cast them out but the rest shall be set at his left hand the place of disgrace and shame for they did not come to him for Life Distinguished also shall they be by fit terms Those that came to him he calleth Sheep but the rest are Frowish Goats And he shall separate them one from another as the Shepherd divideth the Sheep from the Goats and the Sheep will he set on the right hand next Heaven Gate for they came to him but the Goats on his left to go from him into Hell because they are not of his Sheep Thirdly Then will Christ proceed to conviction of those that came not unto him and will say I was a stranger and ye took me not in or did not come unto me Their excuse of themselves he will slight as dirt and proceed to their final Judgment Now when these wretched rejectors of Christ shall thus be set before him in their sins and convicted this is the preparitory work upon which follows the manner of Executing the Act which will be done First In the presence of the Holy Angels Second In the presence of all them that in their life-time came to him by saying unto them Depart from me ye Cursed into everlasting Fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels with this Reason annexed to it For you were cruel to me and mine particularly discovered in these words For I was an hungred and ye gave me no meat thirsty and ye gave me no drink I was a Stranger and ye took me not in Naked and ye Clothed me not Sick and in Prison and ye visited me not Mat. 25. 41 42 43. Lastly Now it remains that we speak of the place into which these shall be cast which in the general you have heard already to wit the Fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels but in particular it is thus described First It is called Tophet For Tophet is ordained of Old yea for the King the Lucifer It is prepared he hath made it deep and large the pile thereof iâ— Fire and much Wood and the Breath of the Lord like a stream of Brimstone doth kindle it Isa. 30. 32. Secondly It is called Hell It is better for thee to enter into Life halt or lame than having two feet to be cast into Hell Mar. 9. 45. Thirdly It is called the
of Gods people I will say that Temptations come to do us good and I will say also that there is a difference betwixt growing worse and worse and thy seeing more clearly how bad thou art There is a man of an ill-favoured countenance who hath too high a conceit of his beauty and wanting the benefit of a glass he still stands in his own conceit at last a Limner is sent unto him who draweth his ill-favoured face to the life now looking thereon he begins to be convinc't that he is not half so handsome as he thought he was Coming sinner thy Temptations are these painters they have drawn out thy ill-favoured heart to the life and have set it before thine eyes and now thou seest how ill favoured thou art Hezekiah was a good man yet when he lay sick for ought I know he had some what too good an opinion of his heart and for ought I know also the Lord might upon his recovery leave him to a Temptation that he might better know All that was in his heart Compare Isa. 38. 1 2 3. with 2 Chron. 32. 31. Alas we are sinfull out of measure but see it not to the full untill an hour of Temptation comes But when it comes it doth as the Painter doth it draweth out our heart to the life Yet the sight of what we are should not keep us from coming to Jesus Christ. There are two ways by which God lets a man into a sight of the Naughtyness of his heart One is by the light of the Word and spirit of God and the other is by the Temptations of the Devil But by the first we see our naughtiness one way and by the second another By the Light of the Word and Spirit of God thou hast a sight of thy naughtyness as by the light of the Sun thou hast a sight of the spots and defilements that are in thy house or raiment Which light gives thee to see a necessity of cleansing but maketh not the blemishes to spread more abominably But when Satan comes when he tempts he puts life and rage into our sins and turnes them as it were into so many devils within us Now like prisoners they attempt to brake through the prison of our body they will attempt to get out at our eyes mouths ears any ways To the Scandal of the Gospel and Reproach of Religion to the darkning of our evidences and damning of our souls But I shall say as I said before this hath oft times been the Lot of Gods people And No Temptation hath over-taken thee but such as is common to man and God is faithfull who will not suffer thee to be tempted above what thou art able 1 Cor. 10. 13. See the Book of Job the Book of Psalms and that of the Lamentations And remember further that Christ himself was tempted to blaspheme to worship the devil and to Murder himself Mat 4. Luk. 4. Temptations worse then which thou canst hardly be over-taken with But he was sinless That is true And he is thy Saviour and that is as true Yea it is as true also that by his being tempted he became the Conqueror of the tempter and a succourer of those that are tempted Col. 2. 14 15. Heb. 2. 17. chap. 4. 15 16. Quest. But what should be the reason that some that are coming to Christ should be so Lamentably cast down and buffetted with Temptations Answ. It may be for several causes First Some that are coming to Christ cannot be perswaded untill the Temptation comes that they are so vile as the Scripture saith they are True they see so much of their wretchedness as to drive them to Christ but there is an over and above of wickedness which they see not Peter little thought that he had had Cursing and Swearing and Lying and an inclination in his heart to deny his Master before the Temptation came But when that indeed came upon him then he found it there to his sorrow Joh. 13. 36 37 38. Mark 14. 36 37 38 39 40 68 69 70 71 72. Secondly Some that are coming to Jesus Christ are too much affected with their own graces and too little taken with Christs person wherefore God to take them off from doteing upon their own Jewels and that they might look more to the person undertaking and merits of his Son plunges them into the ditch by Temptations And this I take to be the meaning of Job If I wash me said he with snow-water and make my self never so clean yet wilt thou plung me in the ditch and mine own clothes shall abhor me Job 9. 30 31. Job had been before a little too much Tampering with his own graces and setting his excellencies a little too high as these Texts make manifest Job 33. 8 9 10 11 12. chap. 34. 5 6 7 8 9. chap. 35. 2 3. chap. 38. 1 2. chap. 40. 1 2 3 4. chap. 42. 3 4 5 6. But by that the Temptation was ended you find him better taught Yea God doth oft-times even for this thing as it were take our graces from us and so leave us almost quite to our selves and to the tempter that we may learn not to love the Picture more than the person of his Son See how he dealt with them in the Sixteenth of Ezek and the Second of Hosea Thirdly Perhaps thou hast been given too much to Judge thy brother to condemn thy brother because a poor tempted man And God to bring down the pride of thy heart letteth the tempter loose upon thee that thou also mayest feel thy self weak For pride goeth before destruction and an haughty spirit before a fall Pro. 16. 18. Fourthly It may be thou hast dealt a little too roughly with those that God hath this way wounded not considering thy self lest thou also be tempted and therefore God hath suffered it to come unto thee Gal. 6. 1. Fifthly It may be thou wast given to slumber and sleep and therefore these Temptations were sent to awaken thee You know that Peters Temptation came upon him after his sleeping then instead of watching and praying then he denyed and denyed and denyed his Master Mat. 26. Sixthly It may be thou hast presumed too far and stood too much in thine own strength and therefore is a time of Temptation come upon thee This was also one cause why it came upon Peter Though all men forsake thee yet will not I. Ah! that 's the way to be tempted indeed Joh. 13. 36 37 38. Seventhly It may be God intends to make thee wise to speak a word in season to others that are afflicted and therefore he suffereth thee to be Tempted Christ was tempted that he might be able to succour them that are tempted Heb. 2. 18. Eighthly It may be Satan hath dared God to suffer him to tempt thee promising that if he will but let him do it thou wilt curse him to his face Thus he obtained leave against Job wherefore take heed tempted soul lest
thou hast found glory in him glory that Surmounts and goes beyond Thou art more glorious than the mountaines of pray Psal. 76. 4. Fifthly 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 The Third Use a Use of 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 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 Joh. 1. 29. Heb. 10. Joh. 14. What shall I say to thee thou comest to a full Christ thou canst not want any thing 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 Dannits 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. First He is full of Grace Grace is sometimes taken for love and take it so here He is full of love never any loved like Jesus Christ. Jonathans 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 cloth 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 unthankfull 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 commended his love towards us in that while we were yet sinners Christ dyed for us Much more then being now justified we shall be saved by his life 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 Rom. 5. 6 7 8 9 10. Secondly He is full of Truth Full of grace and truth Truth that is faithfulness in keeping promise even this of the Text with all other I will in no wise cast out Hence it is said that his words be true and that he is the faithfull God that keepeth covenant And hence it is also that his promise is called Truth Thou wilt fulfill thy truth unto Jacob and thy mercy to Abraham which thou hast sworn unto our Fathers from the days of old Therefore it is said again that both himself and words are Truth I am the Truth the Scriptures of Truth thy Word is Truth thy Law is the Truth and my mouth aith he shall speak truth Joh. 14. 6. Dan. 10. 21. Joh. 17. 17. 2 Sam. 7. 28. Pro. 8. 7. Psal. 119. 142. Eccles. 12. 10. Isa. 25. 1. Mal. 2. 6. Acts 26. 25. 2 Tim. 2. 12 13. Now I say his word is truth and he is full of truth to fulfill his truth even to a Thousand Generations Coming sinner he will not deceive thee come boldly to Jesus Christ. Thirdly He is full of Wisdome He is made unto us of God Wisdome Wisdome to manage the affairs of his Church in general and the affairs of every coming sinner in particular And upon this account he is said to be head over all things 1 Cor. 1. Ephes. 1. Because he manages all things that are in the world by his Wisdom for the good of his Church all mens Actions all Satans Temptations all Gods Providences all Crosses Disappointments all things what ever are under the hand of Christ Who is the Wisdom of God and he ordereth them all for good to his Church And can Christ help it and be sure he can nothing shall happen or fall out in the world but it shall in despite of all opposition have a good tendency to his Church and people Fourthly He is full of the Spirit to communicate it to the coming Sinner he hath therefore received it without measure that he may communicate it to every member of his body according as every mans measure thereof is allotted him by the Father Wherefore he saith that he that comes to him Out of his belly shall flow rivers of Living water Joh. 3. 34. Tit. 3. 5 6. Acts 1. Joh. 7. 31 32 34 35 36 37 38. Fifthly He is indeed a store-house full of all the graces of the Spirit Of his fulness have all we received and grace for grace Here is more Faith more Love more Sincerity more Humility more of every Grace and of this even more of this he giveth to every Lowly Humble Penitent coming Sinner wherefore coming Soul thou comest not to a barren wilderness when thou comest to Jesus Christ John 1. 16. Sixthly He is full of Bowels and Compassion And they shall feel and find it so that come to him for Life He can bear with thy Weaknesses he can pity thy Ignorance he can be touched with the Feeling of thine Infirmities he can affectionately forgive thy Transgressions he can heal thy Back slidings and Love thee Freely His Compassions fail not And he will not break a bruised Reed nor quench the smoaking Flax He can pity them that no Eye pities and be afflicted in all thy Afflictions Mat. 26. 41. Heb. 5 2. Chap. 2. 18 19. Mat 9. 2. Hos. 14. 4. Ezek. 16. 5 6. Isa. 63. 9. Psal. 78. 38. Psal. 86. 15. Psal. 111. 4. Psal. 112. 4. Lam. 3. 22. Isa. 42. 3. Seventhly Coming Soul the Jesus that thou art coming to is full of Might and Terribleness for thy Advantage He can suppress all thine Enemies He is the Prince of the Kings of the Earth He can bow all Men's Designes for thy Help He can break all Snares laid for thee in the Way He can lift thee out of all Difficulties where-with thou may'st be surrounded He is Wise in Heart and Mighty in Power Every Life under Heaven is in his Hand yea the Faln Angels tremble before him And he will save thy Life Coming-Sinner 1 Cor. 1. 24. Rom. 8. 28. Mat. 28. 18. Rev. 15.