Works of John Bunyan: THE DOCTRINE OF THE LAW AND GRACE UNFOLDED. 547

 

First. He slays or kills the party to everything besides Himself, His Son Jesus Christ, and the comforts of the Spirit. To clarify this, I shall show you the following: 1. With what God kills; 2. How God kills; 3. To what God kills those whom He makes alive in Jesus Christ.

1. [What God kills]. When God brings sinners into the Covenant of Grace, He doth first kill them with the Covenant of Works, the moral law, or the Ten Commandments. This is Paul's doctrine and experience. It is his doctrine where he saith, "The ministration of death, written and engraved in stones—the ministration of condemnation," which is the law, in that place, called the letter, "killeth" (2 Cor 3:6-9). The letter, saith he, killeth; or the law, or the ministration of death, which in another place is called "the voice of words" (Heb 12:19), because they have no life in them, but rather death and damnation, through our inability to fulfill them, doth kill (Rom 8:3; 2 Cor 6). It is his experience where he saith, "I was alive," that is, to my own things, "without the law once," that is, before God did strike him dead by it, "but when the commandment came," that is, to do and exercise its right office on me, which was to kill me, then "sin revived, and I died," and I was killed. "And the commandment," or the law, "which was ordained to" be unto "life, I found to be unto death. For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me" (Rom 7:9-11).2. But how doth God kill with this law, or covenant?

1. By opening to the soul the spirituality of it—"The law is spiritual," saith he, "but I am carnal, sold under sin" (Rom 7:14). Now the spirituality of the law is discovered this way—

(1.) By showing the soul that every sinful thought is a sin against it. Ay, sinner, when the law doth come home indeed upon thy soul in the spirituality of it, it will discover such things to thee to be sins that now thou lookest over and regardest not; that is a remarkable saying of Paul when he saith, "Sin revived, and I died." Sin revived, saith he, as if he had said, Those things that before I did not value nor regard, but looked upon them to be trifles, to be dead, and forgotten; but when the law was fastened on my soul, it did so raise them from the dead, call them into mind, so muster them before my face, and put such strength into them, that I was overmastered by them, by the guilt of them. Sin revived by the commandment, or my sins had mighty strength, life, and abundance of force upon me because of that, insomuch that they killed me (Matt 5:28).

(2.) It showeth that every such sin deserveth eternal damnation. Friends, I doubt there be but a few of you who have seen the spirituality of the law of works. But this is one thing in which it discovereth its spirituality, and this is the proper work of the Law.

finding out(3.) God, with a discovery of this, doth also discover His own Divine and infinite justice, of which the law is a description, which backs what is discovered by the law, and that by discovering of its purity and holiness to be so Divine, so pure, so upright, and so far of from winking at the least sin, that He doth by that law, without any favor, condemn the sinner for that sin (Gal 3:10). Now, when He hath brought the soul into this praemunire, into this puzzle, then,

2. He showeth to the soul the nature and condition of the law as to its dealings with, or forbearing of, the sinner that hath sinned against it; which is to pass an eternal curse upon both soul and body of the party so offending, saying to him, Cursed be the man that continueth not in everything that is written in the Book of the Law to do it; for, saith the law, this is my proper work; first, to show thee thy sins; and when I have done that, then, in the next place, to condemn thee for them, and that without all remedy, as from ME, or anything within my bounds, for I am not to save any, to pardon any—nay, not to favor any in the least thing that have sinned against me; for God did not send me to make alive, but to discover sin, and to condemn for the same. Now, so soon as this is presented to thy conscience, in the next place, the Lord also by this law doth show that now there is no righteous act according to the tenor of that covenant that can relieve him, or take him off from all this horror and curse that lies upon him; because that is not an administration of pardon, as I said before, to forgive the sin, but an administration of damnation, because of transgression. This discovery striketh the soul into a deadly swoon, even above half dead! But when God doth do the work indeed, He does, in the next place, show the soul that he is the man eternally under this covenant by nature and has sinned against this law. Doth by right deserve the curse and displeasure of the same, and that all that ever he can do will not give satisfaction to that glorious justice that did provide this law; holy actions, tears of blood, selling all, and giving it to the poor, or whatever else can be done by thee, it comes all short. It is all to no purpose (Phil 3). I will warrant him, he that seeth this, it will kill him to that which he was alive unto before, though he had a thousand lives.

Works of John Bunyan: THE DOCTRINE OF THE LAW AND GRACE UNFOLDED. 546

 

7. I do also suppose that there is a faith that is wrought upon men through the influence of those gifts and abilities that God sometimes gives to those that are not His own by-election, though by creation; my meaning is, some men, finding that God hath given them very great gifts and abilities,—as to the gifts of preaching, praying, working miracles, or the like—I say, therefore do conclude that God is their Father, and they are His children; the ground of which confidence is still begotten, not by the glorious operation of the Spirit, but by a considering of the great gifts that God had bestowed upon them as to the things before-mentioned. Thus, (1.) the poor soul considers how ignorant it was, and now how knowing it is. (2.) Considering how vain it formerly was and now how civil it is, presently makes this conclusion—Surely God loves me, surely He hath made me one of His and will save me. This is now a wrong faith, as is evident, in that it is placed upon a lousy object; for mark, this faith is not placed assuredly on God's grace alone, through the blood and merits of Christ being discovered effectually to the soul, but upon God through those things that God hath given it, as of gifts, either to preach, or pray, or do great works, or the like, which will assuredly come to naught as sure as God is in Heaven, if no better faith and ground of faith be found out for thy soul savingly to rest upon.

As to the second clause of the objection, which runs to this effect, God loves men upon the account of their believing, I answer that God loves men before they believe; He loves them, He calls them and gives them faith to believe—"But God, who is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved us," when? when we believed, or before? "even when we were dead in sins," and so, far off from believers, "hath quickened us together with" Christ, "by grace ye are saved" (Eph 2:4,5).

Now, also, thou wilt say in thy heart, I would you would show us then what saving faith is, which thing I may touch upon a while hence, in the next thing that I am to speak unto. O they that have that are safe indeed!

SECOND. WHO AND HOW MEN ARE ACTUALLY BROUGHT INTO THE NEW COVENANT.

The SECOND thing that I am to speak to is this—WHO they are that are brought into this free and unchangeable grace, and also HOW they are brought in.

Answ. Indeed, now we come to the pinch of the whole discourse, and if God does but help me to run rightly through this, as I do verily believe He will, I may do thee, reader, good and bring glory to my God.

The question has two branches: FIRST, who are brought in, and SECOND, how they are brought in.

[FIRST. Who is brought in?] The first is quickly answered—"Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners," Jewish sinners, Gentile sinners, old sinners, young sinners, great sinners, the chiefest of sinners. Publicans and harlots—that is, whores, cheaters, and exactors—shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven (1 Tim 1:15; Rom 5:7-11; 1 Cor 6:9,11; Matt 21:31). "For I come not," saith Christ, "to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance" (Mark 2:17).

A sinner in the Scripture is described in general to be a transgressor of the law—"Whosoever committeth sin, transgresseth the law; for sin is the transgression of the law" (1 John 3:4). But notably, they are described in a more particular way, as, 1. Such as in whom dwelleth the devil (Eph 2:2,3). 2. Such as will do the service of him (John 8:44). 3. Such as are enemies to God (Col 1:21) 4. Such as drunkards, whoremasters, liars, perjured persons, covetous, revilers, extortionists, fornicators, swearers, possessed with devils, thieves, idolaters, witches, sorcerers, conjurors, murderers, and the like (1 Cor 6:9,10; 2 Chron 33:1-13; Acts 2:36,37; 9:1-6; 19:9; 1 Tim 1:14-16). These are sinners, and such sinners that God hath prepared Heaven, happiness, pardon of sin, and an inheritance of God, with Christ, with saints, with angels, if they do come in and accept of grace, as I might prove at large; for God's grace is so great, that if they do come to Him by Christ, presently all is forgiven them; therefore never object that thy sins are too great to be pardoned; but come, taste and see how good the Lord is to any whosoever come unto Him.

[SECOND.] Second, How are these brought into this Everlasting Covenant of Grace?

Answ. When God doth in deed and in truth bring a sinner into this most blessed covenant, [Come to the Touchstone, sinner]. For so it is, He usually goes this way—

Works of John Bunyan: THE DOCTRINE OF THE LAW AND GRACE UNFOLDED. 545

 

Objection Second. But how cometh it to pass then, that many fall off again from the grace of the Gospel, after a profession of it for some time; some to delusions, and some to their own sins again? [The second objection].

Answ. They have all fallen away, not from the everlasting love of God to them, but from the profession of the love of God to them. Men may profess that God loves them when there is no such matter and that they are the children of God when the devil is their father, as it is in John 8:40-44. Therefore, they that do finally fall away from a profession of the grace of the Gospel, it is, first, because they are bastards and not sons. Secondly, because as they are not sons, so God suffereth them to fall, to make it appear that they are not sons, not of the household of God—"They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt," mark that, "no doubt," saith he, "they would have continued with us: but they went out," from us, "that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us" (1 John 2:19). And though Hymenaeus and Philetus do throw themselves headlong to Hell, "nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are His" (2 Tim 2:17-19).

Objection Third. But the Scripture saith that some had everyone faith, yet lost it, and have made shipwreck of it. [The third objection]. Now God loves no longer than they believe, as is evident; for "he that believeth not shall be damned." So then, if some may have faith, and yet lose it, and so lose the love of God because they have lost their faith, it is evident that God's love is not so immutable as you say it is to everyone that believeth.

Answ. There are more sorts of faith than one that are spoken of in
Scripture—

1. There is a faith that man may have, and yet be nothing, none of the saints of God, and yet may do great things therewith (1 Cor 13:1-4).

2. There is a faith that was wrought merely by the operation of the miracles done in those days by Christ and his followers—"And many of the people believed in Him." How came they by their faith? Why, by the operation of the miracles that He did among them; for said they, "When Christ cometh, will He do more miracles than these which this man hath done?" (John 7:31).

The great thing that wrought their faith in them was only by seeing the miracles that He did, John 2:23, which is not that saving faith which is called the faith of God's elect, as is evident; for there must not be only miracles wrought upon outward objects to beget that—that being too weak a thing—but it must be by the same power that was stretched out in raising Christ from the dead; yea, the exceeding greatness of that power (Eph 1:18,19). So there is a believing, being taken with some marvelous work, visibly appearing to the outward sense of seeing. There is a belief that is wrought in the heart by an invisible operation of the Spirit, revealing the certainty of the satisfaction of the merits of Christ to the soul in a more glorious way, both for certainty and for durableness, both as to the promise and the constancy of it (Matt 16:17, 18).

3. There is a faith of a man's own, of a man's self also; but the faith of the operation of God, in Scripture, is set in opposition to that, for, saith He, you are saved by grace, "through faith, and that not of yourselves," of your own making, but that which is the free gift of God (Eph 2:8).

4. We say there is a historical faith, as is begotten by the co-operation of the Spirit with the Word.

5. We say there is a traditional faith—that is, to believe things by tradition because others say they believe them; this is received by tradition, not by revelation, and shall never be able to stand, neither at the day of death nor at the day of judgment; though possibly men, while they live here, may esteem themselves and states to be very good, because their heads are filled full of it.

6. There is a faith that is called in Scripture a dead faith, the faith of devils or of the devil; they also have only this, they are like the devil and as sure to be damned as he, notwithstanding their faith, if they get no better into their hearts; for it is far off from enabling of them to lay hold of Jesus Christ, and so to put Him on for eternal life and sanctification, which they must do if ever they be saved (James 2:19,26).

But all these are short of the saving faith of God's elect, as is manifest; I say, first, Because these may be wrought, and not by that power so exceedingly stretched forth. Secondly, Because these are wrought partly, (1.) By the sense of seeing—namely, the miracles—not by hearing; and (2.) The rest is wrought by a traditional or historical influence of the words in their heads, not by a heavenly, invisible, almighty, and saving operation of the Spirit of God in their hearts.

Works of John Bunyan: THE DOCTRINE OF THE LAW AND GRACE UNFOLDED. 544

 

Third. Not only this, but, 1. God hath begotten believers again to Himself, to be His adopted and accepted children, in and through the Lord Jesus (1 Peter 1:3). 2. God has prepared a kingdom for them before the foundation of the world through Jesus Christ (Matt 25:34). 3. He hath given them an earnest of their happiness while they live here in this world. "After that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of His glory," and that through this Jesus (Eph 1:13,14). [These things are more fully laid down in that part of the book which containeth the discourse of the privileges of the new covenant]. 4. If His children sin through weakness or by sudden temptation, they confess it, He willingly forgives and heals all their wounds, renewed His love towards them, waits to do them good, casteth their sins into the depths of the sea, and all this freely, without any work done by men as men—Not for your own sakes do I do this, O house of Israel, be it known unto you, saith the Lord, but wholly and alone by the blood of Jesus (Eze 36:23,23). 5. In a word, if you would see it all together, God's love was the reason why Jesus Christ was sent to bleed for sinners. Jesus Christ's bleeding stops the cries of Divine justice; God looks upon them as complete in Him and gives them to Him as His by right of purchase. Jesus ever lives to pray for them that are thus given unto Him. God sends His Holy Spirit into them to reveal this to them, sends His angels to minister for them, and all this by an Everlasting Covenant between the Father and the Son. Thrice happy are the people that are in such a case!

Nay, further, He hath made them brethren with Jesus Christ, members of His flesh and of His bones, the spouse of this Lord Jesus; and all to show you how dearly, how really, how constantly He loveth us, who, by faith of His operation, have laid hold upon Him. [These things I might have treated upon more largely].

[Further Arguments and Objections answered].

I shall now lay down a few arguments for the superabundant clearing of it, and afterwards answer two or three objections that may be made against it, and so I shall fall upon the next thing.

First. God loves the saints as He loves Jesus Christ, and God loves Jesus Christ with eternal love; therefore, the saints also have the same. "Thou hast loved them as Thou has loved Me" (John 17:23).

Second. That love which is God Himself, must needs be everlasting love; and that is the love wherewith God hath loved His saints in Christ Jesus; therefore His love towards His children in Christ must needs be an everlasting love. There is none dare say that the love of God is mixed with a created mixture; if not, then it must needs be Himself (1 John 4:16). [You must not understand that love in God is a passion as it is in us; but the love of God is the very essence or nature of God].

Third. That love which is always pitched upon us, in an object as
holy as God, must needs be an everlasting love. Now the love of
God was and is pitched upon us, through an object as holy as God
Himself, even our Lord Jesus; therefore it must needs be unchangeable.

Fourth. If He with whom the Covenant of Grace was made did in everything and condition do even what the Lord could desire or require of Him, that His love might be extended to us, and that forever, then His love must needs be everlasting, seeing everything required of us was accomplished entirely for us by Him; and all this hath our Lord Jesus done, and that most gloriously, even on our behalf; therefore it must needs to be a love that lasts forever and ever.

Fifth. If God hath declared Himself to be the God that changeth not and hath sworn to be immutable in His promise, then surely He will be unchangeable; and He hath done so; therefore, it is impossible for God to lie, and so for His eternal love to be changeable (Heb 6:13-18). Here is an argument of the Spirit's own making! Who can contradict it? If any object, and say, But still it is upon the condition of believing—I answer, The condition also is His own free gift, and not a qualification arising from the stock of nature (Eph 2:8; Phil 1:28,29). So, here is the love unchangeable; here is the condition given by Him whose love is immutable, which may serve yet further for a strong argument that God will have His love unchangeable. Sinner, this is better felt and enjoyed than talked of.

Objection First. But if this love of God is unchangeable in itself, it is not unchangeably set upon the saints unless they behave better. [The first objection].

Answ. As God's love at first was bestowed upon the saints without anything foreseen by the Lord in them, as done by them, Deuteronomy 9:4-6, so He goeth on with the same, Saying, "I will never leave thee nor forsake thee" (Heb 13:5).