Works of John Bunyan: The Greatness of The Soul, And Unspeakableness of the Loss Thereof; Come and Welcome To Jesus-Christ, 243.

 

First, ALL cannot be intended in its largest sense. That ALL that is given to Christ, if you take the gift of the Father to him in the largest sense, cannot be intended in the text, is evident.

1. Because, then, all the men—yeah, all the things in the world—must be saved. “All things,” saith he, “are delivered unto me of my Father” (Matt 11:27). I think, no rational man in the world will conclude this. Therefore, the gift intended in the text must be restrained to some, like a gift that is given by the Father to the Son through specialty.

2. It must not be taken for ALL, that in any sense are given by the Father to him, because the Father has given some, yea, many to him, to be dashed in pieces by him. “Ask of me,” said the Father to him, “and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.” But what must be done with them? Must he save them all? No. “Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel” (Psa 2). This method he used not with them that he saved by his grace, but with those that he and saints shall rule over in justice and severity (Rev 2:26–27). Yet, as you see, “they are given to him.” Therefore, the gift intended in the text must be restrained to some, like a gift that is given by the Father to the Son through specialty.

In Psalm 18, he says plainly, that some are given to him that he might destroy them. “Thou hast given me the necks of my enemies; that I might destroy them that hate me” (verse 40). These, therefore, cannot be of the number of those that are said to be given in the text; for those, even ALL of them, shall come to him, “and he will in no wise cast them out.”

3. Some are given to Christ, that he might bring about some of his high and deep designs in the world. Thus Judas was given to Christ, to wit, that by him, even as was determined before, he might bring about his death, and so the salvation of his elect by his blood. Yea, and Judas must so manage this business that he must lose himself forever in bringing it to pass. Therefore the Lord Jesus, even in his loss of Judas, applies himself to the judgment of his Father, if he had not in that thing done that which was right, even in suffering of Judas so to bring about his Master’s death, as that he might, by so doing, bring about his own eternal damnation also.

“Those,” said he, “that thou gave me, I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the Scripture might be fulfilled” (John 17:12). Let us, then, grant that Judas was given to Christ, but not as others are given to him, not as those made mention of in the text; for then he should have failed to have been so received by Christ, and kept to eternal life. Indeed, he was given to Christ; but he was given to him to lose him, in the way that I have mentioned before; he was given to Christ, that he by him might bring about his own death, as was before determined; and that in the overthrow of him that did it. Yea, he must bring about his own death, as was before determined, and it was his overthrow that did it. Yeah, he must bring about his dying for us in the loss of the instrument that betrayed him, that he might even fulfill the Scripture in his destruction and in the salvation of the rest. “And none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the Scripture might be fulfilled.”

Ted 

Works of John Bunyan: The Greatness of The Soul, And Unspeakableness of the Loss Thereof; Come and Welcome To Jesus-Christ, 242.

 

"All that the Father giveth me." This word 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 bear. Wherefore, that we may 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 those whom he will "in no wise cast out." Thus, also, the words all Israel, are sometimes to be taken, although sometimes they are taken for the whole family of Jacob. "And so all Israel shall be saved" (Rom 11:26). By all Israel here, he intended not all of Israel, in the largest sense; "for they are not all Israel which are of Israel;" "neither because they are of the seed of Abraham, are they all children; but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called. That is, they, who are the children of the flesh, are not the children of God; but the children of the promise are counted for the seed" (Rom 9:6–8).

This word ALL, therefore, must be limited and enlarged, as the truth and argument, for the sake of which it is used, will bear; else we shall abuse Scripture, and readers, and ourselves, and all. "And I, if I am lifted up from the earth," said Christ, "will draw ALL men unto me" (John 12:32). Can any man imagine, that by ALL, in this place, he should mean all and every individual man in the world, and not rather that all that is consonant to the scope of the place?

And if, by being "lifted up from the earth," he means, as he should seem, his being taken up into heaven; and if, by "drawing ALL men after him," he meant drawing them unto that place of glory; then must he mean by ALL men, those, and only those, that shall in truth be eternally saved from the wrath to come. "For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all" (Rom 11:32). Here again you have all and all, to all; but yet a greater disparity between the all made mention of in the first place, and that all made mention of the second. Those intended in this text are the Jews, even all of them, by the first all that you find in the words. The second all doth also intend the same people, yet only so many of them as God will have mercy upon. "He hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all." The all also in the text, is likewise to be limited and restrained to the saved, and to them only. But again;—

The word "giveth," or "hath given," must be restrained, after the same manner, to the same limited number. "All that the Father giveth me." Not all that is given, if you take the gift of the Father to the Son in the largest sense; for in that sense there are many given to him that shall never come unto him; yea, many are given unto him that he will "cast out." I shall, therefore, first show you the truth of this; and then in what sense the gift in the text must be taken.

Works of John Bunyan: The Greatness of The Soul, And Unspeakableness of the Loss Thereof; Come and Welcome To Jesus-Christ, 241.

 

“ALL THAT THE FATHER GIVETH ME SHALL COME TO ME; AND HIM THAT COMETH TO ME I WILL IN NO WISE CAST OUT.”—JOHN 6:37.

Note, When providences are black and terrible to God’s people, the Lord Jesus shows himself to them in a wonderful manner, which sometimes they can as little bear, as they can the things that were before terrible to them. They were afraid of the wind and the water; they were also afraid of their Lord and Savior 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 is never so terrible, is to allay their fears and perplexities. Then they received him into the ship, and immediately the ship was at land, where it went.

Note, When Christ is absent from his people, they go on, but slowly, and with great difficulty; but when he joins himself unto them, oh! how fast they steer their course! How soon are they at their journey’s end!  The people now among whom he last preached when they saw that both Jesus and his disciples were gone also took shipping, and came to Capernaum, seeking Jesus. And when they had found him, they wonderingly asked him, “Rabbi, when came thou hither?” but the Lord Jesus, slighting their compliment, 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 the sea for loaves. A man’s belly will carry him a great way in religion; yes, a man’s belly will make him venture far for Christ.

Note again, They are not feigning compliments, but gracious intentions, that crown the work in the eye of Christ; or thus, it is not the toil and business of professors, but their love for 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 endured to eternal life. Oh! How willingly would Jesus Christ have even those professors who come to him with pretenses only, come to him sincerely, that they may be saved?

The text, you will find, is, after much more discourse with and about these people, and it is uttered by the Lord Jesus as the conclusion of the whole and intimates that, since they were professors in pretense 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 honored in your salvation; but the Father has 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 rests himself content, after much labor and many sermons spent, as it were, in vain. As he saith by the prophet, “I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for naught, 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 that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.” By these words, therefore, the Lord Jesus comforted 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 in Capernaum, Chorazin, and Bethsaida: “I thank thee, O Father,” said he, “Lord of heaven and earth, because thou has hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes; even so, Father, for so it seemed good in thy sight” (Matt 11:25; Luke 10:21).

The text, in general, stands in two parts and has a special respect for the Father and the Son; as well as for their joint management of the salvation of the 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, respects the Father and his gift; the other part is about the Son and his reception of that gift.

FIRST, for the gift of the Father, there is this to be considered, to wit, the gift itself; and that is the 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 gives persons to Jesus Christ.

SECOND, you have the Son’s reception of this gift, and that showed itself in these particulars: 1. In his hearty acknowledgment of it as 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 that the Father giveth me shall come to me.” 4. And in his determination that not anything 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 choose to speak to the words, FIRST, BY WAY OF EXPLICATION. SECOND, BY WAY OF OBSERVATION.

T

Works of John Bunyan: The Greatness of The Soul, And Unspeakableness of the Loss Thereof; Come and Welcome To Jesus-Christ, 240.

 

“And they shall come, which were ready to perish.”—Isaiah 27:13.

“Come and welcome to Jesus Christ,” is a subject peculiarly fitted to the deep and searching experience of John Bunyan. He knew all the wiles of sin and Satan, in placing stumbling blocks in the way of a sincere penitent; all the human craft employed in keeping the soul from a simple and entire reliance upon Christ for salvation. This little work soon became most deservedly popular, passing through four large editions during the last seven years of the author’s life. It is an enlightened display of the dealings of the Father in giving sinners to Christ; the Son in saving them by his atonement, mediation, and intercession; and the Holy Spirit in sanctifying and fitting them for glory. Here is no Calvinism, Lutheranism, or Arminianism; no Episcopacy, Presbytery, or Independence; nothing but Christism and Bibleism.

The gracious invitation is addressed to all who feel their misery, Come unto me, and I will make you happy and blessed. All who feel the leprosy of sin are invited to this spiritual physician, and he only can and will heal them. For all who suffer under the slavery of sin and Satan, Christ alone can make you free. Come to him, and you will indeed be free. The analysis of Bunyan’s treatise shows that all mankind is born in sin. All sinners are invited to Christ. None will come but such as feel the plague, and see the leprosy of sin. Those who come are drawn in a variety of ways—some terrified by the horrors of hell, others allured by the gracious voice of the Saviour, and others by the prospects of heavenly felicity. All who sincerely come, attain the same end, a sincere and total reliance upon the Savior as the only refuge from the roaring lion.

Every other way to life is guarded by the flaming swords of the cherubim. Christ opens his golden arms wider than all our miseries. But he suffers no rival on his throne, no partnership with Moses or John Baptist. The personification of “shall come,” and of “ignorance,” is strikingly illustrative; as is “sin, the winding sheet of the soul;” “unbelief, the white devil;” the sinner being a counsellor for Satan; and the two ways of taking our own likeness. His appeal to persecutors is most forcible. But I must not deter the reader from the pleasure and profit he will receive from an attentive perusal of these pages.

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 wind was contrary, which means the ship was hindered 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.

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