Works of John Bunyan: The Greatness of The Soul And Unspeakableness of the Loss Thereof; Advantages To The Man That Come To Christ, 271

 

"And him that COMES" There are two sorts of sinners that are coming to Jesus Christ. First, Him that has never, while of late,  at all began to come. Second, Him that came formerly, and after that went back; but had since bethought himself, and is now coming again. Both these sorts of sinners are intended by HIM in the text, as is evident; because both are now the coming sinners. "And him that comes."

First. [The newly-awakened comer.]—For the first of these: the sinner that had never, while of late, began to come, his way is easier; I do not say, more plain and open to come to Christ than is the other—those last not having the clog of a guilty conscience, for the sin of backsliding, hanging at their heels. But all the encouragement of the gospel, with what invitations are therein contained to coming sinners, are as free and as open to the one as to the other; so that they may with the same freedom and liberty, as from the Word, both alike claim interest in the promise. "All things are ready;" all things for the coming backsliders, as well as for the others: "Come to the wedding." "And let him that is athirst come" (Matt 22:1-4; Rev 22:17).

Second. [The returning backslider.]—But having spoken to the first of these already, I shall here pass it by; and shall speak a word or two to him that is coming, after backsliding, to Jesus Christ for life. Thy way, O thou sinner of a double dye, thy way is open to come to Jesus Christ. I mean thee, whose heart, after long backsliding, doth think of turning to him again. Thy way, I say, is open to him, as is the way of the other sorts of comers; as appears by what follows:—

1. Because the text makes no exception against thee. or excludes anyone, even a backslider, from coming, but indefinitely open wide its golden arms to every coming soul, without the least exception; therefore thou may come. And take heed that thou shut not that door against thy soul by unbelief, which God has opened by his grace.

2. Nay, the text is so far from excepting against thy coming, that it strongly suggests that thou art one of the souls intended, O thou coming backslider; else what need that clause have been so inserted, "I will in not cast out?" As who should say, Though those that come now are such as have formerly backslidden, I will in "no way" cast away the fornicator, the covetous, the trailer, the drunkard, or other common sinners, nor yet the backslider neither.

Works of John Bunyan: The Greatness of The Soul And Unspeakableness of the Loss Thereof; Advantages To The Man That Is Come To Christ, 270

 

“And him that COME.” There is further to be gathered from this word come, these following particulars:—

1. That Jesus Christ has his eye upon, and takes notice of, the first moving of the heart of a sinner after himself. Coming sinner, thou can not move with desires after Christ, but he sees the working of those desires in thy heart. “All my desire,” said David, “is before thee; and my groaning is not hidden from thee” (Psa 38:9). This he spoke, as he was coming after he had backslidden, to the Lord Jesus Christ. It is said of the prodigal, that while he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, had his eye upon him, and upon the going out of his heart after him (Luke 15:20).

When Nathanael came to Jesus Christ, the Lord said to them that stood before him, “Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile.” But Nathanael answered him, “Whence knowest thou me?” Jesus answered, “Before Philip called thee, when thou was under the fig tree, I saw thee.” I suppose Nathanael was pouring out of his soul to God for mercy, or that he would give him a good understanding about the Messiah to come, and Jesus saw all the workings of his honest heart at that time (John 1:47,48).

Zaccheus also had some secret moving of heart, such as they were, towards Jesus Christ, when he ran before and climbed up the tree to see him; and the Lord Jesus Christ had his eye upon him: therefore, when he came to the place, he looked up to him, bids him come down, “For today,” said he, “I must abide at thy house;” to wit, to the further completing the work of grace in his soul (Luke 19:1-9). Remember this, coming sinner.

2. As Jesus Christ hath his eye upon, so he hath his heart open to receive, the coming sinner. This is verified by the text: “And him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.” This is also discovered by his preparing of the way, in his making of it easy (as may be) to the coming sinner; which preparation is manifest by those blessed words, “I will in no wise cast out;” of which more when we come to the place. And while “he was yet a great way off, his Father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him” (Luke 15:20). All these expressions strongly prove that the heart of Christ is open to receive the coming sinner.

3. As Jesus Christ has his eye upon, and his heart open to receive, he has already resolved that nothing shall alienate his heart from receiving the coming sinner. No sins of the coming sinner, nor the length of the time that he hath abode in them, shall by any means prevail with Jesus Christ to reject him. Coming sinner, thou art coming to a loving Lord Jesus!

4. These words, therefore, are dropped from his blessed mouth, so that the coming sinner might be encouraged to continue on his journey until he becomes indeed to Jesus Christ. It was doubtless a great encouragement to blind Bartimaeus, that Jesus Christ stood still and called him, when he was crying, “Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me;” therefore, it is said, he cast away his garment, “rose, and came to Jesus” (Mark 10:46). Now, if a call to come hath such encouragement in it, what is a promise of receiving such, but an encouragement much more? And observe it, though he had a call to come, yet not having a promise, his faith was forced to work upon a mere consequence, saying, He calls me; and surely since he calls me, he will grant me my desire. Ah! but coming sinner, thou hast no need to go so far about as to draw (in this matter) consequences, because thou hast plain promises: “And him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.” Here is full, plain, yea, what encouragement one can desire; for, suppose thou was admitted to make a promise thyself and Christ should attest that he would fulfill it upon the sinner that cometh to him, Could thou make a better promise? Could thou invent a more full, free, or larger promise? a promise that looks at the first moving of the heart after Jesus Christ? A promise that declares, yea, that engages Christ Jesus to open his heart to receive the coming sinner? Yea, further, a promise that demonstrates that the Lord Jesus is resolved freely to receive, and will in no wise cast out, nor means to reject, the soul of the coming sinner! For all this lieth fully in this promise, and doth naturally flow therefrom. Here thou needs not to make use of far-fetched consequences, nor strain thy wits, to force encouraging arguments from the text. Coming sinner, the words are plain: “And him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.”

T

Works of John Bunyan: The Greatness of The Soul And Unspeakableness of the Loss Thereof; Advantages To The Man That Is Come To Christ, 269

 

A man that is come to Christ hath the advantage of him that is but coming to him; and that in seven things.

1. He that is come to Christ is nearer to him than he that is but coming to him; for he that is but coming to him is yet, in some sense, at a distance from him; as it is said of the coming prodigal, "And while he was yet a great way off" (Luke 15:20). Now he that is nearer to him hath the best sight of him; and so can make the best judgment of his wonderful grace and beauty, as God saith, "Let them come near, then let them speak" (Isa 41:1). And as the apostle John saith, "And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world" (1 John 4:14). He that is not yet come, though he is coming, is not fit, not being indeed capable to make that judgment of the worth and glory of the grace of Christ, as he is that comes to him and hath seen and beheld it. Therefore, sinner, suspend thy judgment till thou art come nearer.

2. He that is come to Christ has the advantage of him that is but coming, in that he is eased of his burden; for he that is but coming is not eased of his burden (Matt 11:28). He that is come has cast his burden upon the Lord. By faith he hath seen himself released thereof; but he that is but coming hath it yet, as to sense and feeling, upon his own shoulders. "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden," implies, that their burden, though they are coming, is yet upon them, and so will be till indeed they are come to him.

3. He that is come to Christ has the advantage of him that is but coming in this also, namely, he hath drank of the sweet and soul-refreshing water of life; but he that is but coming hath not. "If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink" (John 7:37).

Mark, He must come to him before he drinks: according to that of

the prophet, "Ho! every one that thirsts, come ye to the waters."

He drinks not as he comes, but when he comes to the waters

(Isa 55:1).

4. He that is come to Christ hath the advantage of him that as yet is but coming in this also, to wit, he is not so terrified with the noise, and, as I may call it, hue and cry, which the avenger of blood makes at the heels of him that yet is but coming to him. When the slayer was on his flight to the city of his refuge, he had the noise or fear of the avenger of blood at his heels; but when he came to the city and was entered thereinto, that noise ceased. Even so, it is with him that is but coming to Jesus Christ, he hears many a dreadful sound in his ear; sounds of death and damnation, which he that come is at present freed from. Therefore he said, "Come, and I will give you rest." And so he said again, "We that have believed, do enter into rest," as he said, &c. (Heb 4).

5. He, therefore, that is come to Christ, is not so subject to those dejections, and castings down, because of the rage and assaults of the evil one, as is the man that is but coming to Jesus Christ, though he has temptations too. "And as he was yet a-coming, the devil threw him down, and tare him" (Luke 9:42). For he has. However, Satan still roared upon him, those experimental comforts and refreshments, to wit, in his treasury, to present himself with, in times of temptation and conflict; which he that is but coming has not.

6. He that is come to Christ has the advantage of him that is but coming to him, in this also, to wit, he hath upon him the wedding garment, &c., but he that is coming has not. The prodigal, when coming home to his father, was clothed with nothing but rags, and was tormented with an empty belly; but when he has come, the best robe is brought out, also the gold ring, and the shoes, yea, they are put upon him, to his great rejoicing. The fatted calf was killed for him; the music was struck up to make him merry; thus, the Father himself sang of him, "This my son was dead, and is alive again; was lost and is found" (Luke 15:18,19).

7. In a word, he that comes to Christ, his groans and tears, his doubts and fears, are turned into songs and praises; for that, he had now received the atonement, and the earnest of his inheritance; but he that is but yet coming, had not those praises nor songs of deliverance with him; nor has he as yet received the atonement and earnest of his inheritance, which is, the sealing testimony of the Holy Ghost, through the sprinkling of the blood of Christ upon his conscience, for he is not come (Rom 5:11; Eph 1:13; Heb 12:22-24).