Come & welcome to Jesus Christ, or, A plain and profitable discourse upon the…

Come & welcome to Jesus Christ, or, A plain and profitable discourse upon the sixth of John, 37 vers showing 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.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.

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First, With Respect to God.

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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 'twas 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.

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Secondly, Life must be by Jesus Christ, that God might be Adored, and Magnified, for finding out this Way. This is the Lord's Doings, that in all Things he might be Glorified, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

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.

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Thirdly, It must be by Jesus Christ, that Life might be at God's dispose; who hath great Pity for the Poor, the ⟨p. 262⟩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.

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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.

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Secondly, Life must be in Jesus Christ, with respect to us.

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First, That we might have it upon the easiest Terms, 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 easy Terms, even for receiving, accepting and embracing with Thanksgiving. As the Scriptures plainly declare, Joh. 1. 11, 12. 2 Cor. 11. 4. Heb. 11. 13. Col. 3. 13, 14, 15.

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.

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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 tried stone, a sure foundation, ⟨p. 263⟩one that will not fail to bear thy burden, and to receive thy Soul; coming sinner.

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, ⟨p. 263⟩one that will not fail to bear thy burden, and to receive thy Soul; coming sinner.

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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 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 'tis sure, to all the seed.

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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 ⟨p. 264⟩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, shows 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.

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 ⟨p. 264⟩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.

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First, It is that sin, above all others, that hath some show 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.

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.

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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 indictable for Ten Thousand Talents; that he is a very ignorant, blind, and hardhearted ⟨p. 265⟩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?

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 hardhearted ⟨p. 265⟩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?

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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, says 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?

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?

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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.

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Fifthly, It is that sin above all other, that continually is whispering the Soul ⟨p. 266⟩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.

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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, slight, trick or cavil, quickly wrest from him the Promise again, and he shall have but little benefit of it.

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.

Reformers309

Puritans1,782

Westminster Assembly24

Evangelicals36