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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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.

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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.

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Eighthly, 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. Be sure ⟨p. 267⟩first, that God loves you; take hold of no promise until 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.

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 ⟨p. 267⟩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.

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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.

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First. Faith, believeth the word of God, but Unbelief questioneth the certainly of the same, Psal. 106. 24.

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Secondly. Faith, believeth the word, because it is true; but Unbelief doubteth thereof, because it is true, 1 Tim. 4. 3. Joh. 8. 45.

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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,

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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.

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Fifthly, Faith will help the Soul to wait, though God defers 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.

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.

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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.

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