CHAPTER V.

ENCOURAGEMENTS TO COME TO CHRIST.

"AND him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out." By these words our Lord Jesus doth set forth yet more amply the great goodness of his nature towards the coming sinner. Before, he said, they "shall come;" and he now declareth, that with heart and affections he will receive them.

By the way, let me speak one word or two to the seeming conditionality of this promise with which now I have to do. "And him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out." 'Where it is evident (may some say) that Christ's receiving us to mercy, depends upon our coming, and so our salvation by Christ is conditional: if we come we shall be received; if not, we shall not: for that is fully intimated by the words "And him that cometh." The promise of reception is only to him that cometh.' I answer, that the coming in these words mentioned, as a condition of being received to life, is that which is promised, yea, concluded to be effected in us by the promise going before. In those latter words, coming to Christ, is implicitly required of us; and in the words before, that grace that can make us come is positively promised to us. "All that the Father giveth me shall come to me, and him that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out." Thence we come to Christ, because it is said, we "shall come;" because it is given to us to come: so that the condition which is expressed by Christ in these latter words, is absolutely promised in the words before. And indeed, the coming here intended, is nothing else but the effect of "shall come to me." "They shall come, and I will not cast them out."

"And him that cometh."—He saith not, and him that is come, but him "that cometh."

To speak to these words, First, in general: They suggest unto us these four things.

1. That Jesus Christ doth build upon it, that since the Father gave his people to him, they shall be enabled to come to him. "And him that cometh," as if he should say, ‘I know that since they are given to me, they shall be enabled to come unto me.' He saith not, If they come, or, I suppose they will come; but, "and him that cometh." By these words therefore he shows us, that he addresseth himself to the receiving of them whom the Father gave to him to save: I say, he addresseth himself, or prepareth himself to receive them: by which, as I said, he concludeth or buildeth upon it, that they shall indeed come to him. He looketh that the Father should bring them into his bosom, and so stands ready to embrace them.

2. Christ also suggesteth by these words, that he very well knoweth who are given to him; not by their coming to him, but by their being given to him. "All that the Father giveth me shall come to me: and him that cometh," &c., this "him" he knoweth to be one of them that the Father hath given him; and therefore he receiveth him, even because the Father hath given him to him. John x. "I know my sheep," saith he. Not only those that already have knowledge of him, but those too that yet are ignorant of him. "Other sheep have I," saith he, "which are not of this fold (John x. 16);" not of the Jewish church, but those that lie in their sins, even the rude and barbarous Gentiles. Therefore, when Paul was afraid to stay at Corinth, from a supposition that some mischief might befall him there; "Be not afraid," said the Lord Jesus to him, "but speak, and hold not thy peace; for I have much people in this city." Acts xvii. 9, 10. The people that the Lord here speaks of were not at this time accounted his, by reason of a work of

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conversion that already had passed upon them, but by virtue of the gift of the Father; for he had given them unto him. Therefore was Paul to stay here, to speak the word of the Lord to them, that by his speaking the Holy Ghost might effectually work over their souls, to the causing them to come to him, who was also ready with heart and soul to receive them.

3. Christ by these words also suggesteth, that no more come unto him than indeed are given him of the Father. For the him in this place, is one of the all, that by Christ was mentioned before; "All that the Father giveth me, shall come to me," and every him of that all, “I will in no wise cast out." This the apostle insinuateth, where he saith, "He gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ; till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ." Eph. iv. 11-13. Mark, as in the text, so here he speaketh of all; "Until we all come." We all! All who? Doubtless, all that the Father giveth to Christ. This is farther insinuated, because he calleth this all the body of Christ; the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ. By which he means the universal number given, namely, the true elect church, which is said to be his body. and fulness. Eph. i. 22, 23.

4. Christ Jesus, by these words, farther suggesteth that he is well content with this gift of the Father to him. “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out." I will heartily, willingly, and with great content of mind, receive him.

They show us also, that Christ's love in receiving is as large as his Father's love in giving, and no larger. Hence he thanks him for his gift; and also thanks him for hiding

him and his things from the rest of the wicked. Matt. xi. 25; Luke x. 21.

But, secondly, and more particularly, "And him that cometh." "And him." This word, him; by it Christ looketh back to the gift of the Father; not only to the lump and whole of the gift, but to the every "him" of that lump. As if he should say, 'I do not only accept of the gift of my Father in the general, but have a special regard to every one of them in particular; and will secure not only some, or the greatest part, but every "him," every dust. Not a hoof of all shall be lost, or left behind. And indeed, in this he consenteth to his Father's will, which is, that of all that he hath given him, he should lose nothing. John vi. 39.

"And him." Christ Jesus also, by his thus dividing the gift of his Father into hims, and by his speaking of them in the singular number, shows what a particular work shall be wrought in each one, at the time appointed of the Father. "And it shall come to pass in that day," saith the prophet, "that the Lord shall beat off from the channel of the river, unto the stream of Egypt, and ye shall be gathered one by one, O ye children of Israel." So here are the hims, one by one, to be gathered to him by the Father. Isa. xxvii. 12.

He shows also hereby, that no lineage, kindred, or relation, can at all be profited by any outward or carnal union with the person that the Father hath given to Christ. It is only "him," the given "him," the coming "him," that he intends absolutely to secure. Men make great ado with the children of believers; and 'Oh the children of believers!' But if the child of the believer is not the "him" concerned in this absolute promise, it is not these men's great cry, nor yet what the parent or child can do, that can interest him in this promise of the Lord Christ, this absolute promise.

"And him." There are divers sorts of persons that the Father hath given to Jesus Christ; they are not all of one rank, of one quality; some are high, some are low; some

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are wise, some fools; some are more civil, and complying with the law; some more profane, and averse to him and his gospel. Now, since those that are given to him are in some sense so diverse; and again, since he yet saith, "And him that cometh I will in no wise cast out," he by that doth give us to understand, that he is not, as men, for picking and choosing, to take a best, and leave a worst; but he is for "him" that the Father hath given him, and that cometh to him. "He will not alter nor change it: a good for a bad, or a bad for a good." Lev. xxvii. 9, 10; but will take him as he is, and will save his soul.

There is many a sad wretch given by the Father to Jesus Christ; but not one of them all is despised or slighted by him.

It is said of some of those that the Father hath given to Christ, that they have done worse than the heathen; that they were murderers, thieves, drunkards, unclean persons, and what not but he has received them, washed them, and saved them. A fit emblem of this sort, is that wretched infant mentioned in the 16th of Ezekiel, that was cast out to the loathing of its person in the day that it was born; a creature in such a wretched condition, that no eye pitied, to do any of the things there mentioned unto it, or to have compassion upon it. No eye but his that speaketh in the

text.

"And him." Let him be as red as blood, let him be as red as crimson. Some men are blood-red sinners, crimsonsinners, sinners of a double dye; dipped and dipped again, before they come to Jesus Christ. Art thou that readest these lines such a one? Speak out, man. Art thou such a one? And art thou now coming to Jesus Christ for the mercy of justification, that thou mightst be made white in his blood, and be covered with his righteousness? Fear not; forasmuch as this thy coming betokeneth that thou art of the number of them that the Father hath given to Christ,