The Greatest Sinners Exhorted and Encouraged, Question 3
Quest. 3. But how does it appear that Christ will in no wise cast him out that cometh to him?
Answ. 1. If Christ should cast any out that come to him, he should act contrary to the will of his Father, which he never did, and we may besure he never will do. If a man cometh to Christ, it is the Father that draweth him. Joh. 6. 44. No man can come to me except the Father which hath sent me draw him. Now if when a soul cometh to Christ, he should be rejected by him, the Father would draw one way and Christ draw another way, which can not be. Christ speaking to God the Father, saith, Thou and I, we are one. Joh. 17. 22. The Father, and Christ as Mediatour are one in respect of Will and Design; they both will and design the same thing. Therefore Christ himself does by this Argument prove that he will not cast him out that cometh to him Wherefore in the next words he sayth, For I came down from Heaven not to doe mine own Will, but the Will of him that sent me. and this is the Fathers Will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me, I should lose nothing. If Christ came into the world to do the Will of God, and this be the Will of God, that he should not lose so much as one of them that are given to him; we may conclude, that no Comer to him, shall be rejected by him.
2. The Grace of the Lord Jesus, the goodness of his nature is such, as that he will in no wise cast out them that come to him. He is of a most gracious Disposition, and therefore ready to accept of returning sinners Joel 2. 13. Turn ye unto the Lord your God, for He is gracious and merciful. Hence if the greatest sinners in the world should come unto the Lord Jesus with an heart really desirous to be his Disciples, he will not cast them out. Paul before his Conversion had bin a Blasphemer & a Persecutor of Christ & his Church, and very injurious both to God and man, yet when he was brought to submit himself unto Christ, and to say, Lord what wilt thou have me to do, the Lord would in no wise cast him out. why? The Grace of our Lord (i. e. of our Lord Jesus Christ) was exceeding abundant. 1. Tim. 1. 13. 14. There is Grace and abundant Grace, yea exceeding abundant Grace in the Lord Jesus. Therefore if any man come to him, he will in no wise cast him out.
3. Christ did never yet cast out any that came to Him. We read of many in the Gospel that came to Christ for help and healing as to their bodies, but we do not read of so much as one whom he would not have compassion on. Indeed he made as if he would have rejected the Woman of Canaan when she came to him, but he never intended it, only was willing to try her Faith: And why was this? but to let us know that if men come to Christ with their souls, they shall surely find acceptance with him. Many have come to Christ, yea, many thousands but he never rejected any one of them. Tho some of them which came to Christ, were such as one would have thought he would never have given entertainment to, having been the vilest wretches in the world; yet when they came to Christ with a true desire to be his Disciples, he never did reject so much as one of them; therefore we may conclude he never will do so.
4. Christ dyed for those that shall come to him. Therefore he will in no wise cast them out. If God has given to a man a heart to come to Christ, he may be sure that Christ hath dyed for him. Joh. 12. 32. And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. If a soul be drawn to Christ, 'tis certain that Christ was lifted up on the Cross, there to bleed & die for the salvation of that very soul. And if Christ has loved him, so as to dye for him, he will never cast him out. Sinners may look upon Christ dying on the Cross, and see him with his armes open, ready to embrace them.
5. Christ does invite and call upon Sinners to come to him. If a man does invite another to come to his house, will he thrust him out of doors when he does come? And shall we then think that the blessed Lord Jesus will do so? When he was on the earth, he did personally invite Sinners to come to him. See a glorious Scripture for this, Joh. 7. 37. In the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, if any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink. If any man (saith Christ) be he who he will, if any man desireth the waters of life for his soul, let him come to me he shall be welcome. Christ was willing that all should know this; therefore he went into the Temple to proclaim it, and that on the feast, and on the last day of the feast, when there was the greatest Concourse of People, and he stood that he might be seen of all, and cryed, that he might be heard of all, Come to me, saith Christ, any man that has a Thirst, a desire after Salvation. And now Christ is gone to Heaven he calls from that Temple, and bids Sinners come to him. Heb. 25. See that ye refuse not him that speaketh, for if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape if we turn away from him that speaketh from Heaven. He inviteth and calls Sinners to come to him by his written Word, the holy Scriptures which are the Word of Christ. Therein he sayth, Look unto me and be ye saved, all ye ends of the earth. Isai 45. 22. The Scriptures are a gracious Letter which Christ has sent from heaven, inviting who will, to come to him, and be saved by him. And he concludeth the letter with a most sweet and blessed invitation to come to the waters of life. Rev. 22. 17. Christ also doth still continue to invite sinners to come to him, by his Messengers whom he sends to preach the Gospel in his Name. Wisdom hath sent forth her Maidens, she crieth upon the highest places of the city, whoso is simple let him turn in hither, come eat of my bread, and drink of the wine which I have mingled. Prov. 9. 3, 4, 5. Who are we to understand by the Maidens of Wisdome, but the Ministers of Christ; who are likewise called the Bridegroom's Friends, Joh. 3. 29. In that their great work is to woo and win souls for Christ, and they rejoice in nothing more, than when they can perswade men to forsake their sins, and come to Jesus Christ for Salvation. But the strength of this Argument will appear further, if we consider the Properties of this invitation, whereby the Lord Jesus does call upon sinners to come unto him.
1. It is a real, earnest Invitation. Christ's heart is in it. Hence he is troubled & grieved at the heart when Sinners will not come to him. When he had often Invited the Jews to come under his wing and they would not, he wept over them, saying to Jerusalem, O that thou hadst known in this thy day the things that belong to thy peace. He does most affectionately call upon sinners to come to him. Joh. 7. 37. He cried and said come unto me. A loud cry argueth earnestness. Christ is marvellous importunate in his urging sinners to come to him. He is not willing to be put off, or to take denial. See else, Isai. 55. 1, 2.—Come ye to the waters,—come ye,—yea come. Hearken dilligently unto me, incline your ear, and come unto me. (mind how earnest the Lord is in his invitation, Come, come, yea come, come unto me) Yea hear, hearken diligently, q. d. by all meanes hearken to me, if ever you would hear good counsil hear it now. That men may see Christ is in earnest with them, he sets before them the most alluring promises of the Gospel, he tells them, they shall have all the good their souls can desire, if they will but come unto him: and denounceth more dreadful Threatnings than ever were thundered upon mount Ebal, against those that shall neglect so great Salvation.
It is an often renewed and long continued Invitation. Mat. 22. 37.—how often would I have gathered you under my wings! Where is the Sinner that liveth under the Gospel, that can say how often he has been invited to come unto Jesus Christ! Behold he stands at the door and knocks, Rev. 3. 2. He does not give one knock at a sinners heart, and away, but he stands there; and knocks again, and calleth again. He knocks at a sinners heart by Mercyes, by Afflictions, by Sermons, and by manifold dispensations. There are some sinners that Christ continueth Inviting of them, all their dayes. He stretcheth out his hand, i. e. he beckens to them that they should come to him all the day long. Isa. 65. 1. As long as the day of Grace lasts, so long does Christ continue calling the sinner to come to him, Now there are some that the day of Grace lasts as long as life in this world (tho it is not so with all) continnueth.
3. Where the Gospel cometh, this Invitation is universal. Isa. 55. 1. Ho (see what a gracious Proclamation is here) every one that thirsteth, come to the waters! So that the Gospel contains a general proclamation of mercy to all comcomers; Christ excludeth none that will come. If men do not by their impenitence and unbelief shut the door against their own souls, Christ shuts the door against none; but saith to every one, come to me and welcome. Rev. 22. 17. The call of Christ reacheth every particular soul. Yea, thee in particular as truly as if he should from Heaven call thee by name, as he did Saul. If Christ should call from Heaven and say, thou, John such a one, or thou Mary such a one, why dost thou not come to me, to be saved? wouldst thou not do as he did, fall down trembling, and say Lord, what wilt thou have me to do. Why, the Call of Christ in the Gospel is no less than this comes to.