telling of her, that except she would worship the gods, she should
never have protection, laws, judgments, nor life, she replied, Farewell
life, welcome death; farewell riches, welcome poverty: all that I have,
if it were a thousand times more, would I rather lose, than to speak
one wicked and blasphemous word against my Creator? P. 123.
8. What did Marcus Arethusius see in Christ, when after his enemies had
cut his flesh, anointed it with honey, and hanged him up in a basket
for flies and bees to feed on, he would not give, to uphold idolatry,
one halfpenny to save his life? P. 128.
9. What did Constantine see in Christ, when he used to kiss the wounds
of them that suffered for him? P. 135.
10. But what need I give thus particular instances of words and smaller
actions, when by their lives, their blood, their enduring hunger,
sword, fire, pulling asunder, and all torments that the devil and hell
could devise, for the love they bare to Christ, after they were come to
him?
What hast THOU found in him, sinner?
What! come to Christ, and find nothing in him!—when all things that are
worth looking after are in him!—or if anything, yet not enough to wean
thee from thy sinful delights, and fleshly lusts! Away, away, thou art
not coming to Jesus Christ.
He that has come to Jesus Christ, hath found in him, that, as I said,
that is not to be found anywhere else. As,
1. He that is come to Christ hath found God in him reconciling the
world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses to them. And so God
is not to be found in heaven and earth besides (2 Cor 5:19,20).
2. He that is come to Jesus Christ hath found in him a fountain of
grace, sufficient, not only to pardon sin, but to sanctify the soul,
and to preserve it from falling, in this evil world.
3. He that is come to Jesus Christ hath found virtue in him; THAT
virtue, that if he does but touch thee with his Word, or thou him by
faith, life is forthwith conveyed into thy soul. It makes thee wake as
one that is waked out of his sleep; it awakes all the powers of the
soul (Psa 30:11,12; Song 6:12).
4. Art thou come to Jesus Christ? Thou hast found glory in him, glory
that surmounts and goes beyond. “Thou art more glorious—than the
mountains of prey” (Psa 76:4).
5. What shall I say? Thou hast found righteousness in him; thou hast
found rest, peace, delight, heaven, glory, and eternal life.
Sinner, be advised; ask thy heart again, saying, Am I come to Jesus
Christ? For upon this one question, Am I come, or, am I not? hangs
heaven and hell as to thee. If thou canst say, I am come, and God shall
approve that saying, happy, happy, happy man art thou! But if thou art
not come, what can make thee happy? yea, what can make that man happy
that, for his not coming to Jesus Christ for life, must be damned in
hell?
USE THIRD.—The third use—A USE OF ENCOURAGEMENT.
Coming sinner, I have now a word for thee; be of good comfort, “He will
in no wise cast out.” Of all men, thou art the blessed of the Lord; the
Father hath prepared his Son to be a sacrifice for thee, and Jesus
Christ, thy Lord, is gone to prepare a place for thee (John 1:29; Heb
10). What shall I say to thee?
[First,] Thou comest to a FULL Christ; thou canst not want anything for
soul or body, for this world or that to come, but it is to be had in or
by Jesus Christ. As it is said of the land that the Danites went to
possess, so, and with much more truth, it may be said of Christ; he is
such an one with whom there is no want of any good thing that is in
heaven or earth. A full Christ is thy Christ.
1. He is full of grace. Grace is sometimes taken for love; never any
loved like Jesus Christ. Jonathan’s love went beyond the love of women;
but the love of Christ passes knowledge. It is beyond the love of all
the earth, of all creatures, even of men and angels. His love prevailed
with him to lay aside his glory, to leave the heavenly place, to clothe
himself with flesh, to be born in a stable, to be laid in a manger, to
live a poor life in the world, to take upon him our sicknesses,
infirmities, sins, curse, death, and the wrath that was due to man. And
all this he did for a base, undeserving, unthankful people; yea, for a
people that was at enmity with him. “For when we were yet without
strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a
righteous man will one die; yet peradventure for a good man some would
even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that while
we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more, then, being now
justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For
if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his
Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life” (Rom
5:6-10).
2. He is full of truth. Full of grace and truth. Truth, that is,
faithfulness in keeping promise, even this of the text, with all other,
“I will in no wise cast out” (John 14:6). Hence it is said, that his
words be true, and that he is the faithful God, that keepeth covenant.
And hence it is also that his promises are called truth: “Thou wilt
fulfil thy truth unto Jacob, and thy mercy unto Abraham, which thou
hast sworn unto our fathers from the days of old.” Therefore it is said
again, that both himself and words are truth: “I am the truth, the
Scripture of truth” (Dan 10:21). “Thy word is truth,” (John 17:17; 2
Sam 7:28); “thy law is truth,” (Psa 119:142); and “my mouth,” saith he,
“shall speak truth,” (Prov 8:7); see also Ecclesiastes 12:10, Isaiah
25:1, Malachi 2:6, Acts 26:25, 2 Timothy 2:12,13. Now, I say, his word
is truth, and he is full of truth to fulfil his truth, even to a
thousand generations. Coming sinner, he will not deceive thee; come
boldly to Jesus Christ.
3. He is full of wisdom. He is made unto us of God wisdom; wisdom to
manage the affairs of his church in general, and the affairs of every
coming sinner in particular. And upon this account he is said to be
“head over all things,” (1 Cor 1; Eph 1), because he manages all things
that are in the world by his wisdom, for the good of his church; all
men’s actions, all Satan’s temptations, all God’s providences, all
crosses, and disappointments; all things whatever are under the hand of
Christ—who is the wisdom of God—and he ordereth them all for good to
his church. And can Christ help it—and be sure he can—nothing shall
happen or fall out in the world, but it shall, in despite of all
opposition, have a good tendency to his church and people.
4. He is full of the Spirit, to communicate it to the coming sinner; he
hath therefore received it without measure, that he may communicate it
to every member of his body, according as every man’s measure thereof
is allotted him by the Father. Wherefore he saith, that he that comes
to him, “Out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water” (John
3:34; Titus 3:5,6; Acts 2; John 7:33-39).
5. He is indeed a storehouse full of all the graces of the Spirit. “Of
his fullness have all we received, and grace for grace” (John 1:16).
Here is more faith, more love, more sincerity, more humility, more of
every grace; and of this, even more of this, he giveth to every lowly,
humble, penitent coming sinner. Wherefore, coming soul, thou comest not
to a barren wilderness when thou comest to Jesus Christ.
6. He is full of bowels and compassion: and they shall feel and find it
so that come to him for life. He can bear with thy weaknesses, he can
pity thy ignorance, he can be touched with the feeling of thy
infirmities, he can affectionately forgive they transgressions, he can
heal thy backslidings, and love thee freely. His compassions fail not;
“and he will not break a bruised reed, nor quench the smoking flax; he
can pity them that no eye pities, and be afflicted in all thy
afflictions” (Matt 26:41; Heb 5:2; 2:18; Matt 9:2; Hosea 14:4; Eze
16:5,6; Isa 63:9; Psa 78:38; 86:15; 111:4; 112:4; Lam 3:22; Isa 42:3).
7. Coming soul, the Jesus that thou art coming to, is full of might and
terribleness for thy advantage; he can suppress all thine enemies; he
is the Prince of the kings of the earth; he can bow all men’s designs
for thy help; he can break all snares laid for thee in the way; he can
lift thee out of all difficulties wherewith thou mayest be surrounded;
he is wise in heart, and mighty in power. Every life under heaven is in
his hand; yea, the fallen angels tremble before him. And he will save
thy life, coming sinner (1 Cor 1:24; Rom 8:28; Matt 28:18; Rev 4; Psa
19:3; 27:5,6; Job 9:4; John 17:2; Matt 8:29; Luke 8:28; James 2:19).
8. Coming sinner, the Jesus to whom thou art coming is lowly in heart,
he despiseth not any. It is not thy outward meanness, nor thy inward
weakness; it is not because thou art poor, or base, or deformed, or a
fool, that he will despise thee: he hath chosen the foolish, the base,
and despised things of this world, to confound the wise and mighty. He
will bow his ear to thy stammering prayers he will pick out the meaning
of thy inexpressible groans; he will respect thy weakest offering, if
there be in it but thy heart (Matt 11:20; Luke 14:21; Prov 9:4-6; Isa
38:14,15; Song 5:15; John 4:27; Mark 12:33,34; James 5:11). Now, is not
this a blessed Christ, coming sinner? Art thou not like to fare well,
when thou hast embraced him, coming sinner? But,
Second. Thou hast yet another advantage by Jesus Christ, thou art
coming to him, for he is not only full, BUT FREE. He is not sparing of
what he has; he is open-hearted and open-handed. Let me in a few
particulars show thee this:
1. This is evident, because he calls thee; he calls upon thee to come
unto him; the which he would not do, was he not free to give; yea, he
bids thee, when come, ask, seek, knock. And for thy encouragement, adds
to every command a promise, “Seek, and ye shall find; ask, and ye shall
have; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.” If the rich man should
say thus to the poor, would not he be reckoned a free-hearted man? I
say, should he say to the poor, Come to my door, ask at my door, knock
at my door, and you shall find and have; would he not be counted
liberal? Why, thus doth Jesus Christ. Mind it, coming sinner (Isa 55:3;
Psa 50:15; Matt 7:7-9).
2. He doth not only bid thee come, but tells thee, he will heartily do
thee good; yea, he will do it with rejoicing; “I will rejoice over
them, to do them good—with my whole heart, and with my whole soul” (Jer
32:41).
3. It appeareth that he is free, because he giveth without twitting. 21
“He giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not” (James 1, 5).
There are some that will not deny to do the poor a pleasure, but they
will mix their mercies with so many twits, that the persons on whom
they bestow their charity shall find but little sweetness in it. But
Christ doth not do so, coming sinner; he casteth all thine iniquities
behind his back (Isa 38:17). Thy sins and iniquities he will remember
no more (Heb 8:12).
4. That Christ is free, is manifest by the complaints that he makes
against them that will not come to him for mercy. I say, he complains,
saying, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem! how often would I have gathered thy
children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her
wings, and ye would not!” (Matt 23:37). I say, he speaks it by way of
complaint. He saith also in another place, “But thou hast not called
upon me, O Jacob” (Isa 43:22). Coming sinner, see here the willingness
of Christ to save; see here how free he is to communicate life, and all
good things, to such as thou art. He complains, if thou comest not; he
is displeased, if thou callest not upon him. Hark, coming sinner, once
again; when Jerusalem would not come to him for safeguard, “he beheld
the city, and wept over it, saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at
least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace; but now
they are hid from thine eyes” (Luke 19:41,42).
5. Lastly, He is open and free-hearted to do thee good, as is seen by
the joy and rejoicing that he manifesteth at the coming home of poor
prodigals. He receives the lost sheep with rejoicing; the lost goat
with rejoicing; yea, when the prodigal came home, what joy and mirth,
what music and dancing, was in his father’s house! (Luke 15).
Third. Coming sinner, I will add another encouragement for thy help.
1. God hath prepared a mercy-seat, a throne of grace to sit on; that
thou mayest come thither to him, and that he may from thence hear thee,
and receive thee. “I will commune with thee,” saith he, “from above the
mercy-seat” (Exo 25:22). As who shall say, sinner, When thou comest to
me, thou shalt find me upon the mercy-seat, where also I am always
found of the undone coming sinner. Thither I bring my pardons; there I
hear and receive their petitions, and accept them to my favour.
2. God hath also prepared a golden altar for thee to offer thy prayers
and tears upon. A golden altar! It is called a “golden altar,” to show
what worth it is of in God’s account: for this golden altar is Jesus
Christ; this altar sanctifies thy gift, and makes thy sacrifice
acceptable. This altar, then, makes thy groans golden groans; thy tears
golden tears; and thy prayers golden prayers, in the eye of that God
thou comest to, coming sinner (Rev 8; Matt 23:19; Heb 10:10; 1 Peter
2:5).
3. God hath strewed all the way, from the gate of hell, where thou
wast, to the gate of heaven, whither thou art going, with flowers out
of his own garden. Behold how the promises, invitations, calls, and
encouragements, like lilies, lie round about thee! take heed that thou
dost not tread them under foot, sinner. With promises, did I say? Yea,
he hath mixed all those with his own name, his Son’s name; also, with
the name of mercy, goodness, compassion, love, pity, grace,
forgiveness, pardon, and what not, that may encourage the coming
sinner.
4. He hath also for thy encouragement laid up the names, and set forth
the sins, of those that have been saved. In this book they are fairly
written, that thou, through patience and comfort of the Scriptures,
mightest have hope. (1.) In this book is recorded Noah’s maim and sin;
and how God had mercy upon him. (2.) In this record is fairly written
the name of Lot, and the nature of his sin; and how the Lord had mercy
upon him. (3.) In this record thou hast also fairly written the names
of Moses, Aaron, Gideon, Samson, David, Solomon, Peter, Paul, with the
nature of their sins; and how God had mercy upon them; and all to
encourage thee, coming sinner.
Fourth. I will add yet another encouragement for the man that is coming
to Jesus Christ. Art thou coming? Art thou coming, indeed? Why,
1. Then this thy coming is by virtue of God’s call. Thou art called.
Calling goes before coming. Coming is not of works, but of him that
calleth. “He goeth up into a mountain, and calleth unto him whom he
would; and they came unto him” (Mark 3:13).
2. Art thou coming? This is also by virtue of illumination. God has
made thee see; and, therefore, thou art coming. So long as thou wast
darkness, thou lovedst darkness, and couldst not abide to come, because
thy deeds were evil; but being now illuminated and made to see what and
where thou art, and also what and where thy Saviour is, now thou art
coming to Jesus Christ; “Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and
blood hath not revealed it unto thee,” saith Christ, “but my Father
which is in heaven” (Matt 16:17).
3. Art thou coming? This is because God hath inclined thine heart to
come. God hath called thee, illuminated thee, and inclined thy heart to
come; and, therefore, thou comest to Jesus Christ. It is God that
worketh in thee to will, and to come to Jesus Christ. Coming sinner,
bless God for that he hath given thee a will to come to Jesus Christ.
It is a sign that thou belongest to Jesus Christ, because God has made
thee willing to come to him (Psa 110:3). Bless God for slaying the
enmity of thy mind; had he not done it, thou wouldst as yet have hated
thine own salvation.
4. Art thou coming to Jesus Christ? It is God that giveth thee power:
power to pursue thy will in the matters of thy salvation, is the gift
of God. “It is God which worketh in you both to will and to do” (Phil
2:13). Not that God worketh will to come, where he gives no power; but
thou shouldest take notice, that power is an additional mercy. The
church saw that will and power were two things, when she cried, “Draw
me, we will run after thee” (Song 1:4). And so did David too, when he
said, “I will run the way of thy commandments, when thou shalt enlarge
my heart” (Psa 119:32). Will to come, and power to pursue thy will, is
double mercy, coming sinner.
5. All thy strange, passionate, sudden rushings forward after Jesus
Christ, coming sinners know what I mean, they also are thy helps from
God. Perhaps thou feelest at some times more than at others, strong
stirrings up of heart to fly to Jesus Christ; now thou hast at this
time a sweet and stiff gale of the Spirit of God, filling thy sails
with the fresh gales of his good Spirit; and thou ridest at those times
as upon the wings of the wind, being carried out beyond thyself, beyond
the most of thy prayers, and also above all thy fear and temptations.
6. Coming sinner, hast thou not now and then a kiss of the sweet lips
of Jesus Christ, I mean some blessed word dropping like a honey-comb
upon thy soul to revive thee, when thou art in the midst of thy dumps?
7. Does not Jesus Christ sometimes give thee a glimpse of himself,
though perhaps thou seest him not so long a time as while one may tell
twenty.
8. Hast thou not sometimes as it were the very warmth of his wings
overshadowing the face of thy soul, that gives thee as it were a
gload22 upon thy spirit, as the bright beams of the sun do upon thy
body, when it suddenly breaks out of a cloud, though presently all is
gone away? Well, all these things are the good hand of thy God upon
thee, and they are upon thee to constrain, to provoke, and to make thee
willing and able to come, coming sinner, that thou mightest in the end
be saved.
FOOTNOTES:
1 “My grace is sufficient for thee,” and the language of the church,
conscious of its own weakness and the Lord’s all-sufficiency, is, “Draw
me, we will run after thee” (Song 1:4).—Mason.
2 No outward profession is accepted, except it springs from inward love
to Christ.—Ed.
3 How clearly is every seeming difficulty explained by Bunyan. The
Father entered into covenant with the Son, in eternity, to save his
elect; and, in time, as they appear upon earth, the Father giveth them
to Christ by effectual calling, and he brings them to eternal
glory.—Ed.
4 To come unto Christ, in its proper sense, is to receive him as he is
offered to us in the Word; to believe in him, as a suitable and
all-sufficient Saviour; to submit to his government, in both suffering
and doing his will, with all lowly-mindedness and humility; and this by
the powerful operation of the Holy Spirit upon the soul.—Mason.
5 “Salve;” relief, aid, or help.
‘Which Cambell seign, though he could not salve,
He done undoe, yet for to salve his name
And purchase honour to his friend’s behalve,
This goodly counterfesaunce he did frame.”
—Spenser’s Faery Queen.
6 We cannot remember all God’s benefits, but how prone we are to forget
them all!—Ed.
7 Christian, in the Valley of the Shadow of Death, was thus exercised:
—“I took notice that now poor Christian was so confounded that he did
not know his own voice; and thus I perceived it:—Just when he was come
over against the mouth of the burning pit, one of the wicked ones got
behind him, and stepped up softly to him, and whisperingly suggested
many grievous blasphemies to him, which he verily thought had proceeded
from his own mind.” See also Grace Abounding, No. 100-102.—Ed.
8 “Warm gleads;” from Saxon glow, anything heated or hot.
“My destiny to behold her doth me leade,
And yet I know I runne into the gleade.”—Wyatt.—Ed.
9 Many misspend their time in poring upon their own hearts, to find out
some evidence of their interest in Christ, when they should rather be
employed in receiving Christ, and walking in him, by a confident faith
grounded on the Divine testimony.—Mason.
10 How striking are Bunyan’s illustrations! The devil, as a roaring
lion, is in pursuit of the flying sinner; he would flee faster than his
infirmities will let him. We cannot wonder that modern preachers
borrowed so vivid and truthful a figure.—Ed.
11 A Christian is “never safe but when watchful;” he should keep a
jealous eye on his own weakness, and a believing eye on the promise and
power of Christ, and he shall be preserved from falling.—Mason.
12 “Let him;” hinder him. See 2 Thessalonians 2:7. Obsolete.—Imperial
Dictionary.—Ed.
13 “The Scripture contains many gracious promises in behalf of the
children of believing parents; but grace is not hereditary. It is the
parent’s part to pray with and for, admonish, and piously train up his
children; but, after all, must recommend them to the tender mercies of
God, which the children of many prayers often happily
experience.”—Mason. O that all persons may solemnly consider this
searching truth! especially the children of believers. The coming of
your father or mother to Christ cannot be imputed to you; come for
yourself, or you must perish. As you love your souls, believe not that
awful delusion, that any ceremony could make you a child of God.—Ed.
14 “While of late;” until of late.—Ed.
15 “Lie at Jesus Christ;” to lay down, lie at the feet of Jesus Christ,
to persevere like the Syrophenician woman, Mark 7:25.—Ed.
16 “Ply;” to solicit importunately.—Ed.
17 “A flam;” a fable, an imposition.
18 “Most an end;” continually, perpetually.
19 How awful is the confidence of the self-righteous pharisee; he
considers himself more righteous than the poor penitent, who is clothed
in Christ’s righteousness, the garments of salvation.
The self-righteous says:—“Stand by, I am holier than thou. Thank God, I
am not like this publican.” While in God’s sight, poor wretched
boaster, thou art clothed in filthy rags.—Ed.
20 This nation now pays some eight or ten millions sterling a year. Had
God sanctioned this diabolical trade in souls, all Christendom would
have been divided into two classes-priests and slaves.—Ed.
21 “Twitting;” taunting, or rebuking.—Ed.
22 “A gload;” a warm, eager, passionate gazing: now obsolete.—Ed.
JUSTIFICATION BY AN IMPUTED RIGHTEOUSNESS;
OR,
NO WAY TO HEAVEN BUT BY JESUS CHRIST.
ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR.
This is one of those ten excellent manuscripts which were found among
Bunyan’s papers after his decease in 1688. It had been prepared by him
for publication, but still wanted a few touches of his masterly hand,
and a preface in his characteristic style. He had, while a prisoner for
nonconformity, in 1672, published a treatise upon this subject, in
reply to Mr. Fowler, who was soon after created Bishop of Gloucester;
but that was more peculiarly intended to prove that those who are
justified by faith in Christ are placed in a safer, more honourable,
and more glorious state than that possessed by Adam before his fall.
Mr. Fowler took the popular view, that the sufferings of the Saviour
were intended to replace man in a similar position to that of Adam when
in a state of innocence; and to give him powers, which, if properly
used, would enable him to save himself.
It is of importance that we should understand the meaning of the term
‘justification’ as here used. It is an acquittal, on being tried by the
law; or a proof that, upon the most penetrating scrutiny, we have,
through life, fulfilled and performed all its requirements in word,
thought, and deed, without the slightest deviation or taint of error.
This is essential to salvation, and must be done, either personally, or
by the imputation of the Saviour’s obedience to us. Multitudes vainly
imagine that this can be attained by our partial obedience, aided,
where we fail, by the imputation of so much of the Saviour’s obedience
as, being placed to our account, will make up the deficiency. Upon
justification must depend the salvation of the soul. Bunyan was
convinced that the sinner’s only hope was by the imputation of Christ’s
righteousness, which alone could justify him from ALL things, and
without which he must perish.