caution was written; for the devout and religious Jew and proselyte,
when they fell away from the word of the gospel, they did not fall to
those gross and abominable pollutions in which the open profane, like
sows and swine, do wallow, but they fell from the grace of God to the
law; or, at least, did rest betwixt them both, doubting of the
sufficiency of either; and thus, being fearful, they distrust;
wherefore, being found at length unbelieving, they are reputed of God
abominable, as murderers, whoremongers, sorcerers, idolators, and
liars, and so must have their portion in the lake, with them, that
burns with fire and brimstone (Rev 21:8). The reason is, because where
Christ is rejected sin remaineth, and so the wrath of God for sin.
Neither will he be a Saviour in part; he must be all thy salvation, or
none. ‘Let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the
Lord’ (James 1:7; John 3:36). Not any thing. There is no promise for
him, no pardon for him, no heaven for him, no salvation for him, no
escaping of his fire! What condition is this man in? Yet he is a
religious man, for he prays; he is a seeking man, a desiring man, for
he prays; but he halts between two, he leaneth to his righteousness,
and committeth iniquity. He is afraid to venture all upon the Lord
Jesus Christ. Let not that man think of receiving any thing from the
Lord!
Yet the words suggest that he is apt to think he shall receive
something, because God is merciful, because his promise is great; but
this expectation is by this word cut off, and this sinner is cast away.
Let not that man think, let him forbear to think, of having anything at
the hand of God. The Israelites thought to go up to the land the day
after they had despised it. Agag thought the bitterness of death was
past even that day in which he was hewn to pieces. Rechab and Baanah
his brother thought to have received reward of David that day they were
hanged over the pool in Hebron. Let not that man think that he shall
receive anything of the Lord’ (Num 14:40-45; 1 Sam 15:32,33; 2 Sam
4:12).
Second. As for those that do professedly make denial of the sufficiency
of this most blessed righteousness, the whole book is conviction to
them, and shall assuredly, if it comes to their hands, rise up in
judgment against them. They have rejected the wisdom and mercy of God;
they have rejected the means of their salvation; they have trampled
upon the blood of the Son of God; wherefore judgment waiteth for them,
and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.
[A word to neglecters of Christ.]
To conclude. One word also to you that are neglecters of Jesus Christ:
‘How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation?’ Here then, we
may see how we ought to judge of all such persons as neglect the Lord
Jesus, under what guise, name, or notion soever they be. We ought, I
say, to judge of such, that they are at present in a state of
condemnation; of condemnation, ‘because they have not believed in the
only-begotten Son of God’ (John 3:18). It is true, there is no man more
at ease in his mind, with such ease as it is, than the man that hath
not closed with the Lord Jesus, but is shut up in unbelief. O! but that
is the man that stands convict before God, and that is bound over to
the great assize; that is the man whose sins are still his own, and
upon whom the wrath of God abideth (v 36); for the ease and peace of
such, though it keep them far from fear, is but like to that of the
secure thief, that is ignorant that the constable standeth at the door;
the first sight of an officer makes his peace to give up the ghost (1
John 5:12). Ah, how many thousands that can now glory that they never
were troubled for sin against God; I say, how many be there that God
will trouble worse than he troubled cursed Achan, because their peace,
though false, and of the devil, was rather chosen by them than peace by
Jesus Christ, than ‘peace with God by the blood of his cross’ (Col
1:20). Awake, careless sinners, awake! and arise from the dead, and
Christ shall give you light. Content not yourselves either with sin or
righteousness, if you be destitute of Jesus Christ, but cry, cry, O cry
to God for light to see your condition by; for light in the Word of
God, for therein is the righteousness of God revealed (Eph 5:14). Cry,
therefore, for light to see this righteousness by; it is a
righteousness of Christ’s finishing, of God’s accepting, and that which
alone can save the soul from the stroke of eternal justice! (Rom 1:17).
There are six things that on man’s part are the cause he receiveth not
the gospel of Christ, and so life by him—1. They see not their state by
nature, how polluted they are with original sin (Eph 2:2). 2. They see
not the justice of God against sin; they know not him that hath said,
‘Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense’ (Heb 10:30). 3. They
cannot see the beauty of Jesus Christ (2 Cor 4:4). 4. Unbelief being
mighty in them, they dare not venture their souls with Jesus Christ.
They dare not trust to his righteousness, and to that only (Rev 21:8).
For, 5. Their carnal reason also sets itself against the word of faith,
and cannot stoop to the grace of Jesus Christ (1 Cor 2:14). 6. They
love to have honour one of another, they love to be commended for their
own vain-glorious righteousness; and the fools think that because they
are commended of men, they shall be commended of God also: ‘How can ye
believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour
that cometh from God only?’ (John 5:44). This last thing—to wit, desire
of vain-glory, is the bane of thousands; it is the legalist’s bane, it
is the civilian’s[37] bane, it is the formalist’s bane, yea, which yet
is stranger, it is the bane of the vicious and debauched also;[38] for
though there be a generation that, to one’s thinking, have not regard
to righteousness, yet watch them narrowly, and they have their times of
doing something that looks like good, and though possibly it be but
seldom, yet this wretch counteth that, for the sake of that, God
accepteth him, and counteth his, glorious righteousness. I might add a
seventh cause, which is, want of serious meditation upon eternal
judgment, and what shall follow. This consideration, did it take a deep
place in the heart, would doubtless produce these workings of spirit
after Jesus Christ for justification that now are wanting in the most
of men. This made Felix, yea, it makes the devils, tremble; and would,
I say, couldst thou deeply meditate, make thee start and turn thy
wanton thoughts into heavy sighs after God’s mercy in Jesus Christ,
lest thou also come into their place of torment.
Before I conclude this use, I would lay down a few motives, if so be
thou mayest be prevailed with to look after thine own everlasting
state.
1. Consider, God hath put man above all the creatures in this visible
world, into a state of abiding for ever; they cannot be annihilated,
they shall never again be turned into nothing, but must live with God
or the devil for ever and ever. And though the scripture saith, ‘Man
hath not pre-eminence over a beast in his death,’ yet the beast hath
pre-eminence above many men, for he shall not rise again to come into
judgment as man must, nor receive that dismal sentence for sin and
transgression as man shall; this, therefore, is worthy to be considered
with seriousness of all that have souls to be saved or damned—‘They
must one day come to judgment,’ there to stand before that Judge of all
the earth whose eyes are like a flame of fire, from the sight of which
thou canst not hide one of thy words, or thoughts, or actions, because
thou wantest the righteousness of God. The fire of his justice shall
burn up all thy rags of righteousness wherewith by the law thou hast
clothed thyself, and will leave thee nothing but a soul full of sin to
bemoan, and eternal burnings to grapple with. O the burnings that will
then beset sinners on every side, and that will eat their flesh and
torment their spirit with far more terror than if they were stricken
with scorpions! And observe it, the torment will there be higher than
other where there is the guilt of neglecting Jesus Christ, he being
indeed the Saviour, and him that was sent on purpose to deliver men
from the wrath to come.
2. Consider, once past grace, and ever past grace. When the door is
shut against thee, it will open no more, and then repentings, desires,
wishings, and wouldings, come all too late (Luke 13). Good may be done
to others, but to thee, none; and this shall be because, even because
thou hast withstood the time of thy visitation, and not received grace
when offered: ‘My God will cast them away, because they did not hearken
unto him’ (Luke 19:41-43; Hosea 9:17). Cain was driven out from the
presence of God, for aught I know, some hundreds of years before his
death; Ishmael was cast away after seventeen years of age; Esau lived
thirty or forty years after he had sold his birthright. O! many, very
many are in this condition! for though God be gracious, yet he will not
be slighted nor abused always; there are plenty of sinners in the
world—if one will not, another will. Christ was soon repulsed by and
sent away from the country of the Gadarenes; but on the other side of
the sea there were many ready with joy to receive him (Luke 8:37,40).
So, when the Jews contradicted and blasphemed, ‘the Gentiles gladly
received the word’ (Acts 13:46-48). Look to it, sinner, here is life
and death set before thee; life, if it be not too late to receive it;
but if it be, it is not too late for death to swallow thee up. And tell
me, will it not be dreadful to be carried from under the gospel to the
damned, there to lie in endless torment, because thou wouldst not be
delivered therefrom?[39] Will it be comfort to thee to see the Saviour
turn Judge? to see him that wept and died for the sin of the world now
ease his mind on Christ-abhorring sinners by rendering to them the just
judgment of God? For all their abominable filthiness, had they closed
with Christ, they had been shrouded from the justice of the law, and
should not have come into condemnation. ‘But had been passed from death
to life’; but they would not take shelter there; they would venture to
meet the justice of God in its fury, wherefore now it shall swallow
them up for ever and ever. And let me ask further, is not he a madman
who, being loaded with combustible matter, will run headlong into the
fire upon a bravado? or that, being guilty of felony or murder, will
desperately run himself into the hand of the officer, as if the law,
the judge, the sentence, execution, were but a jest, or a thing to be
played withal? And yet thus mad are poor, wretched, miserable sinners,
who, flying from Christ as if he were a viper, they are overcome, and
cast off for ever by the just judgment of the law. But ah! how poorly
will these be able to plead the virtues of the law to which they have
cleaved, when God shall answer them, ‘Whom dost thou pass in beauty? go
down, and be thou laid with the uncircumcised’ (Eze 32:19). Go down to
hell, and there be laid with those that refused the grace of God.
Sinners, take my advice, with which I shall conclude this use—Call
often to remembrance that thou hast a precious soul within thee; that
thou art in the way to thine end, at which thy precious soul will be in
special concerned, it being then time to delay no longer, the time of
reward being come. I say again, bring thy end home; put thyself in thy
thoughts into the last day thou must live in this world, seriously
arguing thus—How if this day were my last? How if I never see the sun
rise more? How if the first voice that rings to-morrow morning in my
heavy ears be, ‘Arise, ye dead, and come to judgment?’ Or how, if the
next sight I see with mine eyes be the Lord in the clouds, with all his
angels, raining floods of fire and brimstone upon the world? Am I in a
case to be thus near mine end? to hear this trump of God? or to see
this great appearance of this great God, and the Lord Jesus Christ?
Will my profession, or the faith I think I have, carry me through all
the trials of God’s tribunal? Cannot his eyes, which are as a flame of
fire, see in my words, thoughts, and actions enough to make me culpable
of the wrath of God? O how serious should sinners be in this work of
remembering things to come, of laying to their heart the greatness and
terror of that notable day of God Almighty, and in examining
themselves, how it is like to go with their souls when they shall stand
before the Judge indeed! To this end, God make this word effectual.
Amen.[40]
FOOTNOTES:
1. These are most important distinctions, upon which depends a right
understanding of this doctrine. God sees the soul either in Christ or
in sin. He may see apparently good works arising from the foulest
motives. Uriah doubtless thought himself highly honoured as a
confidential messenger of great king David; God saw the murder and
adultery in David’s heart. He was justified in the sight of man for the
very act that condemned him in the sight of God; and for which he was
sorely punished in this world, although saved by the blood of
atonement.—Ed.
2. Let not a scoffer say, ‘See how Christians cast away the law of
God!’ They are under the law to Christ; bound by the most sacred
obligations to obey all its requirements; not to merit pardon, but to
prove, to the comfort of their souls, that they have received pardon,
and are living under a sense of the unmerited grace of God in
Christ.—Ed.
3. This is a clear statement of a most important truth. The sins of
believers were laid upon Christ, or imputed to him, and he bore them
away, but was undefiled. His righteousness covers us, and we are
justified, but it is still HIS. Not unto us, but unto his name, be all
the glory.—Ed.
4. By ‘common,’ is here meant that Christ is the federal head of all
his saints; they have an equal or common right equally to participate
in his merits.—Ed.
5. How full of consolation is this voice from the tomb! Lowth’s
translation is very striking—‘Thy dead shall live, my deceased; they
SHALL arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in the dust; for thy dew is
as the dew of the dawn! But the earth shall cast forth, as an abortion,
thy deceased tyrants.’ Antichrist shall ‘cease from troubling,’ and be
only seen afar off in torments.—Ed.
6. Christ (amazing love!) ‘was made a curse for us,’ and thereby
redeemed us from the curse of the law. He subjected himself to the law
in active as well as passive obedience, and his obedience even to death
was for our justification.—Mason.
7. Those whom God justifies, he also glorifies; and because Christ
lives, blessed be God! we shall live also. Nevertheless, the strongest
believer has as much need to come to Christ every day for fresh
strength, as if he had never believed before; and if he were to depend
on his own faithfulness, and not on the faithfulness of the Son of God,
he would soon desert the Lord Jesus Christ.—Mason.
8. The symbol of regeneration, or water baptism. Although the
regenerate believer feels an assurance that he forms part of Christ’s
mystical body, and is saved by grace, and loves God because God first
loved him, this does not prevent, but approves, his following the
example of his Redeemer, in a symbolical or water baptism. Thus he
publicly puts on Christ; he is buried with him in baptism, and rises to
newness of life. Colossians 2:12, 13.—Ed.
9. Believer, if thou art rejoicing in this great and finished
salvation, never forget that thine only evidence is—sorrow for thy
sins, which caused the shedding of this precious blood, and a love of
holiness. If sin be deplored, not only art thou redeemed from its
curse, but also delivered from its power. The grace that justifies
quickens us to good works, that we may walk therein.—Ed.
10. Because it is tainted by sin.—Ed.
11. The best righteousness that can be produced by fallen man is
impressively designated by Isaiah, ‘A bed shorter than a man can
stretch himself on, and a covering narrower than he can wrap himself
in.’—Ed.
12. The way of salvation by works was blasted by the curse upon Adam’s
sin, so that it cannot work life in us, or holiness, but only
death.—Ed.
13. To divert or turn aside from an intended course; not to divert or
amuse.—Ed.
14. Bunyan, in his Creation Spiritualized, or Exposition on Genesis,
has shown that the fig-leaf aprons are a type of man’s attempt to cover
his sins by his own good works, which soon fade, become dung, or are
burned up. But the righteousness that God provides endureth for ever.
See vol. i., p. 440.—Ed.
15. The marginal notes to the Bible are exceedingly valuable,
especially to the unlearned. There we find that Jedidiah means ‘beloved
of the Lord.’—Ed.
16. The birth of a babe is a period of excitement. Parents should hope
that the new comer is a Jedidiah. On such occasions, it is a delightful
service when the father, mother, and family specially attend public
worship, to bless God for his mercies, and to beseech grace that they
may train up the child for heaven. Such is the practice among the
Baptists. But even in this, watchfulness is requisite, lest it
degenerate into mere parade.—Ed.
17. The non-imputation of sin, and the imputation of Christ’s
righteousness, always go together. David knew this; while he describes
the blessedness of the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin, he, at
the same time, describes the blessedness of the man to whom God
imputeth Christ’s righteousness.—Mason.
18. However excellent the conduct of Zaccheus, still he was a sinner,
and under the curse. His curiosity leads him to climb a tree to see
Jesus, and most unexpectedly salvation is brought to one who sought it
not. Christ called, and he instantly obeyed. O may our hearts be so
inclined to receive the invitations of his gospel!.—Ed.
19. We are all, by nature and practice, in a spiritual sense, robbers,
idolaters, and murderers. God make us to know and feel it! We may adopt
the language of the poet, and say—
‘Sinful soul, what hast thou done?
Murder’d God’s eternal Son!’—Mason.
20. Works justify us from such accusations of men as will deny us to
have justification by faith—not as being our righteousness, or
conditions of our having Christ’s righteousness, or as qualifying us
for it.—Mason.
21. Every edition of Bunyan’s works calls this a ‘void of words,’ and
gives a false reference to Hebrews 12:14.—Ed.
22. The law condemns all sinners, and strikes them dead as with a
thunderbolt; adjudging them to shame and misery, instead of glory and
happiness. None can fulfil its strict terms, neither Jew nor Gentile.
There is no hope, if free grace restore them not. Romans 3:20, 2:6-29;
8:7.—Mason.
23. Hagar, by which is meant the law or covenant of works. This is said
to gender unto bondage, because it makes them bondmen who look to be
saved and justified thereby. It is called the ‘ministration of death’
(2 Cor 3:6). Whereas the gospel and new covenant is a dispensation of
liberty and life.—Mason.
24. We will hold and extol this faith which doubteth not of God, nor of
the Divine promises, nor of the forgiveness of sins through Christ;
that we may dwell sure and safe in this our object Christ, and may keep
still before our eyes the passion and blood of the Mediator and all his
benefits.—Luther on Galatians 3:11.
25. Multitudes of professors set up their rest in outward duties, and
repose a carnal confidence in ordinances, without endeavouring after
any lively communion with Father, Son, or Holy Spirit, in the exercise
of faith and love.—Mason.
26. Conscience, if resisted, is little ease, whether rightly or wrongly
informed. By little ease, is meant a prison not large enough either to
lie down or stand upright in, with spikes in the walls; places of
torment well known in former times of persecution for conscience
sake.—Ed.
27. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. We must either, as lost sinners,
fall into the arms of Divine mercy, and receive pardon as a free gift
through the merits of the Saviour, or we must perish. It is a solemn,
searching consideration.—Ed.
28. Difficult at any time, and impossible without Divine power; but
most difficult when all the faculties of the soul become harrowed by a
‘certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation’ (Heb
10:27).—Ed.
29. If we seek salvation by works, such as sincere obedience or
Christian perfection, we thereby bring ourselves under the law, and
become debtors to fulfil all its requirements, though we intended to
engage ourselves to fulfil it only in part (Gal 5:3). Let this be
seriously considered.—Mason.
30. These ‘foolish men’ were a sect which sprung up in Bunyan’s time,
and soon became extinct. They believed that the sufferings of Christ,
to his death on Calvary, were only typical of what he suffers in the
body of every believer. This was as contrary to the express declaration
of Holy Writ, ‘He was ONCE offered’ (Heb 9:28), as is the absurd notion
of the Papists in the mass, or continual sacrifice of Christ. What
impious mortal dares pretend to offer up Christ to his Father.—Ed.
31. As the carnal Adam, having lost his original righteousness, imparts
a corrupt nature to all his descendants; so the spiritual Adam, Christ
Jesus, by his obedience unto death, conveys spiritual life to us;
believers are made ‘the righteousness of God in him.’—Mason.
32. ‘Neck’ is from hniga, to bend or incline. In Bunyan’s time, these
ancient words were well understood by the peasantry. To have the neck
turned, so as to bend the back of the head towards the back of the
body, would be as absurd as for faith to look to its own works for
justification. This would indeed be bowing backward, instead of bending
before, and looking to Jesus and his finished work for
justification.—Ed.
33. Modern editors have altered this to ‘imperfections,’ but Bunyan
would have us look to the most perfect of our works, and see how
polluted they are.—Ed.
34. Faith looks at things which be not, as though they were. Sense
judges from what it sees and feels, faith from what God says; sense
looks inward to self, faith looks outward to Christ and his
fullness.—Mason.
35. How strangely does the world mistake the source of good works! The
common and fatal error is, that if salvation is all of faith, then good
works will fail; whereas faith is the prolific fountain, yea, the only
source of really good works and holy obedience.—Ed.
36. How universal to fallen nature is that soul-destroying heresy—the
attempt to justify ourselves partly by our own good works, and to make
up the deficiency by the merits of the Saviour! Ye might as well
attempt to serve God and mammon, as to unite our impure works with
those of the pure and holy Jesus. We must, as perishing sinners, fall
into the arms of Divine mercy, and receive pardon as a free gift,
wholly through the merits of the Saviour, or we must for ever perish.
It is an awful consideration.—Ed.
37. ‘The civilian’; one who is versed in law and government. See
Imperial Dictionary.—Ed.
38. When the pilgrims Christian and Hopeful had wandered in By-path
Meadow, one that walked before them said that the way led to the
celestial gate. ‘He therefore that went before, Vain-confidence by
name, not seeing the way before him, fell into a deep pit, which was on
purpose there made by Giant Despair to catch vain-glorious fools
withal, and was dashed in pieces with his fall.’ Beware, O legalist,
civilian, or formalist!—Ed.
39. How deplorably and inexcusably they will perish, who perish by
their own willful unbelief under the gospel! It will be dreadful indeed
to be driven, as it were, from the very gate of heaven to the lowermost
and hottest hell. Lord, send forth thy light, truth, and power, that
sinners may be saved and comforted by coming unto thee for life and
peace!—Mason.
40. This is a striking and soul-searching appeal. O that the Holy
Spirit may ‘search me and try me, and see if there be any wicked way in
me, and lead me in the way everlasting,’ before we go hence into the
eternal state!—Ed.
SAVED BY GRACE;
OR,
A DISCOURSE OF THE GRACE OF GOD:
SHOWING—
I. WHAT IT IS TO BE SAVED. II. WHAT IT IS TO BE SAVED BY GRACE. III.
WHO THEY ARE THAT ARE SAVED BY GRACE. IV. HOW IT APPEARS THAT THEY ARE
SAVED BY GRACE. V. WHAT SHOULD BE THE REASON THAT GOD SHOULD CHOOSE TO
SAVE SINNERS BY GRACE RATHER THAN BY ANY OTHER MEANS.
ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR.
THIS admirable Treatise upon the most important of all subjects, that
of the soul’s salvation, was first published in a pocket volume, in the
year 1675. This has become very rare, but it is inserted in every
edition of the author’s collected works. Our copy is reprinted from the
first edition published after the author’s decease, in a small folio
volume of his works, 1691. Although it is somewhat encumbered with
subdivisions, it is plain, practical, and written in Bunyan’s strong
and energetic style; calculated to excite the deepest attention, and to
fix the mind upon those solemn realities which alone can unite earth
with heaven.
How extensive is the meaning of that little sentance, ‘Saved by Grace!’
It includes in it redemption from the curse of sin, which oppresses the
poor sinner with the fears of everlasting burnings; while it elevates
the body, soul, and spirit, to an eternal and an exceeding weight of
glory—to the possession of infinite treasures, inconceivable, and that
never fade away.