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Come and Welcome Written By J O H N.B U N Y A N, Author of "THE PILGRIM'S PROGRESS." "And they shall come which were ready to perish." –Isaiah 27:13. L O N D O N, 1681. Published seven years before John Bunyan's death. |
[THE SON'S RECEPTION OF THE GIFT.]
ll that the Father giveth me SHALL COME." In these last words
there is closely inserted an answer unto the Father's end in giving of his elect
to Jesus Christ. The Father's end was, that they might come to him, and be saved
by him; and that, says the Son, shall be done; neither sin nor Satan, neither flesh
nor world, neither wisdom nor folly, shall hinder their coming to me. "They
shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out."
Here, therefore, the Lord Jesus positively determineth to put forth such a sufficiency
of all grace as shall effectually perform this promise. "They shall come;"
that is, he will cause them to come, by infusing of an effectual blessing into all
the means that shall be used to that end. As was said to the evil spirit that was
sent to persuade Ahab to go and fall at Ramoth-Gilead; Go: "Thou shalt persuade
him, and prevail also: go forth, and do so" (1 Kings 22:22). So will Jesus Christ
say to the means that shall be used for the bringing of those to him that the Father
hath given him. I say, he will bless it effectually to this very end; it shall persuade
them, and shall prevail also; else, as I said, the Father's end would be frustrate;
for the Father's will is, that "of all which he hath given him, he should lose
nothing, but should raise it up at the last day," (John 6:39); in order next
unto himself, Christ the first- fruits, afterwards those that are his at his coming
(1 Cor 15). But this cannot be done if there should fail to be a work of grace effectually
wrought, though but in any one of them. But this shall not fail to be wrought in
them, even in all the Father hath given him to save. "All that the Father hath
given me shall come unto me," &c.
But to speak more distinctly to the words, THEY "SHALL COME," two things
I would show you from these words —FIRST, What it is to come to Christ. SECOND, What
force there is in this promise, to make them come to him.
[FIRST, THE TEXT TREATED BY WAY OF EXPLICATION.]
[SECOND, THE TEXT TREATED BY WAY OF OBSERVATION.]
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