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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. |
[WHAT IT IS TO CAST OUT.]
IRST. For the first of these, What it is to cast out. To this
I will speak, First, Generally. Second, More particularly.
[First, Generally.]
1. To cast out, is to slight and despise, and contemn; as it is said of Saul's shield,
"it was vilely cast away," (2 Sam 1:21), that is, slighted and contemned.
Thus it is with the sinners that come not to Jesus Christ. He slights, despises,
and contemns them; that is, "casts them away."
2. Things cast away are reputed as menstruous cloths, and as the dirt of the street
(Isa 3:24; Psa 18:42; Matt 5:13; 15:17). And thus it shall be with the men that come
not to Jesus Christ, they shall be counted as menstruous, and as the dirt in the
streets.
3. To be cast out, or off, it is to be abhorred, not to be pitied; but to be put
to perpetual shame (Psa 44:9; 89:38; Amos 1:11). But,
Second, More particularly, to come to the text. The casting out here mentioned is
not limited to this or the other evil: therefore it must be extended to the most
extreme and utmost misery. Or thus: He that cometh to Christ shall not want anything
that may make him gospelly-happy in this world, or that which is to come; nor shall
he want anything that cometh not, that may make him spiritually and eternally miserable.
But further, As it is to be generally taken [as respecteth the things that are now],
so it respecteth things that shall be hereafter.
I. For the things that are now, they are either, 1. More general: Or, 2. More particular.
1. More general, thus:
(1.) It is "to be cast out" of the presence and favour of God. Thus was
Cain cast out: "Thou has driven," or cast "me out this day; from thy
face," that is, from thy favour "shall I be hid." A dreadful complaint!
But the effect of a more dreadful judgment! (Gen 4:14; Jer 23:39; 1 Chron 28:9).
(2.) "To be cast out," is to be cast out of God's sight. God will look
after them no more, care for them no more; nor will he watch over them any more for
good (2 Kings 17:20; Jer 7:15). Now they that are so, are left like blind men, to
wander and fall into the pit of hell. This, therefore, is also a sad judgment! therefore
here is the mercy of him that cometh to Christ. He shall not be left to wander at
uncertainties. The Lord Jesus Christ will keep him, as a shepherd doth his sheep
(Psa 23). "Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out."
(3.) "To be cast out," is to be denied a place in God's house, and to be
left as fugitives and vagabonds, to pass a little time away in this miserable life,
and after that to go down to the dead (Gal 4:30; Gen 4:13,14; 21:10). Therefore here
is the benefit of him that cometh to Christ, he shall not be denied a place in God's
house. They shall not be left like vagabonds in the world. "Him that cometh
to me I will in no wise cast out." See Proverbs 14:26, Isaiah 56:3-5, Ephesians
1:1922, 1 Corinthians 3:21-23.
(4.) In a word, "To be cast out," is to be rejected as are the fallen angels.
For their eternal damnation began at their being cast down from heaven to hell. So
then, not to be cast out, is to have a place, a house, and habitation there; and
to have a share in the privileges of elect angels.
These words, therefore, "I will not cast out," will prove great words one
day to them that come to Jesus Christ (2 Peter 2:4; John 20:31; Luke 20:35).
2. Second, and more particularly,
(1.) Christ hath everlasting life for him that cometh to him, and he shall never
perish; "For he will in no wise cast him out;" but for the rest, they are
rejected, "cast out," and must be damned (John 10:27,28).
(2.) Christ hath everlasting righteousness to clothe them with that come to him,
and they shall be covered with it as with a garment, but the rest shall be found
in the filthy rags of their own stinking pollutions, and shall be wrapt up in them,
as in a winding-sheet, and so bear their shame before the Lord, and also before the
angels (Dan 9:27; Isa 57:20; Rev 3:4-18, 15, 16).
(3.) Christ hath precious blood, that, like an open fountain, stands free for him
to wash in, that comes to him for life; "And he will in no wise cast him out;"
but they that come not to him are rejected from a share therein, and are left to
ireful vengeance for their sins (Zech 13:1; 1 Peter 1:18,19; John 13:8; 3:16).
(4.) Christ hath precious promises, and they shall have a share in them that come
to him for life; for "he will in no wise cast them out." But they that
come not can have no share in them, because they are true only in him; for in him,
and only in him, all the promises are yea and amen. Wherefore they that come not
to him, are no whit the better for them (Psa 50:16; 2 Cor 1:20,21).
(5.) Christ hath also fullness of grace in himself for them that come to him for
life: "And he will in no wise cast them out." But those that come not unto
him are left in their graceless state; and as Christ leaves them, death, hell, and
judgment finds them. "Whoso findeth me," saith Christ, "findeth life,
and shall obtain favour of the Lord. But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his
own soul: all they that hate me love death" (Prov 8:35,36).
(6.) Christ is an Intercessor, and ever liveth to make intercession for them that
come to God by him: "But their sorrows shall be multiplied, that hasten after
another," or other gods, their sins and lusts. "Their drink-offerings will
I not offer, nor take up their names into his lips" (Psa 16:4; Heb 7:25).
(7.) Christ hath wonderful love, bowels, and compassions, for those that come to
him; for "he will in no wise cast them out." But the rest will find him
a lion rampant; he will one day tear them all to pieces. "Now consider this,"
saith he, "ye that forget God, lest I tear you in pieces, and there be none
to deliver" (Psa 50:22).
(8.) Christ is one by and for whose sake those that come to him have their persons
and performances accepted of the Father: "And he will in no wise cast them out;"
but the rest must fly to the rocks and mountains for shelter, but all in vain, to
hide them from his face and wrath (Rev 6:15-17).
II. But again, These words, CAST OUT, have a special look to what will be hereafter,
even at the day of judgment. For then, and not till then, will be the great anathema
and casting out made manifest, even manifest by execution. Therefore here to speak
to this, and that under these two heads. As, First, Of the casting out itself. Second,
Of the place into which they shall be cast, that shall then be cast out.
First, The casting out itself standeth in two things. 1. In a preparatory work. 2.
In the manner of executing the act.
1. The preparatory work standeth in these three things.
(1.) It standeth in their separation that have not come to him, from them that have,
at that day. Or thus: At the day of the great casting out, those that have not NOW
come to him, shall be separated from them that have; for them that have "he
will not cast out." "When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all
the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory; and before
him shall be gathered all nations, and he shall separate them one from another, as
a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats" (Matt 25:31,32). This dreadful
separation, therefore, shall then be made betwixt them that NOW come to Christ, and
them that come not. And good reason; for since they would not with us come to him
now they have time, why should they stand with us when judgment is come?
(2.) They shall be placed before him according to their condition: they that have
come to him, in great dignity, even at his right hand; "For he will in no wise
cast them out": but the rest shall be set at his left hand, the place of disgrace
and shame; for they did not come to him for life. Distinguished also shall they be
by fit terms: these that come to him he calleth the sheep, but the rest are frowish
goats, "and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth
his sheep from the goats;" and the sheep will be set on the right hand —next
heaven gate, for they came to him —but the goats on his left, to go from him into
hell, because they are not of his sheep.
(3.) Then will Christ proceed to conviction of those that came not to him, and will
say, "I was a stranger, and ye took me not in," or did not come unto me.
Their excuse of themselves he will slight as dirt, and proceed to their final judgment.
2. Now when these wretched rejecters of Christ shall thus be set before him in their
sins, and convicted, this is the preparatory work upon which follows the manner of
executing the act which will be done.
(1.) In the presence of all the holy angels.
(2.) In the presence of all them that in their lifetime came to him, by saying unto
them, "Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil
and his angels": with the reason annexed to it. For you were cruel to me and
mine, particularly discovered in these words, "For I was an hungered, and ye
gave me no meat; I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink; I was a stranger, and ye
took me not in; naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited
me not" (Matt 25:41-43).
Second, Now it remains that we speak of the place into which these shall be cast,
which, in the general, you have heard already, to wit, the first prepared for the
devil and his angels. But, in particular, it is thus described: —
1. It is called Tophet: "For Tophet is ordained of old, yea, for the king,"
the Lucifer, "it is prepared; he hath made it deep and large; the pile thereof
is fire and much wood; the breath of the Lord, like a stream of brimstone, doth kindle
it" (Isa 30:32).
2. It is called hell. "It is better for thee to enter halt" or lame "into
life, than having two feet to be cast into hell" (Mark 9:45).
3. It is called the wine-press of the wrath of God. "And the angel thrust in
his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth," that is, them
that did not come to Christ, "and cast it into the great wine-press of the wrath
of God" (Rev 14:19).
4. It is called a lake of fire. "And whosoever was not found written in the
book of life was cast into the lake of fire" (Rev 20:15).
5. It is called a pit. "Thou hast said in thy heart, I will ascend into heaven,
I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of
the congregation, in the sides of the north. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell,
to the sides of the pit" (Isa 14:13-15).
6. It is called a bottomless pit, out of which the smoke and the locust came, and
into which the great dragon was cast; and it is called bottomless, to show the endlessness
of the fall that they will have into it, that come not, in the acceptable time, to
Jesus Christ (Rev 9:1,2; 20:3). .
7. It is called outer darkness. "Bind him hand and foot - and cast him into
outer darkness," "and cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness,"
"there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth" (Matt 22:13; 25:30).
8. It is called a furnace of fire. "As therefore the tares are gathered and
burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. The Son of man shall
send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend,
and them which do iniquity; and shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall
be wailing and gnashing of teeth." And again, "So shall it be at the end
of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just,
and shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing
of teeth" (Matt 13:40-51).
9. Lastly, It may not be amiss, if, in the conclusion of this, I show in few words
to what the things that torment them in this state are compared. Indeed, some of
them have been occasionally mentioned already; as that they are compared,
(1.) To wood that burneth.
(2.) To fire.
(3.) To fire and brimstone: But,
(4.) It is compared to a worm, a gnawing worm, a never-dying gnawing worm; They are
cast into hell, "where their worm dieth not" (Mark 9:44).
(5.) It is called unquenchable fire; "He will gather his wheat into the garner;
but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire" (Matt 3:12; Luke 3:17).
(6.) It is called everlasting destruction; "The Lord Jesus shall be revealed
from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that
know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ; who shall be
punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the
glory of his power" (2 Thess 1:7-9).
(7.) It is called wrath without mixture, and is given them in the cup of his indignation.
"If any man worship the beast, and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead,
or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured
out without mixture, into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with
fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the
Lamb" (Rev 14:9,10).
(8.) It is called the second death. "And death and hell were cast into the lake
of fire. This is the second death. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first
resurrection: on such the second death hath no power" (Rev 20:6,14).
(9.) It is called eternal damnation. "But he that shall blaspheme against the
Holy Ghost, hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation."
Oh! these three words! Everlasting punishment! Eternal damnation! And For ever and
ever! How will they gnaw and eat up all the expectation of the end of the misery
of the cast-away sinners. "And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever
and ever; and they have no rest day nor night," &c., (Rev 14:11).
Their behaviour in hell is set forth by four things as I know of; —(a.) By calling
for help and relief in vain; (b.) By weeping; (c.) By wailing; (d.) By gnashing of
teeth.
[FIRST, THE TEXT TREATED BY WAY OF EXPLICATION.]
[SECOND, THE TEXT TREATED BY WAY OF OBSERVATION.]
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