John Bunyan :: The Text Treated by Way of Explication

FIRST, THE TEXT TREATED BY WAY OF EXPLICATION.

THE EXTENT OF THE GIFT.

First, By way of explication: "all that the Father giveth me."

This word all is often used in Scripture, and is to be taken more largely, or more strictly, even as the truth or argument, for the sake of which it is made use of, will bear. Wherefore, that we may the better understand the mind of Christ in the use of it here, we must consider, that it is limited and restrained only to those that shall be saved—to wit, to those that shall come to Christ, even to those whom he will "in no wise cast out." Thus also, the words "all Israel" is sometimes to be taken, although sometimes it is taken for the whole family of Jacob. And so "all Israel shall be saved" (Rom 11:26). By "all Israel" here, he intendeth not all of Israel, in the largest sense for they are not all Israel which are of Israel, "neither because they are of the seed of Abraham are they all children; but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called—that is, they which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted for the seed" (Rom 9:6-8).

This word ALL, therefore, must be limited and enlarged, as the truth and argument for the sake of which it is used will bear, else we shall abuse Scripture, and readers, and ourselves, and all. "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth," said Christ, "will draw ALL men unto me." John 12:32. Can any man imagine, that by ALL in this place, he should mean all and every individual man in the world, and not rather that all that is consonant to the scope of the place? And if by being "lifted up from the earth" he means, as he should seem, his being taken up into heaven, and if, by "drawing ALL men after him" he meant a drawing them unto that place of glory, then must he mean by ALL men, those, and only those, that shall in truth be eternally saved from the wrath to come: "For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all" (Rom 11:32). Here again you have all and all—two alls; but yet a greater disparity between the all made mention of in the first place, and that all made mention of the second. Those intended in this text are the Jews, even all of them, by the first all that you find in the words. The second all doth also intend the same people, but yet only so many of them as God will have mercy upon. "He hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all." The all also in the text, is likewise to be limited and restrained to the saved, and to them only. But again: —

The word giveth, or hath given, must be restrained, after the same manner, to the same limited number: "all that the Father giveth me." Not all that are given, if you take the gift of the Father to the Son in the largest sense; for in that sense there are many given to him that shall never come unto him; yea, many are given unto him that "he will cast out." I shall, therefore, first show you the truth of this; and then in what sense the gift in the text must be taken.

First, ALL cannot be intended in its largest sense.

That all that are given to Christ, if you take the gift of the Father to him in the largest sense, cannot be intended in the text, is evident—

• 1. Because, then, all the men, yea, all the things in the world, must be saved. "All things," saith he, "are delivered unto me of my Father" (Mat 11:27). This, I think, no rational man in the world will conclude. Therefore, the gift intended in the text must be restrained to some—to a gift that is given by way of speciality by the Father to the Son.
  
  

• 2. It must not be taken for all that in any sense are given by the Father to him, because the Father hath given some, yea, many to him, to be dashed in pieces by him. "Ask of me," said the Father to him, "and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession." But what must be done with them? Must he save them all? No. "Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel" (Psa 2:8-9). This method he useth not with them that he saveth by his grace, but with those that himself and saints shall rule over in justice and severity (Rev 2:26-27); yet, as you see, "they are given to him; therefore the gift intended in the text must be restrained to some, to a gift that is given by way of speciality by the Father to the Son.

  In Psalm 18 he saith plainly, that some are given to him that he might destroy them: "Thou hast given me the necks of mine enemies, that I might destroy them that hate me" (Psa 18:40). These, therefore, cannot be of the number of those that are said to be given in the text; for those, even ALL of them, shall come to him, "and he will in no wise cast them out."
  
  

• 3. Some are given to Christ, that he by them might bring about some of his high and deep designs in the world. Thus Judas was given to Christ—to wit, that by him, even as was determined before, he might bring about his death, and so the salvation of his elect by his blood. Yea, and Judas must so manage this business as that he must lose himself for ever in bringing it to pass. Therefore the Lord Jesus, even in his losing of Judas, applies himself to the judgment of his Father if he had not in that thing done that which was right, even in suffering of Judas so to bring about his Master's death, as that he might, by so doing, bring about his own eternal damnation also.

  "Those," said he, "that thou gavest me, I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition, that the Scriptures might be fulfilled." Jhn 17:12. Let us, then, grant that Judas was given to Christ, but not as others are given to him, not as those made mention of in the text; for then he should have failed to have been so received by Christ, and kept to eternal life. Indeed, he was given to Christ, but he was given to him to lose him in the way that I have mentioned before; he was given to Christ, that he by him might bring about his own death, as was before determined, and that in the overthrow of him that did it. Yea, he must bring about his dying for us in the loss of the instrument that betrayed him, that he might even fulfil the Scripture in his destruction as well as in the salvation of the rest. "And none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the Scripture might be fulfilled."

Second, Those intended as the gift.

The gift, therefore, in the text, must not be taken in the largest sense, but even as the words will bear—to wit, for such a gift as he accepteth, and promiseth to be an effectual means of eternal salvation too. "All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out." Mark! They shall come that are in special given to me, and they shall by no means be rejected; for this is the substance of the text.

Those, therefore, intended as the gift in the text are those that are given by covenant to the Son—those that in other places are called the elect, the chosen, the sheep, and the children of the promise, etc.

These be they that the Father hath given to Christ to keep them, those that Christ hath promised eternal life unto, those to whom he hath given his word, and that he will have with him in his kingdom to behold his glory.

"This is the will of the Father that hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day" (Jhn 6:39). "And I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand" (Jhn 10:28). "As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. Thine they were, and thou gavest them me, and they have kept thy word; I pray for them; I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine. And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them" (Jhn 17:2; Jhn 17:6; Jhn 17:9-10).

"Keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are" "Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me may be with me where I am, that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me; for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world" (Jhn 17:11, Jhn 17:24).

All these sentences are of the same import with the text; and the alls and many, those, they, etc., in these several sayings of Christ, are the same with all the given in the text. "All that the Father giveth."

So that, as I said before, the word all, as also other words, must not be taken in such sort as our foolish fancies or groundless opinions will prompt us to, but do admit of an enlargement or a restriction, according to the true meaning and intent of the text. We must therefore diligently consult the meaning of the text by comparing it with other the sayings of God; so shall we be better able to find out the mind of the Lord, in the word which he has given us to know it by.

THE PERSON GIVING, THE FATHER.

"All that the Father giveth." By this word Father Christ describeth the person giving, by which we may learn several useful things:

First. That the Lord God, and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, is concerned with the Son in the salvation of his people. True, his acts to our salvation are diverse from those of the Son; he was not capable of doing that, or those things for us, as did the Son; he died not, he spilt not blood for our redemption, as the Son; but yet he hath a hand, a great hand, in our salvation too. As Christ saith, "The Father himself loveth you," and his love is manifest in choosing of us, in giving of us to his Son, yea, and in giving his Son also to be a ransom for us. Hence he is called "the Father of all mercies and the God of all comfort" (2Co 1:3). For here even the Father hath himself found out and made way for his grace to come to us through the sides and the heart-blood of his well-beloved Son. Col 1:12-14. The Father therefore is to be remembered and adored as one having a chief hand in the salvation of sinners. We ought to give "thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light" Col 1:12; "for the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world." 1Jo 4:14. As also we see in the text, the Father giveth the sinner to Christ to save him.

Second. Christ Jesus the Lord, by this word Father, would familiarize this giver to us. Naturally the name of God is dreadful to us, especially when he is discovered to us by those names that declare his justice, holiness, power, and glory; but now this word Father is a familiar word; it frighteth not the sinner, but rather inclineth his heart to love, and be pleased with the remembrance of him. Hence Christ also, when he would have us to pray with godly boldness, puts this word Father into our mouths, saying, "when ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven" (Mat 6:9); concluding thereby, that by the familiarity that by such a word is intimated the children of God may take more boldness to pray for and ask great things. I myself have often found, that when I can say but this word Father it doth me more good than when I call him by any other Scripture name. It is worth your noting, that to call God by his relative title was rare among the saints in Old Testament times. Seldom do you find him called by this name; no, sometimes not in three or four books; but now in New Testament times, he is called by no name so often as this, both by the Lord Jesus himself and by the apostles afterwards. Indeed the Lord Jesus was he that first made this name common among the saints, and that taught them, both in their discourses, their prayers, and in their writings, so much to use it, it being more pleasing to, and discovering more plainly our interest in God than any other expression; for by this one name we are made to understand that all our mercies are the offspring of God, and that we also that are called are his children by adoption.

IMPORT OF THE WORD GIVETH.

"All that the Father giveth."

This word giveth is out of Christ's ordinary dialect, and seemeth to intimate, at the first sound, as if the Father's gift to the Son was not an act that is past, but one that is present and continuing; when, indeed, this gift was bestowed upon Christ when the covenant, the eternal covenant, was made between them before all worlds. Wherefore in those other places, when this gift is mentioned it is still spoken of as of an act that is past, as, "All that he hath given me;" "to as many as thou hast given me;" "thou gavest them me," and "these which thou hast given me." Therefore of necessity this must be the first and chief sense of the text—I mean of this giveth—otherwise the doctrine of election and of the eternal covenant which was made between the Father and the Son (in which covenant this gift of the Father is most certainly comprised) will be shaken, or at leastwise questionable, by erroneous and wicked men; for they may say that the Father gave not all those to Christ that shall be saved, before the world was made, for that this act of giving is an act of continuation.³

But again, this word giveth is not to be rejected, for it hath its proper use, and may signify to us—

• 1. That though the act of giving among men doth admit of the time past or the time to come, and is to be spoken of with reference to such time, yet with God it is not so. Things past or things to come are always present with God, and with his Son Jesus Christ: "He calleth those things which be not"—that is, to us—"as though they were" (Rom 4:17). And again, "Known unto God are all his works from the foundation of the world" (Act 15:18). All things to God are present, and so the gift of the Father to the Son, although to us, as is manifest by the word, it is an act that is past.
  
  

• 2. Christ may express himself thus to show that the Father hath not only given him this portion in the lump before the world was, but that those that he had so given he will give him again—that is, will bring them to him at the time of their conversion—for "the Father bringeth them to Christ" (Jhn 6:44).

As it is said, "She shall be brought unto the king in raiment of needle-work;" that is, in the righteousness of Christ, for it is God that imputeth that to those that are saved (Psa 45:14; 1Co 1).

A man giveth his daughter to such a man, first in order to marriage, and this respects the time past; and he giveth her again at the day appointed in marriage. And in this last sense, perhaps, the text may have a meaning; that is, that all that the Father hath (before the world was) given to Jesus Christ he giveth them again to him in the day of their espousals.

Things that are given among men, are ofttimes best at first—to wit, when they are new; and the reason is, because all earthly things wax old; but with Christ it is not so. This gift of the Father is not old, and deformed, and unpleasant in his eyes, and therefore to him it is always new. When the Lord spake of giving the land of Canaan to the Israelites, he saith not that he had given or would give it to them, but thus: "The Lord thy God giveth thee this good land." (Deu 11:13, Deu 11:31). Not but that he had given it to them, while they were in the loins of their fathers, hundreds of years before. Yet he saith now he giveth it to them, as if they were now also in the very act of taking possession, when as yet they were on the other side Jordan. What then should be the meaning? Why, I take it to be this: that the land should be to them always as new—as new as if they were taking possession thereof but now. And so is the gift of the Father mentioned in the text to the Son; it is always new, as if it were always new.

"All that the Father giveth me." In these words you find mention made of two persons, the Father and the Son—the Father giving and the Son receiving or accepting of this gift. This, then, in the first place, clearly demonstrateth, that the Father and the Son, though they, with the Holy Ghost, are one and the same eternal God; yet, as to their personality, are distinct. The Father is one, the Son is one, the Holy Spirit is one. But because there is in this text mention made but of two of the three, therefore a word about these two. The giver and receiver cannot be the same person in a proper sense in the same act of giving and receiving. He that giveth, giveth not to himself, but to another; the Father giveth not to the Father—to wit, to himself—but to the Son: the Son receiveth not of the Son—to wit, of himself—but of the Father; so when the Father giveth commandment, he giveth it not to himself, but to another; as Christ saith, "He gave me a commandment" (Jhn 12:49). So again, "I am one that bear witness of myself, and the Father that sent me beareth witness of me." (Jhn 8:18).

Further, here is something implied that is not expressed—to wit, that the Father hath not given all men to Christ; that is, in that sense as it is intended in this text, though in a larger, as was said before, he hath given him every one of them; for then all should be saved: he hath, therefore, disposed of some another way. He gives some up to idolatry; he gives some up to uncleanness, to vile affections, and to a reprobate mind. Now these he disposeth of in his anger for their destruction, (Act 7:42; Rom 1:24, Rom 1:26, Rom 1:28) that they may reap the fruit of their doings, and be filled with the reward of their own ways. But neither hath he thus disposed of all men; he hath even of mercy reserved some from these judgments, and those are they that he will pardon, as he saith, "For I will pardon them whom I reserve." Jer 50:20. Now these he hath given to Jesus Christ, by will, as a legacy and portion. Hence the Lord Jesus says, "This is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day" (Jhn 6:39).

THE FATHER'S INTENT IN GIVING.

The Father, therefore, in giving of them to him to save them, must needs declare unto us these following things:

First. That he is able to answer this design of God—viz., to save them to the uttermost sin, the uttermost temptation, etc. Heb 7:25. Hence he is said to "lay help upon one that is mighty," "mighty to save" (Psa 89:19; Isa 63:1); and hence it is again, that God did even of old promise to send his people "a Saviour, a great one" Psa 89:19; Isa 63:1 (Isa 19:20). To save is a great work, and calls for almightiness in the undertaker; hence he is called the "Mighty God, the wonderful Counsellor," etc., (Isa 9:6). Sin is strong, Satan is also strong, death and the grave are strong, and so is the curse of the law; therefore it follows, that this Jesus must needs be by God the Father accounted almighty, in that he hath given his elect to him to save them and deliver them from these, and that in despite of all their force and power.

And he gave us testimony of this his might, when he was employed in that part of our deliverance that called for a declaration of it. He abolished death, 2Ti 1:10; he destroyed him that had the power of death, Heb 2:14-15; he was the destruction of the grave, Hos 13:14; he hath finished sin, and made an end of it as to its damning effects upon the persons that the Father hath given him, Dan 9:24, he hath vanquished the curse of the law, Gal 3:13; nailed it to his cross, triumphed over them upon his cross, and made a show of these things openly, Col 2:14-15.

Yea, and even now, as a sign of his triumph and conquest, he is alive from the dead, and hath the keys of hell and death in his own keeping. Rev 1:18.

Second. The Father's giving of them to him to save them declares unto them that he is and will be faithful in his office of Mediator, and that therefore they shall be secured from the fruit and wages of their sins, which is eternal damnation, by his faithful execution of it. And indeed it is said, even by the Holy Ghost himself, that he "was faithful to him that appointed him;" that is, to this work of saving those that the Father hath given him for that purpose, "as also Moses was faithful in all his house" (Heb 3:2). Yea, and more faithful too, for Moses was faithful in God's house but as a servant, "but Christ as a Son over his own house" (Heb 3:6).

And therefore this man is counted worthy of more glory than Moses, even upon this account, because more faithful than he, as well as because of the dignity of his person. Therefore in him, and in his truth and faithfulness, God resteth well pleased, and put all the government of this people upon his shoulders, knowing that nothing shall be wanting in him, that may any way perfect this design. And of this he—to wit, the Son—hath already given a proof; for when the time was come that his blood was by divine justice required for their redemption, washing, and cleansing, he as freely poured it out of his heart as if it had been water out of a vessel, not sticking to part with his own life that the life which was laid up for his people in heaven might not fail to be bestowed upon them. And upon this account, as well as upon any other, it is that God calleth him "my righteous servant" (Isa 53:11). For his righteousness could never have been complete, if he had not been to the uttermost faithful to the work he undertook; it is also, because he is faithful and true that in righteousness he doth judge and make work for his people's deliverance. He will faithfully perform this trust reposed in him. The Father knows this, and hath therefore given his elect unto him.

Third. The Father's giving of them to him to save them declares that he is, and will be gentle, and patient towards them, under all their provocations and miscarriages. It is not to be imagined the trials and provocations that the Son of God hath all along had with these people that have been given to him to save. Indeed he is said to be a tried stone, for he has been tried, not only by the devil, guilt of sin, death, and the curse of the law, but also by his people's ignorance, unruliness, falls into sin, and declining to errors in life and doctrine. Were we but capable of seeing how the Lord Jesus had been tried even by his people, ever since there was one of them in the world, we should be amazed at his patience and gentle carriages to them. It is said indeed, "The Lord is very pitiful, slow to anger, and of great mercy" (Neh 9:17; Psa 103:8; Psa 145:8; Joe 2:13; Jon 4:2), and indeed if he had not been so he could never have endured their manners as he has done from Adam hitherto. Therefore is his pity and bowels towards his church preferred above the pity and bowels of a mother towards her child. "Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee, saith the Lord." Isa 49:15.

God did once give Moses, as Christ's servant, an handful of his people, to carry them in his bosom, but no further than from Egypt to Canaan; and this Moses, as is said of him by the Holy Ghost, was the meekest man that was then to be found in the earth; yea, and he loved the people at a very great rate; yet neither would his meekness nor love hold out in this work; he failed and grew passionate, even to the provoking his God to anger under this work. "And Moses said unto the Lord, Wherefore hast thou afflicted thy servant?" But what was the affliction? Why, the Lord had said unto him, "Carry this people in thy bosom as a nursing father beareth the suckling child, unto the land which thou swarest unto their fathers." And how then? "Not I," says Moses; "I am not able to bear all this people alone, because it is too heavy for me. If thou deal thus with me, kill me, I pray thee, out of hand, if I have found favour in thy sight, and let me not see my wretchedness." Num 11:11-15.

God gave them to Moses, that he might carry them in his bosom, that he might show gentleness and patience towards them under all the provocations wherewith they would provoke him from that time till he had brought them to their land; but he failed in the work, he could not exercise it, because he had not that sufficiency of patience towards them. But now it is said of the person speaking in the text, that "he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young" (Isa 40:10-11) intimating that this was one of the qualifications that God looked for, and knew was in him, when he gave his elect to him to save them.

Fourth. The Father giving of them to him to save them declares that he hath a sufficiency of wisdom to wage with all those difficulties that would attend him in his bringing of his sons and daughters unto glory. 1Co 1:30. "He made him to us to be wisdom"; yea, he is called wisdom itself. And God saith, moreover that "he shall deal prudently." Isa 52:13. And indeed he that shall take upon him to be the Saviour of the people had need be wise, because their adversaries are subtle above any. Here they are to encounter with the serpent who for his subtilty outwitted our father and mother when their wisdom was at highest. Gen 3. But if we talk of wisdom, our Jesus is wise, wiser than Solomon, wiser than all men, wiser than all angels; he is even the wisdom of God. "Christ is the wisdom of God." 1Co 1:24. And hence it is that he turneth sin, temptations, persecutions, falls, and all things, for good unto his people. Rom 8:28.

Now these things, thus concluded on, do show us also the great and wonderful love of the Father, in that he should choose out one every way so well prepared for the work of man's salvation.

Herein, indeed, perceive we the love of God. Huram gathered, that God loved Israel because he had given them such a king as Solomon (2Ch 2:11); but how much more may we behold the love that God hath bestowed upon us, in that he hath given us to his Son, and also given his Son for us.

THE SON'S RECEPTION OF THE GIFT.

"All 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," (1Ki 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" (Jhn 6:39); in order next unto himself—Christ the first-fruits, afterwards those that are his at his coming. 1Co 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," etc.

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.