John Bunyan :: What Force There Is in the Promise to Make Them Come to Christ

WHAT FORCE THERE IS IN THE PROMISE TO MAKE THEM COME TO CHRIST.

SECOND, "Shall come to me." Now we come to show WHAT FORCE THERE IS IN THIS PROMISE TO MAKE THEM COME TO HIM. "All that the Father giveth me shall come to me."

I will speak to this promise: First, In general. Second, In particular.

First, in general.

This word SHALL is confined to these ALL that are given to Christ. "All that the Father giveth me shall come to me." Hence I conclude—”

• 1. That coming to Jesus Christ aright is an effect of their being, of God, given to Christ before. Mark! They shall come. Who? Those that are given. They come then, because they were given: "Thine they were, and thou gavest them me" (Jhn 17:6). Now this is indeed a singular comfort to them that are a-coming in truth to Christ, to think that the reason why they come is because they were given of the Father before to him. Thus, then, may the coming soul reason with himself as he comes: Am I coming, indeed, to Jesus Christ? This coming of mine is not to be attributed to me or my goodness, but to the grace and gift of God to Christ. God gave first my person to him, and, therefore hath now given me a heart to come.
  
  

• 2. These words, shall come, makes thy coming not only the fruit of the gift of the Father, but also of the purpose of the Son, for these words are a divine purpose; they show us the heavenly determination of the Son. "The Father hath given them to me, and they shall"—yea, they shall—"come to me." Christ is as fully in his resolution to save those given to him as is the Father in giving of them. Christ prized the gift of his Father—he will lose nothing of it; he is resolved to save it every whit by his blood, and to raise it up again at the last day; and thus he fulfills his Father's will, and accomplisheth his own desires (Jhn 6:39-40).
  
  

• 3. These words, shall come, make thy coming to be also the effect of an absolute promise: coming sinner, thou art concluded in a promise; thy coming is the fruit of the faithfulness of an absolute promise. It was this promise by the virtue of which thou at first receivedst strength to come; and this is the promise by the virtue of which thou shalt be effectually brought to him. It was said to Abraham, "At this time will I come, and Sarah shall have a son." This son was Isaac. Mark! "Sarah shall have a son;" there is the promise; And Sarah had a son; there was the fulfilling of the promise; and therefore was Isaac called the child of the promise (Gen 17:19; Gen 18:10; Rom 9:9).

  • Sarah shall have a son. But how, if Sarah be past age? Why, still the promise continues to say, Sarah shall have a son. But how if Sarah be barren? Why still the promise says, Sarah shall have a son. But Abraham's body is now dead? Why, the promise is still the same, Sarah shall have a son. Thus you see what virtue there is in an absolute promise; it carrieth enough in its own bowels to accomplish the thing promised, whether there be means or no in us to effect it. Wherefore this promise in the text, being an absolute promise, by virtue of it, not by virtue of ourselves or by our own inducements, do we come to Jesus Christ; for so are the words of the text: "All that the Father giveth me shall come to me."
    
    

  • Therefore is every sincere comer to Jesus Christ called also a child of the promise. "Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of the promise" (Gal 4:28); that is, we are the children that God hath promised to Jesus Christ and given to him, yea, the children that Jesus Christ hath promised shall come to him. "All that the Father giveth me shall come."
    
    

• 4. These words, shall come, engage Christ to communicate all manner of grace to those thus given him to make them effectually to come to him. They shall come; that is, not if they will, but if grace, all grace, if power, wisdom, a new heart, and the Holy Spirit, and all joining together, can make them come. I say these words, shall come, being absolute, hath no dependence upon our own will, or power, or goodness; but it engageth for us even God himself, Christ himself, the Spirit himself. When God had made the absolute promise to Abraham, that Sarah should have a son, Abraham did not at all look at any qualifications in himself, because the promise looked at none; but as God had by the promise absolutely promised him a son, so he considered now not his own body now dead, nor yet the barrenness of Sarah's womb. "He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strong in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully persuaded that what he had promised he was able also to perform" (Rom 4:20-21). He had promised, and promised absolutely, Sarah shall have a son: therefore Abraham looks that he—to wit, God—must fulfil the condition of it. Neither is this expectation of Abraham disapproved by the Holy Ghost, but accounted good and laudable, it being that by which he gave glory to God. The Father also hath given to Christ a certain number of souls for him to save, and he himself hath said, "They shall come to him." Let the Church of God, then, live in a joyful expectation of the utmost accomplishment of this promise, for assuredly it shall be fulfilled, and not one-thousandth part of a tittle thereof shall fail. "They SHALL come to me."

Second, In particular. And now before I go any farther, I will more particularly inquire into the nature of an absolute promise:

• 1. We call that an absolute promise that is made without any condition, or more fully thus: That is an absolute promise of God or of Christ which maketh over to this or that man any saving spiritual blessing, without a condition to be done on our part for the obtaining thereof. And this we have in hand is such an one. Let the best master of arts on earth show me, if he can, any condition in this text depending upon any qualification in us which is not by the same promise concluded shall be by the Lord Jesus effected in us.
  
  

• 2. An absolute promise therefore is, as we say, without if or and; that is, it requireth nothing of us, that itself might be accomplished. It saith not, They shall, if they will, but, They shall: not, They shall if they use the means, but, They shall. You may say that a will and the use of the means is supposed, though not expressed. But I answer, No, by no means; that is, as a condition of this promise: if they be at all included in the promise, they are included there as the fruit of the absolute promise; not as if it expected the qualification to arise from us. "Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power." Psa 110:3. That is another absolute promise; but doth that promise suppose a willingness in us as a condition of God's making us willing? They shall be willing if they are willing; or, They shall be willing, if they will be willing. This is ridiculous; there is nothing of this supposed. The promise is absolute as to us; all that it engageth for its own accomplishment is, the mighty power of Christ and his faithfulness to accomplish.
  
  

• 3. The difference therefore betwixt the absolute and conditional promise is this:

  • (1.) They differ in their terms. The absolute promises say, "I will and you shall:" the other, "I will if you will;" or, "Do this, and thou shalt live." Jer 31:32; Jer 31:34; Eze 36:24-34; Heb 8:7-12; Jer 4:1; Eze 18:30-32; Mat 19:21.
    
    

  • (2.) They differ in their way of communicating of good things to men: the absolute ones communicate things freely only of grace; the other, if there be that qualification in us that the promise calls for, not else.
    
    

  • (3.) The absolute promises therefore engage God, the other engage us; I mean, God only, us only.
    
    

  • (4.) Absolute promises must be fulfilled; conditional may, or may not be fulfilled. The absolute ones must be fulfilled because of the faithfulness of God; the other may not, because of the unfaithfulness of men.
    
    

  • (5.) Absolute promises have therefore a sufficiency in themselves to bring about their own fulfilling; the conditional have not so. The absolute promise is therefore a big-bellied promise, because it hath in itself a fullness of all desired things for us; and will, when the time of that promise is come, yield to us mortals that which will verily save us; yea, and make us capable of answering of the demands of the promise that is conditional.
    
    

• 4. Wherefore, though there be a real, yea, an eternal difference in these things (with others) betwixt the conditional and absolute promise, yet again, in other respects, there is a blessed harmony betwixt them, as may be seen in these particulars:

  • (1.) The conditional promise calls for repentance, the absolute promise gives it. Act 5:30-31.
    
    

  • (2.) The conditional promise calls for faith, the absolute promise gives it. Zep 3:12; Rom 15:12.
    
    

  • (3.) The conditional promise calls for a new heart, the absolute promise gives it (Eze 36:25-26).
    
    

  • (4.) The conditional promise calleth for holy obedience, the absolute promise giveth it, or causeth it (Eze 36:27).
    
    

• 5. And as they harmoniously agree in this, so again the conditional promise blesseth the man who by the absolute promise is endued with its fruits; as, for instance,

  • (1.) The absolute promise maketh men upright, and then the conditional follows, saying, "Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord." Psa 119:1.
    
    

  • (2.) The absolute promise giveth to this man the fear of the Lord, and then the conditional followeth, saying, "Blessed is every one that feareth the Lord." Psa 128:1.
    
    

  • (3.) The absolute promise giveth faith, and then this conditional follows, saying, "Blessed is he that believeth." Zep 3:12; Luk 1:45.
    
    

  • (4.) The absolute promise brings free forgiveness of sins; and then says the conditional, "Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered." Rom 4:7-8.
    
    

  • (5.) The absolute promise says, that God's elect shall hold out to the end, then the conditional follows with his blessings, "He that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved." 1Pe 1:4-5, 1Pe 1:7; Mat 24:13.
    
    

• Thus do the promises gloriously serve one another and us in this their harmonious agreement.

Now, the promise under consideration is an absolute promise. "All that the Father giveth me shall come to me."

This promise therefore is, as is said, a big-bellied promise, and hath in itself all those things to bestow upon us that the conditional calleth for at our hands. They shall come! Shall they come? Yes, they shall come! But how if they want those things, those graces, power, and heart, without which they cannot come? Why, "Shall-come" answereth all this, and all things else that may in this manner be objected. And here I will take the liberty to amplify things.

Objections to the absoluteness of this promise (the force of  "SHALL-COME") answered.

Objection. 1.

• But they are dead, dead in trespasses and sins: how shall they then come?

Answer.

• "Why, "Shall-come" can raise them from this death: "The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and they that hear shall live" (Jhn 5:25). Thus, therefore, is this impediment by "Shall-come" removed out of the way. They shall hear, they shall live.

Objection 2.

• But they are Satan's captives; he takes them captive at his will, and he is stronger than they: how then can they come?

Answer.

• Why, "Shall-come" hath also provided an help for this. Satan had bound that daughter of Abraham so that she could by no means lift up herself, but yet "Shall-come" set her free both in body and soul. Christ will have them turned from the power of Satan to God. But what! Must it be if they turn themselves, or do something to merit of him to turn them? No, he will do it freely, of his own good will. Alas! Man, whose soul is possessed by the devil, is turned whithersoever that governor listeth, is taken captive by him, notwithstanding its natural powers, at his will; but what will he do? Will he hold him when "Shall-come" puts forth itself (will he then let¹² him?) for coming to Jesus Christ? No, that cannot be. His power is but the power of a fallen angel, but "Shall-come" is the Word of God; therefore "Shall-come" must be fulfilled; "and the gates of hell shall not prevail against [him]" (Mat 16:18).
  
  

• There were seven devils in Mary Magdalene, too many for her to get from under the power of; but when the time was come that "Shall-come" was to be fulfilled upon her, they give place, fly from her, and she comes indeed to Jesus Christ, according as it is written, "All that the Father giveth me shall come to me."
  
  

• The man that was possessed with a legion (Mar 5) was too much by them captivated for him by human force to come; yea, had he had, to boot, all the men under heaven to help him, had he that said, "he shall come," withheld his mighty power: but when this promise was to be fulfilled upon him, then he comes, nor could all their power hinder his coming. It was also this "Shall-come" that preserved him from death when by these evil spirits he was hurled hither and thither; and it was by the virtue of "Shall-come" that he was at last set at liberty from them, and enabled indeed to come to Christ. "All that the Father giveth me shall come to me."

Objection 3.

• They shall, you say, but how if they will not; and, if so, then what can "Shall-come" do?

Answer.

• True, there are some men say, "We are lords; we will come no more unto thee." Jer 2:31. But as God says in another case, if they are concerned in "Shall-come" to me, "They shall know whose words shall stand, mine or theirs." Jer 44:28. Here, then, is the case: we must now see who will be the liar; he that saith, I will not; or He that saith, He shall come to me. "You shall come," says God; "I will not come," saith the sinner. Now, as sure as he is concerned in this "Shall-come," God will make that man eat his own words; for "I will not" is the unadvised conclusion of a crazy-headed sinner, but "Shall-come" was spoken by Him that is of power to perform his word. "Son, go work to-day in my vineyard" (Mat 21:28) said the Father, but "he answered, and said, I will not come" (Mat 21:29). What now? will he be able to stand to his refusal? will he pursue his desperate denial? No, "he afterwards repented and went." But how came he by that repentance? Why, it was wrapped up for him in the absolute promise, and therefore, notwithstanding he said, I will not, "he afterwards repented and went." By this parable Jesus Christ sets forth the obstinacy of the sinners of the world, as touching their coming to him; they will not come though threatened: yea, though life be offered them upon condition of coming.
  
  

• But now, when "Shall-come" the absolute promise of God, comes to be fulfilled upon them, then they come, because by that promise a cure is provided against the rebellion of their will: "Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power" (Psa 110:3). Thy people! what people? Why, the people that thy Father hath given thee. The obstinacy and plague that is in the will of that people shall be taken away, and they shall be made willing; "Shall-come" will make them willing to come to thee.
  
  

• He that had seen Paul in the midst of his outrages against Christ, his gospel, and people would hardly have thought that he would ever have been a follower of Jesus Christ, especially since he went not against his conscience in his persecuting of them. He thought verily that he ought to do what he did. But we may see what "Shall-come" can do when it comes to be fulfilled upon the soul of a rebellious sinner; he was a chosen vessel, given by the Father to the Son, and now the time being come that "Shall-come" was to take him in hand, behold he is overmastered, astonished, and with trembling and reverence in a moment becomes willing to be obedient to the heavenly call. Acts 9.
  
  

• And were not they far gone, (that you read of in Act 2,) who had their hands and hearts in the murder of the Son of God, and to show their resolvedness never to repent of that horrid fact, said, "His blood be on us and on our children" (Mat 27:25)? But must their obstinacy rule? Must they be bound to their own ruin, by the rebellion of their stubborn wills? No, not those of these the Father gave to Christ; wherefore, at the times appointed, "Shall-come" breaks in among them: the absolute promise takes them in hand, and then they come indeed, crying out to Peter, and the rest of the apostles, "Men and brethren, what shall we do" (Act 2:37)? No stubbornness of man's will can stand when God hath absolutely said the contrary; "Shall-come" can make them come "as doves to their windows" (Isa 60:8) that had afore resolved never to come to him.
  
  

• The Lord spake unto Manasseh and to his people by the prophets, but would he hear? No, he would not. But shall Manasseh come off thus? No, he shall not. Therefore, he being also one of those whom the Father had given to the Son, and so falling within the bounds and reach of "Shall-come," at last "Shall-come" takes him in hand, and then he comes indeed. He comes bowing and bending; he humbled himself greatly, and made supplication to the Lord, and prayed unto him; and he was entreated of him, and had mercy upon him. 2Ch 33:11-13.
  
  

• The thief upon the cross at first, did rail with his fellow upon Jesus Christ, but he was one that the Father had given to him, and therefore, "Shall-come" must handle him and his rebellious will. And behold, so soon as he is dealt withal by virtue of that absolute promise, how soon he buckleth, leaves his railing, and falls to supplicating of the Son of God for mercy; "Lord," saith he, "remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom." Mat 27:44; Luk 23:40-42.

Objection 4.

• They shall come, say you, but how if they be blind, and see not the way? For some are kept off from Christ, not only by the obstinacy of their will, but by the blindness of their mind. Now, if they be blind, how shall they come?

Answer.

• The question is not, Are they blind? but, Are they within the reach and power of "Shall-come"? If so, that Christ that said they shall come will find them eyes or a guide, or both, to bring them to himself. "Must is for the King." If they shall come, they shall come: No impediment shall hinder.
  
  

• The Thessalonians' darkness did not hinder them from being the children of light. "I am come," said Christ, "that they which see not might see." And if he saith, "See, ye blind that have no eyes," who shall hinder it? (Eph 5:8; Jhn 9:39; Isa 29:18; Isa 43:8).
  
  

• This promise therefore is, as I said, a big-bellied promise, having in the bowels of it all things that shall concur to the complete fulfilling of itself. "They shall come." But it is objected, that they are blind. Well, "Shall-come" is still the same, and continueth to say, "They shall come to me." Therefore he saith again, "I will bring the blind by a way that they know not, I will lead them in paths that they have not known; I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them" (Isa 42:16).
  
  

• Mark! I will bring them, though they be blind; I will bring them by a way they know not: I will, I will: and therefore "they shall come to me."

Objection 5.

• But how. if they have exceeded many in sin, and so made themselves far more abominable? They are the ringleading sinners in the country, the town, or family.

Answer.

• What then? Shall that hinder the execution of "Shall come"? It is not transgressions, nor sins, nor all their transgression in all their sins, if they by the Father are given to Christ to save them, that shall hinder this promise that it should not be fulfilled upon them. "In those days, and in that time," saith the Lord, "the iniquity of Israel shall be sought for, and there shall be none; and the sins of Judah, and they shall not be found" (Jer 50:20). Not that they had none, for they abounded in transgression (2Ch 33:9; Eze 16:48), but God would pardon, cover, hide, and put them away, by virtue of his absolute promise, by which they are given to Christ to save them. "And I will cleanse them from all their iniquity, whereby they have transgressed against me. And it shall be to me a name of joy, a praise and an honour before all the nations of the earth, which shall hear all the good that I do unto them: and they shall fear and tremble for all the goodness and for all the prosperity that I procure unto it" (Jer 33:8-9).

Objection 6.

• But how, if they have not faith and repentance? How shall they come then?

Answer.

• Why, he that saith, they "Shall come," shall he not make it good? If they shall come, they shall come; and he that hath said they shall come, if faith and repentance be the way to come, as indeed they are, then faith and repentance shall be given to them! for "Shall come" must be fulfilled on them.

  • 1. Faith shall be given them. "I will also leave in the midst of thee an afflicted and poor people, and they shall trust in the name of the LORD." (Zep 3:12). "There shall be a root of Jesse, and he that shall rise to reign over the Gentiles; in him shall the Gentiles trust" (Rom 15:12).
    
    

  • 2. They shall have repentance. He is exalted to give repentance: "They shall come weeping, and seeking the Lord their God." And again, "With weeping and supplication will I lead them" (Jer 50:4; Jer 31:9).
    
    

• I told you before, that an absolute promise hath all conditional ones in the belly of it, and also provision to answer all those qualifications that they propound to him that seeketh for their benefit. And it must be so, for if "Shall come" be an absolute promise, as indeed it is, then it must be fulfilled upon every of those concerned therein. I say, it must be fulfilled, if God can by grace and his absolute will, fulfil it. Besides, since coming and believing is all one, "He that cometh to me shall never hunger, and he that believeth on me shall never thirst" (Jhn 6:35).

• Then, when he saith, They "shall come," it is as much as to say, they shall believe, and consequently repent, to the saving of the soul. So, then, the present want of faith and repentance cannot make this promise of God of none effect, because that this promise hath in it to give what others call for and expect. I will give them an heart, I will give them my Spirit, I will give them repentance, I will give them faith. (Eze 36:26-27)
  
  

• Mark these words: "If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature." But how came he to be a new creature, since none can create but God? Why, God indeed doth make them new creatures. "Behold," saith he, "I make all things new" (Rev 21:5). And hence it follows even after he had said they are new creatures, and all things are of God; that is, all these new creatures stand in the several operations and special workings of the Spirit of grace, who is God (2 Cor 5:17-18).

Objection 7.

• But how shall they escape all those dangerous and damnable opinions that like rocks and quicksands are in the way in which they are going?

Answer.

• Indeed this age is an age of errors, if ever there was an age of errors in the world; but yet the gift of the Father, laid claim to by the Son in the text, must needs escape them and in conclusion come to him. There are a company of "Shall comes," in the Bible that doth secure them; not but that they may be assaulted by them, yea, and also for the time entangled and detained by them from the Bishop of their souls; but these "Shall comes," will break those chains and fetters that those given to Christ are entangled in, and they shall come, because he hath said they shall come to him.
  
  

• Indeed, errors are like that whore of whom you read in the Proverbs, that sitteth in her seat in the high places of the city, "to call passengers who go right on their ways" (Pro 9:13-15). But the persons, as I said, that by the Father are given to the Son to save them, are, at one time or other, secured by "shall come to me."
  
  

• And therefore of such it is said, God will guide them with his eye, with his counsel, by his Spirit, and that in the way of peace, by the springs of water, and into all truth (Psa 32:8; Psa 73:24; Jhn 16:13; Luk 1:79; Isa 49:10). So, then, he that hath such a guide, (and all that the Father giveth to Christ shall have it,) he shall escape those dangers; he shall not err in the way; yea, though he be a fool, he shall not err therein, (Isa 35:8), for of every such an one it is said, "Thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left" (Isa 30:21).
  
  

• There were thieves and robbers before Christ's coming, as there are also now, but, said he, "The sheep did not hear them" (Jhn 10:5).
  
  

• And why did they not hear them but because they were under the power of "Shall come," that absolute promise, that had that grace in itself to bestow upon them, as could make them able rightly to distinguish of voices: "My sheep hear my voice." But how came they to hear it? Why, to them it is given to know and to hear, and that distinguishingly. Jhn 10:8; Jhn 10:16; Jhn 5:25; Eph 5:14.
  
  

• Further, the very plain sentence of the text makes provision against all these things, for saith it, "All that the Father giveth me shall come to me;" that is, shall not be stopped or be allured to take up anywhere short of me, nor shall they turn aside, to abide with any besides me.

¹² "Let him;" hinder him. See 2 Thessalonians 2:7. Obsolete. —Imperial Dictionary. —Ed.