John Bunyan :: Two Sorts of Sinners Coming to Christ

TWO SORTS OF SINNERS COMING TO CHRIST.

"And him that COMETH." There are two sorts of sinners that are coming to Jesus Christ. First, Him that hath never, while of late,¹⁴ at all began to come. Second, Him that came formerly, and after that went back; but hath since bethought himself, and is now coming again. Both these sorts of sinners are intended by the HIM in the text, as is evident, because both are now the coming sinners. "And him that cometh."

First, The newly-awakened comer.. For the first of these. The sinner that hath never, while of late, began to come, his way is more easy—I do not say more plain and open to come to Christ than is the other, (those lost not having the clog of a guilty conscience of the sin of backsliding hanging at their heels.) But all the encouragement of the gospel, with what invitations are therein contained to coming sinners, are as free and as open to the one as to the other; so that they may with the same freedom and liberty, as from the word, both alike claim interest in the promise. "All things are ready"— all things for the coming backslider as well as for the others: "Come to the wedding. And let him that is athirst come" (Mat 22:1-4; Rev 22:17).

Second, the returning backslider. But having spoke to the first of these already, I shall here pass it by, and shall speak a word or two to him that is coming, after backsliding, to Jesus Christ for life. Thy way, O thou sinner of a double dye!—thy way is open to come to Jesus Christ: I mean thee, whose heart, after long backsliding, doth think of turning to him again. Thy way, I say, is open to him, as is the way of the other sorts of comers, as appears by what follows:

• 1. Because the text makes no exception against thee: it doth not say, And any him but a backslider—any him but him. The text doth not thus object, but indefinitely openeth wide its golden arms to every coming soul, without the least exception; therefore thou mayest come. And take heed that thou shut not that door against thy soul by unbelief which God has opened by his grace.
  
  

• 2. Nay, the text is so far from excepting against thy coming, that it strongly suggesteth that thou art one of the souls intended, O thou coming backslider, else what need that clause have been so inserted, "I will in no wise cast out?" As who should say, Though those that come now are such as have formerly backslidden, I will in nowise cast away the fornicator, the covetous, the railer, the drunkard, or other common sinners, nor yet the backslider neither.
  
  

• 3. That the backslider is intended is evident—

  • (1.) For that he is sent to by name, "Go tell his disciples and Peter" (Mar 16:7). But Peter was a godly man. True, but he was also a backslider, yea, a desperate backslider: he had denied his Master once, twice, thrice, cursing and swearing that he knew him not. If this was not backsliding, if this was not a high and eminent backsliding, yea, a higher backsliding than thou art capable of, I have thought amiss.

    Again, when David had backslidden, and had committed adultery and murder in his backsliding, he must be sent to by name. "And," saith the text, "the Lord sent Nathan unto David." And he sent him to tell him, after he had brought him to unfeigned acknowledgment, "The Lord hath also put away (or forgiven) thy sin" (2Sa 12:1; 2Sa 12:13).

    This man also was far gone: he took a man's wife, and killed her husband, and endeavoured to cover all with wicked dissimulation. He did this, I say, after God had exalted him, and showed him great favour; wherefore his transgression was greatened also by the prophet with mighty aggravations: yet he was accepted, and that with gladness, at the first step he took in his returning to Christ; for the first step of the backslider's return is to say, sensibly and unfeignedly, "I have sinned;" but he had no sooner said thus but a pardon was produced, yea, thrust into his bosom. "And Nathan said unto David, The Lord hath also put away thy sin."
    
    

  • (2.) As the person of the backslider is mentioned by name, so also is his sin, that, if possible, thy objections against thy returning to Christ may be taken out of thy way;—I say, thy sin also is mentioned by name, and mixed, as mentioned, with words of grace and favour: "I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely" (Hos 14:4). What sayest thou now, backslider?
    
    

  • (3.) Nay, farther, thou art not only mentioned by name, and thy sin by the nature of it, but thou thyself, who art a returning backslider, put—

    • (a.) Amongst God's Israel, "Return, thou backsliding Israel, saith the LORD, and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you: for I am merciful, saith the LORD, and I will not keep anger for ever" (Jer 3:12).
      
      

    • (b.) Thou art put among his children, among his children to whom he is married. "Turn, O backsliding children, saith the LORD; for I am married unto you" (Jer 3:14).
      
      

    • (c.) Yea, after all this, as if his heart was so full of grace for them, that he was pressed until he had uttered it before them, he adds, "Return, ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings" (Jer 3:22).
      
      

  • (4.) Nay, further, the Lord hath considered that the shame of thy sin hath stopped thy mouth and made thee almost a prayerless man, and therefore he saith unto thee, "Take with you words, and turn to the LORD: say unto him, Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously" (Hos 14:2). See his grace, that himself should put words of encouragement into the heart of a backslider! As he saith in another place, "I taught Ephraim also to go, taking him by their arms" (Hos 11:3). This is teaching him to go indeed, to hold him up by the arms; by the chin, as we say.

From what has been said, I conclude, even as I said before, that the him in the text, and "him that cometh" includeth both these sorts of sinners, and therefore both should freely come.

Question. 1.

• But where doth Jesus Christ in all the words of the New Testament expressly speak to a returning backslider with words of grace and peace? for what you have urged as yet, from the New Testament is nothing but consequences drawn from this text. Indeed, it is a full text for carnal ignorant sinners that come, but to me, who am a backslider, it yieldeth but little relief.

Answer.

• How! but little encouragement from the text, when it is said, "I will in nowwise cast out!" What more could have been said? What is here omitted that might have been inserted, to make the promise more full and free? Nay, take all the promises in the Bible, all the freest promises, with all the variety of expressions, of what nature or extent soever, and they can but amount to the expressions of this very promise, "I will in nowise cast out"—will for nothing, by no means, upon no account, however they have sinned, however they have backslidden, however they have provoked, cast out the coming sinner. But,

Question. 2.

• Thou sayest, Where doth Jesus Christ, in all the words of the New Testament, speak to a returning backslider with words of grace and peace—that is, under the name of a backslider?

Answer.

• Where there is such plenty of examples in receiving backsliders, there is the less need for express words to that intent; one promise, as the text is, with those examples that are annexed, is instead of many promises. And besides, I reckon that the act of receiving is of as much, if not of more, encouragement than is a bare promise to receive; for receiving is as the promise, and the fulfilling of it too; so that in the Old Testament thou hast the promise, and in the New, the fulfilling of it, and that in divers examples.

  • 1. In Peter. Peter denied his master, once, twice, thrice, and that with open oath, yet Christ receives him again without any the least hesitation or stick [archaic: read as "insistence on a certain quality" - BLB Ed.]. Yea, he slips, stumbles, falls again, in downright dissimulation ["double dealing, acting in bad faith; deception by pretending to entertain one set of intentions while acting under the influence of another" - BLB Ed.] and that to the hurt and fall of many others; but neither of this doth Christ make a bar to his salvation, but receives him again at his return, as if he knew nothing of the fault.
    
    

  • 2. The rest of the disciples, even all of them, did backslide and leave the Lord Jesus in his greatest straits. "Then all the disciples forsook him and fled" (Mat 26:56), they returned, as he had foretold) every one to his own, and left him alone; but this also he passes over as a very light matter: not that it was so indeed in itself, but the abundance of grace that was in him did lightly roll it away; for after his resurrection, when first he appeared unto them, he gives them not the least check for their perfidious dealings with him, but salutes them with words of grace, saying, "All hail! be not afraid, peace be to you; all power in heaven and earth is given unto me" (Mat 28:9-11). True, he rebuked them for their unbelief, for the which also thou deservest the same. For it is unbelief that alone puts Christ and his benefits from us (Jhn 16:12-13; Luk 24:39; Mark 16:14).
    
    

  • 3. The man that after a large profession lay with his father's wife committed a high transgression, even such a one that at that day was not heard of, no, not among the Gentiles. Wherefore this was a desperate backsliding, yet, at his return he was received and accepted again to mercy (1Co 5:1-2; 2Co 2:6-8).
    
    

  • 4. The thief that stole was bid to steal no more; not at all doubting but that Christ was ready to forgive him this act of backsliding (Eph 4:28).
    
    

• Now all these are examples, particular instances of Christ's readiness to receive the backsliders to mercy; and, observe it, examples and proofs that he hath done so are to our unbelieving hearts stronger encouragements than bare promises that so he will do.
  
  

• But again, the Lord Jesus hath added to these, for the encouragement of returning backsliders, to come to him—

  • (1.) A call to come, and he will receive them (Rev 2:1-5, Rev 2:14-16; Rev 2:20-22; Rev 3:1-3; Rev 3:15-22). Wherefore New Testament backsliders have encouragement to come.
    
    

  • (2.) A declaration of readiness to receive them that come, as here in the text, and in many other places, is plain. Therefore, "Set thee up waymarks, make thee high heaps, (of the golden grace of the gospel,) set thine heart towards the highway, even the way which thou wentest (when thou didst backslide;) turn again, O virgin of Israel, turn again to these thy cities" (Jer 31:21).

"And him that cometh." He saith not, and him that talketh, that professeth, that maketh a show, a noise, or the like, but, "him that cometh." Christ will take leave to judge who among the many that make a noise they be that indeed are coming to him. It is not him that saith he comes, nor him of whom others affirm that he comes, but him that Christ himself shall say doth come, that is concerned in this text. When the woman that had the bloody issue came to him for cure, there were others as well as she that made a great bustle about him, that touched, yea, thronged him. Ah, but Christ could distinguish this woman from them all. "And he looked round about" upon them all, "to see her that had done this thing" (Mar 5:25-32).

He was not concerned with the thronging or touchings of the rest, for theirs were but accidental, or at best, void of that which made her touch acceptable. Wherefore, Christ must be judge who they be that in truth are coming to him. "Every man's ways are right in his own eyes, but the Lord weigheth the spirits" (Pro 16:2). It standeth therefore every one in hand to be certain of their coming to Jesus Christ; for as thy coming is, so shall thy salvation be; if thou comest indeed, thy salvation shall be indeed; but if thou comest but in outward appearance, so shall thy salvation be. But of coming, see before, as also afterwards, in the use and application.

¹⁴ "While of late;" until of late. —Ed.