“All That the Father Giveth Me Shall Come”: The Force of the Promise
We come now 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.”
This word shall is confined to these all that are given to Christ. Several things follow:
1. Coming to Jesus Christ aright is an effect of their being, of God, given to Christ before. They shall come. Who? Those that are given. The reason why they come is because they were given. Thus the coming soul may reason: 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.
2. This word shall come maketh thy coming not only the fruit of the gift of the Father, but also of the purpose of the Son. “The Father hath given them to me, and they shall — yea, they shall come to me.” Christ is as full in his resolution to save those given to him as is the Father in giving of them.
3. These words, shall come, make thy coming to be also the effect of an absolute promise. Thou art concluded in a promise; thy coming is the fruit of the faithfulness of an absolute promise. As it was said to Abraham, “Sarah shall have a son” — and though Sarah was barren, though Abraham’s body was now dead, still the promise said, Sarah shall have a son — so this promise, being absolute, carries enough in its own bowels to accomplish the thing promised, whether there be means in us to effect it or not.
The Nature of an Absolute Promise
An absolute promise is one that maketh over to a man any saving, spiritual blessing without a condition to be done on our part for the obtaining thereof. It saith not, They shall, if they will; but they shall. Not, they shall, if they use the means; but, they shall.
The difference between the absolute and conditional promise is this:
(1.) They differ in their terms. The absolute promises say, I will, and you shall. The conditional: I will, if you will; or, Do this, and thou shalt live.
(2.) The absolute ones communicate things freely, only of grace. The conditional, only if there is the qualification the promise calls for.
(3.) The absolute promises therefore engage God; the conditional engage us.
(4.) Absolute promises must be fulfilled, because of the faithfulness of God. The conditional may not be fulfilled, because of the unfaithfulness of men.
(5.) Absolute promises therefore are, as Bunyan calls them, big-bellied promises, having in the bowels of them all those things necessary to their complete fulfilling. The conditional promise calls for repentance: the absolute promise gives it. The conditional calls for faith: the absolute promise gives it. The conditional calls for a new heart: the absolute gives it (Ezekiel 36:25–26). The conditional calls for holy obedience: the absolute giveth it (Ezekiel 36:27).
“Shall Come”: Answering All Objections
They are dead in trespasses and sins — how shall they come?
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.”
They are Satan’s captives — he is stronger than they
Shall-Come hath power above Satan’s. Satan had bound that daughter of Abraham so that she could by no means lift up herself; but yet Shall-Come set her free. There were seven devils in Mary Magdalene; 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. The man possessed with a legion was too much captivated by the devils for human force to free him; but when Shall-Come was to be fulfilled upon him, then he comes; nor could all their power hinder his coming.
They will not come — what can Shall-Come do?
Some men say, “We are lords; we will come no more unto thee.” But as God says in another case: if they are concerned in Shall-Come, they “shall know whose words shall stand, mine or theirs.” Consider Paul, who went not against his conscience in his persecuting; yet when the time was come, Shall-Come overmasters him, astonishes him, and with trembling and reverence in a moment he becomes willing to obey the heavenly call. Consider those who had cried, “His blood be on us and on our children” — yet Shall-Come broke in among them and they came, crying, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” “Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power” (Psalm 110:3).
They are blind, and see not the way
“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” (Isaiah 42:16). I will — I will — and therefore they shall come to me.
They have exceeded many in sin
What then? Shall that hinder the execution of Shall-Come? “The iniquity of Israel shall be sought for, and there shall be none; and the sins of Judah, and they shall not be found” (Jeremiah 50:20). Not that they had none, for they abounded in transgression; but God would pardon, cover, hide, and put them away, by virtue of his absolute promise.
They have not faith and repentance
He that saith they shall come, shall he not make it good? Faith shall be given them (Romans 15:12). They shall have repentance — “With weeping and supplication will I lead them” (Jeremiah 31:9). The present want of faith and repentance cannot make this promise of none effect; because this promise hath in it to give what other promises call for and expect.
“And Him That Cometh to Me I Will in No Wise Cast Out”
By these words our Lord Jesus doth set forth yet more amply the great goodness of his nature towards the coming sinner. In the words him that cometh, several things are suggested:
1. That Jesus Christ hath his eye upon, and takes notice of, the first moving of the heart of a sinner after himself. “All my desire,” said David, “is before thee; and my groaning is not hid from thee” (Psalm 38:9). When the prodigal was yet a great way off, his father saw him. When Nathanael was under the fig tree in secret prayer, Jesus saw him. When Zaccheus climbed up a tree with secret movings of heart, the Lord Jesus had his eye upon him.
2. As Jesus Christ hath his eye upon, so he hath his heart open to receive, the coming sinner. This is verified by the text: “And him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.”
3. As Jesus Christ has his eye upon, and heart open to receive, so he hath resolved already that nothing shall alienate his heart from receiving the coming sinner. No sins of the coming sinner, nor the length of the time he hath abode in them, shall prevail with Christ to reject him.
Import of “In No Wise”
IN NO WISE: by these words there is something expressed and something implied.
Expressed: Christ Jesus’s unchangeable resolution to save the coming sinner. I will in no wise reject him. This word is like that which he speaks of the everlasting damnation of the sinner in hell-fire: “He shall by no means depart thence,” that is, never, never come out again (Matthew 5:26). So that as he that is condemned to hell hath no ground of hope for deliverance thence, so him that cometh to Christ hath no ground to fear he shall ever be cast in thither.
Suppose that one man had a hundred sins, and another an hundred times as many; yet if they come, this word, “I will in no wise cast out,” secures them both alike. Suppose a man coming to Christ has nothing but sin and an ill-spent life to bring with him; why, let him come and welcome to Jesus Christ, “And he will in no wise cast him out” (Luke 7:42).
Implied: That the coming souls have those that continually lie at Jesus Christ to cast them off — the devil, their own sins, and the law of Moses, each accusing before God. But the words, “I will in no wise cast out,” secureth the coming sinner from them all. The Lord said to Satan concerning Joshua the high-priest: “The Lord rebuke thee, O Satan... Is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?” And he took away the filthy garments from him, and clothed him with change of raiment. So shall it be with every coming sinner.
The Coming Sinner’s Advantages and Hindrances
He that is come to Christ hath the advantage of him that is but coming in seven things: he is nearer to Christ; he is eased of his burden; he hath drunk of the sweet water of life; he is not so terrified with the hue and cry of the avenger of blood; he is not so subject to the devil’s assaults; he is clothed with the wedding garment; and his groans and tears are turned into songs of praise.
Yet the text says, “And him that cometh” — not him that is come, but him that cometh. This is to give hope to those who are still on the journey. Christ says him that cometh, that is, him whose heart begins to move after me; him who is leaving all for my sake; him who is on his journey to me. For all such, Christ standeth ready with open heart to receive.
Two Sorts of Sinners Coming to Christ
There are two sorts of sinners that are coming to Jesus Christ. First, him that hath never until of late at all begun to come. Second, him that came formerly and after that went back, but hath since bethought himself and is now coming again. Both are intended by the him in the text.
For the returning backslider, hear this:
1. The text makes no exception against thee. It doth not say, “And any him but a backslider.” The text indefinitely opens wide its golden arms to every coming soul, without the least exception.
2. The text is so far from excepting against thy coming, that it strongly suggesteth that thou art one of the souls intended — else what need had been that clause, “I will in no wise cast out?”
3. The backslider is intended by name. After Peter denied his Master thrice, with cursing and swearing — the angel said, “Go, tell his disciples and Peter” (Mark 16:7). After David had committed adultery and murder, Nathan was sent to him; and the first step of his return — “I have sinned” — was met immediately with: “The Lord hath also put away thy sin.”
4. God hath said expressly: “I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely” (Hosea 14:4). “Return, thou backsliding Israel, saith the Lord; and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you; for I am merciful” (Jeremiah 3:12). “Return, ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings” (verse 22). And most tenderly of all: “I taught Ephraim also to go, taking him by the arms” (Hosea 11:3) — holding him up by the chin, as we say.
But I am a great sinner, sayest thou. “I will in no wise cast out,” says Christ.
But I am an old sinner, sayest thou. “I will in no wise cast out,” says Christ.
But I am a hard-hearted sinner, sayest thou. “I will in no wise cast out,” says Christ.
But I am a backsliding sinner, sayest thou. “I will in no wise cast out,” says Christ.
But I have served Satan all my days, sayest thou. “I will in no wise cast out,” says Christ.
But I have sinned against light, sayest thou. “I will in no wise cast out,” says Christ.
But I have sinned against mercy, sayest thou. “I will in no wise cast out,” says Christ.
But I have no good thing to bring with me, sayest thou. “I will in no wise cast out,” says Christ.