Observation First: Coming Is Not by the Power of Man, but the Drawing of the Father
Coming to Christ is not by the will, wisdom, or power of man, but by the gift, promise, and drawing of the Father.
The Word denieth it wholly to be by the will of man: “Not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man” (John 1:13). “It is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth” (Romans 9:16). The wisdom of man is also refused: in the wisdom of God it pleased him that the world by wisdom should not know him; therefore by that wisdom they cannot come to him. “Christ the wisdom of God” is “unto them that perish, foolishness.” And coming is not by the power of man: what power has he that is dead, as every natural man spiritually is? “It is God which worketh in you both to will and to do” (Philippians 2:13).
The Word positively affirms: “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him” (John 6:44). “No man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father” (John 6:65). “Every man, therefore, that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me” (John 6:45).
Use: Then let saints learn to ascribe their coming to Christ to the gift, promise, and drawing of the Father. Why is it thee? Why not another? O that the glory of electing love should rest upon thy head! Bless God for slaying the enmity of thy mind; had he not done it, thou wouldest as yet have hated thine own salvation.
Observation Second: Coming Sinners Are Ofttimes Afraid Christ Will Not Receive Them
I gather this observation from the very largeness and openness of the promise: “I will in no wise cast out.” For had there not been a proneness in us to fear casting out, Christ needed not to have, as it were, waylaid our fear, as he doth by this great and strange expression, “In no wise.”
What should be the reasons of this fear? Many things may cause it:
1. Want of knowledge of Christ. Thou knowest but little of the grace and kindness that is in the heart of Christ. Unbelief is the daughter of ignorance. The more knowledge of Christ, the more faith. When Joseph’s brethren came into Egypt and knew not him — so long as their ignorance lasted, whatever Joseph did, they put the worse sense upon it. He bade them to dinner, and they said, “He seeketh occasion against us.” Thus it is with the sinner that but of late is coming to Jesus Christ; because he knows not the love and pity that is in Christ, he doubts and fears.
2. Strong desires after salvation are attended with strong fears of missing it. He that hath his heart most set upon a thing fears most he shall not obtain it. Thus it is with the soul at first coming: thou lovest him, and thy love produceth jealousy, and that jealousy ofttimes begets fears.
3. Sense of thine own unworthiness. Yet it should not keep thee back; for who needs the physician but the sick? Who did Christ come into the world to save, but the chief of sinners? The more thou seest thy sins, the faster fly thou to Jesus Christ.
4. The sense of the exceeding mercy of being saved. The very greatness of heaven confounds the coming sinner: How can so great a thing be for me? But God giveth like himself. When kings give, they give as kings. He raiseth up the poor from the dunghill to set them among princes (1 Samuel 2:8; Psalm 113:7–8).
5. The hideous roaring of the devil who pursues thee. Two of his chief objections are: that thou art not elected, and that thou hast sinned the sin against the Holy Ghost.
Against the first: Thou art a-coming — but that would not be, if the Father had not drawn thee. Say to Satan: “I feel my heart moving after Jesus Christ; but that would not be, if it were not given by promise, and drawing to Christ by the power of the Father. Were I not elect, the Father would not draw me, nor would the Son so graciously open his bosom to me.”
Against the second: Coming to Christ is by the special drawing of the Father; but the Father draweth not him to Christ for whom he hath not allotted forgiveness by his blood. He that hath sinned the unpardonable sin can never have heart to come to Jesus Christ; the very desire and movement of thy heart proves thou hast not committed it.
Observation Third: Christ Would Not Have Coming Sinners Once Think He Will Cast Them Out
If Christ saith, I will not, he would not have us think he will. Consider: when the woman taken in adultery was brought before him, though they pressed him continually to condemn her, he stooped down and wrote upon the ground, plainly testifying that he was not for receiving accusations against poor sinners. Then he said, “Neither do I condemn thee; go, and sin no more.”
Christ forbids all unbelieving thoughts: “Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts” (Isaiah 55:7). It is not enough to forsake one if thou wilt come to Christ, because the other will keep thee from him. Therefore he bids thee forsake not only thy wicked ways, but thine unbelieving thoughts. These thoughts, that Christ will cast thee out, are not from God — for God hath given no such grounds for them; they are from the devil and from the sin of unbelief, which is the white devil, appearing as an angel of light, ever suggesting good-seeming reasons why thou shouldest not boldly come to Christ.
The Evil of Unbelief
Unbelief may be called the white devil, for it often shows as if it were an angel of light. It keeps the soul from Christ by pretending present unfitness. It suits the conscience, saying: Thou hast nothing good; thou art guilty; who art thou to presume? It suits our feelings: thou feelest the workings of sin still in thee; therefore thou canst have no grace. It suits the wisdom of our flesh: stand back; do not be rash; question awhile.
A few contrasts of faith and unbelief:
Faith believeth the Word of God; unbelief questioneth the certainty of the same. Faith sees more in a promise of God to help than in all other things to hinder; unbelief saith, How can these things be? Faith will give comfort in the midst of fears; unbelief causeth fears in the midst of comfort. Faith bringeth us near to God when we are far from him; unbelief puts us far from God when we are near to him. Faith purifieth the heart; unbelief keepeth it polluted. Faith giveth us peace and comfort in our souls; unbelief worketh trouble and tossings, like the restless waves of the sea. By faith Peter walked on the water; by unbelief he began to sink.
Beware of unbelief; lest, seeing there is a promise left us of entering into his rest, any of us by unbelief should come short of it.
Use of Encouragement: A Full Christ Awaits the Coming Sinner
Coming sinner, I have now a word for thee; be of good comfort, “He will in no wise cast out.”
Thou comest to a full Christ.
1. He is full of grace — grace that is love. Never any loved like Jesus Christ. His love prevailed with him to lay aside his glory, to leave the heavenly place, to clothe himself with flesh, to be born in a stable, to live a poor life in the world, to take upon him our sicknesses, sins, curse, death, and the wrath due to man. “For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly” (Romans 5:6).
2. He is full of truth — faithfulness in keeping his promise: “I will in no wise cast out.” His word is truth; his law is truth; he himself is truth. Coming sinner, he will not deceive thee.
3. He is full of wisdom, to manage the affairs of every coming sinner. He ordereth all crosses, disappointments, temptations, and providences for good to his people. Can Christ help it — and be sure he can — nothing shall fall out but it shall have a good tendency to his church.
4. He is full of the Spirit, to communicate it to the coming sinner; he has received it without measure, that he may communicate it to every member of his body (John 7:38–39).
5. He is full of bowels and compassion: he can bear with thy weaknesses, pity thy ignorance, be touched with the feeling of thy infirmities, affectionately forgive thy transgressions, heal thy backslidings, and love thee freely. “He will not break a bruised reed, nor quench the smoking flax” (Isaiah 42:3).
6. He is full of might for thy advantage: he is the Prince of the kings of the earth; he can suppress all thine enemies; he can break all snares laid for thee.
7. He is lowly in heart: he despiseth not any. It is not thy meanness, nor thy weakness, nor thy being poor, or base, or foolish, that he will despise thee. He chose the foolish, the base, the despised (1 Corinthians 1:27–28). He will bow his ear to thy stammering prayers; he will pick out the meaning of thy inexpressible groans.
And thou comest to a Christ who is not only full, but free. He does not spare what he has; he is open-hearted and open-handed. He calls thee. He tells thee that he will heartily do thee good — “with my whole heart, and with my whole soul” (Jeremiah 32:41). He gives without upbraiding. He complains when thou dost not come: “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, how often would I have gathered thy children... and ye would not!” He wept over the city. He receives the returning prodigal with running feet and the father’s kiss, with music and dancing and fatted calf.
Encouragements for the Coming Sinner
Art thou coming? Then this coming is by virtue of God’s call. Coming is not of works, but of him that calleth. It is by virtue of illumination: God has made thee see, and therefore thou art coming. It is because God hath inclined thine heart to come. It is because God giveth thee power to pursue thy will. Every strange, passionate, sudden rushing forward after Jesus Christ is the Holy Spirit filling thy sails with a fresh gale.
Coming sinner — art thou not like to fare well, when thou hast embraced him? Thou comest to a full Christ, a free Christ, a faithful Christ. He hath no need of thy designs, though thou hast need of his. He waits with open arms. His word cannot fail. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but not one jot or tittle of this word shall pass away: him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.
To him be glory, and honour, and praise, and dominion, for ever and ever. Amen.