John Bunyan :: Advantages to the Man That Is Come to Christ

ADVANTAGES TO THE MAN THAT IS COME TO CHRIST.

A man that is come to Christ hath the advantage of him that is but coming to him; and that in seven things:

• 1. He that is come to Christ is nearer to him than he that is but coming to him; for he that is but coming to him is yet, in some sense, at a distance from him, as it is said of the coming prodigal, "And while he was yet a great way off" (Luk 15:20). Now, he that is nearer to him hath the best sight of him, and so is able to make the best judgment of his wonderful grace and beauty; as God saith, "Let them come near, then let them speak" (Isa 41:1). And as the apostle John saith, "And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world" (1Jo 4:14). He that is not yet come, though he is coming, is not fit, not being indeed capable, to make that judgment of the worth and glory of the grace of Christ as he is that is come to him, and hath seen and beheld it. Therefore, sinner, suspend thy judgment till thou art come nearer.
  
  

• 2. He that is come to Christ has the advantage of him that is but coming, in that he is eased of his burden, for he that is but coming is not eased of his burden (Mat 11:28). He that is come has cast his burden upon the Lord. By faith he hath seen himself released thereof; but he that is but coming hath it yet, as to sense and feeling, upon his own shoulders. "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden," implies, that their burden, though they are coming, is yet upon them, and so will be till indeed they are come to him.
  
  

• 3. He that is come to Christ has the advantage of him that is but coming in this also—namely, he hath drank of the sweet and soul refreshing water of life: but he that is but coming hath not. "If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink" (Jhn 7:37).

  Mark! he must come to him before he drinks, according to that of the prophet, "Ho! every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters." He drinketh not as he cometh, but when he is come to the waters (Isa 55:1).
  
  

• 4. He that is come to Christ hath the advantage of him that as yet is but coming in this also—to wit, he is not so terrified with the noise, and, as I may call it, hue and cry, which the avenger of blood makes at the heels of him that yet is but coming to him. When the slayer was on his flight to the city of his refuge he had the noise or fear of the avenger of blood at his heels, but when he was come to the city and was entered thereinto that noise ceased: even so it is with him that is but coming to Jesus Christ: he heareth many a dreadful sound in is ear—sounds of death and damnation, which he that is come is at present freed from. Therefore he saith, "Come, and I will give you rest:" And so he saith again, "We that have believed, do enter into rest," as he said, etc. (Heb 4:3).
  
  

• 5. He, therefore, that is come to Christ, is not so subject to those dejections and castings down, by reason of the rage and assaults of the evil one, as is the man that is but coming to Jesus Christ, though he has temptations too. "And as he was yet a coming, the demon threw him down, and tare him" (Luk 9:42). For he has, though Satan still roareth upon him, those experimental comforts and refreshments—to wit, in his treasury—to present himself with in times of temptation and conflict; which he that is but coming has not.
  
  

• 6. He that is come to Christ has the advantage of him that is but coming to him in this also—to wit, he hath upon him the wedding garment, etc., but he that is coming has not. The prodigal, when coming home to his father, was clothed with nothing but rags, and was tormented with an empty belly; but when he was come, the best robe is brought out, also the gold ring, and the shoes; yea, they are put upon him, to his great rejoicing. The fatted calf was killed for him, the music was struck up to make him merry; and thus also the Father himself sang of him, "This my son was dead, and is alive again; was lost and is found" (Luk 15:18-24).
  
  

• 7. In a word, he that is come to Christ, his groans and tears, his doubts and fears, are turned into songs and praises for that he hath now received the atonement, and the earnest of his inheritance; but he that is but yet a-coming, hath not those praises nor songs of deliverance with him, nor has he as yet received the atonement and earnest of his inheritance, which is, the sealing testimony of the Holy Ghost through the sprinkling of the blood of Christ upon his conscience; for he is not come (Rom 5:11; Eph 1:13; Heb 12:22-24).

Import of the word COMETH.

"And him that COMETH." There is further to be gathered from this word cometh, these following particulars:

• 1. That Jesus Christ hath his eye upon and takes notice of the first moving of the heart of a sinner after himself. Coming sinner, thou canst not move with desires after Christ but he sees the working of those desires in thy heart. "All my desire," said David, "is before thee, and my groaning is not hid from thee" (Psa 38:9). This he spake as he was coming (after he had backslidden) to the Lord Jesus Christ. It is said of the prodigal, "that while he was yet a great way off, his father saw him," had his eye upon him, and upon the going out of his heart after him (Luk 15:20).

  • When Nathanael was come to Jesus Christ, the Lord said to them that stood before him, "Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile." But Nathanael answered him, "Whence knowest thou me?" Jesus answered, "Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig-tree, I saw thee" (Jhn 1:47-48). There, I suppose, Nathanael was pouring out of his soul to God for mercy, or that he would give him good understanding about the Messias to come; and Jesus saw all the workings of his honest heart at that time.
    
    

  • Zaccheus also had some secret movings of heart, such as they were, towards Jesus Christ, when he ran before and climbed up the tree to see him, and the Lord Jesus Christ had his eye upon him; therefore, when he was come to the place he looked up to him, bids him come down, "For today," said he, "I must abide at thy house"— to wit, in order to the further completing the work of grace in his soul (Luk 19:1-9). Remember this, coming sinner.
    
    

• 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." This is also discovered by his preparing of the way, in his making of it easy (as it may be) to the coming sinner; which preparation is manifest by those blessed words, "I will in nowise cast out," of which more when we come to the place. "And while he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion on him, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him" (Luk 15:20). All these expressions do strongly prove that the heart of Christ is open to receive the coming sinner.
  
  

• 3. As Jesus Christ has his eye upon, and his 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 that he hath abode in them, shall by any means prevail with Jesus Christ to reject him. Coming sinner, thou art coming to a loving Lord Jesus!
  
  

• 4. These words, therefore, are dropped from his blessed mouth on purpose that the coming sinner might take encouragement to continue on his journey until he be come indeed to Jesus Christ. It was doubtless a great encouragement to blind Bartimeus that Jesus Christ stood still and called him, when he was crying, "Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me:" therefore, it is said, "he cast away his garment, rose, and came to Jesus" (Mar 10:46-50). Now, if a call to come hath such encouragement in it, what is a promise of receiving such but an encouragement much more? And observe it, though he had a call to come, yet not having a promise, his faith was forced to work upon a mere consequence, saying, He calls me; and surely, since he calls me, he will grant me my desire. Ah! but, coming sinner, thou hast no need to go so far about as to draw in this matter consequences, because thou hast plain promises: "And him that cometh to me I will in nowise cast out." Here is full, plain, yea, what encouragement one can desire; for, suppose thou wert admitted to make a promise thyself, and Christ should attest that he would fulfil it upon the sinner that cometh to him, couldst thou make a better promise? couldst thou invent a more full, free, or larger promise—a promise that looks at the first moving of the heart after Jesus Christ; a promise that declares, yea, that engageth Christ Jesus to open his heart to receive, the coming sinner; yea, farther, a promise that demonstrateth that the Lord Jesus is resolved freely to receive, and will in no wise cast out, nor means to reject, the soul of the coming sinner. For all this lieth fully in this promise, and doth naturally flow therefrom. Here thou needest not make use of far-fetched consequences, nor strain thy wits, to force encouraging arguments from the text. Coming sinner, the words are plain: "And him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out."