John Bunyan’s Come and Welcome to Jesus Christ, Part 2
In my first summary of this little classic on assurance, I covered Bunyan’s exegesis of the text of John 6:37 and his meeting of two kinds of objections that the introspective bring against their own salvation. In the chapters that follow, he draws out those parts of this truth in greater detail.
Christ Receives Sinners, Not Casting Them Out
The fourth and fifth chapters focus on the heart of Jesus and His action. The words “to me” are treated first; and there is a double insinuation: that in Christ there is all sufficiency to make us happy, and that this is in fact why we all come. Note that this “why” is not speaking to the ultimate cause, but to the level of motive in the convert.
This is important as it would (if we are attentive) shape our gospel call. The same issue of motive can then be used to show people that they have in fact come to Christ, since they agree that such great things are to be gained in the Son.
So, what sort of things make Christ all-sufficient for our happiness? Bunyan speaks of His life, righteousness, every spiritual good, and power to protect from all evils and dangers: each of these with supporting texts. But do we come to Christ for our happiness? It is common for newcomers to Reformed theology to pit God’s glory against man’s joy. Now, since all want the greatest things, in and of themselves, the goal is to make people see that Christ alone is good for them. It follows, then, that in desiring those, such a one desires the One in whom alone they are found. There is a sense in which Christ’s glory is veiled, and yet a sense in which those that the Father gives to Him have given to them a sight (cf. Mat. 11:27). To have the Son revealed is to have what He offers revealed. If one is satisfied in this, then one has landed on crucial evidence of salvation.
Bunyan continues in the same direction, unpacking seven benefits of coming to Christ:
(1) he is nearer to Christ than he that still coming, and has seen and beheld; (2) he has been eased of his burden; (3) he has drunk of the sweet and soul-refreshing water of life; (4) has more lost the terror of the avenger of blood; (5) less sensitive to the raging accusations of the devil; (6) he has upon him the wedding garment; (7) his groans and tears, doubts and fears, are turned into songs and praises.1
Now, as to the action of Jesus analyzed in the fifth chapter, the introspection of the backslider is cornered. Why does John 6:37 by itself answer the backslider? The text makes no exception against the backslider. “And take heed that you shut not that door against your soul by unbelief, which God has opened by his grace.” By the words, “I will in no wise cast out,” the backslider is very much intended. Bunyan offers something of a definition of coming to Christ, in saying:
“Therefore the man that comes to Christ, is one that has had deep considerations of his own sins, slighting thoughts of his own righteousness, and high thoughts of the blood and righteousness of Jesus Christ. Yes, he sees, as I have said, more virtue in the blood of Christ to save him, than there is in all his sins to damn him.”2
By further unpacking “in no wise,” he makes it plain that backsliding cannot be an exception. Backsliding is a way, so that if all ways are cut off—if no way can outrun Christ’s mercy—then the way of backsliding is as powerless as any other.
The Father Draws Us and Christ Welcomes Us
Chapters 6 and 7 are structured according to a double-doubt concerning election. In fact, it may be that someone says they agree to all of that, but simply doubts that it can apply to them. Bunyan aims both sections toward such a person:
“i. That coming to Christ is by virtue of the gift, promise, and drawing of the Father; but you are coming; therefore God has given you, promised you, and is drawing you to Jesus Christ … ii. Jesus Christ has promised that ‘him that cometh to him he will in no wise cast out’. And if he said it, will he not make it good, I mean even your salvation?”3
Then comes the thorniest of biblical passages in which the introspective person becomes tangled. What of the unpardonable sin?
Bunyan gives a sixfold response:
“i. Coming to Christ is by virtue of a special gift of the Father; but the Father gives no such gift to them that have sinned that sin; therefore you who are coming have not committed that sin ... ii. Coming to Christ is by the special drawing of the Father ... But the Father draws not him to Christ for whom he has not allotted forgiveness by his blood ... iii. Coming to Jesus Christ lays a man under the promise of forgiveness and salvation ... iv. ... under his intercession ... v. He that has sinned that sin, Christ is to him of no more worth than is a man that is dead, for he has crucified to himself the Son of God, and has also counted his precious blood as the blood of an unholy thing ... vi. If he that sinned this sin might yet come to Jesus Christ, then must the truth of God be overthrown which says in one place ‘He has never forgiveness’, and in another ‘I will in no wise cast him out.’ Therefore, that he may never have forgiveness, he shall never have heart to come to Jesus Christ.’”4
That many who come are afraid that Christ will cast them out is implied by three things: (i) from the largeness and openness of the promise, ‘I will in no wise cast out’; (ii) two instances: the man who was healed of palsy in Matthew 9 and the Prodigal in Luke 15; (iii) the consent of all the saints under heaven who likewise feared when coming to Christ.
Many particular fears are listed. One that seems always to overlap with the others is the feeling of unworthiness. Perhaps it is as formidable as it is because it is quite true. In and of ourselves, we are unworthy.
But, Bunyan reasons, take note that none of the great saints of the Bible were chosen because they were worthy, and a kin to Peter’s resolution in John 6 (which Bunyan oddly doesn’t mention), namely, “To whom shall we go? You have the words of life.” Bunyan does say, “let me reason with you. You say, it is too big, too great. Well, will things that are less satisfy your soul? Will a thing less than heaven, that glory and eternal life, answer your desires? No, nothing less.”5
To the man who has fear because each day he comes to see more and more of his sin, Bunyan draws a much needed distinction and that with the help of an excellent analogy. It is meant to show the great difference between growing worse as opposed to seeing more clearly how bad you are.
“Consider a man with an ugly appearance who has too high a conceit of his beauty; and, without the benefit of a mirror, he still stands in his own conceit. At last an artist is sent to him, who draws his ill-favored face to the life; now looking at it, he begins to be convinced that he is not so handsome as he thought he was. Coming sinner, your temptations are these painters; they have drawn out your ill-favored heart to the life, and have set it before your eyes, and now you see how ill-favored you are.”6
In the final chapter—called “Applying the Doctrine,” following many chapters that had already offered much profound application—Bunyan divides things by three uses. (1) Information, (2) Examination, and (3) Encouragement. Since the second use is examination, consider why self-examination seems so contrary to assurance to many. We see Bunyan’s answer: “It is well if it proves so,”7 and so forth. Bunyan asks a great question not usually heard in self-examination: “What have you found in him, since you came to him?”8 Think of the Parable of the Sower. This calls attention to the fact that time and community are among the most central elements to clear evidence.
And he delivers a great metaphor of God having strewn “flowers out of his own garden” for you all the way “from the gate of hell, where you were, to the gate of heaven, where you are going.”9
Notice that in each of the encouragements, something good about God and His character, or His intention to do you good, or proof that He has done you good, are all in view. This all shows a very warm approach to assurance, not an overly technical approach. The book is filled with Scripture, as we would expect with any Puritan, but especially so with Bunyan.
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1. John Bunyan, Come and Welcome to Jesus Christ (Edinburgh: Banner of Truth, 2011), 89-91.
2. Bunyan, Come and Welcome to Jesus Christ, 102.
3. Bunyan, Come and Welcome to Jesus Christ, 166.
4. Bunyan, Come and Welcome to Jesus Christ, 167-69.
5. Bunyan, Come and Welcome to Jesus Christ, 164.
6. Bunyan, Come and Welcome to Jesus Christ, 176.
7. Bunyan, Come and Welcome to Jesus Christ, 207.
8. Bunyan, Come and Welcome to Jesus Christ, 210.
9. Bunyan, Come and Welcome to Jesus Christ, 221.
