Chapter 91

7. Coming soul, the Jesus that thou art coming to, is full of might and terribleness for thy advantage; he can suppress all thine enemies; he is the Prince of the kings of the earth; he can bow all men’s designs for thy help; he can break all snares laid for thee in the way; he can lift thee out of all difficulties wherewith thou mayest be surrounded; he is wise in heart, and mighty in power. Every life under heaven is in his hand; yea, the fallen angels tremble before him. And he will save thy life, coming sinner (1 Cor 1:24; Rom 8:28; Matt 28:18; Rev 4; Psa 19:3; 27:5,6; Job 9:4; John 17:2; Matt 8:29; Luke 8:28; James 2:19).

8. Coming sinner, the Jesus to whom thou art coming is lowly in heart, he despiseth not any. It is not thy outward meanness, nor thy inward weakness; it is not because thou art poor, or base, or deformed, or a fool, that he will despise thee: he hath chosen the foolish, the base, and despised things of this world, to confound the wise and mighty. He will bow his ear to thy stammering prayers he will pick out the meaning of thy inexpressible groans; he will respect thy weakest offering, if there be in it but thy heart (Matt 11:20; Luke 14:21; Prov 9:4-6; Isa 38:14,15; Song 5:15; John 4:27; Mark 12:33,34; James 5:11). Now, is not this a blessed Christ, coming sinner? Art thou not like to fare well, when thou hast embraced him, coming sinner? But,

Second. Thou hast yet another advantage by Jesus Christ, thou art coming to him, for he is not only full, BUT FREE. He is not sparing of what he has; he is open-hearted and open-handed. Let me in a few particulars show thee this:

1. This is evident, because he calls thee; he calls upon thee to come unto him; the which he would not do, was he not free to give; yea, he bids thee, when come, ask, seek, knock. And for thy encouragement, adds to every command a promise, “Seek, and ye shall find; ask, and ye shall have; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.” If the rich man should say thus to the poor, would not he be reckoned a free-hearted man? I say, should he say to the poor, Come to my door, ask at my door, knock at my door, and you shall find and have; would he not be counted liberal? Why, thus doth Jesus Christ. Mind it, coming sinner (Isa 55:3; Psa 50:15; Matt 7:7-9).

2. He doth not only bid thee come, but tells thee, he will heartily do thee good; yea, he will do it with rejoicing; “I will rejoice over them, to do them good—with my whole heart, and with my whole soul” (Jer 32:41).

3. It appeareth that he is free, because he giveth without twitting. 21 “He giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not” (James 1, 5). There are some that will not deny to do the poor a pleasure, but they will mix their mercies with so many twits, that the persons on whom they bestow their charity shall find but little sweetness in it. But Christ doth not do so, coming sinner; he casteth all thine iniquities behind his back (Isa 38:17). Thy sins and iniquities he will remember no more (Heb 8:12).

4. That Christ is free, is manifest by the complaints that he makes against them that will not come to him for mercy. I say, he complains, saying, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem! how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!” (Matt 23:37). I say, he speaks it by way of complaint. He saith also in another place, “But thou hast not called upon me, O Jacob” (Isa 43:22). Coming sinner, see here the willingness of Christ to save; see here how free he is to communicate life, and all good things, to such as thou art. He complains, if thou comest not; he is displeased, if thou callest not upon him. Hark, coming sinner, once again; when Jerusalem would not come to him for safeguard, “he beheld the city, and wept over it, saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace; but now they are hid from thine eyes” (Luke 19:41,42).

5. Lastly, He is open and free-hearted to do thee good, as is seen by the joy and rejoicing that he manifesteth at the coming home of poor prodigals. He receives the lost sheep with rejoicing; the lost goat with rejoicing; yea, when the prodigal came home, what joy and mirth, what music and dancing, was in his father’s house! (Luke 15).

Third. Coming sinner, I will add another encouragement for thy help.

1. God hath prepared a mercy-seat, a throne of grace to sit on; that thou mayest come thither to him, and that he may from thence hear thee, and receive thee. “I will commune with thee,” saith he, “from above the mercy-seat” (Exo 25:22). As who shall say, sinner, When thou comest to me, thou shalt find me upon the mercy-seat, where also I am always found of the undone coming sinner. Thither I bring my pardons; there I hear and receive their petitions, and accept them to my favour.

2. God hath also prepared a golden altar for thee to offer thy prayers and tears upon. A golden altar! It is called a “golden altar,” to show what worth it is of in God’s account: for this golden altar is Jesus Christ; this altar sanctifies thy gift, and makes thy sacrifice acceptable. This altar, then, makes thy groans golden groans; thy tears golden tears; and thy prayers golden prayers, in the eye of that God thou comest to, coming sinner (Rev 8; Matt 23:19; Heb 10:10; 1 Peter 2:5).

3. God hath strewed all the way, from the gate of hell, where thou wast, to the gate of heaven, whither thou art going, with flowers out of his own garden. Behold how the promises, invitations, calls, and encouragements, like lilies, lie round about thee! take heed that thou dost not tread them under foot, sinner. With promises, did I say? Yea, he hath mixed all those with his own name, his Son’s name; also, with the name of mercy, goodness, compassion, love, pity, grace, forgiveness, pardon, and what not, that may encourage the coming sinner.

4. He hath also for thy encouragement laid up the names, and set forth the sins, of those that have been saved. In this book they are fairly written, that thou, through patience and comfort of the Scriptures, mightest have hope. (1.) In this book is recorded Noah’s maim and sin; and how God had mercy upon him. (2.) In this record is fairly written the name of Lot, and the nature of his sin; and how the Lord had mercy upon him. (3.) In this record thou hast also fairly written the names of Moses, Aaron, Gideon, Samson, David, Solomon, Peter, Paul, with the nature of their sins; and how God had mercy upon them; and all to encourage thee, coming sinner.

Fourth. I will add yet another encouragement for the man that is coming to Jesus Christ. Art thou coming? Art thou coming, indeed? Why,

1. Then this thy coming is by virtue of God’s call. Thou art called. Calling goes before coming. Coming is not of works, but of him that calleth. “He goeth up into a mountain, and calleth unto him whom he would; and they came unto him” (Mark 3:13).

2. Art thou coming? This is also by virtue of illumination. God has made thee see; and, therefore, thou art coming. So long as thou wast darkness, thou lovedst darkness, and couldst not abide to come, because thy deeds were evil; but being now illuminated and made to see what and where thou art, and also what and where thy Saviour is, now thou art coming to Jesus Christ; “Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee,” saith Christ, “but my Father which is in heaven” (Matt 16:17).

3. Art thou coming? This is because God hath inclined thine heart to come. God hath called thee, illuminated thee, and inclined thy heart to come; and, therefore, thou comest to Jesus Christ. It is God that worketh in thee to will, and to come to Jesus Christ. Coming sinner, bless God for that he hath given thee a will to come to Jesus Christ. It is a sign that thou belongest to Jesus Christ, because God has made thee willing to come to him (Psa 110:3). Bless God for slaying the enmity of thy mind; had he not done it, thou wouldst as yet have hated thine own salvation.

4. Art thou coming to Jesus Christ? It is God that giveth thee power: power to pursue thy will in the matters of thy salvation, is the gift of God. “It is God which worketh in you both to will and to do” (Phil 2:13). Not that God worketh will to come, where he gives no power; but thou shouldest take notice, that power is an additional mercy. The church saw that will and power were two things, when she cried, “Draw me, we will run after thee” (Song 1:4). And so did David too, when he said, “I will run the way of thy commandments, when thou shalt enlarge my heart” (Psa 119:32). Will to come, and power to pursue thy will, is double mercy, coming sinner.

5. All thy strange, passionate, sudden rushings forward after Jesus Christ, coming sinners know what I mean, they also are thy helps from God. Perhaps thou feelest at some times more than at others, strong stirrings up of heart to fly to Jesus Christ; now thou hast at this time a sweet and stiff gale of the Spirit of God, filling thy sails with the fresh gales of his good Spirit; and thou ridest at those times as upon the wings of the wind, being carried out beyond thyself, beyond the most of thy prayers, and also above all thy fear and temptations.

6. Coming sinner, hast thou not now and then a kiss of the sweet lips of Jesus Christ, I mean some blessed word dropping like a honey-comb upon thy soul to revive thee, when thou art in the midst of thy dumps?

7. Does not Jesus Christ sometimes give thee a glimpse of himself, though perhaps thou seest him not so long a time as while one may tell twenty.

8. Hast thou not sometimes as it were the very warmth of his wings overshadowing the face of thy soul, that gives thee as it were a gload22 upon thy spirit, as the bright beams of the sun do upon thy body, when it suddenly breaks out of a cloud, though presently all is gone away? Well, all these things are the good hand of thy God upon thee, and they are upon thee to constrain, to provoke, and to make thee willing and able to come, coming sinner, that thou mightest in the end be saved.

FOOTNOTES:

1 “My grace is sufficient for thee,” and the language of the church, conscious of its own weakness and the Lord’s all-sufficiency, is, “Draw me, we will run after thee” (Song 1:4).—Mason.

2 No outward profession is accepted, except it springs from inward love to Christ.—Ed.

3 How clearly is every seeming difficulty explained by Bunyan. The Father entered into covenant with the Son, in eternity, to save his elect; and, in time, as they appear upon earth, the Father giveth them to Christ by effectual calling, and he brings them to eternal glory.—Ed.

4 To come unto Christ, in its proper sense, is to receive him as he is offered to us in the Word; to believe in him, as a suitable and all-sufficient Saviour; to submit to his government, in both suffering and doing his will, with all lowly-mindedness and humility; and this by the powerful operation of the Holy Spirit upon the soul.—Mason.

5 “Salve;” relief, aid, or help.

‘Which Cambell seign, though he could not salve, He done undoe, yet for to salve his name And purchase honour to his friend’s behalve, This goodly counterfesaunce he did frame.”

—Spenser’s Faery Queen.

6 We cannot remember all God’s benefits, but how prone we are to forget them all!—Ed.

7 Christian, in the Valley of the Shadow of Death, was thus exercised: —“I took notice that now poor Christian was so confounded that he did not know his own voice; and thus I perceived it:—Just when he was come over against the mouth of the burning pit, one of the wicked ones got behind him, and stepped up softly to him, and whisperingly suggested many grievous blasphemies to him, which he verily thought had proceeded from his own mind.” See also Grace Abounding, No. 100-102.—Ed.

8 “Warm gleads;” from Saxon glow, anything heated or hot.

“My destiny to behold her doth me leade, And yet I know I runne into the gleade.”—Wyatt.—Ed.

9 Many misspend their time in poring upon their own hearts, to find out some evidence of their interest in Christ, when they should rather be employed in receiving Christ, and walking in him, by a confident faith grounded on the Divine testimony.—Mason.

10 How striking are Bunyan’s illustrations! The devil, as a roaring lion, is in pursuit of the flying sinner; he would flee faster than his infirmities will let him. We cannot wonder that modern preachers borrowed so vivid and truthful a figure.—Ed.

11 A Christian is “never safe but when watchful;” he should keep a jealous eye on his own weakness, and a believing eye on the promise and power of Christ, and he shall be preserved from falling.—Mason.

12 “Let him;” hinder him. See 2 Thessalonians 2:7. Obsolete.—Imperial Dictionary.—Ed.

13 “The Scripture contains many gracious promises in behalf of the children of believing parents; but grace is not hereditary. It is the parent’s part to pray with and for, admonish, and piously train up his children; but, after all, must recommend them to the tender mercies of God, which the children of many prayers often happily experience.”—Mason. O that all persons may solemnly consider this searching truth! especially the children of believers. The coming of your father or mother to Christ cannot be imputed to you; come for yourself, or you must perish. As you love your souls, believe not that awful delusion, that any ceremony could make you a child of God.—Ed.

14 “While of late;” until of late.—Ed.

15 “Lie at Jesus Christ;” to lay down, lie at the feet of Jesus Christ, to persevere like the Syrophenician woman, Mark 7:25.—Ed.

16 “Ply;” to solicit importunately.—Ed.

17 “A flam;” a fable, an imposition.

18 “Most an end;” continually, perpetually.

19 How awful is the confidence of the self-righteous pharisee; he considers himself more righteous than the poor penitent, who is clothed in Christ’s righteousness, the garments of salvation.

The self-righteous says:—“Stand by, I am holier than thou. Thank God, I am not like this publican.” While in God’s sight, poor wretched boaster, thou art clothed in filthy rags.—Ed.

20 This nation now pays some eight or ten millions sterling a year. Had God sanctioned this diabolical trade in souls, all Christendom would have been divided into two classes-priests and slaves.—Ed.

21 “Twitting;” taunting, or rebuking.—Ed.

22 “A gload;” a warm, eager, passionate gazing: now obsolete.—Ed.

JUSTIFICATION BY AN IMPUTED RIGHTEOUSNESS;

OR,

NO WAY TO HEAVEN BUT BY JESUS CHRIST.

ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR.

This is one of those ten excellent manuscripts which were found among Bunyan’s papers after his decease in 1688. It had been prepared by him for publication, but still wanted a few touches of his masterly hand, and a preface in his characteristic style. He had, while a prisoner for nonconformity, in 1672, published a treatise upon this subject, in reply to Mr. Fowler, who was soon after created Bishop of Gloucester; but that was more peculiarly intended to prove that those who are justified by faith in Christ are placed in a safer, more honourable, and more glorious state than that possessed by Adam before his fall. Mr. Fowler took the popular view, that the sufferings of the Saviour were intended to replace man in a similar position to that of Adam when in a state of innocence; and to give him powers, which, if properly used, would enable him to save himself.

It is of importance that we should understand the meaning of the term ‘justification’ as here used. It is an acquittal, on being tried by the law; or a proof that, upon the most penetrating scrutiny, we have, through life, fulfilled and performed all its requirements in word, thought, and deed, without the slightest deviation or taint of error. This is essential to salvation, and must be done, either personally, or by the imputation of the Saviour’s obedience to us. Multitudes vainly imagine that this can be attained by our partial obedience, aided, where we fail, by the imputation of so much of the Saviour’s obedience as, being placed to our account, will make up the deficiency. Upon justification must depend the salvation of the soul. Bunyan was convinced that the sinner’s only hope was by the imputation of Christ’s righteousness, which alone could justify him from ALL things, and without which he must perish.

As ‘by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified,’ it becomes an important inquiry whether the law, by which all must be tried, and justified or condemned, is opposed to the gospel or glad tidings of salvation? God forbid that we should for a moment entertain such a thought! they both proceed from the same Divine source, and the gospel confirms and establishes the law. This is clearly shown in the following treatise. Every Christian forms a part of that one mystical body, of which Christ is the head, and in which alone can be fulfilled every jot and tittle of the law. Bunyan’s controversy is with an opinion, held by many, that a man may, in his own person, by an imperfect obedience to some of the requirements of the law, procure, or aid in obtaining, justification.

There can be no subject more intensely interesting than the means of a sinner’s justification before that God whose law is perfect, and who is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity except with abhorrence; nor is there one upon which more fatal mistakes have been made.

The great delusion which like a deadly leprosy, has involved man in uncertainty and darkness in all his conceptions of purity and holiness, is the fallacious hope of producing some good works to blot out transgressions; or that man is not so polluted, but that he may justify himself by works performed through some kind of ability communicated by the Saviour—an ability which he might or might not use, but upon the proper use of which he considers that his salvation depends; leaving him in the most distressing uncertainty and doubt upon this all-important subject. All these Bunyan considered to be specious and most dangerous devices of Satan, unscriptural, and contrary to the simplicity and design of the gospel.

In this treatise very powerful arguments are used to counteract these errors, and to place the doctrine of justification in all its glorious purity. It is essentially the source of the glad tidings of great joy made known by the Christian dispensation; showing that the redemption of believers is perfect and finished, neither needing nor suffering any human additions. The righteousness of Christ fully justifies all that believe, while the fountain that he opened washes away all their defilements, and presents them at the judgment-seat, without spot or blemish, their robes being washed and made white in the blood of the Lamb.

To prevent this doctrine from being impeached with a tendency to weaken man in the discharge of his moral duties, the same Divine power which thus pardoned sin has decreed that a sense of pardoning love should impel the redeemed to walk in newness of life—and that it is only while thus walking in holy obedience that they have an evidence of being members of Christ’s mystical body. For, ‘whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son; whom he did predestinate, them he also called; and whom he called, them he also justified.’ So full is this of consolation and felicity that the apostle exclaims, ‘If God be for us, who can be against us?’ Thus, salvation by free grace is inseparably connected with good works. The righteousness of the second Adam, the Lord from heaven, imputed to his members, justifies them, in the same manner as the disobedience of the first Adam, imputed to all his members or posterity, makes them sinners. To use the expressive words of Bunyan, ‘The sinner is justified from the curse, in the sight of God, while a sinner in himself.’ This is a startling fact. That Rahab or Mary Magdalene, and even Saul, the murderous persecutor, were, in the sight and purposes of God, justified, while they were, in the esteem of God’s saints, in a state of the vilest sin, is a doctrine revolting to the pride of human nature. But we should recollect that, in the sight of God, a thousand years are but as one day; while one day may be magnified into a thousand years; and that the purposes of God are concealed to us while sin blinds our eyes. Rahab and Magdalene were wretched before their conversion, nor could Saul have been much less wretched, while carrying misery into the hearts and families of God’s saints.

There can be no real happiness without spiritual life—holy obedience to the Divine will, and a scriptural hope of justification before God and his law. These are the means he uses to make known to us his secret purposes. No man has lived in the world, since the inspired writers, more capable of detecting the devil’s sophistry upon this subject than John Bunyan. He had passed through a furnace of experience while seeking justification. He well knew that, upon keeping the moral law of God, the peace of the world and our personal happiness depended. How is this great object to be accomplished? If we attempt to keep it, in order to gain eternal life, we shall fail, as all others have done. In every attempt thus to keep it, to use Bunyan’s expression ‘The guilt of sin, which is by the law, makes such a noise and horror in my conscience that I can neither hear nor see the word of peace, unless it is spoken with a voice from heaven!’ Our polluted nature leads to sin; a mist is before our eyes; we ‘go astray speaking lies.’ The strong natural bias to break the law will prevail; we see its effects in the great bulk of those who are taught to rely upon ceremonies and upon keeping the law. Who are so lawless, so little advanced in civilization, as the poor Irish, Spaniards, or Italians? while those who seek justification as the free gift of God, influenced by gratitude and love, are found walking in obedience to the Divine law; their only regret is, that they cannot live more to the glory of their Saviour. The doctrines of grace, as exhibited in this treatise, have ever produced glory to God, on earth peace, and goodwill to men; although that spirit which called Christ a gluttonous man and a wine-bibber, still charges these doctrines as having a tendency to licentiousness.

Christian, be not offended with the humbling, but scriptural views, which Bunyan entertained of every church of Christ ‘An hospital of sick, wounded, and afflicted people.’ None but such as feel their need of the Physician of souls are fit for church membership, or are safely on the road to heaven. Leaving this solemn and interesting subject to the prayerful attention of the reader, I shall conclude my advertisement by quoting from a characteristic specimen of Bunyan’s style of writing, and it was doubtless his striking mode of preaching:—‘Faith doth the same against the devil that unbelief doth to God. Doth unbelief count God a liar? Faith counts the devil a liar. Doth unbelief hold the soul from the mercy of God? Faith holds the soul from the malice of the devil. Doth unbelief quench thy graces? Faith kindleth them even into a flame. Doth unbelief fill the soul full of sorrow? Faith fills it full of the joy of the Holy Ghost. In a word, Doth unbelief bind down thy sins upon thee? Why, faith in Jesus Christ releaseth thee of them all.’

GEO. OFFOR.

JUSTIFICATION BY AN IMPUTED RIGHTEOUSNESS

JUSTIFICATION is to be diversly taken in the Scripture. Sometimes it is taken for the justification of persons; sometimes for the justification of actions; and sometimes for the justification of the person and action too.

It is taken for the justification of persons, and that, as to justification with God; or, as to justification with men.

As to justification with God; that is, when a man stands clear, quit, free, or, in a saved condition before him, in the approbation of his holy law.