The Riches of Bunyan Part 10

But now it is said of the person speaking in the text, that "he shall gather his lambs with his arm, shall carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead them that are with young."

4. The Father's giving them to him to save them, declares that he hath a SUFFICIENCY OF WISDOM to wage with all those difficulties that would attend him in his bringing his sons and daughters unto glory. He hath made him to us to be wisdom; yea, he is called Wisdom itself. And G.o.d saith, moreover, that he "shall deal prudently." And indeed, he that shall take upon him to be the Saviour of the people, had need be wise, because their adversaries are subtle above any.

Here they are to encounter the serpent, who for his subtlety outwitted our father and mother when their wisdom was at highest.

But if we talk of wisdom, our Jesus is wise, wiser than Solomon, wiser than all men, wiser than all angels; he is even "the wisdom of G.o.d." And hence it is that he turneth sins, temptations, persecutions, falls, and all things, for good unto his people.

I do not doubt but there is virtue enough in the blood of Christ, would G.o.d Almighty so apply it, to save the souls of the whole world. But it is the blood of Christ, his own blood, and he may do what he will with his own. It is also the blood of G.o.d, and he also may restrain its merits, or apply it as he sees good. But the coming soul, he shall find and feel the virtue thereof, even the soul that comes to G.o.d by Christ, for he is the man concerned in its worth.

There is sufficiency of merit in Christ to save a thousand times as many more as are like to be saved by him.

No man needs at all to go about to come at life and peace and rest: let him come directly from sin to grace, from Satan to Jesus Christ.

The cross, it stands and hath stood from the beginning as a way-mark to the kingdom of heaven. Art thou inquiring the way to heaven? Why, I tell thee Christ is the way; into him thou must get, into his righteousness to be justified; and if thou art in him, thou wilt presently see the cross: thou must go close by it, thou must touch it, nay, thou must take it up, or else thou wilt quickly go out of the way that leads to heaven, and turn up some of those crooked lanes that lead down to the chambers of death.

Many there be that begin with grace and end with works, and think that is the only way. Indeed, works will save from temporal punishments, when their imperfections are purged from them by the intercession of Christ; but to be saved and brought to glory, to be carried through this dangerous world from my first moving after Christ until I set foot within the gates of paradise, this is the work of my Mediator, of my High-priest and Intercessor. It is he that fetches us again when we are run away; it is he that lifts us up when the devil and sin have thrown us down; it is he that quickens us when we grow cold; it is he that comforts us when we despair; it is he that obtains fresh pardon when we have contracted sin, and that purges our consciences when they are laden with guilt.

I know that rewards do wait for them in heaven, that believe in Christ, and shall do well on earth; but this is not a reward of merit, but of grace. We are saved by Christ, brought to glory by Christ, and all our works are no other ways made acceptable to G.o.d but by the person and personal excellencies and works of Christ; therefore, whatever the jewels are, and the bracelets and the pearls, that thou shalt be adorned with as a reward of service done for G.o.d in the world, for them thou must thank Christ, and before all confess that he was the meritorious cause thereof.

Christ must be helpful to thee every way, or he will be helpful to thee no way; thou must enter in by every whit of Christ, or thou shalt enter in by never a whit of him. Wherefore look not to have him thy Saviour, if thou take him not for King and Prophet; nay, thou shalt not have him in any one, if thou dost not take him in every one of these.

Christ shall bear the glory of our salvation from sin, preservation in the midst of all temptations, and of our going to glory; also he shall bear the glory of our labor in the gospel, of our gifts and abilities, of making our work and labor effectual to the saving of sinners, that in all things he might have the preeminence.

If you have indeed laid Christ, G.o.d-man, for your foundation, then you do lay the hope of your felicity and joy on this, that the Son of Mary is now absent from his children in his person and humanity, making intercession for them and for thee in the presence of his Father. 2 Cor. 5:6.

And the reason that thou canst rejoice hereat is, because thou hast not only heard of it with thine ear, but dost enjoy the sweet hope and faith of it in thy heart; which hope and faith are begotten by the Spirit of Christ, which Spirit dwelleth in thee if thou be a believer, and showeth those things to thee to be the only things.

And G.o.d having shown thee these things thus within thee, by the Spirit that dwells in thee, thou hast mighty encouragement to hope for the glory that shall be revealed at the coming again of the man Christ Jesus; of which glory thou hast also greater ground to hope for a share, because that Spirit which alone is able to discover to thee the truth of these things, is given to thee of G.o.d as the first fruits of that glory which is hereafter to be revealed---being obtained for thee by the man Christ Jesus' death on Calvary, and by his blood that was shed there, together with his resurrection from the dead out of the grave where they had laid him.

Also, thou believest that he is gone away from thee in the same body which was hanged on the cross, to take possession of that glory which thou, through his obedience, shalt at his the very same man's return from heaven the second time, have bestowed upon thee, he having all this while prepared and preserved it for thee; as he saith himself, "I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to myself; that where I am, there ye may be also."

Again, if thou hast laid Christ, G.o.d-man, for thy foundation, though thou hast the Spirit of this man Christ within thee, yet thou dost not look that justification should be wrought out for thee by that Spirit of Christ that dwells within thee; for thou knowest that salvation is already obtained for thee by the man Christ Jesus without thee, and is witnessed to thee by his Spirit which dwells within thee. And thus much doth this man Christ Jesus testify unto us, where he says, "He shall glorify me," saith the Son of Mary. But how? Why, "he shall take of mine"---what I have done and am doing in the presence of the Father--"and shall show it unto you." John 16:14.

CHRIST NOT A SAVIOUR BY HIS EXAMPLE.

A third thing you mention is, that "the Son of G.o.d taught men their duty by his own example, and did himself perform what he required of them; and that himself did tread before us every step of that which he hath told us leadeth to eternal life."

ANSWER. Now we are come to the point, namely, that "the way to eternal life is, first of all, to take Christ for our example, treading his steps." And the reason, if it be true, is weighty; for "he hath trod every step before us which he hath told us leads to eternal life."

"Every step." Therefore he went to heaven by virtue of an imputative righteousness; for this is one of our steps thither.

"Every step." Then he must go thither by faith in his own blood for pardon of sin; for this is another of our steps thither.

"Every step." Then he must go thither by virtue of his own intercession at the right hand of G.o.d before he came thither; for this is one of our steps thither.

"Every step." Then he must come to G.o.d and ask mercy for some great wickedness which he had committed; for this is also one of our steps thither.

But again, we will consider it the other way.

"Every step." Then we cannot come to heaven before we first be made accursed of G.o.d; for so was he before he came thither.

"Every step." Then we must first make our body and soul an offering for the sin of others; for this did he before he came thither.

"Every step." Then we must go to heaven for the sake of our own righteousness; for that was one of his steps thither.

O, sir, what will thy gallant, generous mind do here? Indeed, you talk of his being an expiatory sacrifice for us, but you put no more trust to that than to baptism or the Lord's supper; counting that with the other two but things indifferent in themselves.

You add again, that "this Son of G.o.d being raised from the dead and ascended to heaven, is our high-priest there." But you talk not at all of his sprinkling the mercy-seat with his blood, but clap upon him the heathens' demons, negotiating the affairs of men with the supreme G.o.d, and so wrap up [Footnote: That is, dismiss the subject.] with a testification that it is needless to enlarge on the point.

What man that ever had read or a.s.sented to the gospel, but would have spoken more honorably of Christ than you have done? His sacrifice must be stepped over; his intercession is needless to be enlarged upon. But when it falleth in your way to talk of your human nature, of the dictates of the first principles of morals within you, and of your generous mind to follow it, Oh what need there is now of amplifying, enlarging, and pressing it on men's consciences, as if that poor heathenish pagan principle was the very Spirit of G.o.d within us, and as if righteousness done by that was that and that only that would or could fling heaven's gates off the hinges.

Yea, a little after you tell us that "the doctrine of sending the Holy Ghost was to move and excite us to our duty, and to a.s.sist, cheer, and comfort us in the performance of it;" still meaning our close adhering, by the purity of our human nature, to the dictates of the law as written in our hearts as men; which is as false as G.o.d is true.

For the Holy Ghost is sent into our hearts, not to excite us to a compliance with our old and wind-shaken excellencies that came into the world with us, but to write new laws in our hearts, even the law of faith, the word of faith and of grace, and the doctrine of remission of sins through the blood of the Lamb of G.o.d, that holiness might flow from thence.

CHRIST A TEACHER.

At this time I sat under the ministry of holy Mr. Gifford. whose doctrine, by G.o.d's grace, was much for my stability. This man made it much his business to deliver the people of G.o.d from all those hard and unsound tests that by nature we are p.r.o.ne to. He would bid us take special heed that we took not up any truth upon trust, as from this or that or any other man or men; but cry mightily to G.o.d that he would convince us of the reality thereof, and set us down therein by his own Spirit in the holy word; "for," said he, "if you do otherwise, when temptation comes strongly upon you, you not having received them with evidence from heaven, will find you want that help and strength now to resist, that once you thought you had."

This was as seasonable to my soul as the former and latter rain in their season, for I had found, and that by sad experience, the truth of these his words; for I had felt that no man, especially when tempted by the devil, "can say that Jesus Christ is Lord, but by the Holy Ghost."

But O now, how was my soul led from truth to truth by G.o.d; even from the birth and cradle of the Son of G.o.d, to his ascension and second coming from heaven to judge the world.

Once I was troubled to know whether the Lord Jesus was a man as well as G.o.d, and G.o.d as well as man; and truly, in those days, let men say what they would, unless I had it with evidence from heaven, all was nothing to me. Well, I was much troubled about this point, and could not tell how to be resolved; at last, that in Rev. 5:6 came into my mind: "And I beheld, and lo, in the midst of the throne, and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb."

"In the midst of the throne"--thought I, there is the G.o.dhead; "in the midst of the elders"--there is his manhood: but Oh, methought this did glister; it was a goodly touch, and gave me sweet satisfaction. That other scripture also did help me much in this: "Unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulders; and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the mighty G.o.d, the ever lasting Father, the Prince of Peace."

O friends, cry to G.o.d to reveal Jesus Christ unto you; there is none teacheth like him.

It would be long to tell you in particular how G.o.d did set me down in all the things of Christ, and how he did, that he might do so, lead me into his words; yea, and also how he did open them unto me, and make them shine before me, and cause them to dwell with me, talk with me, and comfort me over and over, both of his own being and the being of his Son and Spirit, and word and gospel.

THE DEATH OF CHRIST.

We never read that Jesus Christ was more cheerful in all his life on earth, than when he was going to lay down his life for his enemies; now he thanked G.o.d, now he sang.

Christ died and endured the wages of sin, and that without an intercessor, without one between G.o.d and him. He grappled immediately with the eternal justice of G.o.d, who inflicted on him death, the wages of sin; there was no man to hold off the hand of G.o.d; justice had his full blow at him, and made him a curse for sin.

A second thing that demonstrates that Christ died the cursed death for sin, is the frame of spirit that he was in at the time he was to be taken. Never was poor mortal so beset with the apprehensions of approaching death as was this Lord Jesus Christ; amazement beyond measure, sorrow that exceeded seized upon his soul: "My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death. And he began to be sore amazed, and to be very heavy." Add to this that Jesus Christ was better able to grapple with death, even alone, than the whole world joined all together. 1. He was anointed with the Spirit without measure. 2. He had all grace perfect in him. 3. Never had any so much of his Father's love as he. 4. Never one so harmless and without sin as he, and consequently never man had so good a conscience as he. 5. Never one prepared such a stock of good works to bear him company at the hour of death as he. 6. Never one had greater a.s.surance of being with the Father eternally in the heavens than he. And yet, behold, when he comes to die, how weak is he, how amazed at death, how heavy, how exceeding sorrowful! and, I say, no cause a.s.signed but the approach of death.

Alas, how often is it seen that we poor sinners can laugh at destruction when it cometh; yea, and rejoice exceedingly when we find the grave, looking upon death as a part of our portion, yea, as that which will be a means of our present relief and help. 1 Cor.

3:22.

This Jesus could not do, considered as dying for our sin; but the nearer death, the more heavy and oppressed with the thoughts of the revenging hand of G.o.d; wherefore he falls into an agony and sweats--not after the common rate, as we do when death is severing body and soul: "His sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground."

What should be the reason but that death a.s.saulted him with his sting? If Jesus Christ had been to die for his virtues only, doubtless he would have borne it lightly.

How have the martyrs despised death, having peace with G.o.d by Jesus Christ, scorning the most cruel torments that men and h.e.l.l could devise and invent! but Jesus Christ could not do so, as he was a sacrifice for sin; he died for us, he was made a curse for us. O, my brethren, Christ died many deaths at once; he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death.

It was because of sin, the sin that was put into the death he died, and the curse of G.o.d that was due to sin, that that death was so bitter to Jesus Christ; it is Christ that died. The apostle speaks as if never any died but Christ; nor indeed did there, so wonderful a death as he. Death, considered simply as a deprivation of natural life, could not have these effects in a person personally more righteous than an angel; yea, even carnal wicked men, not awakened in their conscience, how securely they can die! It must therefore he concluded that the sorrows and agony of Jesus Christ came from a higher cause, even from the curse of G.o.d that was now approaching for sin.

At last they condemn him to death, even to the death of the cross, where they hang him up by wounds made through his hands and feet, between the earth and the heavens; where he hanged for the s.p.a.ce of six hours. No G.o.d yet appears for his help. While he hangs there some rail at him, others wag their heads, others tauntingly say, "He saved others, himself he cannot save." Some divide his raiment, casting lots for his raiment before his face; others mockingly hid him come down from the cross; and when he desires succor, they give him vinegar to drink. No G.o.d yet appears for his help.

Now the earth quakes, the rocks are rent, the sun becomes black, and Jesus still cries out, that he was forsaken of G.o.d; and presently boweth his head and dies.