Works of John Bunyan Volume I Part 126

First. It is said, he shall choose our inheritance for us--'He shall choose our inheritance for us; the excellency of Jacob whom he loved. Selah. G.o.d is gone up with a shout,' &c. (Psa 47:4,5). These latter words intend the ascension of Jesus Christ; his ascension, when he had upon the cross made reconciliation for iniquity; his ascension into the heavens to prepare our mansions of glory for us; for our inheritance is in the heavens; our house, our hope, our mansion-house, and our incorruptible and undefiled inheritance is in heaven (2 Cor 5:1,2; Col 1:5,6; John 14:1,2; 1 Peter 1:3-5).

This is called the eternal inheritance, of which we that are called have received the promise already (Heb 9:14,15).

This inheritance, I say, he is gone to choose for us in the heavens, because by his blood he obtained it for us (Heb 9:12). And this we are commanded to wait for; but how ridiculous, yea, how great a cheat would this be, had he not by his blood obtained it for us.

Second. 'We wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus [Christ], which delivered us from the wrath to come' (1 Thess 1:10). He delivered us by his blood, and obtained the kingdom of heaven for us, and hath promised that he would go and prepare our places, and come again and fetch us thither--'And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself, that where I am, there ye may be also' (John 14:3). This, then, is the cause that we wait for him, we look for the reward of the inheritance at his coming who have served the Lord Christ in this world.

Third. 'For our conversation is in heaven, from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ' (Phil 3:20). We look for him to come yet as a Saviour--a Saviour he was at his first coming, and a Saviour he will be at his second coming. At his first coming, he bought and paid for us; at his second coming, he will fetch us to himself. At his first coming, he gave us promise of the kingdom; at his second coming, he will give us possession of the kingdom. At his first coming, he also showed us how we should be, by his own transfiguration; at his second coming, 'he will change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body' (Phil 3:21).

Fourth. Hence therefore it is that his coming is called our blessed hope--'Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great G.o.d and our Saviour Jesus Christ' (t.i.tus 2:13). A blessed hope indeed, if he hath bought our persons with his blood, and an eternal inheritance for us in the heavens; a blessed hope indeed, if also at his coming we be certainly carried thither.

No marvel, then, if saints be bid to wait for it, and if saints themselves long for it. But what a disappointment would these waiting believers have, should all their expectations be rewarded with a fable! and the result of their blessed hope can amount to no more, if our Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ either denieth to come, or coming, bringeth not with him the hope, the blessed hope that is laid up for us in heaven, whereof we have certainly been informed by 'the word of the truth of the gospel' (Col 1:5).

Fifth. 'For Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation' (Heb 9:28). Here we have it promised that he shall come, that he shall appear the second time, but not with sin, as he did before--to wit, with and in the sin of his people, when he bare them in his own body; but now without sin, for he before did put them away by the sacrifice of himself. Now, then, let the saints look for him, not to die for the purchasing of their persons by blood, but to bring to them, and to bring them also to that salvation that before when he died he obtained of G.o.d for them by his death.

These things are to be expected therefore by them that believe in and love Jesus Christ, and that from faith and love serve him in this world; they are to be expected by them, being obtained for them by Jesus Christ. And he shall give the crown, saith Paul, 'not to me only, but to all them also that love his appearing' (2 Tim 4:8,9).

Now forasmuch as this inheritance in the heavens is the price, purchase, and reward of his blood, how evidently doth it appear that he hath paid full price to G.o.d for sinners! Would G.o.d else have given him the heaven to dispose of to us that believe, and would he else have told us so? Yea, and what comfort could we have to look for his coming, and kingdom, and glory as the fruits of his death, if his death had not for that purpose been sufficiently efficacious? O 'the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that shall follow!' (1 Peter 1:11).

THE NINTH DEMONSTRATION.

NINTH. That Jesus Christ, by what he hath done, hath paid full price to G.o.d for sinners, and obtained eternal redemption for sinners, is evident, because of the threatenings wherewith G.o.d hath threatened, and the punishments wherewith he punisheth those that shall refuse to be saved by Christ, or seek to make insignificant the doctrine of righteousness by faith in him.

This demonstration consisteth of three parts--First. It suggesteth that some refuse to be justified or saved by Christ, and also seek to make insignificant the doctrine of righteousness by faith in him. Second. That G.o.d doth threaten these. Third. That G.o.d will punish these.

[First.] That some refuse to be saved by Christ is evident from many texts. He is the stone which the builders have rejected; he is also disallowed of men; the Jews stumble at him, and to the Greeks he is foolishness; both saying, This man shall not rule over us, or, How can this man save us? (Psa 118:22; Matt 21:44; Luke 19:14; 1 Cor 1:23; 1 Peter 2:4).

The causes of men's refusing Christ are many--1. Their love to sin.

2. Their ignorance of his excellency. 3. Their unbelief. 4. Their deferring to come to him in the acceptable time. 5. Their leaning to their own righteousness. 6. Their entertaining d.a.m.nable doctrines.

7. Their loving the praise of men. 8. The meanness of his ways, his people, &c. 9. The just judgment of G.o.d upon them. 10. The kingdom is given to others.

Now these, as they all refuse him, so they seek, more or less, some practically, others in practice and judgment also, to make insignificant the doctrine of righteousness by faith in him. One does it by preferring his sins before him. Another does it by preferring his righteousness before him. Another dies it by preferring his delusions before him. Another does it by preferring the world before him.

Now these G.o.d threateneth, these G.o.d punisheth.

Second. G.o.d threateneth them.

1. Whosoever shall 'not hear that prophet shall be destroyed from amongst the people' (Acts 3:23). The prophet is Jesus Christ; the doctrine that he preached was, that he would lay down his life for us, that he would give us his flesh to eat, and his blood to drink by faith; and promised, that if we did eat his flesh, and drink his blood, we should have eternal life. He therefore that seeth not, or that is afraid to venture his soul for salvation on the flesh and blood of Christ by faith, he refuseth this prophet, he heareth not this prophet, and him G.o.d hath purposed to cut off. But would G.o.d thus have threatened, if Christ by his blood, and the merits of the same, had not paid full price to G.o.d for sinners, and obtained eternal redemption for them?

2. 'Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool' (Psa 110:1; Matt 22:44; Heb 1:13). The honour of sitting at G.o.d's right hand was given him because he died, and offered his body once for all. 'This man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of G.o.d, from henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool' (Heb 10:12,13).

Expecting, since G.o.d accepted his offering, that those that refused him should be trodden under foot; that is, sunk by him into and under endless and insupportable vengeance. But would G.o.d have given the world such an account of his sufferings, that by one offering he did perfect for ever them that are sanctified? yea, and would he have threatened to make those foes his footstool that shall refuse to venture themselves upon his offering--for they are indeed his foes--had not his eternal Majesty been well pleased with the price he paid to G.o.d for sinners; had he not obtained eternal redemption for them?

3. He shall come 'from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that know not G.o.d, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ' (2 Thess 1:7,8).

Here he expressly telleth us wherefore they shall be punished; because 'they know not G.o.d, and obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ'; where also is notably intimated that he that obeyeth not the gospel of Christ knoweth not G.o.d, neither in his justice nor mercy. But what is the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ but good tidings of good things--to wit, forgiveness of sins by faith in his blood, an inheritance in heaven by faith in his blood, as the whole of all the foregoing discourse hath manifested? Now, I say, can it be imagined that G.o.d would threaten to come upon the world with this flaming, fiery vengeance to punish them for their non-subjection to his Son's gospel, if there had not been by himself paid to G.o.d full price for the souls of sinners, if he had not obtained eternal redemption by his blood for sinners?

4. 'And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousand of his saints, to execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are unG.o.dly among them of all their unG.o.dly deeds, which they have unG.o.dly committed, and of all their hard speeches which unG.o.dly sinners have spoken against him' (Jude 14,15).

The Lord that is here said to come with ten thousands of his saints is Jesus Christ himself; and they that come with him are called his saints, because given to him by the Father, for the sake of the shedding of his blood. Now in that he is said to come to execute judgment upon all, and especially those that speak hard speeches against him, it is evident that the Father tendereth his name, which is Jesus, a Saviour, and his undertaking for our redemption; and as evident that the hard speeches intended by the text are such as vilify him as Saviour, counting the blood of the covenant unholy, and trampling him that is Prince of the covenant under the feet of their reproachful language; this is counted a putting of him to open shame, and a despising the riches of his goodness (Heb 6:10; Rom 2). Time would fail to give you a view of the revilings, despiteful sayings, and of the unG.o.dly speeches which these abominable children of h.e.l.l let fall in their pamphlets, doctrines, and discourses against the Lord the King. But the threatening is, he shall 'execute judgment upon them for all their unG.o.dly deeds, and for all the hard speeches which unG.o.dly sinners have spoken against him.'

5. 'Beware therefore, lest that come upon you which is spoken of in the prophets; Behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and perish: for I work a work in your days, a work which you shall in no wise believe, though a man declare it unto you' (Acts 13:40,41).

This work is the same we have been all this while treating of--to wit, redemption by the blood of Christ for sinners, or that Christ hath paid full price to G.o.d for sinners, and obtained eternal redemption for them. This is manifest from verses 23 to 29 of this chapter.

Now, observe, there are and will be despisers of this doctrine, and they are threatened with the wrath of G.o.d--'Behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and perish.' But would G.o.d so carefully have cautioned sinners to take heed of despising this blessed doctrine, and have backed his caution with a threatening that they shall perish, if they persist, had not he himself received by the blood of Christ full price for the souls of sinners?

Third. As G.o.d threateneth, so he punisheth those that refuse his Son, or that seek to vilify or make insignificant the doctrine of righteousness by faith in him.

1. He punished them with the abidings of his wrath--'He that believeth not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of G.o.d abideth on him' (John 3:36).

The wrath of G.o.d for men; for sin stands already condemned by the law; and the judgment is, that they who refuse the Lord Jesus Christ shall have this wrath of G.o.d for ever lie and abide upon them; for they want a sacrifice to pacify wrath for the sin they have committed, having resisted and refused the sacrifice of the body of Christ. Therefore it cannot be that they should get from under their present condition who have refused to accept of the undertaking of Christ for them.

Besides, G.o.d, to show that he taketh it ill at the hands of sinners that they should refuse the sacrifice of Christ, hath resolved that there shall be no more sacrifice for sin. Therefore 'if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins' (Heb 10:26). G.o.d doth neither appoint another, neither will he accept another, whoever brings it. And here those sayings are of their own natural force: 'How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation?' And again, 'See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth (Moses), much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him (Christ) that speaketh from heaven' (Heb 2:3, 12:25).

This therefore is a mighty demonstration that Christ by what he hath done hath paid full price to G.o.d for the souls of sinners, because G.o.d so severely threateneth, and also punisheth them that refuse to be justified by his blood: he threateneth, as you have heard, and punisheth, by leaving such men in their sins, under his heavy and insupportable vengeance here.

2. 'He that believeth not shall be d.a.m.ned,' d.a.m.ned in h.e.l.l-fire (Mark 16:16). 'He that believeth not.' But what should he believe?

Why,

(1.) That Jesus is the Saviour. 'If,' saith he, 'ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.'

(2.) He that believeth not that he [Jesus] hath undertaken and completely perfected righteousness for us, shall die in his sins, shall be d.a.m.ned, and perish in h.e.l.l-fire; for such have no cloak for their sin, but must stand naked to the show of their shame before the judgment of G.o.d, that fearful judgment. Therefore, after he had said, 'there remaineth' for such 'no more sacrifice for sin,'

he adds, 'but a certain fearful looking for of judgment'; there is for them left nothing but the judgment of G.o.d, and his fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. 'He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses; of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of G.o.d, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace' (Heb 10:28,29).

See here, if fury comes not up now into the face of G.o.d; now is mention made of his fearful judgment and fiery indignation. Now, I say, is mention made thereof, when it is suggested that some have light thoughts of him, count his blood unholy, and trample his sacrificed body under the feet of their reproaches; now is he a consuming fire, and will burn to the lowest h.e.l.l. 'For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people' (Heb 10:30). These words are urged by the Holy Ghost on purpose to beget in the hearts of the rebellious reverend thoughts, and a high esteem of the sacrifice which our Lord Jesus offered once for all upon Mount Calvary unto G.o.d the Father for our sins; for that is the very argument of the whole epistle.

It is said to this purpose, in one of Paul's epistles to the Thessalonians, that because men receive not the love of the truth, that they might be saved; 'for this cause G.o.d shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie; that they might be d.a.m.ned' (2 Thess 2:11,12).

'The truth' mentioned in this place is Jesus Christ. 'I am the truth,' saith he (John 14:6). The love of the truth is none else but the love and compa.s.sion of Jesus Christ in shedding his blood for man's redemption. 'Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends' (John 15:13). This, then, is the love of the Truth (of Jesus), that he hath laid down his life for us. Now, that the rejecters of this love should by this their rejecting procure such wrath of G.o.d against them, that rather than they shall miss of d.a.m.nation, himself will choose their delusions for them, and also give them up to the effectual working of these delusions, what doth this manifest but that G.o.d is displeased with them that accept not of Jesus Christ for righteousness, and will certainly order that their end shall be everlasting d.a.m.nation?

therefore Jesus Christ hath paid full price to G.o.d for sinners, and obtained eternal redemption for them.

THE USE OF THE DOCTRINE.

I come now to make some use of and to apply this blessed doctrine of the undertaking of Jesus Christ, and of his paying full price to G.o.d for sinners, and of his obtaining eternal redemption for them.

THE FIRST USE.

[FIRST.] By this doctrine we come to understand many things which otherwise abide obscure and utterly unknown, because this doctrine is accompanied with the Holy Ghost, that revealer of secrets, and searcher of the deep things of G.o.d (1 Peter 1:2; Eph 1:17; 1 Cor 2). The Holy Ghost comes down with this doctrine as that in which it alone delighteth; therefore is it called 'the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge' of Jesus Christ. He giveth also 'the light of the knowledge of the glory of G.o.d in the face of Jesus Christ' (2 Cor 4:6). Little of G.o.d is known in the world where the gospel is rejected; the religious Jew and the wise Gentile may see more of G.o.d in a crucified Christ than in heaven and earth besides; for in him 'are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge,' not only in his person as G.o.d, but also in his undertakings as Mediator (Col 2:3). Hence Paul telleth us, that he 'determined not to know anything among' the Corinthians but 'Jesus Christ and him crucified'

(1 Cor 2:2). I say, more of G.o.d is revealed to us in this doctrine than we can see of him in heaven and earth without it.

First. Here is more of his WISDOM seen than in his making and upholding all the creatures. His wisdom, I say, in devising means to reconcile sinners to a holy and infinite Majesty; to be a just G.o.d, and YET a Saviour; to be just to his law, just to his threatening, just to himself, and yet save sinners, can no way be understood till thou understandest why Jesus Christ did hang on the tree; for here only is the riddle unfolded, 'Christ died for our sins,' and therefore can G.o.d in justice save us (Isa 45:21). And hence is Christ called the Wisdom of G.o.d, not only because he is so essentially, but because by him is the greatest revelation of his wisdom towards man. In redemption, therefore, by the blood of Christ, G.o.d is said to abound towards us in all wisdom (Eph 1:7,8). Here we see the highest contradictions reconciled, here justice kisseth the sinner, here a man stands just in the sight of G.o.d while confounded at his own pollutions, and here he that hath done no good hath yet a sufficient righteousness, even the righteousness of G.o.d, which is by faith of Jesus Christ.

Second. The JUSTICE of G.o.d is here more seen than in punishing all the d.a.m.ned. 'He spared not his own Son,' is a sentence which more revealeth the nature of the justice of G.o.d than if it had said, He spared not all the world. True, he cast angels from heaven, and drowned the old world; he turned Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, with many more of like nature; but what were all these to the cursing of his Son? Yea, what were ten thousand such manifestations of his ireful indignation against sin, to that of striking, afflicting, chastising, and making the darling of his bosom the object of his wrath and judgment? Here it is seen he respecteth not persons, but judgeth sin, and condemneth him on whom it is found; yea, although on Jesus Christ his well-beloved (Rom 8:32; Gal 3:13).

Third. The mystery of G.o.d's WILL is here more seen than in hanging the earth upon nothing, while he condemneth Christ, though righteous, and justifieth us, though sinners, while he maketh him to be sin for us, and us the righteousness of G.o.d in him (1 Peter 3:18; 2 Cor 5:20).

Fourth. The POWER of G.o.d is here more seen than in making of heaven and earth; for one to bear, and get the victory over sin, when charged by the justice of an infinite majesty, in so doing he showeth the height of the highest power; for where sin by the law is charged, and that by G.o.d immediately, there an infinite majesty opposeth, and that with the whole of his justice, holiness, and power; so then, he that is thus charged and engaged for the sin of the world, must not only be equal with G.o.d, but show it by overcoming that curse and judgment that by infinite justice is charged upon him for sin.

When angels and men had sinned, how did they fall and crumble before the anger of G.o.d! they had not power to withstand the terror, nor could there be worth found in their persons or doings to appease displeased justice. But behold here stands the Son of G.o.d before him in the sin of the world; his Father, finding him there, curseth and condemns him to death; but he, by the power of his G.o.dhead, and the worthiness of his person and doings, vanquisheth sin, satisfieth G.o.d's justice, and so becomes the Saviour of the world. Here, then, is power seen: sin is a mighty thing, it crusheth all in pieces save him whose Spirit is eternal (Heb 9:14). Set Christ and his sufferings aside, and you neither see the evil of sin nor the displeasure of G.o.d against it; you see them not in their utmost. Hadst thou a view of all the legions that are now in the pains of h.e.l.l, yea, couldst thou hear their shrieks and groans together at once, and feel the whole of all their burden, much of the evil of sin and of the justice of G.o.d against it would be yet unknown by thee, for thou wouldest want power to feel and bear the utmost. A giant shows not his power by killing of a little child, nor yet is his might seen by the resistance that such a little one makes, but then he showeth his power when he dealeth with one like himself; yea, and the power also of the other is then made manifest in saving himself from being swallowed up with his wrath. Jesus Christ also made manifest his eternal power and G.o.dhead, more by bearing and overcoming our sins, than in making or upholding the whole world; hence Christ crucified is called 'the power of G.o.d' (1 Cor 1:23,24).