Works of John Bunyan Volume I Part 83

2. It is called h.e.l.l. "It is better for thee to enter halt" or lame "into life, than having two feet to be cast into h.e.l.l" (Mark 9:45).

3. It is called the wine-press of the wrath of G.o.d. "And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth," that is, them that did not come to Christ, "and cast it into the great wine-press of the wrath of G.o.d" (Rev 14:19).

4. It is called a lake of fire. "And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire" (Rev 20:15).

5. It is called a pit. "Thou hast said in thy heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of G.o.d: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north. Yet thou shalt be brought down to h.e.l.l, to the sides of the pit" (Isa 14:13-15).

6. It is called a bottomless pit, out of which the smoke and the locust came, and into which the great dragon was cast; and it is called bottomless, to show the endlessness of the fall that they will have into it, that come not, in the acceptable time, to Jesus Christ (Rev 9:1,2; 20:3). . 7. It is called outer darkness. "Bind him hand and foot--and cast him into outer darkness," "and cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness," "there shall be weeping and gnas.h.i.+ng of teeth" (Matt 22:13; 25:30).

8. It is called a furnace of fire. "As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; and shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnas.h.i.+ng of teeth." And again, "So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, and shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnas.h.i.+ng of teeth" (Matt 13:40-51).

9. Lastly, It may not be amiss, if, in the conclusion of this, I show in few words to what the things that torment them in this state are compared. Indeed, some of them have been occasionally mentioned already; as that they are compared,

(1.) To wood that burneth.

(2.) To fire.

(3.) To fire and brimstone: But,

(4.) It is compared to a worm, a gnawing worm, a never-dying gnawing worm; They are cast into h.e.l.l, "where their worm dieth not" (Mark 9:44).

(5.) It is called unquenchable fire; "He will gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire"

(Matt 3:12; Luke 3:17).

(6.) It is called everlasting destruction; "The Lord Jesus shall be revealed 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; who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power" (2 Thess 1:7-9).

(7.) It is called wrath without mixture, and is given them in the cup of his indignation. "If any man wors.h.i.+p the beast, and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of G.o.d, which is poured out without mixture, into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb" (Rev 14:9,10).

(8.) It is called the second death. "And death and h.e.l.l were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power" (Rev 20:6,14).

(9.) It is called eternal d.a.m.nation. "But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost, hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal d.a.m.nation." Oh! these three words! Everlasting punishment!

Eternal d.a.m.nation! And For ever and ever! How will they gnaw and eat up all the expectation of the end of the misery of the cast-away sinners. "And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever; and they have no rest day nor night," &c., (Rev 14:11).

Their behaviour in h.e.l.l is set forth by four things as I know of;--(a.) By calling for help and relief in vain; (b.) By weeping; (c.) By wailing; (d.) By gnas.h.i.+ng of teeth.

[THE POWER OF CHRIST TO SAVE, OR TO CAST OUT.]

SECOND. And now we come to the second thing that is to be inquired into, namely, How it appears that Christ hath power to save, or to cast out. For by these words, "I will in no wise cast out," he declareth that he hath power to do both. Now this inquiry admits us to search into the things: First, How it appears that he hath power to save; Second, How it appears that he hath power to cast out.

First, That he hath power to save, appears by that which follows:--

1. To speak only of him as he is mediator: he was authorized to this blessed work by his Father, before the world began. Hence the apostle saith, "He hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world" (Eph 1:4). With all those things that effectually will produce our salvation. Read the same chapter, with 2 Timothy 1:9.

2. He was promised to our first parents, that he should, in the fullness of time, bruise the serpent's head; and, as Paul expounds it, redeem them that were under the law. Hence, since that time, he hath been reckoned as slain for our sins. By which means all the fathers under the first testament were secured from the wrath to come; hence he is called, "The Lamb slain from the foundation of the world" (Rev 13:8; Gen 3:15; Gal 4:4,5).

3. Moses gave testimony of him by the types and shadows, and b.l.o.o.d.y sacrifices, that he commanded from the mouth of G.o.d to be in use for the support of his people's faith, until the time of reformation; which was the time of this Jesus his death (Heb 9, 10).

4. At the time of his birth it was testified of him by the angel, "That he should save his people from their sins" (Matt 1:21).

5. It is testified of him in the days of his flesh, that he had power on earth to forgive sins (Mark 2:5-12).

6. It is testified also of him by the apostle Peter, that "G.o.d hath exalted him with his own right hand, to be a prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins" (Acts 5:31).

7. In a word, this is everywhere testified of him, both in the Old Testament and the New. And good reason that he should be acknowledged and trusted in, as a Saviour.

(1.) He came down from heaven to be a Saviour (John 6:38-40).

(2.) He was anointed when on earth to be a Saviour (Luke 3:22).

(3.) He did the works of a Saviour. As, (a.) He fulfilled the law, and became the end of it for righteousness, for them that believe in him (Rom 10:3,4). (b.) He laid down his life as a Saviour; he gave his life as "a ransom for many" (Matt 20:28; Mark 10:45; 1 Tim 2:6). (c.) He hath abolished death, destroyed the devil, put away sin, got the keys of h.e.l.l and death, is ascended into heaven; is there accepted of G.o.d, and bid sit at the right hand as a Saviour; and that because his sacrifice for sins pleased G.o.d (2 Tim 1:10; Heb 2:14,15; 10:12,13; Eph 4:7,8; John 16:10,11; Acts 5:30,31).

(4.) G.o.d hath sent out and proclaimed him as a Saviour, and tells the world that we have redemption through his blood, that he will justify us, if we believe in his blood, and that he can faithfully and justly do it. Yea, G.o.d doth beseech us to be reconciled to him by his Son; which could not be, if he were not anointed by him to this very end, and also if his works and undertakings were not accepted of him considered as a Saviour (Rom 3:24,25; 2 Cor 5:18-21).

(5.) G.o.d hath received already millions of souls into his paradise, because they have received this Jesus for a Saviour; and is resolved to cut them off, and to cast them out of his presence, that will not take him for a Saviour (Heb 12:22-26).

I intend brevity here; therefore a word to the second, and so conclude.

Second, How it appears that he hath power to cast out. This appears also by what follows:--

1. The Father, for the service that he hath done him as Saviour, hath made him Lord of all, even Lord of quick and dead. "For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living" (Rom 14:9).

2. The Father hath left it with him to quicken whom he will, to wit, with saving grace, and to cast out whom he will, for their rebellion against him (John 5:21).

3. The Father hath made him judge of quick and dead, hath committed all judgment unto the Son, and appointed that all should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father (John 5:22,23).

4. G.o.d will judge the world by this man: the day is appointed for judgment, and he is appointed for judge. "He hath appointed a day in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man"

(Acts 17:31). Therefore we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that every one may receive for the things done in the body, according to what they have done. If they have closed with him, heaven and salvation; if they have not, h.e.l.l and d.a.m.nation!

And for these reasons he must be judge:--

(1.) Because of his humiliation, because of his Father's word he humbled himself, and he became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. "Wherefore G.o.d also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of G.o.d the Father."

This hath respect to his being judge, and his sitting in judgment upon angels and men (Phil 2:7-11; Rom 14:10,11).

(2.) That all men might honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. "For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son; that all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father" (John 5:22,23).

(3.) Because of his righteous judgment, this work is fit for no creature; it is only fit for the Son of G.o.d. For he will reward every man according to his ways (Rev 22:12).

(4.) Because he is the Son of man. He "hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man" (John 5:27).

[SECOND, THE TEXT TREATED BY WAY OF OBSERVATION.]

Thus have I in brief pa.s.sed through this text by way of explications.

My next work is to speak to it by way of observation. But I shall be also as brief in that as the nature of the thing will admit. "All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out" (John 6:37).

And now I come to some observations, and a little briefly to speak to them, and then conclude the whole. The words thus explained afford us many, some of which are these. 1. That G.o.d the Father, and Christ his Son, are two distinct persons in the G.o.dhead. 2. That by them, not excluding the Holy Ghost, is contrived and determined the salvation of fallen mankind. 3. That this contrivance resolved itself into a covenant between these persons in the G.o.dhead, which standeth in giving on the Father's part, and receiving on the Son's. "All that the Father giveth me," &c. 4. That every one that the Father hath given to Christ, according to the mind of G.o.d in the text, shall certainly come to him. 5. That coming to Jesus Christ is therefore not by the will, wisdom, or power of man; but by the gift, promise, and drawing of the Father. "All that the Father giveth me shall come." 6. That Jesus Christ will be careful to receive, and will not in any wise reject those that come, or are coming to him. "And him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out." There are, besides these, some other truths implied in the words. As, 7. They that are coming to Jesus Christ are ofttimes heartily afraid that he will not receive them. 8. Jesus Christ would not have them that in truth are coming to him once think that he will cast them out.

These observations lie all of them in the words, and are plentifully confirmed by the Scriptures of truth; but I shall not at this time speak to them all, but shall pa.s.s by the first, second, third, fourth, and sixth, partly because I design brevity, and partly because they are touched upon in the explicatory part of the text.

I shall therefore begin with the fifth observation, and so make that the first in order, in the following discourse.