TO JESUS CHRIST: OR, A PLAIN AND PROFITABLE DISCOURSE ON JOHN vi. 37. SHEWING, The Cause, Truth, and Manner of the Coming ment. To which is added, The One Thing is Needful; or, Serious Meditations DEATH, JUDGMENT, HEAVEN AND HELL. BY JOHN BUNYAN, And they shall come which were ready to perish. LONDON: Isaiah xxvii. 13. 101.9.268. Printed by W. Nicholson, Warner-street, FOR W. BAYNES, 54, PATERNOSTER-ROW. TO JESUS CHRIST. JOHN vi. 37. All that the Father giveth me shall come to me, and him that cometh to me I will in no wife caft out. A LITTLE before, in this chapter, you may read that the Lord Jesus walked on the fea to go to Capernaum, having fent his disciples before in a ship, but the wind was contrary; by which means the Thip was hindered in her paffage. Now about the fourth watch of the night, Jefus came walking on the fea, and overtook them: at the fight of whom they were afraid. Note, When providences are black and terrible to God's people, the Lord Jesus shews himself to them in a wonderful manner; the which sometimes they can as little bear, as they can the things that were before terrible to them. They were afraid of the wind and water; they were alfo afraid of their Lord and Saviour, when he appeared to them in that state. But he faid, "Be not afraid, it is I." Note, That the end of the appearing of the Lord Jefus unto his people, (although the manner of his appearance be ever so terrible,) is to allay their fears and perplexities. Then they received him into the ship, and immediately the ship was at land whether it went. Note, When Christ is absent from his people, they go on but slowly, and with great difficulty; but when he joins himself unto them, Oh! how fast they steer their course! how foon are they at their journey's end! The people now among whom he last preached, when they saw that both Jesus was gone and his disciples, they alfo took shipping, and came to Capernaum, seeking for Jefus. And when they had found him, they wonder. ing, asked him, Rabbi, when camest thou hither? But the Lord Jefus flighting their compliment, answered, "Verily, verily, ye seek me, not because ye faw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves and were filled." Note, A people may follow Chrift far for base ends, as these went after him beyond fea for loaves. A man's belly will carry him a great way in religion; yea, a man's belly will make him venture far for Chrift. Note again, They are not feigning compliments but gracious intentions, that crown the work in the eye of Christ; or thus, it is not the toil and business of profeffors, but their love to him, that makes him approve of them. Note again, When men shall look for friendly entertainment at Christ's hand, (if their hearts be rotten,) even then will they meet with a check and rebuke. "Ye feek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled." Yet observe again, He doth not refuse to give, even to these, good counsel: He bids them labour for the meat that endureth to eternal life, O how willing would Jesus Christ have even those profeffors that come to him with pretences only, come to him fincerely, that they may be faved. The text, you will find, is, after much more discourse with and about this people, and it is uttered by the Lord Jesus, as the conclufion of the whole, intimateth, that since they were profeffors in pretence only, and therefore such as his foul could not delight in, as such, that he would content himself with a remnant that his Father had bestowed upon him. As who should say, "I am not like to be honoured in your salvation; but the Father hath bestowed upon me a people, and they shall come to me in truth, and in them will I be fatisfied." The text before may be called Christ's repose; in the fulfilling whereof he resteth himself content, after much labour and many fermons spent, as it were, in vain. As he faith by the prophet, "I have laboured in vain, I have spent my strength for nought, and in vain, Ifa. xlix. 4." But as there he faith, "My judgment is with the Lord, and my work is with my God;" fo in the text he faith "All that the Father gi |