The Words of the Text Opened
3:17. Christ would never have hinted at such jealousy, nor suggested such thoughts to men's minds, had they not been in them before, and this to prevent and take off such jealousies. Men are apt to think that God had a design upon them as upon enemies, and laid but an ambush for their further condemnation, in his treaty of peace tendered to them by his Son. An example of which we have in Luther, who fell into such suspicions as these, for he, misunderstanding some words he met with in the epistle to the Romans, as they were rendered by the vulgar translation then in use, namely, these, that 'God sent his Son to declare his righteousness' (as they are by us translated), he thought the meaning of them to have been this, 'to declare and set forth his judgment' on the world (so he interpreted ad justitiam suam, &c.). The truth is, the jealousies of men's thoughts herein were those that have put God to his oath, 'As I live, I will not the death of a sinner,' &c. So also Heb. 6:17. Men do not so usually question the power of God, he is able enough to save them they think; he is 'able to graft them in,' as the apostle speaks to the Jews,
Rom. 11:23; but all their doubts are about his will. God's will was the fountain and spring of our salvation, in the contriving of which he
'wrought all things according to the counsel of his own will,' as the apostle to the Ephesians speaks; and in another place it is said, 'He will have mercy on whom he will,' &c. And therefore the great queries in our hearts concerning the will of God towards us.
The Words of the Text Opened Now, these words of my text do hold forth the full willingness of both these two persons, both of God and of Christ.
1. Of Christ, he here professes himself willing to entertain all that will come to him, 'He that will come to me, I will in no wise cast
out.' Which words are not to be understood as if spoken only of casting out those that are already come unto him, as if they were only a promise against being cast off after being received, and so intending against fears of falling away; but they are chiefly intended as an invitation to all that are not yet come that they would come to him; and so, to express how ready and willing he is to entertain all comers, as one who sets his doors open, keeps open house, and turns back none that would come in, 'Him that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out.' And though it may seem to be but a slender and sparing expression of his readiness to entertain such, to say only, 'I will not cast them out,' yet though he speaks with the least, yet he will do with the most, he being 'abundant in goodness and truth,' and one that is better than his word in the performance. As when he says, he will not despise a broken heart, is that all the esteem he will manifest to such a heart? Oh, no! it is the most welcome thing, and endeared frame of spirit that can be in any creature. His meaning is to show what he elsewhere says of a meek spirit (which is all one with a broken heart), that with God it is 'of great price,' for so in Isaiah he expresses himself. 'I that inhabit eternity, with whom will I dwell? with a spirit that is broken and contrite.' He uses also this expression of not casting them out, in relation, and for a more direct answer to the fear which he knew usually possesses the hearts of poor sinners when they are about to come to him; they fear he may reject them, they know not their entertainment, their welcome. To meet with this scruple, he says, 'I will not cast such out;' choosing rather thus to remove the doubt that is in their hearts, than to express the fullness of his own; the Scriptures speaking potius ad cor nostrum quam cor suum, rather unto our hearts, than fully what is in his own, which can never be done.
And yet, even in the diminutive expression, there is that inserted, which argues not only a willingness and readiness, but a resolvedness joined with the greatest care and faithfulness that can be, ὀυ μὴ, I will in no wise cast out. We may see his heart through this little crevice; he doth herein as a faithful man, who, to give the more full assurance, puts in some binding word into his promise, as,
I will at no hand, or in no wise, fail you. Thus does God also in that known promise, Heb. 13:5 (to the horns of which sanctuary many a soul hath fled for refuge), 'I will never leave thee nor forsake thee,' where there are no less than five negatives to bind and assure it, 'I will not,' 'in no wise' (&c.), leave thee.
Now this willingness of his, on his part, Christ shews by two things.
First, By that great journey he took from heaven to earth, and that to no other purpose but to save sinners. For this (says he) did I come down from heaven. Great actions of one who is wise, must answerably have great ends; now this was the greatest thing that ever was done, that the Son of God should come from heaven. And when there can be but one end of an action so great, that end must needs be accomplished, or else the action is wholly in vain. Now, in coming down from heaven, he could have no other end but the saving of sinners, he could have no other business to do that he did here, therefore the Scriptures put his coming into the world wholly upon this, to seek and to save that which was lost, and do attribute his taking upon him 'the likeness of sinful flesh' to have been 'for sin;' so Rom. 8:3. Though other ends might be supposed, and were accomplished by the assuming man's nature, yet he had no other end of taking frail flesh, especially there could be no other end of his dying, but merely and only for sin. John 12:24, he says, If he had not fallen to the ground and died, he had then remained in heaven alone,
and no sinners had come thither; that therefore they might ascend to heaven, he descends from heaven, 'I came down from heaven,' &c.
Secondly, He demonstrates his willingness by this, that his Father had sent him on purpose to receive and to save sinners: 'I come,' says he 'to do the will of him who sent me;' and, John 8, he says, 'I come not of myself, but my Father he sent me.' And if he were sent by his
Father to this end (as he affirms he was, and as by the coherence appears, for he makes it the reason why he will cast none out), then certainly he will faithfully do the work he was sent for. In Heb. 3:1, he is called the 'apostle of our profession,' apostle, that is, one sent, so the word signifies; and what follows? 'who was faithful to him that appointed him.' Now, upon these considerations, Christ tells you that you may build upon him, that you shall certainly find him willing.
2. For his Father's willingness, he tells us we may be much more confident of it, for he puts his own willingness and all upon that:
'Him' (says he) 'that the Father gives me, shall come to me; and him that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out. For I came down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him that sent me: and this is the Father's will, that he hath sent me;'
&c. In which words you may observe both wherein he declares his Father to be engaged, and how much.
First, Wherein, and that by two things:
(1.) That he sent him to that end, and so it is his Father's business more than his own. So also, Luke 2:49, he expresses himself, 'Shall I not do my Father's business?' as elsewhere in Isaiah he is called his
Father's servant in it; and John 5:36, he makes it his Father's work.
(2.) Secondly, that he in a solemn manner gave unto him them whom he would have to be saved, with charge to lose none: 'All that the