The Sum and Substance of All Theology
"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)
What a difference there is between the words of Christ, and those of all mere men! Most men speak many words, yet say but little; Christ speaks few words, yet says very much. In modern books, you may read scores of pages, and scarcely come across a new thought; but when Christ speaks, every syllable seems to tell. He hits the nail on the head each time He lifts the hammer of His Word. The Words of Christ are like ingots of solid gold; we preachers too often beat out the gold so thin, that whole acres of it would scarcely be worth a farthing. The Words of Christ are always to be distinguished from those of His creatures, not only for their absolute truthfulness, but also for their profound fulness of matter. In all His language He is "full of grace and truth." Look at the text before us. Here we have, in two small sentences, the sum and substance of all theology. The great questions which have divided the Church in all ages, the apparently contradictory doctrines which have set one minister of Christ against his fellow, are here revealed so simply and plainly, "that he may run that readeth" (Habakkuk ii.2). Even a child may understand the Words of Christ, though perhaps the loftiest human intellect cannot fathom the mystery hidden therein.Take the first sentence of my text: "All that the
Father giveth Me shall come to Me." What a weighty sentence! Here we
have
taught us what is called, in the present day, "High Calvinistic
doctrine"—the purpose of God; the certainty that God's purpose will
stand;
the invincibility of God's will; and the absolute assurance that Christ
"shall see of the travail of His soul, and shall be satisfied."
Look at the second sentence of my text: "And him
that
cometh to me I will in no wise cast out." Here we have the richness,
the
fulness, the unlimited extent of the power of Christ to save those who
put
their trust in Him. Here is a text upon which one might preach a
thousand
sermons. We might take these two sentences as a life-long text, and
never
exhaust the theme.
Mark, too, how our Lord Jesus Christ gives us the whole truth. We have many ministers who can preach well upon the first sentence: "All that the Father giveth Me shall come to Me." Just set them going upon Election, or everlasting covenant engagements, and they will be earnest and eloquent, for they are fond of dwelling upon these points, and a well-instructed child of God can hear them with delight and profit. Such preachers are often the fathers of the Church, and the very pillars thereof; but, unfortunately, many of these excellent brethren cannot preach so well upon the second sentence of my text: "And him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out."
When they get to that truth, they are half afraid of it; they hesitate to preach what they consider to be a too open salvation. They cannot give the gospel invitation as freely as they find it in the Word of God. They do not deny it, yet they stutter and stammer sadly, when they get upon this theme.
Then, on the other hand, we have a large number of good ministers who can preach on this second clause of the text, but they cannot preach on the first clause. How fluent is their language as they tell out the freeness of salvation! Here they are much at home in their preaching; but, we are sorry to be compelled to say that, very often, they are not much at home when they come to doctrinal matters, and they would find it rather a difficult matter to preach fluently on the first sentence of my text. They would, if they attempted to preach from it, endeavour to cut out of it all that savours of Divine Sovereignty. They do not preach the whole "truth" which "is in Jesus."
Why is it that some of us do not see both sides of God's revealed truth? We persist in closing one eye; we will not see all that may be seen if we open both our eyes; and, sometimes, we get angry with a brother because he can see a little more than we do. I think our text is very much like a stereoscopic picture, for it presents two views of the truth. Both views are correct, for they are both photographed by the same light. How can we bring these two truths together? We get the stereoscope of the scripture, and looking with both eyes, the two pictures melt into one. God has given us, in His Word, the two pictures of divine truth; but we have not all got the stereoscope properly adjusted to make them melt into one. When we get to heaven, we shall see how all God's truth harmonizes. If we cannot make these two parts of truth harmonize now, at any rate we must not dare to blot out one of them, for God has given them both.
Now, as God shall help me this morning, I want to expand both sentences of my text with equal fidelity and plainness. I shall not expect to please some of you while speaking on the first sentence, and I shall not be surprised if I fail to please others of you when I come to the second sentence; but, in ether case, it will be a small matter to me if I have an easy conscience because I have proclaimed what I believe to be the whole truth of God. I am sure you will be willing to give a patient hearing to that which you may not fully receive, if you believe it to be declared in all honesty. Reject what I say, if it be not true, but if it be the Word of God, receive it; and, be it known unto you that it is at your peril if you dare to reject the truthful Word of the glad tidings of God.
I. I will begin with the first sentence of the text: "All that the Father giveth Me shall come to Me." We have here, first, THE FIRM FOUNDATION UPON WHICH OUR SALVATION RESTS.
It rests, you perceive, not on something which man
does, but
on something which God the Father does. The Father gives certain
persons to His
Son, and the Son says, "All that the Father giveth Me Shall come to
Me." I take it that the meaning of the text is this,—that, if any do
come
to Jesus Christ, it is those whom the Father gave to Christ. And the
reason why
they come,—if we search to the very bottom of things,—is, that the
Father puts
it into their hearts to come. The reason why one man is saved, and
another man
is lost, is to be found in God; not in anything which the saved man
did, or did
not do; not in anything which he felt, or did not feel; but in
something
altogether irrespective of himself, even in the sovereign grace of God.
In the
day of God's power, the saved are made willing to give their souls to
Jesus.
The language of Scripture must explain this point. "As many as received
Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that
believe
on His name: which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the
flesh, nor
of the will of man, but of God" (John i. 12, 13). "So then it is not
of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth
mercy" (Romans ix. 16). If you want to see the fount of grace, you must
go
to the everlasting God; even as, if you want to know why that river
runs in
this direction, and not in that, you must trace it up to its source. In
the
case of every soul that is now in heaven, it was the will of God that
drew it
thither. In the case of every spirit that is on its way to glory now,
unto God
and unto Him alone must be the honour of its salvation; for He it is
who makes
one "differ from another" (1 Cor. iv. 7).
I do not care to argue upon this point, except I
put it
thus: If any say, "It is man himself who makes the difference," I
reply, "You are involving yourself in a great dilemma; if man himself
makes the difference, then mark—man himself must have the glory." Now,
I
am certain you do not mean to give man the glory of his own salvation;
you
would not have men throw up their caps in heaven, and shout, "Unto
ourselves be the glory, for we, ourselves, were the hinge and turning
point of
our own salvation." No, you would have all the saved cast their crowns
at
the feet of Jesus, and give to Him alone all the honour and all the
glory.
This, however, cannot be, unless, in that critical point, that diamond
hinge
upon which man's salvation shall turn, God shall have the control, and
not the
will of man. You know that those who do not believe this truth as a
matter of
doctrine, do believe it in their hearts as a matter of experience.
I was preaching, not very long ago, at a place in
Derbyshire, to a congregation, nearly all of whom were Methodists, and
as I
preached, they were crying out, "Hallelujah! Glory! Bless the Lord!."
They were full of excitement, until I went on to say in my sermon,
"This
brings me to the doctrine of Election." There was no crying out of
"Glory!" and "Hallelujah!" then. Instead, there was a great
deal of shaking of the head, and a sort of telegraphing round the
place, as
though something dreadful was coming. Now, I thought, I must have their
attention again, so I said, "You all believe in the doctrine of
Election?" "No, we don't, lad," said one. "Yes, you do, and
I am going to preach it to you, and make you cry 'Hallelujah!' over
it." I
am certain they mistrusted my power to do that; so, turning a moment
from the
subject, I said, "Is there any difference between you and the ungodly
world?" "Ay! Ay! Ay!" "Is there any difference between you
and the drunkard, the harlot, the blasphemer?" "Ay! Ay! Ay!" Ay!
there was a difference indeed. "Well, now," I said, "there is a
great difference; who made it, then?" for, whoever made the difference,
should have the glory of it. "Did you make the difference?" "No,
lad," said one; and the rest all seemed to join in the chorus. "Who
made the difference, then? Why, the Lord did it; and did you think it
wrong for
Him to make a difference between you and other men?" "No, no,"
they quickly said. "Very well, then; if it was not wrong for God to
make
the difference, it was not wrong for Him to purpose to make it, and
that is the
doctrine of Election." Then they cried, "Hallelujah!" as I said
they would.
The doctrine of Election is God's purposing in His
heart
that He would make some men better than other men; that He would give
to some
men more grace than to other men; that some should come out and receive
the
mercy; that others, left to their own free will, should reject it; that
some
should gladly accept the invitations of mercy, while others, of their
own
accord, stubbornly refuse the mercy to which the whole world of mankind
is
invited. All men, by nature, refuse the invitations of the gospel. God,
in the
sovereignty of His grace, makes a difference by secretly inclining the
hearts of
some men, by the power of His Holy Spirit, to partake of His
everlasting mercy
in Christ Jesus. I am certain that, whether we are Calvinists or
Arminians, if
our hearts are right with God, we shall all adoringly testify: "We love
Him, because He first loved us." If that be not Election, I know not
what
it is.
II. Now, in the second place, note THE CERTAINTY OF THE ETERNAL SALVATION OF ALL WHO WERE GIVEN TO JESUS; "All that the Father giveth Me shall come to Me."
This is eternally settled, and so settled that it
cannot be
altered by either man or devil. All whose names are written in the Book
of Life
of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world, all whom God the
Father
designed to save when He gave up His well-beloved Son to die upon the
cross of
Calvary, shall in time be drawn by the Holy Spirit, and shall surely
come to
Christ, and be kept by the Spirit, through the precious blood of
Christ, and be
folded for ever with His sheep, on the hill-tops of glory.
Mark! "All that the Father giveth Me shall come to
Me." Not one of those whom the Father hath given to Jesus shall perish.
If
any were lost, the text would have to read: "Almost all," or,
"All but one;" but it positively says "All," without any
exception; even though one may have been, in his unregenerate state,
the very
chief of sinners. Yet even that chosen one, that given one, shall come
to
Jesus; and when he has come, he shall be held by that strong love that
at first
chose him, and he shall never be let go, but shall be held fast, even
unto the
end. Miss Much-afraid, and Mrs. Despondency, and Mr. Feeble-mind, shall
as
certainly come to the arms of Christ, as Mr. Great-heart, and Mr.
Faithful, and
Mr. Valiant-for-Truth. If one jewel were lost from Christ's crown, then
Christ's crown would not be all-glorious. If one member of the body of
Christ
were to perish, Christ's body would not be complete. If one of those
who are
one with Christ should miss his way to eternal life, Christ would not
be a
perfect Christ.
"All that the Father giveth Me Shall come to Me."
"But suppose they will not come?" I cannot suppose any such thing,
for He says they "shall come." They shall be made willing in the day
of God's power. God knows how to make a passage through the heart of
man; and though
man is a free agent, yet God can incline him, willingly, to come to
Jesus.
There are many sentences even in Wesley's hymn-book which contain this
truth.
If God took away freedom from man, and then saved him, it would be but
a small
miracle. For God to leave man free to come to Jesus, and yet to so move
him as
to make him come, is a divinely-wrought miracle indeed. If we were for
a moment
to admit that man's will could be more than a match for God's will, do
you not
see where we should be landed? Who made man? God! Who made God? Shall
we lift
up man to the sovereign throne of Deity? Who shall be master, and have
his way,
God or man? The will of God, that says they "shall come", knows how
to make them come.
"But suppose it should be one of those who are
living
in the interior of Africa, and he does not hear the gospel; what then?"
He
shall hear the gospel; either he shall come to the gospel, or the
gospel shall
go to him. Even if no minister should go to such a chosen one, he would
have
the gospel specially revealed to him rather than that the promise of
the
Almighty God should be broken.
"But suppose there should be one of God's chosen
who
has become so bad that there is no hope for him? He never attends a
place of
worship; never listens to the gospel; the voice of the preacher never
reaches
him; he has grown hardened in his sin, like steel that has been seven
times
annealed in the fire; what then?" That man shall be arrested by God's
grace, and that obdurate, hard-hearted one shall be made to see the
mercy of
God; the tears shall stream down his cheeks, and he shall be made
willing to
receive Jesus as Saviour. I think that, as God could bend my will, and
bring me
to Christ, He can bring anybody.
"Why was I made to hear His voice,
And enter while there's room;
When thousands make a wretched choice,
And rather starve than come?
"'Twas the same love the spread the feast,
That sweetly forced me in;
Else I had still refused to taste,
And perish'd in my sin."
Yes, "sweetly forced me in;"—there is no other
word that can so accurately describe my case. Oh, how long Jesus Christ
stood
at the door of my heart, and knocked, and knocked, and knocked in vain!
I
asked: "Why should I leave the pleasures of this world?" Yet still He
knocked, and there was music in every sound of His pleading voice; but
I said,
"Nay, let Him go elsewhere." And though, through the window, I could
see His thorn-crowned head, and the tears standing in His eyes, and the
prints
of the nails in His hands, as He stood and knocked, and said, "Open to
Me,"
yet I heeded Him not. Then He sent my mother to me, and she pleaded,
"let
the Saviour in, Charlie;" and I replied, in action, though not in
words,
"Nay, I love thee, my mother; but I do not love Christ, thy Saviour."
Then came the black hours of sickness; but in effect I said, "Nay, I
fear
not sickness, nor death itself; I will still defy my Maker." But it
happened, one day, that He graciously put in His hand by the hole of
the door,
and I moved toward Him, and then I opened the door, and cried, "Come
in! Come
in!" Alas! alas! He was gone; and for five long years I stood, with
tears
in mine eyes, and I sought Him weeping, but I found Him not. I cried
after Him,
but He answered me not. I said, "Whither is He gone? Oh, that I had
never
rejected Him? Oh, that He would but come again!" Surely the angels must
then have said, "A great change has come over that youth; he would not
let
Christ in when He knocked, but now he wants Christ to come." And when
He
did come, do you think my soul rejected Him? Nay, nay; but I fell down
at His
feet, crying, "Come in! Come in! thou Blessed Saviour. I have waited
for
Thy salvation, O my God!"
There is no living soul beyond the reach of hope,
no chosen
one whom Christ cannot bring up even from the very gates of hell. He
can bare
His arm, put out His hand, and pluck the brand "out of the fire"
(Zechariah iii.2). In a horrible pit, in the miry clay, His jewels have
been
hidden; but down from the throne of light He can come, and thrusting in
His arm
of mercy, He can pull them out, and cause them to glitter in His crown
for
ever. Let it be settled in our hearts, as a matter of fact, that what
God has
purposed to do, He will surely accomplish.
I need not dwell longer upon this point, because I
think I
have really brought out the essence of this first sentence of my text:
"All that the Father giveth Me shall come to Me." Permit me just to
remark, before I pass on, that I am sometimes sad on account of the
alarm that
some Christians seem to have concerning this precious and glorious
doctrine. We
have, in the Baptist denomination,—I am sorry to have to say it,—many
ministers, excellent brethren, who, while they believe this doctrine,
yet never
preach it. On the other hand, we have some ministers, excellent
brethren, who
never preach anything else. They have a kind of barrel-organ that only
plays
five tunes, and they are always repeating them. It is either Election,
Predestination, Particular Redemption, Effectual Calling, Final
Perseverance,
or something of that kind; it is always the same note. But we have also
a great
many others who never preach concerning these doctrines, though they
admit they
are doctrines taught in Sacred Scripture. The reason for their silence
is,
because they say these truths are not suitable to be preached from the
pulpit.
I hold such an utterance as that to be very wicked. Is the doctrine
here—in
this Bible? If it is, as God hath taught it, so are we to teach it.
"But," they say, "not in a mixed assembly." Where can you
find an unmixed assembly? God has sent the Bible into a mixed world,
and the
gospel is to be preached in " all the world", and "to every
creature." "Yes," they say, "preach the gospel, but not
these special truths of the gospel; because, if you preach these
doctrines, the
people will become Antinomians and Hyper-Calvinists." Not so; the
reason
why people become Hyper-Calvinists and Antinomians, is because some,
who
profess to be Calvinists, often keep back part of the truth, and do
not, as
Paul did, "declare all the counsel of God"; they select certain parts
of Scripture, where their own particular views are taught, and pass by
other
aspects of God's truth. Such preachers as John Newton, and in later
times, your
own Christmas Evans, were men who preached the whole truth of God; they
kept
back nothing that God has revealed; and, as the result of their
preaching,
Antinomianism could not find a foot-hold anywhere. We should have each
doctrine
of Scripture in its proper place, and preach it fully; and if we want
to have a
genuine revival of religion, we must preach these doctrines of
Jehovah's
sovereign grace again and again. Do not tell me they will not bring
revivals.
There was but one revival that I have ever heard of, apart from
Calvinistic
doctrine, and that was the one in which Wesley took so great a part;
but then
George Whitefield was there also to preach the whole Word of God. When
people
are getting sleepy, if you want to arouse and wake them up thoroughly,
preach
the doctrine of Divine Sovereignty to them; for that will do it right
speedily.
III. I shall now turn very briefly to the
second
sentence of
my text: "And him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out."
"Now," says somebody, "he is going to knock
down all that he has been building up." Well, I would rather be
inconsistent with myself than with my Master; but I dare not alter this
second
sentence, and I have no desire to alter it. Let it stand as it is, all
its
glorious simplicity:—
"HIM THAT COMETH TO ME I WILL IN NO
WISE CAST
OUT."
Let the whole world come, still this promise is big enough to embrace them all in its arms. There is no mistake here, the wrong man cannot come. If any sinner come to Christ, he is sure to be the right one. Mark, too, as there is no limitation in the person coming, so there is no limitation in the manner of the coming. Says one, "Suppose I come the wrong way?" You cannot come the wrong way; it is written, "No man can come to Me, except the Father which hath sent Me draw him." "No man can come unto Me, except it were given unto him of My Father" (John vi.44,65). If, then, you come to Christ in any way, you are drawn of the Father, and He cannot draw the wrong way. If you come to Christ at all, the power and will to come have been given you of the Father. If you come to Christ, He will in no wise cast you out; for no possible or conceivable reason will Jesus ever cast out any sinner who comes to Him. There is no reason in hell, or on earth, or in heaven, why Jesus should cast out the soul that comes to Him. If Satan, the foul accuser of the brethren, brings reasons why the coming sinner should not be received, Jesus will "cast down" the accuser, but He will not "cast out" the sinner. "Come unto Me, all ye that labour, and are heavy laden, and I will give your rest," is still His invitation and His promise, too.
Let us suppose a case by the way of illustration.
Here is a
man in Swansea,—ragged, dirty, coal-begrimed,—who has received a
message from
Her Most Gracious Majesty, Queen Victoria. It reads in this wise: "You
are
hereby commanded to come, just as you are, to our palace at Windsor, to
receive
great and special favours at our hand. You will stay away at your
peril."
The man reads the message, and at first scarcely understands it; so he
thinks,
"I must wash and prepare myself." Then, he re-reads the royal summons,
and the words arrest him: "Come just as your are." So he starts, and
tells the people in the train where he is going, and they laugh at him.
At
length he arrives at Windsor Castle; there he is stopped by the guard,
and
questioned. He explains why he has come, and shows the Queen's message;
and he
is allowed to pass. He next meets with a gentlemen in waiting, who,
after some
explanations and expressions of astonishment, allows him to enter the
ante-room. When there, our friend becomes frightened on account of his
begrimed
and ragged appearance; he is half inclined to rush from the place with
fear,
when he remembers the works of the royal command: "Stay away at your
peril." Presently, the Queen herself appears, and tells him how glad
she
is that he has come just as he was. She says she purposes that he shall
be
suitably clothed, and be made one of the princes of her court. She
adds,
"I told you to come as you were. It seemed to be a strange command to
you,
but I am glad you have obeyed, and so come."
I do think this is what Jesus Christ says to every
creature
under heaven. The gospel invitation runs thus: "Come, come, come to
Christ, just as you are." "But, let me feel more." No, come just
as you are. "But let me get home to my own room, and let me pray."
No, no, come to Christ just as you are. As you are, trust in Jesus, and
He will
save you. Oh, do dare to trust Him! If anybody shall ask, "Who are
you?" answer, "I am nobody." If anyone objects, "You are
such a filthy sinner," reply, "Yes,'tis true, so I am; but He Himself
told me to come." If anyone shall say, "You are not fit to
come," say, "I know I am not fit; but He told me to come."
Therefore,—
"Come, ye sinners, poor and wretched,
Weak and wounded, sick and sore;
Jesus ready stands to save you,
Full of pity join'd with power;
He is able,
He is willing; doubt no more.
"Let not conscience make you linger,
Nor of fitness fondly dream;
All the fitness He requireth,
Is to feel you need of Him:
This He gives you;
'Tis the Spirit's rising beam."
Sinner, trust in Jesus: and if thou dost perish trusting in Jesus, I will perish with thee. I will make my bed in hell, side by side with thee, sinner, if thou canst perish trusting in Christ, and thou shalt lie there, and taunt me to all eternity for having taught thee falsely, if we perish. But that can never be; those who trust in Jesus shall never perish, neither shall any pluck them out of His hand. Come to Jesus, and He will in no wise cast thee out.
May the Lord bless the words I have spoken! Though hastily suggested to my mind, and feebly delivered to you, the Lord bless them, for Christ's sake!
Amen.