Christ inviting sinners to come to him for rest by Jeremiah Burroughes.

ARG. VII.

To that I answer, in the Seventh place, Come to me and I will certainly receive you whatever you are, Christ will certainly receive all those that come to him whatever they are, and for that consider these three things, that may make it plain.

First, The Solemn expression of Christ for this purpose, that you have in John, 6.37. All that the Father giveth me shall come to me, and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. He doth not say, he that hath been such a great sinner, such a vile wretched sinner, but he speaks indefinitly, he that comes to me I will in no wise cast out. Now this that is translated in your Books, In no wise cast out, it hath a greater force in the Greek, there is two Negatives, for though we in English say, two Negatives make an affirmative, it is not so in Greek, for it is for a stronger confirmation of a thing, and so it may be read, He that cometh to me, I will not not cast out, as if so be Christ should say, he that comes to me I will not, I will not cast out. As we, when we would express the fervency of our Spirits, we double our speech; so doth Christ, he would express the Fervency of his spirit, and therefore he saith, he that cometh to me, I will not, I will not cast out.

Secondly, Whoever thou art upon coming to him he will not cast thee off, for this was the great errand that

Christ came into the world for, to receive poor troubled souls, and to ease poor Laden sinners; it was the very business that Christ came into the world about, it is the work that God the Father hath sent his Son into the world about, that he might receive such poor wretched sinful creatures as thou art, and if it were not, that he should receive those that come to him, he should lose the end that he came into the world for, and therefore he will receive you when you come, for Christ saies, I shal else lose the end of that that was the greatest work that ever was done since the world began, or shal be done to al eternity, that is, my undertaking the Mediation between God and you; if I should not receive poor Souls that come to me, that great work would be lost, that work wherein my Father and my self is so much glorified, for this is the glory of Christ to do so, and Christ saw there was so much glory to be had this way, that it did move Christ to come into the world, to take such a course as this is to save Souls, Christ knows that he should to all eternity be magnified by Angels, for the saving such Souls as thou art, Yea, Christ knows, that the Father wil love him more, for he saies. The Father loves me, because I laid down my life for the Sheep, John, 10.17. It is that that will delight God the Father, it is that that wil make God the Father to delight in the Son, it is that whereby Jesus Christ gets the very end of his death; til he had laid down his life; till he had made his Soul an offering for sin, he was not satisfied. This is it that sa∣tisfied him, that he should see his Seed, and amongst others, thou art one, thou that comest to Christ, thou art of the Seed that Jesus Christ is so satisfied with, that he gaines the very end of laying down his life for thee, and certainly, Christ will not cast thee off, but wil receive thee and therefore come to him▪

Thirdly, He will receive thee, for he hath heretofore received as vile wretches as thou art.

You will say, There was never any so vile as we are.

Its true, we may, and ought to judg our Selves as vile as the worst; though we have not committed such vile sins outwardly as others have, yet because we know not the Hearts of other men, nor do we know what means others have had, therefore we are to judg ourselves as vile as any: but know, that Christ hath received as bad as thou art, those that pierced Christ, that shed his blood, Christ received 3000. of them in one day, he received three thousand in one day of those that had inbrued their hands in his blood; and the story stands in the Scripture for an everlasting Monument, to incourage poor sinners to come to Christ.

And besides, though thou art a vile sinner, and a wretched creature, yet know, the greater thou hast been in thy sin, the more will the Grace of God in Christ be magnified, and certainly, there is in Christ such a Grace as is able to swallow up great sins as well as little, as the infinite Ocean of the Sea, is able to swallow up great Vessels as well as smal: were it not a silly thing, when we were to cast a Vessel into the Sea, to say it is too great a Vessel: God is willing to have his Grace magni∣fied to thee, though it be to the hardening of many thou∣sands. If there is an infinite Ocean in God to swallow up great, as well as smal sins, so long as this keeps thee off from coming to Christ, so long thou dishonorest this in∣finite Grace of God in Christ. Were Gods mercy only such as his common bounty is to other of his creatures, this might keep thee off, but now, it being the infinite Ocean of mercy in his Son, and purchased by Christ, it is an infinite dishonor to the Grace of God in Christ to stand upon tearms, and not to come to Christ, what dost thou think that mercy is worth, that cost the Blood of Christ? Thou thinkest thou art a great sinner, and that it must be wonderful mercy that must save thy Soul. Its true, and it's well thou thinkest So, but now consider further sinner, what dost thou think of the mercy that shall be as much worth as the Blood of the Son of God?

For him to be made a curse for sinners, will that do it? If that will do it thou mayest come to him. How much dost thou think the mercy of Christs coming to take Mans Nature upon him is worth, to take our sinful Nature upon him? If he will do it, thou mayest come to Christ. Yea, Further, know, That the Lord Jesus Christ ne∣ver receives any that come to him, but Beggars, none but Beggars, none but miserable creatures, none but those that are wretched, that are vile; and Christ did never yet from the beginning of the world receive any man upon these tearms, because he was not so vile as another man, as thus, here is one that is thus vile, here is another that is not altogether so vile, I will receive him upon this ground, because he is not so vile, this was never the ground; but when he receives them, he receives them up∣on free Grace, and therefore it is not how vile thou art, for that is the Glory of Christ to save vile creatures, and he saves none but those that come as Beggars, those that come and do see themselves, as vile wretched, worthless, unworthy, miserable, damned dust and Ashes in them∣selves. Only such are objects for the Heart of Christ to be set upon; rather make it an argument to drive thee more to him, as David did, in the 25. Psalm. O Lord have mercy upon me, pardon my Sin, for it is great, So, Lord, I am vile, I am wretched, I am unworthy and therefore Lord receive me, Lord, therefore I come unto thee, do not say as Peter once did, Master depart from me I am a sinful Man, No, but the truth is, he should rather have said thus, Master, Come to me, or Master I come to thee, because I am a sinful man: So thou shouldest not say, O Lord, depart from me, because I am a sinful creature, Or, Lord, do thou come to me, because I am a sinful wretch.

And know, that upon thy coming to him thou wilt have wonderful welcome, wonderful great entertainment above all that thy Heart can think of. O the great im∣bracing by Jesus Christ, of those Souls that come to him;

and this is the very Reason why poor sinners, at their first conversion, have their Hearts so filled with joy, be∣cause at their first coming to Christ, Christ doth give them such wonderful imbracements, til they come to be more Strengthened, and then perhaps Christ will have them live rather by Faith, than by sence. It is in the new Birth as in the Birth of Nature, Children when they are first born, they shoote up mightily; take a Child that comes very little out of the Womb, come to it a quarter of a Year after, the Child is shot up a great deal, you may see it a great deal taller, and bigger, every Limb increased, but take it at ten years Old, and it grows not so much then as at the first, and the Reason is, because it coming out of the worm Womb, it could not subsist if Nature did not hasten to strengthen it self at first: so men, when they come to Christ at first, they shoote up and grow to such inlargement of Spirit, and they do so sensibly perceive, Yea, and others do so sensibly perceive a greater growth at their first coming than afterwards, be∣cause when they first come, Christ will Strengthen them against all discouragements, Christ will use you tenderly, Christ will not upbraid you for your former sins, and say, What! you that have lived a prophane life, a pro∣phaner of my ordinances, a scorner at my waies, and at my people, Christ will not upbraid the Soul, but he wil be render of you, he will pass by your sins, and heal your weakness, He will not break the bruised Reed, nor quench the smoaking Flax.