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JESUS CHRIST:

OR, A

PLAIN AND PROFITABLE

DISCOURSE

ON JOHN vi. 37.

SHEWING,

The Cause, Truth, and Manner of the Comin
of a Sinner to JESUS CHRIST; with his,
happy Reception, and blessed Entertain-

ment.

To which is added,

The One Thing is Needful; or, Serious Meditations
upon the Four last Things;

DEATH, JUDGMENT, HEAVEN AND HELL.

BY JOHN BUNYAN,

Author of the Pilgrim's Progress.

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.

BIBL

ΤΟ

JESUS CHRIST.

JOHN vi. 37. All that the Father giveth me fhall 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 Jefus walked on the fea to go to Capernaum, having fent his difciples before in a fhip, but the wind was contrary; by which means the hip 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 Jefus fhews himself to them in a wonderful manner; the which fometimes they can as fittle bear, as they can the things that were before terrible to them. They were afraid of the wind and water; they were also afraid of their Lord and Saviour, when he appeared to them in that state.

But he faid, "Be not afraid, it is I."
A

Note, That the end of the appearing of the Lord Jefus unto his people, (although the manner of his appearance be ever fo terrible,) is to allay their fears and perplexities.

Then they received him into the fhip, and immediately the fhip was at land whether it

went.

Note, When Chrift is abfent from his people, they go on but flowly, and with great difficulty; but when he joins himself unto them, Oh how faft they fteer their courfe! how foon are they at their journey's end!

The people now among whom he last preached, when they faw that both Jefus was gone and his disciples, they alfo took shipping, and came to Capernaum, fecking for Jefus. And when they had found him, they wonder. ing, afked him, Rabbi, when cameft thou hither? But the Lord Jefus flighting their compliment, answered, "Verily, verily, ye feek me, not because ye faw the miracles, but becaufe 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 Christ.

Note again, They are not feigning compliments but gracious intentions, that crown the work in the eye of Chrift; or thus, it is not the toil and bufinefs of profeffors, but their love to him, that makes him approve of them.

Note again, When men fhall look for friend

ly entertainment at Chrift's hand, (if their hearts be rotten,) even then will they meet with a check and rebuke. "Ye feek me, not because ye faw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled."

Yet obferve again, He doth not refufe to give, even to thefe, good counfel: 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 difcourfe with and about this people, and it is uttered by the Lord Jefus, as the conclufion of the whole, intimateth, that fince they were profeffors in pretence only, and therefore fuch as his foul could not delight in, as fuch, that he would content himself with a remnant that his Father had bestowed upon him. As who fhould fay, "I am not like to be honoured in your falvation; but the Father hath bestowed upon me a people, and they fhall come to me in truth, and in them will I be fatisfied." The text before may be called Chrift's repofe; in the fulfilling whereof he refteth himfelf content, after much labour and many fermons fpent, as it were, in vain. As he faith by the prophet, "I have laboured in vain, I have fpent my ftrength 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

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