“A full Christ is thy Christ” by John Bunyan

“Coming sinner, I have now a word for thee; be of good comfort, ‘He will in no wise cast out.’ Of all men, thou art the blessed of the Lord; the Father hath prepared His Son to be a sacrifice for thee, and Jesus Christ, thy Lord, is gone to prepare a place for thee (John 1:29; Heb 10). What shall I say to thee?

Thou comest to a full Christ. Thou canst not want anything for soul or body, for this world or that to come, but it is to be had in or by Jesus Christ. As it is said of the land that the Danites went to possess, so, and with much more truth, it may be said of Christ; He is such an one with whom there is no want of any good thing that is in heaven or earth. A full Christ is thy Christ.

He is full of grace. Grace is sometimes taken for love; never any loved like Jesus Christ. The love of Christ passes knowledge. It is beyond the love of all the earth, of all creatures, even of men and angels.

His love prevailed with Him to lay aside His glory, to leave the heavenly place, to clothe Himself with flesh, to be born in a stable, to be laid in a manger, to live a poor life in the world, to take upon Him our sicknesses, infirmities, sins, curse, death, and the wrath that was due to man.

And all this he did for a base, undeserving, unthankful people; yea, for a people that was at enmity with Him. ‘For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth His love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more, then, being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life’ (Rom 5:6-10).

He is full of truth. Full of grace and truth. Truth, that is, faithfulness in keeping promise, even this of the text, with all other, ‘I will in no wise cast out’ (John 14:6). Hence it is said, that His words be true, and that He is the faithful God, that keepeth covenant.

And hence it is also that his promises are called truth: ‘Thou wilt fulfil thy truth unto Jacob, and thy mercy unto Abraham, which thou hast sworn unto our fathers from the days of old.’ Therefore it is said again, that both Himself and words are truth: ‘I am the truth, the Scripture of truth’ (Dan 10:21).

‘Thy word is truth,’ (John 17:17; 2 Sam 7:28); ‘thy law is truth,’ (Psa 119:142); and ‘my mouth,’ saith He, ‘shall speak truth,’ (Prov 8:7); see also Ecclesiastes 12:10, Isaiah 25:1, Malachi 2:6, Acts 26:25, 2 Timothy 2:12,13. Now, I say, His word is truth, and He is full of truth to fulfil His truth, even to a thousand generations. Coming sinner, He will not deceive thee; come boldly to Jesus Christ.

He is full of wisdom. He is made unto us of God wisdom; wisdom to manage the affairs of His church in general, and the affairs of every coming sinner in particular. And upon this account He is said to be ‘head over all things,’ (1 Cor 1; Eph 1), because He manages all things that are in the world by His wisdom, for the good of His church.

All men’s actions, all Satan’s temptations, all God’s providences, all crosses, and disappointments; all things whatever are under the hand of Christ -who is the wisdom of God -and He ordereth them all for good to His church. And can Christ help it -and be sure he can -nothing shall happen or fall out in the world, but it shall, in despite of all opposition, have a good tendency to His church and people.

He is a storehouse full of all the graces of the Spirit. ‘Of his fullness have all we received, and grace for grace’ (John 1:16). Here is more faith, more love, more sincerity, more humility, more of every grace; and of this, even more of this, He giveth to every lowly, humble, penitent coming sinner. Wherefore, coming soul, thou comest not to a barren wilderness when thou comest to Jesus Christ.

He is full of compassion: and they shall feel and find it so that come to Him for life. He can bear with thy weaknesses, He can pity thy ignorance, He can be touched with the feeling of thy infirmities, He can affectionately forgive thy transgressions, He can heal thy backslidings, and love thee freely.

His compassions fail not; ‘and He will not break a bruised reed, nor quench the smoking flax; He can pity them that no eye pities, and be afflicted in all thy afflictions’ (Matt 26:41; Heb 5:2; 2:18; Matt 9:2; Hosea 14:4; Eze 16:5,6; Isa 63:9; Psa 78:38; 86:15; 111:4; 112:4; Lam 3:22; Isa 42:3).

Coming soul, the Jesus that thou art coming to, is full of might and terribleness for thy advantage; He can suppress all thine enemies; He is the Prince of the kings of the earth; He can bow all men’s designs for thy help; He can break all snares laid for thee in the way; He can lift thee out of all difficulties wherewith thou mayest be surrounded; He is wise in heart, and mighty in power.

Every life under heaven is in His hand; yea, the fallen angels tremble before Him. And He will save thy life, coming sinner (1 Cor 1:24; Rom 8:28; Matt 28:18; Rev 4; Psa 19:3; 27:5,6; Job 9:4; John 17:2; Matt 8:29; Luke 8:28; James 2:19).

Coming sinner, the Jesus to whom thou art coming is lowly in heart. He despiseth not any. It is not thy outward meanness, nor thy inward weakness; it is not because thou art poor, or base, or deformed, or a fool, that He will despise thee: He hath chosen the foolish, the base, and despised things of this world, to confound the wise and mighty.

He will bow His ear to thy stammering prayers. He will pick out the meaning of thy inexpressible groans. He will respect thy weakest offering, if there be in it but thy heart (Matt 11:20; Luke 14:21; Prov 9:4-6; Isa 38:14,15; Song 5:15; John 4:27; Mark 12:33,34; James 5:11).

Now, coming sinner, is not this a blessed Christ? Will you not do well to embrace Him?”

–John Bunyan, Come and Welcome to Jesus Christ (Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth, 1681/2011), 214-218.