John 6:37

THE GOLDEN PROMISE

‘Him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out.’

John 6:37

When a penitent sinner ventures to come to the Lord, he is so keenly alive to his condition that a word, a look, would drive him back. This promise, then, is just the strong consolation he wants. It sweeps away every objection and every fear, clears the path for his return, and clasps him at once in the embrace of the Father’s love.

I. To some, no doubt, this is a kind of encouragement which you want most.—You feel your need of peace with God. You are convinced that there is mercy for you only through Christ; but this is your abiding fear, that somehow you will not be received. Be assured henceforth that there can be no such thing as refusal. There is nothing which you can construe into a refusal. No soul in this world, or the next, can ever rise up and say that he came according to the Lord’s word, but was cast out. Jairus came, Mary Magdalene came, the woman of Canaan came, and they were not cast out—nay, some He received before they asked, to show how tenderly willing He was to receive sinners. The widow of Nain did not even speak, and yet He knew and granted her heart’s desire. The sisters of Lazarus did not ask for such a thing, and yet He gave them their brother restored to life. He might have appealed to the whole Jewish people and said, Which of you, coming to Me, have I once cast out? A silent nation would have attested His readiness to save. And since then, what multitudes has He saved! Whenever His Gospel is fully addressed to the conscience, and Jesus is exalted, then sinners are drawn to Him. Inquirers who are awakened to feel their soul’s peril, often begin to fear that they shall not be received. Such fears are utterly groundless. Cast them away, then, and come. There is nothing to forbid your finding the mercy which myriads have found already. Do not object that you are not penitent enough, or that, somehow, you do not come in the right way. Very likely, for all you do is faulty. But how are you to come in the right way? Away with your objections. Let the Lord Himself be your teacher. Put His promise to the trial. Come, and commit your eternal interests into His hands. Come, and plead His promise, ‘Lord, here I come, I see ten thousand reasons why I may be cast out, if I were cast out, I would still honour Thy righteous dealing; I deserve to be cast to the uttermost destruction, but I hear that Thou art rich in mercy; I listen to Thy gracious invitation, and here I am come; if I perish, I perish!’ Is that your history? Then do you think, after what has been said, are you to be the very first that shall not be received? Can you think that after ages of mercy, and myriads of sinners saved, He will now cast out you?

II. Some have come already, and can testify to the truth of the promise.—Perhaps many years have passed away since He received you. And now, on reviewing life, marked with countless mercies, this stands prominently forward as the greatest mercy of all—that He drew you to Him, and then, when you came with feeble and tottering steps, He met you with a smile of love, and blotted out all your sins by instantaneous forgiveness. Then what return are you making? Where is your gratitude? Where is your obedience? Where is your constraining sense of the mercies of God? Are you presenting your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable, which is your reasonable service? If you have much forgiveness, are you loving much?

III. But some to whom I am speaking have not come at all.—To you I have again to publish the invitation of a willing Lord. Did I say willing? Yes, He is willing. How willing, none can tell! So willing that, with infinite welcome, He would receive every returning sinner who would only come. Remember His tender appeal to Jerusalem, mixed with His very tears, ‘How often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!’ Was not He willing then? Yea, but He is more than willing. He has commanded His servants to go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that His house may be filled. ‘Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.’ Perhaps some are saying, ‘Lord, I will come!’ and another, ‘I will come!’ Methinks I hear His voice again breaking His long silence, ‘Him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out.’ Would that it were echoed in every nation and every tongue throughout the world, ‘Him that cometh to Jesus, He will in no wise cast out.’

IV. But will He always say so?—Ah! the day is coming, fast coming—will soon be here—when He will cast out! Whom? Those who neglected His salvation, those who would not come to Him that they might have life, those who made light of His messages, those who put off the claims of the soul, and thought little of the realities of eternity. Against them the door will be shut. They come, indeed, but come too late, and it will never be opened. But now the door is open, wide open, open to receive you. The Master of the house waits to be gracious. His patience is almost gone, the space for repentance almost spent, He may soon shut the door, and if once shut against you, it will be shut for ever!

Rev. W. B. Mackenzie.

Illustration

‘Nearly the last words that Henry Bazely, “the Oxford Evangelist” said, were: “ ‘Him that cometh unto Me, I will in no wise cast out; and, Lord, I have come.” ’