A Bunch of Everlastings--John Bunyan

A friend recently recommended, for my reading pleasure, F.W. Boreham's A Bunch of Everlastings, which is a small book that talks about the favorite Bible texts of many different men in history. Often the texts Boreham presents were the ones that led the particular individual to a saving faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Sometimes he cites a text that led that individual to an assurance of faith.

This morning I was reading through the chapter on John Bunyan, where Boreham says this:

"Bunyan felt that he was a blot upon the face of the universe. He envied the toads in the grass by the side of the road, and the crows that cawed in the ploughed lands by which he passed. They, he thought, could never know such misery as that which bowed him down."

Then, to show this, he cites Bunyan's own words:

"I walked to a neighboring town, and sat down upon a settle in the street, and fell into a very deep pause about the most fearful state my sin had brought me to; and, after long musing, I lifted up my head; but methought I saw as if the sun that shineth in the heavens did grudge to give me light; and as if the very stones in the street, and tiles upon the houses, did band themselves against me. Methought that they all combined together to banish me out of the world. I was abhorred of them, and unfit to dwell among them, because I had sinned against the Saviour. Oh, how happy now was every creature over me, for they stood fast and kept their station. But I was gone and lost!"

And, then, Boreham continues: "It was whilst he was thus lamenting his hopeless condition that the light broke. 'This scripture,' [Bunyan] says, 'did most sweetly visit my soul: "and him that cometh to Me, I will in no wise cast out." O, what did I now see in that blessed sixth [chapter] of John! O, the comfort that I had from this word!'"

Boreham goes on to say that in John 6:37, Bunyan saw:

1. The "infinite approachability of Jesus,...that it is possible for the most unworthy to go direct to the fountain of grace."

2. The "infinite catholicity [or, universality] of Jesus" to receive and, thus, not cast out, ALL who come to Him in faith. We do not have to earn the right to come to Him. No one is excepted. No matter what we have done; no matter who we are; no matter where we come from; ALL who come to Him in faith will be received and will not be cast out!

3. The "infinite reliability of Jesus," that Jesus WILL NOT cast out those who come to Him in faith.

What a glorious text! We do not have to earn the right to come to Christ. No one is excepted. No matter what we have done; no matter how great a sinner we are; no matter who we are; no matter where we come from; ALL who turn to Him in faith WILL BE received and not be cast out!

It's no wonder that Bunyan was recorded as saying: "That was a good night to me; I have had but few better. Christ was a precious Christ to my soul that night; I could scarce lie in my bed for joy and grace and triumph!"