3. The certainty of Christ's welcouie. — Every one who will come to Christ is sure of a welcome. That is the emphatic message of the text. The words used by our Lord are the strongest possible. Sweetly familiar as the music of the English version is, it scarcely represents their double emphasis. Literally they read, " Him that cometh to me I will not, not cast out." That is to say, to use a modern phrase, there is not the slightest fear of his being cast out. A heart burdened with a spiritual need will never be repelled ; a man panting with a spiritual desire may be absolutely certain that when he comes to Christ he will be welcome. " Oh ! " cries Bunyan, " the comfort that I have had from this word *in no wise,' as who should say, by no means, for no thing, whatever he hath done. But Satan would greatly labour to pull this promise from me, telling me that Christ did not mean me. But I should answer him again — Satan, here is, in this word, no such exception, but him that comes, him, any him — ' him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.' " Bunyan was right. The welcome is for all, without any reserve or any exception, or any condition, save that of willingness to come.
1| Of other ten adults at this time admitted, one was specially noteworthy. She was about twenty-five, and the Elders objected
* Cbristina G. Rossetti, Poems, 164.
ST. JOHN VI. z^ 271
because her marriage had not been according to tlie Christian usage on Aniwa. She left us weeping deeply. I was writing late at night in the cool evening air, as was my wont in that oppressive tropical clime, and a knock was heard at my door. I called out —
" Almi era T ' ( = Who is there ?)
A voice softly answered, — " Missi, it is Lamu. Oh, do speak with me ! "
This was the rejected candidate, and I at once opened the door.
" Oh, Missi," she began, " I cannot sleep, I cannot eat ; my soul is in pain. Am I to be shut out from Jesus ? Some of those at the Lord's Table comn^itted murder. They repented, and have been saved. My heart is very bad ; yet I never did any of those crimes of Heathenism ; and I know that it is my joy to try and please my Saviour Jesus. How is it that I only am to be shut out from Jesus ? "
I tried all I could to guide and console her, and she listened to all very eagerly. Then she looked up at me and said —
"Missi, you and the Elders may think it right to keep me back from showing my love to Jesus at the Lord's Table ; but I know here in my heart that Jesus has received me ; and if I were dying now, I know that Jesus would take me to Glory and present me to the Father."
Her look and manner thrilled me. I promised to see the Elders and submit her appeal. But Lamu appeared and pled her own cause before them with convincing effect. She was baptized and admitted along with other nine. And that Communion Day will be long remembered by many souls on Aniwa.^
4. The fulness and freeness of Christ's welcome. — A man may have been guilty of an atrocious sin, too black for mention ; but if he comes to Christ he shall not be cast out. To that atrocious sin he may have added many others, till the condemning list is full and long ; but if he comes to Christ he shall not be cast out. He may have hardened his neck against the remonstrances of prudence, and the entreaties of mercy ; he may have sinned deeply and wilfully ; but if he comes to Christ he shall not be cast out. He may have made himself as black as night, as black as hell ; yet, if he shall come to Christ, the Lord will not cast him out.
^ This is the Charter of Christianity — that there lives no sinner too bad for Jesus to save. A year ago I met a doctor
1 John G. Patau, ii. 282.
272 CHRIST'S DOCTRINE OF ELECTION
possessed of far more than ordinary gifts in dealing with one of our most fatal diseases. From all parts of the country men and women whose lives have been despaired of by their own physicians have journeyed to this man's consulting-room, and have placed their last hope of recovery in his mysterious powers. And he described to me the pathos of his work. For again and again he lias to face a body of anxious patients who are waiting from his lips their sentence of life or of death ; and, while he is able to restore many to perfect health, he knows that he will find others for whom he can do nothing. Such is the lot of every physician hut One. There is One to whom no case is hopeless ; who never yet sent patient away unhealed. " Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out." ^