George Hutcheson
40 And ye will not come to me, that ye may have life.
Unto these testimonies Christ subjoyneth very sad chalenges and reproofs of this people: And first, he challengeth them for their wilful unbelief; And that albeit John, his works, the Father and the Scriptures which they pretended to esteeme of, did prove what he was, and point him out as the Author of that life, which they professed to seek, verse 39. Yet such was their obstinacie, as they would not come to him, nor beleeve in him. Whence learn, 1. That which God offers in Christ to lost sinners, is that which onely deserveth the name of life, in grace here, and glory hereafter, as being the true remedy of our spiritual death, and without which our life on earth is scarce worthy the name; Therefore it is called life. 2. Men may be so farre deluded, as to conceit they will get life, when yet they neglect the meanes of life; for, these Jewes thought to have eternal life, verse 39. and yet they take not the right way to it. 3. The life of lost sinners is onely to be found in Christ, who is the purchaser, storehouse, keeper and dispenser thereof, the Mediatour of the Covenant, and the mid-man betwixt God and sinners; for, so is here held out, they must come to me, saith he, eate they live. 4. The way how sinners come to partake of this life, is, by their coming to Christ by faith: And whoever they are that have a pressing need of Christ, and whatever discouragements they finde, cannot bide away from him, and who, whatever distance they are at, yet are moving toward him, though with a slow progresse, and are still seeking more enjoyment, whatever they have; These are true beleevers, and will not misse of life, but their soul shall be kept in life, till they come to live with him for ever; for the condition required, is, to come to Christ, which is in effect to beleeve, as is expounded, chap. 6.33 and upon this it is imported that they shall have life. 5. Albeit life be to be found onely in Christ, yet few make use of him for that end, but most part being ignorant of themselves, and of him, conceiting of their own welbeing, or to get life some other way; being taken up with earthly things; given up to judicial obduration: or not pleasing the tearmes of getting life by renouncing their own righteousnesse and pleasures; Most part, I say, being thus prejudged, do neglect this offered salvation: for, so is chalenged, yee will not come to me. 6. The great obstruction of faith, and aggravation of unbelief, is mens wilfulnesse in not coming to Christ; Some will not come and beleeve in him, out of their malice and obstinacie, as many of these Jewes would not come to him, though he proved never so clearly what he was. Others are plagued with brutish sensuality; And they who think they would come, but apprehend reasons why they dare not, will finde that, will not, is the great impediment, and that they do not beleeve, because they are not willing to be stript of themselves, as faith in Christ requireth they should be, Rom. 10.3. Otherwise there is no impediment lieth in the comers way, but love removeth it; he will welcome them who have refused many invitations, have wandred farre, fallen into grosse sinnes, played the harlot with many lovers, &c. provided they will come to him, to seek grace to repent for, and amend them; Yea, the dead may come to him to get life, if they resolve not that they will not; and they who have some weake desire, may come to him to get willingnesse; Therefore, the chalenge is, ye will not come, which in many of them was obstinacie upon grounds of malice, and brutish stupidity, and most part of unbeleevers are guilty of it in some degree, upon other grounds. See Psalme 81.11. Revel. 22.17. 7. Christ will chalenge mens not embracing his offer and invitation, to come and get life, especially when there is much of will in it. The contempt of his offer is a great indignity, and will condemne men; his peoples unbelief is a sin, to be avoided at his command, under paine of his displeasure; his love will make a quarrel of it, that we should be straitned in our own bowels, when there are bowels of affection in him to be let forth; and, he is really offended at that pride (though masked with a shew of humility) which makes that the self-condemned sinner will not embrace him upon Gospel termes; for, it is a chalenge here, ye will not come, &c. So that it is our great advantage to be mourning for the unbelief we finde in us, and when our unbelief is our burden.
