p. 243 | Every one of You

Publishing Committee · Rochester, N. Y. · Jun 12, 1855

'Every one of You.'

To show the unfettered freeness of the gospel invitation, Bunyan has the following impressive passage, which, for graphic power, is, perhaps, unequalled in the English tongue:

'But we will return to the first sermon that was preached to these Jerusalem sinners, by which will be manifested more than great grace, if it be duly considered. For after that Peter, and the rest of the apostles had, in their exhortation, persuaded these wretches to believe that they had killed the Prince of life, and after they had duly fallen under the guilt of their murder, saying, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” he replies, by a universal tender to them all in general, considering them as Christ's killers; that if they were sorry for what they had done, and would be baptized for the remission of their sins in his name, they should receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. This he said to them all, though he knew they were such sinners. Yes, he said it without the least stick or stop, or pause of spirit, as to whether he had best say so or no. Nay, so far off was Peter from making an objection against one of them, that by a peculiar clause in his exhortation, he endeavors that not one of them may escape the salvation offered. “Repent and be baptized, every one of you,”—shut out never a one of you, for I am commanded by my Lord to deal with you, as it were, one by one, by the word of his salvation.’ But why speaks he so particularly? Oh! there were reasons for it. The people with whom the apostles were now to deal, as they were murderers of our Lord, and to be charged in the general with his blood, so they had their various acts of villainy in the guilt thereof, now lying upon their consciences. And the guilt of these their various and particular acts of wickedness, could not perhaps, be reached to a removal thereof, but by this particular application. Repent, every one of you; be baptized, every one of you, in His name, for the remission of sins, and you shall, every one of you, receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

‘Objection.—But I was one of them that had plotted to take away his life. May I be saved by him?’

‘Peter.—Every one of you.’

‘O.—But I was one of them that cried out, Crucify Him! and desired that Barrabas, the murderer, might live rather than he. What will become of me, think you?’

‘P.—I am to preach repentance and remission of sins to every one of you,’ says Peter.

‘O.—But I was one of them that did spit in his face when he stood before his accusers. I was also one that mocked him, when in anguish he hanged bleeding on the tree. Is there room for me?’

‘P.—For every one of you,’ says Peter.

‘O.—But I was one of them that in his extremity said, give him gall and vinegar to drink. Why may not I expect the same when guilt and anguish is upon me?’

‘P.—Repent of these your wickednesses, and here is remission of sins for every one of you.’

‘O.—But I railed on him, I reviled him, I hated him, I rejoiced to see him mocked at by others. Can there be hope for me?’

‘P.—There is for every one of you. Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost!’

‘Oh! what a blessed “every one of you,” is here! How willing was Peter, and the Lord Jesus, by his ministry, to catch these murderers with the word of the gospel, that they might be made monuments of the grace of God! How unwilling, I say, was he, that any of these should escape the hand of mercy? Yea, what an amazing wonder it is to think, that above all the world, and everybody in it, these should have the first offer of mercy! “Beginning at Jerusalem.”’