Come and Welcome to Jesus Christ

John Bunyan wrote this evangelistic treatise in 1678, two years before his death, drawing from his decades of pastoral experience with souls wrestling over their spiritual condition. The work emerged from Bunyan's observation that many sincere seekers felt themselves unworthy to approach Christ, paralyzed by doubt about whether they possessed sufficient faith or had committed unpardonable sins. Written during a period when Bunyan enjoyed relative freedom from imprisonment, the treatise represents his mature reflection on the central promise of the gospel.

Bunyan builds his entire argument around Christ's words in John 6:37: "All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out." He systematically dismantles every objection that might prevent someone from coming to Christ, addressing fears about personal unworthiness, the magnitude of past sins, weakness of faith, and timing. Bunyan argues that the invitation itself creates the capacity to respond, that Christ's promise is absolute and unconditional, and that any soul who desires to come is already being drawn by the Father. He distinguishes between different types of coming—some drawn by terror, others by love, some gradually, others suddenly—but insists that all genuine approaches are welcomed equally. The treatise methodically answers dozens of specific doubts and objections, creating what amounts to a comprehensive manual for pastoral counseling of troubled consciences.

The work became one of Bunyan's most widely distributed writings after The Pilgrim's Progress, valued across denominational lines for its pastoral wisdom and psychological insight into religious experience. Spurgeon called it the best book ever written on evangelism, and it influenced generations of pastors and evangelists who found in it both theological precision and deep compassion for struggling souls.

Who should read this: Pastors and counselors working with people paralyzed by religious doubt will find this indispensable, as will anyone struggling with assurance of salvation or feelings of unworthiness before God. Those seeking academic theology rather than pastoral application should look elsewhere.