Works of John Bunyan Volume I Part 35

What folly can be greater than to labour for the meat that perisheth, and neglect the food of eternal life?

G.o.d or the world must be neglected at parting time, for then is the time of trial.

To seek yourself in this world is to be lost; and to be humble is to be exalted.

The epicure that delighteth in the dainties of this world, little thinketh that those very creatures will one day witness against him.

OF SUFFERING.

It is not every suffering that makes a martyr, but suffering for the Word of G.o.d after a right manner; that is, not only for righteousness, but for righteousness' sake; not only for truth, but out of love to truth; not only for G.o.d's Word, but according to it: to wit, in that holy, humble, meek manner, as the Word of G.o.d requireth.

It is a rare thing to suffer aright, and to have my spirit in suffering bent only against G.o.d's enemy, sin; sin in doctrine, sin in wors.h.i.+p, sin in life, and sin in conversation.

The devil, nor men of the world, can kill thy righteousness, or love to it but by thy own hand; or separate that and thee asunder without thy own act. Nor will he that doth indeed suffer for the sake of it, or out of love he bears thereto, be tempted to exchange it, for the good will of all the world.

I have often thought that the best of Christians are found in the worst of times. And I have thought again that one reason why we are no better, is because G.o.d purges us no more. Noah and Lot, who so holy as they in the time of their afflictions? And yet who so idle as they in the time of their prosperity?

OF DEATH AND JUDGMENT.

As the devil labours by all means to keep out other things that are good, so to keep out of the heart as much as in him lies, the thoughts of pa.s.sing from this life into another world; for he knows if he can but keep them from the serious thoughts of death, he shall the more easily keep them in their sins.

Nothing will make us more earnest in working out the work of our salvation, than a frequent meditation of mortality; nothing hath greater influence for the taking off our hearts from vanities, and for the begetting in us desires after holiness.

O sinner, what a condition wilt thou fall into when thou departest this world; if thou depart unconverted, thou hadst better have been smothered the first hour thou wast born; thou hadst better have been plucked one limb from another; thou hadst better have been made a dog, a toad, a serpent, than to die unconverted, and this thou wilt find true if thou repent not.

A man would be counted a fool to slight a judge, before whom he is to have a trial of his whole estate.[25] The trial we have before G.o.d is of otherguise importance,[26] it concerns our eternal happiness or misery; and yet dare we affront him?

The only way for us to escape that terrible judgment, is to be often pa.s.sing a sentence of condemnation upon ourselves here. When the sound of the trumpet shall be heard, which shall summon the dead to appear before the tribunal of G.o.d, the righteous shall hasten out of their graves with joy to meet their Redeemer in the clouds; others shall call to the hills and mountains to fall upon them, to cover them from the sight of their Judge; let us therefore in time be posing[27] ourselves which of the two we shall be.

OF THE JOYS OF HEAVEN.

There is no good in this life but what is mingled with some evil; honours perplex, riches disquiet, and pleasures ruin health. But in heaven we shall find blessings in their purity, without any ingredient to embitter, with everything to sweeten them.

O! who is able to conceive the inexpressible, inconceivable joys that are there? None but they who have tasted of them. Lord, help us to put such a value upon them here, that in order to prepare ourselves for them, we may be willing to forego the loss of all those deluding pleasures here.

How will the heavens echo of joy, when the Bride, the Lamb's wife, shall come to dwell with her husband for ever?

Christ is the desire of nations, the joy of angels, the delight of the Father; what solace then must that soul be filled with, that hath the possession of him to all eternity?

O! what acclamations of joy will there be, when all the children of G.o.d shall meet together, without fear of being disturbed by the antichristian and Cainish brood!

Is there not a time coming when the G.o.dly may ask the wicked what profit they have in their pleasure? what comfort in their greatness?

and what fruits in all their labour?

If you would be better satisfied what the beatifical vision means, my request is that you would live holily, and go and see.

OF THE TORMENTS OF h.e.l.l.

Heaven and salvation is not surely more promised to the G.o.dly than h.e.l.l and d.a.m.nation is threatened to, and shall be executed on, the wicked.

When once a man is d.a.m.ned, he may bid adieu to all pleasures.

Oh! who knows the power of G.o.d's wrath? none but d.a.m.ned ones.

Sinners' company are the devil and his angels, tormented in everlasting fire with a curse.

h.e.l.l would be a kind of paradise if it were not worse than the worst of this world.

As different as grief is from joy, as torment from rest, as terror from peace; so different is the state of sinners from that of saints in the world to come.

[Licensed, September 10, 1688.]

FOOTNOTES:

1. The text from which he intended to preach was 'Dost thou believe on the Son of G.o.d?' (John 9:35). From this he intended to show the absolute need of faith in Jesus Christ; and that it was also a thing of the highest concern for men to inquire into, and to ask their own hearts, whether they had it or no. See Preface to his Confession of Faith.--Ed.

2. Justice Wingate.

3. 'Chafe.' See 2 Sam 17:8.--Ed.

4. A right Judas.--Ed.

5. 'How little could Bunyan dream, that from the narrow cell in which he was incarcerated, and cut off apparently from all usefulness, a glory would s.h.i.+ne out, ill.u.s.trating the government and grace of G.o.d, and doing more good to man, than all the prelates of the kingdom put together had accomplished.'--Dr. Cheever.

6. It is easy to say a prayer, but difficult truly to pray. It is not length, not eloquence, that makes prayer. Though there be no more than 'My Father!' if the heart rise with it, that is prayer.

'Prayer is an offering up of our DESIRES unto G.o.d.'--Ed.

7. It is not the spirit of a Christian to persecute any for their religion, but to pity them; and if they will turn, to instruct them.--Ed.

8. The statute under which Bunyan suffered is the 35th Eliz., cap.

1, re-enacted with all its rigour in the 16th Charles II, cap. 4, 1662; 'That if any person, above sixteen years of age, shall forbear coming to church for one month, or persuade any other person to abstain from hearing Divine service, or receiving the communion according to law, or come to any unlawful a.s.sembly, conventicle, or meeting--every such person shall be imprisoned, without bail, until he conform, and do in some church make this open submission following:--I do humbly confess and acknowledge that I have grievously offended G.o.d in contemning his Majesty's G.o.dly and lawful government and authority, by absenting myself from church, and from hearing Divine service, contrary to the G.o.dly laws and statutes of this realm.

And in using and frequenting disordered and unlawful conventicles and a.s.semblies, under pretence and colour of exercise of religion; and I am heartily sorry for the same. And I do promise and protest, that from henceforth I will, from time to time, obey and perform his Majesty's laws and statutes, in repairing to the church and Divine services, and do my uttermost endeavour to maintain and defend the same. And for the third offence he shall be sent to the jail or house of correction, there to remain until the next sessions or a.s.sizes, and then to be indicted; and being thereupon found guilty, the court shall enter judgment of transportation against such offenders, to some of the foreign plantations (Virginia and New England only excepted), there to remain seven years; and warrants shall issue to sequester the profits of their lands, and to distrain and sell their goods to defray the charges of their transportation; and for want of such charges being paid, the sheriff may contract with any master of a s.h.i.+p, or merchant, to transport them; and then such prisoner shall be a servant to the transporter or his a.s.signs; that is, whoever he will sell him or her to, for five years. And if any under such judgment of transportation shall escape, or being transported, return into any part of England, shall SUFFER DEATH as felons, without benefit of clergy.' Notwithstanding this edict, mark well his words on the next leaf, 'Exhorting the people of G.o.d to take heed, and touch not the Common Prayer.' Englishmen, blus.h.!.+

This is now the law of the land we live in. Roman Catholics alone are legally exempted from its cruel operations, by an Act pa.s.sed in 1844. The overruling hand of G.o.d alone saved the pious and holy Bunyan from having been legally murdered.--Ed.

9. The contemptible and mad insurrection to which Mr. Cobb refers, was the pretext for fearful sufferings to the Dissenters throughout the kingdom. It is thus narrated by Bishop Burnet, 1660:--'The king had not been many days at Whitehall, when one Venner, a violent fifth-monarchy man, who thought it was not enough to believe that Christ was to reign on earth, and to put the saints in possession of the kingdom, but added to this that the saints were to take the kingdom themselves. He gathered some of the most furious of the party to a meeting in Coleman Street. There they concerted the day and the manner of their rising, to set Christ on his throne, as they called it. But withal they meant to manage the government in his name, and were so formal that they had prepared standards and colours, with their devices on them, and furnished themselves with very good arms. But when the day came, there was but a small appearance, not exceeding twenty. However, they resolved to venture out into the streets, and cry out, No king but Christ. Some of them seemed persuaded that Christ would come down and head them. They scoured the streets before them, and made a great progress. Some were afraid, and all were amazed at this piece of extravagance.

They killed a great many, but were at last mastered by numbers; and were all either killed or taken and executed.--(Burnet's Own Times, 1660, vol. i. p. 160).--Ed.

10. The third section of 16th Charles II, cap. 4, also enacts, 'That any person above sixteen years old, present at any meeting under pretence of exercise of religion, in other manner than is allowed by the liturgy or practice of the Church of England, where there shall be present five persons or more above those of the household, upon proof thereof made, either by confession of the party, or oath of witness, or notorious evidence of the fact; the offence shall be recorded under the hands of two justices, or the chief magistrate of the place, which shall be a perfect conviction.'--Ed.

11. As Wicliffe wrote in Latin, and his words were of great rarity, it may excite inquiry how poor Bunyan was conversant with is opinions.

This is easily solved. Foxe gives a translation of Wicliffe's doctrines in his Martyrology, the favourite book of Bunyan.--Ed.

12. April 23, 1661.

13. See page 56, and note there.

14. It is very probable that his persecutors knew the heroic spirit of this young woman, and were afraid to proceed to extremities, lest their blood-guiltiness should be known throughout the kingdom, and public execration be excited against them. Such a martyr's blood would indelibly and most foully have stained both them and their families to the latest generation.--Ed.

15. 'Smayed,' an obsolete contraction of 'dismayed.'--Ed.