Works of John Bunyan Volume II Part 178

Be not inclining to injure men behind their backs, speak evil of no man, reproach not the governor nor his actions, as he is set over thee; all his ways are G.o.d's, either for thy help or the trial of thy graces. Wherefore he needs thy prayers, not thy revilings; thy peaceable deportment, and not a troublesome life. I know that none of these things can save thee from being devoured by the mouth of the sons of Belial (1 Kings 21:12,13). Only, what I say is duty, is profitable, is commendable, is necessary; and that which will, when the devil has done his worst, render thee lovely to thy friends, terrible to thine enemies, serviceable in thy place as a Christian, and will crown the remembrance of thy name, to them that survive thee, with a blessing; "The memory of the just is blessed: but the name of the wicked shall rot" (Prov 10:7).

Use Tenth, I will conclude, then, with a word to those professors, if there be any such, that are of an unquiet and troublesome spirit. Friends, I may say to you, as our Lord said once to his disciples, "Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of." To wish the destruction of your enemies doth not become you. If ye be born to, and are called, that you may inherit a blessing, pray be free of your blessing: "Bless, and curse not." If you believe that the G.o.d whom you serve is supreme governor, and is also wise enough to manage affairs in the world for his church, pray keep fingers off, and refrain from doing evil. If the counsel of Gamaliel was good when given to the enemies of G.o.d's people, why not fit to be given to Christians themselves? Therefore refrain from these men, and let them alone. If the work that these men do is that which G.o.d will promote and set up for ever, then you cannot disannul it; if not, G.o.d has appointed the time of its fall.

A Christian! and of a troublesome spirit; for-shame, forbear; show, out of a good conversation, thy works, with meekness of wisdom; and here let me present thee with three or four things.

1. Consider, That though Cain was a very murderer, yet G.o.d forbade any man's meddling with him, under a penalty of revenging his so doing upon his own head sevenfold. "And the Lord said unto him, Therefore, whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold" (Gen 4:15). But why not meddle with Cain, since he was a murderer? The reason is, because he persecuted his brother for righteousness' sake, and so espoused a quarrel against G.o.d; for he that persecutes another for righteousness' sake sets himself against G.o.d, fights against G.o.d, and seeks to overthrow him. Now, such an one the Christian must let alone and stand off from, that G.o.d may have his full blow at him in his time.50 Wherefore he saith to his saints, and to all that are forward to revenge themselves, Give place, stand back, let me come, leave such an one to be handled by me. "Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath; for it is written, Vengeance is mine, I will repay, saith the Lord" (Rom 12:19). Wherefore the Lord set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should slay him. You must not, indeed, you must not avenge yourselves of your enemies. Yea, though it was lawful once so to do, it is not lawful now. Ye have heard that it hath been said to them of old time, Thou shalt love thy neighbour and hate thine enemy; but I say, said our Lord, Love them, bless them, do good to them, and pray for them that hate you (Matt 5:43,44).

2. Consider, Revenge is of the flesh,--I mean this our revenge of ourselves; and it proceeds from anger, wrath, impatience under the cross, unwillingness to suffer, from too much love to carnal ease, to estates, to enjoyments, to relations, and the like. It also flows from a fearful, cowardly spirit; there is nothing of greatness in it, except it be greatness of untowardness. I know there may, for all this, be pretences to justice, to righteousness, to the liberty of the gospel, the suppressing of wickedness, and the promoting of holiness; but these can be but pretences, or, at best, but the fruits of a preposterous zeal. For since, as has been often said in this treatise, the Lord hath forbidden us to do so, it cannot be imagined that he should yet animate any to such a thing by the Holy Ghost and the effects of the graces thereof.

Let them, then, if any such be, that are thus minded, be counted the narrow-spirited, carnal, fleshly, angry, waspish-spirited professors--the professors that know more of the Jewish than of the Christian religion, and that love rather to countenance the motions, pa.s.sions, and gross motions of and angry mind, that with meekness to comply with the will of a heavenly Father. Thou art bid to be like unto him, and also thou art showed wherein (Matt 5:45-48).

There is a man hates G.o.d, blasphemes his name, despises his being; yea, says there is no G.o.d. And yet the G.o.d that he carrieth it thus towards doth give him his breakfast, dinner, and supper; clothes him well, and when night comes, has him to bed, gives him good rest, blesses his field, his corn, his cattle, his children, and raises him to high estate. 51 Yea, and this our G.o.d doth not only once or twice, but until these transgressors become old; his patience is thus extended, years after years, that we might learn of him to do well.

3. Consider, A professor! and unquiet and troublesome, discontented, and seeking to be revenged of thy persecutors; where is, or what kind of grace hast thou got? I dare say, they, even these in which thou thus actest, are none of the graces of the Spirit. The fruits of the Spirit are love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance; against such there is no law; but wrath, strife, seditions, traitors, and inventors of evil things are reckoned with the worst of sins, and sinners, and are plainly called the works of the flesh (Rom 1:29-31; 2 Tim 3:3,4; Gal 5:19-21).

But I say, where is thy love to thine enemy? where is thy joy under the cross? where is thy peace when thine anger has put thee upon being unquiet? Where is thy long-suffering? for, as thou actest, not ought but thy waspishness can be seen. Where, also, is thy sweet, meek, and gentle spirit? and is goodness seen in thy seeking the life or the damage of thy enemy? Away, away; thy graces, if thou hast any, are by these, thy pa.s.sions, so jostled up into corners, and so pent for want of room and liberty to show themselves, that, by the Word of G.o.d, thou canst not be known to be of the right kind, what a noise soever thou makest.

A Christian, when he sees trouble coming upon him, should not fly in the face of the instrument that brings it, but in the face of the cause of its coming. Now the cause is thyself, thy base self, thy sinful self, and thy unworthy carriages towards G.o.d under all the mercy, patience, and long-suffering that G.o.d has bestowed upon thee, and exercised towards thee. Here thou mayest quarrel and be revenged, and spare not, so thou take vengeance in a right way, and then thou wilt do so when thou takest it by G.o.dly sorrow (2 Cor 7:10,11).

A Christian, then, should bewail his own doings, his own unworthy doings, by which he has provoked G.o.d to bring a cloud upon him, and to cover him with it in anger. A Christian should say, This is my wickedness, when a persecutor touches him; yea, he should say it, and then shut up his mouth, and bear the indignation of the Lord, because he has sinned against him. "Thy way and thy doings have procured these things unto thee; this is thy wickedness, because it is bitter, because it reacheth unto thine heart" (Jer 4:18).

4. Consider, What conviction of thy goodness can the actions that flow from such a spirit give unto observers? None at all; yea, a spirit of unquietness under sufferings, and that seeketh to be revenged of those that do, for thy faith and the profession thereof, persecute thee, is so far off of giving conviction to beholders that thou art right, that it plainly tells them that thou art wrong. Even Julian the apostate, when he had cast away whatever he could of Christ, had this remaining with him--that a Christian ought to take with patience what affliction fell upon him for his Master's sake; and would hit them in the teeth with an unbecoming behavior, that complained or that sought redress of them that had abused them for their faith and G.o.dly profession. What will men say if you shrink and winch, and take your sufferings unquietly, but that if you yourselves were uppermost, you would persecute also? Much more have they ground to say so, when you will fight lying on your backs. Be quiet, then, and if thine enemy strike thee on one check, turn to him the other; and if he also revile and curse thee, down upon thy knees and pray for him. This is the way to convince thy observers that thou art a G.o.dly man. Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do, was one of those things that convinced the centurion that Jesus was a righteous man; for he stood by the cross to watch and see how Jesus carried it in these his sufferings, as well as to see execution done (Matt 27:54; Luke 23:34-47).

5. Consider, A professor, unquiet and turbulent under sufferings, and seeking his own revenge, cannot be a victor over what he should, nor a keeper of G.o.d's commandments.

(1.) How can he be a victor over himself that is led up and down by the nose by his own pa.s.sions? There is no man a Christian victor but he that conquers himself, but he that beats down and keeps under this body, his l.u.s.ts, his pa.s.sions, in the first place.

Is he that is led away with divers l.u.s.ts a victor? Is he that is a servant to corruption a victor? And if he that is captivated by his anger, wrath, pa.s.sion, discontent, prejudice, &c., be not led away by them, I am under a mistake. So then, to quarrel with superiors, or with any that are troublesome to thee for thy faith and thy profession, bespeaks thee over-mastered and captive, rather than a master and a conqueror.

(2.) The same may be said upon the second head. He keepeth not the commandments of G.o.d; for those teach him other things, as I have also showed. The great gospel commands terminate in self-denial; but if self-revenge is self-denial, I am besides the Book. Christ, in the book of the Revelation, sets him that keeps the commandments of G.o.d a great way off from him that taketh and smiteth with the sword: "He that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints" (Rev 13:10). That is, in that they forbear to do thus, and quietly suffer under those that thus take it and afflict the G.o.dly with it. Again, "Here is the patience of the saints, here are they that keep the commandments of G.o.d and the faith of Jesus" (14:12). A patient continuing in well-doing; and if suffering for righteousness be well-doing, then a patient continuing in that, as in other things, is the way to keep G.o.d's commandments (Rom 2:7).

So that, I say, he keepeth not G.o.d's commandments that is angry with his enemies, and that seeks to be revenged of him that doth him ill. You know the subject I am upon. "The wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of G.o.d" (James 1:20). Wherefore, professors, beware, and take heed to your spirits, and see that you let not out yourselves under your sufferings in such extravagancies of spirit against your enemies as is no way seemly nor convenient.

6. Consider, Men that are unquiet and discontented, and that seek revenge upon them that persecute them for their profession, do, by so doing, also put themselves upon the brink of those ruins that others are further from. These men are like the fly that cannot let the candle alone until she hath burned herself in the flame.

Magistrates and men in power have fortified themselves from being attacked with turbulent and unruly spirits by many and wholesome laws. And, indeed, should they not do so, one or other, perhaps, would be quickly tempted to seek to disturb them in the due exercise of their authority. Now the angry man, he is the fly that must be tripping and running himself upon the point of these laws; his angry spirit puts him upon quarrelling with his superiors, and his quarrelling brings him, by words spoke in heat, within the reach of the net, and that, with the help of a few more, brings his neck to the halter. Nor is this, whatever men think, but by the just judgment of G.o.d. "Whosoever, therefore, resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of G.o.d; and they that resist shall receive to themselves d.a.m.nation" (Rom 13:2; Esth 2:21-23). Wherefore, let the angry man take heed; let the discontented man take heed. He that has a profession, and has not grace to know, in this matter, to manage it, is like to bring his profession to shame. Wherefore, I say, let such take heed; and the graces afore mentioned, and the due exercise of them, are they and that which can keep us out of all such dangers.

7. Consider, And what comfort can such a man have who has, by his discontent and unruly carriages, brought himself, in this manner, to his end; he has brought himself to shame, his profession to shame, his friends to shame, and his name to contempt and scorn.

Bad men rejoice at his fall; good men cannot own him, weak men stumble at him; besides, his cause will not bear him out; his heart will be clogged with guilt; innocency and boldness will take wings and fly from him. Though he talketh of religion upon the stage52 or ladder, that will blush to hear its name mentioned by them that suffer for evil-doing. Wherefore, my brethren, my friends, my enemies, and all men, what religion, profession, or opinion soever you hold, fear G.o.d, honour the king, and do that duty to both which is required of you by the Word and law of Christ, and then, to say no more, you shall not suffer by the power for evil-doing.

FOOTNOTES:

1 Not equipages to ride, but dainty formalities.--Ed.

2 "A good and harmless conscience"; not as the procuring cause of confidence in G.o.d's tender care of us, but as the strong evidence of our election and regeneration.--Ed.

3 "Bravery"; magnificence or excellence. "Like a stately s.h.i.+p, with all her bravery on, and tackle trim, sails filled," &c.--Samson Agonistes.--Ed.

4 "Bodily pains"; bodily industry or painstaking.--Ed.

5 "Winch"; to wince or kick with impatience. "Shuck"; to shrug up the shoulders, expressive of dislike or aversion.--Ed.

6 "Much"; in a great degree.

7 "Will they, nill they"; nillan, a Saxon word, meaning "not will"

or contrary to the will--whether with or against their will. "Need hath no law; will I, or nill I, it must be done."--Damon and Pathias, 1571.

"If now to man and wife to will and nill The self-same thing, a note of concord be, I know no couple better can agree."--Ben Johnson.--Ed.

8 How little do persecutors imagine that they are mere tools for the devil to work with, whether they are hara.s.sing Christians by taking their goods, or are hunting down their liberties or lives.

All works together for good to the Christian, but for unutterable woe to the persecutor. G.o.d give them repentance.--Ed.

9 Wicked men sell themselves to do the devil's work. How degrading to the dignity of man! Enlisting under a foreign prince to destroy their own nation, and in so doing to destroy themselves. For an account of the atrocities and horrors of this war, read the history of the Waldenses.--Ed.

10 This frequently happened. In Bedford, Nic. Hawkins attended a meeting, and was fined two pounds; but when the harpies went to take away his goods, finding that "they had been removed beforehand, and his house visited with the small pox, the officers declined entering."--Persecution in Bedford, 1670, p. 6.--Ed.

11 "Dispose"; power, disposal. "All that is mine, I leave at thy dispose."--Shakespeare.--Ed.

12 In Ireland, whole provinces were desolated, both by Protestants and Papists, with a ferocity scarcely credible. In England, the state awfully tormented its pious Christian subjects, to whom their Lord's words must have been peculiarly consoling: "Fear not them which kill the body." Did they suffer? How holy were their enjoyments!--Ed.

13 An awful instance occurred soon after the publication of this "Advice." John Child, a Baptist minister, one of Bunyan's friends, to escape persecution, conformed, and became terrified with awful compunction of conscience. His cries were fearful: "I shall go to h.e.l.l"; "I am broken in judgment"; "I am as it were in a flame."

In a fit of desperation he destroyed himself on the 15th October, 1684.--Ed.

14 "What bottom"; what ground or foundation.--Ed.

15 This identical stone is said to be in the chair on which our monarchs are crowned in Westminster Abbey.--Ed.

16 In so unbounded, eternal and magnificent a mansion, well might he exclaim, "This is none other but the house of G.o.d, and this is the gate of heaven." Where G.o.d meets us with his special presence, we ought to meet him with the most humble reverence; remembering his justice and holiness, and our own meanness and vileness.--Ed.

17 The only way of driving sin out of the world is to make known the Saviour. Reader, can you solve Mr. Bunyan's riddle? When fierce persecution rages--when the saints are tormented with burning, hanging, and imprisonment--then, like Stephen, to fix our eyes upon Jesus, and the gates of heaven open to receive us, submitting with patience to the will of G.o.d. This is the way to drive out sin.--Ed.

18 How indescribably blessed is the Christian. It is true that he has to perform his pilgrimage through an enemy's country, beset with snares, pit-falls, and temptations; but in all his buffetings and storms of sorrow, his soul is safe; G.o.d is a wall of fire round about it, and the glory in the midst of it. He will guide us by his counsel, and then receive us to his glory.--Ed.

19 "Looser sort of Christians"; among Christians there are gradations of character. Some are fixed upon the Saviour, and can say, "For me to live is Christ." Such decision ensures safety and happiness; while the looser sort are subject to many sorrows and continual danger. May we press on towards the mark. "Lord, I believe, help thou my unbelief."--Ed.

20 This truth ought to be imprinted on every heart. As the absence of darkness is light, so liberty from the thraldom of sin, and from the slavery of Satan, essentially induces holiness of life.

Thus holiness and liberty are joined together.--Ed.

21 The whole of this beautiful pa.s.sage is worthy our careful study and prayerful obedience. Are we ambitious to govern: be it our honour to rule our own spirits and tongues. Are we for war? let it be levied upon our unruly pa.s.sions. This is laudable ambition.

This is honourable war, producing the peace and happiness of man.

This is real glory to G.o.d and man, the very opposite to those horrors of desolation which gives joy among the devils of h.e.l.l--the burning cities, the garments rolled in blood, the shrieks of the wounded, and the sickening miseries of the widows and orphans of the slain.--Ed.

22 If this was our conduct, how soon should we get rid of our enemies: "for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head." Who would risk such punishment a second time?--Ed.

23 This old proverb is a very striking ill.u.s.tration of the words of Paul: "Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good."--Ed.

24 The saint must be "made meet for the inheritance." If he neglects the means given in the Word, his Father, in mercy, "will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men" (2 Sam 7:14).--Ed.

25 "But if you give sin entrance at the door, It's sting will in, and may come out not more." Bunyan's Caution.