the life of john bunyan-第11部分

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not　walking　after　your　own　lusts；　I　say　that　whatsoever　man　do　make

a　religion　out　of；　having　no　warrant　for　it　in　Scripture；　is　but

walking　after　their　own　lusts；　and　not　after　the　Spirit　of　God。〃

Burrough　had　most　unwarrantably　stigmatized　Bunyan　as　one　of　〃the

false　prophets；　who　love　the　wages　of　unrighteousness；　and　through

covetousness　make　merchandise　of　souls。〃　　Bunyan　calmly　replies；

〃Friend；　dost　thou　speak　this　as　from　thy　own　knowledge；　or　did　any

other　tell　thee　so？　　However　that　spirit　that　led　thee　out　this　way

is　a　lying　spirit。　　For　though　I　be　poor　and　of　no　repute　in　the

world　as　to　outward　things；　yet　through　grace　I　have　learned　by　the

example　of　the　Apostle　to　preach　the　truth；　and　also　to　work　with

my　hands　both　for　mine　own　living；　and　for　those　that　are　with　me；

when　I　have　opportunity。　　And　I　trust　that　the　Lord　Jesus　who　bath

helped　me　to　reject　the　wages　of　unrighteousness　hitherto；　will

also　help　me　still　so　that　I　shall　distribute　that　which　God　hath

given　me　freely；　and　not　for　filthy　lucre's　sake。〃　　The

fruitfulness　of　his　ministry　which　Burrough　had　called　in　question；

charging　him　with　having　〃run　before　he　was　sent；〃　he　refuses　to

discuss。　　Bunyan　says；　〃I　shall　leave　it　to　be　taken　notice　of　by

the　people　of　God　and　the　country　where　I　dwell；　who　will　testify

the　contrary　for　me；　setting　aside　the　carnal　ministry　with　their

retinue　who　are　so　mad　against　me　as　thyself。〃



In　his　third　book；　published　in　1658；　at　〃the　King's　Head；　in　the

Old　Bailey；〃　a　few　days　before　Oliver　Cromwell's　death；　Bunyan　left

the　thorny　domain　of　polemics；　for　that　of　Christian　exhortation；

in　which　his　chief　work　was　to　be　done。　　This　work　was　an

exposition　of　the　parable　of　〃the　Rich　Man　and　Lazarus；〃　bearing

the　horror…striking　title；　〃A　Few　Sighs　from　Hell；　or　the　Groans　of

a　Damned　Soul。〃　　In　this　work；　as　its　title　would　suggest；　Bunyan；

accepting　the　literal　accuracy　of　the　parable　as　a　description　of

the　realities　of　the　world　beyond　the　grave；　gives　full　scope　to

his　vivid　imagination　in　portraying　the　condition　of　the　lost。　　It

contains　some　touches　of　racy　humour；　especially　in　the　similes；

and　is　written　in　the　nervous　homespun　English　of　which　he　was

master。　　Its　popularity　is　shown　by　its　having　gone　through　nine

editions　in　the　author's　lifetime。　　To　take　an　example　or　two　of

its　style：　　dealing　with　the　excuses　people　make　for　not　hearing

the　Gospel；　〃O；　saith　one；　I　dare　not　for　my　master；　my　brother；　my

landlord；　I　shall　lose　his　favour；　his　house　of　work；　and　so　decay

my　calling。　　O；　saith　another；　I　would　willingly　go　in　this　way　but

for　my　father；　he　chides　me　and　tells　me　he　will　not　stand　my

friend　when　I　come　to　want；　I　shall　never　enjoy　a　pennyworth　of　his

goods；　he　will　disinherit　me　…　And　I　dare　not；　saith　another；　for

my　husband；　for　he　will　be　a…railing；　and　tells　me　he　will　turn　me

out　of　doors；　he　will　beat　me　and　cut　off　my　legs；〃　and　then

turning　from　the　hindered　to　the　hinderers：　　〃Oh；　what　red　lines

will　there　be　against　all　those　rich　ungodly　landlords　that　so　keep

under　their　poor　tenants　that　they　dare　not　go　out　to　hear　the　word

for　fear　that　their　rent　should　be　raised　or　they　turned　out　of

their　houses。　　Think　on　this；　you　drunken　proud　rich；　and　scornful

landlords；　think　on　this；　you　madbrained　blasphemous　husbands；　that

are　against　the　godly　and　chaste　conversation　of　your　wives；　also

you　that　hold　your　servants　so　hard　to　it　that　you　will　not　spare

them　time　to　hear　the　Word；　unless　it　will　be　where　and　when　your

lusts　will　let　you。〃　　He　bids　the　ungodly　consider　that　〃the

profits；　pleasures；　and　vanities　of　the　world〃　will　one　day　〃give

thee　the　slip；　and　leave　thee　in　the　sands　and　the　brambles　of　all

that　thou　hast　done。〃　　The　careless　man　lies　〃like　the　smith's　dog

at　the　foot　of　the　anvil；　though　the　fire　sparks　flee　in　his　face。〃

The　rich　man　remembers　how　he　once　despised　Lazarus；　〃scrubbed

beggarly　Lazarus。　　What；　shall　I　dishonour　my　fair　sumptuous　and

gay　house　with　such　a　scabbed　creephedge　as　he？　　The　Lazaruses　are

not　allowed　to　warn　them　of　the　wrath　to　come；　because　they　are　not

gentlemen；　because　they　cannot　with　Pontius　Pilate　speak　Hebrew；

Greek；　and　Latin。　　Nay；　they　must　not；　shall　not；　speak　to　them；

and　all　because　of　this。〃



The　fourth　production　of　Bunyan's　pen；　his　last　book　before　his

twelve　years　of　prison　life　began；　is　entitled；　〃The　Doctrine　of

Law　and　Grace　Unfolded。〃　　With　a　somewhat　overstrained　humility

which　is　hardly　worthy　of　him；　he　describes　himself　in　the　title…

page　as　〃that　poor　contemptible　creature　John　Bunyan；　of　Bedford。〃

It　was　given　to　the　world　in　May；　1659；　and　issued　from　the　same

press　in　the　Old　Bailey　as　his　last　work。　　It　cannot　be　said　that

this　is　one　of　Bunyan's　most　attractive　writings。　　It　is　as　he

describes　it；　〃a　parcel　of　plain　yet　sound；　true；　and　home

sayings；〃　in　which　with　that　clearness　of　thought　and　accuracy　of

arrangement　which　belongs　to　him；　and　that　marvellous　acquaintance

with　Scripture　language　which　he　had　gained　by　his　constant　study

of　the　Bible；　he　sets　forth　the　two　covenants　…　the　covenant　of

works；　and　the　covenant　of　Grace　…　〃in　their　natures；　ends；　bounds；

together　with　the　state　and　condition　of　them　that　are　under　the

one；　and　of　them　that　are　under　the　other。〃　　Dr。　Brown　describes

the　book　as　〃marked　by　a　firm　grasp　of　faith　and　a　strong　view　of

the　reality　of　Christ's　person　and　work　as　the　one　Priest　and

Mediator　for　a　sinful　world。〃　　To　quote　a　passage；　〃Is　there

righteousness　in　Christ？　that　is　mine。　　Is　there　perfection　in　that

righteousness？　that　is　mine。　　Did　He　bleed　for　sin？　　It　was　for

mine。　　Hath　He　overcome　the　law；　the　devil；　and　hell？　　The　victory

is　mine；　and　I　am　come　forth　conqueror；　nay；　more　than　a　conqueror

through　Him　that　hath　loved　me。　。　。　Lord；　show　me　continually　in

the　light　of　Thy　Spirit；　through　Thy　word；　that　Jesus　that　was　born

in　the　days　of　Caesar　Augustus；　when　Mary；　a　daughter　of　Judah；

went　with　Joseph　to　be　taxed　in　Bethlehem；　that　He　is　the　very

Christ。　　Let　me　not　rest　contented　without　such　a　faith　that　is　so

wrought　even　by　the　discovery　of　His　Birth；　Crucifying　Death；

Blood；　Resurrection；　Ascension；　and　Second　…　which　is　His　Personal

…　Coming　again；　that　the　very　faith　of　it　may　fill　my　soul　with

comfort　and　holiness。〃　　Up　and　down　its　pages　we　meet　with　vivid

reminiscences　of　his　own　career；　of　which　he　can　only　speak　with

wonder　and　thankfulness。　　In　the　〃Epistle　to　the　Reader；〃　which

introduces　it；　occurs　the　passage　already　referred　to　describing

his　education。　　〃I　never　went　to　school　to　Aristotle　or　Plato；　but

was　brought　up　at　my　father's　house　in　a　very　mean　condition；　among

a　company　of　poor　countrymen。〃　　Of　his　own　religious　state　before

his　conversion　he　thus　speaks：　　〃When　it　pleased　the　Lord　to　begin

to　instruct　my　soul；　He　found　me　one　of　the　black　sinners　of　the

world。　　He　found　me　making　a　sport　of　oaths；　and　also　of　lies；　and

many　a　soul…poisoning　meal　did　I　make　out　of　divers　lusts；　such　as

drinking；　dancing；　playing；　pleasure　with　the　wicked　ones　of　the

world；　and　so　wedded　was　I　to　my　sins；　that　thought　I　to　myself；　'I

will　have　them　though　I　lose　my　soul。'〃　　And　then；　after　narrating

the　struggles　he　had　had　with　his　conscience；　the　alternations　of

hope　and　fear　which　he　passed　through；　which　are　more　fully

described　in　his　〃Grace　Abounding；〃　he　thus　vividly　depicts　the

full　assurance　of　faith　he　had　attained　to：　　〃I　saw　through　grace

that　it　was　the　Blood　shed　on　Mount　Calvary　that　did　save　and

redeem　sinners；　as　clearly　and　as　really　with　the　eyes　of　my　soul

as　ever；　methought；　I　had　seen　a　penny　loaf　bought　with　a　penny。　。

。　O　let　the　saints　know　that　unless　the　devil　can　pluck　Christ　out

of　heaven　he　cannot　pull　a　true　believer　out　of　Christ。〃　　In　a

striking　passage　he　shows　how；　by　turning　Satan's　temptations

against　himself；　Christians　may　〃Get　the　art　as　to　outrun　him　in

his　own　shoes；　and　make　his　own　darts　pierce　himself。〃　　〃What！

didst　thou　never　learn　to　outshoot　the　devil　in　his　own　bow；　and

cut　off　his　head　with　his　own　sword　as　David　served　Goliath？〃　　The

whole　treatise　is　somewhat　wearisome；　but　the　pious　reader　will

find　much　in　it　for　spiritual　edification。







CHAPTER　IV。







We　cannot　doubt　that　one　in　whom　loyalty　was　so　deep　and　fixed　a

principle　as　Bunyan；　would　welcome　with　sincere　thankfulness　the

termination　of　the　miserable　interval　of　anarchy　which　followed　the

death　of　the　Protector　and　the　abdication　of　his　indolent　and

feeble　son；　by　the　restoration　of　monarchy　in　the　person　of　Charles

the　Second。　　Even　if　some　forebodings　might　have　arisen　that　with

the　restoration　of　the　old　monarchy　the　old　persecuting　laws　might

be　revived；　which　made　it　criminal　for　a　man　to　think　for　himself

in　the　matters　which　most　nearly　concerned　his　eternal　interests；

and　to　worship　in　the　way　which　he　found　most　helpful　to　his

spiritual　life；　they　would　have　been　silenced　by　the　promise；

contained　in　Charles's　〃Declaration　from　Breda；〃　of　liberty　to

tender　consciences；　and　the　assurance　that　no　one　should　be

disquieted　for　differences　of　opinion　in　religion；　so　long　as　such

differences　did　not　endanger　the　peace　and　well…being　of　the　realm。

If　this　declaration　meant　anything；　it　meant　a　breadth　of

toleration　larger　and　more　liberal　than　had　been　ever　granted　by

Cromwell。　　Any　fears　of　the　renewal　of　persecution　must　be

groundless。



But　if　such　dreams　of　religious　liberty　were　entertained　they　were

speedily　and　rudely　dispelled；　and　Bunyan　was　one　of　the　first　to

feel　the　shock　of　the　awakening。　　The　promise　was　coupled　with　a

reference　to　the　〃mature　deliberation　of　Parliament。〃　　With　such　a

promise　Charles's　easy　conscience　was　relieved　of　all

responsibility。　　Whatever　he　might　promise；　the　nation；　and

Parliament　which　was　its　mouthpiece；　might　set　his　p