the life of john bunyan-第16部分

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the　flesh　from　the　bones；　and　that　not　only　because　I　am　somewhat

too　fond　of　these　great　mercies；　but　also　because　I　should　often

have　brought　to　my　mind　the　many　hardships；　miseries；　and　wants　my

poor　family　was　like　to　meet　with；　should　I　be　taken　from　them；

especially　my　poor　blind　child；　who　lay　nearer　to　my　heart　than　all

beside。　　Poor　child；　thought　I；　thou　must　be　beaten；　thou　must　beg；

thou　must　suffer　hunger；　cold；　nakedness；　and　a　thousand

calamities；　though　I　cannot　now　endure　the　wind　should　blow　on

thee。　　O；　the　thoughts　of　the　hardships　my　blind　one　might　go　under

would　break　my　heart　to　pieces。〃　　He　seemed　to　himself　like　a　man

pulling　down　his　house　on　his　wife　and　children's　head；　and　yet　he

felt；　〃I　must　do　it；　O；　I　must　do　it。〃　　He　was　also；　he　tells　us；

at　one　time；　being　but　〃a　young　prisoner；〃　greatly　troubled　by　the

thoughts　that　〃for　aught　he　could　tell；〃　his　〃imprisonment　might

end　at　the　gallows；〃　not　so　much　that　he　dreaded　death　as　that　he

was　apprehensive　that　when　it　came　to　the　point；　even　if　he　made　〃a

scrabbling　shift　to　clamber　up　the　ladder；〃　he　might　play　the

coward　and　so　do　discredit　to　the　cause　of　religion。　　〃I　was

ashamed　to　die　with　a　pale　face　and　tottering　knees　for　such　a

cause　as　this。〃　　The　belief　that　his　imprisonment　might　be

terminated　by　death　on　the　scaffold；　however　groundless；　evidently

weighed　long　on　his　mind。　　The　closing　sentences　of　his　third

prison　book；　〃Christian　Behaviour；〃　published　in　1663；　the　second

year　of　his　durance；　clearly　point　to　such　an　expectation。　　〃Thus

have　I　in　few　words　written　to　you　before　I　die；　。　。　。　not　knowing

the　shortness　of　my　life；　nor　the　hindrances　that　hereafter　I　may

have　of　serving　my　God　and　you。〃　　The　ladder　of　his　apprehensions

was；　as　Mr。　Froude　has　said；　〃an　imaginary　ladder；〃　but　it　was　very

real　to　Bunyan。　　〃Oft　I　was　as　if　I　was　on　the　ladder　with　a　rope

about　my　neck。〃　　The　thought　of　it；　as　his　autobiography　shows；

caused　him　some　of　his　deepest　searchings　of　heart；　and　noblest

ventures　of　faith。　　He　was　content　to　suffer　by　the　hangman's　hand

if　thus　he　might　have　an　opportunity　of　addressing　the　crowd　that

he　thought　would　come　to　see　him　die。　　〃And　if　it　must　be　so；　if

God　will　but　convert　one　soul　by　my　very　last　words；　I　shall　not

count　my　life　thrown　away　or　lost。〃　　And　even　when　hours　of

darkness　came　over　his　soul；　and　he　was　tempted　to　question　the

reality　of　his　Christian　profession；　and　to　doubt　whether　God　would

give　him　comfort　at　the　hour　of　death；　he　stayed　himself　up　with

such　bold　words　as　these。　　〃I　was　bound；　but　He　was　free。　　Yea；

'twas　my　duty　to　stand　to　His　word　whether　He　would　ever　look　on　me

or　no；　or　save　me　at　the　last。　　If　God　doth　not　come　in；　thought　I；

I　will　leap　off　the　ladder　even　blindfold　into　Eternity；　sink　or

swim；　come　heaven；　come　hell。　　Lord　Jesus；　if　Thou　wilt　catch　me；

do。　　If　not；　I　will　venture　for　Thy　name。〃



Bunyan　being　precluded　by　his　imprisonment　from　carrying　on　his

brazier's　craft　for　the　support　of　his　wife　and　family；　and　his

active　spirit　craving　occupation；　he　got　himself　taught　how　to　make

〃long　tagged　laces；〃　〃many　hundred　gross〃　of　which；　we　are　told　by

one　who　first　formed　his　acquaintance　in　prison；　he　made　during　his

captivity；　for　〃his　own　and　his　family's　necessities。〃　　〃While　his

hands　were　thus　busied；〃　writes　Lord　Macaulay；　〃he　had　often

employment　for　his　mind　and　for　his　lips。〃　　〃Though　a　prisoner　he

was　a　preacher　still。〃　　As　with　St。　Paul　in　his　Roman　chains；　〃the

word　of　God　was　not　bound。〃　　The　prisoners　for　conscience'　sake；

who　like　him；　from　time　to　time；　were　cooped　up　in　Bedford　gaol；

including　several　of　his　brother　ministers　and　some　of　his　old

friends　among　the　leading　members　of　his　own　little　church；

furnished　a　numerous　and　sympathetic　congregation。　　At　one　time　a

body　of　some　sixty；　who　had　met　for　worship　at　night　in　a

neighbouring　wood；　were　marched　off　to　gaol；　with　their　minister　at

their　head。　　But　while　all　about　him　was　in　confusion；　his　spirit

maintained　its　even　calm；　and　he　could　at　once　speak　the　words　of

strength　and　comfort　that　were　needed。　　In　the　midst　of　the　hurry

which　so　many　〃newcomers　occasioned；〃　writes　the　friend　to　whom　we

are　indebted　for　the　details　of　his　prison　life；　〃I　have　heard　Mr。

Bunyan　both　preach　and　pray　with　that　mighty　spirit　of　faith　and

plerophory　of　Divine　assistance　that　has　made　me　stand　and　wonder。〃

These　sermons　addressed　to　his　fellow　prisoners　supplied；　in　many

cases；　the　first　outlines　of　the　books　which；　in　rapid　succession；

flowed　from　his　pen　during　the　earlier　years　of　his　imprisonment；

relieving　the　otherwise　insupportable　tedium　of　his　close

confinement。　　Bunyan　himself　tells　us　that　this　was　the　case　with

regard　to　his　〃Holy　City；〃　the　first　idea　of　which　was　borne　in

upon　his　mind　when　addressing　〃his　brethren　in　the　prison　chamber；〃

nor　can　we　doubt　that　the　case　was　the　same　with　other　works　of

his。　　To　these　we　shall　hereafter　return。　　Nor　was　it　his　fellow

prisoners　only　who　profited　by　his　counsels。　　In　his　〃Life　and

Death　of　Mr。　Badman；〃　he　gives　us　a　story　of　a　woman　who　came　to

him　when　he　was　in　prison；　to　confess　how　she　had　robbed　her

master；　and　to　ask　his　help。　　Hers　was　probably　a　representative

case。　　The　time　spared　from　his　handicraft；　and　not　employed　in

religious　counsel　and　exhortation；　was　given　to　study　and

composition。　　For　this　his　confinement　secured　him　the　leisure

which　otherwise　he　would　have　looked　for　in　vain。　　The　few　books　he

possessed　he　studied　indefatigably。　　His　library　was；　at　least　at

one　period；　a　very　limited　one；　…　〃the　least　and　the　best　library；〃

writes　a　friend　who　visited　him　in　prison；　〃that　I　ever　saw；

consisting　only　of　two　books　…　the　Bible；　and　Foxe's　'Book　of

Martyrs。'〃　　〃But　with　these　two　books；〃　writes　Mr。　Froude；　〃he　had

no　cause　to　complain　of　intellectual　destitution。〃　　Bunyan's　mode

of　composition；　though　certainly　exceedingly　rapid；　…　thoughts

succeeding　one　another　with　a　quickness　akin　to　inspiration；　…　was

anything　but　careless。　　The　〃limae　labor〃　with　him　was　unsparing。

It　was；　he　tells　us；　〃first　with　doing；　and　then　with　undoing；　and

after　that　with　doing　again；〃　that　his　books　were　brought　to

completion；　and　became　what　they　are；　a　mine　of　Evangelical

Calvinism　of　the　richest　ore；　entirely　free　from　the　narrow

dogmatism　and　harsh　predestinarianism　of　the　great　Genevan　divine；

books　which　for　clearness　of　thought；　lucidity　of　arrangement；

felicity　of　language；　rich　even　if　sometimes　homely　force　of

illustration；　and　earnestness　of　piety　have　never　been　surpassed。



Bunyan's　prison　life　when　the　first　bitterness　of　it　was　past；　and

habit　had　done　away　with　its　strangeness；　was　a　quiet　and　it　would

seem；　not　an　unhappy　one。　　A　manly　self…respect　bore　him　up　and

forbade　his　dwelling　on　the　darker　features　of　his　position；　or

thinking　or　speaking　harshly　of　the　authors　of　his　durance。　　〃He

was；〃　writes　one　who　saw　him　at　this　time；　〃mild　and　affable　in

conversation；　not　given　to　loquacity　or　to　much　discourse　unless

some　urgent　occasion　required。　　It　was　observed　he　never　spoke　of

himself　or　his　parents；　but　seemed　low　in　his　own　eyes。　　He　was

never　heard　to　reproach　or　revile；　whatever　injury　he　received；　but

rather　rebuked　those　who　did　so。　　He　managed　all　things　with　such

exactness　as　if　he　had　made　it　his　study　not　to　give　offence。〃



According　to　his　earliest　biographer；　Charles　Doe；　in　1666；　the

year　of　the　Fire　of　London；　after　Bunyan　had　lain　six　years　in

Bedford　gaol；　〃by　the　intercession　of　some　interest　or　power　that

took　pity　on　his　sufferings；〃　he　enjoyed　a　short　interval　of

liberty。　　Who　these　friends　and　sympathisers　were　is　not　mentioned；

and　it　would　be　vain　to　conjecture。　　This　period　of　freedom；

however；　was　very　short。　　He　at　once　resumed　his　old　work　of

preaching；　against　which　the　laws　had　become　even　more　stringent

during　his　imprisonment；　and　was　apprehended　at　a　meeting　just　as

he　was　about　to　preach　a　sermon。　　He　had　given　out　his　text；　〃Dost

thou　believe　on　the　Son　of　God？〃　（John　ix。　35）；　and　was　standing

with　his　open　Bible　in　his　hand；　when　the　constable　came　in　to　take

him。　　Bunyan　fixed　his　eyes　on　the　man；　who　turned　pale；　let　go　his

hold；　and　drew　back；　while　Bunyan　exclaimed；　〃See　how　this　man

trembles　at　the　word　of　God！〃　　This　is　all　we　know　of　his　second

arrest；　and　even　this　little　is　somewhat　doubtful。　　The　time；　the

place；　the　circumstances；　are　as　provokingly　vague　as　much　else　of

Bunyan's　life。　　The　fact；　however；　is　certain。　　Bunyan　returned　to

Bedford　gaol；　where　he　spent　another　six　years；　until　the　issuing

of　the　〃Declaration　of　Indulgence〃　early　in　1672　opened　the　long…

closed　doors；　and　he　walked　out　a　free　man；　and　with　what　he　valued

far　more　than　personal　liberty；　freedom　to　deliver　Christ's　message

as　he　understood　it　himself；　none　making　him　afraid；　and　to　declare

to　his　brother　sinners　what　their　Saviour　had　done　for　them；　and

what　he　expected　them　to　do　that　they　might　obtain　the　salvation　He

died　to　win。



From　some　unknown　cause；　perhaps　the　depressing　effect　of

protracted　confinement；　during　this　second　six　years　Bunyan's　pen

was　far　less　prolific　than　during　the　former　period。　　Only　two　of

his　books　are　dated　in　these　years。　　The　last　of　these；　〃A　Defence

of　the　Doctrine　of　Justification　by　Faith；〃　a　reply　to　a　work　of

Edward　Fowler；　afterwards　Bishop　of　Gloucester；　the　rector　of

Northill；　was　written　in　hot　haste　immediately　before　his　release；

and　issued　from　the　press　contemporaneously　with　it；　the　prospect

of　liberty　apparently　breathing　new　life　into　his　wearied　soul。

When　once　Bunyan　became　a　free　man　again；　his　pen　recovered　its

former　copiousness　of　production；　and　the　works　by　which　he　has

been　immortalized；　〃The　Pilgrim's　Progress〃　…　which　has　been

erroneously　ascribed　to　Bunyan's　twelve　years'　imprisonment　…　an