the life of john bunyan-第20部分

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might　produce　a　better。〃　　The　remembrance　of　〃his　great　sins；　his

great　temptations；　his　great　fears　of　perishing　for　ever；　recalled

the　remembrance　of　his　great　help；　his　great　support　from　heaven；

the　great　grace　God　extended　to　such　a　wretch　as　he　was。〃　　Having

thus　enlarged　on　his　own　experience；　he　calls　on　his　spiritual

children；　for　whose　use　the　work　was　originally　composed　and　to

whom　it　is　dedicated；　…　〃those　whom　God　had　counted　him　worthy　to

beget　to　Faith　by　his　ministry　in　the　Word〃　…　to　survey　their　own

religious　history；　to　〃work　diligently　and　leave　no　corner

unsearched。〃　　He　would　have　them　〃remember　their　tears　and　prayers

to　God；　how　they　sighed　under　every　hedge　for　mercy。　　Had　they

never　a　hill　Mizar　（Psa。　xlii。　6）　to　remember？　　Had　they　forgotten

the　close；　the　milkhouse；　the　stable；　the　barn；　where　God　visited

their　souls？　　Let　them　remember　the　Word　on　which　the　Lord　had

caused　them　to　hope。　　If　they　had　sinned　against　light；　if　they

were　tempted　to　blaspheme；　if　they　were　down　in　despair；　let　them

remember　that　it　had　been　so　with　him；　their　spiritual　father；　and

that　out　of　them　all　the　Lord　had　delivered　him。〃　　This　dedication

ends　thus：　　〃My　dear　children；　the　milk　and　honey　is　beyond　this

wilderness。　　God　be　merciful　to　you；　and　grant　you　be　not　slothful

to　go　in　to　possess　the　land。〃



This　remarkable　book；　as　we　learn　from　the　title…page；　was　〃written

by　his　own　hand　in　prison。〃　　It　was　first　published　by　George

Larkin　in　London；　in　1666；　the　sixth　year　of　his　imprisonment；　the

year　of　the　Fire　of　London；　about　the　time　that　he　experienced　his

first　brief　release。　　As　with　〃The　Pilgrim's　Progress；〃　the　work

grew　in　picturesque　detail　and　graphic　power　in　the　author's　hand

after　its　first　appearance。　　The　later　editions　supply　some　of　the

most　interesting　personal　facts　contained　in　the　narrative；　which

were　wanting　when　it　first　issued　from　the　press。　　His　two　escapes

from　drowning；　and　from　the　supposed　sting　of　an　adder；　his　being

drawn　as　a　soldier；　and　his　providential　deliverance　from　death；

the　graphic　account　of　his　difficulty　in　giving　up　bell…ringing　at

Elstow　Church；　and　dancing　on　Sundays　on　Elstow　Green　…　these　and

other　minor　touches　which　give　a　life　and　colour　to　the　story；

which　we　should　be　very　sorry　to　lose；　are　later　additions。　　It　is

impossible　to　over…estimate　the　value　of　the　〃Grace　Abounding；〃

both　for　the　facts　of　Bunyan's　earlier　life　and　for　the　spiritual

experience　of　which　these　facts　were；　in　his　eyes　only　the　outward

framework。　　Beginning　with　his　parentage　and　boyhood；　it　carries　us

down　to　his　marriage　and　life　in　the　wayside…cottage　at　Elstow；　his

introduction　to　Mr。　Gifford's　congregation　at　Bedford；　his　joining

that　holy　brotherhood；　and　his　subsequent　call　to　the　work　of　the

ministry　among　them；　and　winds　up　with　an　account　of　his

apprehension；　examinations；　and　imprisonment　in　Bedford　gaol。　　The

work　concludes　with　a　report　of　the　conversation　between　his　noble…

hearted　wife　and　Sir　Matthew　Hale　and　the　other　judges　at　the

Midsummer　assizes；　narrated　in　a　former　chapter；　〃taken　down；〃　he

says；　〃from　her　own　mouth。〃　　The　whole　story　is　of　such　sustained

interest　that　our　chief　regret　on　finishing　it　is　that　it　stops

where　it　does；　and　does　not　go　on　much　further。　　Its　importance　for

our　knowledge　of　Bunyan　as　a　man；　as　distinguished　from　an　author；

and　of　the　circumstances　of　his　life；　is　seen　by　a　comparison　of

our　acquaintance　with　his　earlier　and　with　his　later　years。　　When

he　laid　down　his　pen　no　one　took　it　up；　and　beyond　two　or　three

facts；　and　a　few　hazy　anecdotes　we　know　little　or　nothing　of　all

that　happened　between　his　final　release　and　his　death。



The　value　of　the　〃Grace　Abounding；〃　however；　as　a　work　of

experimental　religion　may　be　easily　over…estimated。　　It　is　not　many

who　can　study　Bunyan's　minute　history　of　the　various　stages　of　his

spiritual　life　with　real　profit。　　To　some　temperaments；　especially

among　the　young；　the　book　is　more　likely　to　prove　injurious　than

beneficial；　it　is　calculated　rather　to　nourish　morbid　imaginations；

and　a　dangerous　habit　of　introspection；　than　to　foster　the　quiet

growth　of　the　inner　life。　　Bunyan's　unhappy　mode　of　dealing　with

the　Bible　as　a　collection　of　texts；　each　of　Divine　authority　and

declaring　a　definite　meaning　entirely　irrespective　of　its　context；

by　which　the　words　hide　the　Word；　is　also　utterly　destructive　of

the　true　purpose　of　the　Holy　Scriptures　as　a　revelation　of　God's

loving　and　holy　mind　and　will。　　Few　things　are　more　touching　than

the　eagerness　with　which；　in　his　intense　self…torture；　Bunyan　tried

to　evade　the　force　of　those　〃fearful　and　terrible　Scriptures〃　which

appeared　to　seal　his　condemnation；　and　to　lay　hold　of　the　promises

to　the　penitent　sinner。　　His　tempest…tossed　spirit　could　only　find

rest　by　doing　violence　to　the　dogma；　then　universally　accepted　and

not　quite　extinct　even　in　our　own　days；　that　the　authority　of　the

Bible　…　that　〃Divine　Library〃　…　collectively　taken；　belongs　to　each

and　every　sentence　of　the　Bible　taken　for　and　by　itself；　and　that；

in　Coleridge's　words；　〃detached　sentences　from　books　composed　at

the　distance　of　centuries；　nay；　sometimes　at　a　millenium　from　each

other；　under　different　dispensations　and　for　different　objects；〃

are　to　be　brought　together　〃into　logical　dependency。〃　　But　〃where

the　Spirit　of　the　Lord　is　there　is　liberty。〃　　The　divinely　given

life　in　the　soul　of　man　snaps　the　bonds　of　humanly…constructed

logical　systems。　　Only　those；　however；　who　have　known　by　experience

the　force　of　Bunyan's　spiritual　combat；　can　fully　appreciate　and

profit　by　Bunyan's　narrative。　　He　tells　us　on　the　title…page　that

it　was　written　〃for　the　support　of　the　weak　and　tempted　people　of

God。〃　　For　such　the　〃Grace　Abounding　to　the　chief　of　sinners〃　will

ever　prove　most　valuable。　　Those　for　whom　it　was　intended　will　find

in　it　a　message　…　of　comfort　and　strength。



As　has　been　said；　Bunyan's　pen　was　almost　idle　during　the　last　six

years　of　his　imprisonment。　　Only　two　of　his　works　were　produced　in

this　period：　　his　〃Confession　of　Faith；〃　and　his　〃Defence　of　the

Doctrine　of　Justification　by　Faith。〃　　Both　were　written　very　near

the　end　of　his　prison　life；　and　published　in　the　same　year；　1672；

only　a　week　or　two　before　his　release。　　The　object　of　the　former

work　was；　as　Dr。　Brown　tells　us；　〃to　vindicate　his　teaching；　and　if

possible；　to　secure　his　liberty。〃　　Writing　as　one　〃in　bonds　for　the

Gospel；〃　his　professed　principles；　he　asserts；　are　〃faith；　and

holiness　springing　therefrom；　with　an　endeavour　so　far　as　in　him

lies　to　be　at　peace　with　all　men。〃　　He　is　ready　to　hold　communion

with　all　whose　principles　are　the　same；　with　all　whom　he　can　reckon

as　children　of　God。　　With　these　he　will　not　quarrel　about　〃things

that　are　circumstantial；〃　such　as　water　baptism；　which　he　regards

as　something　quite　indifferent；　men　being　〃neither　the　better　for

having　it；　nor　the　worse　for　having　it　not。〃　　〃He　will　receive　them

in　the　Lord　as　becometh　saints。　　If　they　will　not　have　communion

with　him；　the　neglect　is　theirs　not　his。　　But　with　the　openly

profane　and　ungodly；　though；　poor　people！　they　have　been　christened

and　take　the　communion；　he　will　have　no　communion。　　It　would　be　a

strange　community；　he　says；　that　consisted　of　men　and　beasts。　　Men

do　not　receive　their　horse　or　their　dog　to　their　table；　they　put

them　in　a　room　by　themselves。〃　　As　regards　forms　and　ceremonies；　he

〃cannot　allow　his　soul　to　be　governed　in　its　approach　to　God　by　the

superstitious　inventions　of　this　world。　　He　is　content　to　stay　in

prison　even　till　the　moss　grows　on　his　eyelids　rather　than　thus

make　of　his　conscience　a　continual　butchery　and　slaughter…shop　by

putting　out　his　eyes　and　committing　himself　to　the　blind　to　lead

him。　　Eleven　years'　imprisonment　was　a　weighty　argument　to　pause

and　pause　again　over　the　foundation　of　the　principles　for　which　he

had　thus　suffered。　　Those　principles　he　had　asserted　at　his　trial；

and　in　the　tedious　tract　of　time　since　then　he　had　in　cold　blood

examined　them　by　the　Word　of　God　and　found　them　good；　nor　could　he

dare　to　revolt　from　or　deny　them　on　pain　of　eternal　damnation。〃



The　second…named　work；　the　〃Defence　of　the　Doctrine　of

Justification　by　Faith；〃　is　entirely　controversial。　　The　Rev。

Edward　Fowler；　afterwards　Bishop　of　Gloucester；　then　Rector　of

Northill；　had　published　in　the　early　part　of　1671；　a　book　entitled

〃The　Design　of　Christianity。〃　　A　copy　having　found　its　way　into

Bunyan's　hands；　he　was　so　deeply　stirred　by　what　he　deemed　its

subversion　of　the　true　foundation　of　Evangelical　religion　that　he

took　up　his　pen　and　in　the　space　of　six　weeks　composed　a　long　and

elaborate　examination　of　the　book；　chapter　by　chapter；　and　a

confutation　of　its　teaching。　　Fowler's　doctrines　as　Bunyan

understood　them　…　or　rather　misunderstood　them　…　awoke　the　worst

side　of　his　impetuous　nature。　　His　vituperation　of　the　author　and

his　book　is　coarse　and　unmeasured。　　He　roundly　charges　Fowler　with

having　〃closely；　privily；　and　devilishly　turned　the　grace　of　God

into　a　licentious　doctrine；　bespattering　it　with　giving　liberty　to

lasciviousness；〃　and　he　calls　him　〃a　pretended　minister　of　the

Word；〃　who；　in　〃his　cursed　blasphemous　book　vilely　exposes　to

public　view　the　rottenness　of　his　heart；　in　principle　diametrically

opposite　to　the　simplicity　of　the　Gospel　of　Christ；　a　glorious

latitudinarian　that　can；　as　to　religion；　turn　and　twist　like　an　eel

on　the　angle；　or　rather　like　the　weathercock　that　stands　on　the

steeple；〃　and　describes　him　as　〃contradicting　the　wholesome

doctrine　of　the　Church　of　England。〃　　He　〃knows　him　not　by　face　much

less　his　personal　practise。〃　　He　may　have　〃kept　himself　clear　of

the　ignorant　Sir　Johns　who　had　for　a　long　time；　as　a　judgment　of

God；　been　made　the　mouth　to　the　people　…　men　of　debauched　lives　who

for　the　love　of　filthy　lucre　and　the　pam