the life of john bunyan-第25部分

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sent　his　excuse。〃　　Behind　the　treacherous　sunshine　he　saw　a　black

cloud；　ready　to　break。　　The　Ninevites'　remedy　he　felt　was　now

called　for。　　So　he　gathered　his　congregation　together　and　appointed

a　day　of　fasting　and　prayer　to　avert　the　danger　that；　under　a

specious　pretext；　again　menaced　their　civil　and　religious

liberties。　　A　true；　sturdy　Englishman；　Bunyan；　with　Baxter　and

Howe；　〃refused　an　indulgence　which　could　only　be　purchased　by　the

violent　overthrow　of　the　law。〃



Bunyan　did　not　live　to　see　the　Revolution。　　Four　months　after　he

had　witnessed　the　delirious　joy　which　hailed　the　acquittal　of　the

seven　bishops；　the　Pilgrim's　earthly　Progress　ended；　and　he　was

bidden　to　cross　the　dark　river　which　has　no　bridge。　　The　summons

came　to　him　in　the　very　midst　of　his　religious　activity；　both　as　a

preacher　and　as　a　writer。　　His　pen　had　never　been　more　busy　than

when　he　was　bidden　to　lay　it　down　finally。　　Early　in　1688；　after　a

two　years'　silence；　attributable　perhaps　to　the　political　troubles

of　the　times；　his　〃Jerusalem　Sinner　Saved；　or　a　Help　to　Despairing

Souls；〃　one　of　the　best　known　and　most　powerfully　characteristic　of

his　works；　had　issued　from　the　press；　and　had　been　followed　by　four

others　between　March　and　August；　the　month　of　his　death。　　These

books　were；　〃The　Work　of　Jesus　Christ　as　an　Advocate；〃　a　poetical

composition　entitled　〃The　Building；　Nature；　and　Excellency　of　the

House　of　God；〃　a　discourse　on　the　constitution　and　government　of

the　Christian　Church；　the　〃Water　of　Life；〃　and　〃Solomon's　Temple

Spiritualized。〃　　At　the　time　of　his　death　he　was　occupied　in　seeing

through　the　press　a　sixth　book；　〃The　Acceptable　Sacrifice；〃　which

was　published　after　his　funeral。　　In　addition　to　these；　Bunyan　left

behind　him　no　fewer　than　fourteen　works　in　manuscript；　written　at

this　time；　as　the　fruit　of　his　fertile　imagination　and　untiring

pen。　　Ten　of　these　were　given　to　the　world　soon　after　Bunyan's

death；　by　one　of　Bunyan's　most　devoted　followers；　Charles　Doe；　the

combmaker　of　London　Bridge　（who　naively　tells　us　how　one　day

between　the　stairhead　and　the　middle　of　the　stairs；　he　resolved

that　the　best　work　he　could　do　for　God　was　to　get　Bunyan's　books

printed　and　sell　them　…　adding；　〃I　have　sold　about　3；000〃）；　and

others；　a　few　years　later；　including　one　of　the　raciest　of　his

compositions；　〃The　Heavenly　Footman；〃　bought　by　Doe　of　Bunyan's

eldest　son；　and；　he　says；　〃put　into　the　World　in　Print　Word　for

Word　as　it　came　from　him　to　Me。〃



At　the　time　that　death　surprised　him；　Bunyan　had　gained　no　small

celebrity　in　London　as　a　popular　preacher；　and　approached　the

nearest　to　a　position　of　worldly　honour。　　Though　we　must　probably

reject　the　idea　that　he　ever　filled　the　office　of　Chaplain　to　the

Lord　Mayor　of　London；　Sir　John　Shorter；　the　fact　that　he　is　styled

〃his　Lordship's　teacher〃　proves　that　there　was　some　relation　more

than　that　of　simple　friendship　between　the　chief　magistrate　and　the

Bedford　minister。　　But　the　society　of　the　great　was　never　congenial

to　him。　　If　they　were　godly　as　well　as　great；　he　would　not　shrink

from　intercourse；　with　those　of　a　rank　above　his　own；　but　his　heart

was　with　his　own　humble　folk　at　Bedford。　　Worldly　advancement　he

rejected　for　his　family　as　well　as　for　himself。　　A　London　merchant；

it　is　said；　offered　to　take　his　son　Joseph　into　his　house　of

business　without　the　customary　premium。　　But　the　offer　was　declined

with　what　we　may　consider　an　overstrained　independence。　　〃God；〃　he

said；　〃did　not　send　me　to　advance　my　family　but　to　preach　the

gospel。〃　　〃An　instance　of　other…worldliness；〃　writes　Dr。　Brown；

〃perhaps　more　consistent　with　the　honour　of　the　father　than　with

the　prosperity　of　the　son。〃



Bunyan's　end　was　in　keeping　with　his　life。　　He　had　ever　sought　to

be　a　peacemaker　and　to　reconcile　differences；　and　thus　had

〃hindered　many　mishaps　and　saved　many　families　from　ruin。〃　　His

last　effort　of　the　kind　caused　his　death。　　The　father　of　a　young

man　in　whom　he　took　an　interest；　had　resolved；　on　some　offence；

real　or　supposed；　to　disinherit　his　son。　　The　young　man　sought

Bunyan's　mediation。　　Anxious　to　heal　the　breach；　Bunyan　mounted　his

horse　and　took　the　long　journey　to　the　father's　house　at　Reading　…

the　scene；　as　we　have　noticed；　of　his　occasional　ministrations　…

where　he　pleaded　the　offender's　cause　so　effectually　as　to　obtain　a

promise　of　forgiveness。　　Bunyan　returned　homewards　through　London；

where　he　was　appointed　to　preach　at　Mr。　Gamman's　meeting…house　near

Whitechapel。　　His　forty　miles'　ride　to　London　was　through　heavy

driving　rain。　　He　was　weary　and　drenched　to　the　skin　when　he


reached　the　house　of　his　〃very　loving　friend；〃　John　Strudwick；

grocer　and　chandler；　at　the　sign　of　the　Star；　Holborn　Bridge；　at

the　foot　of　Snow　Hill；　and　deacon　of　the　Nonconformist　meeting　in

Red　Cross　Street。　　A　few　months　before　Bunyan　had　suffered　from　the

sweating　sickness。　　The　exposure　caused　a　return　of　the　malady；　and

though　well　enough　to　fulfil　his　pulpit　engagement　on　Sunday；　the

19th　of　August；　on　the　following　Tuesday　dangerous　symptoms

declared　themselves；　and　in　ten　days　the　disease　proved　fatal。　　He

died　within　two　months　of　completing　his　sixtieth　year；　on　the　31st

of　August；　1688；　just　a　month　before　the　publication　of　the

Declaration　of　the　Prince　of　Orange　opened　a　new　era　of　civil　and

religious　liberty；　and　between　two　and　three　months　before　the

Prince's　landing　in　Torbay。　　He　was　buried　in　Mr。　Strudwick's

newly…purchased　vault；　in　what　Southey　has　termed　the　Campo　Santo

of　Nonconformists；　the　burial…ground　in　Finsbury；　taking　its　name

of　Bunhill　or　Bonehill　Field；　from　a　vast　mass　of　human　remains

removed　to　it　from　the　charnel　house　of　St。　Paul's　Cathedral　in

1549。　　At　a　later　period　it　served　as　a　place　of　interment　for

those　who　died　in　the　Great　Plague　of　1665。　　The　day　after　Bunyan's

funeral；　his　powerful　friend；　Sir　John　Shorter；　the　Lord　Mayor；　had

a　fatal　fall　from　his　horse　in　Smithfield；　and　〃followed　him　across

the　river。〃



By　his　first　wife；　whose　Christian　name　is　nowhere　recorded；　Bunyan

had　four　children　…　two　sons　and　two　daughters；　and　by　his　second

wife；　the　heroic　Elizabeth；　one　son　and　one　daughter。　　All　of　these

survived　him　except　his　eldest　daughter　Mary；　his　tenderly…loved

blind　child；　who　died　before　him。　　His　wife　only　survived　him　for　a

brief　period；　〃following　her　faithful　pilgrim　from　this　world　to

the　other　whither　he　was　gone　before　her〃　either　in　1691　or　1692。

Forgetful　of　the　〃deed　of　gift；〃　or　ignorant　of　its　bearing；

Bunyan's　widow　took　out　letters　of　administration　of　her　late

husband's　estate；　which　appears　from　the　Register　Book　to　have

amounted　to　no　more　than；　42　pounds　19s。　　On　this；　and　the　proceeds

of　his　books；　she　supported　herself　till　she　rejoined　him。



Bunyan's　character　and　person　are　thus　described　by　Charles　Doe：

〃He　appeared　in　countenance　to　be　of　a　stern　and　rough　temper。　　But

in　his　conversation　he　was　mild　and　affable；　not　given　to　loquacity

or　much　discourse　in　company；　unless　some　urgent　occasion　required

it。　　Observing　never　to　boast　of　himself　or　his　parts；　but　rather

to　seem　low　in　his　own　eyes　and　submit　himself　to　the　judgment　of

others。　　Abhorring　lying　and　swearing；　being　just；　in　all　that　lay

in　his　power；　to　his　word。　　Not　seeming　to　revenge　injuries；　loving

to　reconcile　differences　and　make　friendship　with　all。　　He　had　a

sharp；　quick　eye；　with　an　excellent　discerning　of　persons；　being　of

good　judgment　and　quick　wit。　　He　was　tall　of　stature；　strong…boned；

though　not　corpulent；　somewhat　of　a　ruddy　face；　with　sparkling

eyes；　wearing　his　hair　on　his　upper　lip　after　the　old　British

fashion。　　His　hair　reddish；　but　in　his　later　days　time　had

sprinkled　it　with　grey。　　His　nose　well　set；　but　not　declining　or

bending。　　His　mouth　moderately　large；　his　forehead　something　high；

and　his　habit　always　plain　and　modest。　　Not　puffed　up　in

prosperity；　nor　shaken　in　adversity；　always　holding　the　golden

mean。〃



We　may　add　the　portrait　drawn　by　one　who　had　been　his　companion　and

fellow…sufferer　for　many　years；　John　Nelson：　　〃His　countenance　was

grave　and　sedate；　and　did　so　to　the　life　discover　the　inward　frame

of　his　heart；　that　it　was　convincing　to　the　beholders　and　did

strike　something　of　awe　into　them　that　had　nothing　of　the　fear　of

God。〃



The　same　friend　speaks　thus　of　Bunyan's　preaching：　　〃As　a　minister

of　Christ　he　was　laborious　in　his　work　of　preaching；　diligent　in

his　preparation　for　it；　and　faithful　in　dispensing　the　Word；　not

sparing　reproof　whether　in　the　pulpit　or　no；　yet　ready　to　succour

the　tempted；　a　son　of　consolation　to　the　broken…hearted；　yet　a　son

of　thunder　to　secure　and　dead　sinners。　　His　memory　was　tenacious；

it　being　customary　with　him　to　commit　his　sermons　to　writing　after

he　had　preached　them。　　A　rich　anointing　of　the　Spirit　was　upon　him；

yet　this　great　saint　was　always　in　his　own　eyes　the　chiefest　of

sinners　and　the　least　of　saints。〃



An　anecdote　is　told　which；　Southey　says；　〃authenticates　itself；〃

that　one　day　when　he　had　preached　〃with　peculiar　warmth　and

enlargement；〃　one　of　his　hearers　remarked　〃what　a　sweet　sermon　he

had　delivered。〃　　〃Ay；〃　was　Bunyan's　reply；　〃you　have　no　need　to

tell　me　that；　for　the　devil　whispered　it　to　me　before　I　was　well

out　of　the　pulpit。〃　　As　an　evidence　of　the　estimation　in　which

Bunyan　was　held　by　the　highly…educated；　it　is　recorded　that　Charles

the　Second　expressed　his　surprise　to　Dr。　Owen　that　〃a　learned　man

such　as　he　could　sit　and　listen　to　an　illiterate　tinker。〃　　〃May　it

please　your　Majesty；〃　Owen　replied。　　〃I　would　gladly　give　up　all　my

learning　if　I　could　preach　like　that　tinker。〃



Although　much　of　Bunyan's　literary　activity　was　devoted　to

controversy；　he　had　none　of　the　narrowness　or　bitter　spirit　of　a

controversialist。　　It　is　true　that　his　zeal　for　what　he　deemed　to

be　truth　led　him　into　vehemence　of　language　in　dealin