the life of john bunyan-第9部分

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Bunyan　being　taken　off　by　the　preaching　of　the　gospel〃　from　his

duties　as　deacon；　another　member　was　appointed　in　his　room。　　His

appointment　to　the　ministry　was　not　long　delayed。　　After　〃some

solemn　prayer　with　fasting；〃　he　was　〃called　forth　and　appointed　a

preacher　of　the　word；〃　not；　however；　so　much　for　the　Bedford

congregation　as　for　the　neighbouring　villages。　　He　did　not　however；

like　some；　neglect　his　business；　or　forget　to　〃show　piety　at　home。〃

He　still　continued　his　craft　as　a　tinker；　and　that　with　industry

and　success。　　〃God；〃　writes　an　early　biographer；　〃had　increased　his

stores　so　that　he　lived　in　great　credit　among　his　neighbours。〃　　He

speedily　became　famous　as　a　preacher。　　People　〃came　in　by　hundreds

to　hear　the　word；　and　that　from　all　parts；　though　upon　sundry　and

divers　accounts；〃　…　〃some；〃　as　Southey　writes；　〃to　marvel；　and　some

perhaps　to　mock。〃　　Curiosity　to　hear　the　once　profane　tinker　preach

was　not　one　of　the　least　prevalent　motives。　　But　his　word　proved　a

word　of　power　to　many。　　Those　〃who　came　to　scoff　remained　to　pray。〃

〃I　had　not　preached　long；〃　he　says；　〃before　some　began　to　be

touched　and　to　be　greatly　afflicted　in　their　minds。〃　　His　success

humbled　and　amazed　him；　as　it　must　every　true　man　who　compares　the

work　with　the　worker。　　〃At　first；〃　he　says；　〃I　could　not　believe

that　God　should　speak　by　me　to　the　heart　of　any　man；　still　counting

myself　unworthy；　and　though　I　did　put　it　from　me　that　they　should

be　awakened　by　me；　still　they　would　confess　it　and　affirm　it　before

the　saints　of　God。　　They　would　also　bless　God　for　me　…　unworthy

wretch　that　I　am　…　and　count　me　God's　instrument　that　showed　to

them　the　way　of　salvation。〃　　He　preached　wherever　he　found

opportunity；　in　woods；　in　barns；　on　village　greens；　or　even　in

churches。　　But　he　liked　best　to　preach　〃in　the　darkest　places　of

the　country；　where　people　were　the　furthest　off　from　profession；〃

where　he　could　give　the　fullest　scope　to　〃the　awakening　and

converting　power〃　he　possessed。　　His　success　as　a　preacher　might

have　tempted　him　to　vanity。　　But　the　conviction　that　he　was　but　an

instrument　in　the　hand　of　a　higher　power　kept　it　down。　　He　saw　that

if　he　had　gifts　and　wanted　grace　he　was　but　as　a　〃tinkling　cymbal。〃

〃What；　thought　I；　shall　I　be　proud　because　I　am　a　sounding　brass？

Is　it　so　much　to　be　a　fiddle？〃　　This　thought　was；　〃as　it　were；　a

maul　on　the　head　of　the　pride　and　vainglory〃　which　he　found　〃easily

blown　up　at　the　applause　and　commendation　of　every　unadvised

christian。〃　　His　experiences；　like　those　of　every　public　speaker；

especially　the　most　eloquent；　were　very　varied；　even　in　the　course

of　the　same　sermon。　　Sometimes；　he　tells　us；　he　would　begin　〃with

much　clearness；　evidence；　and　liberty　of　speech；〃　but；　before　he

had　done；　he　found　himself　〃so　straitened　in　his　speech　before　the

people；〃　that　he　〃scarce　knew　or　remembered　what　he　had　been

about；〃　and　felt　〃as　if　his　head　had　been　in　a　bag　all　the　time　of

the　exercise。〃　　He　feared　that　he　would　not　be　able　to　〃speak　sense

to　the　hearers；〃　or　he　would　be　〃seized　with　such　faintness　and

strengthlessness　that　his　legs　were　hardly　able　to　carry　him　to　his

place　of　preaching。〃　　Old　temptations　too　came　back。　　Blasphemous

thoughts　formed　themselves　into　words；　which　he　had　hard　work　to

keep　himself　from　uttering　from　the　pulpit。　　Or　the　tempter　tried

to　silence　him　by　telling　him　that　what　he　was　going　to　say　would

condemn　himself；　and　he　would　go　〃full　of　guilt　and　terror　even　to

the　pulpit　door。〃　　〃'What；'　the　devil　would　say；　'will　you　preach

this？　　Of　this　your　own　soul　is　guilty。　　Preach　not　of　it　at　all；

or　if　you　do；　yet　so　mince　it　as　to　make　way　for　your　own　escape。'〃

All；　however；　was　in　vain。　　Necessity　was　laid　upon　him。　　〃Woe；〃　he

cried；　〃is　me；　if　I　preach　not　the　gospel。〃　　His　heart　was　〃so

wrapped　up　in　the　glory　of　this　excellent　work；　that　he　counted

himself　more　blessed　and　honoured　of　God　than　if　he　had　made　him

emperor　of　the　Christian　world。〃　　Bunyan　was　no　preacher　of　vague

generalities。　　He　knew　that　sermons　miss　their　mark　if　they　hit　no

one。　　Self…application　is　their　object。　　〃Wherefore；〃　he　says；　〃I

laboured　so　to　speak　the　word；　as　that　the　sin　and　person　guilty

might　be　particularized　by　it。〃　　And　what　he　preached　he　knew　and

felt　to　be　true。　　It　was　not　what　he　read　in　books；　but　what　he　had

himself　experienced。　　Like　Dante　he　had　been　in　hell　himself；　and

could　speak　as　one　who　knew　its　terrors；　and　could　tell　also　of　the

blessedness　of　deliverance　by　the　person　and　work　of　Christ。　　And

this　consciousness　gave　him　confidence　and　courage　in　declaring　his

message。　　It　was　〃as　if　an　angel　of　God　had　stood　at　my　back。〃　　〃Oh

it　hath　been　with　such　power　and　heavenly　evidence　upon　my　own　soul

while　I　have　been　labouring　to　fasten　it　upon　the　conscience　of

others；　that　I　could　not　be　contented　with　saying；　'I　believe　and

am　sure。'　　Methought　I　was　more　than　sure；　if　it　be　lawful　so　to

express　myself；　that　the　things　I　asserted　were　true。〃



Bunyan；　like　all　earnest　workers　for　God；　had　his　disappointments

which　wrung　his　heart。　　He　could　be　satisfied　with　nothing　less

than　the　conversion　and　sanctification　of　his　hearers。　　〃If　I　were

fruitless；　it　mattered　not　who　commanded　me；　but　if　I　were

fruitful；　I　cared　not　who　did　condemn。〃　　And　the　result　of　a　sermon

was　often　very　different　from　what　he　anticipated：　　〃When　I　thought

I　had　done　no　good；　then　I　did　the　most；　and　when　I　thought　I

should　catch　them；　I　fished　for　nothing。〃　　〃A　word　cast　in　by…the…

bye　sometimes　did　more　execution　than　all　the　Sermon　besides。〃　　The

tie　between　him　and　his　spiritual　children　was　very　close。　　The

backsliding　of　any　of　his　converts　caused　him　the　most　extreme

grief；　〃it　was　more　to　me　than　if　one　of　my　own　children　were　going

to　the　grave。　　Nothing　hath　gone　so　near　me　as　that；　unless　it　was

the　fear　of　the　loss　of　the　salvation　of　my　own　soul。〃



A　story；　often　repeated；　but　too　characteristic　to　be　omitted；

illustrates　the　power　of　his　preaching　even　in　the　early　days　of

his　ministry。　　〃Being　to　preach　in　a　church　in　a　country　village　in

Cambridgeshire〃　…　it　was　before　the　Restoration　…　〃and　the　public

being　gathered　together　in　the　churchyard；　a　Cambridge　scholar；　and

none　of　the　soberest　neither；　inquired　what　the　meaning　of　that

concourse　of　people　was　（it　being　a　week…day）；　and　being　told　that

one　Bunyan；　a　tinker；　was　to　preach　there；　he　gave　a　lad　twopence

to　hold　his　horse；　saying　he　was　resolved　to　hear　the　tinker　prate；

and　so　he　went　into　the　church　to　hear　him。　　But　God　met　him　there

by　His　ministry；　so　that　he　came　out　much　changed；　and　would　by　his

good　will　hear　none　but　the　tinker　for　a　long　time　after；　he

himself　becoming　a　very　eminent　preacher　in　that　country

afterwards。〃　　〃This　story；〃　continues　the　anonymous　biographer；　〃I

know　to　be　true；　having　many　times　discoursed　with　the　man。〃　　To

the　same　ante…Restoration　period；　Dr。　Brown　also　assigns　the

anecdote　of　Bunyan's　encounter；　on　the　road　near　Cambridge；　with

the　university　man　who　asked　him　how　he　dared　to　preach　not　having

the　original　Scriptures。　　With　ready　wit；　Bunyan　turned　the　tables

on　the　scholar　by　asking　whether　he　had　the　actual　originals；　the

copies　written　by　the　apostles　and　prophets。　　The　scholar　replied；

〃No；〃　but　they　had　what　they　believed　to　be　a　true　copy　of　the

original。　　〃And　I；〃　said　Bunyan；　〃believe　the　English　Bible　to　be　a

true　copy；　too。〃　　〃Then　away　rid　the　scholar。〃



The　fame　of　such　a　preacher；　naturally；　soon　spread　far　and　wide；

all　the　countryside　flocked　eagerly　to　hear　him。　　In　some　places；

as　at　Meldreth　in　Cambridgeshire；　and　Yelden　in　his　own　county　of

Bedfordshire；　the　pulpits　of　the　parish　churches　were　opened　to

him。　　At　Yelden；　the　Rector；　Dr。　William　Dell；　the　Puritan　Master

of　Caius　College；　Cambridge；　formerly　Chaplain　to　the　army　under

Fairfax；　roused　the　indignation　of　his　orthodox　parishioners　by

allowing　him　…　〃one　Bunyon　of　Bedford；　a　tinker；〃　as　he　is

ignominiously　styled　in　the　petition　sent　up　to　the　House　of　Lords

in　1660　…　to　preach　in　his　parish　church　on　Christmas　Day。　　But；

generally；　the　parochial　clergy　were　his　bitterest　enemies。　　〃When

I　first　went　to　preach　the　word　abroad；〃　he　writes；　〃the　Doctors

and　priests　of　the　country　did　open　wide　against　me。〃　　Many　were

envious　of　his　success　where　they　had　so　signally　failed。　　In　the

words　of　Mr。　Henry　Deane；　when　defending　Bunyan　against　the　attacks

of　Dr。　T。　Smith；　Professor　of　Arabic　and　Keeper　of　the　University

Library　at　Cambridge；　who　had　come　upon　Bunyan　preaching　in　a　barn

at　Toft；　they　were　〃angry　with　the　tinker　because　he　strove　to　mend

souls　as　well　as　kettles　and　pans；〃　and　proved　himself　more　skilful

in　his　craft　than　those　who　had　graduated　at　a　university。　　Envy　is

ever　the　mother　of　detraction。　　Slanders　of　the　blackest　dye

against　his　moral　character　were　freely　circulated；　and　as　readily

believed。　　It　was　the　common　talk　that　he　was　a　thorough　reprobate。

Nothing　was　too　bad　for　him。　　He　was　〃a　witch；　a　Jesuit；　a

highwayman；　and　the　like。〃　　It　was　reported　that　he　had　〃his　misses

and　his　bastards；　that　he　had　two　wives　at　once；〃　&c。　　Such　charges

roused　all　the　man　in　Bunyan。　　Few　passages　in　his　writings　show

more　passion　than　that　in　〃Grace　Abounding；〃　in　which　he　defends

himself　from　the　〃fools　or　knaves〃　who　were　their　authors。　　He

〃begs　belief　of　no　man；　and　if　they　believe　him　or　disbelieve　him

it　is　all　one　to　him。　　But　he　would　have　them　know　how　utterly

baseless　their　accusations　are。〃　　〃My　foes；〃　he　writes；　〃have

missed　their　mark　in　their　open　shooting　at　me。　　I　am　not　the　man。

If　all　the　fornicators　and　adulterers　in　England　were　hanged　by　the

neck　till　they　be　dead；　John　Bunyan　would　be　still　alive。　　I　know

not　whether　there　is　such　a　thing　as　a　woman　breathing　under　the

copes　of　the　whole　heaven　but　by　their　apparel；　their　children；　or

by