Bunyan, John
Stories
1
Chapters
12
Words
41.0 K
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0
Reading
3 h, 24 m
1. Of all the temptations that ever I met with in my life, to question the being of God and the truth of his gospel is the worst, and the worst to be borne. When this temptation comes, it takes away my girdle from me, and removes the foundation from under me. Oh, I have often thought of that word, “Having your loins girt about with truth;” and of that, “When the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?” 2. Sometimes when, after sin committed, I have looked for sore chastisement from…- 41.0 K • Completed
- Having made profession of the glorious gospel of Christ a long time, and preached the same about five years, I was apprehended at a meeting of good people in the country, among whom, had they let me alone, I should have preached that day, but they took me away from among them, and had me before a justice, who, after I had offered security for my appearing the next sessions, yet committed me because my sureties would not consent to be bound that I should preach no more to the people. At the sessions…
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- And now I am speaking of my experience, I will in this place thrust in a word or two concerning my preaching the word, and of God’s dealing with me in that particular also. After I had been about five or six years awakened, and been helped myself to see both the want and worth of Jesus Christ our Lord, and also enabled to venture my soul upon him, some of the most able among the saints with us—I say, the most able for judgment and holiness of life as they conceived, did perceive that God had counted me…
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- Having thus, in few words, given you a taste of the sorrow and affliction that my soul endured by the guilt and terror that these my wicked thoughts did lay me under, and having given you also a touch of my deliverance therefrom, and of the sweet and blessed comfort that I met with afterwards, which comfort dwelt about a twelvemonth with my heart, to my unspeakable admiration, I will now, God willing, before I proceed any farther, give you in a word or two what I conceive was the cause of this temptation,…
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- Now also the tempter began afresh to mock my soul another way, saying that “Christ indeed did pity my case, and was sorry for my loss: but forasmuch as I had sinned and transgressed as I had done, he could by no means help me, nor save me from what I feared; for my sin was not of the nature of theirs for whom he bled and died, neither was it counted with those that were laid to his charge when he hung on the tree. Therefore, unless he should come down from heaven and die anew for this sin, though indeed…
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- After this I began to consider of Peter’s sin, which he committed in denying his Master. And indeed this came nighest to mine of any that I could find, for he had denied his Saviour as I, after light and mercy received; yea, and that too after warning given him. I also considered that he did it once and twice, and that after time to consider between. But though I put all these circumstances together, that, if possible, I might find help, yet I considered again that his was but a denial of his Master, but…
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- At this time also I sat under the ministry of holy Mr. Gifford, whose doctrine, by God’s grace; was much for my stability. This man made it much his business to deliver the people of God from all those hard arid unsound tests that by nature we are prone to. He would bid us take special heed that we took not up any truth upon trust, as from this or that, or any other man or men; but cry mightily to God that he would convince us of the reality thereof, and establish us therein by his own Spirit in the holy…
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- In this condition I went a great while; but when the comforting time was come, I heard one preach a sermon on these words in the Song, “Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair.” Song 4:1. But at that time he made these two words, “my love,” his chief subject-matter, from which, after he had a little opened the text, he drew these several conclusions: 1. That the church, and so every saved soul, is Christ’s love when loveless; 2. Christ’s love without a cause; 3. Christ’s love…
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- About this time the state and happiness of these poor people at Bedford were thus in a kind of vision presented to me. I saw as if they were on the sunny side of some high mountain, there refreshing themselves with the pleasant beams of the sun, while I was shivering and shrinking in the cold, afflicted with frost, snow, and dark clouds. Methought also between me and them I saw a wall that did compass about this mountain. Now through this wall my soul did greatly desire to pass, concluding that if I could…
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- Now you must know, that before this I had taken much delight in ringing; but my conscience beginning to be tender; I thought such a practice was but vain, and therefore forced myself to leave it, yet my mind hankered; wherefore I would go to the steeple-house and look on, though I durst not ring. But I thought this did not become religion neither, yet I forced myself, and would look on still; but quickly after I began to think, how if one of the bells should fall? Then I chose to stand under a main beam…
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