The Works of John Bunyan, vol 1 - John Bunyan (best self help books to read TXT) 📗

see him, before he left this world, Israel, saith the Word, ‘strengthened himself and sat upon his bed’; and the first word that dropt out of this good man’s mouth, O how full of glory was it! ‘God Almighty appeared unto me,’ saith he, ‘at Luz, in the land of Canaan, and blessed me,’ &c. (Gen 48:1-3). O blessed discourse for a sick bed, when those can talk thus that lie thereon, from as true a ground as Jacob; but thus will God make the bed of those who walk close with him in this world.

(2.) The dying bed of such a man is made easy by reason also of the good company such shall have at their departure; and that is, (1) The angels; (b) Their good works they have done for God in the world.

(a) The angels of heaven shall wait upon them, as they did upon blessed Lazarus, to carry them into Abraham’s bosom (Luke 16:22).

I know all that go to paradise are by these holy ones conducted thither; but yet, for all that, such as die under the clouds for unchristian walking with God, may meet with darkness in that day—may go heavily hence, notwithstanding that (Job 5:14). Yea, their bed may be as uncomfortable to them as if they lay upon nothing but the cords, and their departing from it, as to appearance, more uncomfortable by far. But as for those who have been faithful to their God, they shall see before them, shall know their tabernacles, ‘shall be in peace’ (Job 5:24), ‘the everlasting gates shall be opened unto them,’ in all which, from earth, they shall see the glory (Acts 7:55,56).[28] I once was told a story of what happened at a good man’s death, the which I have often remembered, with wonderment and gladness. After he had lain for some time sick, his hour came that he must depart, and behold, while he lay, as we call it, drawing on, to the amazement of the mourners, there was heard about his bed such blessed and ravishing music as they never heard before; which also continued till his soul departed, and then began to cease, and grow, as to its sound, as if it was departing the house, and so still seemed to go further and further off, till at last they could hear it not longer. ‘Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things that God hath prepared for them that love him’: behold, then, how God can make thy sick bed easy! (1 Cor 2:9).

(b) A dying bed is made easy by those good works that men have done in their life for the name of God: ‘Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord: yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours, and their works do follow them’; yea, and go before them too (Rev 14:13). No man need be afraid to be accompanied by good deeds to heaven. Be afraid of sins, they are like bloodhounds at the heels; and be sure thy sins will find thee out, even thee who hast not been pardoned in the precious blood of Christ; but as for those who have submitted themselves to the righteousness of God for their justification, and who have, through faith and love to his name, been frequent in deeds of righteousness, they shall not appear empty before their God, ‘their works,’ their good works, ‘follow them.’ These shall enter into rest, and walk with Christ in white. I observe, when Israel had passed over Jordan, they were to go to possess between Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim, from whence was to be pronounced the blessing and the cursing (Deut 27). The gospel meaning of which I take to be as followeth: I take Jordan to be a type of death: and these two mountains, with the cursing and blessing, to be a type of the judgment that comes on every man, so soon as he goes from hence—‘and after death the judgment’—so that he that escapes the cursing, he alone goes into blessedness; but he that Mount Ebal smiteth, he falls short of heaven! O! none knows the noise that doth sound in sinners’ souls from Ebal and Gerizim when they are departed hence; yet it may be they know not what will become of them till they hear these echoings from these two mountains: but here the good man is sure Mount Gerizim doth pronounce him blessed. Blessed, then, are the dead that die in the Lord, for their works will follow them till they are past all danger. These are the Christian’s train that follow him to rest; these are a good man’s company that follow him to heaven.

FOOTNOTES:

[1] Solemn indeed is the responsibility of a Christian minister, and every follower of the Lamb bears that office privately, and should be earnest in prayer that public ministers may do the work of evangelists, not only by insisting upon the necessity of the new birth and its solemn reality, the happiness of a close walk with God, and the glorious rest that remaineth, but to visit the poor and rich at their own habitations, in sickness and health, and watch over their people as those that must give an account.—Ed.

[2] ‘With a curse,’ is from the Puritan version.—Ed.

[3] Wretched are the persecutors, like a troubled sea, casting up mire and filth, vainly opposing the sinner’s duty of personal inquiry for salvation, and harassing him if he refuses to submit to human dogmas, creeds, catechisms, and liturgies—the inventions of men. Although the power is curtailed, the disposition remains the same; restless and unwearied, they stick at nothing to glut their revenge upon the disciples of Christ. But all in vain; the gospel spreads although the persecutor kicks; it is against the sharp goads; he rushes upon Jehovah’s buckler and crushes himself; is wretched in this life and lost to all eternity; unless, as in the case of Saul, unspeakable mercy arrests him—Ed.

[4] The lions growled and roared upon the pilgrims in Bunyan’s days, to prevent their making a public profession of Christ by uniting with one of his churches; represented in the Pilgrim’s Progress by the palace justly called Beautiful. Many were then kept back, to their serious injury or ruin, by fear of enormous penalties or imprisonment, but NOW, what keeps you back, O Christian. Fears for the loss of property, liberty, or life, would have been a wretched plea for the loss of the soul, how much less the fear of ridicule from ungodly friends or relatives.—Ed.

[5] A familiar expression; ‘rub up,’ prepare for action. ‘Put on thy harness,’ an obsolete term for armour, weapons, and habiliments of war; the spiritual warfare, ‘put on the whole armour of God.’—Ed.

[6] Would you be ready to die in peace? then seek a close walk and communion with God in time of health. A life of faith ensures a life of glory. Live and walk in the Spirit; as strangers and pilgrims abstain from fleshly lusts. To live thus is Christ; to die is gain, the more sudden the more joyful and glorious.—Ed.

[7] This meaning of the word ‘touch’ is now obsolete. It refers to touching the seal on a deed, called sealing it; a solemn, deliberate pledge to keep close to your covenants. ‘I keep touch with my promise.’ Sir Thomas More.—Ed.

[8] ‘To make both ends meet,’ is a proverbial expression, meaning that our expenses should not exceed our income; but, in this more solemn sense we should fulfil our daily duties as they approach, as all our moments have duties assigned to them. Omissions can never be recovered; hence the necessity of forgiveness for Christ’s sake, who fulfilled every duty, and hence the necessity of perpetual watchfulness.—Ed.

[9] How delightfully does this exclamation flow from the lips of the pious patriarch, overcome by his exertion in this solemn deathbed scene. He pauses, and then, with his recovering breath, appeals to heaven—‘I have waited for thy salvation, O Lord.’ Poor old man, the cold sweat of death is on thy brow, the angels stand ready to open the gate of the celestial city; finish thy solemn instructions to thy children, and then thou shalt enter upon the fruition of all thy patient waiting, thy fearing, fighting, trembling, doubting, shall be absorbed in immeasurable, eternal bliss.—Ed.

[10] This is a very illustrative allusion. When a spinner has wound up all his material, the technical term is, ‘The bottom is wound.’

When a poor spinner by age or infirmity, is incapable of work, it would be said, ‘Ah! his bottom is wound.’ In this text, Jacob had finally made an end of all his earthly duties, and had now only to close his eyes for the last time upon the world.—Ed.

[11] These are solemn and most weighty arguments to press upon us the fulfilment of our daily duties. How incomprehensible are the ways of God. His love is proved by bitterly convicting us of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment. Like Christian and Hopeful in Doubting Castle, sometimes so overwhelming as to drive us to the verge of despair and self-destruction. We fall not down the precipice, for still there is hope and pardon in his bosom, and at the proper time it will be revealed.—Ed.

[12] That preventeth; ‘letteth’ is from the old verb to let or hinder, as used Romans 1:13.—Ed.

[13] This language is probably founded on Revelation 22:14, ‘Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.’

Until the work that is assigned to us is done, we cannot cross the river and ascend to the New Jerusalem. ‘He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen.’ He who is diligent to finish his work may reply with truth, ‘Even so, come, Lord Jesus.’—Ed.

[14] Bunyan was in his politics a thorough loyalist. When a young man he even fought at the siege of Leicester, when it was besieged by the royal army. Probably the horrible cruelties practised upon the peaceful inhabitants, by the cavaliers, at the taking of that city, induced him to leave the service. His pastor, J. Gifford, had also served in the royal army as an officer; both of them narrowly escaped. This may account for Bunyan’s high monarchial principles, they appear very prominently in many of his works.—Ed.

[15] Many extraordinary tales are told of the nightingale, as to their great memory, and facility in imitating the human voice.

Sitting in thorns is more for protection than penance. See Goldsmith’s Animated Nature. It was a generally received opinion that the nightingale, to keep himself awake in the night, sat on a tree of thorn, so that if he nodded he would be pricked in the breast. The learned and witty Dr. Thomas Fuller thus alludes to it:—‘I am sure the nightingale which would wake will not be angry with the thorn which pricketh her breast when she noddeth.’ How useful would it be if a thorn could be so placed as to prick those who nod at church!—Ed.

[16] A painted figure of a horse, behind which the sportsman stealthily approaches the game.

‘One underneath his horse, to get a shoot doth stalk Another over dykes upon his stilts doth walk.’

—Drayton’s Polyolbion, vol. iii. p. 25.—Ed.

[17] So dress as to pass without being noticed; neither precise nor formal, slovenly nor dandyish; dress like a man or woman. Conduct yourself as one that fears God.—Ed.

[18] The head having been crowned with thorns, it is unsuitable that the feet should tread on rose leaves.—Mason.

[19] How very striking is this expression. O! that it may assist in riveting upon our souls a vivid remembrance of the Saviour’s sufferings.—Ed.

[20] Some Pharisees, falsely