In 1684, he completed his Pilgrim's Progress, with the Journey of a Female Christian, her Children, and the Lovely Mercy; and now, as his invaluable and active life drew towards its close, his labors were redoubled. In his younger days, there appeared to have been no presentiment on his part that the longest term of human life would with him be shortened, but rather an expectation of living to old age, judging from an expression in his Grace Abounding. when he enjoyed a good hope and bright anticipation of heavenly felicity, 'I should often long and desire that the last days came.
O! thought I, that I was fourscore years old now, that I might die quickly and be gone to rest.' At that time he did not anticipate twelve years' imprisonment in a wretched jail, nor the consequent effects it must have upon his robust frame, well calculated to stand all weathers, but easily sapped and undermined by a damp dungeon. Symptoms of decay, after having enjoyed his liberty for about a year, led him to close his Affectionate Advice to his Beloved Flock, on their Christian Behaviour; with these words, 'Thus have I written to you, before I die, to provoke you to faith and holiness, and to love one another, when I am deceased, and shall be in paradise, as through grace I comfortably believe; yet it is not there, but here, I must do you good.' It is remarkable that Bunyan escaped all the dangers of the trying reign of James II, who, at times, was a persecutor, and at times endeavored, in vain, by blandishments, to win the Nonconformists. his minions had their eyes upon our pilgrim, but were foiled in every attempt to apprehend him; all that he suffered was the occasional spoiling of his goods.
Neither violence nor allurements induced him to deviate from his line of duty. No fear of man appeared to agitate his breast—he richly enjoyed that 'perfect love,' which 'casteth out fear' (1 John 4:18). James did all that an unprincipled man could do to cajole the Dissenters, that by their aid he might pull down the walls of Protestantism, and give full sway to the Papacy. He attempted, among many others, to bribe John Bunyan. He knew not how well he was read in the Book of Martyrs; how well he was aware that 'the instruments of cruelty are in their habitations,' and that the only advantage he could have received, would have been the same that Polypheme, the monstrous giant of Sicily, allowed to Ulysses, that he would eat his men first, and do him the favor of being eaten last. Mr. Doe states that 'Regulators were sent into all cities and towns corporate to new-model the magistracy, by turning out some and putting in others.
Against this Bunyan expressed his zeal with great anxiety, foreseeing the bad consequences that would attend it, and labored with his
congregation to prevent they are being imposed on in this kind. And when a great
man in those days, coming to Bedford upon some such errand, sent for him, as it
is supposed, to give him a place of public trust, he would by no means come at
him, but sent his excuse.' He knew that in his flesh he possessed what he
calls 'Adam's legacy, a conduit pipe, through which the devil conveys his
poisoned spawn and venom,' and he wisely avoided this subtle temptation.
He detested the 'painted Satan, or devil in fine clothes.' It was one of
these hypocritical pretenses to correct evil, while really meaning to increase
it, which Bunyan calls, 'the devil correcting vice.' He was watchful, lest
'his inward man should catch a cold,' and every attempt to entangle him
failed.
No comments:
Post a Comment