Works of John Bunyan —BUNYAN IS BAPTIZED, AND ENTERS INTO COMMUNION WITH A CHRISTIAN CHURCH AT BEDFORD- PERIOD SIXTH

 

Bunyan's singular powers are those of description, not of the invention. He had lived in the city of destruction—he had heard the distant threatening of the awful storm that was shortly to swallow it up in unutterable ruin—he had felt the load of sin, and rejoiced when it was rolled away before a crucified Saviour—he knew every step of the way. Before he had himself passed the black river, he had watched prayerfully over those who were passing, and when the gate of the city was opened to let them enter, he had strained his eyes to see their glory.

The purifying influence of The Pilgrim's Progress may be traced in the writings of many imaginative authors. How does it in several parts beautify the admirable tale of Uncle Tom and his Cabin? In that inimitable scene, the death of the lovely Eva, the distressed negro, watching with intense anxiety the progress of death, says, 'When that blessed child goes into the kingdom, they'll open the door so wide, we'll all get a look in at the glory.' Whence came to this strange idea—not limited to the poor negro, but felt by thousands who have watched over departing saints? It comes from the entrance of Christian and Hopeful into the celestial city—'I looked in after them, and, behold, the city shone like the sun; the streets, also, were paved with gold, and in them, they walked with crowns on their heads, palms in their hands, and golden harps to sing praises, which, when I had seen, I wished myself among them.'

 How often has Bunyan's wit sparkled in sermons, and even in speeches delivered in the senate? Recently, in a speech on the collation ministry, the following reference was introduced: —' Mr. Facing both ways, of honest John Bunyan, is not a creature mankind can regard with any complacency; nor will they likely suffer anyone to act with one party and reserve his principles for another.' It has also been strangely quoted in novel writing—thus in Bell's Villette—visiting a Godmother in a pleasant retreat, is said 'to resemble the sojourn of Christian and Hopeful, beside the pleasant stream, with green trees on each bank, and meadows beautified with lilies all the year round.' It is marvelous that a picture of nature should have been so beautifully and strikingly described by an unlettered artisan, as to be used in embellishing an elegant novel, written nearly two centuries after his decease.

The Pilgrim was followed by a searching treatise on The Fear of God. The value of this book led to its republication by the Tract Society, and 4000 copies have been circulated. It is a neat and acceptable volume, but why altered? and a psalm omitted. Bunyan says, 'Your great ranting, swaggering, rosters'; this is modernized into 'Your ranting boasters.' Then followed, the Come and Welcome to Jesus Christ. This was frequently reprinted, and hundreds of thousands have been circulated to benefit the world. His popularity increased with his years; efforts were made, but in vain, to steal him from his beloved charge at Bedford. 'He hath refused a more plentiful income to keep his station,' is the language of his surviving friend, Charles Doe.

 It is not surprising that he was thus tempted to leave his poor country church, for we are told by the same biographer, that 'When Mr. Bunyan preached in London if there were but one day's notice given, there would be more people come together to hear him preach than the meetinghouse could hold. I have heard him preach, by my computation, about 1200 at a morning lecture, by seven o'clock, on a working day, in the dark wintertime. I also computed about 3000 that came to hear him one Lord's-day, at London, at a town's end meeting house, so that half were fain to go back again for want of room, and then himself was fain at a back door to be pulled almost over people to get upstairs to his pulpit.'

This took place in a large meetinghouse, erected in Zoar Street, either on the site or near the Globe Theatre, Southwark. On this spot, the prince of dramatists amused and corrupted crowded houses; while in the immediate vicinity were the stews and bear garden, frequented by libertines of the lowest caste. One Sunday, in 1582, many were killed or miserably wounded while attending the brutal sport of bearbaiting. Here, in the heart of Satan's empire, the prince of allegorists attracted multitudes, to be enlightened by his natural eloquence, and to be benefited by the fruits of his prolific and vivid imagination, at all times curbed and directed by the holy oracles. It was a spacious building, covering about 2000 feet of ground (50 by 40), with three galleries, quite capable of holding the number computed by Mr. Doe.

We have, from correct drawings, furnished our subscribers with the plan and elevation of this ancient meetinghouse. Having preached with peculiar warmth and enlargement, one of his friends took him by the hand, and could not help observing what a sweet sermon he had delivered; 'Ay,' said he, 'you need not remind me of that, for the devil told me of it before I was out of the pulpit!' Amongst his hearers were to be found the learned and the illiterate. It was well known that Dr. John Owen when he had the opportunity, embraced it with pleasure, and sat at the feet of the unlearned, but eloquent tinker. Charles II, hearing of it, asked the learned D.D., 'How a man of his great erudition could sit to hear a tinker preach?' to which the doctor replied, 'May it please your Majesty, if I could possess the tinker's abilities, I would gladly give in exchange all my learning.'

 He now pictured the downward road of the sinner to the realms of death and darkness in the Life of Badman. This was published in 1680 and is written in a language that fraudulent tradesmen at that period could not misunderstand, using terms now obsolete or vulgar. It is full of anecdotes, which reveal the state of the times, as superlatively immoral, and profane. He incidentally notices that a laborer received eightpence or tenpence per day. At that time, bread and all the necessities of life, except meat, were dearer than they are now. In fact, our days are much happier for the poor than any preceding ones in British history. Bunyan’s notions of conscientious dealing will make all traders who read them—blush.