Bunyan's personal
appearance and character were drawn by his friend Mr. Doe. 'He appeared in
countenance stern and rough, but was mild and affable; loving to reconcile
differences and make friendships. He made it his study, above all other things,
not to give occasion of offense. In his family, he kept a very strict discipline
in prayer and exhortations. He had a sharp, quick eye, and an excellent
discerning of persons; of good judgment and quick wit. Tall in stature,
strong-boned; somewhat of a ruddy face with sparkling eyes; his hair reddish,
but sprinkled with gray; nose well set; mouth moderately large; forehead
something high, and his habit always plain and modest.'
My determination in
writing this memoir has been to follow the scriptural example, by fairly
recording every defect discoverable in Bunyan's character; but what were
considered by some to be blemishes, after his conversion, appear, in my
estimation, to be beauties. His moral and religious character was
irreproachable, and his doctrinal views were most scriptural; all agree in this,
that he was a bright and shining light; unrivaled for his allegories, and for
the vast amount of his usefulness. His friend, Mr. Wilson, says, 'Though his
enemies and persecutors, in his lifetime, did what they could vilify and
reproach him, yet, being gone, he that before had the testimony of their
consciences, hath now their actual commendation and applause.' To this, we
may add, that he was without sectarianism, a most decided Bible Christian. This
reveals the secret of his striking phraseology. It was in the sacred pages of
Divine truth that he learned grammar and rhetoric. Style, and all his knowledge
of the powers of language—were derived from the only source of his
religious wisdom and learning. He lived, and thought, and wrote under the
influence of the holy oracles, translated by the Puritans in 1560, compared
with the version of 1611. This gives a charm to all his works and suits them
to every human capacity.
Reader, the object of
biography is to excite emulation. Why should not others arise as extensively to
bless the world as Bunyan did? The storehouses of heaven from which he was
replenished with holy treasures are inexhaustible. As he said, 'God has bags
of mercy yet unsealed.' We have the same holy oracles and the same mercy seat.
The time is past for merely challenging the right to the personal judgment of
religious truths. In Britain, the lions are securely chained, and the cruel
giants are disabled. The awful crime of imprisoning and torturing a man for conscience'
sake, exists only in kingdoms where darkness reigns—
''amongst horrid
shapes and shrieks, and sights unholy.'
We stand upon higher
ground than our forefathers; we take our more solemn stand upon the imperative
duty of personal investigation—that no one can claim the name of Christian,
unless he has laid aside all national, family, or educational prejudices,
and drawn from the holy oracles alone all his scheme of salvation and rules of
conduct. All the secret of Bunyan's vast usefulness, the foundation of all his
honor, is, that the fear of God swallowed up the fear of man; that he was
baptized into the truths of revelation, and lived to exemplify them. He was a
bright and shining light in a benighted world; and of him, it may be most
emphatically said, 'Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord, that they may
rest from their labors; and their works do follow them.'
GEORGE OFFOR.
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