Works of John Bunyan: LIGHT FOR THEM THAT SIT IN DARKNESS. 421

 

1. In that they have given us a gospel of peace (Rom 10:15). Or a new testament which propounded peace with God through the redemption that is in Christ. Now as this is called the gospel of peace, so it is called the gospel of God (1 Thess 2:9). The gospel of Christ (Rom 15:19; 2 Thess 1:8). A gospel indited by the Holy Ghost (1 Thess 4:8). I say, therefore, that redemption and salvation being that through Christ, and the truth thereof proclaimed by the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost, in the word of the truth of the gospel, it must needs be that we who believe shall be saved, 'if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.'
2. As the three in the Godhead are the authors of this peace by inditing for us the gospel of peace, or the good tidings of salvation by Jesus Christ, they are the authors of our peace by working with that word of the gospel in our hearts. And hence, (1.) The Father is called the God of peace, 'Now the God of peace be with you all' (Rom 15:33). 'And the very God of peace sanctify you' (1 Thess 5:23). And because he is the God of peace, therefore he filled those that believe in his Christ with joy and peace through believing (Rom 15:13). (2.) Again, Christ is called the Prince of peace; therefore, the prayer is, 'Grace unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ' (2 Thess 1:2). (3.) The Holy Ghost is also the author of this peace, this inward peace, even 'righteousness and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost' (Rom 14:17).
   And I say, as I also already have said, the procuring or meritorious cause of this peace is the doings and sufferings of Christ; therefore, by his doings and sufferings, he paid full price to God for sinners and obtained eternal redemption for them; else God would never have indited a proclamation of peace for them, and the tenor of that proclamation to be the worthiness of the Lord Jesus; yea, he would never have wrought with that word in the heart of them that believe, to create within them peace, peace.
   Second. [Holiness.] As peace with God is evidence—the blood of Christ being the cause thereof—that Christ hath by it paid full price to God for sinners, so holiness in their hearts, taking its beginning from this doctrine, makes its fifth demonstration of double strength.
3. That holiness, true gospel holiness, possessed our hearts by this doctrine. It is evident because the ground of holiness, which is the Spirit of God in us, is ministered to us by this doctrine. When the apostle had insinuated that the Galatians were bewitched because they had turned from the doctrine of Christ crucified, he asked them whether 'they received the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?' (Gal 3:1-4). That is, whether the Spirit took possession of their souls by their obedience to the Ten Commandments or by their giving credit to the doctrine of the forgiveness of their sins by faith in this crucified Christ, firmly concluding, not by the law, but by the hearing or preaching of faith—that is, of the Lord Jesus as crucified, who is the object of faith.
4. As this doctrine conveyed the ground or groundwork, which is the Spirit, it also worketh in the heart those three graces, faith, hope, and love, all which naturally purify the heart from wickedness as soap and niter cleansed the cloth. He purified 'their hearts by faith' in Christ's blood. 'And every man that hath this hope in him purifies himself, even as he is pure.' Also, love, you shall see what that doth if you look into the text (Acts 15:9; 1 John 3:3,4; 1 Cor 13). Now, I say, this faith grounded itself in the blood of Christ; hope waited for the full enjoyments of the purchase of it in another world; and love begets, and worketh by the love that Christ hath expressed by his death, and by the kindness he presented us with in his heart's blood (Rom 3:24; 1 Cor 15:19; 2 Cor 5:14).
   Besides, what arguments are so prevailing that they are purely gospel? For instance, a few—(1.) What is stronger than a free forgiveness of sins? 'A certain man had two debtors, the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty, and when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both; tell me, therefore, which of them will love him most?' (Luke 7:41,42,47). (2.) What stronger argument for holiness than to see that though forgiveness comes free to us, it costs Christ Jesus' hearts' blood to obtain it for us. 'Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.' And this love of God in giving his Christ, and of Christ in dying for us, there is no argument stronger to prevail with a sensible and awakened sinner to judge 'he should live to him that died for him, and rose again' (2 Cor 5:15). (3.) What stronger argument for holiness than this: 'If any man sins, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous?' (1 John 2:1). Unsanctified and graceless wretches know not how to use these words of God; the hypocrites also fly in our faces because we thus urge them; but a heart that is possessed with gospel ingenuity, or, to speak more properly, that is possessed with gospel grace, and with divine considerations, cries, If it be thus, O let me never sin against God, 'for the love of Christ constrained me' (2 Cor 5:14). (4.) What greater argument to holiness than to see the holy Scriptures so furnished with promises of grace and salvation by Christ that a man can hardly cast his eye into the Bible, but he espied one or other of them? Who would not live in such a house or be a servant to such a prince, who, besides his exceeding in good conditions, hath gold and silver as standard in his palace as stones are by the highway side? 'Having, therefore, these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God' (2 Cor 7:1). (5.) What greater argument to holiness than to have our performances, though weak and infirm from us, yet accepted of God in Jesus Christ (1 Peter 2:4-6). (6.) What greater argument for holiness than to have our soul, our body, and our life hidden and secured with Christ in God? 'Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth, fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry' (Col 3:1-5). (7.) What greater argument to holiness than to be made the members of the body, of the flesh, and of the bones of Jesus Christ? 'Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them the members of a harlot? God forbid' (Eph 5:30; 1 Cor 6:15).