Works of John Bunyan Volume II Part 182

4. As there must be care used in choosing men to rule the church of G.o.d, so there must be a consideration had that there are many things darkly laid down in Scripture; this will temper our spirits, and make us live in peace and unity the more firmly in things in which we agree; this will help us to bear one another's burden, and so fulfil the law of Christ, inasmuch as all things necessary to salvation and church-communion are plainly laid down in Scripture.

And where things are more darkly laid down, we should consider that G.o.d intended hereby to stir up our diligence, that thereby we might increase our knowledge, and not our divisions; for it may be said of all discoveries of truth we have made in the Scriptures, as it is said of the globe of the earth, that though men have made great searches, and thereupon great discoveries, yet there is still a terra incognita--an unknown land; so there is in the Scriptures; for after men have travelled over them, one age after another, yet still there is, as it were, a terra incognita, an unknown tract to put us upon farther search and inquiry, and to keep us from censuring and falling out with those who have not yet made the same discoveries; that so we may say with the Psalmist, when we reflect upon our short apprehensions of the mind of G.o.d, that we have seen an end of all perfections, but G.o.d's commands are exceeding broad; and as one observes, speaking of the Scriptures, that there is a path in them leading to the mind of G.o.d, which lieth a great distance from the thoughts and apprehensions of men. And on the other hand, in many other places, G.o.d sits, as it were, on the superficies and the face of the letter, where he that runs may discern him speaking plainly, and no parable at all. How should the consideration of this induce us to a peaceable deportment towards those that differ.

5. If we would endeavour peace and unity, we must consider how G.o.d hath tempered the body, that so the comely parts should not separate from the uncomely, as having no need of them (1 Cor 12:22-25).

There is in Christ's body and house some members and vessels less honourable (2 Tim 2:20); and therefore we should not, as some now-a-days do, pour the more abundant disgrace, instead of putting the more abundant honour, upon them. Did we but consider this, we should be covering the weakness and hiding the miscarriages of one another, because we are all members one of another, and the most useless member in his place is useful.

6. If we would live in peace, let us remember our relations to G.o.d--as children to a father, and to each other as brethren. Will not the thoughts that we have one Father quiet us, and the thoughts that we are brethren unite us? It was this that made Abraham propose terms of peace to Lot (Gen 13): 'Let there be no strife,'

saith he, 'between us, for we are brethren.' And we read of Moses, in Acts 7:26, using this argument to reconcile those that strove together, and to set them at one again: 'Sirs,' saith he, 'ye are brethren; why do ye wrong one to another?' A deep sense of this relation, that we are brethren, would keep us from dividing.

7. If we would preserve peace, let us mind the gifts, and graces, and virtues that are in each other; let these be more in our eye than their failings and imperfections. When the apostle exhorted the Philippians to peace, as a means hereunto, that so the peace of G.o.d might rule in their hearts, he tells them (4:8), that if there were any virtue, or any praise, they should think of these things. While we are always talking and blazoning the faults of one another, and spreading their infirmities, no marvel we are so little in peace and charity; for as charity covereth a mult.i.tude of sins, so malice covereth a mult.i.tude of virtues, and makes us deal by one another as the heathen persecutors dealt with Christians, viz., put them in bears' skins, that they might the more readily become a prey to those dogs that were designed to devour them.

8. If we would keep unity and peace, let us lay aside provoking and dividing language, and forgive those that use them. Remember that old saying, Evil words corrupt good manners. When men think to carry all afore them, with speaking uncharitably and disgracefully of their brethren or their opinions, may not such be answered as Job answered his unfriendly visitants (Job 6:25), 'How forcible are right words! But what doth your arguing reprove?' How healing are words fitly spoken! A word in season, how good is it! If we would seek peace, let us clothe all our treaties for peace with acceptable words; and where one word may better accommodate than another, let that be used to express persons or things by, and let us not, as some do, call the different practices of our brethren will-worship, and their different opinions doctrines of devils, and the doctrine of Balaam, who taught fornication, &c., unless we can plainly, and in expressness of terms, prove it so; such language as this hath strangely divided our spirits, and hardened our hearts one towards another.

9. If we would live in peace, let us make the best constructions of one another's words and actions. Charity judgeth the best, and it thinks no evil; if words and actions may be construed to a good sense, let us never put a bad construction upon them. How much hath the peace of Christians been broken by an uncharitable interpretation of words and actions? As some lay to the charge of others that which they never said, so, by straining men's words, others lay to their charge that they never thought.

10. Be willing to hear and learn, and obey those that G.o.d by his providence hath set over you; this is a great means to preserve the unity and peace of churches. But when men, yea, and sometimes women, shall usurp authority, and think themselves wiser than their teachers, no wonder if these people run into contentions and parties, when any shall say they are not free to hear those whom the church thinks fit to speak to them. This is the first step to schism, and is usually attended, if not timely prevented, with a sinful separation.

11. If you would keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace, be mindful that the G.o.d whom you serve is a G.o.d of peace, and your Saviour is a Prince of peace, and that his ways are ways of pleasantness, and all his paths are peace; and that Christ was sent into the world to give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to guide our feet in the way of peace.

12. Consider the oneness of spirit that is among the enemies of religion; though they differ about other things, yet to persecute religion, and extirpate religion out of the earth, here they will agree: the devils in the air, and the devils in the earth, all the devils in h.e.l.l, and in the world, make one at this turn. Shall the devil's kingdom be united, and shall Christ's be divided? Shall the devils make one shoulder to drive on the design of d.a.m.ning men, and shall not Christians unite to carry on the great design of saving of them? Shall the Papists agree and unite to carry on their interest, notwithstanding the mult.i.tudes of orders, degrees, and differences, that are among them, and shall not those that call themselves reformed churches unite to carry on the common interest of Christ in the world, notwithstanding some petty and disputable differences that are among them? Quarrels about religion, as one observes, were sins not named among the Gentiles. What a shame is it, then, for Christians to abound in them, especially considering the nature of the Christian religion, and what large provisions the author of it hath made to keep the professors of it in peace; insomuch, as one well observes, it is next to a miracle that ever any, especially the professors of it, should fall out about it.

13. Consider and remember that the Judge stands at the door; let this moderate our spirits, that the Lord is at hand. What a sad account will they have to make when he comes, that shall be found to smite their fellow-servants, and to make the way to his kingdom more narrow than ever he made it? Let me close all in the words of that great apostle (2 Cor 13:11): 'Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the G.o.d of love and peace shall be with you.'

POSTSCRIPT.

Reader, I thought good to advertise thee that I have delivered this to thy hand in the same order and method in which it was preached, and almost in the same words, without any diminishings or considerable enlargings, unless it be in the thirteen last particulars, upon some of which I have made some enlargements, which I could not then do for want of time; but the substance of every one of them was then laid down in the same particular order as here thou hast them: and now I have done, I make no other account, to use the words of a moderate man upon the like occasion, but it will fall out with me, as doth commonly with him that parts a fray, both parties may perhaps drive at me for wishing them no worse than peace. My ambition of the public tranquility of the church of G.o.d, I hope, will carry me through these hazards. Let both beat me, so their quarrels may cease; I shall rejoice in those blows and scars I shall take for the church's safety.

FOOTNOTE:

[1] 'Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is offended, and I burn not?'--Ed.

MR. BUNYAN'S LAST SERMON:

Preached August 19TH, 1688

[ADVERTIs.e.m.e.nT BY THE EDITOR]

This sermon, although very short, is peculiarly interesting: how it was preserved we are not told; but it bears strong marks of having been published from notes taken by one of the hearers. There is no proof that any memorandum or notes of this sermon was found in the autograph of the preacher.

In the list of Bunyan's works published by Chas. Doe, at the end of the 'Heavenly Footman,' March 1690, it stands No. 44. He professes to give the t.i.tle-page, word for word, as it was first printed, It is, 'Mr. John Bunyan's last sermon, at London, preached at Mr.

Gamman's meeting-house, near Whitechapel, August 19th, 1688, upon John 1:13: showing a resemblance between a natural and a spiritual birth; and how every man and woman may try themselves, and know whether they are born again or not.' Published 1689, in about one sheet in 12mo. From this it appears to have been preached only two days before his fatal illness, and twelve days before his decease, which took place August 31st, 1688. The disease which terminated his invaluable life, was brought on by a journey to Reading on horseback, undertaken with the benevolent design of reconciling an offended father to his son. Having accomplished his object, he rode to London; on his way home, through a heavy rain, the effects of which appeared soon after this, his last sermon was preached.

He bore, with most exemplary patience and resignation, the fever which invaded his body; and, at a distance from his wife and family, in the house of his friend Mr. Strudwick, at Snow Hill, his pilgrimage was ended, and he fell asleep in perfect peace, to awake amidst the harmonies and glory of the celestial city.

GEO. OFFOR.

Mr. Bunyan's Last Sermon

'Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of G.o.d.'--John 1:13

The words have a dependance on what goes before, and therefore I must direct you to them for the right understanding of it. You have it thus: 'He came unto his own, and his own received him not; but as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of G.o.d, even to them that believe on his name: which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh--but of G.o.d.'

In the words before, you have two things. First, Some of his own rejecting him, when he offered himself to them. Second, Others of his own receiving him, and making him welcome; those that reject him, he also pa.s.ses by; but those that receive him, he gives them power to become the sons of G.o.d.

Now, lest any one should look upon it as good luck or fortune, says he, they 'were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of G.o.d.' They that did not receive him, they were only born of flesh and blood; but those that receive him, they have G.o.d to their Father; they receive the doctrine of Christ with a vehement desire.

[TO EXPLAIN THE TEXT.]

FIRST, I will show you what he means by blood. They that believe are born to it, as an heir is to an inheritance--they are born of G.o.d, not of flesh, nor of the will of man, but of G.o.d; not of blood, that is, not by generation, not born to the kingdom of heaven by the flesh, not because I am the son of a G.o.dly man or woman--that is meant by blood (Acts 17:26); He 'hath made of one blood all nations.' But when he says here, 'not of blood,' he rejects all carnal privileges they did boast of: they boasted they were Abraham's seed; no, no says he, it is not of blood; think not to say you have Abraham to your father; you must be born of G.o.d, if you go to the kingdom of heaven.

SECOND, 'Nor of the will of the flesh.' What must we understand by that?

It is taken for those vehement inclinations that are in man, to all manner of looseness, fulfilling the desires of the flesh: that must not be understood here; men are not made the children of G.o.d by fulfilling their l.u.s.tful desires. It must be understood here in the best sense: there is not only in carnal men a will to be vile, but there is in them a will to be saved also; a will to go to heaven also. But this it will not do; it will not privilege a man in the things of the kingdom of G.o.d: natural desires after the things of another world, they are not an argument to prove a man shall go to heaven whenever he dies. I am not a free-willer, I do abhor it; yet there is not the wickedest man but he desires, some time or other, to be saved; he will read some time or other, or, it may be, pray, but this will not do: 'It is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of G.o.d that sheweth mercy.'

There is willing and running, and yet to no purpose (Rom 9:16).

Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, have not obtained it (v 30). Here, I do not understand, as if the apostle had denied a virtuous course of life to be the way to heaven; but that a man without grace, though he have natural gifts, yet he shall not obtain privilege to go to heaven, and be the son of G.o.d. Though a man without grace may have a will to be saved, yet he cannot have that will G.o.d's way. Nature, it cannot know any thing but the things of nature--the things of G.o.d knows no man but by the Spirit of G.o.d; unless the Spirit of G.o.d be in you, it will leave you on this side the gates of heaven. 'Not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of G.o.d.' It may be, some may have a will, a desire that Ishmael may be saved; know this, it will not save thy child. If it was our will, I would have you all go to heaven. How many are there in the world that pray for their children, and cry for them, and are ready to die [for them]? and this will not do. G.o.d's will is the rule of all; it is only through Jesus Christ: 'which were born, not of flesh, nor of the will of man, but of G.o.d.'

Now I come to the doctrine.

Men that believe in Jesus Christ, to the effectual receiving of Jesus Christ, they are born to it. He does not say they shall be born to it, but they are born to it--born of G.o.d unto G.o.d and the things of G.o.d, before he receives G.o.d to eternal salvation.

'Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of G.o.d.'

Now, unless he be born of G.o.d, he cannot see it: suppose the kingdom of G.o.d be what it will, he cannot see it before he be begotten of G.o.d. Suppose it be the gospel, he cannot see it before he be brought into a state of regeneration. Believing is the consequence of the new birth; 'not of blood, nor of the will of man, but of G.o.d.'

First, I will give you a clear description of it under one similitude or two. A child, before it be born into the world, is in the dark dungeon of its mother's womb: so a child of G.o.d, before he be born again, is in the dark dungeon of sin, sees nothing of the kingdom of G.o.d; therefore it is called a new birth: the same soul has love one way in its carnal condition, another way when it is born again.

Second, As it is compared to a birth, resembling a child in his mother's womb, so it is compared to a man being raised out of the grave; and to be born again, is to be raised out of the grave of sin; 'Awake, thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.' To be raised from the grave of sin is to be begotten and born (Rev 1:5); there is a famous instance of Christ; He is 'the first begotten of the dead'; he is the first-born from the dead, unto which our regeneration alludeth; that is, if you be born again by seeking those things that are above, then there is a similitude betwixt Christ's resurrection and the new birth; which was born, which was restored out of this dark world, and translated out of the kingdom of this dark world, into the kingdom of his dear Son, and made us live a new life--this is to be born again: and he that is delivered from the mother's womb, it is the help of the mother; so he that is born of G.o.d, it is by the Spirit of G.o.d. I must give you a few consequences of a new birth.

(1.) First of all, A child, you know, is incident to cry as soon as it comes into the world; for if there be no noise, they say it is dead. You that are born of G.o.d, and Christians, if you be not criers, there is no spiritual life in you--if you be born of G.o.d, you are crying ones; as soon as he has raised you out of the dark dungeon of sin, you cannot but cry to G.o.d, What must I do to be saved? As soon as ever G.o.d had touched the jailer, he cries out, 'Men and brethren, what must I do to be saved?' Oh! how many prayerless professors is there in London that never pray! Coffee-houses will not let you pray, trades will not let you pray, looking-gla.s.ses will not let you pray; but if you was born of G.o.d, you would.

(2.) It is not only natural for a child to cry, but it must crave the breast; it cannot live without the breast--therefore Peter makes it the true trial of a new-born babe: the new-born babe desires the sincere milk of the Word, that he may grow thereby: if you be born of G.o.d, make it manifest by desiring the breast of G.o.d. Do you long for the milk of the promises? A man lives one way when he is in the world, another way when he is brought unto Jesus Christ (Isa 66). They shall suck and be satisfied; if you be born again, there is no satisfaction till you get the milk of G.o.d's Word into your souls (Isa 66:11). To 'suck and be satisfied with the b.r.e.a.s.t.s of her consolation.' Oh! what is a promise to a carnal man? A wh.o.r.e-house, it may be, is more sweet to him; but if you be born again, you cannot live without the milk of G.o.d's Word. What is a woman's breast to a horse? But what is it to a child? there is its comfort night and day, there is its succour night and day. O how loath are they it should be taken from them: minding heavenly things, says a carnal man, is but vanity; but to a child of G.o.d, there is his comfort.

(3.) A child that is newly born, if it have not other comforts to keep it warm than it had in its mother's womb, it dies; it must have something got for its succour: so Christ had swaddling clothes prepared for him; so those that are born again, they must have some promise of Christ to keep them alive; those that are in a carnal state, they warm themselves with other things; but those that are born again, they cannot live without some promise of Christ to keep them alive; as he did to the poor infant in Ezekiel 16:8: I covered thee with embroidered gold: and when women are with child, what fine things will they prepare for their child!

Oh, but what fine things has Christ prepared to wrap all in that are born again! Oh what wrappings of gold has Christ prepared for all that are born again! Women will dress their children, that every one may see them how fine they are; so he in Ezekiel 16:11: 'I decked thee also with ornaments, and I put bracelets upon thine hands, and a chain on thy neck; and I put a jewel on thy forehead, and ear-rings in thine ears, and a beautiful crown upon thine head.'

And, says he in verse 13, 'Thou didst prosper into a kingdom.'

This is to set out nothing in the world but the righteousness of Christ and the graces of the Spirit, without which a new-born babe cannot live, unless they have the golden righteousness of Christ.

(4.) A child, when it is in its mother's lap, the mother takes great delight to have that which will be for its comfort; so it is with G.o.d's children, they shall be kept on his knee (Isa 66:11): 'They shall suck and be satisfied with the b.r.e.a.s.t.s of her consolations'; verse 13: 'As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you.' There is a similitude in these things that n.o.body knows of, but those that are born again.

(5.) There is usually some similitude betwixt the father and the child. It may be the child looks like its father; so those that are born again, they have a new similitude--they have the image of Jesus Christ (Gal 4). Every one that is born of G.o.d has something of the features of heaven upon him. Men love those children that are likest them most usually; so does G.o.d his children, therefore they are called the children of G.o.d; but others do not look like him, therefore they are called Sodomites. Christ describes children of the devil by their features--the children of the devil, his works they will do; all works of unrighteousness, they are the devil's works: if you are earthly, you have borne the image of the earthly; if heavenly, you have borne the image of the heavenly.

(6.) When a man has a child, he trains him up to his own liking--they have learned the custom of their father's house; so are those that are born of G.o.d--they have learned the custom of the true church of G.o.d; there they learn to cry 'My Father' and 'My G.o.d'; they are brought up in G.o.d's house, they learn the method and form of G.o.d's house, for regulating their lives in this world.

(7.) Children, it is natural for them to depend upon their father for what they want; if they want a pair of shoes, they go and tell him; if they want bread, they go and tell him; so should the children of G.o.d do. Do you want spiritual bread? go tell G.o.d of it. Do you want strength of grace? ask it of G.o.d. Do you want strength against Satan's temptations? go and tell G.o.d of it. When the devil tempts you, run home and tell your heavenly Father--go, pour out your complaints to G.o.d; this is natural to children; if any wrong them, they go and tell their father; so do those that are born of G.o.d, when they meet with temptations, go and tell G.o.d of them.

[THE APPLICATION.]