Works of John Bunyan Volume III Part 153

Yea, rise again he did out of the earth, And shook off from him all the chains of death; Then at his chariot wheels he captive led His foes, and trod upon the serpent's head; Riding in triumph to his Father's throne, There to possess the kingdom as his own.

What say'st thou, wilt not yet unto him come?

His arms are open, in his heart is room To lay thee; be not then discouraged, Although thy sins be many, great, and red; Unto thee righteousness he will impute, And with the kisses of his mouth salute Thy drooping soul, and will it so uphold, As that thy shaking conscience shall be bold To come to mercy's seat with great access, There to expostulate with that justice That burns like fiery flames against all those That do not with this blessed Jesus close; Which unto thee will do no harm, but good, Because thou hast reliance on that blood That justice saith hath given him content, For all that do unfeignedly repent Their ill-spent life, and roll upon free grace, That they within that bosom might have place, That open is to such, where they shall lie In ease, and gladness, and felicity, World without end, according to that state I have, nay, better than I, can relate.

If thou shalt still object, thou yet art vile, And hast a heart that will not reconcile Unto the holy law, but will rebel, Hark yet to what I shall thee farther tell.

Two things are yet behind that help thee will, If G.o.d should put into thy mind that skill, So to improve them as becometh those That would with mercy and forgiveness close.

First, then, let this sink down into thy heart, That Christ is not a Saviour in part, But every way so fully he is made That all of those that underneath his shade And wing would sit, and shroud their weary soul, That even Moses dare it not control, But justify it, approve of 't, and conclude No man nor angel must himself intrude With such doctrine that may oppose the same, On pain of blaspheming that holy name, Which G.o.d himself hath given unto men, To stay, to trust, to lean themselves on, when They feel themselves a.s.saulted, and made fear Their sin will not let them in life appear.

For as G.o.d made him perfect righteousness, That he his love might to the height express, And us present complete before the throne; Sanctification, too, of his own He hath prepared, in which do we stand, Complete in holiness, at his right hand.

Now this sanctification is not That holiness which is in us, but that Which in the person of this Jesus is, And can inherently be only his.

But is imputed to us for our good.

As is his active righteousness and blood; Which is the cause, though we infirm are found, That mercy and forgiveness doth abound To us-ward, and that why we are not shent[16]

And empty, and away rebuked sent, Because that all we do imperfect is.

Bless G.o.d, then, for this holiness of his, And learn to look by faith on that alone, When thou seest thou hast nothing of thine own; Yea, when thy heart most willing is to do What G.o.d by his good word doth call thee to; And when thou find'st most holiness within, And greatest power over every sin, Yet then to Jesus look, and thou shalt see In him sanctification for thee, Far more complete than all that thou canst find In the most upright heart and willing mind, That ever man or angels did possess, When most filled with inherent righteousness.

Besides, if thou forgettest here to live, And Satan get thee once into his sieve, He will so hide thy wheat, and show thy brun[17]

That thou wilt quickly cry, I am undone.

Alas, thy goodliest attainments here, Though like the fairest blossoms they appear, How quickly will they lour and decay, And be as if they all were fled away, When once the east-wind of temptations beat Upon thee, with their dry and blasting heat!

Rich men will not account their treasure lies In crack'd groats and four-pence half-pennies,[18]

But in those bags they have within their chests, In staple goods, which shall within their b.r.e.a.s.t.s Have place accordingly, because they see Their substance lieth here. But if that be But shaken, then they quickly fear, and cry, Alas, 'tis not this small and odd money, We carry in our pockets for to spend, Will make us rich, or much will stand our friend.

If famine or if want do us a.s.sail, How quickly will these little pieces fail!

If thou be wise, consider what I say And look for all in Christ, where no decay Is like to be; then though thy present frame Be much in up-and-down, yet he the same Abideth, yea, and still at G.o.d's right hand, As thy most perfect holiness will stand.

It is, I say, not like to that in thee, Now high, then low, now out, then in, but he Most perfect is, when thou art at the worst The same, the very same; I said at first, This helpeth much when thou art buffeted, And when thy graces lie in thee as dead; Then to believe they are all perfect still In Christ thy head, who hath that blessed skill, Yet to present thee by what is in him Unto his Father, one that hath no sin.

Yea, this will fill thy mouth with argument Against the tempter, when he shall present Before thee all thy weakness, and shall hide From thee thy graces, that thou mayst abide Under the fretting fumes of unbelief, Which never yielded Christian man relief.

Nor help thyself thou mayst against him thus: O Satan, though my heart indeed be worse Than 'twas a while ago, yet I perceive Thou shalt me not of happiness bereave, Nor yet of holiness; for by the Word I find that Jesus Christ, our blessed Lord, Is made sanctification for me In his own person, where all graces be, As water in the fountain; and that I, By means of that, have yet a sanct.i.ty, Both personal and perfect every way; And that is Christ himself, as Paul doth say.

Now, though my crazy pitcher oft doth leak, By means of which my graces are so weak, And so much spent, that one I cannot find Able to stay or help my feeble mind; Yet then I look to Jesus, and see all In him that wanting is in me, and shall Again take courage, and believe he will Present me upright in his person, till He humble me for all my foolishness, And then again fill me with holiness.

Now, if thou lovest inward sanct.i.ty, As all the saints do most unfeignedly, Then add, to what I have already said, Faith in the promise; and be not afraid To urge it often at the throne of grace, And to expect it in its time and place.

Then he that true is, and that cannot lie, Will give it unto thee, that thou thereby Mayst serve with faith, with fear, in truth and love, That G.o.d that did at first thy spirit move To ask it to his praise, that he might be Thy G.o.d, and that he might delight in thee.

If I should here particulars relate, Methinks it could not but much animate Thy heart, though very listless to inquire How thou mayst that enjoy, which all desire That love themselves and future happiness; But O, I cannot fully it express: The promise is so open and so free, In all respects, to those that humble be, That want they cannot what for them is good; But there 'tis, and confirmed is with blood, A certain sign, all those enjoy it may, That see they want it, and sincerely pray To G.o.d the Father, in that Jesus' name Who bled on purpose to confirm the same.

[THE NECESSITY OF A NEW HEART.]

Now wouldst thou have a heart that tender is, A heart that forward is to close with bliss; A heart that will impressions freely take Of the new covenant, and that will make The best improvement of the word of grace, And that to wickedness will not give place; All this is in the promise, and it may Obtained be of them that humbly pray.

Wouldst thou enjoy that spirit that is free, And looseth those that in their spirits be Oppressed with guilt, or filth, or unbelief; That spirit that will, where it dwells, be chief; Which breaketh Samson's cord as rotten thread, And raiseth up the spirit that is dead; That sets the will at liberty to choose Those things that G.o.d hath promis'd to infuse Into the humble heart? All this, I say, The promise holdeth out to them that pray.

[THE SPIRIT OF PRAYER.]

Wouldst thou have that good, that blessed mind, That is so much to heavenly things inclin'd That it aloft will soar, and always be Contemplating on blest eternity.

That mind that never thinks itself at rest, But when it knows it is for ever blest; That mind that can be here no more content, Than he that in the prison doth lament; That blessed mind that counts itself then free When it can at the throne with Jesus be, There to behold the mansions he prepares For such as be with him and his co-heirs.

This mind is in the covenant of grace, And shall be theirs that truly seek his face.

[OF G.o.dLY FEAR.]

Is G.o.dly fear delightful unto thee, That fear that G.o.d himself delights to see Bear sway in them that love him? then he will Thy G.o.dly mind in this request fulfil.

By giving thee a fear that tremble shall, At every trip thou takest, lest thou fall, And him offend, or hurt thyself by sin, Or cause poor souls that always blind have been To stumble at thy falls, and harder be Against their own salvation and thee.

That fear that of itself would rather choose The rod, than to offend or to abuse In anything that blessed worthy name, That hath thee saved from that death and shame; That sin would soon have brought thee to, if he Had not imputed righteousness to thee.

I will love them, saith G.o.d, and not depart From them, but put my fear within their heart, That I to them may always lovely be, And that they never may depart from me.

[OF UPRIGHTNESS AND SINCERITY.]

Wouldst thou be very upright and sincere?

Wouldst thou be that within thou dost appear, Or seem to be in outward exercise Before the most devout, and G.o.dly wise?

Yea, art thou thus when no eye doth thee see But that which is invisible? and be The words of G.o.d in truth thy prop and stay?

And do they in thy conscience bear more sway To govern thee in faith and holiness, Than thou canst with thy heart and mouth express?

And do the things that truly are divine, Before thee more than gold or rubies shine?

And if, as unto Solomon, G.o.d should Propound to thee, What wouldst thou have? how would Thy heart and pulse beat after heav'nly things, After the upper and the nether springs?

Couldst, with unfeigned heart and upright lip, Cry, Hold me fast, Lord, never let me slip, Nor step aside from faith and holiness, Nor from the blessed hope of future bliss?

Lord, rather cross me anywhere than here; Lord, fill me always with thy holy fear, And G.o.dly jealousy of mine own heart, Lest I, Lord, should at any time depart From thy most blessed covenant of grace, Where Jesus rules as King, and where thy face Is only to be seen with comfort, and Where sinners justified before thee stand.

If these thy groanings be sincere and true, If G.o.d doth count thee one that dost pursue The things thou cryest after with thy heart, No doubt but in them thou shalt have a part.

[HOW GRACES ARE TO BE OBTAINED.]

The next word that I would unto thee say, Is how thou mayst attain without delay, Those blessed graces, and that holiness Thou dost with so much G.o.dly zeal express Thy love to, and thy longing to enjoy, That sins and weakness might thee less annoy.

Know, then, as I have hinted heretofore, And shall now speak unto a little more, All graces in the person of the Son Are by the Father hid, and therefore none Can them obtain but they who with him close; All others graceless are but only those; For of his fulness 'tis that we receive, And grace for grace; let no man then deceive Himself or others with a feigned show Of holiness, if Jesus they eschew.

When he ascended to his Father, then It was that he received gifts for men; Faith, hope, and love, true zeal, an upright heart, Right humbleness of mind, and every part Of what the word of life counts holiness, G.o.d then laid up in him, that we redress And help might have, who do unto him fly For righteousness and gospel sanct.i.ty.

[OF IMPUTED RIGHTEOUSNESS.]

Now, if thou wouldst inherit righteousness, And so sanctification possess In body, soul, and spirit, then thou must To Jesus fly, as one unG.o.dly first; And so by him crave pardon for thy sin Which thou hast loved, and hast lived in; For this cannot at all forgiven be, For any righteousness that is in thee; Because the best thou hast is filthy rags, Profane, presumptuous, and most beastly brags Of flesh and blood, which always cross doth lie To G.o.d, to grace, and thy felicity.

Then righteousness imputed thou must have, Thee from that guilt and punishment to save Thou liest under as a sinful man, Throughout polluted, and that never can By any other means acquitted be, Or ever have true holiness in thee.

The reason is, because all graces are Only in Christ, and be infused where, Or into those whom he doth justify, By what himself hath done, that he thereby Might be the whole of all that happiness The sinner shall enjoy here, and in bliss.

Besides, if holiness should first be found In those whom G.o.d doth pardon, then the ground Why we forgiven are would seem to be, He first found holiness in thee and me; But this the holy Scriptures will refute, And prove that righteousness he doth impute Without respect to goodness first in man; For, to speak truth indeed, no goodness can Be found in those that underneath the law Do stand; for if G.o.d goodness in them saw, Why doth he once and twice say, There is none That righteous be; no, not so much as one; None understandeth, none seek after G.o.d, His ways they have not known, but have abode In wickedness, unprofitably they Must needs appear to be then every way.

Their throats an open sepulchre, also Their mouths are full of filthy cursings too; And bitterness, yea, underneath their lips The asp hath poison. O how many slips And falls in sin must such poor people have!

Now here's the holiness that should them save, Or, as a preparation, go before, To move G.o.d to do for them less or more?

No, grace must on thee righteousness bestow, Or, else sin will for ever thee undo.

Sweet Paul this doctrine also doth express, Where he saith, Some may have righteousness, Though works they have not; and it thus may stand, Grace by the promise gives what the command Requireth us to do, and so are we Quitted from doing, and by grace made free.

[OF HOLINESS OF LIFE.]

Now, then, if holiness thou wouldst obtain, And wouldst a tender Christian man remain, Keep faith in action, let that righteousness That Christ fulfilled always have express And clear distinction in thy heart, from all That men by Scripture, or besides, it, call Inherent gospel holiness, or what Terms else they please to give it; for 'tis that, And that alone, by which all graces come Into the heart; for else there is no room For ought but pride, presumption, or despair, No love or other graces can be there.

Received you the Spirit, saith St. Paul, By hearing, faith, or works? not works, and shall No ways retain the same, except you do Hear faith, embrace the same, and stick thereto.

[THE OPERATION OF FAITH.]

The word of faith unto me pardon brings, Shows me the ground and reason whence it springs: To wit, free grace, which moved G.o.d to give His Son to die and bleed, that I might live This word doth also loudly preach to me, Though I a miserable sinner be, Yet in this Son of G.o.d I stand complete, Whose righteousness is without all deceit; 'Tis that which G.o.d himself delighteth in, And that by which all his have saved been.

[OF LOVE TO G.o.d.]

When I do this begin to apprehend, My heart, my soul, and mind, begins to bend To G.o.d-ward, and sincerely for to love His son, his ways, his people, and to move With brokenness of spirit after him Who broken was, and killed for my sin.

Now is mine heart grown holy, now it cleaves To Jesus Christ my Lord, and now it leaves Those ways that wicked be; it mourns because It can conform no more unto the laws Of G.o.d, who loved me when I was vile, And of sweet Jesus, who did reconcile Me unto justice by his precious blood, When no way else was left to do me good.

If you would know how this can operate Thus on the soul, I shall to you relate A little farther what my soul hath seen Since I have with the Lord acquainted been.

The word of grace, when it doth rightly seize The spirit of a man, and so at ease Doth set the soul, the Spirit of the Lord Doth then with might accompany the word; In which it sets forth Christ as crucified, And by that means the Father pacified With such a wretch was thou, and by this sight, Thy guilt is in the first place put to flight, For thus the Spirit doth expostulate: Behold how G.o.d doth now communicate (By changing of the person) grace to thee A sinner, but to Christ great misery, Though he the just one was, and so could not Deserve this punishment; behold, then, what The love of G.o.d is! how 'tis manifest, And where the reason lies that thou art blest.

This doctrine being spoken to the heart, Which also is made yield to every part Thereof, it doth the same with sweetness fill, And so doth sins and wickednesses kill; For when the love of G.o.d is thus reveal'd, And thy poor drooping spirit thereby seal'd, And when thy heart, as dry ground, drinks this in Unto the roots thereof, which nourish sin, It smites them, as the worm did Jonah's gourd, And makes them dwindle of their own accord, And die away; instead of which there springs Up life and love, and other holy things.

Besides, the Holy Spirit now is come, And takes possession of thee as its home; By which a war maintained always is Against the old man and the deeds of his.

When G.o.d at first upon mount Sinai spake, He made his very servant Moses quake; But when he heard the law the second time, His heart was comforted, his face did shine.

What was the reason of this difference, Seeing no change was in the ordinance, Although a change was in the manner, when The second time he gave it unto men?

At first 'twas given in severity, In thunder, blackness, darkness, tempest high, In fiery flames it was delivered.

This struck both Moses and the host as dead; But Moses, when he went into the mount The second time, upon the same account No fear, nor dread, nor shaking of his mind, Do we in all the holy Scripture find; But rather in his spirit he had rest, And look'd upon himself as greatly blest.

He was put in the rock, he heard the name, Which on the mount the Lord did thus proclaim: The Lord, merciful, gracious, and more, Long-suffering, and keeping up in store Mercy for thousands, pardoning these things, Iniquity, transgressions, and sins, And holding guilty none but such as still Refuse forgiveness, of rebellious will.

This proclamation better pleased him Than all the thunder and the light'ning.

Which shook the mount, this rid him of his fear, This made him bend, make haste, and worship there.

Jehoshaphat, when he was sore opprest By Amnon and by Moab, and the rest Of them that sought his life, no rest he found, Until a word of faith became a ground To stay himself upon; O, then they fell, His very song became their pa.s.sing-bell.

Then holiness of heart a consequence Of faith in Christ is, for it flows from thence; The love of Christ in truth constraineth us, Of love sincerely to make judgment thus: He for us died that for ever we Might die to sin, and Christ his servants be.