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grace abounding to the chief of sinners-第32章

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make the man of God perfect in all things through faith in  Jesus Christ; and thoroughly to furnish him unto all good works。  2  Tim。 iii。 17。  Also how I having; I say; somewhat more liberty; did  go to see the Christians at LONDON; which my enemies hearing of;  were so angry; that they had almost cast my jailor out of his  place; threatening to indict him; and to do what they could against  him。  They charged me also; that I went thither to plot and raise  division; and make insurrection; which; God knows; was a slander;  whereupon my liberty was more straitened than it was before; so  that I must not now look out of the door。  Well; when the next  sessions came; which was about the 10th of the 11th month (1661); I  did expect to have been very roundly dealt withal; but they passed  me by; and would not call me; so that I rested till the assizes;  which was held the 19th of the first month (1662) following; and  when they came; because I had a desire to come before the judge; I  desired my jailor to put my name into the calendar among the  felons; and made friends of the judge and high…sheriff; who  promised that I should be called:  so that I thought what I had  done might have been effectual for the obtaining of my desire:  but  all was in vain; for when the assizes came; though my name was in  the calendar; and also though both the judge and sheriff had  promised that I should appear before them; yet the justices and the  clerk of the peace; did so work it about; that I; notwithstanding;  was deferred; and was not suffered to appear:  and although I say;  I do not know of all their carriages towards me; yet this I know;  that the clerk of the peace (Mr Cobb) did discover himself to be  one of my greatest opposers:  for; first he came to my jailor and  told him that I must not go down before the judge; and therefore  must not be put into the calendar; to whom my jailor said; that my  name was in already。  He bid him put it out again; my jailor told  him that he could not:  for he had given the judge a calendar with  my name in it; and also the sheriff another。  At which he was very  much displeased; and desired to see that calendar that was yet in  my jailor's hand; who; when he had given it him; he looked on it;  and said it was a false calendar; he also took the calendar and  blotted out my accusation; as my jailor had written it (which  accusation I cannot tell what it was; because it was so blotted  out); and he himself put in words to this purpose:  That John  Bunyan was committed to prison; being lawfully convicted for  upholding of unlawful meetings and conventicles; etc。  But yet for  all this; fearing that what he had done; unless he added thereto;  it would not do; he first ran to the clerk of the assizes; then to  the justices; and afterwards; because he would not leave any means  unattempted to hinder me; he came again to my jailor; and told him;  that if I did go down before the judge; and was released; he would  make him pay my fees; which he said was due to him; and further;  told him; that he would complain of him at the next quarter  sessions for making of false calendars; though my jailor himself;  as I afterwards learned; had put in my accusation worse than in  itself it was by far。  And thus was I hindered and prevented at  that time also from appearing before the judge:  and left in  prison。

Farewell。

JOHN BUNYAN。


A CONTINUATION OF Mr BUNYAN'S LIFE; BEGINNING WHERE HE LEFT OFF;  AND CONCLUDING WITH THE TIME AND MANNER OF HIS DEATH AND BURIAL:   TOGETHER WITH HIS TRUE CHARACTER; ETC。


READER; the painful and industrious author of this book; has  already given you a faithful and very moving relation of the  beginning and middle of the days of his pilgrimage on earth; and  since there yet remains somewhat worthy of notice and regard; which  occurred in the last scene of his life; the which; for want of  time; or fear; some over…censorious people should impute it to him  as an earnest coveting of praise from men; he has not left behind  him in writing。  Wherefore; as a true friend; and long acquaintance  of Mr BUNYAN'S that his good end may be known; as well as his evil  beginning; I have taken upon me; from my knowledge; and the best  account given by other of his friends; to piece this to the thread  too soon broke off; and so lengthen it out to his entering upon  eternity。

He has told you at large; of his birth and education; the evil  habits and corruptions of his youth; the temptations he struggled  and conflicted so frequently with; the mercies; comforts; and  deliverances he found; how he came to take upon him the preaching  of the Gospel; the slanders; reproaches and imprisonments that  attended him; and the progress he notwithstanding made (by the  assistance of God's grace) no doubt to the saving of many souls:   therefore take these things; as he himself hath methodically laid  them down in the words of verity; and so I pass on to what remains。

After his being freed from his twelve years' imprisonment and  upwards; for nonconformity; wherein he had time to furnish the  world with sundry good books; etc。; and by his patience; to move DR  BARLOW; the then Bishop of LINCOLN; and other church…men; to pity  his hard and unreasonable sufferings; so far as to stand very much  his friends; in procuring his enlargement; or there perhaps he had  died; by the noisomeness and ill usage of the place。  Being now; I  say; again at liberty; and having through mercy shaken off his  bodily fetters; … for those upon his soul were broken before by the  abounding grace that filled his heart; … he went to visit those  that had been a comfort to him in his tribulation; with a  Christian…like acknowledgment of their kindness and enlargement of  charity; giving encouragement by his example; if it happened to be  their hard haps to fall into affliction or trouble; then to suffer  patiently for the sake of a good conscience; and for the love of  God in Jesus Christ towards their souls; and by many cordial  persuasions; supported some whose spirits began to sink low;  through the fear of danger that threatened their worldly  concernment; so that the people found a wonderful consolation in  his discourse and admonitions。

As often as opportunity would admit; he gathered them together  (though the law was then in force against meetings) in convenient  places; and fed them with the sincere milk of the Word; that they  might grow up in grace thereby。  To such as were anywhere taken and  imprisoned upon these accounts; he made it another part of his  business to extend his charity; and gather relief for such of them  as wanted。

He took great care to visit the sick; and strengthen them against  the suggestions of the tempter; which at such times are very  prevalent; so that they had cause for ever to bless God; Who had  put it into his heart; at such a time; to rescue them from the  power of the roaring lion; who sought to devour them; nor did he  spare any pains or labour in travel; though to remote counties;  where he knew or imagined any people might stand in need of his  assistance; insomuch that some; by these visitations that he made;  which was two or three every year (some; though in a jeering manner  no doubt; gave him the epithet of Bishop BUNYAN) whilst others  envied him for his so earnestly labouring in Christ's vineyard; yet  the seed of the Word he (all this while) sowed in the hearts of his  congregation; watered with the grace of God; brought forth in  abundance; in bringing in disciples to the church of Christ。

Another part of his time is spent in reconciling differences; by  which he hindered many mischiefs; and saved some families from  ruin; and in such fallings…out he was uneasy; till he found a means  to labour a reconciliation; and become a peace…maker; on whom a  blessing is promised in holy writ; and indeed in doing this good  office; he may be said to sum up his days; it being the last  undertaking of his life; as will appear in the close of this paper。

When in the late reign; liberty of conscience was unexpectedly  given and indulged to dissenters of all persuasions; his piercing  wit penetrated the veil; and found that it was not for the  dissenters' sakes they were so suddenly freed from the hard  prosecutions that had long lain heavy upon them; and set in a  manner; on an equal foot with the Church of ENGLAND; which the  papists were undermining; and about to subvert:  he foresaw all the  advantages that could have redounded to the dissenters would have  been no more than what POLYPHEMUS; the monstrous giant of SICILY;  would have allowed ULYSSES; VIZ。:  That he would eat his men first;  and do him the favour of being eaten last:  for although Mr BUNYAN;  following the examples of others; did lay hold of this liberty; as  an acceptable thing in itself; knowing God is the only Lord of  conscience; and that it is good at all times to do according to the  dictates of a good conscience; and that the preaching the glad  tidings of the Gospel is beautiful in the preacher; yet in all this  he moved with caution and a holy fear; earnestly praying for the  averting impending judgments; which he saw; like a black tempest;  hanging over our heads for our sins; and ready to break in upon us
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