John Bunyan

Men that are at the point to die have more need of the physician than they that are now and then troubled with a heart-fainting qualm (Mark 2:15-17). The publicans and sinners were in the mouth of  death… therefore the Lord Jesus receives them first, offers them mercy first.
This man has most need, he is furthest from God, nearest to  hell, and so one that has the most need of… mercy.
Mercy arises from compassion… from a feeling of the condition of those in misery (Isa. 63:9; James 5:11)… Mercy seems to be out of its proper channel when it deals with self-righteous men; but it runs with a full stream when it extends itself to the biggest sinner.
—John Bunyan “The Jerusalem Sinner Saved”

I have been much blessed by the writings I have read by John Bunyan, and also reading of his life. Here was a largely uneducated man, a common tinker, who when it came to the spiritual was a genius. Someone like Bunyan, with little to no real education, gives folks like me likewise has had little to no education, great hope, by how he was used by God, despite his not being one of the learned or well bred, or  educated, and  yet, he too was looked down upon for his lack of  learning  in his day, much as folks can be today.  Charles II asked John Owen, in a disparaging way, why he went to hear the common tinker preach. Owen was an educated man, with a brilliant mind, some would say too brilliant for his own writings to be understood easily by the masses, as his genius often got the better of him, for being able to put his thoughts down, in  a way that the rest of us could easily understand. But Owen replied to the king:he would gladly give up all his learning for the tinker’s power of reaching the heart.

Spiritualizing from the pulpit or otherwise, is generally not well done. It often makes for foolishness and stretching a text of Scripture into the realms of absurdity by what is made out of the text that was never intended. Much more trained minds than Bunyan  have fallen at even attempting this. John Gill is a notable one. Gill, is still appreciated by many, and his name lives  on as one of those Baptists who helped make history, and we still have many of his works in print today. But when it came to the art of spiritualizing from the pulpit, Gill failed dismally at being effective at it.  His exposition for instance of the parable of the prodigal son, in which he tells us the “fatted calf” was that of our Lord Jesus Christ. And again in his exposition of the Good Samaritan, the ass or donkey on which the wounded man was placed, was again our Lord Jesus Christ, and the two pence that  that the Samaritan gave to the host,  are the “old and New Testaments” or the ordinances of the “Lord’s Supper and Baptism” The spiritualizing clearly becomes absurd. And it is not just stretching the text, but taking it out of all context and placing meanings on it never intended. There are numerous other examples besides that of John Gill I could cite where this spiritualizing of the text, becomes absurd and maybe even offensive. But I think the name of Gill and his reputation makes he alone an ample example.  However, the immortal dreamer, John Bunyan, who as most will recognize as the master of the allegory,  made spiritualizing into an art, and a stroke of genius, that not many before or sin have been or will be imbued with, and they will be wise to not even try it, because for the most part, they will wander into the realms of the absurd.  Bunyan had a poetic gift, he also was a dreamer, and this gave him the keen imagination and  insight, to make allegories as living or real examples, and for them to not become absurd.  This is one such text below where his spiritualizing turns into genius

The leaves of this gate or door, as I told you before, were folding, and so, as was hinted, have something of signification in them. For by this means a man especially a young disciple, may easily be mistaken; thinking that the whole passage, when yet but a part was open, whereas three parts may be yet kept undiscovered to him. For these doors, as I said before, were never yet set wide open, I mean in the anti-type; never yet saw all the riches and fullness which is in Christ. So that I say to a new comer, if he judged by present sight, especially if he saw but little, might easily be mistaken, wherefore, such for the most part are most horribly afraid that they shall never get in thereat. How sayest thou, young comer, is this not the case with thy soul? So it seems to thee that thou art too big, being so great, so tun-bellied a sinner! But O thou sinner, fear not, the doors are folding doors and may be opened wider, and wider again after that; wherefore when thou comest to this gate, and imaginest that there is not space enough for thee to enter,  knock and it shall be wider opened to thee, and thou shalt be recieved (Luke 11:9; John 6:37). So then, whoever thou art come to the door of which the temple was a type, trust not thy first conception of  things, but believe there is grace abundant. Thou knowest not yet what Christ can do, the doors are folding doors. He can do exceeding abundantly above all that we can ask or think (Eph. 3:20). The hinges on which these doors do hang, were, as I told you, gold; to signify that they both turned upon motives and motions of love, and also that the openings thereof were rich.  Golden hingest the gate to God doth turn upon. The posts on which these doors did hang were of the olive tree, that fat and oily tree, to show that they never do open with lothness, or slggishness as doors do whose hinges want oil. They are always oily, and so open easily and quickly to those who knock at them. Hence you read that he who dwells in this house gives freely, loves freely, and doth us good with all his heart. “Yea,” saith he, “I will rejoice over them to do them good, and I will plant them in this land assuredly, with my whole heart, and my whole soul.” Jer. 3:12, 14:22; 32:41, Rev. 21:6; 22:17. Wherefore, the oil of grace, signified by this oily tree, or these olive-posts, on which these doors do  hang, do cause that they open glibly, or frankly to the soul.
—John Bunyan on the leaves of the gate of Solomon’s temple.

As one of Bunyan’s biographer’s wrote about The Pilgrim’s Progress:

There is no question of the work of genius in the Pilgrim’s Progress. Taine, the
great critic, says that Bunyan has the freedom, the tone, ease and clearness of
Homer. The first edition of the Pilgrim reveals the fact that Bunyan was a
natural writer, and not a product of the schools. Take his spelling, for instance.
When it came to spelling Josh Billings could not hold a candle to him. We
know that there was a good deal of off-side spelling in that day, but Bunyan
never let the spelling book get in his way. For example, he spelled the word die
in three ways: “die,” “dye,” and “dy”; he wrote for Slough of Despond, “Slow
of Dispond”; “ay” for aye; “bien” for been; “bruit” for brute; and “ray-ment”
and “rainment” for raiment; “strodled” for straddled.
It is said that there is nothing remarkable in doubling the final consonant in
such words as “generall” and “untill,” for that was the seventeenth century
custom, but Bunyan doubles it in such words as “bogg,” “denn,” “ragg,”
“wagg,” and, what is even more unusual, he doubles the medial in such words
as, “hazzard,” “fellon,” “eccho,” “widdow.” He dropped his final e’s, writing
“knowledg,” “bridg,” but he uses the “e” to give the old plural form, making it
“shooes,” “braines,” “alwaies.” He was strong on colloquial expressions and
grammatical irregularities, writing “catched up,” “shewen,” “ditest,” “then for
to go,” “I should a been,” “afraid on’t,” “such as thee and I,” “you was.”
Bunyan did not spell brains according to the dictionary, but he had them all the
same, and all that is needed to produce a great book is brains. You can write
your book with lead pencil on butcher’s paper, spell like Josh Billings, and
disregard punctuation marks, but if you have “braines” or “brains” — either
form will do as long as you have them — a hard-boiled publisher will even
send you a prepaid telegram accepting your book.
It is said that the printer corrected a good deal of the spelling in the first
edition. I wonder if any writer is a genius to his proofreader? [William Hamilton Nelson]

Yet despite his obvious lack in the wys above, his heart and spiritual accumen, made him a genius. The Immortal dreamer, that everyone, Calvinist and any other stripe of Christian alike, all recognize the name of.

I believe that the great end why God committed the Scriptures to writing, was, that we might be instructed [directed] to Christ, taught how to believe, encouraged to patience and hope for that grace that is to be brought to us at the revelation of Jesus Christ; also that we might understand what sin is, and how to avoid its commission. (Ps. 119:105)
I believe that they [the Scriptures] cannot be broken, but will certainly be fulfilled in all the prophecies, threatenings and promises, either to the salvation or damnation of men.
I believe Jesus Christ, by the  Word of the Sriptures, will judge all men at the day of doom (II Cor.5:10; Rev 20:11-15).
I believe that this God made  the world and all things that are therein… When the Most High divided to the nations their inheritance, when he separated the sons of Adam, he set the bounds of the people, according to the number of the children of Israel.
I believe that magistracy [civil government] is God’s ordinance, which he has appointed for the government of the whole world, and that it is a judgment of God to be without those ministers which he has ordained to put wickedness to shame (Rom. 13:1-7; 1 Pet, 2:13-17)…Many are the mercies we receive by a well-qualified magistrate; and if any shall  at any time be otherwise inclined, let us show our Christianity, in patient suffering for well doing what it shall please God to inflict by them.
—John Bunyan “A Confession of Faith”

If God had said he will forgive one sin, it would have been undeserved grace. But when he says he will pardon all but one, this is grace of the highest order. Nor is that one [unpardonable] sin otherwise but because the Saviour that should save them is rejected and put away.
We read of Jacob’s ladder. Christ is Jacob’s ladder that reaches up to Heaven, and he that refuses to go by this ladder will not, though using other means, get up so high. There is none other name given under heaven among men whereby we must be saved. There is also none other sacrifice for sin than his. He also, and he alone is the Mediator that reconciles men to God. And sinner, if you would be saved by him, his benefits are yours… even though you are a great and Jerusalem transgressor.
—John Bunyan, “The Jerusalem Sinner Saved”

I believe that election is free and permanent, being founded in grace and the unchangeable will of God. I believe that we are predestinated to be conformed to the image of his Son (Rom 8:29, 30).
I believe that without Christ Jesus there is neither election, grace, nor salvation (Eph. 1:3-14)… I believe that no man can know his election but by his calling… Election does not foretell or prevent the means which are appointed of God to bring us to Christ, to grace and to glory (II Pet. 1:6-11).
I believe that in effectual calling the Holy Ghost must accompany the work of the Gospel, and that with mighty power… Calling is the fruit of electing love (I Thess. 1:4-10)… an effectual awakening about the evil of sin, and especially of unbelief… and great awakenings about the world to come and the glory of unseen things.
—John Bunyan “A Confession of Faith”

For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. [2 Peter 2:21]

What then will become of them that some time ago were running post-haste to heaven, insomuch that they seemed to outstrip many, but are now running as fast back again? Do you think that these will ever come to heaven?
What, to run back again, back again to sin, to the world, to the devil, back again to the lusts of the flesh? O! “For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn” back again “from the holy commandment.” Those men shall not only be damned for sin, but for professing to all the world that sin is better than Christ. The man that runs back again, does as good as say, “I have tried Christ, and I have tried sin, and I do not find so much profit in Christ as in sin.” I say, this man declares this, even by his running back again.
o sad! What a doom they will have, who were almost at heaven-gates, and then run back again. “If any man draw back,” says Christ, (by His apostle), “my soul shall have no pleasure in him” (Heb. 10:38). Again, “No man having put his hand to the plough,” that is, set forward, in the ways of God, and “looking back,” turning back again, “is fit for the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:62). And if not fit for the Kingdom of heaven then for certain he is fit for the fire of hell. Therefore, says the apostle, those that bring forth these apostatising fruits will be rejected as briars and thorns are rejected, and “whose end is to be burned.”
—John Bunyan, “The Heavenly Footman” pp. 39-40

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…If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; [John 8:31]

Every believer should not only take heed that his works are good and for the present he also does them, but he should carefully study to maintain them, that is, to keep on doing them and continually exercise them.
It is an easier matter to begin to do good that it is to continue to do good; and the reason is. there is not so much of “the cross” in the beginning of a work as there is in a continual, hearty, conscientious practice of it. Man, by nature, is more of a hearer than a doer. Athenian-like, he is continually listening for some new thing; seeing many things, but observing nothings. It is observable, that after Christ had divided His hearers into four parts, He condemned three of them a fruitless hearers. O it is hard to continue believing, continue loving, continue resisting all that oppose; we are subject to be weary of well-doing…
It is because of this that you find so many “ifs” in the Scriptures about men’s’ happiness; example, “if children, then heirs” and “If ye continue in faith”…Not that their continuing in the way of God is the cause of their works being right; but their works being right causes the continuance therein.
–John Bunyan—-”Christian behaviour.” pp. 92-93 (Banner of Truth)
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