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The Riches of Bunyan

J >> Jeremiah Rev. Chaplin >> The Riches of Bunyan




TWISDON. My lord, said he to Judge Hale, do not mind her, but send
her away,

HALE. Then said Judge Hale, I am sorry, woman, that I can do thee no
good: thou must do one of those three things aforesaid, namely,
either to apply thyself to the king, or sue out his pardon, or get a
writ of error; but a writ of error will be cheapest.

WOMAN. At which Chester again seemed to be in a chafe, and put off
his hat, and as she thought scratched his head for anger; but when I
saw, said she, that there was no prevailing to have my husband sent
for, though I often desired them that they would send for him, that
he might speak for himself, telling them that he could give them
better satisfaction than I could in what they demanded of him, with
several other things which now I forget: only this I remember, that
though I was somewhat timorous at my first entrance into the
chamber, yet before I went out I could not but break forth into
tears, not so much because they were so hard-hearted against me and
my husband, but to think what a sad account such poor creatures will
have to give at the coming of the Lord, when they shall there answer
for all things whatsoever they have done in the body, whether it be
good or whether it be bad. So when I departed from them, the book of
statutes was brought; but what they said of it I know nothing at
all, neither did I hear any more from them.

MARTYRS.

In the house of the forest of Lebanon you find pillars, pillars; so
in the church in the wilderness. Oh the mighty ones of which the
church was compacted; they were all pillars, strong, bearing up the
house against wind and weather; nothing but fire and sword could
dissolve them. As therefore this house was made up of great timber,
so this church in the wilderness was made up of giants in grace.
These men had the faces of lions; no prince, no king, no threat, no
terror, no torment could make them yield. They loved not their lives
unto the death. They have laughed their enemies in the face, they
have triumphed in the flames. None ever showed higher saints than
were they in the church in the wilderness. Others talked, these have
suffered; others have said, these have done; these have voluntarily
taken their lives in their hands, for they loved them not to the
death, and have fairly and in cool blood laid them down before the
world, God, angels, and men, for the confirming of the truth which
they have professed.

That which makes a martyr, is suffering for the word of God after a
right manner. And that is when he suffereth not only for
righteousness, but for righteousness' sake; not only for truth, but
of love to truth; not only for God's word, but according to it, to
wit, in that holy, humble, meek manner that the word of God
requireth. A man may give his body to be burned for God's truth, and
yet be none of God's martyrs. 1 Cor. 13:1-3.

CHRISTIAN COURAGE.

When we see our brethren before us fall to the earth by death,
through the violence of the enemies of God, for their holy and
Christian profession, we should covet to make good their ground
against them, though our turn should be next. We should valiantly do
in this matter as is the custom of soldiers in war; take great care
that the ground be maintained, and the front kept full and complete.

There are but few when they come to the cross, cry, Welcome, cross!
as some of the martyrs did to the stake they were burned at.
Therefore, if you meet with the cross in thy journey, in what manner
soever it be, be not daunted and say, Alas, what shall I do now? but
rather take courage, knowing that by the cross is the way to the
kingdom. Can a man believe in Christ, and not be hated by the devil?
Can he make a profession of Christ, and that sweetly and
convincingly, and the children of Satan hold their tongue? Can
darkness agree with light?

THE CHRISTIAN WARFARE.

Departing from iniquity is not a work of an hour, or a day, or a
week, or a month, or a year; but it is a work that will last thee
thy lifetime, and there is the greatness and difficulty of it. Were
it to be done presently, or were the work to be quickly over, how
many are there that would be found to have departed from iniquity;
but for that it is a work of continuance, and not worth any thing
unless men hold out to the end; therefore it is that so few are
found actors or overcomers therein. Departing from iniquity, with
many, is but like the falling out of two neighbors; they hate one
another for a while, and then renew their old friendship again.

But again, since to depart from iniquity is a work of time, of all
thy time, no wonder if it dogs thee, and offereth to return upon
thee again and again; for sin is mischievous, and seeks nothing less
than thy ruin. Wherefore, thou must in the first place take it for
granted that thus it will be, and so cry the harder to God for the
continuing of his presence and grace upon thee in this blessed work,
that as thou hast begun to depart from iniquity, so thou mayest have
strength to do it to the last gasp of thy life.

And further, for that departing from iniquity is a kind of warfare
with it-for iniquity will hang in thy flesh what it can, and will
not be easily kept under-therefore no marvel if thou find it
wearisome work, and that the thing that thou wouldst get rid of is
so unwilling to let thee depart from it.

And since the work is so weighty, and makes thee to go groaning on,
I will for thy help give thee here a few things to consider of: And,

1. Remember that God sees thee, and has his eyes open upon thee,
even then when sin and temptation are flying at thee to give them
some entertainment. This was the thought that made Joseph depart
from sin, when solicited to embrace it by a very powerful argument.
Genesis 39:6, 7.

2. Remember that God's wrath burns against it, and that he will
surely be revenged on it, and on all that give it entertainment.
This made Job afraid to countenance it, and put him upon departing
from it: "For destruction from God was a terror to me, and by reason
of his highness I could not endure." Job 31: 23.

3. Remember the mischiefs that it has done to those that have
embraced it, and what distress it has brought upon others. This made
the whole congregation of Israel tremble to think that any of their
brethren should give countenance to it. Joshua 22: 16-18.

4. Remember what Christ hath suffered by it, that he might deliver
us from the power of it. This made Paul so heartily depart from it,
and wish all Christians to do so as well as he. 2 Cor. 5: 14.

5. Remember that those that are now in hell-fire went thither for
that they loved iniquity, and would not depart from it. Psalm 9: 17;
11:6.

6. Remember that a profession is not worth a pin, if they that make
it do not depart from iniquity. James 2:16, 17.

7. Remember that thy death-bed will be very uneasy to thee, if thy
conscience at that day shall be clogged with the guilt of thy
iniquity. Hos. 7: 13, 14.

8. Remember that at the judgment-day Christ will say, Depart from
me, to those that have not here departed from their sin and
iniquity. Luke 13:27; Matt 25:41.

Lastly, Remember well, and think much upon what a blessed reward the
Son of God will give to them at that day, that have joined to their
profession of faith in him a holy and blessed conversation.

He that will depart from iniquity must be well fortified with faith
and patience and the love of God; for iniquity has its beauty-spots
and its advantages attending on it; hence it is compared to a woman,
Zech. 5: 7, for it allureth greatly. Therefore I say, he that will
depart there-from had need have faith; that being it which will help
him to see beyond it, and that will show him more in things that are
invisible, than can be found in sin, were it ten thousand times more
entangling than it is. 2 Cor. 4:18. He has need of patience also to
hold out in this work of departing from iniquity. For indeed, to
depart from that is to draw my mind off from that which will follow
me with continual solicitations. Samson withstood his Delilah for a
while, but she got the mastery of him at the last. Why so? because
he wanted patience; he grew angry and was vexed, and could withstand
her solicitations no longer. Judges 16: 15-17. Many there be, also,
that can well enough be contented to shut sin out of doors for a
while; but because sin has much fair speech, therefore it overcomes
at last. Prov. 7:21. For sin and iniquity will not be easily said
nay. Wherefore, departing from iniquity is a work of length, as long
as life shall last. A work, did I say? It is a war, a continual
combat; wherefore, he that will adventure to set upon this work,
must needs be armed with faith and patience, a daily exercise he
will find himself put to by the continual attempts of iniquity to be
putting forth itself. Matt. 24: 13; Rev. 3:10.

THE CHRISTIAN ARMOR.

The war that the church makes with antichrist is rather defensive
than offensive. A Christian also, if he can but defend his soul in
the sincere profession of the true religion, doth what by duty, as
to this, he is bound. Wherefore, though the New Testament admits him
to put on the whole armor of God, yet the whole and every part
thereof is spiritual, and only defensive. True, there is mention
made of the sword, but that sword is the word of God-a weapon that
hurteth none, none at all but the devil and sin, and those that love
it. Indeed, it was made for Christians to defend themselves and
their religion with, against hell and the angels of darkness.

OBJECTION. But he that shall use none other than this, must look to
come off a loser.

ANSWER. In the judgment of the world this is true, but not in the
judgment of them that have skill and a heart to use it. For this
armor is not Saul's which David refused, but God's; by which the
lives of all those have been secured, that put it on and handled it
well. You read of some of David's mighty men of valor, that their
faces were as the faces of lions, and that they were as swift of
foot as the roes upon the mountains. Why, God's armor makes a man's
face look thus; also it makes him that useth it more lively and
active than before. God's armor is no burden to the body, nor clog
to the mind, but rather a natural, instead of an artificial
fortification.

But this armor comes not to any, but out of the King's hand. Christ
distributeth his armor to his church. Hence it is said, "It is given
to us to suffer for him." It is given to us by himself, and on his
behalf.

I saw also, that the Interpreter took him again by the hand and led
him into a pleasant place, where was builded a stately palace
beautiful to behold; at the sight of which Christian was greatly
delighted: he saw also upon the top thereof certain persons walking,
who were clothed all in gold.

Then said Christian, "May we go in thither?"

Then the Interpreter took him, and led him up towards the door of
the palace; and behold, at the door stood a great company of men, as
desirous to go in, but durst not. There also sat a man at a little
distance from the door, at a table-side, with a book and his
ink-horn before him, to take the name of him that should enter
therein; he saw also, that in the doorway stood many men in armor to
keep it, being resolved to do to the men that would enter what hurt
and mischief they could.

Now was Christian somewhat in a maze; at last, when every man
started back for fear of the armed men, Christian saw a man of a
very stout countenance come up to the man that sat there to write,
saying, "Set down my name, sir;" the which when he had done, he saw
the man draw his sword, and put a helmet upon his head, and rush
towards the door upon the armed men, who laid upon him with deadly
force; but the man was not at all discouraged, but fell to cutting
and hacking most fiercely. So after he had received and given many
wounds to those that attempted to keep him out, he cut his way
through them all, and pressed forward into the palace; at which
there was a pleasant voice heard from those that were within, even
of those that walked upon the top of the palace, saying,

"Come in, come in; Eternal glory thou shalt win."

So he went in, and was clothed with such garments as they. Then
Christian smiled and said, "I think verily I know the meaning of
this."

In the description of the Christian armor, we have no provision for
the back.






XV. TEMPTATIONS.

TEMPTATIONS OF SATAN.





Satan, even from himself, besides the working of our own lust, doth
do us wonderful injury, and hits our souls with many a fiery dart,
that we think comes either from ourselves or from heaven and God
himself.

Satan diligently waiteth to come in at the door, if Careless has
left it a little ajar.

There is nothing that Satan more desires than to get good men in his
sieve to sift them as wheat, that if possible he may leave them
nothing but bran; no grace, but the very husk and shell of religion.

So long as we retain the simplicity of the word, we have Satan at
the end of the staff; for unless we give way to a doubt about that,
about the truth and simplicity of it, he gets no ground upon us. In
time of temptation, it is our wisdom and duty to keep close to the
word that prohibits and forbids the sin; and not to reason with
Satan, of how far our outward and worldly privileges go, especially
of those privileges that border upon the temptation, as Eve here
did: "We may eat of all but one." By this she goeth to the outside
of her liberty, and sees herself upon the brink of the danger.
Christ might have told the tempter, when he assaulted him, that he
could have made stones bread, and that he could have descended from
the pinnacle of the temple, as afterwards he did; but that would
have admitted of other questions; wherefore he chooseth to lay aside
such needless and unwarrantable reasonings, and resisteth him with a
direct word of God, most pertinent to quash the tempter and also to
preserve himself in the way. To go to the outside of privileges,
especially when tempted of the devil, is often if not always very
dangerous and hazardous.

As long as the devil is alive there is danger; and though a strong
Christian may lie too hard for, and may overcome him in one thing,
he may be too hard for, yea, and may overcome the Christian two for
one afterwards. Thus he served David, and thus he served Peter, and
thus he in our day has served many more. The strongest are weak, the
wisest are fools, when suffered to be sifted as wheat in Satan's
sieve; yea, and have often been so proved, to the wounding of their
great hearts and the dishonor of religion.

It is usual with the devil in his temptings of poor creatures, to
put a good and bad together, that by show of the good the tempted
might be drawn to do that which in truth is evil. Thus he served
Saul; he spared the best of the herd and flock, under pretence of
sacrificing to God, and so transgressed the plain command. But this
the apostle said was dangerous, and therefore censureth such as in a
state of condemnation. Thus he served Adam; he put the desirableness
of sight and a plain transgression of God's law together, that by
the loveliness of the one they might the easier be brought to do the
other. O, poor Eve, do we wonder at thy folly? Doubtless we had done
as bad with half the argument of thy temptation.

Satan by tempting one may chiefly intend the destruction of another.
By tempting the wife, he may aim at the destruction of the husband;
by tempting the father, he may design the dsstruction of his
children; and by tempting the king, he may design the ruin of his
subjects, even as in the case of David: "Satan stood up against
Israel, and provoked David to number the people." He had a mind to
destroy seventy thousand, therefore he tempted David to sin.

I have sent you here enclosed a drop of that honey that I have taken
out of the carcass of a lion. I have eaten thereof myself, and am
much refreshed thereby. Temptations, when we meet them at first, are
as the lion that roared upon Samson; but if we overcome them, the
next time we see them we shall find a nest of honey within them.

TEMPTATIONS OF THE WORLD.

If thou wouldst be faithful to do that work that God hath appointed
thee to do in this world for his name, then labor always to possess
thy heart with a right understanding, both of the things that this
world yieldeth, and of the things that shall be hereafter. I am
confident that most if not all the miscarriages of the saints and
people of God have their rise from deceivable thoughts here. The
things of this world appear to us more, and those that are to come
less, than they are; and hence it is that many are so hot and eager
for things that be in the world, and so cold and heartless for those
that be in heaven. Satan is here a mighty artist, and can show us
all earthly things in a multiplying-glass; but when we look up to
things above, we see them as through sackcloth of hair. But take
thou heed; be not ruled by thy sensual appetite that can only savor
fleshly things, neither be thou ruled by carnal reason which always
darkeneth the things of heaven; but go to the word, and as that
says, so judge thou. That tells thee all things under the sun are
vanity, nay, worse, vexation of spirit; that tells thee the world is
not, even when it doth most appear to be: wilt thou set thine heart
upon that which is not? for riches certainly make themselves wings,
and fly away as an eagle towards heaven. The same may be said for
honors, pleasures, and the like; they are poor, low, base things to
be entertained by a Christian's heart. The man that hath most of
them may in the fulness of his sufficiency be in straits; yea, when
he is about to fill his belly with them, God may cast the fury of
his wrath upon him; so is every one that layeth up treasure for
himself on earth, and is not rich towards God. A horse that is laden
with gold and pearls all day, may have a foul stable and a galled
back at night. And "woe to him that increaseth that which is not
his, and that ladeth himself with thick clay." O man of God, throw
this bone to the dogs; suck not at it, there is no marrow there.
"Set thy affections on things that are above, where Christ sitteth
on the right hand of God." Colos. 3:1-4.

ENCOURAGEMENTS FOR THE TEMPTED.

Let us cast ourselves upon this love of Christ. No greater
encouragement can be given us, than what is in the text, Eph.
3:18,19, and about it. It is great; it is "love that passeth
knowledge." Men that are sensible of danger, are glad when they hear
of such helps upon which they may boldly venture for escape. Why,
such a help and relief the text helpeth trembling and fearful
consciences to. Fear and trembling as to misery hereafter, can flow
but from what we know, feel, or imagine; but the text speaks of a
love that passeth knowledge, consequently of a love that goes beyond
all these. Besides, the apostle's conclusion upon this subject
plainly makes it manifest, that this meaning which I have put upon
the text is the mind of the Holy Ghost. Now "unto him," saith he,
"that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or
think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto him be glory
in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without
end. Amen." What can be more plain? What can be more full? What can
be more suitable to the most desponding spirit in any man? He can do
more than thou knowest he will. He can do more than thou thinkest he
can. What dost thou think? Why, I think, saith the sinner, that I am
cast away. Well, but there are worse thoughts than these; therefore
think again. Why, saith the sinner, I think that my sins are as many
as all the sins in the world. Indeed this is a very black thought,
but there are worse thoughts than this; therefore prithee think
again. Why, I think, saith the sinner, that God is not able to
pardon all my sins. Aye, now thou hast thought indeed; for this
thought makes thee look more like a devil than a man; and yet,
because thou art a man and not a devil, see the condescension and
boundlessness of the love of thy God. He is able to do above all
that we think. Couldst thou, sinner, if thou hadst been allowed,
thyself express what thou wouldst have expressed--the greatness of
the love thou wantest--with words that could have suited thee
better? For it is not said he can do above what we think, meaning
our thinking at present, but above all we can think; meaning, above
the worst and most soul-dejecting thoughts that we have at any time.
Sometimes the dejected have worse thoughts than they have at other
times. Well, take them at their worst times, at times when they
think, and think, till they think themselves down into the very
pangs of hell, yet this word of the grace of God is above them, and
shows that he can yet recover and save these miserable people.

And now I am upon this subject, I will a little further walk and
travel with these desponding ones, and will put a few words in their
mouths for their help against temptations that may come upon them
hereafter. For as Satan follows such now with charges and
applications of guilt, so he may follow them with interrogatories
and appeals; for he can tell how by appeals, as well as by charging
of sin, to sink and drown the sinner whose soul he has leave to
engage. Suppose, therefore, that some distressed man or woman should
after this way be engaged, and Satan should with his interrogatories
and appeals be busy with them, to drive them to desperation; the
text last mentioned, Eph. 3: 18,19, to say nothing of the subject of
our discourse, yields plenty of help for the relief of such a one.
Says Satan, Dost thou not know that thou hast horribly sinned? Yes,
says the soul, I do. Says Satan, Dost thou not know that thou art
one of the vilest in all the pack of professors? Yes, says the soul,
I do. Says Satan, Doth not thy conscience tell thee that thou art
and hast been more base than any of thy fellows can imagine thee to
be? Yes, says the soul, my conscience tells me so. Well, saith
Satan, now will I come upon thee with my appeals. Art thou not a
graceless wretch? Yes. Hast thou a heart to be sorry for this
wickedness? No, not as I should. And albeit, saith Satan, thou
prayest sometimes, yet is not thy heart possessed with a belief that
God will not regard thee? Yes, says the sinner. Why then, despair,
and go hang thyself, saith the devil. And now we are at the end of
the thing designed and driven at by Satan. And what shall I now do,
saith the sinner? I answer, take up the words of the text against
him: Christ loves with a love that "passeth knowledge." And answer
him further, saying, Satan, though I cannot think that God loves me,
though I cannot think that God will save me, yet I will not yield to
thee; for God can do more than I think he can. And whereas thou
appealedst unto me, if whether, when I pray, my heart is not
possessed with the belief that God will not regard me, that shall
not sink me neither; for God can "do abundantly above what I ask or
think." Thus this text helpeth where obstructions are put in against
our believing, and thereby casting ourselves upon the love of God in
Christ for salvation.

And yet this is not all; for the text is yet more full: "He is able
to do abundantly more, yea, exceeding abundantly more, or above all
that we ask or think." It is a text made up of words picked and
packed together by the wisdom of God; picked and packed together on
purpose for the succor and relief of the tempted; that they may,
when in the midst of their distresses, cast themselves upon, the
Lord their God. He can do abundantly more than we ask. O, says the
soul, that he would but do so much for me as I could ask him to do:
how happy a man should I then be. Why, what wouldst thou ask for,
sinner? You may be sure, says the soul, I would ask to be saved from
my sins. I would ask for faith in, and love to, Christ; I would ask
to be preserved in this evil world, and ask to be glorified with
Christ in heaven. He that asketh for all this, doth indeed ask for
much, and for more than Satan would have him believe that God is
able or willing to bestow upon him. But mark: the text doth not say
that God is able to do all that we can ask or think, but that he is
able to do above all, yea, abundantly above all, yea, exceeding
abundantly above all that we ask or think. What a text is this! What
a God have we! God foresaw the sins of his people, and what work the
devil would make with their hearts about them; and therefore, to
prevent their ruin by his temptation, he has thus largely, as you
see, expressed his love by his word. Let us therefore, as he has
bidden us, make this good use of this doctrine of grace, to cast
ourselves upon this love of God in the times of distress and
temptation.

The bird in the air knows not the notes of the bird in the snare,
until she comes thither herself.

When I have been laden with sin, and pestered with several
temptations, and in a very sad manner, then have I had the trial of
the virtue of Christ's blood, with trial of the virtue of other
things; and I have found that when tears would not do, prayers would
not do, repentings and all other things could not reach my heart, O
then one touch, one drop, one shining of the virtue of THE BLOOD, of
that blood that was let out with a spear, it hath in such a blessed
manner delivered me, that it hath made me to marvel. O, methinks it
hath come with such life, such power, with such irresistible and
marvellous glory, that it wipes off all the slurs, silences all the
outcries, and quenches all the fiery darts and all the flames of
hell-fire, that are begotten by the charges of the law, Satan, and
doubtful remembrances of my sinful life.

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