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Horatio Alger - "The Young Explorer"

John Galsworthy - "To Let"

The Riches of Bunyan

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




At last they condemn him to death, even to the death of the cross,
where they hang him up by wounds made through his hands and feet,
between the earth and the heavens; where he hanged for the space of
six hours. No God yet appears for his help. While he hangs there
some rail at him, others wag their heads, others tauntingly say, "He
saved others, himself he cannot save." Some divide his raiment,
casting lots for his raiment before his face; others mockingly hid
him come down from the cross; and when he desires succor, they give
him vinegar to drink. No God yet appears for his help.

Now the earth quakes, the rocks are rent, the sun becomes black, and
Jesus still cries out, that he was forsaken of God; and presently
boweth his head and dies.

And for all this there is no cause assigned from God, but sin. "He
was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our
iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him, and by his
stripes we are healed."

THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST.

You shall have the testimony of the holy angels by the Scriptures,
to the resurrection of the Son of God. And first, in Mark 16: 3-7,
the words are these:

"And they said among themselves, Who shall roll away the stone?"
They had a good mind to see their Lord; but they could not, as they
thought, get away the stone which covered the mouth of the
sepulchre. "And when they had looked," that is, towards the
sepulchre, "they saw the stone rolled away, for it was great; and
entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man," that is, an
angel, "sitting on the right side, clothed with a long white
garment; and they were affrighted. And he saith unto them, Be not
afraid," you have no cause for it; "you seek Jesus of Nazareth, who
was crucified; he is not here, he is risen: behold the place where
they laid him." What scripture can be plainer spoken than this? Here
is an angel of the Lord ready to satisfy the disciples of Jesus that
he was risen from the dead. And lest they should think it was not
the right Jesus he spoke of, Yes, saith he, it is the same Jesus
that you mean; you seek Jesus of Nazareth, do you not? Why, "he is
risen, he is not here." But do you speak seriously and in good
earnest? Yea, surely; if you will not believe me, "behold the place
where they laid him." This scripture is very clear to our purpose.

But again, in Matt. 28: 3-7, there is an angel as before bearing
witness of the resurrection of Jesus. "His countenance was like
lightning, and his raiment white as snow. And for fear of him the
keepers did shake, and became as dead men. And the angel answered
and said unto them," the women who came to seek Jesus, "Fear you
not; but let them that seek to keep the Lord in his grave fear if
they will, for you have no ground of fear who seek the Jesus that
was crucified: he is not here, he is risen; he cannot be here, in
body, and risen too: if you will not believe me, come, see where the
Lord lay. And go quickly and tell his disciples that he is risen
from the dead; and behold, he goeth before you into Galilee, there
shall you see him." But shall we be sure of it? "Yea," saith the
angel; "lo, it is I that have told you." See how plainly this
scripture also doth testify of Christ's resurrection. "Here," saith
the angel, "you seek a Saviour, and none will content you but he,
even the same that was crucified: well, you shall have him, but he
is not here." Why, where is he then? "He is risen from the dead."
But are you sure it is the same that we look for? "Yea, it is the
same that was crucified." But where shall we find him? Why, "he
goeth before you into Galilee, where he used to be in his lifetime,
before he was crucified. And that you might be sure of it there to
find him, know that he is an angel of God that has told you."

THE GLORIFICATION OF CHRIST.

For God to adorn his Son with all this glory in his ascension, thus
to make him ride conqueror up into the clouds, thus to go up with
sound of trumpet, with shout of angels and with songs of praises,
and let me add, to be accompanied also with those that rose from the
dead after his resurrection, who were the very price of his
blood--this does greatly demonstrate that Jesus Christ, by what he
has done has paid a full price to God for the souls of sinners, and
obtained eternal redemption for them: he had not else rode thus in
triumph to heaven.

Consider those glorious circumstances that accompany his approach to
the gates of the everlasting habitation. The everlasting gates are
set, yea, bid stand open: "Be ye open, ye everlasting doors, and the
King of glory shall come in." The King of glory is Jesus Christ, and
the words are a prophecy of his glorious ascending into the heavens,
when he went up as the High-priest of the church, to carry the price
of his blood into the holiest of all.

THE OFFICES OF CHRIST.

Christ as a Saviour is not divided. He that hath him not in all,
shall have him in none at all of his offices in a saving manner.

CHRIST AN INTERCESSOR.

Study the priesthood, the high-priesthood of Jesus Christ, both the
first and second part of it. The first part was that when he offered
up himself without the gate, when he bore our sins in his own body
on the tree.

The second part is that which he executes there whither he is now
gone, even into heaven itself, where the throne of grace is. I say,
study what Christ has done and is doing. Oh, what is he doing now?
He is sprinkling his blood, with his priestly robes on, before the
throne of grace. That is too little thought on by the saints of God:
"We have such a High-priest, who is set down on the right hand of
the Majesty in the heavens, a minister of the sanctuary and of the
true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched and not man." Busy thyself,
fellow-Christian, about this blessed office of Christ. It is full of
good, it is full of sweet, it is full of heaven, it is full of
relief and succor for the tempted and dejected.

The priestly office of Christ is the first and great thing that is
presented to us in the gospel; namely, how he died for our sins, and
gave himself to the cross, that the blessing of Abraham might come
upon us through him. But now because this priestly office of his is
divided into two parts, and because one of them, to wit, this of his
intercession, is to be accomplished for us within the veil,
therefore--as we say among men, out of sight, out of mind--he is too
much as to this forgotten by us. We satisfy ourselves with the
slaying of the sacrifice; we look not after our Aaron as he goes
into the holiest, there to sprinkle the mercy-seat with blood upon
our account.

But since his dying is his laying down his price, and his
intercession the urging and managing the worthiness of it in the
presence of God against Satan, there is glory to be found therein,
and we should look after him into the holy place. The second part of
the work of the high-priests under the law, had great glory and
sanctity put upon it. Forasmuch as the holy garments were provided
for him to officiate in within the veil, also it was there that the
altar stood on which he offered incense. Also there were the
mercy-seat and the cherubim of glory, which were figures of the
angels, that love to be continually looking and prying into the
management of this second part of the priesthood of Christ in the
presence of God. For although themselves are not the persons so
immediately concerned therein as we, yet the management of it, I
say, is with so much grace and glory, and wisdom and efiectualness,
that it is a heaven to the angels to see it. O, to enjoy the odorous
scent and sweet memorial, the heart-refreshing perfumes that ascend
continually from the mercy-seat to the throne where God is, and also
to behold how effectual it is to the end for which it is designed,
is glorious; and he that is not somewhat let into this by the grace
of God, there is a great thing lacking to his faith, and he misseth
of many a sweet bit that he might otherwise enjoy. Wherefore, I say,
be exhorted to the study of this part of Christ's work in the
managing of our salvation for us.

They who are justified by the blood of Christ, should still look to
him for the remaining part of their salvation; and let them look for
it with confidence, for it is in a faithful hand. And for thy
encouragement to look and hope for the completing of thy salvation
in glory, let me present thee with a few things.

1. The hardest or worst part of the work of thy Saviour is over: his
bloody work, his bearing thy sin and curse, his loss of the light of
his Father's face for a time. His dying upon the cursed tree, that
was the worst, the sorest, the hardest, and most difficult part of
the work of redemption; and yet this he did willingly, cheerfully,
and without thy desires; yea, this he did, as considering those for
whom he did it in a state of rebellion and enmity to him.

2. Consider also that he has made a beginning with thy soul to
reconcile thee to God, and to that end has bestowed his justice upon
thee, put his Spirit within thee, and begun to make the unwieldable
mountain and rock, thy heart, to turn towards him and desire after
him, to believe in him and rejoice in him.

3. Consider also that some comfortable pledges of his love thou
hast already received; namely, as to feel the sweetness of his love,
as to see the light of his countenance, as to be made to know his
power in raising thee when thou wast down, and how he has made thee
to stand while hell has been pushing at thee utterly to overthrow
thee.

4. Thou mayst consider also, that what remains behind of the work of
thy salvation in his hands, as it is the most easy part, is so the
most comfortable, and that part which will more immediately issue in
his glory; and therefore he will mind it.

5. That which is behind is also more safe in his hand than if it was
in thine own. He is wise, he is powerful, he is faithful, and
therefore will manage that part that is lacking to our salvation
well, until he has completed it. It is his love to thee has made him
that he putteth no trust in thee: he knows that he can himself bring
thee to his kingdom most surely, and therefore has not left that
work to thee, no, not any part thereof.

Live in hope, then, in a lively hope, that since Christ is risen
from the dead he lives to make intercession for thee; and that thou
shalt reap the blessed benefit of this twofold salvation that is
wrought and that is working out for thee by Jesus Christ our Lord.

Every believer may say, Christ did not only die and rise again, but
he ascended into heaven to take possession thereof for me, to
prepare a place for me. He standeth there in the second part of his
suretyship to bring me safe thither, and to present me in a glorious
manner, "not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing." He is
therefore exercising his priestly office for me, pleading the
perfection of his own righteousness and the virtue of his blood.

He is there ready to answer the accusations of the law, the devil,
and sin, for me. Here a believer may through faith look the devil in
the face and rejoice, saying, "O Satan, I have a precious Jesus, a
soul-comforting Jesus, a sin-pardoning Jesus." Here he may listen to
the thunders of the law, and yet not be daunted. He may say, "O law,
thou mayest roar against sin, but thou canst not reach me; thou
mayest curse and condemn, but not my soul; for I have a righteous
Jesus, a holy Jesus, a soul-saving Jesus; and he hath delivered me
from thy threats, thy curses, and thy condemnation. I am brought
into another covenant, under better promises of life and salvation,
freely to comfort me without my merit, through the blood of Jesus;
therefore though thou layest my sins to my charge and provest me
guilty, yet so long as Christ hath brought in everlasting
righteousness and given it to me, I shall not fear thy threats. My
Christ is all, hath done all, and will deliver me from thine
accusations." Thus also thou mayest say, when death assaulteth thee,
"O death, where is thy sting? Thou canst not devour; I have comfort
through Jesus Christ, who hath taken thee captive and taken away thy
strength; he hath pierced thy heart and let out all thy
soul-destroying poison. Though I see thee, I am not afraid of thee;
though I feel thee, I am not daunted; for thou hast lost thy sting
in the side of the Lord Jesus, through whom I overcome thee. Also, O
Satan, though I hear thee make a hellish noise, and though thou
threaten me highly, yet my soul shall triumph over thee so long as
Christ is alive and can be heard in heaven--so long as he hath
broken thy head and won the field--so long as thou art in prison and
canst not have thy desire. When I hear thy voice, my thoughts are
turned to Christ my Saviour; I hearken to what he will say, for he
will speak comfort: he hath gotten the victory and doth give me the
crown, and causeth me to triumph through his most glorious conquest.

"And I beheld, and lo, in the midst of the throne stood a Lamb as it
had been slain." Rev. 5: 6. That in the midst of the throne is our
sacrifice, with the very marks of his death upon him, showing to God
that sitteth upon the throne the holes of the thorns, of the nails,
of the spear; and how he was disfigured with blows and blood when at
his command he gave himself a ransom for his people; for it cannot
be imagined that either the exaltation or glorification of the body
of Jesus Christ should make him forget the day in which he died the
death for our sins; especially since that which puts worth into his
whole intercession is the death he died, and the blood he shed upon,
the cross for our trespasses.

Since Christ is an intercessor, I infer that believers should not
rest at the cross for comfort: justification they should look for
there; but being justified by his blood, they should ascend up after
him to his throne. At the cross you will see him in his sorrows and
humiliations, in his tears and blood; but follow him to where he is
now, and then you shall see him in his robes, in his priestly robes,
and with his golden girdle about him. There you shall see him
wearing the breastplate of judgment, and with all your names written
upon his heart. Then you shall perceive that the whole family in
heaven and earth is named of him, and how he prevails with God the
Father of mercies for you. Stand still awhile and listen, yea, enter
with boldness unto the holiest, and see your Jesus as he now appears
in the presence of God for you; what work he makes against the devil
and sin, and death and hell, for you. Ah, it is brave following of
Jesus Christ to the holiest: the veil is rent; you may see with open
face as in a glass the glory of the Lord.

This then is our High-priest; this is intercession--these the
benefits of it. It lies in our part to improve it; and wisdom to do
so--THAT also comes from the mercy-seat or throne of grace where he,
even our High-priest, ever liveth to make intercession for us. To
whom he glory for ever and ever.

CHRIST AN ADVOCATE.

"We have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous."
This consideration will yield relief, when by Satan's abuse of some
other of the offices of Christ, thy faith is discouraged and made
afraid. Christ, as a prophet, pronounces many a dreadful sentence
against sin; and Christ, as a king, is of power to execute them: and
Satan, as an enemy, has subtlety enough to abuse both these to the
almost utter overthrow of the faith of the children of God.

This consideration will help thee to put by that vizor [Footnote:
That is, mask.] wherewith Christ by Satan is misrepresented to thee,
to the weakening and affrighting thee. There is nothing more common
among saints, than thus to be wronged by Satan; for he will labor to
fetch fire out of the offices of Christ to burn us: so to present
him to us with so dreadful and so ireful a countenance, that a man
in temptation and under guilt shall hardly be able to lift up his
face to God.

But now, to think really that he is my Advocate, this heals all. Put
a vizor upon the face of a father, and it may perhaps for a while
fright the child; but let the father speak, let him speak in his own
fatherly dialect to the child, and the vizor is gone, if not from
the father's face, yet from the child's mind; yea, the child,
notwithstanding that vizor, will adventure to creep into its
father's bosom.

Why, thus it is with the saints when Satan deludes and abuses them
by disfiguring the countenance of Christ to their view: let them but
hear their Lord speak in his own natural dialect--and he doth so
indeed when we hear him speak as an advocate--and their minds are
calmed, their thoughts settled, their guilt vanished, and their
faith revived.

Is Christ Jesus the Lord my advocate with the Father? Then awake, my
faith, and shake thyself like a giant; stir up thyself and be not
faint: Christ is the advocate of his people; and as for sin, which
is one great stumble to thy actings, O my faith, Christ has not only
died for that as a sacrifice, nor only carried his sacrifice unto
the Father into the holiest of all, but is there to manage that
offering as an advocate, pleading the efficacy and worth thereof
before God against the devil for us.

The modest saint is apt to be abashed, to think what a troublesome
one he is, and what a make-work he has been in God's house all his
days; and let him be filled with holy blushing, but let him not
forsake his Advocate.

If thy foot slippeth, if it slippeth greatly, then know thou it will
not be long before a bill be in heaven preferred against thee by the
accuser of the brethren; wherefore then thou must have recourse to
Christ as advocate, to plead before God thy Judge against the devil
thine adversary for thee. And as to the badness of thy cause, let
nothing move thee save to humility and self-abasement, for Christ is
glorified by being concerned for thee; yea, the angels will shout
aloud to see him bring thee off. For what greater glory can we
conceive Christ to obtain as advocate, than to bring off his people
when they have sinned, notwithstanding Satan's so charging of them
as he doth?

He gloried when he was going to the cross to die; he went up with a
shout and the sound of a trumpet to make intercession for us; and
shall we think that by his being an advocate he receives no
additional glory?

Christ, when he pleads as an advocate for his people in the presence
of God against Satan, can plead those very weaknesses of his people
for which Satan would have them damned, for their relief and
advantage. "Is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?" This is
part of the plea of our Advocate against Satan, for his servant
Joshua, when he said, "The Lord rebuke thee, O Satan." Zech. 13: 2.
Now, to be a brand plucked out of the fire, is to be a
saint--impatient, weakened, defiled, and made imperfect by sin. This
then is the next plea of our goodly Advocate for us: "O Satan, this
is a brand plucked out of the fire." As if he should say, "Thou
objectest against my servant Joshua, that he is black like a coal,
or that the fire of sin at times is still burning in him. And what
then? The reason why he is not totally extinct as tow, is not thy
pity but rny Father's mercy to him. I have plucked him out of the
fire, yet not so out but that the smell thereof is yet upon him; and
my Father and I, we consider his weakness and pity him; for since he
is as a brand pulled out, can it be expected by my Father or me,
that he should appear before us as clear and do our biddings as well
as if he had never been there? This is a brand plucked out of the
fire, and must be considered as such, and must be borne with as
such."

His righteousness Christ presents to God for us; and God, for this
righteousness' sake, is well pleased that we should be saved, and
for it can save us and secure his honor and preserve the law in its
sanction.

For Christ, in pleading against Satan as an advocate with, the
Father for us, appeals to the law itself if he has not done it
justice; saying, "Most mighty law, what command of thine have I not
fulfilled? What demand of thine have I not fully answered? Where is
that jot or tittle of the law that is able to object against my
doings for want of satisfaction?"

Here the law is mute; it speaks not one word by way of the least
complaint, but rather testifies of this righteousness that it is
good and holy. Rom. 3:22,23; 5:15-19.

Now then, since Christ did this as a public person, it follows that
others must be justified thereby; for that was the end and reason of
Christ's taking on him to do the righteousness of the law. Nor can
the law object against the equity of this dispensation of heaven;
for why might not that God who gave the law its being and its
sanction, dispose as he pleases of the righteousness which it
commends? Besides, if men be made righteous, they are so; and if by
a righteousness which the law commends, how can fault be found with
them by the law? Nay, it is "witnessed by the law and the prophets,"
who consent that it should be "unto all and upon all them that
believe," for their justification. Rom. 3:20,21.

And that the mighty God suffereth the prince of the devils to do
with the law what he can against this most wholesome and godly
doctrine, it is to show the truth, goodness, and permanency thereof;
for this is as if it were said, Devil, do thy worst.

When the law is in the hand of an easy pleader, though the cause
that he pleads be good, a crafty opposer may overthrow the right;
but here is the salvation of the children in debate, whether it can
stand with law and justice: the opposer of this is the devil, his
argument against it is the law; he that defends the doctrine is
Christ the advocate, who in his plea must justify the justice of
God, defend the holiness of the law, and save the sinner from all
the arguments, pleas, stops, and demurs that Satan is able to put in
against it. And this he must do fairly, righteously, simply,
pleading the voice of the self-same law for the justification of the
soul that he standeth for, which Satan leads against it; for though
it is by the new law that our salvation comes, yet by the old law is
the new law approved of, and the way of salvation thereby consented
to.






VIII. THE HOLY SPIRIT.





IT is the Spirit of God, even the Holy Ghost that convinceth us of
sin, and so of our damnable state because of sin.

Therefore the Spirit of God, when he worketh in the heart as a
spirit of bondage, doeth it by working in us by the law, for by the
law is the knowledge of sin. Rom. 6: 20. And he in this his working
is properly called a spirit of bondage; because by the law he shows
us that indeed we are in bondage to the law, the devil, and death
and danmation.

He is called in his working the spirit of bondage, because he here
also holds us--to wit, in this sight and sense of our bondage
state--so long as it is meet we should be so held; which to some of
the saints is a longer, and to some a shorter time. Paul was held in
it three days and three nights, but the jailer and the three
thousand, so far as can be gathered, not above an hour; but some in
these later times are so held for days and months, if not for years.
But I say, let the time be longer or shorter, it is the Spirit of
God that holdeth him under this yoke, and it is good that a man
should be his time held under it.

Now, as I said, the sinner at first is by the Spirit of God held
under this bondage; that is, hath such a discovery of his sin and of
his damnation for sin made to him, and also is held so fast under
the sense thereof, that it is not in the power of any man, nor yet
of the very angels in heaven, to release or set him free, until the
Holy Spirit changeth his ministration and comes in the sweet and
peaceable tidings of salvation by Christ in the gospel to his poor
dejected and afflicted conscience.

The Spirit loveth to do what it does in private: that man to whom
God intendeth to reveal great things, he taketh him aside from the
lumber and cumber of this world, and carrieth him away in the solace
and contemplation of the things of another world.

This water of life is the very groundwork of life IN us, though not
the groundwork of life FOR us. The groundwork of life FOR us is the
passion and merits of Christ; this is that for the sake of which
grace is given unto us, as is intimated by the text, Rev. 22:1. It
proceeds from the throne of God, who is Christ. Christ then having
obtained grace for us, must needs be precedent as to his merit, to
that grace he hath so obtained. Besides, it is clear that the Spirit
and grace come from God through him. Therefore, as to the
communication of grace to us, it is the fruit of his merit and
purchase.

But I say, IN US grace is the groundwork of life; for though we may
be said before to live virtually in the person of Christ before God,
yet we are dead in ourselves, and so must be until the Spirit be
poured upon us from on high; for the Spirit is life, and its graces
are life, and when that is infused by God from the throne, then we
live, and not till then. And hence it is called as before, living
water, the water of life, springing up in us into everlasting life.
The Spirit then and graces of the Spirit, which is the river here
spoken of, is that, and that only, which can cause us to live; that
being life to the soul, as the soul is life to the body. All men
therefore, as was said afore--though elect, though purchased by the
blood of Christ--are dead and must be dead until the Spirit of life
from God and his throne shall enter into them; until they shall
drink it in by vehement thirst, as the parched ground drinks in the
rain. Now when this living water is received, it takes up its seat
in the heart, whence it spreads itself to the awakening of all the
powers of the soul. For as in the first creation, the Spirit of God
moved upon the face of the waters, in order to the putting of that
creation into that excellent fashion and harmony which now we behold
with our eyes, even so the new creation, to wit, the making of us
new to God, is done by the overspreading of the same Spirit also.

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