The Works of John Bunyan, vol 1 by John Bunyan (books to read to improve english .TXT) 📕

2. Let not a scoffer say, ‘See how Christians cast away the law of God!’ They are under the law to Christ; bound by the most sacred obligations to obey all its requirements; not to merit pardon, but to prove, to the comfort of their souls, that they have received pardon, and are living under a sense of the unmerited grace of God in Christ.—Ed.

3. This is a clear statement of a most important truth. The sins of believers were laid upon Christ, or imputed to him, and he bore them away, but was undefiled. His righteousness covers us, and we are justified, but it is still HIS. Not unto us, but unto his name, be all the glory.—Ed.

4. By ‘common,’ is here meant that Christ is the federal head of all his saints; they have an equal or common right equally to participate in his merits.—Ed.

5. How full of consolation is this voice from the tomb! Lowth’s translation is very striking—‘Thy dead shall live, my deceased; they SHALL arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in the dust; for thy dew is as the dew of the dawn! But the earth shall cast forth, as an abortion, thy deceased tyrants.’ Antichrist shall ‘cease from troubling,’ and be only seen afar off in torments.—Ed.

6. Christ (amazing love!) ‘was made a curse for us,’ and thereby redeemed us from the curse of the law. He subjected himself to the law in active as well as passive obedience, and his obedience even to death was for our justification.—Mason.

7. Those whom God justifies, he also glorifies; and because Christ lives, blessed be God! we shall live also. Nevertheless, the strongest believer has as much need to come to Christ every day for fresh strength, as if he had never believed before; and if he were to depend on his own faithfulness, and not on the faithfulness of the Son of God, he would soon desert the Lord Jesus Christ.—Mason.

8. The symbol of regeneration, or water baptism. Although the regenerate believer feels an assurance that he forms part of Christ’s mystical body, and is saved by grace, and loves God because God first loved him, this does not prevent, but approves, his following the example of his Redeemer, in a symbolical or water baptism. Thus he publicly puts on Christ; he is buried with him in baptism, and rises to newness of life. Colossians 2:12, 13.—Ed.

9. Believer, if thou art rejoicing in this great and finished salvation, never forget that thine only evidence is—sorrow for thy sins, which caused the shedding of this precious blood, and a love of holiness. If sin be deplored, not only art thou redeemed from its curse, but also delivered from its power. The grace that justifies quickens us to good works, that we may walk therein.—Ed.

10. Because it is tainted by sin.—Ed.

11. The best righteousness that can be produced by fallen man is impressively designated by Isaiah, ‘A bed shorter than a man can stretch himself on, and a covering narrower than he can wrap himself in.’—Ed.

12. The way of salvation by works was blasted by the curse upon Adam’s sin, so that it cannot work life in us, or holiness, but only death.—Ed.

13. To divert or turn aside from an intended course; not to divert or amuse.—Ed.

14. Bunyan, in his Creation Spiritualized, or Exposition on Genesis, has shown that the fig-leaf aprons are a type of man’s attempt to cover his sins by his own good works, which soon fade, become dung, or are burned up. But the righteousness that God provides endureth for ever. See vol. i., p. 440.—Ed.

15. The marginal notes to the Bible are exceedingly valuable, especially to the unlearned. There we find that Jedidiah means ‘beloved of the Lord.’—Ed.

16. The birth of a babe is a period of excitement. Parents should hope that the new comer is a Jedidiah. On such occasions, it is a delightful service when the father, mother, and family specially attend public worship, to bless God for his mercies, and to beseech grace that they may train up the child for heaven. Such is the practice among the Baptists. But even in this, watchfulness is requisite, lest it degenerate into mere parade.—Ed.

17. The non-imputation of sin, and the imputation of Christ’s righteousness, always go together. David knew this; while he describes the blessedness of the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin, he, at the same time, describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputeth Christ’s righteousness.—Mason.

18. However excellent the conduct of Zaccheus, still he was a sinner, and under the curse. His curiosity leads him to climb a tree to see Jesus, and most unexpectedly salvation is brought to one who sought it not. Christ called, and he instantly obeyed. O may our hearts be so inclined to receive the invitations of his gospel!.—Ed.

19. We are all, by nature and practice, in a spiritual sense, robbers, idolaters, and murderers. God make us to know and feel it! We may adopt the language of the poet, and say—

‘Sinful soul, what hast thou done?

Murder’d God’s eternal Son!’—Mason.

20. Works justify us from such accusations of men as will deny us to have justification by faith—not as being our righteousness, or conditions of our having Christ’s righteousness, or as qualifying us for it.—Mason.

21. Every edition of Bunyan’s works calls this a ‘void of words,’

and gives a false reference to Hebrews 12:14.—Ed.

22. The law condemns all sinners, and strikes them dead as with a thunderbolt; adjudging them to shame and misery, instead of glory and happiness. None can fulfil its strict terms, neither Jew nor Gentile. There is no hope, if free grace restore them not. Romans 3:20, 2:6-29; 8:7.—Mason.

23. Hagar, by which is meant the law or covenant of works. This is said to gender unto bondage, because it makes them bondmen who look to be saved and justified thereby. It is called the ‘ministration of death’ (2 Cor 3:6). Whereas the gospel and new covenant is a dispensation of liberty and life.—Mason.

24. We will hold and extol this faith which doubteth not of God, nor of the Divine promises, nor of the forgiveness of sins through Christ; that we may dwell sure and safe in this our object Christ, and may keep still before our eyes the passion and blood of the Mediator and all his benefits.—Luther on Galatians 3:11.

25. Multitudes of professors set up their rest in outward duties, and repose a carnal confidence in ordinances, without endeavouring after any lively communion with Father, Son, or Holy Spirit, in the exercise of faith and love.—Mason.

26. Conscience, if resisted, is little case, whether rightly or wrongly informed. By little ease, is meant a prison not large enough either to lie down or stand upright in, with spikes in the walls; places of torment well known in former times of persecution for conscience sake.—Ed.

27. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. We must either, as lost sinners, fall into the arms of Divine mercy, and receive pardon as a free gift through the merits of the Saviour, or we must perish. It is a solemn, searching consideration.—Ed.

28. Difficult at any time, and impossible without Divine power; but most difficult when all the faculties of the soul become harrowed by a ‘certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation’

(Heb 10:27).—Ed.

29. If we seek salvation by works, such as sincere obedience or Christian perfection, we thereby bring ourselves under the law, and become debtors to fulfil all its requirements, though we intended to engage ourselves to fulfil it only in part (Gal 5:3). Let this be seriously considered.—Mason.

30. These ‘foolish men’ were a sect which sprung up in Bunyan’s time, and soon became extinct. They believed that the sufferings of Christ, to his death on Calvary, were only typical of what he suffers in the body of every believer. This was as contrary to the express declaration of Holy Writ, ‘He was ONCE offered’ (Heb 9:28), as is the absurd notion of the Papists in the mass, or continual sacrifice of Christ. What impious mortal dares pretend to offer up Christ to his Father.—Ed.

31. As the carnal Adam, having lost his original righteousness, imparts a corrupt nature to all his descendants; so the spiritual Adam, Christ Jesus, by his obedience unto death, conveys spiritual life to us; believers are made ‘the righteousness of God in him.’—Mason.

32. ‘Neck’ is from hniga, to bend or incline. In Bunyan’s time, these ancient words were well understood by the peasantry. To have the neck turned, so as to bend the back of the head towards the back of the body, would be as absurd as for faith to look to its own works for justification. This would indeed be bowing backward, instead of bending before, and looking to Jesus and his finished work for justification.—Ed.

33. Modern editors have altered this to ‘imperfections,’ but Bunyan would have us look to the most perfect of our works, and see how polluted they are.—Ed.

34. Faith looks at things which be not, as though they were. Sense judges from what it sees and feels, faith from what God says; sense looks inward to self, faith looks outward to Christ and his fullness.—Mason.

35. How strangely does the world mistake the source of good works!

The common and fatal error is, that if salvation is all of faith, then good works will fail; whereas faith is the prolific fountain, yea, the only source of really good works and holy obedience.—Ed.

36. How universal to fallen nature is that soul-destroying heresy—the attempt to justify ourselves partly by our own good works, and to make up the deficiency by the merits of the Saviour! Ye might as well attempt to serve God and mammon, as to unite our impure works with those of the pure and holy Jesus. We must, as perishing sinners, fall into the arms of Divine mercy, and receive pardon as a free gift, wholly through the merits of the Saviour, or we must for ever perish. It is an awful consideration.—Ed.

37. ‘The civilian’; one who is versed in law and government. See Imperial Dictionary.—Ed.

38. When the pilgrims Christian and Hopeful had wandered in By-path Meadow, one that walked before them said that the way led to the celestial gate. ‘He therefore that went before, Vain-confidence by name, not seeing the way before him, fell into a deep pit, which was on purpose there made by Giant Despair to catch vain-glorious fools withal, and was dashed in pieces with his fall.’ Beware, O

legalist, civilian, or formalist!—Ed.

39. How deplorably and inexcusably they will perish, who perish by their own willful unbelief under the gospel! It will be dreadful indeed to be driven, as it were, from the very gate of heaven to the lowermost and hottest hell. Lord, send forth thy light, truth, and power, that sinners may be saved and comforted by coming unto thee for life and peace!—Mason.

40. This is a striking and soul-searching appeal. O that the Holy Spirit may ‘search me and try me, and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting,’ before we go hence into the eternal state!—Ed.

***

SAVED BY GRACE;

OR,

A DISCOURSE OF THE GRACE OF GOD:

SHOWING—

I. WHAT IT IS TO BE SAVED. II. WHAT IT IS TO BE SAVED BY GRACE.

III. WHO THEY AEE THAT ABE SAVED BY GRACE. IV. HOW IT APPEARS THAT

THEY ARE SAVED BY GRACE. V. WHAT SHOULD BE THE REASON THAT GOD SHOULD

CHOOSE TO SAVE SINNERS