Having then but little knowledge in divine things, he was much perplexed by the numerous errors which were abroad in the land, especially those taught by a vile set of Antinomians called Ranters. Distrusting his own wisdom, he wisely sought that "which is from above," and betook himself to hearty prayer in this manner:-" O Lord, I am a fool, and not able to know the truth from error: Lord, leave me not to my own blindness, either to approve of or condemn this doctrine; if it be of God, let me not despise it; if it be of the devil, let me not embrace it. Lord, I lay my soul in this matter only at thy foot, let me not be deceived, I humbly beseech thee." Such a prayer, offered in sincerity and faith, could not be denied. " Blessed be God," he continues, "who put it into my heart to cry to him to be kept and directed; for I have since seen even the effects of that prayer, in his preserving me, not only from Ranting errors, but from those also that have sprung up since." The limits of this brief sketch will not allow us to enter into a relation of the fierce and distressing conflicts and temptations through which he passed before he entered into the liberty of the children of God. Difficulties about election, fears lest he had outlived the day of grace, misconceptions of passages of Scripture, (especially Heb. xii, 16, 17,) and blasphemous suggestions of the enemy of souls, so harassed and distracted him that for the space of two years, with a few brief interruptions, he was almost in a state of despair. But at length this passed over, and "the Sun of righteousness arose upon his soul "with healing in his wings." "Now," says he, "did my chains fall off my legs indeed; I was loosed from my afflictions and irons; my temptations also fled away; so that from that time those dreadful scrip. tures of God left off to trouble me. Now went I also home rejoicing, for the grace and love of God." After he had been taken out of the horrible pit and miry clay of despair, and his feet set upon the rock Christ Jesus, he united himself with the Baptist church at Bedford. This was 1655, when he was about twenty-seven years of age. His conversion exercised a beneficial influence on some of those who had been his companions in sin. He says, "When God made me sigh they would hearken, and inquiringly say, 'What is the matter with John? When I went to seek the bread of life, some of them would follow, and the rest be put in a muse at home. Yea, almost the whole town, at first, at times, would go out to hear at the place where I found good; yea, young and old for awhile had some reformation on them: also some of them, perceiving that God had mercy upon me, came crying to him for mercy to." He had not long been connected with the church, when he was desired by some of the most pious and judicious members to take a more prominent part in their religious exercises, by occasionally speaking a word of exhortation to the people. This, at first, his modesty and a feeling of unfitness for the work induced him to decline; but his brethren, being convinced from his promptness in prayer, his wonderful acquaintance with the Scriptures, and his readiness of utterance, that he possessed gifts which might and ought to be used for the edification of the church, continued their entreaties, until, though with much diffidence, he consented to their request, and "did twice," he tells us, "at two several assemblies, (but in private,) discover his gift among them; at which they not only seemed to be, but did solemnly protest, as in the sight of the great God, they were both affected and comforted; and gave thanks to the Father of mercies for the grace bestowed on him." At length, being encouraged thereto by a sense of duty, by the approbation of those who heard him, and by the continued desires of the church, he was, with seven others, after solemn prayer and fasting, "more particularly called forth and appointed to a more ordinary and public preaching of the word." His commission was similar to that of a local preacher among the Methodists; for he continued to exercise his vocation as a tinker, while he preached the gospel," without charge," in the country round about. As a preacher he soon became eminently successful and popular, and the people flocked by hundreds, from all parts, to hear him. But he cared little for the applause of men, being never satisfied unless he saw some good effect from his preaching. "If I were fruitless," he says, "it mattered not who commended; but if I were fruitful, I cared not who did condemn." So greatly did he rejoice over his spiritual children, that he reckoned himself as possessing great treasures in every place where he had been instrumental in the conversion of souls. In the exercise of his ministry his practice was to get into the "darkest" places in the neighbourhood; "not," he says, "because he could not endure the light, but because he found his spirit lean most after awakening and converting work." Like Paul, too, he preferred "to preach the gospel where Christ was not named," lest he "should build upon another man's foundation." In 1660, Charles II. being restored to the throne, episcopacy was once more established by law, and no other form of religion tolerated; and the old penal laws against Dissenters were restored and enforced, and new ones enacted. In the persecution which followed, Bunyan had the honour of being one of the first victims. On the 12th of November, 1660, he went to preach at a village called Samsell, in Bedfordshire ; but just as he had commenced the services he was arrested and taken to prison. Here he lay till the quarter-sessions of the county, which were held at Bedford in January, 1661, when he was indicted for having "devilishly and perniciously abstained from coming to church," and with being "a common upholder of unlawful meetings and conventicles." In a conversation with the justices he admitted that he had held meetings for prayer and exhortation; and this being taken as a confession of the indictment, he was remanded back to prison, and threatened that if he did not in three months agree to conform to the established church, and leave off preaching, he should be banished the kingdom. The latter part of the sentence was never attempted to be carried into effect, but for twelve long years he was kept a prisoner in the common jail. During this confinement he was graciously sustained by the consolations of the Spirit; though at times he was much cast down with thoughts of the destitution of his wife and four children, one of whom was blind. He employed himself during his imprisonment in making tagged laces for the support of his family, and in writing religious books, especially the First Part of the Pilgrim's Progress, and his autobiography, entitled Grace. Abounding to the Chief of Sinners. The circulation of these books has been productive of far more good than he could have effected by his preaching, had he been at liberty; so that the malice of his persecutors was overruled by God, to "the furtherance of the gospel." The Lord gave him such favour in the sight of the keeper that for a time he was allowed to go in and out almost as he pleased, so that he could frequently be with his family, and sometimes in the night he would visit the little flocks to whom he had been accustomed to dispense the word of life. His frequent absence from the prison came at length to the ears of some persecuting prelates, who sent down an officer to talk with the jailer on the subject; and, in order to find him out, he was to arrive there in the middle of the night. Bunyan was at home that night with his family, but so restless that he could not sleep: he therefore told his wife that he must return immediately. He did so; and the jailer blamed him for coming in at so unseasonable an hour. Early in the morning the messenger came, and said, “Are all the prisoners safe?" " "Yes." "Is John Bunyan safe?” "Yes." "Let me see him." He was called, appeared, and all was well. After the messenger left, the jailer said to Bunyan, "Well, you may go out again when you think proper; for you know when to return better than I can tell you." During the last seven years, however, his confinement was very rigid. In October, 1671, while yet in prison, he was elected one of the pastors of the Baptist church at Bedford, of which he was a member; and this office he held for sixteen years after his release, which took place in the latter part of 1672 He did not, however, confine his labours to the town of Bedford. It was his custom two or three times a year to take an extensive tour in "the region round about;" and once a year he paid a visit to London, where his reputation was so great that the place in which he preached would no contain half the people that came to hear him. It was during one of his annual visits to the metropolis, that his useful labours were brought to a close, his last sermon being preached there in July, 1688, from John i, 3. The occasion of his death was as follows:-A young man, a neighbour of Bunyan, falling under the displeasure of his father, who threatened to disinherit him, applied to Bunyan to act as mediator in his behalf. The good man, though labouring under bodily indisposition, readily undertook the task, and went to Reading for that purpose. Having happily succeeded in effecting a reconciliation, he set out on horseback on his return to London, a distance of thirty-seven miles. The day proved rainy, and he arrived wet and late at the house of the friend with whom he lodged. His exposure brought on a violent fever, which in ten days terminated his laborious and eventful life. He fell asleep in Jesus on the 31st August, 1688, aged sixty years. "Servant of God, well done! Rest from thy loved employ; The battle's fought, the victory won, |