Bunyan, John, 1628-1688 -- Criticism and interpretation
The Plantagenet kings of ancient England had white and scarlet for their
livery; white and green was the livery of the Tudors; the Stuarts wore
red and yellow; while blue and scarlet colours adorn to-day the House of
Hanover. And the Prince of the kings of the earth, He has his royal
colours also, and His servants have their badge of honour and their
blazon also. Then He commanded that those who waited upon Him should go
and bring forth out of His treasury those white and glittering robes,
that I, He said, have provided and laid up in store for my Mansoul. So
the white garments were fetched out of the treasury and laid forth to the
eyes of the people. Moreover, it was granted to them that they should
take them and put them on, according, said He, to your size and your
stature. So the people were all put into white--into fine linen, clean
and white. Then said the Prince, This, O Mansoul, is My livery, and this
is the badge by which Mine are known from the servants of others. Yea,
this livery is that which I grant to all them that are Mine, and without
which no man is permitted to see My face. Wear this livery, therefore,
for My sake, and, also, if you would be known by the world to be Mine.
But now can you think how Mansoul shone! For Mansoul was fair as the
sun, clear as the moon, and terrible as an army with banners.
White, then, and whiter than snow, is the very livery of heaven. A
hundred shining Scriptures could be quoted to establish that. In the
first year of Belshazzar, King of Babylon, Daniel had a dream, and
visions of his head came to Daniel upon his bed. And, behold, the
Ancient of Days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of
his head like the pure wool. My beloved, sings the spouse in the Song,
is white and ruddy, the chiefest among ten thousand, and altogether
lovely. Then, again, David in his penitence sings, Purge me with hyssop,
and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. And what
is it that sets Isaiah at the head of all the prophets? What but this,
that he is the mouth-piece of such decrees in heaven as this: Though your
sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow; though they be red like
crimson, they shall be as wool. The angel, also, who rolled away the
stone from the door of the sepulchre was clothed in a long white garment.
Another evangelist says that his countenance was like lightning and his
raiment white as snow, and for fear of him the keepers did quake, and
became as dead men. But before that we read that Jesus was transfigured
before Peter and James and John on the Mount, and that His face did shine
as the sun, and His raiment was white as the light. And, then, the whole
Book of Revelation is written with a pen dipped in heavenly light. The
whole book is glistening with the whitest light till we cannot read it
for the brightness thereof. And the multitude that no man can number all
display themselves before our eyes, clothed with white robes and with
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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