Bunyan, John, 1628-1688 -- Criticism and interpretation
court of heaven has its own jealous and scrupulous etiquette; and our
court journalist and historian, John Bunyan, has supplied his favoured
readers with the very card of etiquette that was issued along with
Mansoul's coat of livery, and it is more than time that we had attended
to that card.
1. The first item then in that etiquette-card ran in these set terms:
'First, wear these white robes daily, day by day, lest you should at some
time appear to others as if you were none of Mine.--Signed, EMMANUEL.'
Now, we put on anew every morning the garments that we are to wear every
new day. We have certain pieces of clothing that we wear in the morning;
we have certain pieces that we wear when we are at our work; and, again,
we have certain other pieces that we put on when we go abroad in the
afternoon; and, yet again, certain other pieces that we array ourselves
in when we go out into society in the evening. After a night in which
Mercy could not sleep for blessing and praising God, they all rose in the
morning with the sun; but the Interpreter would have them tarry a while,
for, said he, you must orderly go from hence. Then said he to the
damsel, Take them, and have them into the garden to the bath. Then
Innocent the damsel took them, and had them into the garden, and brought
them to the bath. Then they went in and washed, yea, they and the boys
and all, and they came out of that bath, not only clean and sweet, but
also much enlivened and much strengthened in their joints. So when they
came in they looked fairer a deal than when they went out. Then said the
Interpreter to the damsel that waited upon those women, Go into the
vestry, and fetch out garments for these people. So she went and fetched
out white raiment and laid it down before him. And then he commanded
them to put it on. It was fine linen, white and clean. Now, therefore,
they began to esteem each other better than themselves. For, You are
fairer than I am, said one; and, You are more comely than I am, said
another. The children also stood amazed to see into what fashion they
had been brought. William Law--I thank God, I think, every day I live
for that good day to me on which He introduced me to His gifted and
saintly servant--well, William Law used every morning after his bath in
the morning to put on his livery, piece by piece, in order, and with
special prayer. The first piece that he put on, and he put it on every
new morning next his heart to wear it all the day next his heart, was
gratitude to God. And it was a real, feeling, active, and operative
gratitude that he so put on. On each new morning as it came, that good
man was full of new gratitude to God. For the sun new from his Almighty
Maker's hands he had gratitude. For his house over his head he had
gratitude. For his Bible and his spiritual books he had gratitude. For
his opportunities of reading and study, as also for ten o'clock in the
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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