The Riches of Bunyan: Selected from His WorksBunyan, John
Religion
The Riches of Bunyan: Selected from His Works
Bunyan, John
Theology, Doctrinal
Poor creature! Thou criest, "If I were tempted, I could come faster
and with more confidence to Jesus Christ." Thou sayest thou knowest
not what. What says Job? "Withdraw thy hand far from me, and let not
thy dread make me afraid: then call thou, and I will answer; or let
me speak, and answer thou me." Job 13: 21, 22. It is not the
over-heavy load of sin, but the discovery of mercy-not the roaring
of the devil, but the drawing of the Father, that makes a man come
to Jesus Christ. I myself know all these things.
True, sometimes they that come to Jesus Christ, come the way that
thou desirest-the loading, tempted way; but the Lord also leads some
by the waters of comfort. If I was to choose when to go a long
journey, to wit, whether I would go it in the dead of winter or in
the pleasant spring-though if it was a very profitable journey, as
that of coming to Christ is, I would choose to go it through fire
and water before I would lose the benefit-but I say, if I might
choose the time, I would choose to go in the pleasant spring,
because the way would be more delightsome, the days longer and
warmer, the nights shorter, and not so cold.
Trouble not thyself, coming sinner: if thou seest thy lost condition
by original and actual sin; if thou seest thy need of the spotless
righteousness of Jesus Christ; if thou art willing to be found in
him, and to take up thy cross and follow him, then pray for a fair
wind and good weather, and come away. Stick no longer in a muse and
doubt about things, but come away to Jesus Christ.
6. Thy fears that Christ will not receive thee may arise from THOSE
DECAYS THAT THOU FINDEST IN THY-SOUL, even while thou art coming to
him. Some, even as they are coming to Jesus Christ, do find
themselves grow worse and worse. To explain myself: there is such a
one coming to Jesus Christ, who, when he first began to look out
after him, was sensible, affectionate, and broken in spirit, but now
is grown dark, senseless, hard-hearted, and inclining to neglect
spiritual duties. Besides, he now finds in himself inclinations to
unbelief, atheism, blasphemy, and the like; now, he finds he cannot
tremble at God's word, his judgments, nor the apprehension of
hell-fire; neither can he, as he thinketh, be sorry for these
things.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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