The Riches of Bunyan: Selected from His WorksBunyan, John
Religion
The Riches of Bunyan: Selected from His Works
Bunyan, John
Theology, Doctrinal
They are all kings that go to that world, and so shall be proclaimed
there. They shall also be crowned with crowns, and they shall wear
crowns of life and glory, crowns of everlasting joy, crowns of
loving-kindness.
The coming man, the man that comes to God by Christ, if his way, all
his way thither were strewed with burning coals, would choose, God
helping him, to tread that path rather than to have his portion with
them that perish.
"The angel of the Lord encampeth about them that fear him, and
delivereth them." This, therefore, is a glorious privilege of the
men that fear the Lord. Alas, they are some of them so mean, that
they are counted not worth taking notice of by the high ones of the
world; but their betters do respect them: the angels of God count
not themselves too good to attend on them, and camp about them to
deliver them. This then is the man that hath his angel to wait on
him, even he that feareth the Lord.
It is said, that when the church is "fair as the sun, and clear as
the moon," she is "terrible as an army with banners." The presence
of godly Samuel made the elders of Bethlehem tremble; yea, when
Elisha was sought for by the king of Syria, he durst not engage him
but with chariots and horses, a heavy host. Godliness is a wonderful
thing; it commandeth reverence, and the stooping of the spirit, even
of the ungodly ones.
Godliness puts such a majesty and dread upon the professors of it,
that their enemies are afraid of them; yea, even then when they rage
against them, and lay heavy afflictions upon them. It is marvellous
to see in what fear the ungodly are, even of godly men and
godliness; in that they stir up the mighty, make edicts against
them, yea, and raise up armies, and what else can be imagined, to
suppress them; while the persons thus opposed, if you consider them
as to their state and capacity in this world, are the most
inconsiderable--but as a dead dog or a flea. O, but they are clothed
with godliness; the image and presence of God is upon them. This
makes the beasts of this world afraid. "One of you shall chase a
thousand."
The ornament and beauty of this lower world, next to God and his
wonders, are the men that spangle and shine in godliness.
THE FAMILY IN HEAVEN AND EARTH
"The whole family in heaven, and earth." The difference betwixt us
and them is, not that we are really two, but one body in Christ, in
divers places. True, we are below stairs, and they above; they in
their holiday, and we in our working-day clothes; they in harbor,
but we in the storm; they at rest, but we in the wilderness; they
singing, as crowned with joy, we crying, as crowned with thorns. But
we are all of one house, one family, and are all the children of one
Father.
FEEBLENESS OF THE CHRISTIAN
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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