The Riches of Bunyan: Selected from His WorksBunyan, John
Religion
The Riches of Bunyan: Selected from His Works
Bunyan, John
Theology, Doctrinal
TWISDON. My lord, said he to Judge Hale, do not mind her, but send
her away,
HALE. Then said Judge Hale, I am sorry, woman, that I can do thee no
good: thou must do one of those three things aforesaid, namely,
either to apply thyself to the king, or sue out his pardon, or get a
writ of error; but a writ of error will be cheapest.
WOMAN. At which Chester again seemed to be in a chafe, and put off
his hat, and as she thought scratched his head for anger; but when I
saw, said she, that there was no prevailing to have my husband sent
for, though I often desired them that they would send for him, that
he might speak for himself, telling them that he could give them
better satisfaction than I could in what they demanded of him, with
several other things which now I forget: only this I remember, that
though I was somewhat timorous at my first entrance into the
chamber, yet before I went out I could not but break forth into
tears, not so much because they were so hard-hearted against me and
my husband, but to think what a sad account such poor creatures will
have to give at the coming of the Lord, when they shall there answer
for all things whatsoever they have done in the body, whether it be
good or whether it be bad. So when I departed from them, the book of
statutes was brought; but what they said of it I know nothing at
all, neither did I hear any more from them.
MARTYRS.
In the house of the forest of Lebanon you find pillars, pillars; so
in the church in the wilderness. Oh the mighty ones of which the
church was compacted; they were all pillars, strong, bearing up the
house against wind and weather; nothing but fire and sword could
dissolve them. As therefore this house was made up of great timber,
so this church in the wilderness was made up of giants in grace.
These men had the faces of lions; no prince, no king, no threat, no
terror, no torment could make them yield. They loved not their lives
unto the death. They have laughed their enemies in the face, they
have triumphed in the flames. None ever showed higher saints than
were they in the church in the wilderness. Others talked, these have
suffered; others have said, these have done; these have voluntarily
taken their lives in their hands, for they loved them not to the
death, and have fairly and in cool blood laid them down before the
world, God, angels, and men, for the confirming of the truth which
they have professed.
That which makes a martyr, is suffering for the word of God after a
right manner. And that is when he suffereth not only for
righteousness, but for righteousness' sake; not only for truth, but
of love to truth; not only for God's word, but according to it, to
wit, in that holy, humble, meek manner that the word of God
requireth. A man may give his body to be burned for God's truth, and
yet be none of God's martyrs. 1 Cor. 13:1-3.
CHRISTIAN COURAGE.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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