The Riches of Bunyan: Selected from His WorksBunyan, John
Religion
The Riches of Bunyan: Selected from His Works
Bunyan, John
Theology, Doctrinal
The doctrine of the Trinity! that is the substance, that is the
ground and fundamental of all, for by this doctrine and this only
the man is made a Christian; and he that has not this doctrine, his
profession is not worth a button.
You must know that sometimes the church in the wilderness has but
little light, hut the diminution of her light is not then so much in
or as to substantials, as it is as to circumstantial things; she has
then the substantials with her in her darkest day.
The doctrine of the Trinity! you may ask me what that is? I answer,
it is that doctrine that showeth us the love of God the Father in
giving his Son, the love of God the Son in giving himself, and the
love of the Lord the Spirit in his work of regenerating us, that we
may be made able to lay hold of the love of the Father by his Son,
and so enjoy eternal life by grace.
The Father's grace saveth no man without the grace of the Son,
neither do the Father and the Son save any without the grace of the
Spirit; for as the Father loves, the Son must die, and the Spirit
must sanctify, or no soul must be saved.
Some think that the love of the Father, without the blood of the
Son, will save them; but they are deceived, "for without shedding of
blood is no remission."
Some think that the love of the Father and blood of the Son will do,
without the holiness of the Spirit of God; but they are deceived
also, for "if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of
his."
There is a third sort, that think the holiness of the Spirit is
sufficient of itself; but they are deceived also, for it must be the
grace of the Father, the grace of the Son, and the grace of the
Spirit, jointly, that must save them.
But yet, as these three do put forth grace jointly and truly in the
salvation of a sinner, so they put it forth after a diverse manner.
The Father designs us for heaven, the Son redeems from sin and
death, and the Spirit makes us meet for heaven: not by electing,
that is the work of the Father; not by dying, that is the work of
the Son; but by his revealing Christ, and applying Christ to our
souls, by shedding the love of God abroad in our hearts, by
sanctifying our souls, and taking possession of us as an earnest of
our possession in heaven.
III. THE SCRIPTURES.
THE Scriptures carry such a blessed beauty in them to that soul that
has faith in the things contained in them, that they do take the
heart and captivate the soul of him that believeth them into the
love and liking of them, believing all things that are written in
the law and the prophets, and having hope towards God that there
shall be a resurrection of the dead both of the just and unjust.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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