The Riches of Bunyan: Selected from His WorksBunyan, John
Religion
The Riches of Bunyan: Selected from His Works
Bunyan, John
Theology, Doctrinal
To him that believes the Scriptures aright, the promises or
threatenings are of more power to comfort or cast down, than all the
promises or threatenings of all the men in the world; and this was
the cause why the martyrs of Jesus did so slight both the promises
of their adversaries when they would have overcome them with
proffering the great things of this world unto them, and also their
threatenings when they told them they would rack them, hang them,
burn them. None of these things could prevail upon them or against
them.
I never had in all my life so great an inlet into the word of God as
now, [in prison.] Those scriptures that I saw nothing in before,
were made in this place and state to shine upon me. Jesus Christ
also was never more real and apparent than now. Here I have seen and
felt him indeed: O that word, "We have not preached unto you
cunningly devised fables," and that, "God raised Christ from the
dead and gave him glory, that our faith and hope might he in God,"
were blessed words unto me in this condition.
These three or four scriptures also have been great refreshments
in this condition to me, John 14:1-4; 16:33; Heb. 12:22-24; so that
sometimes, when I have been in the savor of them, I have been able
to laugh at destruction, and to fear neither the horse nor his
rider. I have had sweet sights of the forgiveness of my sins in this
place, and of my being with Jesus in another world. Oh the mount
Zion, the heavenly Jerusalem, the innumerable company of angels, and
God the judge of all, and the spirits of just men made perfect; and
Jesus has been sweet to me in this place: I have seen THAT here,
which I am persuaded I shall never while in this world be able to
express. I have seen a truth in this scripture, "Whom having not
seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye
rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory."
The glass was one of a thousand. It would present a man one way with
his own features exactly, and turn it but another way and it would
show one the very face and similitude of the Prince of the pilgrims
himself. Yes, I have talked with them that can tell, and they have
said that they have seen the very crown of thorns upon his head by
looking in that glass; they have therein also seen the holes in his
hands, in his feet, and in his side. Yea, such an excellency is
there in that glass, that it will show him to one where they have a
mind to see him, whether living or dead, whether in earth or in
heaven, whether in a state of humiliation or in his exaltation,
whether coming to suffer or coming to reign. James I: 23-25; I Cor.
13:12; 2 Cor. 3:13.
Then said Greatheart to Mr. Valiant-for-Truth, "Thou hast worthily
behaved thyself; let me see thy sword." So he showed it him. "When
he had taken it into his hand, and looked thereon awhile, he said,
Ha, it is a right Jerusalem blade."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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