Speeches intended by the Text are such as vilify him as Saviour counting the Blood of the Covenant unholy and trampling him that is Prince of the Covenant under the Feet of their reproachful Language this is counted a putting of him to open shame and a despising the riches of his Goodness Heb. 10. Chap. 6. Rom. 2. Time would fail to give you a view of the revilings despiteful sayings and of the Ungodly Speeches which these abominable Children of Hell let fall in their Pamplets Doctrines and Discourses against this Lord the King But the threatning is He shall execute judgment upon them for all their ungodly Deeds and for all their hard Speeches that ungodly Sinners have spoken against him Fifthly Take heed therefore lest that come upon you which is spoken of in the Prophets Behold ye Despisers and wonder and perish for I work a Work in your days a Work which you shall in no wise believe though a Man declare it unto you Act. 13. 40 41. This Work is the same we have been all this while treating of to wit Redemption by the Blood of Christ for Sinners or that Christ hath paid full price to God for Sinners and obtained Eternal Redemption for them This is manifest from ver 23 to ver 29. of this Chapter Now observe there are and will be Despisers of this Doctrine and they are threatned with the Wrath of God Behold ye Despisers and wonder and perish But would God so carefully have cautioned Sinners to take heed of despising this Blessed Doctrine and have backed his Caution with a threatming that they shall perish if they persist had not himself received by the Blood of Christ full price for the Souls of Sinners Secondly As God threatneth so he punisheth those that refuse his Son or that seek to vilify or make insignificant the Doctrine of Righteousness by Faith in him 1. He punisheth them with the abidings of his Wrath. He that believeth not the Son shall not see life but the Wrath of God abideth on him Joh. 3. 36. The Wrath of God for men for sin stands already condemned by the Law the Judgment is that they who refuse the Lord Jesus Christ shall have this Wrath of God for ever lie and abide upon them For they want a Sacrifice to pacific wrath for the Sin they have committed having resisted and refused the Sacrifice of the Body of Christ. Therefore it cannot be that they should get from under their present condition who have refused to accept of the undertaking of Christ for them Besides God to shew that he taketh it ill at the Hands of Sinners that they should refuse the Sacrifice of Christ hath resolved that there shall be no more Sacrifice for sin If therefore we sin wilfully after we have received the Knowledg of the Truth there remaineth no more Sacrifice for sin Heb. 10. 26. God doth neither appoint another neither will he accept another who-ever brings it And here those sayings are of their own natural force How shall we escape if we neglect so great Salvation And again See that ye refuse not him that speaketh for if they escaped not who refused him that spake on Earth Moses How shall we escape if we turn away from him Christ that speaketh from Heaven Heb. 2. 3. Chap. 12. 25. This therefore is a mighty Demonstration that Christ by what he hath done hath paid full price to God for the Souls of Sinners because God so severely threatneth and also punisheth them that refuse to be justified by his Blood he threatneth as you have heard and punisheth by leaving such men in their Sins under his heavy and unsupportable Vengeance here Secondly He that believeth not shall be damned Mar. 16. 16. damned in Hell-Fire He that believeth not but what should he believe Why 1. That Jesus is the Saviour If saith he ye believe not that I am he ye shall die in your Sins 2. He that believeth not that he hath undertaken and compleatly perfected Righteousness for us shall die in his Sins shall be damned and perish in Hell-fire For such have no cloak for their Sin but must stand naked to the shew of their Shame before the Judgment of God that fearful Judgment Therefore after he had said there remains for such no more sacrifice for sin he adds But a certain fearful looking for of judgment there is for them left nothing but the Judgment of God and his fiery Indignation which shall devour the Adversaries He that despised Moses's Law died without mercy under two or three Witnesses of how much sorer punishment suppose ye shall he be thought worthy who hath trodden under foot the Son of God and counted the Blood of the Covenant wherewith he was sanctified an Unholy thing and done despite to the Spirit of Grace Heb. 10. 25 26. See here if fury comes not up now into the Face of God now is mention made of his fearful Judgment and fiery Indignation Now I say is mention made thereof when it is suggested that some have light thoughts of him count his Blood unholy and trample his Sacrificed Body under the Feet of their Reproaches Now is he a Consuming fire and will burn to the lowest Hell For we know him that hath said Vengeance belongeth unto me I will recompence saith the Lord. And again The Lord shall judg his People Heb. 10. 28 29 30. These words are urged by the Holy Ghost on purpose to beget in the Hearts of the Rebellious reverend thoughts and an high esteem of the Sacrifice which our Lord Jesus offered once for all upon Mount Calvary unto God the Father for our Sins for that is the very argument of the whole Epistle It is said to this purpose in one of Paul's Epistles to the Thessalonians That because men receive not the Love of the Truth that they might be saved For this cause God shall send them strong delusions that they should believe a ly and be damned 2 Thes. 2. The Truth mentioned in the Place is Jesus Christ. I am the Truth saith he Joh. 14. 6. The Love of the Truth is none else but the Love and Compassion of Jesus Christ in shedding his Blood for Mans Redemption Greater love than this hath no man that a Man lay down his Life for his Friends Joh. 15. 13. This then is the Love of the Truth of Jesus that he hath laid down his Life for us Now that the rejectors of this Love should by this their rejecting procure such wrath of God against them that rather than they shall miss of damnation himself will chuse their Delusions for them and also give them up to the effectual Working of these Delusions what doth this manifest but that God is displeased with them that accept not of Jesus Christ for Righteousness and will certainly order that their end shall be everlasting Damnation therefore Jesus Christ hath paid full price to God for Sinners and obtained Eternal Redemption for them The Use of
Light for them that sit in Darkness OR A DISCOURSE OF JESUS CHRIST AND That he undertook to accomplish by himself the Eternal Redemption of Sinners ALSO How the Lord Jesus addressed himself to this Work with undeniable Demonstrations that he performed the same Objections to the Contrary Answered BY JOHN BUNYAN Christ hath redeemed us from the Curse of the Law being made a Curse for us Gal. 3. 13. LONDON Printed for Francis Smith at the Elephant and Castle near the Royal Exchange in Corrthil 1675. The Author to the Reader Gentle Reader IT was the great care of the Apostle Paul to deliver his Gospel to the Churches in its own simplicity because SO it is the Power of God unto Salvation to every one that believeth And if it was his care so to deliver it to us it should be ours to seek so to continue it And the rather because of the Unaptness of the Minds even of the Saints themselves to retain it without commixture For to say nothing of the Projects of Hell and of the cunning craftiness of some that lie in wait to dâ—ceive even the Godly themselves as they are dull of hearing so much more dull in receiving and holding fast the simplicity of the Gospel of Jesus Christ from their Sense and Reason and Unbelief and Darkness arise many imaginations and high thoughts which exalt themselves against the Knowledg of God and the Obedience of Jesus Christ wherefore they themselves have much ado to stand compleat in all the Will of God And were they not concerned in electing love by which they are bound up in the Bundle of Life and blessed with the Enjoiment of Saving Grace which enlightneth their Souls and maintaineth their Faith and Hope they would not only be assaulted and afflicted with their own Corruptions but as others overcome thereby Alas How ordinary a thing is it for Professors to fall from the Knowledg they have had of the Glorious Gospel of the Blessed God and to be turned unto Fables Seducing-Spirits and Doctrines of Devils through the Intoxications of Delusions and the Witchcrafts of false Preachers Now this their swerving from the Gospel ariseth 1. Either from their not-having or having notretaining the true Knowledg of the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ Or 2. From their not believing the true Causes of his Coming into the World with his Doing and Suffering there Upon one or both these accounts I say it is that they everlastingly perish for if they have not and do not also retain the Knowledg of his Person they want the HE on whom if they believe not they 〈◊〉 die in their Sins And if they know not the Reason of his Coming Doing and Suffering they are in the same condition also Now those Professors that have had some Knowledg of these things and yet have lost them it hath come thus to pâ—ss with them because they first lost the Knowledg of themselves and of their Sins They know not themselves to be such nothing-ones as the Scripture reporteth them to be nor their Sins to be so heinous as the Law hath concluded Therefore they either turn again with the Dog to his Vomit or adhere to a few of the Rags of their own Fleshly Righteousness and so become pure in their own Eyes yet are not purged by Blood from their Filthiness For the Person and Doings of Jesus Christ are only precious to them that get and retain the true Knowledg of themselves and the due Reward of their Sins by the Law These are desolate being driven out of all these embrace the Rock instead of a Shelter the Sensible Sinner receiveth him joyfully And because a miscarriage in this Great Truth is the most dangerous and damning Miscarriage therefore should Professors be the more fearful of swerving aside there-from The Man that rejecteth the true Knowledg of the Person of the Lord Jesus and the Causes of his Doing and Suffering in the World takes the next way to be guilty of that Transgression that is not to be purged with Sacrifice for ever That FEARFUL Transgression for which is left NO Offering AT ALL nor any thing to be expected by the Person transgressing but fearful Judgment and fiery Indignation which shall devour the Adversary Now for their sakes that have not sinned this Sin for their sakes that are in danger thereof but yet not overcome for their sakes have I written this little Book wherein is largely and yet with few words discovered the Doctrine of the Person and Doings and Sufferings of Christ with the true Cause thereof also a removal of those Objections that the crafty Children of darkness have framed against the same And I have been the more plain and simple in my writing because the Sin against the Holy Ghost is in these days more common than formerly and the Way unto it more beautified with colour and pretence of Truth I may say of the way to this Sin it is as was once the Way to Jerusalem strewed with Boughs and Branches and by some there is eried a kind of Hosanna to them that are treading these Steps to Hell Oh the plausible Pretences the golden Names the feigned Holiness the demure Behaviours mixt with damnable Hypocrisie that attends the Persons that have forsaken the Lord Jesus that have despised his Person trampled upon him and counted the Blood of the Covenant wherewith he was Sanctified an Unholy thing They have crucified him to themselves and think that they can go to Heaven without him yea pretend they love him when they hate him pretend they have him when they have cast him off pretend they trust in him when they bid defiance to his Undertakings for the World Reader let me beseech thee to hear me patiently read and consider and judg I have presented thee with that which I have received from God and the Holy Men of God who spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost do bear me witness Thou will say all pretend to this Well but give me the hearing take me to the Bible and let me find in thy Heart no favour if thou find me to swerve from the Standard I say again receive my Doctrine I beseech thee in Christ's stead receive it I know it to be the Way of Salvation I have ventured my own Soul thereon with gladness and if all the Souls in the World were mine as mine own Soul is I would through God's Grace venture every one of them there I have not writ at a venture nor borrowed my Doctrine from Libraries I depend upon the sayings of no man I found it in the Scriptures of Truth among the true sayings of God I have done when I have exhorted thee to pray and give heed to the Words of God as revealed in the Holy Writ The Lord Jesus Christ himself give thee Light and Life by Faith in him to whom with the Father and the good Spirit of Grace be Glory and Dominion now and for ever Joh. Bunyan Amen The
by being made under the Law hath recovered his from under the Law and obtained for them the Priviledg of the Adoption of Sons For as I told you before Christ stood a Common Person presenting in himself the whole Lump of the promised Seed or the Children of the Promise wherefore he comes under the Law for them takes upon him to do what the Law required of them takes upon him to do it for them He began therefore at the first Tittle of the Law and going in mans Flesh for man through the Law He becomes the End of the Law for righteousness for every one that believeth The END of the Law what is the End of the Law but perfect and sinless Obedience that is the End of the Law both with respect to its Nature and the Cause of its being imposed God gave the Law that compleat Righteousness should by that be found upon men but because sin was got into man's Flesh therefore this Righteousness by us could not be compleated Now comes Christ the Lord into the World clothes himself with the Children's Flesh addresseth himself to the Work of their Redemption is made under the Law and going through every part of the Law without Sin he becometh the End of the Law for Justifying Righteousness to every one that believeth Rom. 10. 4. For he obeyed not the Law for himself he needed no obedience thereto 'T was we that needed obedience 't was we that wanted to answer the Law we wanted it but could not obtain it because then the Law was weak through the Flesh therefore God sent his own Son and he did our duty for us even to become the End of the Law to every one that believeth In this therefore Christ laboured for us he was made under the Law to redeem Therefore as I said before It behoved him to be sinless because the Law binds over to answer for sin at the Bar of the Judgment of God Therefore did his God-Head assume our humane Flesh in a clean and spotless way that he might come under the Law to redeem them that were under the Law For consisting of two Natures and the Personality lieing in the God-Head which gave value and worth to all things done for us by the Man-hood the Obedience takes denomination from thence to be the Obedience of God The Sons Righteousness the Sons Blood the Righteousness of God the Blood of God Heb. 5. 8 9. Phil. 3. 7 8. Acts 20. 28. 1 John 3. 16. Thus Jesus Christ came into the World under the Law to redeem not simply as God but God-Man both natures making one Christ. The God-head therefore did influence and give value to the human Flesh of Christ in all its Obedience to the Law else there would have been wanting that Perfection of Righteousness which only could answer the Demands and Expectation of the Justice of God to wit Perfect Righteousness by Flesh. But the Second Person in the God-head the Son the Word coming under the Law for men in their Flesh and subjecting himself by that Flesh to every tittle and demand of the Law all and every whit of what was acted and done by Jesus Christ God-man for us it was and is the Righteousness of God and since it was not done for himself but for us as he saith in the Text to redeem The Righteousness by which we are set free from the Law is none other but the Righteousness that alone resideth in the Person of the Son of God And that it is absolutely necessary thus it should be is evident both with respect to God and also with respect to Man 1. With respect to God The Righteousness is demanded by God therefore he that comes to redeem must present before God a Righteousness absolutely perfect this can be done by none but God 2. With respect to Man Man was to present this Righteousness to God therefore must the Undertaker be man Man for Man and God for God God-Man between God and Men. This Days-man can lay his Hand upon us both and bring God and Man together in peace Job 9. 33. Quest. But some may say What need of the Righteousness of one that is naturally God had Adam who was but a mean Man stood in his Innocency and done his duty he had saved himself and all his Posterity Ans. Had Adam stood he had so long secured himself from the Wages of Sin and Posterity so long as they were in him But had Adam sinned yea although he had not defiled his Nature with filth he could never after that have redeemed himself from the Curse of the Law because he was not equal with God for the Curse of the Law is the Curse of God but no man can deliver himself from the Curse of God having first transgressed This is evident because Angels for sin lie bound in Chains and can never deliver themselves He therefore that redeemeth man from under the Law must not only do all the good that the Law requireth but bear all the Penalty that is due by the Law for sin Should an Angel assume human Flesh and in that Flesh do the Law this Righteousness would not redeem a Sinner it would be but the Righteousness of an Angel and so far short of such a Righteousness as can secure a Sinner from the Wrath of God But thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy Soul with all thy Heart with all thy Mind with all thy Strength If there was no more required of us now to redeem our selves it would be utterly impossible for us to do it because in the best there is sin which will intermix it self with every duty of Man This being so all the Heart all the Soul all the Strength and all the Mind to the exact requirement of the Justice of the Law can never be found in a Natural Man Besides For this Work there is required a perfect Memory always to keep in mind the whole Duty of Man the whole of every tittle of all the Law lest sin come in by forgetfulness 2. A perfect Knowledg and Judgment lest sin come in by ignorance 3. An everlasting Unweariedness in all lest sin and continual Temptations tire the Soul cause it to fail before the whole be done For the Accomplishing this last he must have 1. A Perfect Willingness without the least thought to the contrary 2. Such an hatred of sin as is not to be found but in the Heart of God 3. A full delight in every Duty and that in the midst of all temptations 4. A continuing in all things to the well-pleasing of the Justice of God I say should the penalty of the Law be taken off should God forgive the Penalty and Punishment due to sins that are past and only demand good works now according to the Tenour of the Law no man could be saved there would not be found that Heart that Soul that Mind and that Strength any-where in the World This therefore must cease for ever
us Being justified by Faith we have Peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. The God of Peace fill you with all joy and peace in believing Rom. 5. 1 2. Chap. 15. 13. This Peace is expressed diversly 1. Sometimes it is called QUIETNESS for it calms the Soul from those troublous Fears of damning because of sin And the work of Righteousness shall be Peace and the Effect of Righteousness Quietness and Assurance for ever Isa. 32. 17. 2. Sometimes it is called BOLDNESS for by the Blood of Christ a Man hath encouragement to approach unto God Having brethren Boldness to enter into the Holiest by the Blood of Jesus by a new and living way which he hath consecrated for us through the Vail that is to say his Flesh Heb. 10. 19 20. 3. It is sometimes called CONFIDENCE because by Jesus Christ we have not only encouragement to come to God but confidence that if we ask any thing according to his Will he not only heareth but granteth the Request which we put up to him In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the Faith of Jesus Ephes. 3. 12. 1 John 5. 14 15. 4. Sometimes this Peace is expressed by REST because a Man having found a sufficient Fulness to answer all his Wants he sitteth down and looks no further for satisfaction Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest Mat. 11. 28. 5. It is also expressed by SINGING because the Peace of God when it is received into the Soul by Faith putteth the Conscience into a Heavenly and Melodious Frame And the Ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with Songs and Everlasting Joy upon their Heads they shall obtain joy and gladness and sorrow and sighing shall fly away Isa. 35. 10. 6. Sometimes it is expressed or discovered by an Heavenly glorying and boasting in Jesus Christ because this Peace causeth the Soul to set its Face upon its Enemies with Faith of a Victory over them for ever by its Lord Jesus Let him that glorieth glory in the Lord and My Soul shall make her boasts in the Lord the Humble shall hear thereof and be glad Jer. 9. 23 24. Psalm 34. 2. 7. Sometimes it is expressed or discovered by Joy Joy unspeakable because the Soul having seen it self reconciled to God hath not only quietness but such apprehensions do now possess it of the unspeakable Benefits it receiveth by Christ with respect to the World to come that it is swallowed up with them 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 1 Pet. 1. 8. 8. Lastly It is expressed or discovered by the Triumph that ariseth sometimes in the Hearts of the Believers for they at times are able to see Death Sin the Devil and Hell and all Adversity conquered by and tied as Captives at the Chariot-Wheels of Jesus Christ Taken captive I say and overthrown for ever Thanks be to God who causeth us always to triumph in Christ. O clap your Hands O ye People sing unto God with the voice of Triumph 2 Cor. 2. 14. Psalm 47. 1. Now that all this should be a cheat is impossible that is it is impossible that Believers should thus have Peace with God through the Blood of his Cross he having not paid full price to God for them especially if you consider that the Authors of this Peace are all the three in the Godhead and that upon a double account 1. In that they have given us a Gospel of Peace Rom. 10. 15. or a New-Testament which propoundeth Peace with God through the Redemption that is in Christ. Now as this is called the Gospel of Peace so 1. It is called The Gospel of God 1 Thes. 2. 9. 2 Thes. 1. 8. 2. The Gospel of Christ Rom. 15. 19. 3. A Gospel indited by the Holy Ghost 1 Thes. 4. 8. I say therefore that Redemption and Salvation being that throw Christ and the Truth thereof proclaimed by the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost in the Word of the Truth of the Gospel it must needs be that we who believe shall be saved if we hold the confidence and the rejoicing firm unto the End 2. As the three in the God-head are the Authors of this Peace by inditing for us the Gospel of Peace or the good Tidings of Salvation by Jesus Christ So they are the Authors of our Peace by working with that word of the Gospel in our Hearts And hence 1. the Father is called the God of Peace now the God of Peace be with you all And the very God of Peace sanctifie you Rom. 15. 33. 1 Thes. 5. 23. And because he is the God of Peace therefore he filleth those that believe in his Christ with joy and peace through believing Rom. 15. 13. 2. Again Christ is called the Prince of Peace therefore the Prayer is Grace be with you and Peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ 2 Thes. 1. 2. 3. The Holy Ghost also is the Author of this Peace this inward Peace Even righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost Rom. 14. 17. And I say as I also have already said the procuring or meritorious Cause of this Peace is the doings and sufferings of Christ. Therefore by his Doings and Sufferings he paid full price to God for Sinners and obtained Eternal Redemption for them else God would never have indited a Proclamation of Peace for them and the Tenour of that Proclamation to be the Worthiness of the Lord Jesus yea he would never have wrought with that Word in the Heart of them that believe to create in them Peace Peace Secondly As peace with God is an Evidence the Blood of Christ being the Cause thereof that Christ hath by it paid full price to God for Sinners so Holiness in their Hearts taking its beginning from this Doctrine makes this fist Demonstration of double strength 1. That Holiness true gospel Holiness possesseth our hearts by this Doctrine 't is evident because the ground of Holiness which is the Spirit of God in us is ministred to us by this Doctrine When the Apostle had insinuated that the Galatians were bewitched because they had turned from the Doctrine of Christ Crucified he demands of them Whether they received the Spirit by the Works of the Law or by the hearing of Faith Gal. 3. 1 2 3 4. That is whether the Spirit took possession of their Souls by their Obedience to the ten Commandments or by their giving credit to the Doctrine of the forgiveness of their Sins by Faith in this Crucified Christ strongly concluding not by the Law but by the hearing or preaching of Faith that is of the Lord Jesus as Crucified who is the Object of Faith 2. As this Doctrine conveyeth the ground or ground-Work which is the Spirit so also it worketh in the Heart those three Graces Faith Hope Love