Satan though my heart indeed be worse Than 't was a wile ago Yet I perceive Thou shalt me not of happiness bereave Nor yet of holiness for by the Word I find that Jesus Christ our blessed Lord Is made Sanctification for me In his own Person where all Graces be As water in the Fountain and that I By means of that have yet a sanctity Both personal and perfect every way And that is Christ himself as Paul doth say Now though my crazy Pitcher oft doth leak By means of which my Graces are so weak And so much spent that one I cannot find Able to stay or help my feeble mind Yet then I look to Jesus and see all In him that wanting is in me and shall Again take courage and believe he will Present me upright in his Person till He humble me for all my foolishness And then again fill me with holiness Now if thou lovest inward sanctity As all the Saints do most unfeignedly Then add to what I have already said Faith in the Promise and be not afraid To urge it often at the Throne of Grace And to expect it in its time and place Then he that true is and that cannot lye Will give it unto thee that thou thereby May'st serve with faith with fear in truth love That God that did at first thy Spirit move To ask it to his praise that he might be Thy God and that he might delight in thee If I should here particulars relate Methinks it could not but much animate Thy Heart though very listless to enquire How thou may'st that enjoy which all desire That love themselves and future Happiness But Oh! I cannot fully it express The Promise is so open and so free In all respects to those that humble be That want they cannot what for them is good But there 't is and confirmed is with Blood A certain sign all those enjoy it may That see they want it and sincerely pray To God the Father in that Jesus Name Who bled on purpose to confirm the same Now would'st thou have a Heart that tender is A Heart that forward is to close with bliss A Heart that will impressions freely take Of the New Covenant and that will make The best improvement of the Word of Grace And that to Wickedness will not give place All this is in the Promise and it may Obtained be of them that humbly pray Would'st thou enjoy that Spirit that is free And looseth those that in their Spirits be Opprest with guilt or filth or unbelief That Spirit that will where it dwells be chief Which breaketh Sampson's Cord as rotten thread And raiseth up the Spirit that is dead That sets the Will at liberty to chuse Those things that God hath promis'd to infuse Into the humble Heart All this I say The Promise holdeth out to them that pray Wouldest thou have that good that blessed Mind That is so much to heavenly things inclin'd That it aloft will soar and always be Contemplating on blest Eternity That Mind that never thinks it self at rest But when it knows it is for ever blest That Mind that can be here no more content Than he that in the Prison doth lament That blessed Mind that counts it self then free When it can at the Throne with Jesus be There to behold the Mansions he prepares For such as be with him and his co-heirs This Mind is in the Covenant of Grace And shall be theirs that truly seek his face Is godly fear delightful unto thee That fear that God himself delights to see Bear sway in them that love him then he will Thy godly Mind in this request fulfill By giving thee a fear that tremble shall At every trip thou takest lest thou fall And him offend or hurt thy self by sin Or cause poor Souls that always blind have been To stumble at thy falls and harder be Against their own Salvation and thee That fear that of it self would rather chuse The rod than to offend or to abuse In any thing that blessed worthy Name That hath thee saved from that death and shame That sin would soon have brought thee to if he Had not imputed Righteousness to thee I will love them saith God and not depart From them but put my fear within their heart That I to them may always lovely be And that they never may depart from me Would'st thou be very upright and sincere Would'st thou be that within thou dost appear Or seem to be in outward exercise Before the most devout and godly wise Yea art thou thus when no Eye doth thee see But that which is invisible and be The words of God in truth thy prop and stay And do they in their Conscience bear more sway To govern thee in Faith and Holiness Than thou canst with thy heart mouth express And do the things that truly are Divine Before thee more than Gold or Rubies shine And if as unto Solomon God should Propound to thee What would'st thou have how would Thy heart and pulse beat after heav'nly things After the upper and the nether springs Could'st with unfeigned heart and upright lip Cry hold me fast Lord never let me slip Nor step aside from Faith and Holiness Nor from the blessed hope of future bliss Lord rather cross me any where than here Lord fill me always with thy holy fear And godly jealousie of mine own heart Lest I Lord should at any time depart From thy most blessed Covenant of Grace Where Jesus rules as King and where thy face Is only to be seen with comfort and Where sinners justifi'd before thee stand If these thy groanings be sincere and true If God doth count thee one that dost pursue The things thou cryest after with thy heart No doubt but in them thou shalt have a part The next word that I would unto thee say Is how thou may'st attain without delay Those blessed Graces and that Holiness Thou dost with so much godly zeal express Thy love to and thy longing to enjoy That sins and weakness might thee less annoy Know then as I have hinted heretofore And shall now speak unto a little more All graces in the person of the Son Are by the Father hid and therefore none Can them obtain but they who with him close All others graceless are but only those For of his fulness 't is that we receive And grace for grace let no man then deceive Himself or others with a feigned shew Of Holiness if Jesus they eschew When he ascended to his Father then It was that he received Gifts for men Faith hope and love true zeal an upright heart Right humbleness of mind and every part Of what the word of Life counts holiness God then laid up in him that we redress And help might have who do unto him fly For righteousness and Gospel-sanctity Now if thou would'st inherent righteousness And so Sanctification possess In Body Soul and Spirit then thou must To Jesus flye as
seeth due Read sin then by the death that doth ensue Most men do judge of sin not by the fruits It bears and bringeth forth but as it suits Their carnal and deluded hearts that be With sensual Pleasures eaten up but he That now so judgeth shortly shall perceive That God will judge thereof himself and leave Such men no longer to their carnal lusts To judge of wickedness and of the just And righteous punishment that doth of right Belong thereto and will too in despite Of all their carnal reason justifie Himself in their eternal misery Then Hell will be no fancy neither will Mens sins be pleasant to them but so ill And bitter yea so bitter that none can Fully express the same or ever stand Under the burden it will on them lay When they from Life and Bliss are sent away When I have thought how often God doth speak Of their destruction who his Law do break And when the nature of the punishment I find so dreadful and that Gods intent Yea resolution is it to inflict On every sinner that shall stand convict I have amazed been yet to behold To see poor sinners yet with sin so bold That like the Horse that to the battel runs Without all fear and that no danger shuns Till down he falls O resolute attempts O sad amazing damnable Events The end of such proceedings needs must be From which O Lord save and deliver me But if thou think that God thy noble Race Will more respect than into such a place To put thee hold though thou his off-spring be And so art lovely yet sin hath made thee Another kind of Creature than when thou Didst from his fingers drop and therefore now Thy first Creation stands thee in no stead Thou hast transgressed and in very deed Set God against thee who is infinite And that for certain never will forget Thy sins nor favour thee if thou shalt dye A graceless Man this is thy misery When Angels sinned though of higher race Than thou and also put in higher place Yet them he spared not but cast them down From Heaven to Hell where also they lye bound In everlasting chains and no release Shall ever have but wrath that shall encrease Upon them to their everlasting woe As for the state they were exalted to That will by no means mitigate their fear But aggravate their hellish torment here For he that highest stands if he shall fall His danger needs must be the great'st of all Now if God noble Angels did not spare Because they did transgress will he forbear Poor dust and ashes will he suffer them To break his Law and sin and not condemn Them for so doing let not man deceive Himself or others they that do bereave Themselves by sin of happiness shall be Cut off by Justice and have misery Witness his great severity upon The World that first was planted wherein none But only eight the Deluge did escape All others of that Vengeance did partake The reason was That World ungodly stood Before him therefore he did send the flood Which swept them all away a just Reward For their most wicked ways against the Lord Who could no longer bear them and their ways Therefore into their bosom Vengeance pays We read of Sodom and Gomorrha too What Judgments they for sin did undergo How God from Heaven did fire upon them rain Because they would not wicked ways refrain Condemning of them with an overthrow And turned them to ashes who can know The miseries that these poor People felt While they did underneath those burnings melt Now these and many more that I could name That have been made partakers of the flame And Sword of Justice God did then cut off And make Examples unto all that scoff At holiness or do the Gospel slight And long it will not be before the night And Judgment painted out by what he did To Sodom and Gomorrha fulfilled Upon such sinners be that they may know That God doth hate the sin and Persons too Of such as still rebellious shall abide Although they now at Judgment may deride FINIS Prison-Meditations Directed to the Heart of SUFFERING SAINTS AND REIGNING SINNERS By JOHN BUNYAN in Prison 1665. 1. FRiend I salute thee in the Lord And wish thou may'st abound In Faith and have a good regard To keep on Holy Ground 2. Thou dost encourage me to hold My Head above the Flood Thy Counsel better is than Gold In need thereof I stood 3. Good Counsel's good at any time The Wise will it receive Tho' Fools count he commits a Crime Who doth good Counsel give 4. I take it kindly at thy hand Thou didst unto me write My Feet upon Mount Sion stand In that take thou delight 5. I am indeed in Prison now In Body but my Mind Is free to study Christ and how Unto me he is kind 6. For though men keep my outward man Within their Locks and Bars Yet by the Faith of Christ I can Mount higher than the Stars 7. Their Fetters cannot Spirits tame Nor tye up God from me My Faith and Hope they cannot lame Above them I shall be 8. I here am very much refresht To think when I was out I preached Life and Peace and Rest To Sinners round about 9. My business then was Souls to save By preaching Grace and Faith Of which the comfort now I have And have it shall till death 10. They were no Fables that I taught Devis'd by cunning men But God's own Word by which were caught Some sinners now and then 11. Whose Souls by it were made to see The evil of their sin And need of Christ to make them free From death which they were in 12. And now those very Hearts that then Were Foes unto the Lord Embrace his Christ and Truth like men Conquered by his Word 13. I hear them sigh and groan and cry For Grace to God above They loath their sin and to it dye 'T is Holiness they love 14. This was the work I was about When Hands on me they laid 'T was this from which they pluck'd me out And vilely to me said 15. You Heretick Deceiver come To Prison you must go You preach abroad and keep not home You are the Churches foe 16. But having Peace within my Soul And Truth on every side I could with comfort them controul And at their charge deride 17. Wherefore to Prison they me sent Where to this day I lie And can with very much content For my Profession die 18. The Prison very sweet to me Hath been since I came here And so would also hanging be If God will there appear 19. Here dwells good Conscience also Peace Here be my Garments white Here though in Bonds I have Release From Guilt which else would bite 20. When they do talk of Banishment Of Death or such like Things Then to me God sends Hearts content That like a Fountain springs 21. Alas they little think what peace They help
Which now for sin they have O wantons take heed what ye do Sin will you never save 94. They sooner may drink up the Sea Than shake off these their fears Or make another in one day As big with brinish tears 95. Than put an end to misery In which they now do roar Or help themselves no they must cry Alas for evermore 96. When years by thousands on a heap Are passed o're their head Yet still the fruits of sin they reap Among the ghostly dead 97. Yea when they have time out of mind Been in this Case so ill For ever ever is behind Yet for them to fulfill FINIS Ebal and Gerizzim OR The BLESSING and the CURSE Being a short Exhortation to Sinners by the Mercy and Severity of God From Mount Gerizzim BEsides what I said of the Four last Things And of the weal and woe that from them springs An After-word still runneth in my Mind Which I shall here expose unto that wind That may it blow into that very hand That needs it Also that it may be scan'd With greatest soberness shall be my Prayer As well as diligence and godly care So to present it unto publick view That only truth and peace may thence ensue My talk shall be of that amazing love Of God we read of which that it may prove By its engaging Arguments to save Thee I shall lay out that poor help I have Thee to entice that thou wouldst dearly fall In love with thy Salvation and with all That doth thereto concurr that thou may'st be As blessed as the Blessed can make thee Not only here but in the World to come In bliss which I pray God may be thy home But first I would advise thee to bethink Thy self how sin hath laid thee at the brink Of Hell where thou art lulled fast asleep In Satans arms who also will thee keep As sensless and secure as e're he may Left thou should'st wake and see 't and run away Unto that Jesus whom the Father sent Into the World for this cause and intent That such as thou from such a thrall as this Might'st be released and made heir of bliss Nâ—â— that thou mayst awake the danger flye And so escape the death that others dye Come let me set my Trumpet to thine ear Be willing all my message for to hear 'T is for thy life O do it not refuse Woe unto them good counsel do abuse Thou art at present in that very case Which argues thou art destitute of grace For he that lyes where sin hath laid him lyes Under the curse graceless and so he dyes In Body and in Soul within that range If God his heart in mercy doth not change Before he goes the way of all the Earth Before he lose his Spirit and his Breath Repentance there is none within the Grave Nor Christ nor Grace nor Mercies for to save Thee from the Vengeance due unto thy sin If now thou dost not truly close with him Thou art like him that sleepeth in the Sea On broken Boards which without guide or stay Are driven whither Winds and Water will While greedy Beasts do wait to have their fill By feeding on his Carkass when he shall Turn over-board and without Mercy fall Into the Jaws of such as make a prey Of those whom Justice drowneth in the Sea Thou art like him that snoring still doth lye Upon the Bed of vain security Whil'st all about him into burning flame By fire is turn'd yea and while the frame And building where he lyes consuming is And while himself these burnings cannot miss Thou art like one that hangeth by a thread Over the mouth of Hell as one half dead And oh how soon this thread may broken be Or cut by death is yet unknown to thee But sure it is if all the weight of sin And all that Satan too hath doing been Or yet can do can break this crazy thread 'T will not be long before among the dead Thou tumble do as linked fast in chains With them to wait in fear for future pains What shall I say wilt thou not yet awake Nor yet of thy poor Soul some pity take Among the Lyons it hood-winked lyes Oh! that the Lord would open once thine Eyes That thou might'st see it then I dare say thou As half berest of Wits wouldst cry out how Shall I escape Lord help Oh! help with speed Reach down thy hand from Heaven for help I need To save me from the Lyons for I fear This Soul of mine they will in pieces tear Come then and let us both expostulate The Case betwixt us till we animate And kindle in our Hearts that burning love To Christ to Grace to Life that we may move Swifter than Eagles to this blessed prey Then shall it be well with us in that day The trump shall sound the dead made rise and stand Then to receive for breach of God's Command Such thunder-claps as these Depart from me Into Hell fire you that the Wicked be Prepared for the Devil and for those That with him and his Angels rather chose To live in filthy sin and wickedness Whose fruit is everlasting bitterness We both are yet on this side of the Grave We also Gospel-privileges have The Word and time to pray God give us Hearts That like the Wise-man we may act our parts To get the Pearl of price then we shall be Like godly Mary Peter Paul and we Like Jacob too the blessing shall obtain While Esau rides a Hunting for the gain Of worldly Pelf which will him not avail When Death or Judgment shall him fore assail Now to encourage us for to begin Let us believe the Kingdom we may win And be possest thereof if we the way Shall hit into and then let nothing stay Or hinder us the Crown is at the end Let 's run and strive and fly and let 's contend With greatest courage it for to obtain 'T is Life and Peace and everlasting gain The gate of Life the new and living way The Promise holdeth open all the day Which thou by Jacob's Ladder must ascend Where Angels always wait and do attend As Ministers to minister for those That do with God and Christ and glory close If guilt of sin still lieth at our door Us to discourage let us set before Our Eyes a bleeding Jesus who did dye The Death and let 's believe the reason why He did it was that we might ever be From death and sin from hell and wrath set free Yea let 's remember for that very end It was his blessed Father did him send That he the Law of God might here fulfill That so the Mystery of his blessed Will Might be revealed in the blessedness Of those that fly to Christ for righteousness Now let us argue with our selves then thus That Jesus Christ our Lord came to save us By bearing of our sins upon his back By hanging on the Cross as on a Rack While Justice cut him
one ungodly first And so by him crave pardon for thy sin Which thou hast loved and hast lived in For this cannot at all forgiven be For any righteousness that is in thee Because the best thou hast is filthy raggs Prophane presumptuous and most beastly braggs Of Flesh and Blood which always cross doth lye To God to Grace and thy Felicity Then Righteousness imputed thou must have Thee from that guilt and punishment to save Thou lyest under as a sinful man Throughout polluted and that never can By any other means acquitted be Or ever have true holiness in thee The reason is because all Graces are Only in Christ and be infused where Or into those whom he doth justifie By what himself hath done that he thereby Might be the whole of all that happiness The Sinner shall enjoy here and in Bliss Besides if Holiness should first be found In those whom God doth pardon then the ground Why we forgiven are would seem to be He first found Holiness in thee and me But this the Holy Scriptures will refute And prove that Righteousness he doth impute Without respect to goodness first in man For to speak Truth indeed no goodness can Be found in those that underneath the Law Do stand For if God Goodness in them saw Why doth he once and twice say Ther 's is none That Righteous be no not so much as one None understandeth none seek after God His ways they have not known but have abode In Wickedness unprofitable they Must needs appear to be then every way Their Throats an open Sepulchre also Their Mouths are full of filthy Cursings too And bitterness yea underneath their Lips The Asp hath Poyson O how many slips And falls in Sin must such poor People have Now where 's the Holiness that should them save Or as a preparation go before To move God to do for them less or more No Grace must on thee Righteousness bestow Or else Sin will for ever thee undo Sweet Paul this Doctrine also doth express Where he saith Some may have a Righteousness Though Works they have not and it thus may stand Grace by the promise gives what the command Requireth us to do and so are we Quitted from doing and by Grace made free Now then if Holiness thou would'st obtain And would'st a tender Christian-man remain Keep Faith in action let that Righteousness That Christ fulfilled always have express And clear distinction in thy Heart from all That Men by Scripture or besides it call Inherent Gospel-holiness or what Terms else they please to give it for 't is that And that alone by which all Graces come Into the Heart for else there is no room For ought but pride presumption or despair No love or other Graces can be there Received you the Spirit saith St. Paul By hearing Faith or Works not Works and shall No ways retain the same except you do Hear Faith imbrace the same and stick thereto The word of Faith unto me pardon brings Shews me the ground and reason whence it springs To wit free grace which moved God to give His Son to dye and bleed that I might live This word doth also loudly preach to me Though I a miserable sinner be Yet in this Son of God I stand compleat Whose righteousness is without all deceit 'T is that which God himself delighteth in And that by which all his have saved been When I do this begin to apprehend My Heart my Soul and Mind begins to bend To God-ward and sincerely for to love His Son his Ways his People and to move With brokenness of Spirit after him Who broken was and killed for my sin Now is mine heart grown holy now it cleaves To Jesus Christ my Lord and now it leaves Those ways that wicked be it mourns because It can conform no more unto the Laws Of God who loved me when I was vile And of sweet Jesus who did reconcile Me unto Justice by his precious blood When no way else was left to do me good If you would know how this can operate Thus on the Soul I shall to you relate A little farther what my Soul hath seen Since I have with the Lord acquainted been The word of Grace when it doth rightly seize The Spirit of a man and so at ease Doth set the Soul the Spirit of the Lord Doth then with might accompany the Word In which it sets forth Christ as crucifi'd And by that means the Father pacifi'd With such a wretch as thou and by this fight Thy guilt is in the first place put to flight For thus the Spirit doth expostulate Behold how God doth now communicate By changing of the person grace to thee A sinner but to Christ great misery Though he the just one was and so could not Deserve this punishment behold then what The love of God is how 't is manifest And where the reason lyes that thou art blest This Doctrine being spoken to the heart Which also is made yield to every part Thereof it doth the same with sweetness fill And so doth sins and wickednesses kill For when the love of God is thus reveal'd And thy poor drooping Spirit thereby seal'd And when thy heart as dry ground drinks this in Unto the roots thereof which nourish sin It smites them as the worm did Jonah's Gourd And makes them dwindle of their own accord And dye away instead of which there springs Up Life and Love and other holy things Besides the holy Spirit now is come And takes possession of thee as its home By which a war maintained always is Against the old man and the deeds of his When God at first upon Mount Sinai spake He made his very servant Moses quake But when he heard the Law the second time His heart was comforted his face did shine What was the reason of this difference Seeing no change was in the ordinance Although a change was in the manner when The second time he gave it unto Men. At first 't was given in Severity In Thunder Blackness Darkness Tempest high In fiery Flames it was delivered This struck both Moses and the Host as dead But Moses when he went into the Mount The second Time upon the same account No fear nor dread nor shaking of his Mind Do we in all the Holy Scripture find But rather in his Spirit he had rest And look'd upon himself as greatly blest He was put in the Rock he heard the Name Which on the Mount the Lord did thus proclaim The Lord merciful gracious and more Long-suffering and keeping up in store Mercy for thousands pardoning these things Iniquity Transgressions and Sins And holding guilty none but such as still Refuse forgiveness of rebellious will This Proclamation better pleased him Than all the Thunder and the Light'ning Which shook the Mount this rid him of his fear This made him bend make haste worship there Jehosaphat when he was sore opprest By Amon and by Moab and the rest Of