A HOLY LIFE THE BEAUTY OF Christianity OR An EXHORTATION to CHRISTIANS to be HOLY By JOHN BUNYAN Holiness becomes thy House O Lord for ever LONDON Printed by B. W. for Benj. Alsop at the Angel and Bible in the Poultry 1684. AN INTRODUCTION To the following DISCOURSE WHen I write of Justification before God from the dreadful curse of the Law then I must speak of nothing but Grace Christ the Promise and Faith but when I speak of our Justification before Men then I must joyn to these good Works For Grace Christ and Faith are things invisible and so not to be seen by another otherwise than through a life that becomes so blessed a Gospel as has declared unto us the remission of our sins for the sake of Jesus Christ. He then that would have Forgiveness of Sins and so be delivered from the Curse of God must believe in the Righteousness and Blood of Christ but he that would shew to his Neighbours that he hath truly received this Mercy of God must do it by good Works for all things else to them is but talk As for example A Tree is known to be what it is to wit whether of this or that kind by it's Fruit. A Tree it is without Fruit but so long as it so abideth there is ministred occasion to doubt what manner of Tree it is A Professor is a Professor though he hath no good Works but that as such he is truly godly he is foolish that so concludeth Not that Works make a Man good for the Fruit maketh not a good Tree it is the Principle to wit Faith that makes a Man good and his works that shew him to be so What then why all Professors that have not good Works flowing from their Faith are naught are Bramble-bushes are nigh unto Cursing whose end is to be burned For Professors by their fruitlesness declare that they are not of the planting of God nor the Wheat but Tares and Children of the Wicked one Not that Faith needeth good works as an help to Justification before God For in this matter Faith will be ignorant of all good Works except those done by the Person of Christ. Here then the good Man worketh not but believeth for he is not now to carry to God but to receive at his Hand the matter of his Justification by Faith nor is the matter of his Justification before God ought else but the good deeds of another Man to wit Christ Jesus But is there therefore no need at all of good Works because a Man is justified before God without them or can that be called a justifying Faith that has not for its Fruit good Works Verily good works are necessary though God need them not nor is that Faith as to Justification with God worth a rush that abideth alone or without them There is therefore a twofold Faith of Christ in the World and as to the notion of Justifying Righteousness they both concur and agree but as to the manner of application there they vastly differ The one to wit the non-saving faith standeth in speculation and naked knowledg of Christ and so abideth idle but the other truly seeeth and receives him and so becometh Fruitful And hence the true justifying Faith is said to receive to imbrace to obey the Son of God as tendred in the Gospel by which expressions is shewed both the nature of Justifying Faith in its actings in point of Justification and also the cause of its being full of good Works in the World A gift is not made mine by my seeing of it or because I know the nature of the thing so given but then it is mine if I receive and imbrace it yea and as to the point in hand if I yield my self up to stand and fall by it Now he that shall not only see but receive not only know but imbrace the Son of God to be justified by him cannot but bring forth good Works because Christ who is now received and imbraced by Faith leavens and seasons the Spirit of this Sinner through his Faith to the making of him capable so to be Faith made Sarah receive Strength to conceive Seed and we are Sanctified through Faith which is in Christ. For Faith hath joyned Christ and the Soul together and being so joyned the Soul is one Spirit with him not essentially but in agreement and oneness of design Besides when Christ is truly received and imbraced to the justifying of the sinner in that Mans Heart he dwels by his Word and Spirit through the same Faith also Now Christ by his Spirit and Word must needs season the Soul he thus dwells in so then the Soul being seasoned it seasoneth the Body and Body and Soul the Life and Conversation We know it is not the Seeing but taking of a potion that maketh it work as it should nor is the Blood of Christ a Purge to this or that Conscience except received by Faith Shall that then be counted right believing in Christ unto justification that amounts to no more than to an idle speculation or naked knowledg of him shall that knowledg of him I say be counted such as only causes the Soul to behold hold but moveth it not to good Works No verily For the true beholding of Jesus to justification and Life changes from glory to glory Nor can that Man that hath so believed as that by his Faith he hath received and imbraced Christ for Life before God be destitute of good works for as I said the Word and Spirit comes also by this Faith and dwels in the Heart and Conscience now shall a Soul where the Word and Spirit of Christ dwels be a Soul without good Works Yea shall a Soul that has received the Love the Mercy the Kindness Grace and Salvation of God through the Sorrows Tears Groans Cross and Cruel Death of Christ be yet a Fruitless Tree God forbid This faith is as the Salt which the Prophet cast into the Spring of bitter Water it makes the Soul good and serviceable for ever If the receiving of a temporal Gift naturally tends to the making of us to move our Cap and Knee and binds us to be the Servant of the Giver shall we think that Faith will leave him who by it has received Christ to be as unconcerned as a Stock or Stone or that it 's utmost excellency is to provoke the Soul to a lip-labour and to give Christ a few fair Words for his Pains and Grace and so wrap up the business No no the Love of Christ constraineth us thus to judge that it is but reasonable since he gave his all for us that we should give our some for him Let no Man then deceive himself as he may and will if he takes not heed with true Notions but examine himself concerning his Faith to wit Whether he hath any and if some Whether of that kind that will turn to
fruit of repentance yea if you would see the fruits of repentance as described by the Holy Ghost and put together for the further conviction and shame of the impenitent professor look into the Second Epistle to the Corinthians Chapter 7. vers 9 10 11. But this is a day that was never read of a day wherein conversion is frequent without repentance such a conversion as 't is and therefore doth the Church of God now swarm with them that religiously name the name of Christ yet depart not from iniquity Alas all Houses all Tables all Shops have hanging up in them the sign of the want of repentance To say nothing of the talk of the beds and the backs of most that profess by which of these is it that one of a thousand for Men and for Women one of ten thousand do shew that they have repentance No marvel then that the name of Christ is so frequently mentioned there where iniquity dwells yea reigns and that with the consent of the mind I would not be austere but were wearing of Gold putting on of apparel dressing up houses decking of children learning of complements boldness in women letchery in men wanton behaviours lascivious words and tempting carriages signs of repentance then I must say the fruits of repentance swarm in our Land but if these be none of the fruits of repentance then O the multitude of professors that religiously name the name of Christ and do not depart from iniquity But Thirdly Love is another of those great and principal graces which the Hâ—ly Ghost worketh in the heart wherefore let profession be never so high yet if Love be wanting there to be sure such professors depart not from iniquity Hence all profession and subjecting to profession are counted nothing where love is not Love is counted a most infallible sign that a man is in a state of Salvation He that loveth dwells in God is born of God and knoweth him Love divideth it self to God and to my Neighbour Love to God is that we keep his savings his commandments his Laws If a man love me saith Christ he will keep my words and he that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings For this is the love of God that we keep his commandments and his commandments are not grievous So then that professor that hath not love cannot depart from iniquity 1. Where no love is men cannot be tender of the name of God they are not afflicted because men keep not Gods Law 2. Where no love is men cannot deny themselves of that which otherwise they might lawfully do lest the weak should fall and the world be destroyed 3. Where love to God is there is hatred against iniquity ye that love the Lord hate evil A man cannot love God that loves not holiness he loves not holiness that loves not Gods word he loves not Gods word that doth not do it It is a common thing to find men partial in Gods Law setting much by small things and neglectâ—ng the weightier matters paying Tythe of Mint and Anise and Cummin and neglecting the weightier matters These turn the Tables of Gods book up-side-down making little Laws of great ones and great ones of little ones counting half an hours bodily service better than a moral life Love Love is gone out of the Conutry Love to â—he doctrine of the first Table Love to the doctrine of the second Table O how many professors in Gods eyes are accounted of no more than sounding brass for want of this ornament love To speak nothing of the first Table where is he that hath his love manifested by the second where are they that feed the hungry and cloath the naked and send portions to them for whom nothing is prepared Where is Paul that would not eat meat while the world standeth lest he made his brother offend Where is Dorcas with her garments she used to make for the Widow and for the Fatherless Yea where is that rich man that to his power durst say as Job does as is recorded in those Chapters quoted in the Margent Love love is gone and now coveting pinching griping and such things are in fashion now iniquity abounds instead of grace in many that name the name of Christ. They want love and therefore cannot depart from iniquity Fourthly Hope is another of those great and principal graces which the Holy Ghost worketh in the heart and without which let a man be never so high in profession and so open in naming the name of Christ he cannot depart from iniquity As was said before of faith so we say now of hope And every one that hath this hope in him purifieth himself as he is pure Here is that excellent office or rather effect of hope made manifest it purifieth it cleanseth a man it makes him make the Lord Jesus his example as well as his Saviour He purifieth himself even as he is pure to wit in soul in body in spirit in life and conversation Hope of life eternal by Christ makes a man purifie himself in obeying the truth through the spirit Hope to be with Christ hereafter will make me strive to believe him here Hope of being with Angels then will make a man strive to live like an Angel here Alas alas there is a company of half-priests in the world and they cannot they dare not teach the people the whole counsel of God because in so doing they will condemn themselves and their manner of living in the world where is that Minister now to be found that dare say to his people look on me and walk as you have me for an example or that dare say what you see and hear to be in me do and the God of peace shall be with you These men had hope and hope purified them to an example till they became patterns to others Is not this now far off from some professors in the world are they purified are they clean that name the name of Christ are they weaned from that milk and drawn from the breasts No nor their profession is not attended with grace they name the name of Christ well but they do not depart from iniquity Let a man believe a lie and according to the reality of his belief such will his obedience be let a man hope for that for which he hath no ground to hope yet his hope will work with him according to the power thereof And yet we have a generation of men that profest the blessed Gospel which yieldeth the most substantial ground for faith and hope yea we have a company of men that will be naming the name Christ which is the sweetest the most taking and desirable name that is named among the sons of men and for all that this Gospel this worthy name nor yet their naming of it doth make them depart from iniquity But what 's the reason why they have taken up a profession but want the
lacking but mixed there with Therefore I say since God has put his name into thy mouth to profess the same and grace into thy heart to season that profession with such carriage such behaviour such life and such conversation as doth become the same thou hast great cause to thank God A man into whose mouth God has put the name of Christ to profess it is as a man that is to act his part upon a stage in the Market-place if he doth it well he brings praise both to his Master and himself but if he doth it ill both are brought into contempt No greater praise can by man be brought to God than by joyning to the profession of the name of Christ a fruitful life and conversation Herein saith Christ is my my Father glorified that ye bear much fruit so shall ye be my Desciples Fruitful lives God expecteth of all that profess the name of Christ. And let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity Bless God therefore if he hath kept thee from blotting and blemishing of thy profession if thy conversation has not been stained with the blots and evils of the times What thou feelest fightest with and groanest under by reason of the working of thine inward corruptions with that I meddle not nor is thy conversation the worse for that if thou keepest them from breaking out Thou also shalt be counted holy unto God through Christ if thou be of an upright conversation though plagued every day with the working of thine own corruption As Gods grace is the salt of Saints so Saints are the salt of God The one is the salt of God in the heart and the other is the salt of God in the world Ye are the Salt of the earth that is the salt of God in the earth For the earth would be wholly corrupt and would altogether stink if professors were not in it But now if the professor which is the salt shall indeâ—d lose his savour and hath nothing in his conversation to season that part of the earth in which God has placed him where with shall it be seasoned The place where he dwels as well as his profession will both stink odiously in the nostrils of the Lord And so both come to ruin and desolation Indeed as I have shewed the professor will come to the worst of it for that God doth deny further to give him salt If the salt has lost its savour wherewith shall it be salted wherewith shall the salt be salted with nothing Therefore it is thenceforth good for nothing No not for the Dunghill but to be casâ— out and troden under foot of men He thaâ— hath ears to hear let him hear How much therefore is the tender hearted and he that laboureth to beautifie his profâ—ssion with a Gospel conversation bound to bless God for the salt of his grace by the which his heart is seasoned and from his heart his conversation Secondly As such Christians should bless God so let them watch lâ—t them still watch let them still watch and pray watch against Satan and pray yet for more grace that they may yet more and more beautifie their profession of the worthy name of Christ with a suitable conversation Blessed is he that watcheth and keepeth his garment that is his conversation clean nor is their any thing save the overthrowing of our Faith that Satan seeketh more â—o destroy He knows holiness in them that rightly as to doctrine name the name of Christ is a maul and destruction to his Kingdom an allurement to the ignorant and a cutting off those occasions to stumble that by the dirty life of a professor is laid in the way of the blind He knows that holiness of lives when they shine in those that profess the name of Christ doth cut off his lies that he seeketh to make the world believe and the slanders that he seeketh to fasten upon the professors of the Gospel Wherefore as you have begun to glorifie God in your body and in your spirit which are Gods so I beseech you do it more and more Thirdly To this end shun those profâ—ssors that are loose of life and conversation From such withdraw thy sâ—lf saith Paul and follow righteousness faith charity peace with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart If a man if a good man takes not good heed to himself he shall soon bring his soul into a snare Loose professors are defilers and corrupters a man shall get nothing but a blot by having company with them Besides as a man shall get a blot by having much to do with such so let him beware that his heart learn none of their ways Let thy company be the excellent in the earth even those that are excellent for knowledge and conversation He that walketh with wise men shall be wise but a companion of fools shall be destroyed Be content to be counted singuler for so thou shalt if thou shalt follow after righteousness c. in good earnest for holiness is a rare thing now in the world I told thee before that it is foretold by the word that in the last dayes perilous times shall come and that men shall walk after their own lusts yea professors to their destruction Nor will it be easie to keep thy self therefrom But even as when the Pestilence is come into a place it infecteth and casteth down the healthful So the iniquity of the last times will infect and pollute the godly I mean the generality of them Were but our times duly compared with those that went before we should see that which now we are ignorant of Did we but look back to the Puritans but specially to those that but a little before them suffered for the word of God in the Marian days we should see another life than is now among men another manner of conversation than now is among professors But I say predictions and prophecies must be fulfilled and since the word says plainly that in the last days there shall come scoffers walking after their own lusts and since the Christians shall be endangered thereby let us look to it that we quit our selves like men seeing we know these things before lest we being led away with the error of the wicked fall from our own stedfastness Singularity in godliness if it be in godliness no man should be ashamed of For that is no more than to be more godly than to walk more humbly with God than others and for my part I had rather be a pattern and example of piety I had rather that my life should be instructing to the Saints and condemning to the world with Noah and Lot than to hazard my self among the multitude of the drossie I know that many professors will fall short of Eternal life and my judgment tells me that they will be of the slovenly sort of professors that so do And for my part I had rather
transgressor and so concluded to be one that loveth not Christ tho' I make a noise of my obedience to Christ and of my partaking of his significative ordinances The Jews of old made a great noise with their significative ordinances whiles they lived in the breach of the moral Law but their practice of significative ordinances could not save them from the judgement and displeasure of their God They could frequent the Temple keep their feasts slay their Sacrifices and be mighty apt about all their significative things But they loved Idols and lived in the breach of the second Table of the Law Wherefore God cast them out of his presence hark what the Prophet saith of them Come to Bethel and transgress at Gilgal multiply transgression and bring your Sacrifices every morning and your tithes after three years And offer a Sacrifice of thanksgiving with leaven and proclaim and publish the free-will offerings For this liketh you O ye Children of Israel saith the Lord God Thus as I said the hypocrite gives us the slip for when he heareth that love is in the keeping of the Commandments of God then he betakes him to the more external parts of worship and neglecteth the more weighty matters to the provoking of the God of Israel Secondly As love to God is shewed by keeping of his Commandments So love to my Neighbour is the keeping of the Commandments of God likewise By this we know that we love the Children of God when we love God and keep his Commandments For this is the love of God in us both to God and Man that we keep his Commandments and his Commandments are not grievous He that keepeth not Gods Commandments loves neither God nor Men. Thus then we must learn to love one anothâ—r He that keepeth Gods Commandment doth to his brother what is right for that is Gods Commandment He that keeps Gods Commandment doth to his Brother even as he would be done unto himself for that is Gods Commandment He that keeps Gods Commandment shutteth not up his bowels of Compassion from him for the contrary is his Commandment Further He that keepeth Gods Commandment sheweth his Brother what he must do to honour the Christ that he professeth aright Therefore he that keeps the Commandment loves his brother Yea the keeping of the Commandment is loving the Brethren But if all love which we pretend to have one to another were tryed by this one Text how much of that that we call so would be found to be nothing less Preposterous are our Spirits in all things nor can they be guided right but by the word and spirit of God the which the good Lord grant unto us plentifully that we may do that which is well pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ our Lord. Yea and that there may by them be wrought sound repentance in us for all that hath been done by us amiss lest he give Jacob to the spoil and Israel to the Robbers for that they have sinned against him by not walking in his ways and by not being obedient to his Law Let me add lest God doth not only punish us in the sight and by the hand of the wicked but imbolden them to say it was God that set them on yea lest they make those sins of ours which we have not repented of not only there bye-word against us to after generations but the argument one to another of their justification for all the evil that they shall be suffered to do unto us saying when men shall ask them wherefore hath the Lord done thus unto this Land What meaneth the heat of this great anger even because they have forsaken the covenant of the Lord God of their Fathers and walked not in his ways John Bunyan A HOLY LIFE THE BEAUTY OF Christianity 2. Tim. 2.19 And let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity TImothy unto whom this Epistle was writ was an Evangelist that is inferior to Apostles and extraordinary Prophets and above ordinary Pastors and Teachers And he with the rest of those under his circumstances was to go with the Apostles hither and thither to be disposed of by them as they saw need for the further edification of those who by the Apostolical Ministry were converted to the Faith And hence it is that Titus was left at Creet and that this Timothy was left at Ephesus For they were to do a work for Christ in the world which the Apostles were to begin and leave upon their hand to finish Now when the Apostles departed from places and had left these Evangelists in their stead usually there did arise some bad Spirits among those people where these were left for the furtherance of the Faith This is manifest by both the Epistles to Timothy and also by that to Titus wherefore Paul upon whom these two Evangelists waited for the fulfilling of their Ministry writeth unto them while they abode where he left them concerning those turbulent Sprits which they met with and to teach them how yet further they ought to behave themselves in the house of God which is the Church of the living God the pillar and ground of truth And to this purpose he gives them severally divers instructions as the judicious Reader may easily understand by which he incourageth them to the prosecution of that service which for Christ they had to do for those people where he had left them and also instructeth them how to carry it towards their disturbers which last he doth not only Doctrinally but also by shewing them by his example and practice what he would have them do This done he laboureth to comfort Timothy with the remembrance of the stedfastness of Gods eternal decree of Election because grounded on his foreknowledge saying tho' Hymeneus and Philetus have erred from the Faith and by their fall have overthrown the Faith of some Yet the foundation of God standeth sure having this Seal the Lord knoweth them that are his Now lest this last hint should still incourage some to be remiss and carnally secure and foolish as I suppose this Doctrine abused had incouraged them to be before Therefore the Apostle immediately conjoyneth to it this exhortation And let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity Two truths strangely but necessarily joyned together because so apt to be severed by the children of men for many under the pretence of their being elected neglect to pursue Holiness and many of them again that pretend to be for Holiness quite exclude the Doctrine and motives that election gives thereto Wherefore the Apostle that he might set mens notions as to these things right he joyns these two together signifying thereby that as electing love doth instate a man in the blessing of eternal Life so Holiness is the path thereto and that he that refuseth to depart from iniquity shall be damned notwithstanding he may think himself secured from Hell by