The Riches of Bunyan: Selected from His Works

by John Bunyan

And besides what hath been said, let me yet illustrate this truth unto you by this familiar similitude.

Suppose a man, a traitor, that by the law should die for his sin, is yet such a one that the king hath exceeding kindness for; may not the king of his clemency pardon this man, yea, order that his pardon should be drawn up and sealed, and so in every sense be made sure, and yet for the present keep all this close enough from the ears or the knowledge of the person therein concerned? Yea, may not the king after all leave this person, with others under the same transgression, to sue for and obtain this pardon with great expense and difficulty, with many tears and heartachings, with many fears and dubious cogitations?

Why, this is the case between God and the soul that he saveth: he saveth him, pardoneth him, and secureth him from the curse and death that are due unto sin, but yet doth not tell him so; but he ascends in his great suit unto God for it. Only this difference we must make between God and the potentates of this world: God cannot pardon before the sinner stands before him righteous by the righteousness of Christ; because he has, in judgment, and justice, and righteousness, threatened and concluded that he that lacks righteousness shall die.

TRIALS AND ENCOURAGEMENTS OF THE AWAKENED.

There are two things in special, when men begin to be awakened, that kill their thoughts of being saved.

1. A sense of sin. 2. The wages due thereto. These kill the heart; for who can bear up under the guilt of sin? "If our sins he upon us, and we pine away in them, how can we then live?" How, indeed! it is impossible. So neither can man grapple with the justice of God. Can thy heart endure, or thy hands be strong? they cannot. A wounded spirit, who can bear? Men cannot, angels cannot; wherefore, if now Christ he hid, and the blessing of faith in his blood denied, woe be to them: such go after Saul and Judas, one to the sword and the other to the halter, and so miserably end their days. For come to God they dare not; the thoughts of that eternal Majesty strike them through.

But now present such poor dejected sinners with a crucified Christ, and persuade them that the sins under which they shake and tremble were long ago laid upon the back of Christ, and the noise and sense and fear of damning begins to cease, depart, and fly away: dolors and terrors fade and vanish, and that soul conceiveth hopes of life; for thus the soul argueth: "Is this indeed the truth of God, that Christ was made to be sin to me—was made the curse of God for me? Hath he indeed borne all my sins, and spilt his blood for my redemption? O blessed tidings, O welcome grace! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Now is peace come, now the face of heaven is altered. Behold, all things are become new." Now the sinner can abide God's presence, yea, sees unutterable glory and beauty in him; for here he sees justice smile. While Jacob was afraid of Esau, how heavily did he drive, even towards the promised land; but when killing thoughts were turned into kissing, and the fears of the sword's point turned into brotherly embraces, what says he? "I have seen thy face as though it had been the face of God, and thou wast pleased with me."

So and far better is it with a poor distressed sinner, at the revelation of the grace of God through Jesus Christ. "God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them." O, what work will such a word make upon a wounded conscience, especially when the next words follow: "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him."

Now the soul sees qualifications able to set him quiet in the sight of God—qualifications prepared already. Prepared, I say, already, and that by God through Christ; even such as can perfectly answer the law. What doth the law require? If obedience, here it is; if bloody sacrifice, here it is; if infinite righteousness, here it is. Now then the law condemns no more him that believes before God; for all its demands are answered, all its curses are swallowed up in the death and curse Christ underwent.

OBJECTION. But reason saith, "Since personal sin brought the death, surely personal obedience must bring us life and glory."