advantage these ways—1. In that thou findest ground enough thereby to
make thee humble; and when thou hast done all, yet to count thyself but
an unprofitable servant. And, 2. Thou by this means art taken off from
leaning on anything below a naked Jesus for eternal life. It is like,
if thou wast not sensible of many by-thoughts and wickednesses in thy
best performances, thou wouldst go near to be some proud, abominable
hypocrite, or a silly, proud dissembling wretch at the best, such an
one as would send thy soul to the devil in a bundle of thy own
righteousness. But now, thou, through grace, seest that in all and
everything thou doest there is sin enough in it to condemn thee. This,
in the first place, makes thee have a care of trusting in thy own
doings; and, secondly, showeth thee that there is nothing in thyself
which will do thee any good by working in thee, as to the meritorious
cause of thy salvation. No; but thou must have a share in the birth of
Jesus, in the death of Jesus, in the blood, resurrection, ascension,
and intercession of a crucified Jesus. And how sayest thou? Doth not
thy finding of this in thee cause thee to fly from a depending on thy
own doings? And doth it not also make thee more earnestly to groan
after the Lord Jesus? Yea, and let me tell thee also, it will be a
cause to make thee admire the freeness and tender heartedness of Christ
to thee, when He shall lift up the light of His countenance upon thee,
because He hath regarded such an one as thou, sinful thou; and
therefore, in this sense, it will be mercy to the saints that they do
find the relics of sin still struggling in their hearts. But this is
not simply the nature of sin, but the mercy and wisdom of God, who
causeth all things to work together for the good of those that love and
fear God (Rom 8). And, therefore, whatever thou findest in thy soul,
though it be sin of never so black a soul-scarring nature, let it move
thee to run the faster to the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt not be
ashamed—that is, of thy running to Him.
But when thou dost apprehend that thou art defiled, and also thy best
duties annoyed with many weaknesses, let that Scripture come into thy
thoughts which saith, “Of Him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is
made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and
redemption”; and if thou shalt understand that, what thou canst not
find in thyself thou shalt find in Christ. Art thou a fool in thyself?
then Christ is made of God thy wisdom. Art thou unrighteous in thyself?
Christ is made of God thy righteousness. Dost thou find that there is
but very little sanctifying grace in thy soul? still here is Christ
made thy sanctification; and all this in His own Person without thee,
without thy wisdom, without thy righteousness, without thy
sanctification, without in His own Person in thy Father’s presence,
appearing there perfect wisdom, righteousness, and sanctification in
His own Person; I say, as a public Person for thee; so that thou mayest
believe, and say to thy soul, My soul, though dost find innumerable
infirmities in thyself, and in thy actions, yet look upon thy Jesus,
the Man Jesus; He is wisdom, and that for thee, to govern thee, to take
care for thee, and to order all things for the best for thee. He is
also thy righteousness now at God’s right hand, always shining before
the eyes of His glory; so that there it is unmoveable, though thou art
in never such a sad condition, yet thy righteousness, which is the Son
of God, God-man, shines as bright as ever, and is as much accepted of
God as ever. O this sometimes hath been life to me; and so, whatever
thou, O my soul, findest wanting in thyself, through faith thou shalt
see all laid up for thee in Jesus Christ, whether it be wisdom,
righteousness, sanctification, or redemption. Nay, not only so, but, as
I said before, He is all these in His own Person without thee in the
presence of His Father for thee.
Object. But now, if any should say in their hearts, O, but I am one of
the old-covenant men, I doubt—that is, I doubt I am not within this
glorious Covenant of Grace. And how if I should not?
Answ. Well, thou fearest that thou are one of the old covenant, a son
of the bond-woman. [1.] In the first place, know that thou wast one of
them by nature, for all by nature are under that covenant; but set the
case that thou art to this day under that, yet let me tell thee, in the
first place, there are hopes for thee; for there is a gap open, a way
made for souls to come from under the Covenant of Works, by Christ,
“for He hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us” and
you (Eph 2:14). And therefore, if thou wouldst be saved, thou mayest
come to Christ; if thou wantest a righteousness, as I said before,
there is one in Christ; if thou wouldst be washed, thou mayest come to
Christ; and if thou wouldst be justified, there is justification enough
in the Lord Jesus Christ. That is the first. [2.] And thou canst not be
so willing to come to Christ as He is willing thou shouldst come to
Him. Witness His coming down from Heaven, His humiliation, His spilling
of His blood from both His cheeks, by sweat under the burden of sin
(Luke 22:44) and His shedding of it by the spear when He hanged on the
Cross. It appears also by His promises, by His invitations, by His
sending forth His messengers to preach the same to poor sinners, and
threateneth damnation upon this very account, namely, the neglect of
Him; and declares that all the thousands and ten thousands of sins in
the world should not be able to damn those that believed in Him; that
He would pardon all, forgive and pass by all, if they would but come
unto Him; moreover, promiseth to cast out none, no, not the poorest,
vilest, contemptiblest creature in the whole world. “Come unto Me all,”
every one, though you be never so many, so vile, though your load be
never so heavy and intolerable, though you deserve no help, not the
least help, no mercy, not the least compassion, yet “cast your burden
upon Me, and you shall find rest for your souls.” Come unto Me and I
will heal you, love you, teach you, and tell you the way to the Kingdom
of Heaven. Come unto Me, and I will succour you, help you, and keep you
from all devils and their temptations, from the Law and its curses, and
from being for ever overcome with any evil whatever. Come unto Me for
what you need, and tell Me what you would have, or what you would have
Me do for you, and all My strength, love, wisdom, and interest that I
have with My Father shall be laid out for you. Come unto Me, your sweet
Jesus, your loving and tender-hearted Jesus, your everlasting and
sin-pardoning Jesus. Come unto Me, and I will wash you, and put My
righteousness upon you, pray to the Father for you, and send My Spirit
into you, that you might be saved. Therefore,
Consider, besides this, what a privilege thou shalt have at the Day of
Judgment above thousands, if thou do in deed and in truth close in with
this Jesus and accept of Him; for thou shalt not only have a privilege
in this life, but in the life everlasting, even at the time of Christ’s
second coming from Heaven; for then, when there shall be the whole
world gathered together, and all the good angels, bad angels, saints,
and reprobates, when all thy friends and kindred, with thy neighbours
on the right hand and on the left shall be with thee, beholding of the
wonderful glory and majesty of the Son of God; then shall the Son of
Glory, even Jesus, in the very view and sight of them all, smile and
look kindly upon thee; when a smile or a kind look from Christ shall be
worth more than ten thousand worlds, then thou shalt have it. You know
it is counted an honour for a poor man to be favourably looked upon by
a judge, or a king, in the sight of lords, earls, dukes, and princes;
why, thus it will be with thee in the sight of all the princely saints,
angels, and devils, in the sight of all the great nobles in the world;
then, even thou that closest in with Christ, be thou rich or poor, be
thou bond or free, wise or foolish, if thou close in with Him, He will
say unto thee, “Well done, good and faithful servant,” even in the
midst of the whole world; they that love thee shall see it, and they
that hate thee shall all to their shame behold it; for if thou fear Him
here in secret, He will make it manifest even at that day upon the
house-tops.
Secondly, Not only thus, but thou shalt also be lovingly received and
tenderly embraced of Him at that day, when Christ hath thousands of
gallant saints, as old Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David, Isaiah, Jeremiah,
together with all the Prophets, and Apostles, and martyrs, attending on
Him; together with many thousands of glittering angels ministering
before Him; besides, when the ungodly shall appear there with their
pale faces, with their guilty consciences, and trembling souls, that
would then give thousands and ten thousands of worlds, if they had so
many, if they could enjoy but one loving look from Christ. I say, then,
then shalt thou have the hand of Christ, reached to thee kindly to
receive thee, saying, Come, thou blessed, step up hither; thou was
willing to leave all for Me, and now will I give all to thee; here is a
throne, a crown, a kingdom, take them; thou wast not ashamed of Me when
thou wast in the world among my enemies, and now will not I be ashamed
of thee before thine enemies, but will, in the view of all these devils
and damned reprobates promote thee to honour and dignity. “Come, ye
blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the
foundation of the world.” Thou shalt see that those who have served Me
in truth shall lose nothing by the means. No; but ye shall be as
pillars in My temple, and inheritors of My glory, and shall have place
to walk in among My saints and angels (Zech 3:7). O! who would not be
in this condition? who would not be in this glory? It will be such a
soul-ravishing glory, that I am ready to think the whole reprobate
world will be ready to run mad, to think that they should miss of it
(Deu 28:34). Then will the vilest drunkard, swearer, liar, and unclean
person willingly cry, “Lord, Lord, open to us,” yet be denied of
entrance; and thou in the meantime embraced, entertained, made welcome,
have a fair mitre set upon thy head, and clothed with immortal glory
(Zech 3:5). O, therefore, let all this move thee, and be of weight upon
thy soul to close in with Jesus, this tender-hearted Jesus. And if yet,
for all what I have said, thy sins do still stick with thee, and thou
findest thy hellish heart loath to let them go, think with thyself in
this manner—Shall I have my sins and lose my soul? Will they do me any
good when Christ comes? Would not Heaven be better to me than my sins?
and the company of God, Christ, saints, and angels, be better than the
company of Cain, Judas, Balaam, with the devils in the furnace of fire?
Canst thou now that readest or hearest these lines turn thy back, and
go on in your sins? Canst thou set so light of Heaven, of God, of
Christ, and the salvation of thy poor, yet precious soul? Canst thou
hear of Christ, His bloody sweat and death, and not be taken with it,
and not be grieved for it, and also converted by it? If so, I might lay
thee down several considerations to stir thee up to mend thy pace
towards Heaven; but I shall not; there is enough written already to
leave thy soul without excuse and to bring thee down with a vengeance
into Hell-fire, devouring fire, the Lake of Fire, eternal everlasting
fire; O to make thee swim and roll up and down in the flames of the
furnace of fire!
FOOTNOTES:
1 These words are quoted from the Genevan or Breeches Bible (Mark
2:17).—Ed.
2 This quotation is from the Genevan translation (Eph 2:3).—Ed.
3 It is observable that the reason given for the punishment of the
murderer with death (Gen 9:6) is taken from the affront he offers to
God, not from the injury he does to man.—Scott.
4 The reader need scarcely be reminded, that by “public person” is
meant the Saviour, in whom all His people have an equal right. “For He
made Him, who knew no sin, to be sin for us” (2 Cor 5:21).—ED.
5 Bunyan’s first sight of the spiritual, inward, and extensive
requirements of the law filled his heart with despair; see “Grace
Abounding,” No. 28. It was like the alarming sound of the drum Diabolus
mentioned in the “Holy War,” which caused Mansoul to shake with terror
and dismay. Thus the soul is stripped of self-righteousness, and flies
to Christ, whose blood alone cleanseth from all sin.—ED.
6 “Crank,” brisk, jolly, lusty, spiritful, buxom.—ED.
7 From the Puritan or Genevan version.—ED.
8 These nine particulars are very methodically arranged, and are all
deeply interesting. Very few of those who read the scriptural law of
sacrifices see how clearly they pointed as types to Christ the great
Antitype.—ED.
9 It is a mark of prying and dangerous, if not wicked curiosity to
inquire whether God could have found any other way of salvation than by
the atoning death of our blessed Lord. Instead of such vain researches,
how much more consistent would it be to call upon our souls, and all
that is within us, to bless His name, who hath thus provided abundant
pardon, full remission, even to the chief of sinners.—ED.
10 The duty of the priests, under the law, led them to be familiar with
the most loathsome and catching diseases; and doubtless they took every
precaution to avoid contagion. Poor sin-sick soul, do you consider your
state more loathsome and dangerous than the leprosy? Fly to Christ, our
High Priest and Physician; He will visit you in the lowest abyss of
misery, without fear of contagion, and with full powers to heal and
save.—ED.
11 The word “hell” in the two verses means the unseen place of the
dead, the invisible world, or the grave.—ED.
12 How awful and vast must have been the sufferings of the Saviour,
when He paid the redemption price for the countless myriads of His
saints; redeemed “out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and
nation.” How magnificent His glory when “ten thousand times ten
thousands, and thousands of thousands, shall sing with a loud voice,
Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and
wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing, for ever and
ever.” Such were the ecstatic vision which Bunyan enjoyed, drawn from
the unerring pages of eternal truth.—ED.
13 This singular use of the law term “premunire,” meaning that the soul
has trusted in a foreign jurisdiction, incurred God’s anger, and
forfeited its liberty and all its goods.—ED.
14 These are solemn truths, in homely, forcible language. Let the soul
be convinced that by the obedience of Christ it is released from the
law, it has no fear of Satan or of future punishment; Christ is all and
in all.—ED.
15 “Indenture”; a written agreement, binding one party to reward the
other for specified services. As man is by nature bound to love God
with all his soul, he cannot be entitled to any reward for anything
beyond his duty. When he feels that he has failed in his obedience, he
must fly to Christ for that mercy which he can never obtain by
indenture of service or merit and reward.—ED.
16 Same as 15—Ed.
17 Same as 15—Ed.
18 For a deeply affecting account of the author’s experience about this
period read Grace Abounding, No. 259-261.—ED.
19 “Scrabble”; to go on the hands and feet or knees. See a remarkable
illustration of the word “scrabble” in Grace Abounding, No. 335.—ED.
20 As Bunyan was a Baptist, this is full proof that his friends did not
ascribe regeneration to water baptism. It is an awful delusion to
suppose that immersion in or sprinkling with water can effect or
promote the new birth or spiritual regeneration of the soul.—ED.
21 This is one of the very thrilling circumstances described by Bunyan
in his Grace Abounding, No. 24:—Sunday sports were then allowed by the
State, and after hearing a sermon on the evil of Sabbath-breaking, he
went as usual to his sport. On that day it was a game at cat, and as he
was about to strike, “a voice did suddenly dart from Heaven into my
soul, which said, Wilt thou leave thy sins and go to Heaven, or have
thy sins and go to Hell?”—ED.
22 The word Man was essential in Bunyan’s days, as an antidote to the
jargon of the Ranters, who affirmed that Jesus only existed in the
heart of the believer.—ED.
23 Same As 20—Ed.
24 Same as 22—Ed.
ISRAEL’S HOPE ENCOURAGED;
OR,
WHAT HOPE IS, AND HOW DISTINGUISHED FROM FAITH:
WITH ENCOURAGEMENTS FOR A HOPING PEOPLE.
ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR.
‘Auspicious hope! in thy sweet garden grow
Wreaths for each toil, a charm for every woe.’
Christian hope is a firm expectation of all promised good, but
especially of eternal salvation and happiness in heaven, where we shall
be like the Son of God. This hope is founded on the grace, blood,
righteousness, and intercession of Christ—the earnest of the Holy
Spirit in our hearts, and the unchangeable truths and enlightening
power of God.[1] ‘Every man that hath this hope in him purifieth
himself even as God is pure’ (1 John 3:3). Blessed hope! (Titus 2:13).
Well might the apostle pray for the believing Romans, ‘That ye may
abound in hope through the power of the Holy Ghost’ (15:13). ‘Which is
Christ in you the hope of glory’ (Col 1:27). This is the sacred, the
solemn, the all-important subject which Bunyan in his ripe age makes
the theme of his meditations and of his deeply impressive exhortations.
When drawing near the end of his pilgrimage—while in the fullest
fruition of his mental powers—he gives the result of his long and
hallowed experience to comfort and cherish his fellow pilgrims in their
dangerous heaven-ward journey. One of his last labours was to prepare
this treatise for the press, from which it issued three years after his
decease, under the care of his pious friend Charles Doe.
Here, as drawn from the holy oracles of God, we contemplate Hope, the
helmet of salvation, without which our mental powers are exposed to be
led captive into despair at the will of Satan. Our venerable author
pictures most vividly the Christian’s weakness and the power of his
enemies; ‘Should you see a man that could not go from door to door but
he must be clad in a coat of mail, a helmet of brass upon his head, and
for his lifeguard a thousand men, would you not say, surely this man
has store of enemies at hand?’ This is the case, enemies lie in wait
for Israel in every hole, he can neither eat, drink, wake, sleep, work,
sit still, talk, be silent—worship his God in public or private, but he
is in danger. Poor, lame, infirm, helpless man, cannot live without
tender—great—rich—manifold—abounding mercies. ‘No faith, no hope,’ ‘to
hope without faith is to see without eyes, or expect without reason.’
Faith is the anchor which enters within the vail; Christ in us the hope
of glory is the mighty cable which keeps us fast to that anchor. ‘Faith
lays hold of that end of the promise that is nearest to us, to wit, in
the Bible—Hope lays hold of that end that is fastened to the
mercy-seat.’ Thus the soul is kept by the mighty power of God. They who
have no hope, enter Doubting Castle of their own free will—they place
themselves under the tyranny of Giant Despair—that he may put out their
eyes, and send them to stumble among the tombs, and leave their bones
in his castle-yard, a trophy to his victories, and a terror to any poor
pilgrim caught by him trespassing on Bye-path Meadow.[2] Hope is as a
guardian angel—it enables us to come boldly to a throne of grace ‘in a
goodly sort.’ The subject is full of consolation. Are we profanely apt
to judge of God harshly, as of one that would gather where he had not
strawn? Hope leads us to form a holy and just conception of the God of
love. ‘Kind brings forth its kind, know the tree by his fruit, and God
BY HIS MERCY IN CHRIST. What has God been doing for and to his church
from the beginning of the world, but extending to and exercising
loving-kindness and mercy for them? Therefore he laid a foundation for
this in mercy from everlasting.’ ‘There is no single flowers in God’s
gospel garden, they are all double and treble; there is a wheel within
a wheel, a blessing within a blessing in all the mercies of God; they
are manifold, a man cannot receive one but he receives many, many
folded up one within another.’ Bless the Lord, O my soul!!
Reader, my deep anxiety is that you should receive from this treatise
the benefits which its glorified author intended it to produce. It is
accurately printed from the first edition. My notes are intended to
explain obsolete words or customs or to commend the author’s
sentiments. May the Divine blessing abundantly replenish our earthen
vessels with this heavenly hope.
GEO. OFFOR.
FOOTNOTES:
1. Cruden.
2. Pilgrim’s Progress.
Israel’s Hope Encouraged;
‘Let Israel hope in the LORD: for with the LORD there is mercy, and
with him is plenteous redemption.’—Psalms 130:7
This Psalm is said to be one of ‘the Psalms of Degrees,’ which some
say, if I be not mistaken, the priests and Levites used to sing when
they went up the steps into the temple.[1] But to let that pass, it is
a psalm that gives us a relation of the penman’s praying frame, and of
an exhortation to Israel to hope in God.
Verse 1. ‘Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, O Lord’; that is,
out of deep or great afflictions, and said, ‘Lord, hear my voice, let
thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications.’ The latter
words explain the former; as who should say, By voice I mean the
meaning and spirit of my prayer. There are words in prayer, and spirit
in prayer, and by the spirit that is in prayer, is discerned whether
the words be dead, lifeless, feigned, or warm, fervent, earnest; and
God who searcheth the heart, knoweth the meaning of the Spirit, because
he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God (Rom
8:27). Verse 3. ‘If thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who
shall stand?’ Here he confesseth, that all men by the law must fall
before God for ever; for that they have broken it, but cannot make
amends for the transgression thereof. But, he quickly bethinking
himself of the mercy of God in Christ, he saith, verse 4, ‘But there is
forgiveness with thee that thou mayest be feared.’ Then he returns,
saying, verse 5, ‘I wait for the Lord,’ that is, in all his
appointments; yea, he doubleth it, saying, ‘My soul doth wait, and in
his word do I hope.’ By which repetition he insinuates, that many are
content to give their bodily presence to God in his appointments, while
their hearts were roving to the ends of the earth; but for his part he
did not so. Verse 6. ‘My soul waiteth for the Lord, more than they that
watch for the morning, I say, more than they that watch for the
morning.’ As who should say, even as it is with those that are tired
with the night, either by reason of dark or wearisome journies, or
because of tedious sickness, to whom the night is most doleful and
uncomfortable, waiting for spring of day; so wait I for the Lord, that
his presence might be with my soul. So and more too I say, ‘More than
they that wait for the morning.’ Then he comes to the words which I
have chosen for my text, saying, ‘Let Israel hope in the Lord; for with
the Lord there is mercy, and with him is plenteous redemption.’
In which words we have, FIRST, AN EXHORTATION; SECOND, A REASON OF THAT
EXHORTATION; and THIRD, AN AMPLIFICATION OF THAT REASON. ‘Let Israel
hope in the Lord’; there is the exhortation; ‘For with the Lord there
is mercy’; there is the reason of it; ‘And with him is plenteous
redemption’; there is the amplification of that reason.
[FIRST. AN EXHORTATION.]
In the exhortation there are three things to be inquired into. FIRST,
The matter contained in it; SECOND, The manner by which it is
expressed; THIRD, The inferences that do naturally flow therefrom.
[FIRST. The matter contained in the exhortation.]
We will speak first to the matter contained in the text, and that
presenteth itself unto us under three heads. First, A duty. Second, A
direction for the well management of that duty. Third, The persons that
are so to manage it.
First, Then, to speak to the duty, and that is HOPE; ‘Let Israel HOPE.’
By which word there is something pre-admitted, and something of great
concern insinuated.
That which is pre-admitted is faith; for when we speak properly of
hope, and put others distinctly to the duty of hoping, we conclude that
such have faith already; for no faith, no hope. To hope without faith,
is to see without eyes, or to expect without a ground: for ‘Faith is
the substance of things hoped for,’ as well with respect to the grace,
as to the doctrine of faith (Heb 11:1). Doth such a one believe? No.
Doth he hope? Yes. If the first is true, the second is a lie; he that
never believed, did never hope in the Lord. Wherefore, when he saith,
‘Let Israel hope in the Lord,’ he pre-supposeth faith, and signifieth
that he speaketh to believers.
That which is of great concern insinuated, is, that hope has in it an
excellent quality to support Israel in all its troubles. Faith has its
excellency in this, hope in that, and love in another thing. Faith will
do that which hope cannot do. Hope can do that which faith doth not do,
and love can do things distinct from both their doings. Faith goes in
the van, hope in the body, and love brings up the rear: and thus ‘now
abideth faith, hope,’ and ‘charity’ (1 Cor 13:13). Faith is the
mother-grace, for hope is born of her, but charity floweth from them
both.