John Bunyan

John Bunyan was born in 1,628 Elstow, England died August 31 1688). Bunyan was a gay fellow, a ringleader of the village youth at wake or merrymaking. In today terms, he would be part of local motor gang or gang member in a local city to As he recorded in Grace Abounding chronicles. He was for the time without God in the world, and he delighted in doing the devil work, and being filled with all unrighteousness, and put forth itself, both in my heart, and life. In His spiritual journal he wrote that he life a profane life, and filled with cursing, blasphemy, and Sabbath desecration and was no puritan. In which he became quite adept at shocking them. He later wrote in journal “the ungodliest fellow for swearing they ever heard. Spending much of their time in Newport Pagnell’s Taverns and Brothels.
John got married and began to attend church and tried live a moral life. Well attending church he heard a message in which he the thought it was directed at him. The subject was, the Sabbath-day should treat, and of the evil of breaking that, either with labour, sports or otherwise. Which he took great delight is violating these laws. This sermon picked his conscience thinking that this sermon was directed at him to show him his evil ways. He wrote these words,” I felt what guilt was, though never beforethat I can remember; but then I was, for the present, greatly loaded with guilt, and so went home when the sermon was ended, with a great burden upon my spirit.” However, it did not last and he returned back to his old course of life and the fire was put out. On the same day, while playing games he struck a cat in the head and was about to strike it again? He heard these words,” Wilt thou leave thy sins and go to heaven, or have thy sins and go to hell?” He was stunned by this and stopped striking the cat. He felt that the Lord Jesus Christ was very displeased with him and felt he committed the unpardonable sin, and Christ would not forgive him nor pardon his transgressions. He concluded it was too late; and therefore I resolved in my mind I would go on in sinning.”
John encounter a poor man that made profession of religion; I then thought, he talk pleasantly of the Scriptures, and of the matters of religion. John became quite adept at scriptures and took a great delight in it and loved reading it. Yet, he not knows Christ atoning work on the cross, nor grace, nor faith, nor hope, but his conscience beginning to be tender.
While in Bedford he encountered three or four poor women. That talked about rebirth and how God works on our hearts, and convict us of our sins, and visits our souls through Jesus Christ. They also discoursed of their own wretchedness of heart, of their unbelief. As John wrote in Grace Abounding The Chief Of Sinner these words,” At this I felt my own heart begin to shake, as mistrusting my condition to be naught; for I saw that in all my thoughts about religion and salvation, the new birth did never enter my mind, neither did he know the word of promise; however, he was aware of deceitfulness and treachery of his own wicked heart.
He began to look into the Bible with a new set of eyes, and read as he never did before; and especially the epistles of the apostle Paul were sweet and pleasant to his such passage as Rom. 9.16, II Cor. 5.21, Col. 1.20 1 Cor. 12.8, 9 and Romans 8; 39. Yet, he was still haunted by his secret thoughts, neither did he understood what Satan’s temptations were, nor how resisted it, nonetheless John Bunyan was conflicted whether he wanted to serve God or not. Because of the constant temptation and returning to his old lifestyle.
John confided with the people in Bedford, and they spoke with Mr. Gifford who he also took an occasion to talk him, and were willing to be well-persuaded him on the soul, and he was willing to listen.
He also confer with others, about the dealings of God, and his soul. In which he still received more conviction, and began to see something of the vanity and inward wretchedness of his wicked heart, and the Bedford people pity him, and would tell him more of the promises from God; however, it little good to his soul. This continues for over a year.
He began to realize despite his. The wickedness within himself Christ still loved him and only Christ’s blood could only purge his guilty soul. Christ still loves him from the first until the last. He rekindled these thought over and over again while going home. John Bunyan recorded these thoughts in Grace Abounding, “Only this, as I said before I will say unto you again that generally He was pleased to take this course with me; first, to suffer me to be afflicted with temptation about them, and then reveal them to me: as sometimes I should lie under great guilt for sin, even crushed to the ground therewith, and then the Lord would show me the death of Christ; yea, and so sprinkle my conscience with His blood, that I should find, and that before I was aware that in that conscience where but just now did reign and rage the law, even there would rest and abide the peace and love of God through Christ.”
Furthermore he wrote,” I found, as I thought, that I loved Christ dearly; oh! Methought my soul cleaved unto Him, my affections cleaved unto Him, I felt love unto Him as hot as fire; and now, as Job said, I thought I should die in my nest; but I did quickly find that my great love was but little, and that I who had, as I thought, such burning love to Jesus Christ, could let Him go again for a very trifle; God can tell how to abase us, and can hide pride from man. Quickly after this my love was tried to purpose.”
Despite the wonderful promises within scripture Christ love for him, he ponders why would Christ love a deplorable man like himself and why would he deserves to ever inherit eternal life? John would revisited such passage as, 2 Corinthians 5; 21 Him {Christ} who knew no sin he made to be sin on our behalf; that we might become the righteousness of God in him. Romans 8; 31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us who is against us? Plus John 14; 19 Yet a little while, and the world beholdeth me no more; but ye behold me: because I live, ye shall live also.
In times of trouble water for John scripture was his source of comfort. In Grace Abounding he penned these words,“ O now I know, I know! But that night was a good night to me, I never had but few better; I longed for the company of some of God’s people that I might have imparted unto them what God had showed me. Christ was a precious to my soul that night; I could scarce lie in my bed for joy, and peace, and triumph, through Christ; this great glory did not continue upon me until morning, yet that twelfth of the author of Hebrews 12:22- 24 “ 22 but ye are come unto mount Zion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable hosts of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborns who are enrolled in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, 24, and to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaketh better than that of Abel.was a blessed scripture to me for many days together after this.”
He became ordained Baptist Pastor. Felt the calling to preached the gospel people came from Midland counties to hear him speak. Because he was not ordained from the Anglican Church. The English government forbids him to preached the gospel. Nevertheless, Bunyan quoted I Peter 4:10, “As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.” His gift, he contended, was preaching.
He was arrested on November 12, 1660, for preaching without the approval of the Anglican Church. He was charged with “teaching men to worship God contrary to the law” known as the Conventicle Act” enacted in 1593, Bunyan said in defense these words, “I have given Him my faith and sworn my allegiance to Him; how, then, can I go back from this, and not be hanged as a traitor?” He spent more than twelve years in jail. Where he wrote his most well-known work, called The Pilgrim’s Progress, while serving his time in the Bedford jail.

He also wrote a total of 12 books, his classic were Grace Bounding Chief Of Sinner, Pilgrim’s Progress, and A Defense of the Doctrine of Justification by Faith in Jesus Christ
While he inwardly struggles daily , Jesus was his precious savour and love dearly.
John Bunyan Quotes
“When we sleep, and God can speak to that…similitudes, as well as if one was awake. Mercy:…awake to talk with God; he can visit us while we sleep, “

Temptations, when we meet them at first, are as the lion that roared upon Samson; but if shall find a nest of honey within them.

One leak will sink a ship: and one sin will destroy a sinner.

In prayer it is better to have a heart without words than words with out a heart.

And behold there was a very stately palace before him, the name of which was Beautiful.