Part 5
enmity with you — with boldness and comfort in the face, through the blood, death, righteousness, resurrection, and intercession of Christ, made mention of in the Scriptures. And,
Third USE. On this account, O how excellent are the Scriptures to your soul! O how much virtue do you see in such a promise, in such an invitation! They are so large as to say, Christ will never cast me out! My crimson sins shall be white as snow! I tell you, friend, there are some promises that the Lord has helped me to lay hold of Jesus Christ through and by, that I would not have out of the Bible for as much gold and silver as can lie between York and London piled up to the stars! Because through them, Christ is pleased by his Spirit to convey comfort to my soul.
I say, when the law curses, when the devil tempts, when Hell-fire flames in my conscience — my sins with the guilt of them tearing me — then is Christ revealed so sweetly to my poor soul through the promises, that all is forced to flee away and stop accusing my soul.
So also, when the world frowns, when the enemies rage and threaten to kill me — then also the precious, the exceeding great and precious promises — weigh down all, and comfort the soul against all. This is the effect of believing the Scriptures savingly; for those who do so have by and through the Scriptures good comfort, and also ground of hope, believing those things to be their own, which the Scriptures hold forth (Rom 15:4).
Fourth USE. Examine, Do you stand in awe of sinning against God — because he has in the Scriptures commanded you to abstain from it? Do you give diligence to make your calling and election sure — because God commanded it in Scripture? Do you examine yourself whether you are in the faith or not — having a command in Scripture so to do? Or do you, notwithstanding what you read in the Scripture — follow the world, delight in sin, neglect coming to Jesus Christ, speak evil of the saints, slight and make a mock at the ordinances of God, delight in wicked company, and the like? Then know for sure, that it is because you do not in deed and in truth believe the Scriptures effectually.
For, as I said before, if a man does truly believe them, and that savingly — then he stands in awe, he looks to his steps, he turns his feet from evil; and endeavors to follow that which is good, which God has commanded in the Scriptures of truth. Yet not from a legal or natural principle; that is, to seek for salvation by doing good things — but knowing that salvation is already obtained for him by the blood of Christ Jesus on the cross.
Because he believes the Scriptures, therefore, I say, he labors to walk with his God in all well-pleasing and godliness, because the sweet power of the love of Christ, which he feels in his soul by the Spirit, according to the Scriptures, constrain him so to do (2 Cor 5:14).
Fifth USE. Examine again, Do you labor after those qualifications that the Scriptures describe a child of God by? That is, faith, yes the right faith, the most holy faith, the faith of the operation of God. And also, do you examine whether there is a real growth of grace in your soul — as love, zeal, self-denial, and a seeking by all means to attain, if possible, to the resurrection of the dead? That is, not to satisfy yourself until you are dissolved and rid of this body of death, and are transformed into that glory that the saints shall be in, after the resurrection-day.
And in the meantime do labor and take all opportunities to walk as near as may be to the gospel standard, though you know you cannot attain it perfectly. Yet, I say, you do aim at it, seek after it, press towards it, and to hold on in your race; you shun that which may any way hinder you, and also embrace whatever may any way further the same; knowing that that must be, or desiring that it should be, your eternal frame, and therefore out of love and liking to it — you desire and long after it, as being the thing that most pleases your soul.
O, how is it with your soul? Are you such a one as regards not these things — but rather busy your thoughts about the things here below, following those things that have no scent of divine glory upon them? If so, look to yourself — you are an unbeliever, and so under the wrath of God, and will for certain fall into the same place of torment that your fellows have fallen into before you, to the grief of your own soul, and your everlasting destruction!
Consider and regard these things, and lay them to your heart before it is too late to recover yourself — by repenting of the one, and desiring to embrace the other. O! I say, regard, regard — for Hell is hot! God's righteous hand is raised up against you, and the law is resolved to discharge against your soul! The judgment-day is at hand, the graves are ready to fly open, the trumpet is ready to be sounded, the sentence will before long be passed — and then only eternity remains!
FINAL USE AND APPLICATION
But again, seeing the Scriptures are so certain, so sure, so irrevocable and firm, and seeing the saving faith of the things contained therein, is to reform the soul, and bring it over into the things of God, really conforming to the things contained therein, both to the point of justification, and also an impartial walking, and giving up your soul and body to a conformity to all the commands, counsels, instructions, and exhortations contained therein — this then will teach us how to judge of those who give up themselves to walk in the imaginations of their own hearts, who slight and lay aside the Scriptures, counting them but empty and uncertain things, and will live every day in open contradiction to what is contained, commanded, and forbidden therein. As
FIRST. This will show us about all you drunkards, whoremasters, liars, thieves, swearers, backbiters, slanderers, scoffers at goodness, etc. I say, we may see by this, that those who live in such things, have not true Scriptural faith contained in their hearts — seeing they delight to practice those things that are forbidden by and in the Scriptures. And so, they continuing living and dying in this state — we may conclude without hesitance, that these portions of holy Scripture belong unto them, and shall for certain be fulfilled upon them: 'He who believes not shall be damned!' (Mark 16:16). 'The unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God!' (1 Cor 6:9,10). 'But the abominable, the unbelieving, the whoremongers, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone!' (Rev 21:8). 'Depart, you cursed ones, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels!' (Matt 25:41). Depart, depart from me, for I will not save you. Depart, for my blood shall not at all wash you. Depart, for you shall not set one foot into the kingdom of Heaven!
'Depart, you cursed,' you are cursed by God, cursed by his law, cursed by Christ who spoke these words, cursed by the saints, and cursed by the angels! You are cursed all over; you are nothing but cursed! Therefore depart from me!
Depart where? Into everlasting fire fire that will scald, scorch, burn, and flame to purpose. 'Fire that shall never be quenched' (Mark 9). Fire that will last to all eternity!
And must we be all alone? No, you shall have company — a great store of company with you. Namely, all the raging, roaring devils, together with an innumerable company of fellow-damned sinners — men, women, and children. And if the Scriptures are true, as they will one day wonderfully appear to be — then this must and shall be your portion, if you live and die in your unconverted state; and of all those who continue in sinning against the truth contained in the Scriptures. As,
First. Do you delight to sin against plain commands? Then you will be damned!
Second. Do you slight and scorn the counsels contained in the Scriptures, and continue in so doing? Then you will be damned!
Third. Do you continually neglect to come to Christ, and use arguments in your own heart to satisfy your soul with so doing? Then you will be damned! (Luke 14:17,18, compared with 5 24, and Heb 2:3). 'How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation?' How shall we escape — that is, there is no way to escape!
(1.) Because God has said we shall not escape (Heb 12:25). 'See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks. If they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth (Moses), how much less will we, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven?'
(2.) Because he has not only said they shall not escape — but also has bound it with an oath, saying, 'So I swore in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest!' (Heb 3:11). To whom did he swear that they should
not enter into his rest? Answer, 'to those who believed not.' So we see, that they could not enter in because of unbelief (verses 18,19).
SECOND. This will teach us what to think and conclude of such, who, though they do not so openly reveal their folly by open and gross sins against the law — yet they have no inward desire to the holy according to the revealed will of God. I say, such men are in as bad a state as the other to the full, being disobedient to God's will revealed in his Word, as well as they, though in a different manner; the one openly transgressing against the plain and well-known truths revealed in it; the other, though more hidden — yet secretly rejecting and slighting them.
A few words more — and so I shall CONCLUDE. And,
First. Take heed that you do not content yourself with a bare notion of the Scriptures in your heads — by which you may go far, even so far as to be able to dispute for the truth, to preach the gospel, and labor to vindicate it in opposition to gainsayers — and yet be found at the left hand of Christ at the judgment-day, forasmuch as you did content yourself with a mere notion or traditional knowledge of them.
Second. Have a care that you own the whole Scripture, and not own one part and neglect another, or slight it; as thus: To own the law, and slight the gospel. Or to think that you must be saved by your good doings and works; for that is all one as if you thrust Christ away from you. Or else so to own the gospel, as if by it you were exempted from all obedience to the ten commandments, and conformity to the law in life and conversation; for in so doing you will for certain make sure of eternal vengeance!
Third. Have a care that you do not confuse, or put wrong names on the things contained in the Scriptures, as to call the law — Christ; and Christ — the law; for some having done so, have so darkened to themselves the glorious truths of the gospel, that in a very little time they have been resolved to thwart and oppose them, and so have made room in their own souls for the devil to inhabit, and obtained a place in Hell for their own souls to be tormented forever and ever!
Against this danger therefore in reading and receiving the testimony of
Scripture, learn to distinguish between the law and the gospel, and to keep them clear asunder, as to the salvation of your soul.
1. And that you may so do, in the first place, beg of God that he would show you the nature of the gospel, and set it home effectually with life and power upon your soul by faith. Which is this, that God would show you, that as you being man, have sinned against God; so Christ, being God-man, has bought you again, and with his most precious blood set you free from the bondage you have fallen into by your sins. And that not upon condition that you will do thus and thus, this and the other good work; but rather, that you, being first justified freely by mere grace through the blood of Jesus, should also receive your strength from him who has bought you, to walk before him in all well-pleasing. Being enabled thereto by virtue of his Spirit, who has revealed to your soul that you are delivered already from wrath to come, by the obedience, not of yourself — but of another namely, Jesus Christ.
2. Then if the law you read of, tells you in your conscience you must do this and the other good work of the law, if ever you will be saved; answer plainly: that for your part you are resolved now not to work for salvation — but to believe in the virtue of that blood shed upon the cross, upon Mount Calvary, for the remission of sins.
And yet because Christ has justified you freely by his grace — you will serve him in holiness and righteousness all the days of your life — yet not in a legal spirit, or in a covenant of works; but by obedience which is free, and cheerful, out of love to my Lord Jesus.
3. Have a care you receive not this doctrine in the mere notion only, lest you bring a just damnation upon your soul, by professing yourself to be freed by Christ's blood from the guilt of sin — while you remain still a servant to the filth of sin. For I must tell you, that unless you have the true and saving work of the faith and grace of the gospel in your hearts — you will either go on in a legal holiness, according to the tenor of the law; or else through a mere notion of the gospel, the devil bewitching and beguiling your understanding, will, and affections, you will turn the grace of God into wantonness, and bring upon your soul double, if not treble damnation — in that you could not be contented to be damned for your
sins against the law — but also to make ruin sure to your soul, you would dishonor the gospel, and turn the grace of God, into licentiousness.
But that you might be sure to escape these dangerous rocks on the right hand and on the left — see that your faith be such as is spoken of in Scripture. And that you be not satisfied without that, which is a faith wrought by the mighty operation of God, revealing Christ to and in you, as having wholly freed you from your sins by his most precious blood. Which faith, if you attain unto — will so work in your heart, that first you will see the nature of the law, and also the nature of the gospel — and delight in the glory of it! And also you will find an engaging of your heart and soul to Jesus Christ, even to the giving up of your whole man unto him, to be ruled and governed by him — to his glory, and your eternal comfort.
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A Few Sighs from Hell by John Bunyan, Copyright © 2011
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