“Come, pluck up, heart; let’s neither faint nor fear. Better, though difficult, the right way to go, Than wrong, though easy, where the end is woe.” ~John Bunyan from The Pilgrim’s Progress
John Bunyan was one of the more unusual figures to emerge during the English Reformation. He wasn’t formally trained in a University setting, nor did he pursue licensure and ordination through the Church of England. Yet, he had a profound and long-lasting ministry as a self-taught pastor. Given his independency, it is logical to place him amongst the English Puritans who separated themselves from the State Church. He is best known for his immensely popular allegory on the Christian life, A Pilgrim’s Progress. Outside of the Bible, this one volume has been reprinted more than any other book in the English language!
Throughout Bunyan’s life he endured lengthy times of incarceration in the Bedfordshire jail. He was arrested, charged, and imprisoned for simply serving as an “unregistered preacher” and a “religious enthusiast.” Oftentimes, the local magistrate would remind him that if he promised to no longer preach he would be freed that very day. Bunyan’s stout reply was always the same, “If you free me today, I shall surely preach tomorrow!”
Bunyan wrote many additional treatises on the Christian life and expositions on the books of the Bible. Here is a quote from Bunyan that I especially value, since it speaks of three significant doctrines: (1) the atoning work of Christ on the Cross (Eph. 1:7; 1 Jn. 1:7); (2) the intercessory prayers of Christ for his people (Rom. 8:34; Heb. 7:25, 9:24); (3) and the preserving power of Christ to protect his people through the many trials and tribulations of life (1 Tim. 2:5; 1 Jn. 2:1). Along these same lines Bunyan thoughtfully writes,
“God…will not lightly or easily lose His people. He has provided well for us: blood to wash us in; a Priest to pray for us, that we may be made to persevere; and, in case we foully fall, an Advocate to plead our case.”
— John Bunyan in The Golden Treasury of Puritan Quotations, edited by Dr. I. D. E. Thomas, page 282.
Let us all take great comfort in knowing that not only did Jesus Christ save us from the penalty of our sins, but he also keeps us safe through all of the difficulties and temptations of this present world. (See: 1 Cor. 10:13; James 1:2-4; 1 Pet. 1:3-5) In summary, we can rightly affirm–along with John Bunyan–that if Jesus Christ has done the greater thing of saving us while we were yet sinners, he will surely do the lesser thing of keeping us safe now that we are Christians. (See: John 10:27-29; Rom. 5:8-11; Phil. 1:6) We can be confident that he will do that very thing!
— Dr. Marcus J. Serven
Sources:
Bunyan, John. The Pilgrim’s Progress. Roger Pooley, ed. First Published in 1678; New York, NY: Penguin Books, Reprint, 2008.
Thomas, I. D. E. The Golden Treasury of Puritan Quotations. Chicago, IL: Moody Press, 1975.
Woodbridge, John D., gen. ed. Great Leaders of the Christian Church. Chicago, IL: Moody Press, 1988.
