Works of John Bunyan Volume III Part 108

FOURTH. By the characters that are given of this water of life, thou art capacitated to judge when a notion, a doctrine, an opinion, comes to thine ears, whether it is right, good, and wholesome, or how. This river is pure, is clear, is pure and clear as crystal.

Is the doctrine offered unto thee so? or is it muddy, and mixed with the doctrines of men? Look, man, and see if the foot of the wors.h.i.+ppers of Bel be not there, and if the waters be not fouled thereby. What water is fouled is not the water of life, or at least not the water of life in its clearness. Wherefore, if thou findest it not right, go up higher to the spring-head, for always the nearer to the spring, the more pure and clear is the water.

Fetch, then, thy doctrine from afar, if thou canst not have it good nearer hand (Job 36:3). Thy life lies at stake; the counterfeit of things is dangerous; everybody that is aware, is afraid thereof.

Now a counterfeit here is most dangerous, is most destructive.

Wherefore take heed how you hear, what you hear; for, as I said before of the fish, by your colour it will be seen what waters you swim in; wherefore look you well to yourselves.[21]

FIFTH. Doth this water of life run like a river, like a broad, full, and deep river; then let no man, be his transgressions never so many, fear at all, but there is enough to save his soul, and to spare. Nothing has been more common to many than to doubt of the grace of G.o.d; a thing most unbecoming a sinner of any thing in the world. To break the law is a fact foul enough; but to question the sufficiency of the grace of G.o.d to save therefrom, is worse than sin, if worse can be. Wherefore, despairing soul, for it is to thee I speak, forbear thy mistrusts, cast off thy slavish fears, hang thy misgivings as to this upon the hedge; and believe thou hast an invitation sufficient thereto, a river is before thy face.

And as for thy want of goodness and works, let that by no means daunt thee; this is a river of water of life, streams of grace and mercy. There is, as I said, enough therein to help thee, for grace brings all that is wanting to the soul. Thou, therefore, hast nothing to do, I mean as to the curing of thy soul of its doubts, and fears, and despairing thoughts, but to drink and live for ever.

SIXTH. But what is all this to the DEAD world--to them that love to be dead? They toss their vanities about as the boys toss their shuttlec.o.c.ks in the air, till their foot slips, and themselves descend into the pit.

Let this suffice for this time.

FOOTNOTES:

1 As G.o.d gave us existence, so, in his munificence and royal bounty, he gives us his rich grace. We have nothing to give in return but grateful love. He redeems us from the captivity of sin, and earth, and h.e.l.l. 'Every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills: the world is mine, saith the Almighty, with the fulness thereof.' O to grace how great a debtor; freely bestowed to the poor and needy.--Ed.

2 Water is a curse, as in the dropsy, but essential to life with our food. Oil is valuable, properly taken, but an irritating oil to consume the bones is destructive. How awful the case of the rich man when refused a drop of water to cool that fire which he had created while living, and into which he had irretrievably plunged himself.--Ed.

3 Reliance upon an imperfect obedience to G.o.d's holy law, united with a hope, through Christ or some other means, of forgiveness for not having kept some parts of that law, is 'the doctrine of the world,' and of devils. It is a refuge of lies, which death will fearfully sweep away. We must rely wholly upon Christ, or perish.--Ed.

4 Aquae Vitae was a cordial-water well known in Bunyan's time, and much used in compounding medicines, but now almost forgotten. It was distilled from brewed beer, strongly hopped, and well fermented.

The French have an intoxicating liquour called eau de vie; this is distilled from the refuse of the grapes after the wine is made.--Ed.

5 Although all mankind are fatally diseased, they only feel it that are made sick of sin; this is the law work, and when it takes place, then comes the new birth and salvation by the efficacy of this water of life.--Ed.

6 A RIVER inexhaustible, to supply the pure and unmixed joys of heaven to all the myriads of happy glorified souls, and applied by the Spirit of grace to quench the thirst of the soul on earth.

This grace is fixed and permanent, 'springing up into everlasting life.' Blessed Jesus, 'give me this water, that I thirst not ever.'--Ed.

7 This water of life is as essential to the spiritual-mindedness of the soul, as natural water is to the life of a fish. The grace of G.o.d is the element in which only the renewed soul can live and enjoy a little of that heaven into which, as an ocean of bliss, this river carries him.--Ed.

8 Those that are satisfied with the world, and its enjoyments, and seek not for happiness in the favour of G.o.d; those that depend on the merit of their own works for a righteousness; these do not thirst--they have no sense of their need, and will not condescend to come to THE FOUNTAIN.--Ed.

9 The rain is taken from the sea by water-spouts or in vapour; it is wonderfully distilled, and descends upon the earth in fertilizing showers which supply the rivers. In proportion to the rain or melting of the snow, is the quant.i.ty of water in the rivers. Bunyan was taught all this phenomena of nature, by a single verse in the inspired volume which he quotes. How wonderful is that Book!--Ed.

10 This is a most astonis.h.i.+ng natural phenomenon: that such a river as the Thames, receiving constantly all the filth of a vast metropolis, containing more than two millions of inhabitants, buries it all, and yet purifieth itself.--Ed.

11 Light bread is an allusion to Numbers 21:5: 'our soul loatheth this light bread.' The heavenly manna, like Christ, is despised and rejected of man.--Ed.

12 By 'the text,' in this and other places, is meant the text of sacred Scripture; not the particular pa.s.sage, or text, on which this treatise is founded.--Ed.

13 The solemn silence, and the sound of the trumpet, took place in quick succession when the medium of prayer and praise, from fallen man, was first exhibited in heaven. When Christ was revealed to John, as the throne upon which G.o.d received the prayers of all his saints, awe, and wonder, and silence, was felt in heaven for the s.p.a.ce of half an hour; then came the sound of the trumpet with dire events to those who had refused to pray in the name of Christ.--Ed.

14 Thus the Spirit of G.o.d in regeneration produces light out of darkness, makes the barren heart fruitful, and from confusion, discord, and enmity, brings order, harmony, and tranquility. The renewed man is actuated by new hopes and fears; his judgment is enlightened, his will rectified, and his heart transformed; his eyes being divinely opened he sees into eternity; he has a hope full of immortality; spiritual appet.i.tes are excited in his soul; his affections are raised to G.o.d and heaven; his soul thirsteth for G.o.d, for the living G.o.d! Thus the Spirit giveth life to the dead, eyes to the blind, speech to the dumb, feet to the lame, and the hand of faith to lay hold on Christ for complete salvation.--Mason.

15 This is an excellent commentary upon that part of the Pilgrim's Progress which describes Christiana and her company at the foot of the hill Difficulty. Greatheart points out the spring at which Christian was refreshed before he began the arduous ascent which led him, in defiance of a persecuting world, to join in church fellows.h.i.+p, allegorically represented by the house Beautiful--'When Christian drank it was clear and good, but now it is dirty; and with the feet of some that are not desirous that pilgrims should here quench their thirst.' After the writing of the first part, and before that of the second, the Act of Uniformity had spread its baleful influence over England. To use Bunyan's words--'The Romish beasts have corrupted the doctrine by treading it down with their feet, and have muddied this water with their own dirt and filthiness.'--See Holy City.--Ed.

16 'Shuck,' to shake; obsolete as a verb, but retained as a noun to designate the pea-sh.e.l.l, after the peas have been shook out.--Ed.

17 Probatum est--is proved--a sc.r.a.p of Latin commonly used in advertising medical prescriptions, in Bunyan's time.--Ed.

18 A Protestant can have but little idea of the insane superst.i.tion of the Papists in respect to holy water. The following lines, from Barnaby Googe's Popish Kingdome, will shed a little light upon it:--

'Besides, they do beleeue their sinnes to be forgiven quight, By taking holy water here, whereof if there do light But one small drop, it driueth out the h.e.l.lishe deuils all Then which there can no greater griefe vnto the feend befall.'--4to. 1570, p. 42. In the Editor's library.--Ed.

19 The infatuation, nay, madness of human nature, in its fallen state, is shown by living to hasten the inroads of death; and when he appears, terror-stricken they fly from it to any remedy that is within their reach. How vast the number of suicides by intemperance!--Ed.

20 The real Christian, and such only, are in this blessed case; they have the promise of the life that now is, as well as of that which is to come. Their Father, the Almighty, supplies all their wants; giving joy and peace, when heart and flesh tremble.--Ed.

21 In proportion to the number of professed Christians who thus obey the gospel by judging for themselves, so will be the happiness of the church, and the hastening on of the kingdom of Christ.

No one is a Christian that receives his doctrine from a prelate, priest, or minister, without prayerfully comparing it with the written Word. O man, take not the water of life as doled out by a fellow-man; go to the river for yourself--survey yourself as reflected in those crystal streams. Christ does not say to the heavy-laden, sin-burdened soul, Go to the church; but, Come unto me, and find rest. Blessed is he who loves the river of water unpolluted by human devices, forms, or ceremonies; who flies to the open bosom of his Christ, and finds refuge from every storm.--Ed.

THE BARREN FIG-TREE;

OR, THE DOOM AND DOWNFALL OF THE FRUITLESS PROFESSOR:

SHOWING, THAT THE DAY OF GRACE MAY BE PAST WITH HIM LONG BEFORE HIS LIFE IS ENDED;

THE SIGNS ALSO BY WHICH SUCH MISERABLE MORTALS MAY BE KNOWN.

BY JOHN BUNYAN

'Who being dead, yet speaketh.'--Hebrews 11:4

London: Printed for J. Robinson, at the Golden Lion, in St. Paul's Churchyard, 1688.

This t.i.tle has a broad Black Border.

ADVERTIs.e.m.e.nT BY THE EDITOR.

This solemn, searching, awful treatise, was published by Bunyan in 1682; but does not appear to have been reprinted until a very few months after his decease, which so unexpectedly took place in 1688. Although we have sought with all possible diligence, no copy of the first edition has been discovered; we have made use of a fine copy of the second edition, in possession of that thorough Bunyanite, my kind friend, R. B. Sherring, of Bristol. The third edition, 1692, is in the British Museum. Added to these posthumous publications appeared, for the first time, 'An Exhortation to Peace and Unity,' which will be found at the end of our second volume.

In the advertis.e.m.e.nt to that treatise are stated, at some length, my reasons for concluding that it was not written by Bunyan, although inserted in all the editions of his collected works. That opinion is now more fully confirmed, by the discovery of Bunyan's own list of his works, published just before his death, in 1688, and in which that exhortation is not inserted. I was also much pleased to find that the same conclusion was arrived at by that highly intelligent Baptist minister, Mr. Robert Robinson. His reasons are given at some length, concluding with, 'it is evident that Bunyan never wrote this piece.'[1] Why it was, after Bunyan's death, published with his 'Barren Fig-tree,' is one of those hidden mysteries of darkness and of wickedness that I cannot discover. The beautiful parable from which Bunyan selected his text, represents an enclosed ground, in which, among others, a fig-tree had been planted. It was not an enclosure similar to some of the vineyards of France or Germany, exclusively devoted to the growth of the vine, but a garden in which fruits were cultivated, such as grapes, figs, or pomegranates. It was in such a vineyard, thus retired from the world, that Nathaniel poured out his heart in prayer, when our Lord in spirit witnessed, unseen, these devotional exercises, and soon afterwards rewarded him with open approbation (John 1:48).

In these secluded pleasant spots the Easterns spend much of their time, under their own vines or fig-trees, sheltered from the world and from the oppressive heat of the sun--a fit emblem of a church of Christ. In this vineyard stood a fig-tree--by nature remarkable for fruitfulness--but it is barren. No inquiry is made as to how it came there, but the order is given, 'Cut it down.'

The dresser of the garden intercedes, and means are tried to make it fruitful, but in vain. At last it is cut down as a c.u.mber-ground and burnt. This vineyard or garden represents a gospel church; the fig-tree a member--a barren, fruitless professor. 'It matters not how he got there,' if he bears no fruit he must be cut down and away to the fire.

To ill.u.s.trate so awful a subject this treatise was written, and it is intensely solemn. G.o.d, whose omniscience penetrates through every disguise, himself examines every tree in the garden, yea, every bough. Wooden and earthy professor, your detection is sure; appearances that deceive the world and the church cannot deceive G.o.d. 'He will be with thee in thy bed fruits--thy midnight fruits--thy closet fruits--thy family fruits--they conversation fruits.' Professor, solemnly examine yourself; 'in proportion to your fruitfulness will be your blessedness.' 'Naked and open are all things to his eye.' Can it be imagined that those 'that paint themselves did ever repent of their pride?' 'How seemingly self-denying are some of these creeping things.' 'Is there no place will serve to fit those for h.e.l.l but the church, the vineyard of G.o.d?' 'It is not the place where the worker of iniquity can hide himself or his sins from G.o.d.' May such be detected before they go hence to the fire. While there is a disposition to seek grace all are invited to come; but when salvation by Christ is abandoned, there is no other refuge, although sought with tears. Reader, may the deeply impressive language of Bunyan sink profoundly into our hearts. We need no splendid angel nor hideous demon to reveal to us the realities of the world to come. 'If we hear not Moses and the prophets,' as set forth by Bunyan in this treatise, 'neither should we be persuaded though one rose from the dead' to declare these solemn truths (Luke 16:31).

GEO. OFFOR.

TO THE READER.

COURTEOUS READER,

I have written to thee now about the Barren Fig-tree, or how it will fare with the fruitless professor that standeth in the vineyard of G.o.d. Of what complexion thou art I cannot certainly divine; but the parable tells thee that the c.u.mber-ground must be cut down.

A c.u.mber-ground professor is not only a provocation to G.o.d, a stumbling-block to the world, and a blemish to religion, but a snare to his own soul also. 'Though his excellency mount up to the heavens, and his head reach unto the clouds, yet he shall perish for ever, like his own dung; they which have seen him shall say, Where is he?' (Job 20:6,7).