Works of John Bunyan Volume III Part 150

31. Ha! live I may not, though I would For life give more than all; And die I dare not, though I should The world gain by my fall.

32. No, here he must no longer stay, He feels his life run out, His night is come, also the day That makes him fear and doubt.

33. He feels his very vitals die, All waxeth pale and wan; Nay, worse, he fears to misery He shortly must be gone.

34. Death doth already strike his heart With his most fearful sting Of guilt, which makes his conscience start, And quake at every thing.

35. Yea, as his body doth decay By a contagious grief, So his poor soul doth faint away Without hope or relief.

36. Thus while the man is in this scare, Death doth still at him lay; Live, die, sink, swim, fall foul or fair,[6]

Death still holds on his way.

37. Still pulling of him from his place, Full sore against his mind; Death like a sprite stares in his face, And doth with links him bind.

38. And carries him into his den, In darkness there to lie, Among the swarms of wicked men In grief eternally.

39. For only he that G.o.d doth fear Will now be counted wise: Yea, he that feareth him while here, He only wins the prize.

40. 'Tis he that shall by angels be Attended to that bliss That angels have; for he, O he, Of glory shall not miss.

41. Those weapons and those instruments Of death, that others fright: Those dreadful fears and discontents That brings on some that night.

42. That never more shall have a day, Brings this man to that rest Which none can win but only they Whom G.o.d hath called and blest 43. With the first fruits of saving grace, With faith, hope, love, and fear Him to offend; this man his face In visions high and clear, 44. Shall in that light which no eye can Approach unto, behold The rays and beams of glory, and Find there his name enroll'd, 45. Among those glittering starts of light That Christ still holdeth fast In his right hand with all his might, Until that danger's past, 46. That shakes the world, and most hath dropt Into grief and distress, O blessed then is he that's wrapt In Christ his righteousness.

47. This is the man death cannot kill, For he hath put on arms; Him sin nor Satan hath not skill To hurt with all their charms.

48. A helmet on his head doth stand, A breastplate on his heart: A s.h.i.+eld also is in his hand, That blunteth every dart.

49. Truth girds him round the reins, also His sword is on his thigh; His feet in shoes of peace do go The ways of purity.

50. His heart it groaneth to the Lord, Who hears him at his call, And doth him help and strength afford, Wherewith he conquers all.

51. Thus fortified, he keeps the field While death is gone and fled; And then lies down upon his s.h.i.+eld Till Christ doth raise the dead.

OF JUDGMENT.

1. As 'tis appointed men should die, So judgment is the next That meets them most a.s.suredly; For so saith holy text.

2. Wherefore of judgment I shall now Inform you what I may, That you may see what 'tis, and how 'Twill be with men that day.

3. This world it hath a time to stand, Which time when ended, then Will issue judgment out of hand Upon all sorts of men.

4. The Judge we find, in G.o.d's record, The Son of man, for he By G.o.d's appointment is made Lord And Judge of all that be.

5. Wherefore this Son of man shall come At last to count with all, And unto them shall give just doom, Whether they stand or fall.

6. Behold ye now the majesty And state that shall attend This Lord, this Judge, and Justice high When he doth now descend.

7. He comes with head as white as snow, With eyes like flames of fire; In justice clad from top to toe, Most glorious in attire.

8. His face is filled with gravity; His tongue is like a sword; His presence awes both stout and high, The world shakes at his word.

9. He comes in flaming fire, and With angels clear and bright, Each with a trumpet in his hand, Clothed in s.h.i.+ning white.

10. The trump of G.o.d sounds in the air, The dead do hear his voice; The living too run here and there, Who made not him their choice.

11. Thus to his place he doth repair, Appointed for his throne, Where he will sit to judge, and where He'll count with every one.

12. Angels attending on his hand By thousands on a row; Yea, thousand thousands by him stand, And at his beck do go.

13. Thus being set, the books do ope In which all crimes are writ.

All virtues, too, of faith and hope, Of love; and every whit 14. Of all that man hath done or said, Or did intend to do; Whether they sinn'd, or were afraid Evil to come into.

15. Before this bar each sinner now In person must appear; Under his judgment there to bow With trembling and with fear: 16. Within whose breast a witness then Will certainly arise, That to each charge will say Amen, While they seek and devise 17. To shun the sentence which the Lord Against them then will read, Out of the books of G.o.d's record, With majesty and dread.

18. But every heart shall opened be Before this judge most high; Yea, every thought to judgment he Will bring a.s.suredly.

19. And every word and action, too, He there will manifest; Yea, all that ever thou didst do, Or keep within thy breast, 20. Shall then be seen and laid before The world, that then will stand To see thy judge open ev'ry sore, And all thy evils scann'd.

21. Weighing each sin and wickedness With so much equity, Proportioning of thy distress And woful misery.

22. With so much justice, doing right, That thou thyself shalt say, My sins have brought me to this plight, I threw myself away.

23. Into that gulph my sins have brought Me justly to possess, For which I blame not Christ, I wrought It out by wickedness.

24. But O! how willingly would these That thus in judgment be, If that they might have help or ease, Unto the mountains flee.

25. They would rejoice if that they might But underneath them creep, To hide them from revenging right, For fear of which they weep.

26. But all in vain, the mountains then Will all be fled and gone; No shelter will be found for men That now are left alone.

27. For succour they did not regard When Christ by grace did call To them, therefore they are not heard, No mountains on them fall.

28. Before this Judge no one shall shroud Himself, under pretence Of knowledge, which hath made him proud, Nor seeming penitence.

29. No high profession here can stand, Unless sincerity Hath been therewith commixed, and Brought forth simplicity.[7]

30. No mask nor vizor here can hide The heart that rotten is; All cloaks now must be laid aside, No sinner must have bliss.

31. Though most approve of thee, and count Thee upright in thy heart; Yea, though preferred and made surmount Most men to act thy part, 32. In treading where the G.o.dly trod, As to an outward show; Yet this hold still, the grace of G.o.d Takes hold on but a few, 33. So as to make them truly such As then shall stand before This Judge with gladness; this is much Yet true for evermore.

34. The tree of life this paradise Doth always beautify, 'Cause of our health it is the rise And perpetuity.

35. Here stands the golden throne of grace From out of which do run Those crystal streams that make this place Far brighter than the sun.

36. Here stands mount Zion with her king.

Jerusalem above, That holy and delightful thing, So beautified with love.

37. That, as a mother succours those Which of her body be, So she far more, all such as close In with her Lord; and she 38. Her grace, her everlasting doors Will open wide unto Them all, with welcome, welcome, poor, Rich, bond, free, high and low, 39. Unto the kingdom which our Lord Appointed hath for all That hath his name and word ador'd; Because he did them call 40. Unto that work, which also they Sincerely did fulfil, Not shunning always to obey His gracious holy will.

41. Besides, this much doth beautify This goodly paradise, That from all quarters, constantly, Whole thousands as the price 42. Of precious blood, do here arrive; As safe escaping all, Sin, h.e.l.l, and satan did contrive To bring them into thrall.

43. Each telling his deliverance I' th' open face of heaven; Still calling to remembrance How fiercely they were driven 44. By deadly foe, who did pursue As swift as eagles fly; Which if thou have not, down thou must With those that then shall die The second death, and be accurs'd Of G.o.d. For certainly, 45. The truth of grace shall only here Without a blush be bold To stand, whilst others quake and fear, And dare not once behold.

46. That heart that here was right for G.o.d Shall there be comforted; But those that evil ways have trod, Shall then hang down the head.

47. As sore confounded with the guilt That now upon them lies, Because they did delight in filth And beastly vanities.

48. Or else because they did deceive With hypocritical Disguises, their own souls, and leave Or shun that best of all 49. Approved word of righteousness, They were invited to Embrace, therefore they no access Now to him have, but woe.

50. For every one must now receive According to their ways; They that unto the Lord did cleave, The everlasting joys.

51. Those that did die in wickedness, To execution sent, There still to grapple with distress, Which nothing can prevent.

52. Of which two states I next shall write, Wherefore I pray give ear, And to them bend with all our might Your heart with filial fear.

OF HEAVEN.

1. Heaven is a place, also a state, It doth all things excel, No man can fully it relate, Nor of its glory tell.

2. G.o.d made it for his residence, To sit on as a throne, Which shows to us the excellence Whereby it may be known.

3. Doubtless the fabric that was built For this so great a king, Must needs surprise thee, if thou wilt But duly mind the thing.

4. If all that build do build to suit The glory of their state, What orator, though most acute, Can fully heaven relate?

5. If palaces that princes build, Which yet are made of clay, Do so amaze when much beheld, Of heaven what shall we say?

6. It is the high and holy place; No moth can there annoy, Nor make to fade that goodly grace That saints shall there enjoy.

7. Mansions for glory and for rest Do there prepared stand; Buildings eternal for the blest Are there provided, and 8. The glory and the comeliness By deepest thought none may With heart or mouth fully express, Nor can before that day.

9. These heav'ns we see, be as a scroll, Or garment folded up, Before they do together roll, And we call'd in to sup.

10. There with the king, the bridegroom, and By him are led into His palace chambers, there to stand With his prospect to our view.

11. And taste and smell, and be inflam'd, And ravished to see The buildings he hath for us fram'd, How full of heaven they be.

12. Its state also is marvellous, For beauty to behold; All goodness there is plenteous, And better far than gold.

13. Adorn'd with grace and righteousness, While fragrant scents of love O'erflow with everlasting bliss, All that do dwell above.

14. The heavenly majesty, whose face Doth far exceed the sun, Will there cast forth its rays of grace After this world is done.

15. Which rays and beams will so possess All things that there shall dwell, With so much glory, light, and bliss, That none can think or tell.

16. That wisdom which doth order all Shall there be fully shown; That strength that bears the world there shall By every one be known.

17. That holiness and sanct.i.ty Which doth all thought surpa.s.s, Shall there in present purity Outs.h.i.+ne the crystal gla.s.s.

18. The beauty and the comeliness Of this Almighty shall Make amiable with lasting bliss Those he thereto shall call.

19. The presence of this G.o.d will be Eternal life in all, And health and gladness, while we see Thy face, O immortal!

20. Here will the Lord make clear and plain How sweetly did agree His attributes, when Christ was slain Our Saviour to be.

21. How wisdom did find out the way, How strength did make him stand, How holiness did bear the sway, And answer just demand.

22. How all these attributes did bend Themselves to work our life, Through the Christ whom G.o.d did send To save us by his might.

23. All this will sparkle in our eye Within the holy place, And greatly raise our melody, And flow our hearts with grace.

24. The largest thought that can arise Within the widest heart Shall then be filled with surprize, And pleas'd in every part.

25. All mysteries shall here be seen, And every knot, unty'd; Electing love, that hid hath been, Shall s.h.i.+ne on every side.

26. The G.o.d of glory here will be The life of every one; Whose goodly attributes shall we Possess them as our own.

27. By wisdom we all things shall know, By light all things shall see, By strength, too, all things we shall do, When we in glory be.

28. The Holy Lamb of G.o.d, also, Who for our sakes did die, The holy ones of G.o.d shall know, And that most perfectly.

29. Those small and short discoveries That we have of him here, Will there be seen with open eyes, In visions full and clear.

30. Those many thousand acts of grace That here we feel and find, Shall there be real with open face Upon his heart most kind.

31. There he will show us how he was Our prophet, priest, and king; And how he did maintain our cause, And us to glory bring.

32. There we shall see how he was touch'd With all our grief and pain (As in his word he hath avouch'd), When we with him shall reign; 33. He'll show us, also, how he did Maintain our faith and love, And why his face sometimes he hid From us, who are his dove; 34. These tempting times that here we have, We there shall see were good; Also that hidden strength he gave, The purchase of his blood.

35. That he should stand for us before His Father, thus we read.

But then shall see, and shall adore Him for his gracious deed.