Page images
PDF
EPUB

BUNYAN.

JOHN BUNYAN, the well-known author of the Pilgrim's Progress, was born at Elstow, within a mile of Bedford, 1628. His origin was very humble, his father being a tinker; in which occupation himself was also brought up. In his early years he seemed to manifest an inherent depravity, and was particularly addicted to cursing and swearing. But being reclaimed (as he says himself) by a voice from heaven, he began to read the Scriptures with great zeal, and soon became as remarkable for enthusiastic piety as he had been before for vulgar profaneness. In the year 1671, he became pastor of a Calvinistic congregation at Bedford. He died at the age of sixty, in 1688.

The most complete edition of Bunyan's works is that of Mr. George Whitefield, in two volumes folio, 1767; and the most considerable pieces in this collection are:

1. Grace abounding to the chief of Sinners, in a faithful account of the Life of John Bunyan.

2. The Doctrine of the Law and Grace unfolded, or a Discourse touching the Law and Grace.

3. The Pilgrim's Progress, in two parts. 4. The Jerusalem Sinner saved.

5. The Heavenly Footman; or a Description of the Man that gets to Heaven. Together with the Way he runs in, the Marks he goes by. Also some directions how to run so as to obtain.

6. Solomon's Temple spiritualized.

7. A Discourse upon the Pharisee and Pubican.

8. The Life and Death of Mr. Badman. It is in the form of dialogue; and contains the different stages of a wicked man's life, and an account of his miserable death.

9. The Barren Fig-tree; or, the Doom and Downfall of the fruitless Professor.

10. One Thing is Needful; or, Serious Me

[ocr errors]

ditations upon the four last things, Death, Judgment, Heaven, and Hell.

10. The Holy War, made by Shaddai upon Diabolus, for regaining the Metropolis of the World; or the losing and taking again of the Town of Mansoul.

12. A Discourse of the House of the Forest of Lebanon.

13. Christian Behaviour, being the Fruits of true Christianity.

14. A Discourse touching Prayer.

15. The Strait Gate; or great Difficulty of going to Heaven.

16. The Holy City, or New Jerusalem.
17. Divine Emblems.

In the Heavenly Footman, (article the fifth) is the following curious passage:

They that will have heaven, they must run for it; because the devil, the law, sin, death, and hell, fol loweth them. There is never a poor soul that is go ing to heaven, but the devil, the law, sin, death, and hell, make after that soul. The devil your adversary, as a roaring lion, goeth about, seeking whom he may devour. And I will assure you the devil is nimble; he can run apace; he is light of foot; he hath overtaken many; he hath turned up their heels,

ness of humour, not apt to damp those sportful flashes of imagination. Whence in Aristotle such persons are termed side, dexterous men; and εrpool, men of facile or versatile manners, who can easily turn themselves to all things, or turn all things to themselves. It also procureth delight, by gratifying curiosity with its rareness or semblance of difficulty; as monsters, not for their beauty, but their rarity; as juggling tricks, not for their use, but their abstruseness, are beheld with pleasure; by diverting the mind from its road of serious thoughts; by instilling gaiety and airiness of spirit; by provoking to such dispositions of spirit in way of emulation or complaisance; and by seasoning matters, otherwise distasteful or insipid, with an unusual, and thence grateful tang.

The sermons of Dr. Barrow were of an unusual length, even for the time in which he lived. He seldom employed less than an hour and a half in delivering a discourse; and on one occasion in particular, he preached a charity sermon at the Spital, before the lord mayor and aldermen, which lasted three hours and a half. Being asked, on descending from the pulpit, whether he was not tired,

he replied; "Yes indeed, I began to be weary with standing so long."

Being chaplain to Charles II. his majesty was accustomed facetiously to style him an unfair preacher; because he exhausted every subject, and left nothing to be said by others. He does indeed view his subject in a great variety of lights. There is always an abundance of thoughts, and thoughts, to the justness of which, taken separately, we in general feel little difficulty in assenting; but we are hurried from flower to flower too rapidly to have time to imbibe the honey to be derived from each; the multitude of objects which are crowded upon us distracts the attention, and having surveyed the whole, we can settle upon none. I do not mean to say, there are not many admirable passages in Barrow. The above definition of wit is probably the most wonderful passage to be met with in any language. A certain portion of fancy, perhaps, it would be unjust to deny him; but it is by no means the general characteristic of his writings; and he has not a particle of that higher degree of it, which we usually denominate imagination. Barrow was undoubtedly a man of a powerful understanding. In the mathematical sciences

« ՆախորդըՇարունակել »