A30143:156
Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners
Grace abounding to the chief of sinners, or, A brief and faithful relation of the exceeding mercy of God in Christ, to his poor servant John Bunyan wherein is particularly showed, the manner of his conversion, his fight and trouble for sin, his dreadful temptations, also how he despaired of Gods mercy, and how the Lord at length through [sic] Christ did deliver him from all the guilt and terror that lay upon him : whereunto is added, a brief relation of his call to the work of the ministry, of his temptations therein, as also what he hath met with in prison : all which was written by his own hand there, and now published for the support of the the weak and tempted people of God.Grace abounding to the chief of sinners, or, A brief and faithful relation of the exceeding mercy of God in Christ, to his poor servant John Bvnyan wherein is particularly shewed, the manner of his conversion, his fight and trouble for sin, his dreadful temptations, also how he despaired of Gods mercy, and how the Lord at length thorow [sic] Christ did deliver him from all the guilt and terrour that lay upon him : whereunto is added, a brief relation of his call to the work of the ministry, of his temptations therein, as also what he hath met with in prison : all which was written by his own hand there, and now published for the support of the the weak and tempted people of God.
London: printed by George Larkin, 1666
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
138. Then did that Scripture seize upon my Soul, He is of one mind, and who can turn him? Oh I saw 'twas as easy to persuade him to make a new world, a new Covenant, or new Bible besides that we have already, as to pray for such a thing: this was to persuade him that what he had done already was mere folly, and to persuade with him to alter, yea, to disannul the whole way of salvation; and then would that saying rent my Soul asunder, Neither is there salvation in any other, for there is none other Name under heaven, given amongst men, whereby we must be saved, Act. 4.12.
138. Then did that Scripture seize upon my Soul, He is of one mind, and who can turn him? Oh I saw 'twas as easie to perswade him to make a new world, a new Covenant, or new Bible besides that we have already, as to pray for such a thing: this was to perswade him that what he had done already was meer folly, and to perswade with him to alter, yea, to disanul the whole way of salvation; and then would that saying rent my Soul asunder, Neither is there salvation in any other, for there is none other Name under heaven, given amongst men, whereby we must be saved, Act. 4.12.
139. Now the most free, and full, and gracious words of the Gospel, were the greatest torment to me; yea, nothing so afflicted me as the thoughts of Jesus Christ: for the remembrance of a Saviour, because I had cast him off, brought both the villainy of my sin, and my loss by it, to mind. O 'tis sad to be destroyed by the grace and mercy of God; to have the Lamb, the Saviour, turn Lyon and Destroyer, Rev. 6. I also trembled at the sight of the Saints of God, especially at those that greatly loved him, and that made it their business to walk continually with him in this world: for they did both in their words, their carriages, and all their expressions of tenderness and fear to sin against their precious Saviour, condemn, lay guilt upon, and also add continual affliction and shame uno my Soul.