The Works of John Bunyan, vol 3, John Bunyan [ebook reader color screen TXT] 📗

my grief! hard hap had I

Those dolours here to find,

A living death, in hell I lie,

Involv’d with grief of mind.

63. I once was fair for light and grace, My days were long and good;

I lived in a blessed place

Where was most heav’nly food.

64. But wretch I am, I slighted life,

I chose in death to live;

O, for these days now, if I might,

Ten thousand worlds would give.

65. What time had I to pray and read,

What time to hear the word!

What means to help me at my need,

Did God to me afford!

66. Examples, too, of piety

I every day did see,

But they abuse and slight did I,

O, woe be unto me.

67. I now remember how my friend

Reproved me of vice,

And bid me mind my latter end,

Both once, and twice, and thrice.

68. But O, deluded man, I did

My back upon him turn;

Eternal life I did not heed,

For which I now do mourn.

69. Ah, golden time, I did thee spend

In sin and idleness,

Ah, health and wealth, I did you lend

To bring me to distress.

70. My feet to evil I let run,

And tongue of folly talk;

My eyes to vanity hath gone,

Thus did I vainly walk.

71. I did as greatly toil and strain

Myself with sin to please,

As if that everlasting grain

Could have been found in these.

72. But nothing, nothing have I found

But weeping, and alas,

And sorrow, which doth now surround

Me, and augment my cross.

73. Ah, bleeding conscience, how did I

Thee check when thou didst tell

Me of my faults, for which I lie

Dead while I live in hell.

74. I took thee for some peevish foe,

When thou didst me accuse,

Therefore I did thee buffet so,

And counsel did refuse.

75. Thou often didst me tidings bring,

How God did me dislike,

Because I took delight in sin,

But I thy news did slight.

76. Ah, Mind, why didst thou do those things That now do work my woe?

Ah, Will, why was thou thus inclin’d

Me ever to undo?

77. My senses, how were you beguil’d

When you said sin was good?

It hath in all parts me defil’d,

And drown’d me like a flood.

78. Ah, that I now a being have,

In sorrow and in pain;

Mother, would you had been my grave,

But this I wish in vain.

79. Had I been made a cockatrice,

A toad, or such-like thing;[13]

Yea, had I been made snow or ice,

Then had I had no sin;

80. A block, a stock, a stone, or clot,

Is happier than I;

For they know neither cold nor hot,

To live nor yet to die.

81. I envy now the happiness

Of those that are in light,

I hate the very name of bliss,

‘Cause I have there no right.

82. I grieve to see that others are

In glory, life, and well,

Without all fear, or dread, or care,

While I am racked in hell.

83. Thus will these souls with watery eyes, And hacking of their teeth,

With wringing hands, and fearful cries,

Expostulate their grief.

84. O set their teeth they will, and gnash, And gnaw for very pain,

While as with scorpions God doth lash

Them for their life so vain.

85. Again, still as they in this muse,

Are feeding on the fire,

To mind there comes yet other news,

To screw their torments higher.

86. Which is the length of this estate,

Where they at present lie;

Which in a word I thus relate,

‘Tis to eternity.

87. This thought now is so firmly fix’d

In all that comes to mind,

And also is so strongly mix’d

With wrath of every kind.

88. So that whatever they do know,

Or see, or think, or feel,

For ever still doth strike them through

As with a bar of steel.

89. For EVER shineth in the fire,

EVER is on the chains;

‘Tis also in the pit of ire,

And tastes in all their pains.

90. For ever separate from God,

From peace, and life, and rest;

For ever underneath the rod

That vengeance liketh best.

91. O ever, ever, this will drown’d

Them quite and make them cry,

We never shall get o’er thy bound,

O, great eternity!

92. They sooner now the stars may count

Than lose these dismal bands;

Or see to what the motes14 among

Or number up the sands.

93. Then see an end of this their woe,

Which now for sin they have;

O wantons, take heed what you do,

Sin will you never save.

94. They sooner may drink up the sea,

Than shake off these their fears;

Or make another in one day

As big with brinish tears;

95. Than put an end to misery,

In which they now do roar,

Or help themselves; no, they must cry,

Alas, for evermore.

96. When years by thousands on a heap

Are passed o’er their head;

Yet still the fruits of sin they reap

Among the ghostly dead.

97. Yea, when they have time out of mind Be in this case so ill,

For EVER, EVER is behind15

Yet for them to fulfill.

EBAL AND GERIZZIM,

OR

THE BLESSING AND THE

CURSE:

BEING A SHORT EXHORTATION

TO SINNERS, BY THE MERCY

AND SEVERITY OF GOD.

FROM MOUNT GERIZZIM.

Besides what I said of the Four Last Things, And of the weal and woe that from them springs; An after-word still runneth in my mind,

Which I shall here expose unto that wind That may it blow into that very hand

That needs it. Also that it may be scann’d With greatest soberness, shall be my prayer, As well as diligence and godly care;

So to present it unto public view,

That only truth and peace may thence ensue.

My talk shall be of that amazing love Of God we read of; which, that it may prove, By its engaging arguments to save

Thee, I shall lay out that poor help I have Thee to entice; that thou wouldst dearly fall In love with thy salvation, and with all That doth thereto concur, that thou mayst be As blessed as the Blessed can make thee, Not only here but in the world to come,

In bliss, which, I pray God, may be thy home.

But first, I would advise thee to bethink Thyself, how sin hath laid thee at the brink Of hell, where thou art lulled fast asleep In Satan’s arms, who also will thee keep As senseless and secure as e’er he may,

Lest thou shouldst wake, and see’t, and run away Unto that Jesus, whom the Father sent

Into the world, for this cause and intent, That such as thou, from such a thrall as this Might’st be released, and made heir of bliss.

Now that thou may’st awake, the danger fly, And so escape the death that others die, Come, let me set my trumpet to thine ear, Be willing all my message for to hear:

‘Tis for thy life, O do it not refuse;

Wo unto them good counsel do abuse.

Thou art at present in that very case,

Which argues thou art destitute of grace: For he that lies where sin hath laid him, lies Under the curse, graceless, and so he dies In body and in soul, within that range,

If God his heart in mercy doth not change Before he goes the way of all the earth, Before he lose his spirit and his breath.

Repentance there is none within the grave, Nor Christ, nor grace, nor mercies for to save Thee from the vengeance due unto thy sin, If now thou dost not truly close with him.

Thou art like him that sleepeth in the sea On broken boards, which, without guide or stay, Are driven whither winds and water will; While greedy beasts do wait to have their fill By feeding on his carcass, when he shall Turn overboard, and without mercy fall

Into the jaws of such as make a prey

Of those whom justice drowneth in the sea.

Thou art like him that snoring still doth lie Upon the bed of vain security,

Whilst all about him into burning flame

By fire is turned; yea, and while the frame And building where he lies consuming is, And while himself these burnings cannot miss.

Thou art like one that hangeth by a thread Over the mouth of hell, as one half-dead; And O, how soon this thread may broken be, Or cut by death, is yet unknown to thee!

But sure it is, if all the weight of sin, And all that Satan, too, hath doing been, Or yet can do, can break this crazy thread, ‘Twill not be long before, among the dead, Thou tumble do, as linked fast in chains, With them to wait in fear for future pains.

What shall I say? Wilt thou not yet awake?

Nor yet of thy poor soul some pity take?

Among the lions it hood-winked lies;

O, that the Lord would open once thine eyes That thou might’st see it, then I dare say thou, As half-bereft of wits, wouldst cry out, How Shall I escape? Lord help, O! help with speed, Reach down thy hand from heav’n, for help I need, To save me from the lions, for I fear

This soul of mine they will in pieces tear.

Come, then, and let us both expostulate The case betwixt us, till we animate

And kindle in our hearts that burning love To Christ, to grace, to life, that we may move Swifter than eagles to this blessed prey; Then shall it be well with us in that day The trump shall sound, the dead made rise, and stand, Then to receive, for breach of God’s command, Such thunder-claps as these, Depart from me Into hell-fire, you that the wicked be,

Prepared for the devil, and for those

That with him and his angels rather chose To live in filthy sin and wickedness,

Whose fruit is everlasting bitterness.

We both are yet on this side of the grave, We also gospel-privileges have;

The word, and time to pray; God give us hearts, That, like the wise man, we may act our parts, To get the pearl of price; then we shall be Like godly Mary, Peter, Paul, and we

Like Jacob, too, the blessing shall obtain; While Esau rides a-hunting for the gain

Of worldly pelf, which will him not avail When death or judgment shall him sore assail.

Now, to encourage us for to begin,

Let us believe the kingdom we may win,

And be possess’d thereof, if we the way

Shall hit into, and then let nothing stay Or hinder us; the crown is at the end,

Let’s run and strive, and fly, and let’s contend With greatest courage it for to obtain;

‘Tis life, and peace, and everlasting gain.

The gate of life, the new and living way, The promise holdeth open all the day,

Which thou by Jacob’s ladder must ascend, Where angels always wait, and do attend

As ministers, to minister for those

That do with God, and Christ, and glory close.

If guilt of sin still lieth at our door, Us to discourage, let us set before

Our eyes a bleeding Jesus, who did die

The death, and let’s believe the reason why He did it, was that we might ever be

From death and sin, from hell and wrath set free.

Yea, let’s remember for that very end

It was his blessed Father did him send;

That he the