

Transcribed from the 1845 Thomas Nelson “Works of the Puritan Divines
(Bunyan)” edition by David Price, email ccx074@pglaf.org

                  [Picture: Bunyan’s cottage at Elstow]





                           MISCELLANEOUS PIECES


CONTENTS

                                        Page
Of the Trinity and a Christian           245
Of the Law and a Christian               251
Bunyan’s Last Sermon                     257
Bunyan’s Dying Sayings                   267




OF THE
TRINITY AND A CHRISTIAN.


 _How a young or shaken Christian should demean himself under the weighty
  thoughts of the Doctrine of the Trinity or Plurality of Persons in the
                            eternal Godhead_.

THE reason why I say a _young_ or _shaken_ Christian, is, because some
that are not young, but of an ancient standing, may not only be assaulted
with violent temptations concerning gospel-principles, but a second time
may become a child, a babe, a shallow man, in the things of God:
especially, either when by backsliding he hath provoked God to leave him,
or when some new, unexpected, and (as to present strength) over weighty
objection doth fall upon the spirit, by means of which great shakings of
mind do commonly attend such a soul in the most weighty matters of the
concerns of faith, of which this is one that I have supposed in the
above-mentioned question: Wherefore passing other things, I will come
directly to that, and briefly propose some helps to a soul in such a
case.

I.  The first preparative.

_First_, Then, be sure thou keep close to the Word of God for that is the
revelation of the mind and will of God, both as to the truth of what is
either in himself or ways, and also as to what he requireth and expecteth
of thee, either concerning faith in, or obedience to, what he hath so
revealed.  Now for thy better performing of this, I shall give thee in
brief these following directions.

1.  Suffer thyself, by the authority of the Word, to be persuaded that
the Scripture indeed is the Word of God the Scriptures of truth, the
words of the Holy One; and that they therefore must be every one true,
pure, and for ever settled in heaven.

2.  Conclude therefore from the former doctrine, that that God whose
words they are, is able to make a reconciliation and most sweet and
harmonious agreement with all the sayings therein, how obscure, cross,
dark, and contradictory soever they seem to thee.  To understand all
mysteries, to have all knowledge, to be able to comprehend with all
saints, is a great work; enough to crush the spirit, and to stretch the
strings of the most capacious, widened soul that breatheth on this side
glory, be they notwithstanding exceedingly enlarged by revelation.  Paul,
when he was caught up to heaven, saw that which was unlawful, because
impossible, for man to utter.  And saith Christ to the reasoning
Pharisee, “If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how
shall you believe if I tell you of heavenly things?”  It is great
lewdness, and also insufferable arrogancy, to come to the Word of God, as
conceiting already that whatever thou readest must either by thee be
understood, or of itself fall to the ground as a senseless error.  But
God is wiser than man, wherefore fear thou him, and tremble at his word,
saying still, with godly suspicion of thine own infirmity, What I see
not, teach thou me; and, Thou art God only wise; but as for me, I am as a
beast before thee.

3.  Take heed of taking a part of the Word only, lest thou thereby go
away with the truth as mangled in pieces.  For instance, where thou
readest, “The Lord our God is one Lord,” there take heed that thou dost
not thence conclude, then there are not three persons in the Godhead:
when thou readest of “the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,” then
take heed of concluding there must therefore either be three Gods, or
else that Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost are not true God, but the
Father only.  Wherefore to help thee here, observe,

II.  The second preparative.

1.  That the Christian religion requireth credit concerning every
doctrine contained in the Word; credit, I say, according to the true
relation of every sentence that the Holy Ghost hath revealed for the
asserting, maintaining, or vindicating that same truth.

2.  And therefore, hence it is that a Christian is not called a doer, a
reasoner, an objector, and perverse disputer, but a believer.  Be thou an
example to “the believers;” and, “believers” were “added to the church,”
&c.

3.  Therefore, know again, that the Word, if it saith and expresseth that
this or that is so and so, as to the matter in hand, thou art bound and
obliged, both by the name, profession, and the truth, unto which thou
hast joined thyself, to assent to, confess, and acknowledge the same,
even then when thy carnal reason will not stoop thereto.  “Righteous art
thou, O God,” saith Jeremiah, “yet let me plead with thee; Wherefore do
the wicked live?”  Mark, first he acknowledgeth that God’s way with the
wicked is just and right, even then when yet he could not see the reason
of his actions and dispensations towards them.  The same reason is good
as to our present case: and hence it is that the apostle saith, the
spiritual armour of Christians should be much exercised against those
high towering and self-exalting imaginations, that within our own bosoms
do exalt themselves against the knowledge of God; that every thought or
carnal reasoning may be not only taken, but brought a captive into
obedience to Christ; that is, be made to stoop to the Word of God, and to
give way and place to the doctrine therein contained, how cross soever
our thoughts and the Word lie to each other.  And it is observable that
he here saith, “they exalt themselves against the knowledge of God;”
which cannot be understood, that our carnal, natural reason doth exalt
itself against an eternal deity, simply considered; for that nature
itself doth gather from the very things that