Divine Grace

This article is from Issue 4, Called to Trust

John Bunyan, author of Pilgrim’s Progress.

The following is an account of John’s experience as he faced and lived through a long prison sentence, taken from his biography.

By his reproaches and slanders, satan laboured to have my countrymen think of me as depraved, so if possible, my preaching might be made of no effect. Added to this was a long and tedious imprisonment, that by this I might be scared away from my service for Christ and the world made terrified to hear me preach.

Having professed the glorious Gospel of Christ for many years, and after preaching it for five years, I was taken into custody at a meeting of good people in the country, among whom I was to preach that day. However, I was taken away from them and brought before a justice. I assured them that if I was released I would appear for my court date, but they committed me to jail anyway as I would not assure them that I would not preach anymore.

At the court session, I was charged with upholding and maintaining unlawful assemblies and religious meetings, and for not conforming to the national worship of the Church of England. They took my straightforward talk as a confession of guilt and sentenced me to perpetual banishment because I refused to conform. So, being delivered into the jailer’s hands, I was taken back to prison, where I have been now for more than twelve years, waiting to see what God would allow these men to do with me.

I have continued in this condition with much contentment through grace, but have met with many ups and downs, and different experiences upon my heart from The Lord, satan, and my own corruptions. I never knew before what it was for God to stand by me at all turns and at every attempt of satan to afflict me; yet I have found Him always near me.

When fears presented themselves, so have comforts and encouragements. Yes, when I would be scared at nothing more than my own shadow, God was very tender to me, not allowing me to be tormented, but would with one Bible verse strengthen me against all. This was so dear to me that I have often said that if it were allowed, I would pray for greater trouble so that I might know God’s greater comfort.

Before I came to prison, I saw what was coming, and I had two considerations upon my heart. The first was how to be able to endure if my imprisonment was to be long and wearisome. The second was how to be able to encounter death, if that should be my portion here. For the first, this verse was of great council to me that said to pray to God to be “strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience, with joy” (Colossians 1:11). For about a year before I was imprisoned, that verse would thrust itself in my mind, and persuade me that if I would ever go through much suffering, I must have all patience, especially f I would endure it joyfully.

As to how to encounter death, 2 Corinthians 1:9 was of great use to me. “We had the sentence of death within ourselves, so that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead.” By this verse I was made to see that if I ever would suffer rightly, I must first pass a sentence of death upon everything that can properly be called a thing in this life, even to consider myself, my wife, my children, my health, mu enjoyments, and all as dead to me…and myself as dead to them.

Also I knew that I needed to live upon God, Who is invisible. As Paul said in another place, the way not to faint is to “look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but things which are not seen are eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:18). I reasoned with myself, that if I am only prepared for prison, then I will not be prepared for the whip or the stocks. If I prepared only for these, I would not be ready to face banishment. If I conclude that banishment is the worst that could happen to me, I would be surprised if I were to face execution.

So I saw, that the best way to go through sufferings is to trust in God through Christ, regarding the world to come, and regarding this world.

Taken from Life On The Altar Publications
Issue 4 Spring 2022