Sunday, August 31, 2014

John Bunyan

John Bunyan had very little schooling.  He followed his father in the tinker's trade, and he served in the parliamentary army from1644 to 1647.  Bunyan married in 1649 and lived in Elstow until 1655, when his wife died.  He then moved to Bedford, and married again in 1659.  John Bunyan was received into the Baptist church in Bedford by immersion in 1653. 

In 1655, Bunyan became a deacon and began preaching, with marked success from the start.  In 1658 he was indicted for preaching without a license.  The authorities were fairly tolerant of him for a while, and he did not suffer imprisonment until November of 1660, when he was taken to the county jail in Silver Street, Bedford, and there confined (with the exception of a few weeks in 1666) for 12 years until January 1672.  Bunyan afterward became pastor of the Bedford church.  In March of 1675 he was again imprisoned for preaching publicly without a license, this time being held in the Bedford town jail.  In just six months this time he was freed, (no doubt the authorities were growing weary of providing Bunyan with free shelter and food) and he was not bothered again by the authorities. 

John Bunyan wrote The Pilgrim's Progress in two parts, of which the first appeared at London in 1678,which he had begun during his imprisonment in 1676.  The second part appeared in 1684.  The earliest edition in which the two parts were combined in one volume came out in 1728.  A third part falsely attributed to Bunyan appeared in 1693.  The Pilgrim's Progressis the most successful allegory ever written, and like the Bible has been extensively translated into other languages. 

John Bunyan wrote many other books, including one which discussed his inner life and reveals his preparation for his appointed work is Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners (1666).  Bunyan became a popular preacher as well as a very voluminous author, though most of his works consist of expanded sermons.  In theology he was a Puritan, but not a partisan.  He was no scholar, except of the English Bible, but that he knew thoroughly.  He also drew much influence from Martin Luther's Commentary on the Epistle to the Galatians. 

Some time before his final release from prison Bunyan became involved in a controversy with two theologians of his day: Kiffin and Paul.  In 1673 he published his Differences in Judgement about Water-Baptism no Bar to Communion, in which he took the ground that "the Church of Christ hath not warrant to keep out of the communion the Christian that is discovered to be a visible saint of the word, the Christian that walketh according to his own light with God."  While he agreed as a Baptist that water baptism was God's ordinance, he refused to make "an idol of it," and he disagreed with those who would dis-fellowship from Christians who did not adhere to water baptism

Kiffin and Paul published a rejoinder in Serious Reflections (London, 1673), in which they set forth the argument in favor of the restriction of the Lord's Supper to baptized believers.  The controversy resulted in the Particular (Calvinistic) Baptists leaving the question of communion with the unbaptized open.  Bunyan's church permitted pedobaptists (those who baptize children, such as the Calvinistic Presbyterian Church) to fellowship and eventually, Bunyan’s church even became a pedobaptist church. 

On a trip to London, John Bunyan caught a severe cold, and he died at the house of a friend at Snow Hill on August 31, 1688.  His grave lies in the cemetery at Bunhill Fields in London. 

Propers for John Bunyan - Pastor and Writer

The Collect. 

Almighty God, who by thy Holy Spirit dost give to some the word of wisdom, to others the word of knowledge, and to others the word of faith: We praise thy name for the gifts of grace manifested in thy servant John Bunyan, and we pray that by his teaching we may be led to a fuller knowledge of the truth which thou has revealed in thy Son our Saviour Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the same Spirit, one God, now and for ever.  Amen. 

The Lesson - Ezekiel 34:11-16. 

For thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out.  As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day.  And I will bring them out from the people, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land, and feed them upon the mountains of Israel by the rivers, and in all the inhabited places of the country.  I will feed them in a good pasture, and upon the high mountains of Israel shall their fold be: there shall they lie in a good fold, and in a fat pasture shall they feed upon the mountains of Israel.  I will feed my flock, and I will cause them to lie down, saith the Lord GOD.  I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick: but I will destroy the fat and the strong; I will feed them with judgment. 

The Holy Gospel - St. John 21:15-19. 

So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these?  He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee.  He saith unto him, Feed my lambs.  He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me?  He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee.  He saith unto him, Feed my sheep.  He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me?  Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me?  And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee.  Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.  Verily, verily, I say unto thee, When thou wast young, thou girdedst thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest: but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not.  This spake he, signifying by what death he should glorify God.  And when he had spoken this, he saith unto him, Follow me.