He writes: 'Having made profession of the glorious gospel of Christ a long time, and preached the same about five years, I was apprehended at a meeting of good people in the country, among whom, had they let me alone, I should have preached that day, but they took me away from amongst them, and had me before a justice; who, after I had offered security for my appearing at the next sessions, yet committed me, because my sureties would not consent to be bound that I should preach no more to the people.'
We then learn about Bunyan's:
(i) growth in God's word;
(ii) growth in prayer;
(iii) struggles with infirmities;
(iv) abominations in his heart.
I was helped by Bunyan's experience of suffering: ' I never had in all my life so great an inlet into the Word of God as now; Those scriptures that I saw nothing in before, were made in this place and state to shine upon me; Jesus Christ also was never more real and apparent than now; here I have seen and felt him indeed. Oh! that word, We have not preached unto you cunningly devised fables, and that, God raised Christ from the dead, and gave him glory, that your faith and hope might be in God, were the blessed words unto me in this my imprisoned condition. '
Although painful, suffering brought about much good in Bunyan's life.
Commence
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