Sydney Smith - "Peter Plymley's Letters and Selected Essays"

Emile Zola - "The Three Cities Trilogy: Lourdes, Vol. 2"

James De Mille - "The Living Link"

Will Levington Comfort - "Red Fleece"

New Philadelphia Book Publisher Highlights Local Talent
Book and Publishing News from Publishers Newswire(tm)

Looking for Child to be on Cover of a New Book, 'The Model Child'
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. -- The Philadelphia literary world will celebrate the launch of two new players today, April 10th: Kay Square Press, a new publishing company focused on Philadelphia-area artists, their stories, and their art; and Kay Square's first release, 'With the Rich and Mighty: Emlen Etting of Philadelphia' (ISBN: 978-0-9815129-0-7), a critical biography by Kenneth C. Kaleta.

FlatSigned Press Alleges Don Imus Remarks Damage Legacy of President Gerald R. Ford
NEW YORK, N.Y. -- Nathan Yungerberg, an accomplished model scout and professional child photographer is launching a nation-wide casting call to find the cover model for his highly anticipated book release, 'The Model Child: A Parents Guide to the Child Modeling Industry' (ISBN: 978-0-9817018-0-6).

Books: The Works of John Bunyan Volume 1

J >> John Bunyan >> The Works of John Bunyan Volume 1




230. Now did my chains fall off my legs indeed, I was loosed from
my affliction and irons, my temptations also fled away; so that,
from that time, those dreadful scriptures of God left off to trouble
me; now went I also home rejoicing, for the grace and love of God.
So when I came home, I looked to see if I could find that sentence,
Thy righteousness is in heaven; but could not find such a saying,
wherefore my heart began to sink again, only that was brought to my
remembrance, he "of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness,
and sanctification, and redemption"; by this word I saw the other
sentence true (1 Cor 1:30).

231. For by this scripture, I saw that the man Christ Jesus, as
he is distinct from us, as touching his bodily presence, so he is
our righteousness and sanctification before God. Here, therefore,
I lived for some time, very sweetly at peace with God through
Christ; Oh methought, Christ! Christ! there was nothing but Christ
that was before my eyes, I was not now only for looking upon this
and the other benefits of Christ apart, as of his blood, burial, or
resurrection, but considered him as a whole Christ! As he in whom
all these, and all other his virtues, relations, offices, and
operations met together, and that 'as he sat' on the right hand of
God in heaven.

232. It was glorious to me to see his exaltation, and the worth
and prevalency of all his benefits, and that because of this: now
I could look from myself to him, and should reckon that all those
graces of God that now were green in me, were yet but like those
cracked groats and fourpence-halfpennies[51] that rich men carry
in their purses, when their gold is in their trunks at home! Oh, I
saw my gold was in my trunk at home! In Christ, my Lord and Saviour!
Now Christ was all; all my wisdom, all my righteousness, all my
sanctification, and all my redemption.

233. Further, the Lord did also lead me into the mystery of union
with the Son of God, that I was joined to him, that I was flesh
of his flesh, and bone of his bone, and now was that a sweet word
to me in Ephesians 5:30. By this also was my faith in him, as my
righteousness, the more confirmed to me; for if he and I were one,
then his righteousness was mine, his merits mine, his victory also
mine. Now could I see myself in heaven and earth at once; in heaven
by my Christ, by my head, by my righteousness and life, though on
earth by my body or person.

234. Now I saw Christ Jesus was looked on of God, and should also
be looked upon by us, as that common or public person, [52] in
whom all the whole body of his elect are always to be considered
and reckoned; that we fulfilled the law by him, died by him, rose
from the dead by him, got the victory over sin, death, the devil,
and hell, by him; when he died, we died; and so of his resurrection.
"Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they
arise," saith he (Isa 26:19). And again, "After two days will he
revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live
in his sight" (Hosea 6:2); which is now fulfilled by the sitting
down of the Son of man on the right hand of the Majesty in the
heavens, according to that to the Ephesians, he "hath raised us
up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ
Jesus" (Eph 2:6).

235. Ah, these blessed considerations and scriptures, with many
other of a like nature, were in those days made to spangle in mine
eyes, 'so that I have cause to say,' "Praise ye the Lord. Praise
God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power.
Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent
greatness" (Psa 150:1,2).

236. Having thus, in few words, given you a taste of the sorrow and
affliction that my soul went under, by the guilt and terror that
this my wicked thought did lay me under! and having given you also
a touch of my deliverance therefrom, and of the sweet and blessed
comfort that I met with afterwards, which comfort dwelt about a
twelve-month with my heart, to my unspeakable admiration; I will
now, God willing, before I proceed any further, give you in a word
or two, what, as I conceive, was the cause of this temptation; and
also after that, what advantage, at the last, it became unto my
soul.

237. For the causes, I conceived they were principally two: of which
two also I was deeply convinced all the time this trouble lay upon
me. The first was, for that I did not, when I was delivered from
the temptation that went before, still pray to God to keep me from
temptations that were to come; for though, as I can say in truth,
my soul was much in prayer before this trial seized me, yet then I
prayed only, or at the most, principally for the removal of present
troubles, and for fresh discoveries of 'his' love in Christ! which
I saw afterwards was not enough to do; I also should have prayed
that the great God would keep me from the evil that was to come.

238. Of this I was made deeply sensible by the prayer of holy
David, who, when he was under present mercy, yet prayed that God
would hold him back from sin and temptation to come; "Then," saith
he, "shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the GREAT
transgression" (Psa 19:13). By this very word was I galled and
condemned, quite through this long temptation.

239. That also was another word that did much condemn me for my
folly, in the neglect of this duty (Heb 4:16), "Let us therefore
come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy,
and find grace to help in time of need." This I had not done, and
therefore was suffered thus to sin and fall, according to what is
written, "Pray that ye enter not into temptation." And truly this
very thing is to this day of such weight and awe upon me, that
I dare not, when I come before the Lord, go off my knees, until
I entreat him for help and mercy against the temptations that are
to come; and I do beseech thee, reader, that thou learn to beware
of my negligence, by the affliction that for this thing I did for
days, and months, and years, with sorrow undergo.

240. Another cause of this temptation was, that I had tempted God;
and on this manner did I do it. Upon a time my wife was great with
child, and before her full time was come, her pangs, as of a woman
in travail, were fierce and strong upon her, even as if she would
have immediately fallen in labour, and been delivered of an untimely
birth. Now, at this very time it was, that I had been so strongly
tempted to question the being of God; wherefore, as my wife lay
crying by me, I said, but with all secrecy imaginable, even thinking
in my heart, Lord, if thou wilt now remove this sad affliction
from my wife, and cause that she be troubled no more therewith this
night, and now were her pangs just upon her, then I shall know that
thou canst discern the most secret thoughts of the heart.

241. I had no sooner said it in my heart, but her pangs were taken
from her, and she was cast into a deep sleep, and so she continued
till morning; at this I greatly marveled, not knowing what to
think; but after I had been awake a good while, and heard her cry
no more, I fell to sleeping also. So when I waked in the morning,
it came upon me again, even what I had said in my heart the
last night, and how the Lord had showed me that he knew my secret
thoughts, which was a great astonishment unto me for several weeks
after.

242. Well, about a year and a half afterwards, that wicked sinful
thought, of which I have spoken before, went through my wicked
heart, even this thought, Let Christ go if he will; so when I was
fallen under guilt for this, the remembrance of my other thought,
and of the effect thereof, would also come upon me with this retort,
which also carried rebuke along with it, Now you may see that God
doth know the most secret thoughts of the heart.[53]

243. And with this, that of the passages that were betwixt the
Lord and his servant Gideon fell upon my spirit; how because that
Gideon tempted God with his fleece, both wet and dry, when he should
have believed and ventured upon his word, therefore the Lord did
afterwards so try him, as to send him against an innumerable company
of enemies; and that too, as to outward appearance, without any
strength or help (Judg 6, 7). Thus he served me, and that justly,
for I should have believed his word, and not have put an IF upon
the all-seeingness of God.

244. And now to show you something of the advantages that I also
gained by this temptation; and first, By this I was made continually
to possess in my soul a very wonderful sense both of the being
and glory of God, and of his beloved Son; in the temptation 'that
went' before, my soul was perplexed with 'unbelief, blasphemy,
hardness of heart, questions about the being of God, Christ, the
truth of the Word, and certainty of the world to come; I say, then
I was greatly assaulted and tormented with' atheism; but now the
case was otherwise, now was God and Christ continually before my
face, though not in a way of comfort, but in a way of exceeding
dread and terror. The glory of the holiness of God did at this
time break me to pieces; and the bowels and compassion of Christ
did break me as on the wheel;[54] for I could not consider him but
as a lost and rejected Christ, the remembrance of which was as the
continual breaking of my bones.

245. The Scriptures now also were wonderful things unto me; I saw
that the truth and verity of them were the keys of the kingdom of
heaven; those 'that' the Scriptures favour they must inherit bliss,
but those 'that' they oppose and condemn must perish evermore. Oh
this word, "For the Scripture cannot be broken": would rend the
caul of my heart; and so would that other, "Whose soever sins ye
remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain,
they are retained." Now I saw the apostles to be the elders of the
city of refuge (Josh 20:4), those 'that' they were to receive in,
were received to life; but those that they shut out were to be
slain by the avenger of blood.[55]

246. Oh! one sentence of the Scripture did more afflict and terrify
my mind, I mean those sentences that stood against me, as sometimes
I thought they every one did, more I say, than an army of forty
thousand men that might have come against me. Woe be to him against
whom the Scriptures bend themselves.

247. By this temptation I was made 'to' see more into the nature
of the promises than ever I was before; for I lying now trembling
under the mighty hand of God, continually torn and rent by the
thunderings of his justice; this made me, with careful heart and
watchful eye, with great seriousness, to turn over every leaf,
and with much diligence, mixed with trembling, to consider every
sentence, together with its natural force and latitude.

248. By this temptation, also, I was greatly beaten off my former
foolish practice, of putting by the word of promise when it came
into my mind; for now, though I could not suck that comfort and
sweetness from the promise as I had done at other times, yea, like
to a man a-sinking, I should catch at all I saw; formerly I thought
I might not meddle with the promise unless I felt its comfort, but
now it was no time thus to do, the avenger of blood too hardly did
pursue me.

249. Now therefore I was glad to catch at that word, which yet I
feared I had no ground or right to own; and even to leap into the
bosom of that promise, that yet I feared did shut its heart against
me. Now also I should labour to take the Word as God had laid it
down, without restraining the natural force of one syllable thereof.
O what did I now see in that blessed sixth of John, "And him that
cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out" (v 37). Now I began to
consider with myself, that God had a bigger mouth to speak with
than I had heart to conceive with. I thought also with myself that
he spake not his words in haste, or in unadvised heat, but with
infinite wisdom and judgment, and in very truth and faithfulness
(2 Sam 3:18).

250. I should in these days, often in my greatest agonies, even
flounce towards the promise, as the horses do towards sound ground
that yet stick in the mire, concluding, though as one almost bereft
of his wits through fear, on this I will rest and stay, and leave
the fulfilling of it to the God of heaven that made it. Oh! many a
pull hath my heart had with Satan for that blessed sixth of John.
I did not now, as at other times, look principally for comfort,
though, O how welcome would it have been unto me! But now a word,
a word to lean a weary soul upon, that I might not sink for ever!
'it was that I hunted for.'

251. Yea, often when I have been making to the promise, I have
seen as if the Lord would refuse my soul for ever. I was often as
if I had run upon the pikes, and as if the Lord had thrust at me
to keep me from him as with a flaming sword. Then I should think
of Esther, who went to petition the king contrary to the law (Esth
4:16). I thought also of Benhadad's servants, who went with ropes
upon their heads to their enemies for mercy (1 Kings 20:31). The
woman of Canaan also, that would not be daunted, though called dog
by Christ (Matt 15:20-28). And the man that went to borrow bread
at midnight (Luke 11:5-8), were great encouragements unto me.

251. I never saw those heights and depths in grace, and love, and
mercy, as I saw after this temptation. Great sins do draw out great
grace; and where guilt is most terrible and fierce there the mercy
of God in Christ, when showed to the soul, appears most high and
mighty. When Job had passed through his captivity, he had "twice
as much as he had before" (Job 42:10). Blessed be God for Jesus
Christ our Lord. Many other things I might here make observation
of, but I would be brief, and therefore shall at this time omit
them, and do pray God that my harms may make others fear to offend,
lest they also be made to bear the iron yoke as I 'did.'

'I had two or three times, at or about my deliverance from this
temptation, such strange apprehensions of the grace of God, that
I could hardly bear up under it, it was so out of measure amazing,
when I thought it could reach me, that I do think, if that sense
of it had abode long upon me, it would have made me incapable for
business.'

[ENTERS INTO FELLOWSHIP WITH THE CHURCH OF CHRIST AT BEDFORD, IN
WHICH HE AFTERWARDS BECAME A MINISTERING ELDER.]

253. Now I shall go forward to give you a relation of other of the
Lord's dealings with me, of his dealings with me at sundry other
seasons, and of the temptations I then did meet withal. I shall begin
with what I met with when I first did join in fellowship with the
people of God in Bedford.[56] After I had propounded to the church
that my desire was to walk in the order and ordinances of Christ
with them, and was also admitted by them; while I thought of that
blessed ordinance of Christ, which was his last supper with his
disciples before his death, that Scripture, "This do in remembrance
of me" (Luke 22:19), was made a very precious word unto me; for
by it the Lord did come down upon my conscience with the discovery
of his death for my sins; and as I then felt, did as if he plunged
me in the virtue of the same. But, behold, I had not been long
a partaker at that ordinance, but such fierce and sad temptations
did attend me at all times therein, both to blaspheme the ordinance,
and to wish some deadly thing to those that then did eat thereof;
that, lest I should at any time be guilty of consenting to these
wicked and fearful thoughts, I was forced to bend myself all the
while to pray to God to keep me from such blasphemies; and also
to cry to God to bless the bread and cup to them as it went from
mouth to mouth. The reason of this temptation I have thought since
was, because I did not, with that reverence 'as became me,' at
first approach to partake thereof.

254. Thus I continued for three quarters of a year, and could never
have rest nor ease; but at last the Lord came in upon my soul with
that same scripture by which my soul was visited before; and after
that I have been usually very well and comfortable in the partaking
of that blessed ordinance, and have, I trust, therein discerned
the Lord's body as broken for my sins, and that his precious blood
hath been shed for my transgressions.

255. Upon a time I was somewhat inclining to a consumption,
wherewith, about the spring, I was suddenly and violently seized
with much weakness in my outward man, insomuch that I thought I
could not live. Now began I afresh to give myself up to a serious
examination after my state and condition for the future, and of
my evidences for that blessed world to come; for it hath, I bless
the name of God, been my usual course, as always, so especially
in the day of affliction, to endeavour to keep my interest in the
life to come clear before my eye.

256. But I had no sooner began to recall to mind my former experience
of the goodness of God to my soul, but there came flocking into my
mind, an innumerable company of my sins and transgressions, amongst
which these were at this time most to my affliction, namely, my
deadness, dullness, and coldness in holy duties; my wanderings of
heart, 'of' my wearisomeness in all good things, my want of love to
God, his ways, and people, with this at the end of all, Are these
the fruits of Christianity? are these the tokens of a blessed man?

257. At the apprehension of these things my sickness was doubled
upon me, for now was I sick in my inward man, my soul was clogged
with guilt; now also was my former experience of God's goodness
to me quite taken out of my mind, and hid as if it had never
been, nor seen. Now was my soul greatly pinched between these two
considerations, Live I must not, Die I dare not; now I sunk and
fell in my spirit, and was giving up all for lost; but as I was
walking up and down in the house, as a man in a most woeful state,
that word of God took hold of my heart, Ye are "justified freely
by his grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus" (Rom
3:24). 'But oh what a turn it made upon me!'

258. Now was I as one awakened out of some troublesome sleep and
dream, and listening to this heavenly sentence, I was as if I had
heard it thus expounded to me: Sinner, thou thinkest that because
of thy sins and infirmities I cannot save thy soul, but behold my
Son is by me, and upon him I look, and not on thee, and will deal
with thee according as I am pleased with him. At this I was greatly
lightened in my mind, and made to understand that God could justify
a sinner at any time; it was but 'his' looking upon Christ, and
imputing of his benefits to us, and the work was forthwith done.

259. And as I was thus in a muse that scripture also came with great
power upon my spirit, Not by works of righteousness which we have
done, but according to his mercy he saved us, &c. (Titus 3:5; 2 Tim
1:9). Now was I got on high; I saw myself within the arms of grace
and mercy; and though I was before afraid to think of a dying hour,
yet now I cried, Let me die. Now death was lovely and beautiful
in my sight; for I saw we shall never live indeed till we be gone
to the other world. Oh, methought this life is but a slumber in
comparison of that above; at this time also I saw more in those
words, "Heirs of God" (Rom 8:17), than ever I shall be able to
express while I live in this world. "Heirs of God!" God himself is
the portion of the saints. This I saw and wondered at, but cannot
tell you what I saw.[57]

260. 'Again, as I was at another time very ill and weak, all that
time also the tempter did beset me strongly, for I find he is much
for assaulting the soul when it begins to approach towards the
grave, then is his opportunity, labouring to hide from me my former
experience of God's goodness; also setting before me the terrors of
death and the judgment of God, insomuch that at this time, through
my fear of miscarrying for ever, should I now die, I was as one
dead before death came, and was as if I had felt myself already
descending into the pit; methought, I said, there was no way, but
to hell I must; but behold, just as I was in the midst of those
fears, these words of the angels carrying Lazarus into Abraham's
bosom darted in upon me, as who should say, So it shall be with
thee when thou dost leave this world. This did sweetly revive my
spirit, and help me to hope in God; which, when I had with comfort
mused on a while, that word fell with great weight upon my mind,
"O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?" (1
Cor 15:55). At this I became both well in body and mind at once,
for my sickness did presently vanish, and I walked comfortably in
my work for God again.'

261. At another time, though just before I was pretty well and
savoury in my spirit, yet suddenly there fell upon me a great cloud
of darkness, which did so hide from me the things of God and Christ,
that I was as if I had never seen or known them in my life; I was
also so overrun in my soul, with a senseless, heartless frame of
spirit, that I could not feel my soul to move or stir after grace
and life by Christ; I was as if my loins were broken, or as if my
hands and feet had been tied or bound with chains. At this time
also I felt some weakness to seize 'upon' my outward man, which
made still the other affliction the more heavy and uncomfortable
'to me.'

262. After I had been in this condition some three or four days,
as I was sitting by the fire, I suddenly felt this word to sound
in my heart, I must go to Jesus; at this my former darkness and
atheism fled away, and the blessed things of heaven were set within
my view. While I was on this sudden thus overtaken with surprise,
Wife, said I, is there ever such a scripture, I must go to Jesus?
she said she could not tell, therefore I sat musing still to see
if I could remember such a place; I had not sat above two or three
minutes but that came bolting in upon me, "And to an innumerable
company of angels," and withal, Hebrews the twelfth, about the
mount Sion was set before mine eyes (vv 22-24).

263. Then with joy I told my wife, O now I know, I know! But that
night was a good night to me, I never had but few better; I longed
for the company of some of God's people that I might have imparted
unto them what God had showed me. Christ was a precious Christ to
my soul that night; I could scarce lie in my bed for joy, and peace,
and triumph, through Christ; this great glory did not continue upon
me until morning, yet that twelfth of the author to the Hebrews
(Heb 12:22,23) was a blessed scripture to me for many days together
after this.

264. The words are these, "Ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto
the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an
innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church
of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the judge
of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, and to Jesus
the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling,
that speaketh better things than that of Abel." Through this blessed
sentence the Lord led me over and over, first to this word, and
then to that, and showed me wonderful glory in every one of them.
These words also have oft since this time been great refreshment
to my spirit. Blessed be God for having mercy on me.

[A BRIEF ACCOUNT OF THE AUTHOR'S CALL TO THE WORK OF THE MINISTRY.]

265. And now I am speaking my experience, I will in this place
thrust in a word or two concerning my preaching the Word, and of
God's dealing with me in that particular also. For after I had been
about five or six years awakened, and helped 'myself' to see both
the want and worth of Jesus Christ our Lord, and 'also' enabled to
venture my soul upon him, some of the most able among the saints
with us, I say the most able for judgment and holiness of life,
as they conceived, did perceive that God had counted me worthy to
understand something of his will in his holy and blessed Word, and
had given me utterance, in some measure, to express what I saw to
others for edification; 'therefore' they desired me, and that with
much earnestness, that I would be willing, at sometimes, to take in
hand, in one of the meetings, to speak a word of exhortation unto
them.[58]

266. The which, though at the first it did much dash and abash my
spirit, yet being still by them desired and intreated, I consented
to their request, and did twice at two several assemblies, but in
private, though with much weakness and infirmity, discover my gift
amongst them; at which they not only seemed to be, but did solemnly
protest, as in the sight of the great God, they were both affected
and comforted, and gave thanks to the Father of mercies for the
grace bestowed on me.

267. After this, sometimes when some of them did go into the country
to teach, they would also that I should go with them; where, though
as yet I did not, nor durst not, make use of my gift in an open
way, yet more privately still as I came amongst the good people in
those places, I did sometimes speak a word of admonition unto them
also; the which, they as the other received, with rejoicing, at the
mercy of God to me-ward, professing their souls were edified thereby.