J.B. Moyle, Translator - "The Institutes of Justinian"

Alphonse Daudet - "Fromont and Risler, v3"

Jean de La Fontaine - "The Tales and Novels, v13: St. Julian's Prayer"

Godmunder Kamban - "Hadda Padda"

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 3

J >> John Bunyan >> The Works of John Bunyan Volume 3




The Seventh Direction. In the next place, be not daunted though
thou meetest with never so many discouragements in thy journey
thither. That man that is resolved for heaven, if Satan cannot win
him by flatteries, he will endeavour to weaken him by discouragements;
saying, thou art a sinner, thou hast broke God's law, thou art
not elected, thou comest too late, the day of grace is past, God
doth not care for thee, thy heart is naught, thou art lazy, with
a hundred other discouraging suggestions. And thus it was with
David, where he said, 'I had fainted, unless I had believed to see
the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living' (Psa 27:13,14).
As if he should say, the devil did so rage and my heart was so
base, that had I judged according to my own sense and feeling,
I had been absolutely distracted; but I trusted to Christ in the
promise, and looked that God would be as good as his promise, in
having mercy upon me, an unworthy sinner; and this is that which
encouraged me, and kept me from fainting. And thus must thou
do when Satan, or the law, or thy own conscience, do go about to
dishearten thee, either by the greatness of thy sins, the wickedness
of thy heart, the tediousness of the way, the loss of outward
enjoyments, the hatred that thou wilt procure from the world, or
the like; then thou must encourage thyself with the freeness of
the promises, the tender-heartedness of Christ, the merits of his
blood, the freeness of his invitations to come in, the greatness
of the sin of others that have been pardoned, and that the same
God, through the same Christ, holdeth forth the same grace free
as ever. If these be not thy meditations, thou wilt draw very
heavily in the way to heaven, if thou do not give up all for lost,
and so knock off from following any farther; therefore, I say, take
heart in thy journey, and say to them that seek thy destruction,
'Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy, when I fall I shall arise,
when I sit in darkness the Lord shall be a light unto me' (Micah
7:8). SO RUN.

The Eighth Direction. Take heed of being offended at the cross that
thou must go by, before thou come to heaven. You must understand,
as I have already touched, that there is no man that goeth to heaven
but he must go by the cross. The cross is the standing way-mark
by which all they that go to glory must pass by. 'We must through
much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God' (Acts 14:22).
'Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer
persecution' (2 Tim 3:12). If thou art in the way to the kingdom,
my life for thine thou wilt come at the cross shortly--the Lord
grant thou dost not shrink at it, so as to turn thee back again.
'If any man will come after me,' saith Christ, 'let him deny
himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me' (Luke 9:23).
The cross it stands, and hath stood, from the beginning, as
a way-mark to the kingdom of heaven.[14] You know if one ask you
the way to such and such a place, you, for the better direction,
do not only say, this is the way, but then also say, you must go
by such a gate, by such a style, such a bush, tree, bridge, or such
like. Why, so it is here; art thou inquiring the way to heaven?
Why, I tell thee, Christ is the way; into him thou must get, into
his righteousness, to be justified; and if thou art in him, thou
wilt presently see the cross, thou must go close by it, thou must
touch it, nay, thou must take it up, or else thou wilt quickly
go out of the way that leads to heaven, and turn up some of those
crooked lanes that lead down to the chambers of death.

How thou mayest know the cross by these six things. 1. It
is known in the doctrine of justification. 2. In the doctrine of
mortification. 3. In the doctrine of perseverance. 4. In self-denial.
5. Patience. 6. Communion with poor saints.

1. In the doctrine of justification; there is a great deal of the
cross in that: a man is forced to suffer the destruction of his
own righteousness for the righteousness of another. This is no
easy matter for a man to do; I assure to you it stretcheth every
vein in his heart before he will be brought to yield to it. What,
for a man to deny, reject, abhor, and throw away all his prayers,
tears, alms, keeping of sabbaths, hearing, reading, with the rest,
in the point of justification, and to count them accursed;[15]
and to be willing, in the very midst of the sense of his sins,
to throw himself wholly upon the righteousness and obedience of
another man, abhorring his own, counting it as deadly sin, as the
open breach of the law; I say, to do this in deed and in truth,
is the biggest piece of the cross; and therefore Paul calleth this
very thing a suffering; where he saith, 'And I have SUFFERED the
loss of all things,' which principally was his righteousness,
'that I might win Christ, and be found in him, not having,' but
rejecting, 'mine own righteousness' (Phil 3:8,9). That is the
first.

2. In the doctrine of mortification is also much of the cross. Is
it nothing for a man to lay hands on his vile opinions, on his
vile sins, of his bosom sins, of his beloved, pleasant, darling
sins, that stick as close to him, as the flesh sticketh to the
bones? What, to lose all these brave things that my eyes behold,
for that which I never saw with my eyes? What, to lose my pride,
my covetousness, my vain company, sports, and pleasures, and the
rest? I tell you this is no easy matter; if it were, what need
all those prayers, sighs, watchings? What need we be so backward
to it? Nay, do you not see, that some men, before they will set
about this work, they will even venture the loss of their souls,
heaven, God, Christ, and all? What means else all those delays
and put-offs, saying, Stay a little longer, I am loth to leave my
sins while I am so young, and in health? Again, what is the reason
else, that others do it so by the halves, coldly and seldom,
notwithstanding they are convinced over and over; nay, and also
promise to amend, and yet all's in vain? I will assure you, to
cut off right hands, and to pluck out right eyes, is no pleasure
to the flesh.

3. The doctrine of perseverance is also cross to the flesh; which
is not only to begin, but for to hold out, not only to bid fair,
and to say, Would I had heaven, but so to know Christ, to put on
Christ, and walk with Christ as to come to heaven. Indeed, it is
no great matter to begin to look for heaven, to begin to seek the
Lord, to begin to shun sin. O but it is a very great matter to
continue with God's approbation! 'My servant Caleb,' saith God,
is a man of 'another spirit, he hath followed me,' followed me
always, he hath continually followed me, 'fully, he shall possess the
land' (Num 14:24). Almost all the many thousands of the children
of Israel in their generation, fell short of perseverance when
they walked from Egypt towards the land of Canaan. Indeed they
went to the work at first pretty willingly, but they were very
short-winded, they were quickly out of breath, and in their hearts
they turned back again into Egypt.

It is an easy matter for a man to run hard for a spurt, for a
furlong, for a mile or two; O, but to hold out for a hundred, for
a thousand, for ten thousand miles: that man that doth this, he
must look to meet with cross, pain, and wearisomeness to the flesh,
especially if as he goeth he meeteth with briars and quagmires,
and other incumbrances, that make his journey so much the more
painfuller.

Nay, do you not see with your eyes daily, that perseverance is a
very great part of the cross? why else do men so soon grow weary?
I could point out a many, that after they have followed the ways
of God about a twelvemonth, others it may be two, three, or four,
some more, and some less years, they have been beat out of wind,
have taken up their lodging and rest before they have got half-way
to heaven, some in this, and some in that sin; and have secretly,
nay, sometimes openly said, that the way is too strait, the race
too long, the religion too holy, and cannot hold out, I can go no
farther.

4, 5, 6. And so likewise of the other three, to wit, patience,
self-denial, communion, and communication with and to the poor
saints. How hard are these things? It is an easy matter to deny
another man, but it is not so easy a matter to deny one's self;
to deny myself out of love to God, to his gospel, to his saints,
of this advantage, and of that gain; nay, of that which otherwise
I might lawfully do, were it not for offending them. That scripture
is but seldom read, and seldomer put in practice, which saith, 'I
will eat no flesh while the world standeth, if it make my brother
to offend' (1 Cor 8:13). Again, 'We that are strong ought to bear
the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves' (Rom
15:1). But how froward, how hasty, how peevish, and self-resolved
are the generality of professors at this day! Also, how little
considering the poor, unless it be to say, Be thou warmed and
filled! But to give is a seldom work; also especially to give to
any poor (Gal 6:10). I tell you all things are cross to flesh and
blood; and that man that hath but a watchful eye over the flesh,
and also some considerable measure of strength against it, he
shall find his heart in these things like unto a starting horse,
that is rid without a curbing bridle, ready to start at everything
that is offensive to him; yea, and ready to run away too, do what
the rider can.

It is the cross which keepeth those that are kept from heaven. I
am persuaded, were it not for the cross, where we have one professor,
we should have twenty; but this cross, that is it which spoileth
all.

Some men, as I said before, when they come at the cross they can
go no farther, but back again to their sins they must go. Others
they stumble at it, and break their necks; others again, when they
see the cross is approaching, they turn aside to the left hand,
or to the right hand, and so think to get to heaven another way;
but they will be deceived. 'Yea, and all that will live godly in
Christ Jesus SHALL,' mark, shall be sure to 'suffer persecution'
(2 Tim 3:12). There are but few when they come at the cross, cry,
'Welcome cross,' as some of the martyrs did to the stake they were
burned at. Therefore, if thou meet with the cross in thy journey,
in what manner soever it be, be not daunted, and say, Alas, what
shall I do now! But rather take courage, knowing, that by the
cross is the way to the kingdom. Can a man believe in Christ and
not be hated by the devil? Can he make a profession of this Christ,
and that sweetly and convincingly, and the children of Satan hold
their tongue? Can darkness agree with light? or the devil endure
that Christ Jesus should be honoured both by faith and a heavenly
conversation, and let that soul alone at quiet? Did you never read,
that 'the dragon persecuteth the woman?' (Rev 12). And that Christ
saith, 'In the world ye shall have tribulation' (John 16:33).

The Ninth Direction. Beg of God that he would do these two things
for thee: First, Enlighten thine understanding. And, Second,
Inflame thy will. If these two be but effectually done, there is
no fear but thou wilt go safe to heaven.

[First, Enlighten thine understanding.] One of the great reasons
why men and women do so little regard the other world, it is
because they see so little of it.[16] And the reason why they see
so little of it is because they have their understandings darkened.
And therefore, saith Paul, do not you believers 'walk as do other
Gentiles, even in the vanity of their minds, having the understanding
darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance,'
or foolishness 'that is in them, because of the blindness of their
heart' (Eph 4:17,18). Walk not as those, run not with them: alas,
poor souls, they have their understandings darkened, their hearts
blinded, and that is the reason they have such undervaluing thoughts
of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the salvation of their souls. For
when men do come to see the things of another world, what a God,
what a Christ, what a heaven, and what an eternal glory there is
to be enjoyed; also when they see that it is possible for them
to have a share in it, I tell you it will make them run through
thick and thin to enjoy it. Moses, having a sight of this, because
his understanding was enlightened, he feared not the wrath of the
king, but chose 'rather to suffer affliction with the people of
God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season.' He refused
to be called the son of the king's daughter; accounting it wonderful
riches to be counted worthy of so much as to suffer for Christ,
with the poor despised saints; and that was because he saw him
who was invisible, and 'had respect unto the recompence of the
reward' (Heb 11:24-27). And this is that which the apostle usually
prayeth for in his epistles for the saints, namely, 'That they
might know what is the hope of God's calling, and the riches of
the glory of his inheritance in the saints' (Eph 1:18). And that
they might 'be able to comprehend with all saints, what is the
breadth, and length, and depth, and height, and to know the love
of Christ which passeth knowledge' (Eph 3:18,19). Pray therefore
that God would enlighten thy understanding: that will be very
great help unto thee. It will make thee endure many a hard brunt
for Christ; as Paul saith, 'After ye were illuminated, ye endured
a great fight of afflictions. You took joyfully the spoiling of
your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better
and an enduring substance' (Heb 10:32-34). If there be never such
a rare jewel lie just in a man's way, yet if he sees it not, he
will rather trample upon it than stoop for it, and it is because
he sees it not. Why, so it is here, though heaven be worth never
so much, and thou hast never so much need of it, yet if thou see
it not, that is, have not thy understanding opened or enlightened
to see it, thou wilt not regard at all: therefore cry to the Lord
for enlightening grace, and say, Lord, open my blind eyes: Lord,
take the vail off my dark heart, show me the things of the other
world, and let me see the sweetness, glory, and excellency of them
for Christ his sake. This is the first.

[Second, Inflame thy will.] Cry to God that he would inflame thy
will also with the things of the other world. For when a man's
will is fully set to do such or such a thing, then it must be a
very hard matter that shall hinder that man from bringing about
his end. When Paul's will was set resolvedly to go up to Jerusalem,
though it was signified to him before what he should there suffer,
he was not daunted at all; nay, saith he, 'I am ready,' or willing,
'not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name
of the Lord Jesus' (Acts 21:13). His will was inflamed with love
to Christ; and therefore all the persuasions that could be used
wrought nothing at all. Your self-willed people nobody knows what
to do with them; we used to say, He will have his own will, do
all what you can. Indeed to have such a will for heaven, is an
admirable advantage to a man that undertaketh the race thither;
a man that is resolved, and hath his will fixed, saith he, I will
do my best to advantage myself; I will do my worst to hinder my
enemies; I will not give out as long as I can stand; I will have
it or I will lose my life; 'though he slay me yet will I trust
in him' (Job 13:15). 'I will not let thee go except thou bless
me' (Gen 32:26). I WILL, I WILL, I WILL, O this blessed inflamed
will for heaven! What is like it? If a man be willing, then any
argument shall be matter of encouragement; but if unwilling, then
any argument shall give discouragement; this is seen both in saints
and sinners; in them that are the children of God, and also those
that are the children of the devil. As,

1. The saints of old, they being willing and resolved for heaven,
what could stop them? Could fire or faggot, sword or halter,
stinking dungeons, whips, bears, bulls, lions, cruel rackings,
stoning, starving, nakedness, &c. (Heb 11). 'Nay, in all these
things they were more than conquerors, through him that loved
them' (Rom 8:37); who had also made them 'willing in the day of
his power.'

2. See again, on the other side, the children of the devil,
because they are not willing [to run to heaven], how many shifts
and starting-holes they will have. I have married a wife, I have
a farm, I shall offend my landlord, I shall offend my master,
I shall lose my trading, I shall lose my pride, my pleasures, I
shall be mocked and scoffed, therefore I dare not come. I, saith
another, will stay till I am older, till my children are out of
sight, till I am got a little aforehand in the world, till I have
done this and that, and the other business; but alas, the thing
is, they are not willing; for were they but soundly willing, these,
and a thousand such as these, would hold them no faster than the
cords held Samson when he broke them like burned flax (Judg 15:14).
I tell you the will is all: that is one of the chief things which
turns the wheel either backwards or forwards; and God knoweth
that full well, and so likewise doth the devil; and therefore they
both endeavour very much to strengthen the will of their servants.
God, he is for making of his a willing people to serve him; and
the devil, he doth what he can to possess the will and affection
of those that are his, with love to sin; and therefore when Christ
comes close to the matter, indeed, saith he, 'Ye will not come
to me' (John 5:40). 'How often would I have gathered you as a hen
doth her chickens, and ye would not' (Luke 13:34). The devil had
possessed their wills, and so long he was sure enough of them.
O therefore cry hard to God to inflame thy will for heaven and
Christ: thy will, I say, if that be rightly set for heaven, thou
wilt not be beat off with discouragements; and this was the reason
that, when Jacob wrestled with the angel, though he lost a limb,
as it were, and the hollow of his thigh was put out of joint, as
he wrestled with him, yet, saith he, 'I will not,' mark, 'I WILL
NOT let thee go except thou bless me' (Gen 32:24-26). Get thy
will tipt with the heavenly grace, and resolution against all
discouragements, and then thou goest full speed for heaven; but
if thou falter in thy will, and be not found there, thou wilt
run hobbling and halting all the way thou runnest, and also to be
sure thou wilt fall short at the last. The Lord give thee a will
and courage!

Thus have I done with directing thee how to run to the kingdom;
be sure thou keep in memory what I have said unto thee, lest thou
lose thy way. But because I would have thee think of them, take
all in short in this little bit of paper.

1. Get into the way. 2. Then study on it. 3. Then strip, and lay
aside everything that would hinder. 4. Beware of bye-paths. 5. Do
not gaze and stare too much about thee, and be sure to ponder the
path of thy feet. 6. Do not stop for any that call after thee,
whether it be the world, the flesh, or the devil; for all these
will hinder thy journey, if possible. 7. Be not daunted with any
discouragements thou meetest with as thou goest. 8. Take heed
of stumbling at the cross. 9. Cry hard to God for an enlightened
heart, and a willing mind, and God give thee a prosperous journey.
Yet before I do quite take my leave of thee, let me give thee a
few motives along with thee. It may be they will be as good as a
pair of spurs to prick on thy lumpish heart in this rich voyage.[17]

[V. NINE MOTIVES TO URGE US ON IN THE WAY.]

The First Motive. Consider there is no way but this, thou must
either win or lose. If thou winnest, then heaven, God, Christ,
glory, ease, peace, life, yea, life eternal, is thine; thou must
be made equal to the angels in heaven; thou shalt sorrow no more,
sigh no more, feel no more pain; thou shalt be out of the reach
of sin, hell, death, the devil, the grave, and whatever else may
endeavour thy hurt. But contrariwise, and if thou lose, then thy
loss is heaven, glory, God, Christ, ease, peace, and whatever else
which tendeth to make eternity comfortable to the saints; besides,
thou procurest eternal death, sorrow, pain, blackness, and darkness,
fellowship with devils, together with the everlasting damnation
of thy own soul.

The Second Motive. Consider that this devil, this hell, death and
damnation, followeth after thee as hard as they can drive, and
have their commission so to do by the law, against which thou hast
sinned; and therefore for the Lord's sake make haste.

The Third Motive. If they seize upon thee before thou get to the
city of Refuge, they will put an everlasting stop to thy journey.
This also cries, Run for it.

The Fourth Motive. Know also, that now heaven gates, the heart of
Christ, with his arms, are wide open to receive thee. O methinks
that this consideration, that the devil followeth after to destroy,
and that Christ standeth open-armed to receive, should make thee
reach out and fly with all haste and speed! And therefore,

The Fifth Motive. Keep thine eye upon the prize; be sure that
thy eyes be continually upon the profit thou art like to get. The
reason why men are so apt to faint in their race for heaven, it
lieth chiefly in either of these two things:

1. They do not seriously consider the worth of the prize; or else
if they do, they are afraid it is too good for them; but most lose
heaven for want of considering the price and the worth of it. And
therefore, that thou mayst not do the like, keep thine eye much
upon the excellency, the sweetness, the beauty, the comfort, the
peace, that is to be had there by those that win the prize. This
was that which made the apostle run through anything; good report,
evil report, persecution, affliction, hunger, nakedness, peril
by sea, and peril by land, bonds and imprisonments. Also it made
others endure to be stoned, sawn asunder, to have their eyes bored
out with augurs, their bodies broiled on gridirons, their tongues
cut out of their mouths, boiled in cauldrons, thrown to the wild
beasts, burned at the stakes, whipped at posts, and a thousand
other fearful torments, 'while they looked not at the things which
are seen,' as the things of this world, 'but at the things which
are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal; but the
things which are not seen are eternal' (2 Cor 4:18). O this word
'eternal,' that was it that made them, that when they might have
had deliverance, they would not accept of it; for they knew in the
world to come they should have a better resurrection (Heb 11:35).

2. And do not let the thoughts of the rareness of the place make
thee say in thy heart, This is too good for me; for I tell thee,
heaven is prepared for whosoever will accept of it, and they shall
be entertained with hearty good welcome. Consider, therefore,
that as bad as thou have got thither; thither went scrubbed,[18]
beggarly Lazarus, &c. Nay, it is prepared for the poor: 'Hearken,
my beloved brethren,' saith James, take notice of it, 'Hath not
God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the
kingdom?' (James 2:5). Therefore take heart and RUN, man. And,

The Sixth Motive. Think much of them that are gone before. First,
How really they got into the kingdom. Secondly, How safe they
are in the arms of Jesus; would they be here again for a thousand
worlds? Or if they were, would they be afraid that God would not
make them welcome? Thirdly, What would they judge of thee if they
knew thy heart began to fail thee in thy journey, or thy sins began
to allure thee, and to persuade thee to stop thy race? would they
not call thee a thousand fools? and say, O, that he did but see
what we see, feel what we feel, and taste of the dainties that we
taste of! O, if he were here one quarter of an hour, to behold, to
see, to feel, to taste and enjoy but the thousandth part of what
we enjoy, what would he do? What would he suffer? What would he
leave undone? Would he favour sin? Would he love this world below?
Would he be afraid of friends, or shrink at the most fearful
threatenings that the greatest tyrants could invent to give him?
Nay, those who have had but a sight of these things by faith,
when they have been as far off from them as heaven from earth, yet
they have been able to say with a comfortable and merry heart, as
the bird that sings in the spring, that this and more shall not
keep them from running to heaven. Sometimes, when my base heart
hath been inclining to this world, and to loiter in my journey
towards heaven, the very consideration of the glorious saints
and angels in heaven, what they enjoy, and what low thoughts they
have of the things of this world together, how they would befool
me if they did but know that my heart was drawing back; [this]
hath caused me to rush forward, to disdain these poor, low, empty,
beggarly things, and to say to my soul, Come, soul, let us not
be weary; let us see what this heaven is; let us even venture all
for it, and try if that will quit the cost. Surely Abraham, David,
Paul, and the rest of the saints of God, were as wise as any are
now, and yet they lost all for this glorious kingdom. O! therefore,
throw away stinking lusts, follow after righteousness, love the
Lord Jesus, devote thyself unto his fear, I'll warrant thee he
will give thee a goodly recompense. Reader, what sayst thou to
this? Art [thou] resolved to follow me? Nay, resolve if thou canst
to get before me. 'So run, that ye may obtain.'