His next little work, "Instruction for the Ignorant," although only a Catechism, is such a Catechism as only Bunyan could produce. He knew by bitter experience what Ignorance is, and by long experience what forms of Knowledge find the readiest entrance into vacant minds. Hence, he makes the Ignorant put his Questions as their own, instead of asking them questions. Nor is this all. He makes them identify themselves with every point in some way; either by kindling youthful curiosity, or by drawing out the natural conscience dexterously. I will not venture to institute either a contrast or a comparison between Bunyan's Catechism, and those most in use now in Families and Sunday Schools; but I do most respectfully submit to the Heads of both the propriety of studying his Catechism for themselves, to see whether his plan might not facilitate their own work. It deserves consideration also, whether Dr Watts' Catechisms might not be well followed by that of Bunyan? Catechetical associations, with the name of the author of the Pilgrim's Progress, seem to me invaluable, now that Bunyan is a universal favourite with children.* Indeed, I can conceive of nothing so fascinating to the young, as setting them to ask JOHN BUNYAN questions. Nothing, however, is farther from my design, in throwing out this hint, than to insinuate any dissatisfaction with our current Evangelical Catechisms, or to disturb the order of Schools. Usuage and order, when not unfavourable to the development of the young mind, ought not to be disturbed by anything less practical than themselves. Still they ought not to be pleaded against anything more fascinating, if it be equally practical. I will only add, that Bunyan. kept his long-cherished design of the Pilgrim's Progress in abeyance, in order to write his Catechism. *The Publisher begs to state that he has just brought out a beautiful edition of" BUNYAN'S CATECHISM" suited for schools, which may be had by order of any bookseller, price 13d. 66 6 So he did also, in order to follow up his "Grace Abounding," by a Treatise on Salvation by Grace." This was a wise step. His wonderful Narrative had then been ten years before the public; but as it was not a fair specimen of the ordinary "Reign of Grace," he felt imperatively called upon to do as much justice to Grace as it " reigns through Christ Jesus," as a Dispensation or Economy, as he had done to it as it reigned in his own case. This he did, as far as his Calvinism would allow him; and it allowed him to go as far as Calvin went, when he said in Geneva, "Because many entangle themselves in doubtful and thorny imaginations, while they seek for their salvation in the hidden Counsel of God, let us learn to seek no other certainty, save that which is revealed to us in the Gospel. I say,-let this seal suffice us, that whosoever believeth in the Son of God hath Eternal Life." Calvin's Acts, p. 372. London 1585. Bunyan says, indeed, not a little about Election in his work on Grace; but the Reader who should suspect him of meaning but a Remnant," in the vulgar sense of that word, would do him great injustice. He says much, too, of the Sovereign Will of God; but chiefly because he thought it "Goodwill," and the only Will that could be calculated upon for salvation. Besides, he was too shrewd to dream that any thing could be gained by putting the will of Man in the room of the Divine Will. And as to Grace, he loved best to contemplate it in Him who is "full of grace and truth." Hence, after glancing at it, theologically, in Christ, he breaks out thus-" But, methinks, we should not have done yet with this grace of the Son. Thou Son of the Blessed, what grace was manifested in thy condescension! Grace brought thee down from heaven. Grace stripped thee of thy glory. Grace made thee bear such burdens of sin, such burdens of sorrow, such burdens of curse, as are unspeakable! O Son of God, 66 grace was in all thy tears. Grace came bubbling out from thy bleeding side! Here is Grace indeed. Unsearchable Riches of Grace. Grace to make Angels wonder-to make Sinners happy-to make Devils astonished!” We come now, 1676, to the real era of the PILGRIM'S PROGRESS an event hardly less influential upon the mind of England than its contemporary, the marriage of the Prince of Orange into the Stuart family, was upon the liberties of England. Too much has been said by Critics and Commentators about the prison-origin of the Pilgrim. This censure falls most heavily upon myself. Indeed, I was unwilling to be awakened from the popular dream, that the Pilgrim was written, as well as conceived, in Bedford Jail; for I never heard or suspected any thing else, until Don's dates, taken from Bunyan's "own reckoning," came into my hands; and then 500 pages of my Life of him were stereotyped. But neither I, nor others, can be fairly blamed for this mistake. We had no clue to the precise Book, of which Bunyan says— He adds 66 which, when almost done, Before I was aware, I this begun." "And thus it was. I writing of the way About their journey and their way to Glory." But this is equally descriptive of his "Heavenly Footman," and his "Strait Gate ;" and no original edition of either was to be found; and thus no date could be assigned to them with any certainty. Dr Southey felt and deplored this, because it left even him unable to trace "satisfactorily the progress of Bunyan's mind;" but he had no doubt as to the birth-place of the Pilgrim. And in one sense, and that the best, there is no reason to doubt its prison-origin, so far as its spirit, and not its allegoric form, is concerned; for Doe's chronology proves only that the "Heavenly Footman" was written nearly twenty years after, and the "Strait Gate" the year before, the Pilgrim's Progress. Thus both conjecture and imagination are left quite at liberty to fancy when, and how much, the Design was formed in prison; and, what is better, it is now certain that the Book itself was written in Bunyan's own Cottage at Elstow; which will, from henceforth, be a more sacred spot than ever. And now, if I might venture upon a guess, as to the time and occasion when Bunyan began to meditate the design of making his own experience tell, in some way, as a Pilgrimage, I would fix upon the Jasper-Light Vision of "The Holy City," which brought all his powers into full play, and revealed to him what could be made of allegoric symbols. My chief reason for this opinion is, that the catholic spirit of the two is the same. No one could tell from either, what visible church the writer belonged to. The only thing obvious is, that he hated Babylon "with a perfect hatred," and as perfectly loved "all who love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity." It has been already stated, on Doe's authority, that Bunyan was writing "The Strait Gate" when his Allegory struck him; and he himself says that he was almost done" when it did so. Of course, therefore, the point at which the vision of his Pilgrim broke upon him "suddenly and unawares," is somewhere near the end of the book. But who will venture to fix that point at which he laid down his pen, and shut his eyes upon every thing around him, in order to see the new creations within him? I will not, certainly. It is the fact, however, that he begins towards the close of the Book, to classify and designate Professors of religion; and soon drops Classes, in order to deal with "the individuals. He groups "the Wordy, the Covetous, the Wanton Professors," and then brings up separately, Opinionist, the Formalist, the Legalist, the Libertine, the Latitudinarian, and the Free-Willer." Can this be the point where his Pilgrims grouped and individualized themselves upon the canvass of his spirit? Did the "Glorious Dreamer" fall asleep here, to awake in his own spiritual world? I doubt it. These Personifications seem hasty and rude drafts of Characters, which he had seen during his trance, and sketched just as he awoke. Hence, although graphic, they are not complete. Any one can perceive that Bunyan was holding himself in, when he hits off the FORMALIST thus-"He is a man that hath lost all but the shell of religion. He is hot, indeed, for his form; and no wonder, for that is his all to contend for." So in the case of the LEGALIST;" He hath no life but what he makes out of duties. This man hath chosen to stand or fall by Moses, the condemner of the world." So also the LIBERTINE ;— "He pretendeth to be against forms and duties, as things that gender bondage. This man pretends to pray always, but under that pretence prays not at all. He pretends to keep every day a Sabbath, but he casts off all set times for the worship of God." Who, that knows Bunyan's vein, does see that he never would have stopt with these masterstrokes, had he not had, at the moment, secret reasons? To me, he was evidently dashing off bold outlines in haste, in order to finish his Essay, and begin his Allegory; for everything in the "Strait Gate," afterwards, is equally brief and abrupt. I leave this explanation with the Reader, as Bunyan did his theory of the disproportion of the gold and silver Chargers in the Temple, saying, "He that can find a fitter ante-type than is here proposed, let him do it, and I will be thankful to him. He that will scoff, let him scoff. The Chargers are a type of something." |