have been selected from Bunyan's Works: for my object has been rather to develop his mind and taste, that to elucidate his Ethical system. As a System, worked out without Books or Models, or any but spiritual Motives, that is wonderful! And in this point of view, his Theology is equally so. Of him only is it literally true, that "he was a man of ONE Book." Accordingly, in enforcing Morals, he is not afraid to go all the lengths of the Bible, in proclaiming the rewards of virtue. He can crucify Works as merit, and crown them as obedience, with an equally steady and impartial hand. He throws the best of them into the bottomless pit without ceremony, when they are put forward as a claim for mercy, or a price for salvation; but as fruits of the Spirit, and as conscientious efforts to gìorify God, he brings them out at Death and Judgment, enshrined with what he calls "a spangling reward." "A dying bed is made easy," he says, "by good works." "An unchristian walk makes it as uncomfortable, as if the man lay on nothing but the cords of his bed. Mounts Ebal and Gerrizim, I take to be a type of the Judgment. He whom mount Ebal smiteth, misseth heaven. Mount Gerrizim is sure to bless the good man. He shall enter into rest, and his works shall follow him."-Works, vol. ii., p. 1106.

I need not add, that Bunyan made the love of Christ the motive of all holy obedience: but I must add his own illustration of this:-delight in holy things, wrought by Redeeming Love,

"Like live-honey runs,

And needs no pressing from the honey-combs !"

Works, vol. iv., p. 2648.

CHAPTER XXXIV.

BUNYAN'S WIT.

So few specimens of Bunyan's wit have obtained currency, that a whole Chapter of it will excite surprise at first. And yet it ought not. The man must have been not a little waggish as well as witty, who invented such happy names for the Judge and Jury that tried and burnt Faithful, at Vanity Fair. Indeed, most of the names which Bunyan gives to recreant or pretended Pilgrims, are happy hits, and speak volumes. Many of the characters in his Holy War also, as well as the manœuvres of it, are rich in masterly strokes of shrewdness and piquancy. His coinage, like old Fuller's or Donne's, "rings like good metal."

It is not, however, upon this fund, that I am now about to draw. I merely refer to it, as suggesting, if not warranting, the idea, that he who struck out such names and characters in his Allegories, must also have thrown out in his other writings, and in conversation, many smart things. This has, hitherto, been overlooked: owing, perhaps, to the impression left upon his modern Critics, by the gravity ascribed to him by his ancient Biographers. The latter say, "He was mild and affable in con versation; not given to loquacity, or much discourse, unless some urgent occasion required. It was observed, he never spoke of himself, or of his talents; but seemed low in his own eyes. He was never heard to reproach or revile any, whatever injury he received; but rather rebuked those who did so. It is well known, that he managed all things with such exactness, as

if he had made it his study, above all other things, not to give

offense."

After this account of his temperament, wit seems out of the question; and humor, a contradiction in terms. Both exist, however, where they would never be suspected, except by a reader who was searching for them. Besides, it is not to wit, as mere waggery, humor, or playfulness; but as a vein of point and power, that I refer: and, unless I mistake that vein egregiously, the following specimens of it, will justify the title of this Chapter; and place Bunyan before the world in a light equally new and true. I must first, however, apply a stroke of his own wit to himself. He says that the thought of a Surgeon or a Bone-setter, if he have a hard heart, or fingers like iron, can make us quake for fear; and he adds, "He that handleth a wound, had need have fingers like feathers, or like down. To be sure, the Patient wisheth they were so!"-Vol. i., p. 157, fol. ed.

Bunyan did not always recollect his own maxim, in handling wounds. His heart is never hard; but his hand is sometimes rather too heavy. It was not iron; but its "nails were as Eagles' claws," when strict Baptists, or extravagant Quakers, came under it. Then, his fingers are not feathers, nor his thumbs down. They are, indeed, Porcupines' quills, whenever Bigotry or Cant falls in his way.

When the strict Baptists assailed Bunyan for admitting and advocating open Communion, they told him, that "some of the sober Independents" disliked his Book on that subject. He archly asked, "What then? I can say without lying, that several Baptists have wished your Book burnt, before it had come to light. Is your Book ever the worse for that?"

"The sober Dr. Owen," as he calls him, had promised to write "an Epistle," in favor of Bunyan's liberal views on this subject; but afterwards declined to do so. Bunyan was publicly

twitted with this "waiving" on the part of Owen. He nobly and promptly replied, "What if the sober Dr. Owen, though he told me and others, he would write an epistle to my book, yet waived it afterwards? This also is to my advantage, because it was through the earnest solicitations of several of you, that his hand was stopped at that time. And, perhaps, it was more for the glory of God, that Truth should go naked into the world, than seconded by so mighty an armor-bearer."— Works, vol. iii., p. 1257.

When Dr. Fowler, afterwards Bishop of Bristol, published his work on "The Design of Christianity," he gave this challenge to the advocates of the great principle of the Reformation -Justification through faith in Christ;-"What pretense can there be, that faith is the condition or instrument of justification, as it complieth only with the precepts of relying on Christ's merits? It is evident as the sun at noon-day, that obedience to the other precepts must go before obedience to this; that is, before faith in Christ." Bunyan dryly and adroitly answered, -"This you say: but PAUL said to the ignorant jailor, who knew nothing of the mind of God in the doctrine of Justification, that he should first believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and so should be saved. Again, when he preached unto the Corinthians, the first doctrine he delivered unto them was, that Christ died for their sins, according to the Scriptures."

Bunyan did not treat the Dignitary with less ceremony, on this occasion, than he did the Sectaries, who made light of sin, in order to give weight to new-fangled notions of Redemption. "It is a poor shift," he said, "when the Enemies of Truth are forced to diminish sin, and to enlarge the borders of their Figleaf garments: they thus deny, as much as in them lies, one of the attributes of God;-his justice."-Works, vol. i., p. 172, fol. ed. Bunyan could employ his ignorance dexterously, as well as

any smattering of learning he had picked up, when occasion required. On one occasion the strict Baptists charged him with using against them the very "arguments of the PædBaptist:" and as he had nothing to concede in favor of infants, and nothing to retract in favor of strict Communionists, he slily slipt out of the dilemma, by saying truly, "I ingenuously tell you, I know not what Pædo means; and how then should I know his arguments?" He had also used a word or two of Latin (picked up, most likely, from some of his fellow prisoners; some of whom were scholars); for which Danvers and Paul, (his assailants) had "mocked" him. They "took nothing by their motion." "Though you mock me for speaking a word in Latin, you have not one word of God that commands you to shut out your Brethren for want of water-baptism, from your communion." They had said, "you would have it thought that you go away with the garland, unless we bring positive Scriptures that your (plan) is forbidden." Garland, indeed: unhappy word for them! Bunyan knew of no garlands but those which the priest of Jupiter hung around the necks of the oxen he wished to sacrifice to Paul and Barnabas; and, with his knowledge of the Bible, he was sure to think of them. He did. "I know of no garlands," he said, "but those in the ACTS:-Take you them!"

But nothing provoked Bunyan's sarcastic power, more than selfishness in the Clergy; whether Episcopalian or Presbyterian. He makes his "teeth meet at every bite," upon beneficehunters. "Would the people learn to be covetous," he says;

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they need but look to their Ministers, and they shall have a lively, or rather a deadly resemblance set before them,-in their riding and running after great Benefices and Parsonages, by night and by day. Nay; they amongst themselves will scramble for the same. I have seen, that so soon as a man is departed from his Benefice (as he calls it), either by death, or out of