For though they sang his Praise before, yet they soon forgat his Ps. 106. Works.

I can

In this Discourse of mine you may see much; much, I say, of the Grace of God towards me. I thank God I can count it much, for it was above my Sins and Satan's temptations too. remember my Fears, and Doubts, and sad Months with Comfort; they are as the head of Goliah in my Hand. There was nothing to David like Goliah's Sword, even that Sword that should have been sheathed in his Bowels; for the very sight and remembrance 10 of that did preach forth God's Deliverance to him. Oh, the Remembrance of my great Sins, of my great Temptations, and of my great Fears of perishing for ever! They bring afresh into my mind the Remembrance of my great Help, my great Support from Heaven, and the great grace that God extended to such a wretch

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My dear children, call to mind the former days, and Years Ps. 77. 5-12. of ancient Times: remember also your Songs in the Night; and commune with your own Hearts. Yea, look diligently, and leave no Corner therein unsearched, for there is Treasure hid, even the 20 Treasure of your first and second Experience of the Grace of God toward you. Remember, I say, the word that first laid hold upon you; remember your Terrors of Conscience, and Fear of Death and Hell; remember also your Tears and Prayers to God; yea, how you sighed under every Hedge for Mercy. Have you never an Hill Mizar to remember? Have you forgot the Close, the Milk-house, the Stable, the Barn, and the like, where God did visit your Souls? Remember also the Word--the Word, I say, upon which the Lord hath caused you to Hope. If you have sinned against Light; if you are tempted to Blaspheme; if you 30 are down in Despair; if you think God fights against you; or if Heaven is hid from your Eyes, remember it was thus with your Father; but out of them all the Lord delivered me.

I could have enlarged much in this my Discourse, of my Temptations and Troubles for Sin; as also of the merciful Kindness and Working of God with my Soul. I could also have stepped into a Style much higher than this in which I have here Discoursed, and could have adorned all things more than here I have seemed to do; but I dare not. God did not

play in convincing of me; the Devil did not play in tempting of me; neither did I play when I sunk as into a bottomless pit, when the pangs of hell caught hold upon me: wherefore I may not play in my relating of them, but be plain and simple, and lay down the thing as it was. He that liketh it, let him receive it; and he that does not, let him produce a better. Farewell.

My dear children, the Milk and Honey is beyond this Wilderness. God be merciful to you, and grant you be not slothful to go in to possess the land.

Jo. BUNYAN.

A BRIEF RELATION OF THE EXCEEDING MERCY OF GOD IN CHRIST TO HIS POOR SERVANT, JOHN BUNYAN.

1. In this my Relation of the merciful Working of God upon my Soul, it will not be amiss, if, in the first place, I do, in a few Words, give you a Hint of my Pedigree, and manner of bringing up; that thereby the Goodness and Bounty of God towards me may be the more advanced and magnified before the Sons of Men.

2. For my Descent then, it was, as is well known by many, of a low and inconsiderable Generation; my Father's House being of that Rank that is meanest and most despised of 10 all the Families in the Land. Wherefore I have not here, as others, to boast of noble Blood or of a high-born State according to the Flesh; though, all things considered, I magnify the heavenly Majesty, for that by this door he brought me into this world, to partake of the Grace and Life that is in Christ by the Gospel.

3. But yet, notwithstanding the meanness and inconsiderableness of my Parents, it pleased God to put it into their Hearts to put me to School, to learn both to read and

write; the which I also attained, according to the Rate of other poor Men's Children; though to my shame I confess I did soon lose that little I learnt, even almost utterly, and that long before the Lord did work his gracious Work of Conversion upon my Soul.

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4. As for my own natural life, for the time that I was Eph. 2. 2, 3. without God in the world, it was indeed according to the Course

of this World, and the Spirit that now worketh in the Children of disobedience. It was my delight to be taken captive by the 2 Tim. 2. 26. Devil at his will, being filled with all Unrighteousness: the 10 which did also so strongly work and put forth itself, both in my Heart and Life, and that from a Child, that I had but few Equals (especially considering my years, which were tender, being few,) both for cursing, swearing, lying, and blaspheming the holy Name of God.

5. Yea, so settled and rooted was I in these things, that they became as a second Nature to me. The which, as I also have with soberness considered since, did so offend the Lord, that even in my Childhood he did scare and affright me with fearful Dreams, and did terrify me with dreadful Visions. 20 For often after I had spent this and the other day in sin I have in my Bed been greatly afflicted, while asleep, with the apprehensions of Devils and wicked Spirits, who still, as I then thought, laboured to draw me away with them, of which I could never be rid.

6. Also I should, at these years, be greatly afflicted and troubled with the thoughts of the Day of Judgment, and that both night and day, and should tremble at the thoughts of the fearful Torments of Hell fire; still fearing that it would be my Lot to be found at last among those Devils and hellish 30 Fiends, who are there bound down with the Chains and Bonds of Darkness, unto the judgment of the great day.

7. These things, I say, when I was but a Child, but nine or ten years old, did so distress my Soul, that then in the midst of my many Sports and Childish Vanities, amidst my vain Companions, I was often much cast down and afflicted in my Mind therewith, yet could I not let go my Sins. Yea, I was also then so overcome with despair of life and heaven,

that I should often wish either that there had been no Hell, or that I had been a Devil-supposing they were only Tormentors; that if it must needs be that I went thither, I might be rather a Tormentor, than be tormented myself.

8. A while after these terrible dreams did leave me, which also I soon forgot; for my pleasures did quickly cut off the remembrance of them, as if they had never been. Wherefore, with more greediness, according to the strength of nature, I did still let loose the Reins to my lust, and delighted in all 10 Transgression against the Law of God: so that, until I came to the State of Marriage, I was the very Ringleader of all the Youth that kept me company, in all manner of vice and ungodliness.

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9. Yea, such prevalency had the Lusts and Fruits of the Flesh in this poor Soul of mine, that, had not a Miracle of precious Grace prevented, I had not only perished by the Stroke of eternal Justice, but had also laid myself open even to the Stroke of those Laws, which bring some to Disgrace and open Shame before the Face of the World.

10. In these days, the thoughts of Religion were very grievous to me. I could neither endure it myself, nor that any other should. So that when I have seen some read in those Books that concerned Christian Piety it would be as it were a prison to me. Then I said unto God, Depart from me, Job 21. 14. for I desire not the knowledge of thy ways. I was now void of all good Consideration; Heaven and Hell were both out of sight and mind; and as for Saving and Damning, they were least in my thoughts. O Lord, thou knowest my life, and my ways were not hid from thee.

11. Yet this I well remember, that though I could myself sin with the greatest Delight and Ease, and also take pleasure in the Vileness of my Companions; yet, even then, if I have at any time seen wicked things by those who professed goodness, it would make my Spirit tremble. As once, above all the rest, when I was in my heighth of Vanity, yet hearing one to swear that was reckoned for a religious Man, it had so great a stroke upon my Spirit, that it made my heart to ake.