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have the prize, though thou runnest never so fast, unless thou art in the way that leads to it. Set the case, that there should be a man in London that was to run to York for a wager; now though he run never so swiftly, yet if he run full south, he might run himself quickly out of breath, and be never the nearer the prize, but rather the farther off; just so is it here: it is not simply the runner, nor yet the hasty runner, that winneth the crown, unless he be in the way that leadeth thereto. I have observed, that little time that I have been a Professor, that there is a great running to and fro, some this way, and some that way, yet it is to be feared most of them are out of the way: and then, though they run as swift as the Eagle can fly, they are benefitted nothing at all!—Here is one run a Quaking, another a Ranting; one again runs after the Baptism, and another after the Independency. Here's one for Free-will, and another for Presbytery; and yet possibly most of these sects run quite the wrong way; and yet every one is for his life, his soul, . . either for Heaven or Hell!-Mistrust thy own strength, and throw it away! Down on thy knees in prayer to the Lord, for the Spirit of Truth! Keep company with the soundest Christians that have most experience of Christ: and be sure thou have a care of Quakers, Ranters, Free-willers: also do not have too much company with some Anabaptists, though I go under that name myself."

Little has been recorded of Bunyan during the sixteen years between his enlargement and his death. It appears that besides his yearly visit to London, he made stated circuits into other parts of England; that he exerted himself to relieve the temporal wants of those who were suffering as nonconformists under oppressive laws; that he administered diligently to the sick and afflicted, and successfully employed his influence in reconciling differences among "professors of the Gospel," and thus prevented "many disgraceful and burthensome litigations." One of his biographers thinks it highly probable that he did not escape trouble in the latter part of Charles the second's reign" as the justices of Bedford

were so zealous in the cause of persecution;" but it is much more probable that in a place where so much indulgence had been shown him during the latter years of his imprisonment, he was let alone; and there can be little doubt but that if he had undergone any farther vexation for the same causes, a full account of it would have been preserved. At Bedford where he was liked as well as known, he was evidently favoured in other places he would be exposed to the same risk as other nonconforming preachers; and there is a tradition among the Baptists at Reading that he sometimes went through that town drest like a carter, and with a long whip in his hand, to avoid detection. Reading was a place where he was well known: the house in which the Baptists met for worship was in a lane there, and from the back door they had a bridge over a branch of the river Kennett, whereby in case of alarm they might escape. In a visit to that place he contracted the disease which brought him to the grave. A friend of his who resided there had resolved to disinherit his son; the young man requested Bunyan to interfere in his behalf; he did so with good success, and it was his last labour of love; for returning to London on horseback through heavy rain, a fever ensued which, after ten days, proved fatal.

He died at the house of his friend Mr. Stradwick a grocer, at the sign of the Star on Snow Hill, and was buried in that friend's vault in Bunhill Fields burial-ground, which the Dissenters regard as their Campo Santo,-and especially for his sake. It is said that many have made it their desire to be interred as near as possible to the spot where his remains are deposited. His age and the date of his decease are thus recorded in his epitaph. Mr. John Bunyan, Author of the Pilgrim's Progress. ob. 12 Aug. 1688 æt. 60.

The Pilgrim's Progress now is finished,

And Death has laid him in his earthly bed.

It appears that at the time of his death, the Lord Mayor, Sir John Shorter, was one of his London flock. But * September 6. 1668. "Few days before died Bunian his Lordship's teacher,

though he had obtained favour among the magistracy, he was not one of those Nonconformists who were duped by the insidious liberality of the Government at that time, and lent their aid to measures which were intended for the destruction of the Protestant faith. "It is said, that he clearly saw through the designs of the court in favour of Popery," (blind indeed must they have been who did not!) when James granted his indulgence to the Dissenters; and that "he advised his brethren to avail themselves of the sunshine by diligent endeavours to spread the Gospel, and to prepare for an approaching storm by fasting and prayer.” “He foresaw" says the Baptist Minister who added a supplement to his account of his own life," all the advantages that could redound to the Dissenters would have been no more than what Polyphemus, the monstrous Giant of Sicily would have allowed Ulysses,-to wit," that he would eat his men first, and do him the favour of being eaten last."-" When Regulators went into all cities and towns corporate to new model the magistracy, by turning out some and putting in others," Bunyan laboured zealously with his congregation "to prevent their being imposed on in that kind. And when a great man in those days, coming to Bedford upon some such errand, sent for him, (as was supposed) to give him a place of public trust, he would by no means come at him, but sent his excuse."

His earliest biographer says also, that "though by reason. of the many losses he sustained by imprisonment and spoil, his chargeable sickness &c, his earthly treasure swelled not to excess, yet he always had sufficient to live decently and creditably." But all that Bunyan had to lose by "spoil," was his occupation as a tinker, which fortunately for him and the world was put an end to earlier than in the course of his Preacher's progress he could otherwise have cast it off. That progress raised him to a station of respectability and comfort; and he was too wise and too religious a man to desire riches

or chaplain; a man said to be gifted in that way, though once a cobler." Ellis' Correspondence. Vol. 2. 161.

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either for himself or his children. When a wealthy London citizen offered to take one of his sons as an apprentice without a premium, he declined the friendly and advantageous offer, saying "God did not send me to advance my family, but to preach the Gospel." No doubt he saw something in the business itself, or in the way of life to which it led, unfavourable to the moral character.

His widow put forth an advertisement stating her inability to print the writings which he left unpublished. They are probably included in the folio edition of his works which was published in 1692, the year of her decease, by Bunyan's successor at Bedford, Ebenezer Chandler, and John Wilson, a brother minister of the same sect, who went in Bunyan's life time from the Bedford congregation to be the first pastor of a Baptist flock at Hitchin.

Three children survived him; there were none by the second marriage; and the blind daughter, the only one whom it might have troubled him to leave with a scanty provision, happily died before him. He is said to have kept up " a very strict discipline in his family, in prayer and exhortations." Such a discipline did not in this case produce its usual ill effect; for according to what little is known of his children, they went on in the way they had been trained. His eldest son was forty-five years a member of the Bedford Meeting; he preached there occasionally, and was employed in visiting the disorderly members; he was therefore in good repute for discretion, as well as for his religious character. The names of other descendants are in the books of the same meeting; in the burial ground belonging to it his great-grand-daughter Hannah Bunyan was interred in 1770 at the age of 76; and with her all that is related of his posterity ends.

A description of his character and person was drawn by his first biographer. "He appeared in countenance" says that friend," to be of a stern and rough temper; but in his conversation, mild and affable, not given to loquacity or much discourse in company, unless some urgent occasion required it; observing never to boast of himself, or his parts, but rather

seem low in his own eyes, and submit himself to the judgement of others; abhorring lying and swearing; being just in all that lay in his power to his word; not seeming to revenge injuries; loving to reconcile differences, and make friendship with all. He had a sharp quick eye, accomplished with an excellent discerning of persons, being of good judgement and quick wit. As for his person he was tall of stature; strong boned, though not corpulent; somewhat of a ruddy face, with sparkling eyes; wearing his hair on his upper lip, after the old British fashion: his hair reddish, but in his later days time had sprinkled it with grey; his nose well set but not declining or bending, and his mouth moderate large; his forehead something high, and his habit always plain and modest. And thus have we impartially described the internal and external parts of a person, who had tried the smiles and frowns of Time, not puffed up in prosperity, nor shaken in adversity, always holding the golden mean."

Mr. Whitbread, father to the distinguished member of that name, was so great an admirer of Bunyan, that he left by will 500£ to the Meeting at Bedford, expressly as a token of respect for his memory; the interest to be distributed annually in bread to the poor of that meeting, between Michaelmas and Christmas. When Bunyan's pulpit bible was to be sold among the library of the Rev. Samuel Palmer of Hackney, Mr. Whitbread the Member gave a commission to bid as much for it, as the bidder thought his father, had he been living, would have given for a relic which he would have valued so highly. It was bought accordingly for twenty guineas.

It remains now to speak of that work which has made the name of Bunyan famous.

It is not known in what year the Pilgrim's Progress was first published, no copy of the first edition having as yet been discovered: the second is in the British Museum; it is "with additions," and its date is 1678: but as the book is known to have been written during Bunyan's imprisonment, which

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