John Bunyan's Dying Words # 3

John Bunyan's Dying Words # 3

Of the Love of the World.

Nothing more hinders a soul from coming to Christ, than a vain love of the world; and until a soul is freed from it, it can never have a true love for God.

What are the honors and riches of this world - when compared to the glories of a crown of life?

Love not the world; for it is a moth in a Christian's life.

To despise the world is the way to enjoy Heaven; and bless4ed are they who delight in converse with God by prayer.

What folly can be greater than to labor for the meat that perishs - and neglect the food of eternal life?

God or the world must be neglected at parting time, for then is the time of trial.

To seek yourself in this life, is to be lost; and to be humble is to be exalted.

The epicure that delights in the dainties of this world, little thinks that those very creatures will one day witness against him!

Of Suffering

It is not every suffering that makes a martyr, but suffering for the word of God after a right manner. That is, not only for righteousness, but for righteousness' sake; not only for truth, but out of love to truth; not only for God's Word, but according to it; to wit, in that holy, humble, meek manner, as the Word of God requires.

It is a rare thing to suffer aright, and to have my spirit in suffering bent only against God's enemy, sin; sin in doctrine, sin in worship, sin in life, and sin in conversation.

The devil nor men of the world can kill your righteousness or, love to it, but by your own hand; or separate that and you asunder, without your own act. Nor will he who does indeed suffer for the sake of it, or out of love he bears thereto, be tempted to exchange it for the good will of all the world.

I have often thought that the best of Christians are found in the worst of times. And I have thought again that one reason why we are no better, is because God purges us no more. Noah and Lot - who so holy as they in the time of their afflictions? And yet who so idle as they in the time of their prosperity?

Of Death and Judgment

As the devil labors by all means to keep out other things that are good, so to keep out of the heart as much as in him lies, the thoughts of passing from this life into another world; for he knows if he can but keep them from the serious thoughts of death, he shall the more easily keep them in their sins.

Nothing will make us more earnest in working out the work of our salvation, than a frequent meditation of morality. Nothing has greater influence for the taking off our hearts from vanities,and for the begetting in us desires after holiness.

O sinner, what a condition will you fall into when you depart this world! If you depart unconverted, you had better have been smothered the first hour you were born; you had better have been plucked one limb from another; you had better have been made a dog, a toad, a serpent, if you die unconverted, and this you will find true if you repent not.

~John Bunyan~

(continued with # 4)