Life of John Bunyan
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God and goodness, a common profligate, a soul-despising, a sonl-murdering, a soul-damning, thoughtless wretch as could exist on the face of the earth. 5N ow be astonished, 0heavens, to eternity !and wonder, 0earth and hell! while time endures. Behold this very man become a miracle of mercy, a mirror of wisdom, goodness, holiness, truth, and love. But whoever takes the trouble to examine the evidence will find that 10 the good men who wrote this had been deceived by a phraseology which, as they had been hearing it and using it all their lives, they ought to have understood better. There cannot be a greater mistake than to infer from the strong expressions in which a devout man 1.5 bemoans his exceeding sinfulness, that he has led a worse life than his neighbours. Many excellent persons, whose moral character from boyhood to old age has been free from any stain discernible to their fellow creatures, have, in their autobiographies and diaries, applied to 20 themselves, and doubtless with sincerity, epithets as severe as could be applied to Titus Gates or Mrs. Brownrigg. It is quite certain that Bunyan was, at eighteen, what, in any but the most austerely puritanical circles, would have been considered as a young man of singular 25 gravity and innocence. I ndeed, it may be remarked that he, like many other penitents who, in general terms, acknowledge themselves to have been the worst of mankind, fired up, and stood vigorously on his defence, whenever any particular charge was brought against ;0 him by others. He declares, it is true, that he had let loose the reins on the neck of his lusts, that he had delighted in all transgressions against the divine law, and that he had been the ringleader of the youth of Elstow in all manner of vice. But when those who 35 wished him ill accused him of licentious amours, he called on God and the angels to attest his purity. N
(Typographical errors above are due to OCR software and don't occur in the book.)