Two Bits By John Banyan
I. The Safe Preacher |UNYAN brings "Christian" as far as the Interpreter's house who greets him thus: "Come in; I will show that which will be profitable to thee." So he commanded his man to light the candle, and bid Christian follow him; so he had him into a private room and bid his man open a door; through which when he had done Christian saw the picture of a very grave person hung up against the wall; and this was the po- sition of it. It had eyes lifted up to heaven, the best of books in his hand, the law of truth was written upon his lips, the world was behind his back. It stood as if it pleaded with men, and a crown of gold hung over his head. "Then," said Christian, "what mean- eth this? "The man whose picture this is, is one of a thousand, he can beget chil- dren (I Cor. 4:15) travail with chil- dren (Gal. 4:19) and nurse them him- self when they are born (I The. 2:7; I Cor. 3:2). And whereas thou seest him with his eyes lifted up to heaven, the best of books in his hand, and the law of truth written on his lips, it is to show thee that his work is to know and unfold dark things to sinn«rs; even as also thou seest him stand as if he pleaded with man; and whereas thou seest the world as cast behind him, and that a crown hangs over his head, that is to show thee that slighting and de- spising the things that are present, for the love that he hath to his Master's service, he is sure in the world that comes next to have glory as his reward'." "Now," said the Interpreter, "I have showed thee this picture first, because the man whose picture this is is the only man whom the Lord of the place, whether thou art going, hath authorized to be thy guide in all difficult places thou mayst meet with in the way, where- fore, take good heed to what I have showed thee, and bear well in thy mind what thou hast seen, lest in thy journey thou meet with some that pretend to lead thee right, but their way goes down to death." LOVE God, thou art love? Then it must be That love in loving loveth Thee;
II. Law Versus Grace gV!3SSXEIEN he took him by the hand V-« w» jV and led him into a very large g " \ X / p a r l o r that was full of dust, ' » y because never swept; the which ( SO B after he had reviewed a little while, the Interpreter called for a man to sweep. Now when he began to sweep the dust It began so abundantly to fly about that Christian had almost therewith been choked. Then said the Interpreter to a damsel that stood by, "Bring hither the water and sprinkle the room," the which when she had done it was swept and cleansed with pleasure. Then said Christian, "What means this?" The interpreter answered, "The parlor is the heart of a man whose heart was never sanctified by the sweet grace of the gospel; the dust is his original sin and inward corruptions, that have defiled the whole man. He that began to sweep at the first, is the Law; but she that brought water and did sprinkle it is the Gospel. Now, whereas thou sawest, that so soon as the first began to sweep, the dust did so fly about that room by him could not be cleansed, that thou wast almost choked therewith; this is to show thee that the Law instead of cleans- ing the heart (by its working) from sin doth revive, put strength in and in- crease it in the soul, even as it doth dis- cover (uncover) and forbid it, for it doth not give power to subdue (Rom. 7:6, 7.) Again, as thou sawest the damsel sprinkle the room with water, upon which it was cleansed with pleasure; this is to show thee that when the gos- pel comes in the sweet and precious influences thereof to the heart, then, I say, even as thou sawest the damsel lay the dust by sprinkling the floor with water, so is sin vanquished and sub- dued, and the soul made clean through the faith of it, and consequently fit for the King of Glory to inhabit." (Jno. 5:13; Eph. 5:26.)
And life is life without a flaw, If life is love, since love is law.
—J. H. S.
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