CONTENTS. Historical sketch of the period-Bunyan's contem- poraries-His boyhood and convictions of sin- The providence and grace of God illustrated in his life and conversion-The characters he met with-His evangelist-His spiritual and intellect- ual discipline-Necessity of experimental piety, The Valley of the Shadow of Death in Bunyan's experience-Blasphemous suggestions of Satan- Bunyan's meeting with Luther-Conflict of scrip- ture with scripture in his mind-The fiery darts of the Wicked One-Power of conscience by the PAGE Bunyan's use of his temptations-The gloom of his mind in the early part of his imprisonment-His faithfulness to Christ in the midst of it-His per- fect disinterestedness-His little blind daughter- Relation of his examination and imprisonment- That old enemy Dr. Lindale-Bunyan's admira- ble answers and Christian deportment-The na- Illustrations of the times of Bunyan-Results o. the spirit of persecution-The Puritans driven to America-Baxter in the parliamentary army- The multiplicity of sects, and Milton's opinion thereon-Bedford jail, and Bunyan in it, with his little child-The plague in London, and the per- secuting king and court in Oxford-Bunyan's conference with the justice's clerk-Interview of Bunyan's wife with the judges-Bunyan's prison LECTURE V. PROVIDENCE, GRACE, AND GENIUS, IN BUNYAN AND THE PILGRIM'S PROGRESS. Illustrations of Divine Providence in selecting Bun- PAGE 169 LECTURE I. BUNYAN AND HIS TIMES. Historical sketch of the period-Bunyan's contemporaries-His boyhood and convictions of sin-The providence and grace of God illustrated in his life and conversion-The characters he met with-His evangelist-His spiritual and intellectual disciplineNecessity of experimental piety, for a full appreciation and understanding of the Pilgrim's Progress. Ir a man were to look about the world, or over all the world's history, for that one of his race, in whose life there should be found the completest illustration of the providence and grace of God, he could hardly fix upon a more perfect instance than that of John Bunyan. The detailed biography of this man I shall not attempt to present, in so short a sketch as that to which I must of necessity confine myself. But there are points in his life, where the Divine Providence is unfolded so gloriously, and junctures where the Divine grace comes out so clearly and so brightly, that nothing could be more simple, beautiful, and deeply interesting, than their illustration. On some of these points I shall dwell, premising, in order to a right view of them, a rapid but important glance at the age in which he lived. B |