right Places, that when he speaks of the one, he doth not juftle the other out of its Place: O, to be fo well enlightened, as to speak of the one, that is the Law, for to magnify the Gofpel; and alfo, to speak of the Gospel, fo as to establish (and yet not to idolize) the Law, nor any Particular thereof, it is rare! and to be heard and found but in very few Men's Breafts.

If thou fould't fay, What is it to fpeak to each of thefe two Covenants, fo as to fet them in their right Places, and alfo to ufe the Terror of the one, fo as to magnify and advance the Glory of the other?

To this Ilhall answer alfo, Read the enfuing Dif courfe, but with an understanding Heart, and it is like thou wilt find a Reply therein to the fame. Purpose, which may be to thy Satisfaction.

Reader, if thou do find this Book empty of fantastical Expreffions, and without light, vain, whimsical Sholar like Terms, thou must understand, it is be cause I never went to School to Ariftotle or Plato, but was brought up at my Father's Houfe, in a very mean Condition, among a Company of poor Countrymen. But if thou do find a Parcel of plain, yet found, true, and home Sayings, attribute that to the Lord Jefus his Gifts and Abilities, which he hath beStowed upon fuch a poor Creature as I am, and. have been. And if thou, being a feeing Chriftian, doft find me coming fhort, though rightly touching at fome things, attribute that either to my Brevity, or, if thou wilt, to my Weaknesses (for I am full of them) A Word or two more, and fo Ifhall have done with this.

And the firft is, Friend, if thou do not defire the Salvation of thy Soul, yet I pray thee to read this Book over with ferious Confideration; it may be it will ftir up in thee fome defires to look out after it, which at prefent thou mayefst be without.

B

Secop

Secondly, if thou do find any ftirrings in thy Heart, by sby reading fuch an unworthy Man's Works as mine are; be sure that in the first place thou give Glory to God, and give way to thy Convictions, and be not too hafty in getting them off from thy Confcience ; but let them fo work till thou do fee thy felf by Nature, void of all Grace, as Faith, Hope, Knowledge of God, Chrift, and the Covenant of Grace.

Thirdly, Then in the next Place, fly in all bafe to Jefus Chrift, thou being fenfible of thy loft Condition without him, fecretly perfuad:g of the Soul, that Je fus Chrift flandeth open armed to receive thee, to wash away thy Sins, to cloath thee with his Righteousness; and is willing, to prefent thee before the Prefence of the Glory of God, and among the innumerable Company of Angels with exceeding Joy. This being thus, in the next place, do not fatisfy thy felf with thefe fecret and firft Perfuafions, which do, or may encourage thee to come to Jefus Chrift; but be reftlefs till thou do find by bleed Experience, the glorious Glory of this the Second Covenant extended unto thee, and fealed upon tby Soul with the very Spirit of the Lord Fefus Chrift. And that thou mayeft not flight this my Counfel, I befeech thee in the fecond place, confider these following things.

Firft, If thou do get off thy Convictions, and not the right way (which is by feeing thy Sins washed away by the Blood of Fefus Chrift) it is a Question whetker ever God will knock at thy Heart again or no ; but rather Jay, fuch a one is joined to Idols; let him alone. Hof. 4. 17. Though he be in a natural State, let him alone. Though he be in, or under the Curfe of the Law, let him alore. Though he be in the very Hand of the Devil, let him alone. Though he be a going poft bast to Hell, let him alone Though bis Damnation will not only be Damnation for Sins again the Law, but alfo for flighting the Gospel, yet, let him alone. My Spirit, my Minifers, my Word, my Grace, my Mer-s cy, my Love, my Pity, my common Providences, hall no more frive with him, let him alone. O fad! O miferable! who would flight Convictions that are on Souls, which tend fo much for their Good?

Secondly,

Secondly, if thou shalt not regard bow thou do put off Convictions, but put them off without the precious Blood of Chrift being favingly applyed to thy Soul; thou are fure to have the mifpending of that Conviction to prove the hardning of thy Heart against the next time thou art to bear the Word preached or read. This is commonly feen, that thofe Souls that have not regarded thefe Convictions that are at firft fer upon their Spirits, do commonly (and by the juft Judgments of God upon them) grow more bard, more fenflefs, more feared and fottifh in their Spirits; for fome, who formerly would quake and weep, and relent under the bearing of the Word, do now for the prefent fit fo fenflefs, fo feared, and bardned in their Confciences, that certainly if they fould have Hell Fire thrown in their Faces, as it is fometimes cried up in their Ears, they would fcarce be moved; and this comes upon them as a juft Fudgment of God, 2 Theff. 2. 11, 12.

Thirdly, If thou do flight thefe, or thofe Convictions that may be set upon thy Heart, by reading of this, Difcourfe, or hearing of any other good Man preach the Word of God fincerely; thou wilt have the ftifung of thefe or thofe Convictions to account and answer for at the Day of Fudgment! Not only the Sins that are commonly committed by thee in thy Calling and common Difcourfe, but thou shalt be called to a Reckoning for lighting Convictions, difregarding of Convictions, which God ufeth as a special Means to make pcor Sinners fee their loft Condition, and the need of a Saviour. Now here I might add many more Confiderations befides thefe, to the end thou mayeft be willing to tend, and liften to Convictions; as,

First, Confider thou haft a precious Soul, more worth than the whole World; and this is commonly worked upon (if ever it be faved) by Convictions. Secondly, This Soul is for certain) to go to Hell, if thou shalt be a flighter of Convictions..

Thirdly, If thou go to Hell, thy Body must go thither too, and thence never to come out again.

Now confider this, you that are apt to) forget God (and bis Convictions) left he tear you in Pieces, and there be none to deliver, Pfal. 50. 225

But if thou shalt be fuch a one, that fall, notwithfanding thy reading of thy Mifery, and alfo of God's Mercy fball perfift to go on in thy S.ns; know in the firft Place, that here thou shalt be left, by things that thou readeft, without excuse; and in the World to come thy Damnation will be exceedingly aggravated, for thy not regarding of them, and turning from thy Sins, which was not only reproved by them, but alfo for rejecting of that Word of Grace that did infruct thee bow, and which way, thou should't be Javed from them. And fo farewell, I fall leave thees and alfo this Difcourfe, to God, who know will pafs a righteous Fudgment both upon that and thee. I am yours tho' not to ferve your Lufts and filthy Minds, yet to reprove, inftruck, and according to that Propertion of Faith and Knowledge which God hath given. me, to declare unto you the Way of Life and Salv.tion. Your judgings, railings, furmifings, and dif daining of me, that I fall leave till the fiery Judg ment comes, in which the Offender shall not go unPunished, be be you or me; yet I shall pray for you, wish well to you, and do you what Good I can. And that I might not write or fpeak in vain, Chriftian, pray for me to our God, with much earnestness, fervency, and frequently, in all your knocking at your Father's Door, because I do very much fand in need thereof; for my Work is great, my Heart is vile, the Devil lieth at watch, the World would fain be faying, Aha, aha, thus we would have it; and of myself, keep my felf I cannot; Trust myself I dare not, if God do not help me, I am fure it will not be long be Heart deceive me, and the World have their Advantage of me; and fo God be dishonoured by me, and thou also ashamed to own me. O therefore be much in Prayer for me, thy Fellow. I trust in that glorious Grace that is conveyed from Heaven to Sinwers, by which they are not only fanctified here in this World, but shall be glorified in that which is to come: Unto which, the Lord of his Mercy bring us

fore my

all.

JOHN BUNYAN

THE

THE

DOCTRINE

OF TНЕ

Law and Grace Unfolded:

OR,

A Difcovery of the Law and Grace: The Nature of the One, and the Nature of the Other, as they are the Two Covenants, &i..

Rom. 6. 14.

For ye are not under the Law, but under Grace. N the Three former Chapters, the Apostle is pleading for the Salvation of Sinners by Grace, without the Works of the Law, to the End he might confirm the Saints, and alfo that he might win over all thofe that did oppofe the Truth of this Doctrine, or elfe leave them the more without Excufe: And that he might fo do, he taketh in hand, Firft, To fhew the State of all Men naturally, or as they come into the World by Generation, faying in the third Chapter, There is none Righteous, no not one; there is none that underftandeth; there is none that doth good, &c. As if he had faid, It feems there is a Generation of Men that think to be faved by the Righteoufnefs of the Law; but, let me tell them, that they are much deceived, in that they have already finned against the Law; For by the Disobedience of one, many, yea alls were brought into a State of Condemnation, Rom. 5. 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19. Now, in the fixth Chapter, he doth, as if he had turned him