The
key turned over in the lock, the cell door groaned as it opened, and the old
floorboards creaked under his feet. To John all these sounds were happy sounds.
For, like the sound of the earthquake that shook the prison in which Paul and
Silas were kept so long ago, these were the sounds of freedom.
John
was free of the Bedford Jail. Free of its bars and benches. Free to breathe the
fresh air. Free to see his family.
“I don’t
think I need to remind you of the rules, Bunyan, just be back in the morning.”
The
jailer’s voice was gruff, but John thought he saw the man smile as he turned
back towards the building.
Standing
alone, the prisoner took in a deep breath of the cool, clean air.
What
a fine Sunday morning it was! The birds were singing in the trees, a little
stream trickled by and his mind was filled with the sermon he would soon
preach.
The
Preaching Prisoner
John
Bunyan was a tinker by trade. A lay preacher by calling. A prisoner by decision
of the court.
In
the England of the mid-1600s, it was illegal for anyone except ordained
ministers to preach. John Bunyan, however, believed that permission to share
the gospel was something given by God, not by the government.
John
had a calling to preach. He believed it was a God-given commission and a
God-given right. So, he preached despite the law which said he couldn’t, and
was arrested because of it.
After
three months in prison, John appeared at trial. He knew he could be banished,
even executed, for his “crimes” but he would not relent. He boldly told the
magistrate and the onlooking court, "If I was out of prison today, I
would preach the gospel again tomorrow by the help of God."
He
was true to his word. In the following months, he used every pass to see his
family as an opportunity to preach to the secret gatherings of believers.
The
Things He Held Dear
He
tapped gently on the door of a little cottage decorated with wildflowers. He
heard excited voices and the patter of little feet inside. In a moment, the
door swung open.
“Daddy!”
“Daddy!”
Sarah
grabbed his hand and pulled him in. John tugged at his pant leg, trying to show
him a missing tooth. One-year-old Thomas, in his high chair, enthusiastically
pounded the table with his spoon.
John
closed the door behind himself, then knelt and pulled his children near to him.
He hugged them for a long time, listening to their chatter and thanking God
that he was free to hear it.
When
he felt a hand on his shoulder, he rose and kissed his wife.
“It’s
good to see you!” He said to the young, dark- haired woman.
Still
holding her hand, he made his way across the room to where his eldest daughter,
Mary, sat with knitting on her lap. He greeted her with a kiss as well.
“It
is good to see you all!”
Elizabeth
smiled. “The others are already gathered in the Elrett’s barn, John.”
John
Bunyan looked over his family once more. Mary’s golden hair and Sarah’s brown
were braided, Elizabeth’s was neatly tied up and all of them, including the
little boys, were dressed in their Sunday best.
He
nodded. “Give me a moment to clean up and we’ll be off.”
“Shall
I send the girls ahead, or should we all go together?”
“We’ll
go together. I don’t see how a family going out for a walk could in any way be
suspect.”
Elizabeth
laughed. “Don’t you know, everything we do is suspect!”
Resilience
John
Bunyan wasn’t a man to be silenced. He preached the gospel though he was told
not to, though it would cost him the little freedom he had left and everything
he held dear.
Eventually,
the authorities caught on to the fact that John was preaching while on pass
from prison and this small liberty too was taken away.
But
John Bunyan could not be stopped. Prevented from preaching in the usual way, he
traded his pulpit for a pen and turned to the written word.
For
the next twelve years, John wrote in the small cell of the Bedford Jail. There
he wrote the gospel message into books which have gone on to be read by
thousands! Books, like The Pilgrim’s Progress and Grace Abounding to
the Chief of Sinners, have stayed in publication for more than three
hundred years!
In
Application
I
once heard a quote that went something like this: “In every country in the
world men are free to preach the gospel, it is only the consequences that
differ.”
Try
as I might, I can’t find the original quote, nor the name of the author, but
the truth behind these words has stuck with me since I first heard it. We all
have the ability to obey God, the question is, are we willing to obey at any
cost? Despite any obstacle?
In
the face of difficulty and daunting odds, John Bunyan held fast to the
conviction of his soul. He met increasing difficulty with perseverance and
creativity, using whatever means were available to press on in the work God had
given him to do.
John
Bunyan obeyed God, refusing to view any obstacle as big enough to stand in his
way. Are you willing to do the same?
"And
say to Archippus, "See that you fulfill the ministry that you have
received in the Lord." " (Colossians iv.17, ESV)
In Christ
Quiana
If you want to learn more about John
Bunyan, his family and his writing, I can help!
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