poticed, and by doubts concerning the truth of the Scriptures, which his entire ignorance of the evidences by which they are most completely authenticated, rendered durably perplexing to him. He was, however, at length relieved by a sermon he heard on the love of Christ; though the grounds, on which he derived satisfaction and encouragement from it, are not very accurately stated. Soon after this he was admitted, by adult baptism, a member of Mr. Gifford's church, A. D. ¡655, being then twenty-seven years of age; and after a little time, he was earnestly desired by the congregation to expound or preach, in a manner which is customary among the Dissenters, as a preparation. to the ministry. For a while he resisted their importunity, under a deep sense of his incompetency; but at length he was prevailed upon to speak in a smail company, which he did greatly to their satisfaction and edification Having been thus proved for a considerable time, he was at length called forth, and set apart by insting and prayer to the ministerial office, which he executed with faithfulness and success during a long course of years; though frequently with the greatest trepidation and inward disquietude.

As he was baptized 1655, and imprisoned 1660, he could not have been long engaged in the work when the latter event took place: and it does not appear whether he obtained a stated employment as a minister; or whether he only preached occasionally, and continued to work at his trade; as many Dissenters very laudably do, when called to minister among poor people, that they "may not be burdensome to them." Previously however to the restoration of Charles II. when the churches were principally filled by those who have since been distinguished as nonconformists; he was expected to preach in a church near Cambridge; and a student of that university, not remarkable for sobriety, observing a concourse of people, was induced by curiosity to hear the tinker prate;' but the discourse made an unexpected impression on his mind; he embraced every future opportunity of hearing Mir. Bunyan, and at length became an eminent preacher in Cambridgeshire.

When the restoration took place, and, contrary to equity, engagements, and sound policy, the laws were framed and executed with a severity evidently intended to exclude every man, who scrupled the least tittle of the doctrine, liturgy, discipline, or government of the established church, Mr Bunyan was one of the first that suffered by them: for being courageous and unreserved, he went on in his ministerial work without any disguise; and November 12, 1660, he was apprehended by a warrant from Justice Wingate at Harlington, near Bedford, with sixty other persons, and committed to the county jail. Security was offered for his appearance at the sessions; but it was refused, as his sureties would not consent that he should be restricted from preaching. He was accordingly confined till the quarter-sessions, when his indictment stated-—' That John Bunyan, of the town of Bedford, labourer, had devilishly and pernirously abstained from coming to church to hear divine service; and was ■ common upholder of several unlawful meetings and conventicles, to the great disturbance und distraction of the good subjects of this kingdom, contrary to the laws of our sovereign lord the King.' The facts charged upon him in this absurd indictment were never proved; as no witnesses were produced. He had confessed, in conversation with the magistrates, that he was a Dissenter, and had preached: these words being considered as equivalent to conviction, were recorded against him; and as he re

Pused to conform, he was sentenced to perpetual banishment. This sen tence indeed was not executed but he was confined in Bedford jail more than twelve years, notwithstanding several attempts were made to obtain his deliverance.

During this tedious imprisonment, or at least part of it, he had no books. except a Bible and Fox's Martyrology: yet thus circumstanced, he penned the PILGRIM'S PROGRESS, and many other treatises! He was only thirty-two years of age, when he was imprisoned; he had spent his youth in the most disadvantageous manner imaginable; and he had been no more than five years a member of the church at Bedford, and less time a preacher of the gospel: yet in this admired allegory he appears to have been most intimately acquainted with all the variety of characters, which ministers, long employed in the sacred service, and eminent for judgment and sagacity, have observed aniong professors or opposers of evangelical truth!

No fewer than sixty Dissenters and two ministers were confined with Mr. Bunyan in this jail! and as some were discharged, others were committed during the time of his imprisonment! But this painful situation afforded him an opportunity of privately exercising his ministry to good effect. He learned in prison to make tagged thread lace in the intervals of his other labours; and by this employment he provided in the most unexceptionable manner for himself and his family. He seems to have been endued with extraordinary patience and courage, and to have experienced abundant consolations, while enduring these hardships: he was, however, sometimes distressed about his family, especially his eldest daughter, who was blind; but in these trying seasons he received comfort from meditating on the promises of God's word.*

He was at some times favoured by the jailors, and permitted to see his family and friends; and, during the former part of his imprisonment, he was even allowed to go out occasionally, and once to take a journey to London, probably to see whether any legal redress might be obtained; according to some intimations given by Sir Matthew Hale, when pe titions in his favour were laid before the judges. But this indulgence of the jailor exposing him to great danger, Mr. Bunyan was afterward more closely confined. Hence I suppose has arisen the opinion, which commonly prevails, that he was imprisoned at different times: but he seems never to have been set at liberty, and then re-committed; though his hardships and restraints were greater at one ume than another.

In the last year of his imprisonment, (A. D. 1671) he was chosen pastor of the dissenting church at Bedford; though it does not appear what opportunity he could have of exercising his pastoral office, except within the precincts of the jail. He was, however, liberated soon after, through the good offices of Dr. Barlow, Bishop of Lincoln, after many fruitless attempts had been made for that purpose. Thus terminated his tedious, severe, and even illegal imprisonment, which had given him abundant opportunity for the exercise of patience and meekness; and which seems to have been overruled both for his own spiritual improvement, and the furtherance of the gospel; by leading him to study, and tɔ form habits of close reflection, and accurate investigation of various subjects, in order to

* Jer. xv. 11. xlix. 11.

pen his several treatises: when probably he would neither have thought o deeply, nor written so well, had he been more at ease and at liberty. A short time after his enlargement, he built a meeting-house at Bed ford, by the voluntary contributions of his friends; and here he statedly preached to large auditories, till his death, without meeting with any remarkable molestation. He used to come up to London every year where he preached among the nonconformists with great acceptance; and it is said that Dr. Owen frequently attended on these occasions, and expressed his approbation in very decided language. He likewise made stated circuits into other parts of England; and animated his brethern to bear the cross patiently, to obey God rather than man, and to leave all consequences with him. He was at the same time peculiarly attentive to the temporal wants of those who suffered for conscience sake, and of the sick or afflicted: and he employed his influence very successfully, in reconciling differences among professors of the gospel, and thus preventing disgraceful and burdensome litigations. He was very exact in family religion, and the instruction of his children: being principally concerned for their spiritual interests, and comparatively indifferent about their temporal prosperity. He therefore declined the liberal proposal of a wealthy citizen of London, to take his son as an apprentice without any premium, saying, God did not send me to advance my family, but to preach the gospel ;'--probably disliking the business or situation as un favourable to piety.

Nothing material is recorded concerning him, between his enlargement in 1672, and his death in 1688. It is said, that he clearly saw through the designs of the court in favour of popery, when the indulgence was granted to the Dissenters, by James II. in 1687: but that he advised his brethren to avail themselves of the sunshine, by diligent endeavours to spread the gospel, and to prepare for an approaching storm by fasting and prayer. The next year he took a journey in very bad weather from London to Reading, Berks, to make up a breach between a father and son, with whom he had some acquaintance; and having happily effected his last work and labour of love, he returned to his lodgings on Snow-hill, apparently in good health, but very wet with the heavy rain that was then falling and soon after he was seized with a fever, which in ten days terminated his useful life. He bore his malady with great patience and composure, and died in a very comfortable and triumphant manner, August 31, 1688, aged sixty years; after having exercised his ministry about thirty-two. He lies buried in Bunhill fields, where a tombstone to his memory may still be seen. He was twice married: by his first wife, he had four children, one of which, a daughter named Mary, who was blind, died before him. He was married to his second wife A. 1). 1658, two years before his imprisonment, by whom he seems not to have had any children. She survived him about four years. Concerning the other branches of his family we have not been able to gain any infor mation.

Mr. Bunyan was tall and broad set, though not corpulent: he had a ruddy complexion, with sparkling eyes, and hair inclining to red, but in his old age sprinkled with gray. His whole appearance was plain. and his dress always simple and unaffected. He published sixty tracts, which equalled the number of years he lived. The PILGRIM'S PROGRESS had passed through more than fifty editions in 1784.

His character seems to have been uniformly good, from the time when he was brought acquainted with the blessed gospel of Christ: and though his countenance was rather stern and his manner rough; yet he was very mild, modest, and affable, in his behaviour. He was backward to speak much, except on particular occasions, and remarkably averse to boasting; ready to submit to the judgment of others, and disposed to for. give injuries, to follow peace with all men, and to employ himself as a peace-maker: yet he was steady to his principles, and bold in reproving sin without respect to persons. Many slanders were spread concerning him during the course of his ministry, some of which he refuted: they have, however, all died away; and no one now pretends to say any thing to his disadvantage, except as a firm attachinent to his creed and practice, as a Calvinist, a Dissenter, and an Antipodo-baptist, has been called bigotry; and as the account given of his own experience has been misunderstood or misrepresented.

He was undoubtedly endued with extraordinary natural talents; his understanding, discernment, memory, investigation, and imagination, were remarkably sound and vigorous: so that he made very great proficiency in the knowledge of scriptural divinity, though brought up in ignorance: but he never made such progress in human learning.-Even such persons, as did not favour his religious principles, have done ample justice to his mental powers. The celebrated Dr. Johnson ranks the PILGRIM'S PROGRESS among a very few books indeed, of which the reader, when he comes to the conclusion, wishes they had been longer; and allows it to rank high among the works of original genius.* But it is above all things wonderful, that Bunyan's imagination, fertile and vigorous in a very great degree, and wholly untutored by the rules of learning, should in this instance have been so disciplined by sound judgment, and deep acquaintance with the Scripture, as to produce, in the form of an allegory, one of the fairest and most unexceptionable treatises on the system of Calvinism, that can be found in the English language! In several of his other publications, his imagination frequently carried him beyond just bounds: but here he avoids all extremes, and seems not to deviate either to the right hand or to the left. Perhaps, as he was himself liable to depression of spirit, and had passed through deep distresses, the views he gives of the Pilgrim's temptations may be too gloomy; but he has shown in the course of the work, that this arose principally from inadequate views of evangelical truth, and the want of Christian communion, with the benefits to be derived from the counsels of a faithful minister.

* Piozzi's Anecdotes of Johnson-Boswell's Life of Johnson, vol. ii. p 97 2d edition