 John Bunyan was born near Bedford, England, in 1628. His mother died when he was 16, and his father remarried within two months of her death. Young John and his new stepmother did not get along well, which caused Bunyan to join the army. He married at the age of 20, and his new wife (who would die soon after) and the two good books she brought into the marriage with her helped influence Bunyan, who at that time had a reputation as one of the most profane swearers in the area. He began reading Paul's epistles, but true regeneration had not yet taken place, for Bunyan considered that no man in England was as pleasing to God as he was. Later he would describe himself as the worst of pharisees, and wrote of his conversion in the well-known book Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners. He joined the local non-conformist church and became a deacon. In 1657 his preaching gifts became apparent, and upon the death of the minister the church, he was asked to exercise those gifts. Bunyan was roundly criticized for his lack of education in theological matters, but locals flocked to hear "the blasphemous tinker turned preacher."
Bunyan was imprisoned on several occasions for continuing to preach after the non-conformists were ejected in 1662. He could have preached privately in homes but felt that public preaching was the most encouraging to his brethren. For that conviction, he spent years in prison. Bunyan was well acquainted with the learned John Owen, who once remarked that he would give up all his learning to have Bunyan's ability to reach the heart. The Banner of Truth Trust reprinted the 3 volume edition of The Works of John Bunyan. Paperback copies of most of his better writings are nearly always in print by various publishers, including The Pilgrim's Progress. Soli Deo Gloria re-typeset Bunyan's work, The Fear of God. It was a best-seller in 1999. |
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