Light for Them that Sit in Darkness, Title page – Errata
Light for them that sit in Darkness: OR, A DISCOURSE OF JESUS CHRIST; AND That he undertook to accomplish by himself the Eternal Redemption of Sinners.
ALSO, How the Lord Jesus addressed himself to this Work; with undeniable Demonstrations that he performed the same.
Objections to the Contrary, Answered: BY JOHN BUNYAN.
Christ hath redeemed us from the Curse of the Law, being made a Curse for us,
Gal. 3. 13.
LONDON, Printed for Francis Smith, at the Elephant and Castle near the Royal Exchange in Corrthil. 1675.
The Author to the Reader.
Gentle Reader▪
IT was the great care of the Apostle Paul to deliver his Gospel to the Churches in its own simplicity, because, SO it is the Power of God unto Salvation to every one that believeth. And if it was his care so to deliver it to us, it should be ours to seek so to continue it: And the rather, because of the Unaptness of the Minds even of the Saints themselves to retain it without commixture. For, to say nothing of the Projects of Hell, and of the cunning craftiness of some that lie in wait to d… ceive, even the Godly themselves, as they are dull of hearing, so much more dull in receiving, and holding fast the simplicity of the Gospel of Jesus Christ: from their Sense, and Reason, and Unbelief, and Darkness, arise many imaginations, and high thoughts which exalt themselves against the Knowledg of God, and the Obedience of Jesus Christ; wherefore they themselves have much ado to stand compleat in all the Will of God. And were they not concerned in electing love, by which they are bound up in the Bundle of Life, and blessed with the Enjoiment of Saving Grace, which enlightneth their Souls, and maintaineth their Faith and Hope, they would not only be assaulted, and afflicted with their own Corruptions, but as others, overcome thereby.
Alas! How ordinary a thing is it for Professors to fall from the Knowledg they have had of the Glorious Gospel of the Blessed God, and to be turned unto Fables, Seducing-Spirits, and Doctrines of Devils through the Intoxications of Delusions, and the Witchcrafts of false Preachers.
Now this their swerving from the Gospel, ariseth:
1. Either from their not-having, or (having) notretaining, the true Knowledg of the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ: Or,
2. From their not believing the true Causes of his Coming into the World, with his Doing, and Suffering there. Upon one, or both these accounts, I say, it is that they everlastingly perish: for if they have not, and do not also retain the Knowledg of his Person, they want the HE, on whom if they believe not, they … die in their Sins: And if they know not the Reason of his Coming, Doing, and Suffering, they are in the same condition also.
Now those Professors that have had some Knowledg of these things, and yet have lost them, it hath come thus to p…ss with them; because they first lost the Knowledg of themselves, and of their Sins.
They know not themselves to be such, nothingones, as the Scripture reporteth them to be, nor their Sins to be so heinous as the Law hath concluded: Therefore they either turn again with the Dog to his Vomit, or adhere to a few of the Rags of their own Fleshly Righteousness, and so become pure in their own Eyes, yet are not purged by Blood, from their Filthiness.
For the Person and Doings of Jesus Christ are only precious to them that get and retain the true Knowledg of themselves, and the due Reward of their Sins by the Law: These are desolate, being driven out of all, these embrace the Rock instead of a Shelter; the Sensible Sinner receiveth him joyfully.
And because a miscarriage in this Great Truth, is the most dangerous and damning Miscarriage: therefore should Professors be the more fearful of swerving aside there-from. The Man that rejecteth the true Knowledg of the Person of the Lord Jesus, and the Causes of his Doing and Suffering in the World, takes the next way to be guilty of that Transgression, that is not to be purged with Sacrifice for ever. That FEARFUL Transgression, for which is left NO Offering AT ALL, nor any thing to be expected by the Person transgressing, but fearful Judgment, and fiery Indignation which shall devour the Adversary.
Now for their sakes that have not sinned this Sin, for their sakes that are in danger thereof, but yet not overcome; for their sakes have I written this little Book, wherein is largely, and yet with few words, discovered the Doctrine of the Person, and Doings and Sufferings of Christ with the true Cause thereof; also a removal of those Objections that the crafty Children of darkness have framed against the same.
And I have been the more plain and simple in my writing, because the Sin against the Holy Ghost is in these days, more common than formerly, and the Way unto it more beautified with colour, and pretence of Truth. I may say of the way to this Sin, it is, as was once the Way to Jerusalem, strewed with Boughs and Branches, and by some there is eried a kind of Hosanna to them that are treading these Steps to Hell. Oh the plausible Pretences, the golden Names, the feigned Holiness, the demure Behaviours mixt with damnable Hypocrisie, that attends the Persons that have forsaken the Lord Jesus, that have despised his Person, trampled upon him, and counted the Blood of the Covenant, wherewith he was Sanctified, an Unholy thing! They have crucified him to themselves, and think that they can go to Heaven without him; yea, pretend they love him, when they hate him; pretend they have him, when they have cast him off; pretend they trust in him, when they bid defiance to his Undertakings for the World.
Reader, let me beseech thee to hear me patiently; read, and consider, and judg. I have presented thee with that which I have received from God, and the Holy Men of God, who spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost do bear me witness. Thou will say, all pretend to this: Well, but give me the hearing, take me to the Bible, and let me find in thy Heart no favour, if thou find me to swerve from the Standard.
I say again, receive my Doctrine, I beseech thee in Christ's stead receive it; I know it to be the Way of Salvation. I have ventured my own Soul thereon with gladness, and if all the Souls in the World were mine as mine own Soul is, I would through God's Grace venture every one of them there. I have not writ at a venture, nor borrowed my Doctrine from Libraries. I depend upon the sayings of no man: I found it in the Scriptures of Truth, among the true sayings of God.
I have done when I have exhorted thee to pray, and give heed to the Words of God as revealed in the Holy Writ. The Lord Jesus Christ himself give thee Light and Life by Faith in him; to whom with the Father and the good Spirit of Grace be Glory and Dominion now and for ever:
Joh. Bunyan.
Amen.
The ERRATA.
Page 3. line 16. for lightest, read highest.
Pag. 5. l. 25. after and, read it.
Pag. 11. l. 3. for then, read there.
Pag. 22. l. 1. for hatest, read persecutest.
Pag. 40. l. 11. for Jesus, read Justice.
Pag. 61. l. 2. for mean, read meer.
Pag. 66. l. 6. for then, read thou.
Pag. 77. l. 27. for feigned, read unfeigned.
Pag. 121. l. 24. leave out if.
Pap. 161. l. 17. read 1 Pet. 1 12.