John Bunyan was born on November 30, 1628, in Elstow, Bedfordshire, England. His father, Thomas Bunyan, was a poor brazier, the trade John took up as well, and loosely called a “tinker.”
His father was able to send him to the village school, where he was taught reading and writing. When he was about 17, he joined the Parliamentary army (1644-47), in the Civil War, and served during the decisive campaign of 1645. At the siege of some small town, one of his fellow soldiers that had marched in his place, was shot and died. Bunyan ever after considered himself as being saved from death by the special interference of Providence.
Two years after he returned from the war, he married Mary. His new wife was raised by God-fearing parents, and so she brought two books into their new home. As John read them, and overheard the conversation of some other poor women, while he worked, he realized he knew nothing of spiritual living. He got saved and baptized around 1653. His wife died three years later, leaving four children: Mary, Elizabeth, John, and Thomas.
He began publishing in 1656 on the Gospel. His work was replied to by a Quaker, and so John Bunyan published his reply the following year. He began preaching in 1657, at the independent Baptist congregation in Bedford where he had been baptized in 1653. News of the once blasphemous tinker turned preacher drew crowds. However, he did not believe the government should license ministers, and so he refused to apply for a license, as was practiced by Baptists throughout history.
After the death of his first wife, in 1658, he married Elizabeth in 1659. King Charles II was restored to the throne in 1660, and non-conformists were again under attack by the government. Meeting houses were closed and all who conducted non-authorized (by license) and non-Anglican services were severely punished. John Bunyan continued preaching in barns, homes, under trees and even in churches when invited. In November, 1660, he was arrested on his way to hold a service 12 miles outside Bedford. His new wife found herself John Bunyan’s advocate before the judges to try to get her husband released from prison, but it was no use. Bunyan was tormented by the fact he had to leave his new wife, four young children, and a blind daughter. He found comfort in two books he brought to prison: the Bible and Foxe’s Book of Martyrs.
Bunyan telling family "Good-bye"
While Bunyan was in prison, Elizabeth gave birth to Sarah, and shortly before his next imprisonment Joseph was born.
His daughter Mary was blind, and was mentioned in some of his books. She knew the way to the prison by heart, so she often brought hot soup for his supper.
At one point he was offered freedom if he would promise to stop preaching. His reply became famous, even though it emulated that of the apostles: “If I am freed today I will preach tomorrow.”
During his twelve-year confinement, he read extensively and wrote some of his most famous works, including Grace Abounding to the Chiefest of Sinners. When he was released in 1672, he became more active in the Baptist Church. He also became licensed as a Congregational preacher.
A Baptist church of Bedford called John Bunyan to be their pastor while he was still in prison. The jail-keeper would let John Bunyan out at night so he could go preach, and then lock him up in the morning when he came back. The church that he pastored is still going in England, they just changed their name.
John Bunyan is known for his writings. The best known book he wrote is the Pilgrim’s Progress. John Bunyan's books are the best sellers next to the Bible. The Pilgrims Progress has been translated in over 100 different languages and after the Bible has been the best selling book for over hundreds of years. China's Communist government printed Pilgrim's Progress as an example of Western culture heritage. That printing of 200,000 copies was sold in three days. Pilgrim's Progress would have been a best seller had it appeared in our day. In 1692, 100,000 copies were printed in England. To this day he remains the master of Christian allegory.
John Bunyan Memorial
At the foot of the statue is a little bronze plaque, with the words of the Judge that sentenced John Bunyan that says: "At last we are done with this tinker and his cause. Never more will he plague us: for his name, locked away as surely as he, shall be forgotten, as surely as he. Done we are, and all eternity with him." But it is Lord Judge Magistrate of Bedford that is not named or remembered. If you try to visit the prison where he was held, you will see instead a statue of Bunyan holding a Bible and carrying a tinker's burden on his back. All were put there by the government that had imprisoned him.
There is a stain-glass window in Westminster Abbey, London, devoted to John Bunyan.
Westminster Abbey Window dedicated to John Bunyan
John Bunyan died August 31, 1688. He was on a preaching trip to London, and went out of his way to try to help settle a quarrel between a father and son. In doing so, he rode through a heavy rain. Although he preached the following Sunday as scheduled, he was beset with a violent fever and died a few days later. He was buried in Bunhill Fields, London.
Sources
C.F. Allison. Editor: Walter A. Elwell, Biographical Entries from Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, electronic ed., Baker reference library; Logos Library System. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1997, c1984. vol. 1, “Bunyan, John.”
E.B. Batson. Editors: J. D. Douglas, Philip Wesley Comfort and Donald Mitchell, Who's Who in Christian History. Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale House, 1997, c1992. “Bunyan, John.”
Benton, William, Encyclopaedia Britannica, Chicago: Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc., 1961. Vol. 4, page 389-393.
Bunyan, J. Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners. Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1995.
Christian History: The Baptists. 1985; Published in electronic form by Logos Research Systems, 1996 (electronic ed.). Carol Stream IL: Christianity Today.
Christian History: John Bunyan. Electronic ed. Carol Stream IL: Christianity Today, 1986; Published in electronic form by Logos Research Systems, 1996.
F.L. Cross and Elizabeth A. Livingstone, The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church, 3rd ed. rev. (Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press, 2005), p. 253.
Federer, W.J. Great Quotations: St. Louis, MO: AmeriSearch, 2001.
Foxe, J. Foxe's Book of Martyrs (electronic ed.). Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2000.
Grant, George & Gregory Wilbur, The Christian Almanac, Nashville: Cumberland House, 2000, page 32.
Kurian, George Thomas, Nelson's New Christian Dictionary: The Authoritative Resource on the Christian World. Nashville, Tenn.: Thomas Nelson Pubs., 2001. “Bunyan, John.”
Lagass, Paul, and Columbia University, The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed. New York; Detroit: Columbia University Press; Sold and distributed by Gale Group, 2000. “Bunyan, John.”
Picture can be found at: www.mike-reed.com/Trave Journal/England.htm
Picture of the stained-glass window can be found at: www.bedford.towntalk.co.uk.htm
