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HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY.
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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Memoir of John Bunt / an . [ From History of the Protestant Dissenters , from the Revolution ^ in 1 Vol . 8 vo . By Joshua Toulmin , D . D . —Pp . 331—342 . ] OHN BUNYA . N was born of J honest but poor parents , at Elstow , in Bedfordshire , in 1628 . » His father
was a tinker : his education consisted only in being taught to read and write j and after he was grown up , he followed his father's occupation . In 1645 , he served as a soldier in the Parliament ' s army at the siege of Leicester . In his youth he was very vicious , and greatly corrupted the
manners of his young companions . He became at length a thoughtful and pious man . Different incidents seem to have awakened the principle of conscience in his breast , and to have led him into deep , serious and penitent reflections . The reproof of a
woman , a notoriously wicked character , addressed to him with sharpness , when he was cursing and swearing in a vehement manner , and reproaching him able to spoil all the youth in the town , filled him with shame , and determined him to refrain from that
profane practice . An accidental conversation with a poor man on religion induced him to apply himself to reading the scriptures ; which was followed by such a reformation , both in his words and life , that the change in his manners filled bis neighbours with astonishment , and converted their
former censures of his conduct into commendation and praises * A casual confere nce also with four poor women , » nto whose company he fell at Bedford , <> n the subj ect of the new birth , left J ^ ry serious . impressions n * mmc ^* hi
"e mself , a appears , ascribed his co nversion , principally , or in the ^ lnst ance , to a sudden voice from " eavcn > s aying , " Wilt thou leave thy « s , and go to heaven ; or have thy 7 go to hell ? " and accosting -
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him when he was at play with his companions . This excited such , an astonishment , that he immediately left his sport , and looking up to heaven , whence the voice seemed to come , he thought he saw the Lord Jesus looking down upon him and
threatening him with some grievous punishment for his irreligious practices . This supposed phenomenon indicated a state of mind previously much agitated and affected with conscious guilt ,
aided by the force and vivacity of an imagination strongly tinctured with enthusiasm , of the influence of which his history affords various instances ; for on other and future occasions he conceived that he saw visions and
heard voices from heaven . The turn of his thoughts , and the natural power of fancy ,, presenting images suitable to his remorse and fears , were as really the means which a gracious Providence employed to bring him to repentance
and the effect was the same , as if a real supernatural impression had been made on his ear , or a miraculous scene had been presented to . his eye . He became a man of sincere piety and blameless morals ; though the latter did not screen him from malicious and
groundless calumnies ; and the former was unhappily accompanied with great bigotry and a censorious spirit . When he married ' , he was extremely poor , not having so mirch furniture as even a dish or a spoon , and all the portion his wife brought him , consisted in two
books , " The plain Man ' s Path-way to Heaven , '' and " The Practice of Piety , " After , his conversion he was baptized by Mr . Gifford , the minister of the baptist church , in Bedford , arid admitted a member of it about the year 1655 . His talents and gifts and reli-
History And Biography.
HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY .
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No . CXLJ MARCH , 1815 . [ Vol . X .
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•«« - x .
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THE ¦ % -c .
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Long- before the year 1650 , there were in this town and neighbourhood pious persons , who felt n detestation of episcopal supeistition and tyranny , and united in
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), March 2, 1815, page unpag, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1758/page/1/
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