Bunyan examines the text of Ephesians 3:18-19 in this brief book, designed to help Christians understand how Christ’s love surpasses the limits of human knowledge. Bunyan claims that a deeper meditation on this divine love will help believers face difficulty, resist temptation, and grow in gratitude toward God. Although helpful, Bunyan’s work is often difficult to read due to his use of older English (it was first published in 1692) and his overabundance of run-on sentences. 

The more a man knows, or understands of the greatness of God towards him, expressed here by the terms of unsearchable breadth, length, depth, and height; the better will he be able to his heart to conceive of the excellent glory and greatness of the things that are laid up in the heavens for them that fear Him. [43]

The nature of eternal things we shall enjoy, so soon as ever we come to heaven, but the duration of eternal things, them we shall never be able to pass through, for they are endless. So then, the eternal love of Christ, as to the nature of it, will be perfectly known of saints, when they shall dwell in heaven; but the endlessness thereof they shall never attain unto. And this will be their happiness. [72]

People naturally think that the knowledge of their sins is the way to destroy them; when in very deed, it is the first step to salvation. [84]

Why then do not Christians devote themselves to the meditation of this so heavenly, so goodly, so sweet, and so comfortable a thing, that yieldeth such advantage to the soul? The reason is, these things are talked of, but not believed: did men believe what they say, when they speak so largely of the love of God, and the love of Jesus Christ, they would, they could not but meditate upon it. [113]

Take up the words of the text against Satan: Christ loves with a love that passeth knowledge, and answereth him farther, saying, “Satan, though I cannot think that God loves me; yet I will not yield to thee: for God can do more than I think He can.” [116]

TOP

Puritan John Bunyan examines how Christ extended mercy to even the ‘biggest’ of sinners by showing that His command was to first share His message in Jerusalem, the very city that had rejected, betrayed, and murdered Him. Bunyan points out that if Christ is willing to offer forgiveness to the very people who killed Him then there is no one beyond the reach of His mercy and grace. Although archaic in style, Bunyan’s message remains poignant.

God has had mercy upon and been gracious to you, that He might show to others, for their encouragement, that they have ground to come to Him to be saved. When God saves one great sinner, it is to encourage another great sinner to come to Him for mercy. [30]

I am persuaded, did men believe that there is that grace and willingness in the heart of Christ to save sinners, as the Word imports there is, they would come tumbling into His arms: but Satan has blinded their minds so that they cannot see this thing. [34]

There is nothing more natural to men that are awake in their souls, than to have wrong thoughts of God—thoughts that are narrow, and that pinch and pen up His mercy to scanty and beggarly conclusions, and rigid legal conditions; supposing that it is rude, and an intrenching upon His Majesty to come ourselves, or to invite others, until we have scraped and washed, and rubbed off as much of our dirt from us as we think is convenient, to make us somewhat orderly and handsome in His sight. [64]

Despair undervalues the promise, undervalues the invitations, undervalues the ability of God the Father, and the redeeming blood of Christ His Son. Oh, unreasonable despair! Despair makes man God’s judge. [82]

Let it rain, let it blow, let it thunder, let it lighten, a Christian must still believe. [100]

TOP

Using Psalm 51:17 as a starting point, Bunyan discusses the meaning of a ‘broken spirit’ and ‘contrite heart.’ Although the puritanical English can be difficult to follow at times, Bunyan makes some powerful observations about the nature of man, the deceit of sin, and the way in which God breaks our already-broken hearts in order to heal them completely through Christ. Bunyan’s work spans the centuries in order to speak directly to our haughty, misplaced self-reliance.

The Word, when managed by the arm of God finds out the sins of the sinner; it unravels his whole life, it strips him and lays him naked in his own sight before the face of God; neither can the sinner nor his wickedness be longer hid and covered; and now begins the sinner to see what he never saw before. [23]

The nature of sin, as sin, is not only to be vile, but to hide its vileness from the soul. Hence many think they do well when they sin. [56]

As bread to the hungry, as water to the thirsty, as light to the blind, and liberty to the imprisoned; so, and a thousand times more, is Jesus Christ to the wounded, and to them that are broken-hearted. [82]

When God shows a man the sin he has committed, the hell he has deserved, the heaven he has lost; and yet that Christ, and grace, and pardon may be had; this will make him serious, this will make him melt, this will break his heart, this will show him that there is more than air, than a noise, than an empty sound in religion; and this is the man, whose heart, whose life, whose conversation and all, will be engaged in the matters of the eternal salvation of his precious and immortal soul. [111]

The more righteous any is in his own eyes before conversion, the more need he has of a heart-breaking work, in order to his salvation; because a man is not by nature so easily convinced that his righteousness is to God abominable as he is that his debauchery and profaneness is. [113] 

TOP

Bunyan addresses the absolute promise of God to forever save all who are His through the person and work of Jesus Christ. Bunyan is certainly very sound in doctrine and there are a great deal of gems to be mined from these pages. It’s not the grandest of Puritan works, yet remains unquestionably worth the time to read. For in this book, Bunyan has crafted a decidedly helpful tool in understanding God's election, salvation, and assurance.

Man by nature is in darkness, and walks in darkness, and knows not where he goes, for darkness has blinded his eyes; neither can anything but Jesus Christ lead men out of this darkness. Natural conscience cannot do it; the ten commandments, though in the heart of man, cannot do it. This prerogative belongs only to Jesus Christ. [68]

Our iniquities testify against us, and would certainly prevail against us, to our utter rejection and damnation, had we not an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. [111]

Coming to Christ is not by the will, wisdom, or power of man, but by the gift, promise, and drawing of the Father. [131]

Unbelief is the daughter of ignorance. [155]

All the good that is in Christ is offered to the coming sinner, without money and without price. He has life to give away to such as want it, and that has not a penny to purchase it; and he will give it freely. [196]

TOP