I was not always captured by Bunyan, but his story is weighty and powerful. The driving force behind this classic work, however, is Bunyan's faith, tested, true, and God-given. I think it will help people with OCD see that they are not alone in their thoughts and fears. Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners — John Bunyan In this my relation of the merciful working of God upon my soul, it will not be amiss, if in the first place, I do in a few words give you a hint of my pedigree, and manner of bringing up; that thereby the goodness and bounty of God towards me, may be the more advanced and magnified before the sons of men. What self-tortures he put himself through rather than simply believing. It is in the genre of Augustine's Confessions and Thomas a Kempis's Imitation of Christ. Probably the best jail sentence to ever serve humanity, next to Paul and Joseph. John Bunyan was a non-conformist English pastor who lived from 1628-1688. God doth lie upon me to you ward, for your farther edifying and In it he tells of his conversion and struggle with faith. John Bunyan wrote this autobiography while in prison, along with Pilgrims Progress. What a profound revelation is encapsulated in this autobiographical account! He wrote it while he was imprisoned for preaching without a license. faith of His blessed son Jesus Christ. In a faithful account of the life and death of John Bunyan OR, BRIEF ACCOUNT OF THE PUBLISHING THIS WORK. Reviewed in the United States on March 24, 2014. Bunyan’s best known work is certainly The Pilgrim’s Progress, a book that I feel every Christian should read. Shenir and Hermon, so now from the lions' dens, from the mountains Rather, we would all do well to take heed from the many Puritan examples of taking sin faaaaar more seriously than we do today. I would the person who is quick to laugh at Bunyan's struggles, "self-tortures", or lack of believing in his salvation. It's probably not for everyone but I think it is certainly for those that have an understanding of the ever present battle in a Christian's life in wrestling with angst and fears. of the leopards (Song iv... Continue reading book >>. Review to come. Like so many millions, I had read Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress and been captivated by the allegory, chock full of theology delivered in a pleasing form, and could not forget Evangelist, Mr. Even he called his thoughts foolish at one point, though I don't know as he ever learned to laugh at them. Piper, Poor Brother John! John Bunyan, Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners: A Brief Relation of the Exceeding Mercy of God…. Refresh and try again. soul hath fatherly care and desire after your spiritual and I have read several of John Bunyan's works, finding them to be of great help in pursuing a deeper life with Christ. AUTHOR THEREOF, AND DEDICATED TO THOSE WHOM GOD HATH COUNTED HIM Bunyan’s effort to obtain an absolutely honest, unadorned rendering of the truth about his own spiritual experience caused him to forge a highly original style. building up in faith and holiness, etc., yet that you may see my Readers familiar with Pilgrim’s Progress will recognize that many of the allegorical points in his famous work came out of Bunyan’s own struggles and discoveries, and it has been said that Bunyan could not have written Pilgrim’s Progress without first going through the battles chronicled in Grace Abounding. This book challenged me to take my life and sin very seriously. Please try again. Piper was very enthusiastic about John Newton's pastoral care of Cowper, which was certainly generous and gracious, but the man needed a kindly smack upside the head and never received it. God doth lie upon me to you ward, for your farther edifying and I'm really glad I stuck around though, because Bunyan's doubts and torments in prison are more in my line of things. Discover the latest and greatest in eBooks and Audiobooks. His own thoughts, he then admits, condemn him for that motive and way him down with the oppression that he can never get beyond his guilt for trying to manipulate God. John Bunyan is a wonderful writer! Perhaps we should pray that they did.