Bunyan, John (1628–1688), English Nonconformist author. John Bunyan was born in Elstow, Bedfordshire, England, where his father, Thomas Bunyan, was a brazier. Educated at a petty school and perhaps briefly at a grammar school, John Bunyan served during the civil war in the parliamentary garrison at Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire, from November 1644 until about September 1646 and reenlisted briefly in By 1649 he had married, and his wife's dowry consisted of two books by Lewis Bayly and Arthur Dent that influenced Bunyan's religious developmentbrazierdowry He was an English Christian writer and preacher, famous for writing The Pilgrim's Progress, arguably the most famous published Christian allegory. In the Church of England, he is remembered with a Lesser Festival on 30 August.ChristianpreacherThe Pilgrim's ProgressallegoryChurch of EnglandLesser Festival About 1649 Bunyan married a pious Anglican who introduced him to Arthur Dent's The Plain Man's Pathway to Heaven. Under their combined influence Bunyan became an attentive churchgoer and delighted in Anglican ceremonial and bell ringing. But he soon recognized that he was desperately bound by sin and that only Christ could provide redemption. He turned for guidance to John Gifford; once a roistering Cavalier, Gifford had been rescued from debauchery by the Gospel and was pastor of the Congregational Church in Bedford. "Mr. Gifford's doctrine," wrote Bunyan, "was much for my stability.". Theresa, Bunyan heard voices, and like William Blake, he had visions. He saw Jesus looking "through the tiles on the roof" and felt Satan pluck his clothes to stop him from praying.churchgoer delightedredemptiondebauchery

Bunyan was no fornicator, drunkard, or thief; but so urgent was his religion, so passionate his nature, that any sin, however small, was an enormous burden. With Gifford's guidance he made a spiritual pilgrimage and in 1653 was baptized in the Ouse River. Two years later, induced by his Baptist coreligionists, he started "the mighty work of preaching the Gospel." Soon his pen became as active as his tongue, and in he published Sighs from Hell and other tracts.drunkardurgent As he struggled with his newfound faith, Bunyan became increasingly despondent and fell into mental as well as physical turmoil. During this time of conflict, Bunyan began a four year long discussion and spiritual journey with a few poor women of Bedford who belonged to a nonconformist sect which worshiped in St. John's Church. He increasingly identified himself with St. Paul, who had characterized himself as "the chief of sinners", and believed he was one of the spiritual elite, chosen by God. As a result of these experiences, he was received into the Baptist church in Bedford by immersion in the River Great Ouse in After his baptism into the Bedford Baptist Church, he began to follow the teachings of John Gifford. Throughout his associations with Gifford's Congregational Church in Bedford, Bunyan again claimed to have heard voices and have visions similar to St. Theresa's and William Blake's religious experiences. While still in Elstow, Mary gave birth to a blind daughter, also named Mary, and a second daughter, Elizabeth, shortly followed by two more children, John and Thomas. In 1655, after moving his family to Bedford, both Bunyan's wife and his mentor, John Gifford, died. He was immersed in grief and his health declined, though the same year he became a deacon of St. Paul's Church, Bedford and began preaching, with marked success from the start.BaptistBedfordRiver Great OuseSt. TheresaWilliam BlakedeaconSt. Paul's Church, Bedford

Refusing to cease preaching at the Restoration, Bunyan was arrested in November Although he would have been released had he promised to relinquish his preaching, he refused and was in the Bedford county jail until the spring of In prison he continued his work and write many books. His most important theological work Are -The Doctrine of the Law and Grace Unfolded, included poetry, an attack on the Book of Common Prayer (I Will Pray with the Spirit [1662]), -The Holy City (1665). -Grace Abounding, he turned in 1667 to a sermon about the Christian life, -The Heavenly Foot-Man (1698).

My little bird, how canst thou sit And sing amidst so many thorns? Let me a hold upon thee get, My love with honour thee adorns. Thou art at present little worth, Five farthings none will give for thee, But pr'ythee, little bird, come forth, Thou of more value art to me. 'Tis true it is sunshine to-day, To-morrow birds will have a storm; My pretty one come thou away, My bosom then shall keep thee warm. Thou subject are to cold o'nights, When darkness is thy covering; At days thy danger's great by kites, How can'st thou then sit there and sing? Thy food is scarce and scanty too, 'Tis worms and trash which thou dost eat; Thy present state I pity do, Come, I'll provide thee better meat. I'll feed thee with white bread and milk, And sugar plums, if them thou crave. I'll cover thee with finest silk, That from the cold I may thee save. My father's palace shall be thine, Yea, in it thou shalt sit and sing; My little bird, if thou'lt be mine,

The whole year round shall be thy spring. I'll teach thee all the notes at court, Unthought-of music thou shalt play; And all that thither do resort, Shall praise thee for it every day. I'll keep thee safe from cat and cur, No manner o' harm shall come to thee; Yea, I will be thy succourer, My bosom shall thy cabin be. But lo, behold, the bird is gone; These charmings would not make her yield; The child's left at the bush alone, The bird flies yonder o'er the field And sing amidst so many thorns? Let me a hold upon thee get, My love with honour thee adorns. Thou art at present little worth, Five farthings none will give for thee, But pr'ythee, little bird, come forth, Thou of more value art to me. 'Tis true it is sunshine to-day, To-morrow birds will have a storm; My pretty one come thou away, My bosom then shall keep thee warm. Thou subject are to cold o'nights,

The child is an emblem of christ bird is compared to sinners surrounded by sins every where which are the thorns the food,songs and sunshine day are emblems of the foolish toys which lead to destruction and when the bird speed from him after all,shows us vain of man who loves anything much better than the heavenly call.