Grace Abounding [Paperback]

John Bunyan (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 1993

This book presents the ageless spiritual journey of one man into true Christian faith. John Bunyan relates his personal experiences of the crises that brought him to the end of himself and to the merciful God. From his conversion and through many trials and temptations, Bunyan reveals how the grace of God was extended to him.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

From his conversion and through many trials and temptations, Bunyan reveals how the grace of the Lord was extended to him so that he learned to surrender all of self and rely totally
on Christ.

About the Author

John Bunyan was born in Elstow, England, in November 1628. Two times his life was spared, once when he was in the army and a soldier who took his place in battle was killed, and once when he fell out of a boat and nearly drowned. He believed, and the world can testify to the truth, that God spared his life for a special purpose.

A few years after he married his first wife, she died, leaving him with four young children. Four years later, he married his second wife, Elizabeth. By this time, he had published two works and was formally recognized as a preacher.

On November 12, 1660, he was scheduled to preach in the little town of Lower Samsell. When he arrived, he was informed that a warrant had been issued for his arrest. Unwilling to denounce his Christian faith and his calling to the ministry, he was imprisoned for twelve years. Among the many writings he published during his imprisonment are The Holy City, Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners, and the most famous, The Pilgrim's Progress.

After his release, he continued to write and publish stirring works that have endured through time. Among these classics are The Holy War, Visions of Heaven and Hell, and Journey to Hell: The Life and Death of Mr. Badman. After traveling through a rainstorm in an effort to reconcile a young man and his father, Bunyan died on August 31, 1688, and was buried in Bunhill Fields.

Product Details

• Paperback: 768 pages
• Publisher: Whitaker House (April 1, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0883682591
• ISBN-13: 978-0883682593
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,394,555 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

84 of 85 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars There's hope for you too in God's Abounding Grace, August 3, 2004

By 

Rachelle Ayala (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners: Or Brief Faithful Relation Exceeding Mercy God Christ his Poor Servant John (Penguin Classics) (Paperback)

A lot of us are familiar with John Bunyan as the author of The Pilgrim's Progress, whose influence in Christendom is second to the Bible. Bunyan was a preacher, a prolific writer and a shining saint for God. However when we read this book we find out that he was an atheist and infidel in his youth, enjoying sin and rebellious towards God. Inwardly he suffered from tormented nightmares of demons and judgment, but outwardly he went on pretty much as any other sinner, taking delight in sin and being the ringleader of mischief. Several times he nearly lost his life, and even though there were several close calls, still he did not turn to God. After his marriage, he participated in religious activities, went through the motions of attending church and generally lived as he pleased, each time successfully shrugging off pangs of guilt. One day, after church, while playing a sport, a voice seemed to call out to him from heaven to his soul, which said, "Wilt thou leave thy sins and go to heaven, or have thy sins and go to hell?" Bunyan was convinced it was the Lord Jesus looking down on him in displeasure. What follows details his sinking into despair, his desparate attempts at working his way into God's good graces, and his struggles with temptation and doubt. In a strange sort of way, it is comforting to read about Bunyan's struggles and identify with them because you can see how he turned out so greatly used by God. He rationalized, made excuses and tried every way to justify himself. Bunyan did not try to gloss over his motivations but gave an honest account of his struggles from avowed sinner, to religious hypocrite before he was finally converted. He describes in great detail his doubts and despair, his yearning to be converted to Jesus Christ, and then being assured of his salvation by reading the Bible and praying. Reading this book will help you realize how God's grace can abound and save even the most wretched of sinners and gives us abounding hope.

106 of 113 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bunyan, my brother, February 2, 2000

By 

pegmarsh - See all my reviews

This review is from: Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners: Or Brief Faithful Relation Exceeding Mercy God Christ his Poor Servant John (Penguin Classics) (Paperback)

John Bunyan's journey toward saving faith parallels my own more closely than any other fellow sinner's. When I first read his story, I grabbed a pen and filled the margins, and all the while my heart whispered, "Comrade!" At once, I was comforted by the realization that though Bunyan was long gone, there had been another human being who had known the same fearsome battles waged on our behalf by the God who never relinquishes what belongs to Him. Those years when I had felt strange and apart from other believers, suddenly became "safe" to recall. For anyone who is still holding on to the arrogant belief that a person chooses God, rather than the other way around, Bunyan's story is for you. It puts all arguments to rest, leaving only humility and worship in its wake.

38 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a fearsome existential battle in the heart of John Bunyan, February 7, 1998

By 

[e-mail] (Grand Rapids, MI) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners: Or Brief Faithful Relation Exceeding Mercy God Christ his Poor Servant John (Penguin Classics) (Paperback)

The Bible says "work out your salvation with fear and trembling for it is God that works in you..." This book describes the fearsome existential battle fought within the heart of John Bunyan as he worked out what it meant to be converted to Christianity. This book is not for the fearful or those who think the cost of discipleship is easy belief.