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R. John Bunyan was born at Elton, in the County of Bedford, within a little Mile of that Town, of honeft, but very poor Parents: His Original being fo mean, that I know not in whom ther Words of the great Apoftle to the Gentiles, in his First Chapter of the Epiftle to the Corinthians, were more fully exemplify'd, than in Mr. John Bunyan;

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the Words are there; For you Jee your Calling, Brethren, how that not many wife Men after the Flesh, not many mighty not man noble, are called; but God hath chofen the foolish Things of the World to confound the wife; and God hath chafen the weak Things of the World to confound the Things that are mighty: And bafe Things of the World, and Things which are defpid, bath God chosen: That no Flesh might glory in his Prefence. And this he himself was ready upon allŎ.cafions to own, that God might have the Glory of his own Grace: For though his Original and Birth was but poor and defpiled, yet it pleafed God to chufe him befo e many others, to be an Inftrument for the bringing of many Souls unto God:- And that the Grace of God that was given him, may be the more exceedingly magnified, we will give fome brief Account of what he was before the Grace of God appeared to him.

I have already told you, that his Parents were very mean; but that they took Care to give him that Learning which was fuitable to their Condition, br ging him up to Read and Write; but fo great was his natural Depravity, and his Proneness to all Evil, that he quickly forgot both,, being only wite to do Evil; but to do or learn that which was Good, or Pife-worthy, he had.no Heart or Knowk dge; addicung hin flf fo much in his very Childhood to Cu fin, Swearin, Lying, and Blafpheming, that he had few Equals in. Wickednefs; info much, that I remember I have heard him fay, with Grief of Heart, He was a Town Swearer that is to fay, One that was taken

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