THE
PILGRIM'S PROGRESS
JOHN
BUNYAN
Section
1
Author's
Apology for his Book - Christian's
deplorable condition - Evangelist directs him - Obstinate
and Pliable - Slough
of Despond - Worldly
Wiseman -
Mount
Sinai
- Conversation
with Evangelist
EVANGELIST
DIRECTS HIM
Now
I saw, upon a time
when he was walking in the fields, that he was (as he was wont) reading in
his book, and greatly distressed in his mind; and, as he read, he burst out,
as he had done before, crying, "What must I do to be saved?"
"And
brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?
And
they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and
thy house." Acts
16:30
, 31
I
saw also that he looked this way and that way, as if he would run; yet he
stood still, because (as I perceived) he could not tell which way to go. I
looked then, and saw a man named EVANGELIST coming to him, and asked,
"Wherefore dost thou cry?" He answered, "Sir, I perceive by
the book in my hand that I am condemned to die, and after that to come to
Judgment;
"And
as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:"
Hebrews
9:27
and
I find that I am not willing to do the first,
"His
sons come to honour, and he knoweth it not; and they are brought low,
but he perceiveth it not of them.
But
his flesh upon him shall have pain, and his soul within him shall
mourn." Job 14:21, 22
nor
able to do the second."
"Can
thine heart endure, or can thine hands be strong, in the days that I shall
deal with thee? I the LORD have spoken it, and will do it."
Ezekial 22:14
Evangelist.
Then said EVANGELIST, "Why not willing to die, since this life is
attended with so many evils?" The man answered, "Because I fear
that this burden that is upon my back will sink me lower than the grave, and
I shall fall into Tophet.
"For
Tophet is ordained of old; yea, for the king it is prepared; he hath
made it deep and large: the pile thereof is fire and
much wood; the breath of the LORD, like a stream of brimstone, doth kindle
it." Isaiah 30:33
And,
sir, if I be not fit to go to prison, I am not fit, I am sure, to go to
Judgment, and from thence to execution; and the thoughts of these things
make me cry."
Then
said EVANGELIST, "If this be thy condition, why standest thou
still?" He answered, "Because I know not where to go." Then
he gave him a parchment roll; and there was written within, "Flee from
the wrath to come!"
"But
when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said
unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the
wrath to come?" Matthew 3:7
The
man, therefore, read it; and looking upon EVANGELIST very carefully, said,
"Whither must I fly?" Then said EVANGELIST, pointing with his
finger over a very wide field, "Do you see yonder wicket gate?"
"Because
strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto
life, and few there be that find it." Matthew 7:14
The man said,
"No." Then said the other, "Do you see yonder shining
light?"
"Thy
word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." Psalm
119:105
"We
have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take
heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and
the day star arise in your hearts:" 2 Peter 1:19
He
said, "I think I do." Then said EVANGELIST, "Keep that light
in your eye, and go up directly thereto; so shalt thou see the gate; at
which, when thou knockest, it shall be told thee what thou shall do."
So
I saw in my dream that the man began to run. Now he had not run far from his
own door, but his wife and children perceiving it, began to cry after him to
return;
"If
any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and
children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot
be my disciple." Luke 14:26
but
the man put his fingers in his ears, and ran on, crying, "Life! life!
Eternal life!" So he looked not behind him, but fled towards the middle
of the plain.
"And
it came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad, that he said,
Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the
plain; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed." Genesis 19:17
The
Pilgrim's Progress - Obstinate and Pliable
The
Pilgrim's Progress - Contents
