Books: The Pilgrim\'s Progress
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HOPE. Why, man! Christ is so hid in God from the natural apprehensions
of the flesh, that he cannot by any man be savingly known, unless
God the Father reveals him to them.
{366} IGNOR. That is your faith, but not mine; yet mine, I doubt
not, is as good as yours, though I have not in my head so many
whimsies as you.
CHR. Give me leave to put in a word. You ought not so slightly
to speak of this matter; for this I will boldly affirm, even as my
good companion hath done, that no man can know Jesus Christ but by
the revelation of the Father; [Matt. 11:27] yea, and faith too,
by which the soul layeth hold upon Christ, if it be right, must be
wrought by the exceeding greatness of his mighty power; the working
of which faith, I perceive, poor Ignorance, thou art ignorant of.
[1 Cor. 12:3, Eph. 1:18,19] Be awakened, then, see thine own
wretchedness, and fly to the Lord Jesus; and by his righteousness,
which is the righteousness of God, for he himself is God, thou
shalt be delivered from condemnation.
{367} IGNOR. You go so fast, I cannot keep pace with you. Do you
go on before; I must stay a while behind.
Then they said --
Well, Ignorance, wilt thou yet foolish be,
To slight good counsel, ten times given thee?
And if thou yet refuse it, thou shalt know,
Ere long, the evil of thy doing so.
Remember, man, in time, stoop, do not fear;
Good counsel taken well, saves: therefore hear.
But if thou yet shalt slight it, thou wilt be
The loser, (Ignorance), I'll warrant thee.
Then Christian addressed thus himself to his fellow: --
CHR. Well, come, my good Hopeful, I perceive that thou and I must
walk by ourselves again.
{368} So I saw in my dream that they went on apace before,
and Ignorance he came hobbling after. Then said Christian to his
companion, It pities me much for this poor man, it will certainly
go ill with him at last.
HOPE. Alas! there are abundance in our town in his condition,
whole families, yea, whole streets, and that of pilgrims too; and
if there be so many in our parts, how many, think you, must there
be in the place where he was born?
CHR. Indeed the Word saith, "He hath blinded their eyes, lest they
should see", &c. But now we are by ourselves, what do you think
of such men? Have they at no time, think you, convictions of sin,
and so consequently fears that their state is dangerous?
HOPE. Nay, do you answer that question yourself, for you are the
elder man.
CHR. Then I say, sometimes (as I think) they may; but they being
naturally ignorant, understand not that such convictions tend to
their good; and therefore they do desperately seek to stifle them,
and presumptuously continue to flatter themselves in the way of
their own hearts.
{369} HOPE. I do believe, as you say, that fear tends much to men's
good, and to make them right, at their beginning to go on pilgrimage.
CHR. Without all doubt it doth, if it be right; for so says the
Word, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." [Prov.
1:7, 9:10, Job 28:28, Ps. 111:10]
{370} HOPE. How will you describe right fear?
CHR. True or right fear is discovered by three things: --
1. By its rise; it is caused by saving convictions for sin.
2. It driveth the soul to lay fast hold of Christ for salvation.
3. It begetteth and continueth in the soul a great reverence of
God, his Word, and ways, keeping it tender, and making it afraid
to turn from them, to the right hand or to the left, to anything
that may dishonour God, break its peace, grieve the Spirit, or
cause the enemy to speak reproachfully.
HOPE. Well said; I believe you have said the truth. Are we now
almost got past the Enchanted Ground?
CHR. Why, art thou weary of this discourse?
HOPE. No, verily, but that I would know where we are.
{371} CHR. We have not now above two miles further to go thereon.
But let us return to our matter. Now the ignorant know not that
such convictions as tend to put them in fear are for their good,
and therefore they seek to stifle them.
HOPE. How do they seek to stifle them?
{372} CHR. 1. They think that those fears are wrought by the
devil, (though indeed they are wrought of God); and, thinking so,
they resist them as things that directly tend to their overthrow.
2. They also think that these fears tend to the spoiling of their
faith, when, alas, for them, poor men that they are, they have none
at all! and therefore they harden their hearts against them.
3. They presume they ought not to fear; and, therefore, in despite
of them, wax presumptuously confident.
4. They see that those fears tend to take away from them their
pitiful old self-holiness, and therefore they resist them with all
their might.
{373} HOPE. I know something of this myself; for, before I knew
myself, it was so with me.
CHR. Well, we will leave, at this time, our neighbour Ignorance by
himself, and fall upon another profitable question.
HOPE. With all my heart, but you shall still begin.
CHR. Well then, did you not know, about ten years ago, one Temporary
in your parts, who was a forward man in religion then?
HOPE. Know him! yes, he dwelt in Graceless, a town about two miles
off of Honesty, and he dwelt next door to one Turnback.
{374} CHR. Right, he dwelt under the same roof with him. Well,
that man was much awakened once; I believe that then he had some
sight of his sins, and of the wages that were due thereto.
HOPE. I am of your mind, for, my house not being above three miles
from him, he would ofttimes come to me, and that with many tears.
Truly I pitied the man, and was not altogether without hope of him;
but one may see, it is not every one that cries, Lord, Lord.
CHR. He told me once that he was resolved to go on pilgrimage, as
we do now; but all of a sudden he grew acquainted with one Save-self,
and then he became a stranger to me.
{375} HOPE. Now, since we are talking about him, let us a little
inquire into the reason of the sudden backsliding of him and such
others.
CHR. It may be very profitable, but do you begin.
HOPE. Well, then, there are in my judgment four reasons for it: --
{376} 1. Though the consciences of such men are awakened, yet their
minds are not changed; therefore, when the power of guilt weareth
away, that which provoked them to be religious ceaseth, wherefore
they naturally turn to their own course again, even as we see the
dog that is sick of what he has eaten, so long as his sickness
prevails he vomits and casts up all; not that he doth this of a
free mind (if we may say a dog has a mind), but because it troubleth
his stomach; but now, when his sickness is over, and so his stomach
eased, his desire being not at all alienate from his vomit, he turns
him about and licks up all, and so it is true which is written,
"The dog is turned to his own vomit again." [2 Pet. 2:22] Thus
I say, being hot for heaven, by virtue only of the sense and fear
of the torments of hell, as their sense of hell and the fears of
damnation chills and cools, so their desires for heaven and salvation
cool also. So then it comes to pass, that when their guilt and
fear is gone, their desires for heaven and happiness die, and they
return to their course again.
{377} 2. Another reason is, they have slavish fears that do
overmaster them; I speak now of the fears that they have of men,
for "the fear of man bringeth a snare". [Prov. 29:25] So then,
though they seem to be hot for heaven, so long as the flames of
hell are about their ears, yet when that terror is a little over,
they betake themselves to second thoughts; namely, that it is good
to be wise, and not to run (for they know not what) the hazard of
losing all, or, at least, of bringing themselves into unavoidable
and unnecessary troubles, and so they fall in with the world again.
{378} 3. The shame that attends religion lies also as a block in
their way; they are proud and haughty; and religion in their eye
is low and contemptible, therefore, when they have lost their sense
of hell and wrath to come, they return again to their former course.
{379} 4. Guilt, and to meditate terror, are grievous to them.
They like not to see their misery before they come into it; though
perhaps the sight of it first, if they loved that sight, might make
them fly whither the righteous fly and are safe. But because they
do, as I hinted before, even shun the thoughts of guilt and terror,
therefore, when once they are rid of their awakenings about the
terrors and wrath of God, they harden their hearts gladly, and
choose such ways as will harden them more and more.
{380} CHR. You are pretty near the business, for the bottom of all
is for want of a change in their mind and will. And therefore they
are but like the felon that standeth before the judge, he quakes
and trembles, and seems to repent most heartily, but the bottom
of all is the fear of the halter; not that he hath any detestation
of the offence, as is evident, because, let but this man have his
liberty, and he will be a thief, and so a rogue still, whereas, if
his mind was changed, he would be otherwise.
{381} HOPE. Now I have showed you the reasons of their going back,
do you show me the manner thereof.
CHR. So I will willingly.
1. They draw off their thoughts, all that they may, from the
remembrance of God, death, and judgment to come.
2. Then they cast off by degrees private duties, as closet prayer,
curbing their lusts, watching, sorrow for sin, and the like.
3. Then they shun the company of lively and warm Christians.
4. After that they grow cold to public duty, as hearing, reading,
godly conference, and the like.
5. Then they begin to pick holes, as we say, in the coats of some
of the godly; and that devilishly, that they may have a seeming
colour to throw religion (for the sake of some infirmity they have
espied in them) behind their backs.
6. Then they begin to adhere to, and associate themselves with,
carnal, loose, and wanton men.
7. Then they give way to carnal and wanton discourses in secret;
and glad are they if they can see such things in any that are
counted honest, that they may the more boldly do it through their
example.
8. After this they begin to play with little sins openly.
9. And then, being hardened, they show themselves as they are. Thus,
being launched again into the gulf of misery, unless a miracle of
grace prevent it, they everlastingly perish in their own deceivings.
{382} Now I saw in my dream, that by this time the Pilgrims were
got over the Enchanted Ground, and entering into the country of
Beulah, whose air was very sweet and pleasant, the way lying directly
through it, they solaced themselves there for a season. Yea, here
they heard continually the singing of birds, and saw every day the
flowers appear on the earth, and heard the voice of the turtle in
the land. [Isa. 62:4, Song of Solomon 2:10-12] In this country
the sun shineth night and day; wherefore this was beyond the Valley
of the Shadow of Death, and also out of the reach of Giant Despair,
neither could they from this place so much as see Doubting Castle.
Here they were within sight of the city they were going to, also
here met them some of the inhabitants thereof; for in this land
the Shining Ones commonly walked, because it was upon the borders
of heaven. In this land also, the contract between the bride and
the bridegroom was renewed; yea, here, "As the bridegroom rejoiceth
over the bride, so did their God rejoice over them." [Isa. 62:5]
Here they had no want of corn and wine; for in this place they met
with abundance of what they had sought for in all their pilgrimage.
[Isa. 62:8] Here they heard voices from out of the city, loud voices,
saying, "`Say ye to the daughter of Zion, Behold, thy salvation
cometh! Behold, his reward is with him!' Here all the inhabitants
of the country called them, `The holy people, The redeemed of the
Lord, Sought out'", etc. [Isa. 62:11,12]
{383} Now as they walked in this land, they had more rejoicing than
in parts more remote from the kingdom to which they were bound; and
drawing near to the city, they had yet a more perfect view thereof.
It was builded of pearls and precious stones, also the street thereof
was paved with gold; so that by reason of the natural glory of the
city, and the reflection of the sunbeams upon it, Christian with
desire fell sick; Hopeful also had a fit or two of the same disease.
Wherefore, here they lay by it a while, crying out, because of their
pangs, If ye find my beloved, tell him that I am sick of love.
{384} But, being a little strengthened, and better able to bear
their sickness, they walked on their way, and came yet nearer and
nearer, where were orchards, vineyards, and gardens, and their gates
opened into the highway. Now, as they came up to these places,
behold the gardener stood in the way, to whom the Pilgrims said,
Whose goodly vineyards and gardens are these? He answered, They are
the King's, and are planted here for his own delight, and also for
the solace of pilgrims. So the gardener had them into the vineyards,
and bid them refresh themselves with the dainties. [Deut. 23:24]
He also showed them there the King's walks, and the arbours where
he delighted to be; and here they tarried and slept.
{385} Now I beheld in my dream that they talked more in their sleep
at this time than ever they did in all their journey; and being in
a muse thereabout, the gardener said even to me, Wherefore musest
thou at the matter? It is the nature of the fruit of the grapes
of these vineyards to go down so sweetly as to cause the lips of
them that are asleep to speak.
{386} So I saw that when they awoke, they addressed themselves to
go up to the city; but, as I said, the reflection of the sun upon
the city (for the city was pure gold) was so extremely glorious
that they could not, as yet, with open face behold it, but through
an instrument made for that purpose. So I saw, that as I went
on, there met them two men, in raiment that shone like gold; also
their faces shone as the light. [Rev. 21:18, 2 Cor. 3:18]
{387} These men asked the Pilgrims whence they came; and they told
them. They also asked them where they had lodged, what difficulties
and dangers, what comforts and pleasures they had met in the way;
and they told them. Then said the men that met them, You have but
two difficulties more to meet with, and then you are in the city.
{388} Christian then, and his companion, asked the men to go along
with them; so they told them they would. But, said they, you must
obtain it by your own faith. So I saw in my dream that they went
on together, until they came in sight of the gate.
{389} Now, I further saw, that betwixt them and the gate was a river,
but there was no bridge to go over: the river was very deep. At
the sight, therefore, of this river, the Pilgrims were much stunned;
but the men that went in with them said, You must go through, or
you cannot come at the gate.
{390} The Pilgrims then began to inquire if there was no other
way to the gate; to which they answered, Yes; but there hath not
any, save two, to wit, Enoch and Elijah, been permitted to tread
that path since the foundation of the world, nor shall, until the
last trumpet shall sound. [1 Cor. 15:51,52] The Pilgrims then,
especially Christian, began to despond in their minds, and looked
this way and that, but no way could be found by them by which they
might escape the river. Then they asked the men if the waters were
all of a depth. They said: No; yet they could not help them in
that case; for, said they, you shall find it deeper or shallower
as you believe in the King of the place.
*In the Resurrection of the Righteous. [Rev. 20:4-6]
{391} They then addressed themselves to the water and, entering,
Christian began to sink, and crying out to his good friend Hopeful,
he said, I sink in deep waters; the billows go over my head, all
his waves go over me! Selah.
{392} Christian's conflict at the hour of death
Then said the other, Be of good cheer, my brother, I feel the
bottom, and it is good. Then said Christian, Ah! my friend, the
sorrows of death hath compassed me about; I shall not see the land
that flows with milk and honey; and with that a great darkness and
horror fell upon Christian, so that he could not see before him.
Also here he in great measure lost his senses, so that he could
neither remember nor orderly talk of any of those sweet refreshments
that he had met with in the way of his pilgrimage. But all the
words that he spake still tended to discover that he had horror of
mind, and heart fears that he should die in that river, and never
obtain entrance in at the gate. Here also, as they that stood by
perceived, he was much in the troublesome thoughts of the sins that
he had committed, both since and before he began to be a pilgrim.
It was also observed that he was troubled with apparitions of
hobgoblins and evil spirits, for ever and anon he would intimate
so much by words. Hopeful, therefore, here had much ado to keep
his brother's head above water; yea, sometimes he would be quite
gone down, and then, ere a while, he would rise up again half dead.
Hopeful also would endeavour to comfort him, saying, Brother, I see
the gate, and men standing by to receive us: but Christian would
answer, It is you, it is you they wait for; you have been Hopeful
ever since I knew you. And so have you, said he to Christian.
Ah! brother! said he, surely if I was right he would now arise
to help me; but for my sins he hath brought me into the snare, and
hath left me. Then said Hopeful, My brother, you have quite forgot
the text, where it is said of the wicked, "There are no bands in
their death, but their strength is firm. They are not in trouble
as other men, neither are they plagued like other men. [Ps. 73:4,5]
These troubles and distresses that you go through in these waters
are no sign that God hath forsaken you; but are sent to try you,
whether you will call to mind that which heretofore you have received
of his goodness, and live upon him in your distresses.
{393} Then I saw in my dream, that Christian was as in a muse
a while. To whom also Hopeful added this word, Be of good cheer,
Jesus Christ maketh thee whole; and with that Christian brake out
with a loud voice, Oh, I see him again! and he tells me, "When
thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee, and through
the rivers, they shall not overflow thee." [Isa. 43:2] Then
they both took courage, and the enemy was after that as still as
a stone, until they were gone over. Christian therefore presently
found ground to stand upon, and so it followed that the rest of the
river was but shallow. Thus they got over. Now, upon the bank of
the river, on the other side, they saw the two shining men again,
who there waited for them; wherefore, being come out of the river,
they saluted them, saying, We are ministering spirits, sent forth
to minister for those that shall be heirs of salvation. Thus they
went along towards the gate.
{394} Now you must note that the city stood upon a mighty hill,
but the Pilgrims went up that hill with ease, because they had
these two men to lead them up by the arms; also, they had left their
mortal garments behind them in the river, for though they went in
with them, they came out without them. They, therefore, went up
here with much agility and speed, though the foundation upon which
the city was framed was higher than the clouds. They therefore
went up through the regions of the air, sweetly talking as they
went, being comforted, because they safely got over the river, and
had such glorious companions to attend them.
Now, now, look how the holy pilgrims ride, Clouds are their
chariots, angels are their guide: Who would not here for him all
hazards run, That thus provides for his when this world's done?
{395} The talk they had with the Shining Ones was about the glory
of the place; who told them that the beauty and glory of it was
inexpressible. There, said they, is the Mount Zion, the heavenly
Jerusalem, the innumerable company of angels, and the spirits of
just men made perfect. [Heb. 12:22-24] You are going now, said
they, to the paradise of God, wherein you shall see the tree of
life, and eat of the never-fading fruits thereof; and when you come
there, you shall have white robes given you, and your walk and talk
shall be every day with the King, even all the days of eternity.
[Rev. 2:7, 3:4, 21:4,5] There you shall not see again such things
as you saw when you were in the lower region upon the earth, to
wit, sorrow, sickness, affliction, and death, for the former things
are passed away. You are now going to Abraham, to Isaac, and Jacob,
and to the prophets -- men that God hath taken away from the evil
to come, and that are now resting upon their beds, each one walking
in his righteousness. [Isa. 57:1,2, 65:17] The men then asked,
What must we do in the holy place? To whom it was answered, You
must there receive the comforts of all your toil, and have joy for
all your sorrow; you must reap what you have sown, even the fruit
of all your prayers, and tears, and sufferings for the King by the
way. [Gal. 6:7] In that place you must wear crowns of gold, and
enjoy the perpetual sight and vision of the Holy One, for there you
shall see him as he is. [1 John 3:2] There also you shall serve
him continually with praise, with shouting, and thanksgiving, whom
you desired to serve in the world, though with much difficulty,
because of the infirmity of your flesh. There your eyes shall
be delighted with seeing, and your ears with hearing the pleasant
voice of the Mighty One. There you shall enjoy your friends again
that are gone thither before you; and there you shall with joy
receive, even every one that follows into the holy place after
you. There also shall you be clothed with glory and majesty, and
put into an equipage fit to ride out with the King of Glory. When
he shall come with sound of trumpet in the clouds, as upon the
wings of the wind, you shall come with him; and when he shall sit
upon the throne of judgment; you shall sit by him; yea, and when
he shall pass sentence upon all the workers of iniquity, let them
be angels or men, you also shall have a voice in that judgment,
because they were his and your enemies. [1 Thes. 4:13-16, Jude
1:14, Dan. 7:9,10, 1 Cor. 6:2,3] Also, when he shall again return
to the city, you shall go too, with sound of trumpet, and be ever
with him.
{396} Now while they were thus drawing towards the gate, behold a
company of the heavenly host came out to meet them; to whom it was
said, by the other two Shining Ones, These are the men that have
loved our Lord when they were in the world, and that have left all
for his holy name; and he hath sent us to fetch them, and we have
brought them thus far on their desired journey, that they may go
in and look their Redeemer in the face with joy. Then the heavenly
host gave a great shout, saying, "Blessed are they which are called
unto the marriage supper of the Lamb." [Rev. 19:9] There came out
also at this time to meet them, several of the King's trumpeters,
clothed in white and shining raiment, who, with melodious noises,
and loud, made even the heavens to echo with their sound. These
trumpeters saluted Christian and his fellow with ten thousand
welcomes from the world; and this they did with shouting, and sound
of trumpet.
{397} This done, they compassed them round on every side; some went
before, some behind, and some on the right hand, some on the left,
(as it were to guard them through the upper regions), continually
sounding as they went, with melodious noise, in notes on high: so
that the very sight was, to them that could behold it, as if heaven
itself was come down to meet them. Thus, therefore, they walked
on together; and as they walked, ever and anon these trumpeters,
even with joyful sound, would, by mixing their music with looks and
gestures, still signify to Christian and his brother, how welcome
they were into their company, and with what gladness they came to
meet them; and now were these two men, as it were, in heaven, before
they came at it, being swallowed up with the sight of angels, and
with hearing of their melodious notes. Here also they had the city
itself in view, and they thought they heard all the bells therein
to ring, to welcome them thereto. But above all, the warm and
joyful thoughts that they had about their own dwelling there, with
such company, and that for ever and ever. Oh, by what tongue or
pen can their glorious joy be expressed! And thus they came up to
the gate.
{398} Now, when they were come up to the gate, there was written over
it in letters of gold, "Blessed are they that do his commandments,
that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in
through the gates into the city." [Rev. 22:14]
{399} Then I saw in my dream that the Shining Men bid them call
at the gate; the which, when they did, some looked from above over
the gate, to wit, Enoch, Moses, and Elijah, &c., to whom it was
said, These pilgrims are come from the City of Destruction, for
the love that they bear to the King of this place; and then the
Pilgrims gave in unto them each man his certificate, which they
had received in the beginning; those, therefore, were carried in
to the King, who, when he had read them, said, Where are the men?
To whom it was answered, They are standing without the gate. The
King then commanded to open the gate, "That the righteous nation,"
said he, "which keepeth the truth, may enter in." [Isa. 26:2]
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