Rabindranath Tagore (trans.) - "The King of the Dark Chamber"

(H)erbert (G)eorge Wells - "Little Wars"

Mark Rutherford - "The Autobiography of Mark Rutherford"

Roy Benson, Jr. - "The Biography of a Rabbit"

New Philadelphia Book Publisher Highlights Local Talent
Book and Publishing News from Publishers Newswire(tm)

Looking for Child to be on Cover of a New Book, 'The Model Child'
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. -- The Philadelphia literary world will celebrate the launch of two new players today, April 10th: Kay Square Press, a new publishing company focused on Philadelphia-area artists, their stories, and their art; and Kay Square's first release, 'With the Rich and Mighty: Emlen Etting of Philadelphia' (ISBN: 978-0-9815129-0-7), a critical biography by Kenneth C. Kaleta.

FlatSigned Press Alleges Don Imus Remarks Damage Legacy of President Gerald R. Ford
NEW YORK, N.Y. -- Nathan Yungerberg, an accomplished model scout and professional child photographer is launching a nation-wide casting call to find the cover model for his highly anticipated book release, 'The Model Child: A Parents Guide to the Child Modeling Industry' (ISBN: 978-0-9817018-0-6).

Books: The Works of John Bunyan Volume 3

J >> John Bunyan >> The Works of John Bunyan Volume 3




PRUD. Can you remember by what means you find your annoyances, at
times, as if they were vanquished?

CHR. Yes; when I think what I saw at the cross, that will do it;
and when I look upon my broidered coat, that will do it; also
when I look into the roll that I carry in my bosom, that will do
it; and when my thoughts wax warm about whither I am going, that
will do it.[70]

PRUD. And what is it that makes you so desirous to go to Mount
Zion?

CHR. Why, there I hope to see Him alive that did hang dead on the
cross; and there I hope to be rid of all those things that to this
day are in me an annoyance to me; there, they say, there is no
death; and there I shall dwell with such company as I like best
(Isa. 25:8; Rev. 21:4). For, to tell you truth, I love Him, because
I was by Him eased of my burden; and I am weary of my inward
sickness. I would fain be where I shall die no more, and with the
company that shall continually cry, "Holy, holy, holy."

Then said Charity to Christian, Have you a family? Are you a
married man?

CHR. I have a wife and four small children.[71]

CHAR. And why did you not bring them along with you?

CHR. Then Christian wept, and said, O how willingly would I have
done it! but they were all of them utterly averse to my going on
pilgrimage.

CHAR. But you should have talked to them, and have endeavoured to
have shown them the danger of being behind.

CHR. So I did; and told them also what God had shown to me of the
destruction of our city; "but I seemed to them as one that mocked,"
and they believed me not (Gen. 19:14).

CHAR. And did you pray to God that He would bless your counsel to
them?

CHR. Yes, and that with much affection; for you must think that
my wife and poor children were very dear unto me.

CHAR. But did you tell them of your own sorrow, and fear of
destruction? for I suppose that destruction was visible enough to
you.

CHR. Yes, over, and over, and over. They might also see my fears
in my countenance, in my tears, and also in my trembling under
the apprehension of the judgment that did hang over our heads;
but all was not sufficient to prevail with them to come with me.

CHAR. But what could they say for themselves, why they came not?

CHR. Why, my wife was afraid of losing this world, and my children
were given to the foolish delights of youth; so what by one thing,
and what by another, they left me to wander in this manner alone.

CHAR. But did you not, with your vain life, damp all that you by
words used by way of persuasion to bring them away with you?[72]

CHR. Indeed, I cannot commend my life; for I am conscious to
myself of many failings therein; I know also, that a man by his
conversation may soon overthrow, what by argument or persuasion
he doth labour to fasten upon others for their good. Yet this I
can say, I was very wary of giving them occasion, by any unseemly
action, to make them averse to going on pilgrimage.[73] Yea, for
this very thing, they would tell me I was too precise, and that
I denied myself of things, for their sakes, in which they saw
no evil. Nay, I think I may say, that if what they saw in me did
hinder them, it was my great tenderness in sinning against God,
or of doing any wrong to my neighbour.

CHAR. Indeed Cain hated his brother, "because his own works were
evil, and his brother's righteous" (1 John 3:12); and if thy wife
and children have been offended with thee for this, they thereby
show themselves to be implacable to good, and "thou hast delivered
thy soul from their blood" (Ezek. 3:19).

Now I saw in my dream, that thus they sat talking together until
supper was ready.[74] So when they had made ready, they sat down
to meat. Now the table was furnished "with fat things, and with
wine that was well refined": and all their talk at the table was
about the Lord of the hill; as, namely, about what He had done, and
wherefore He did what He did, and why He had builded that house.
And by what they said, I perceived that He had been a great warrior,
and had fought with and slain "him that had the power of death,"
but not without great danger to Himself, which made me love Him
the more[75] (Heb. 2:14, 15).

For, as they said, and as I believe (said Christian), He did it
with the loss of much blood; but that which put glory of grace into
all He did, was, that He did it out of pure love to His country.
And besides, there were some of them of the household that said
they had been and spoke with Him since He did die on the cross;
and they have attested that they had it from His own lips, that
He is such a lover of poor pilgrims, that the like is not to be
found from the east to the west.

They, moreover, gave an instance of what they affirmed, and that
was, He had stripped Himself of His glory, that He might do this
for the poor; and that they heard Him say and affirm, "that He
would not dwell in the mountain of Zion alone." They said, moreover,
that He had made many pilgrims princes, though by nature they were
beggars born, and their original had been the dunghill (1 Sam.
2:8; Psa. 113:7).

Thus they discoursed together till late at night; and after they
had committed themselves to their Lord for protection, they betook
themselves to rest: the Pilgrim they laid in a large upper chamber,
whose window opened toward the sun-rising; the name of the chamber
was Peace;[76] where he slept till break of day, and then he awoke
and sang[77]-

Where am I now? Is this the love and care Of Jesus for the men
that pilgrims are? Thus to provide! that I should be forgiven!
And dwell already the next door to Heaven!

So, in the morning, they all got up; and after some more discourse,
they told him that he should not depart till they had shown him
the rarities of that place. And first, they had him into the study,
where they showed him records of the greatest antiquity; in which,
as I remember my dream, they showed him first the pedigree of the
Lord of the hill, that He was the Son of the Ancient of Days, and
came by that eternal generation. Here also was more fully recorded
the acts that He had done, and the names of many hundreds that
He had taken into His service; and how He had placed them in such
habitations, that could neither by length of days, nor decays of
nature, be dissolved.

Then they read to him some of the worthy acts that some of His
servants had done: as, how they had "subdued kingdoms, wrought
righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,
quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out
of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, and turned
to flight the armies of the aliens" (Heb. 11:33, 34).

They then read again in another part of the records of the house,
where it was showed how willing their Lord was to receive into His
favour any, even any, though they in time past had offered great
affronts to His person and proceedings. Here also were several
other histories of many other famous things, of all which Christian
had a view; as of things both ancient and modern; together with
prophecies and predictions of things that have their certain
accomplishment, both to the dread and amazement of enemies, and
the comfort and solace of pilgrims.

The next day they took him and had him into the armoury, where they
showed him all manner of furniture, which their Lord had provided
for pilgrims, as sword, shield, helmet, breastplate, all-prayer,
and shoes that would not wear out.[78] And there was here enough
of this to harness out as many men, for the service of their Lord,
as there be stars in the Heaven for multitude.[79]

They also showed him some of the engines with which some of his
servants had done wonderful things. They showed him Moses' rod;
the hammer and nail with which Jael slew Sisera; the pitchers,
trumpets, and lamps too, with which Gibeon put to flight the armies
of Midian. Then they showed him the ox's goad wherewith Shamgar
slew 600 men. They showed him, also, the jaw-bone with which Samson
did such mighty feats. They showed him, moreover, the sling and
stone with which David slew Goliath of Gath; and the sword, also,
with which their Lord will kill the Man of Sin, in the day that
he shall rise up to the prey. They showed him, besides, many
excellent things, with which Christian was much delighted. This
done, they went to their rest again.[80]

Then I saw in my dream, that, on the morrow, he got up to go
forward; but they desired him to stay till the next day also;
and then, said they, we will, if the day be clear, show you the
Delectable Mountains,[81] which, they said, would yet further add
to his comfort, because they were nearer the desired haven than
the place where at present he was; so he consented and staid. When
the morning was up, they had him to the top of the house, and bid
him look south; so he did; and, behold, at a great distance, he
saw a most pleasant mountainous country, beautified with woods,
vineyards, fruits of all sorts, flowers also, with springs and
fountains, very delectable to behold (Isa. 33:16, 17). Then he
asked the name of the country. They said it was Immanuel's Land;
and it is as common, said they, as this hill is, to and for all
the pilgrims. And when thou comest there, from thence, said they,
thou mayest see to the gate of the Celestial City, as the shepherds
that live there will make appear.

Now, he bethought himself of setting forward, and they were willing
he should, But first, said they, let us go again into the armoury.
So they did; and when they came there, they harnessed him from
head to foot with what was of proof, lest, perhaps, he should meet
with assaults in the way. He being, therefore, thus accoutred,
walketh out with his friends to the gate, and there he asked the
porter if he saw any pilgrims pass by. Then the porter answered,
Yes.

CHR. Pray, did you know him? said he.

POR. I asked his name, and he told me it was Faithful.

CHR. O, said Christian, I know him; he is my townsman, my near
neighbour; he comes from the place where I was born. How far do
you think he may be before?

POR. He is got by this time below the hill.

CHR. Well, said Christian, good Porter, the Lord be with thee,
and add to all thy blessings much increase, for the kindness that
thou hast showed to me.

Then he began to go forward; but Discretion, Piety, Charity, and
Prudence, would accompany him down to the foot of the hill. So
they went on together, reiterating their former discourses, till
they came to go down the hill. Then, said Christian, as it was
difficult coming up, so, so far as I can see, it is dangerous
going down. Yes, said Prudence, so it is, for it is a hard matter
for a man to go down into the Valley of Humiliation, as thou art
now, and to catch no slip by the way; therefore, said they, are
we come out to accompany thee down the hill. So he began to go
down, but very warily; yet he caught a slip or two.[82] Then I
saw in my dream that these good companions, when Christian was
gone to the bottom of the hill, gave him a loaf of bread, a bottle
of wine, and a cluster of raisins; and then he went on his way.

But now, in this Valley of Humiliation, poor Christian was hard
put to it; for he had gone but a little way, before he espied a
foul fiend coming over the field to meet him; his name is Apollyon.
Then did Christian begin to be afraid, and to cast in his mind
whether to go back or to stand his ground. But he considered again
that he had no armour for his back; and, therefore, thought that
to turn the back to him might give him the greater advantage, with
ease to pierce him with his darts.[83] Therefore he resolved to
venture and stand his ground; for, thought he, had I no more in
mine eye than the saving of my life, it would be the best way to
stand.

So he went on, and Apollyon met him. Now the monster was hideous
to behold; he was clothed with scales, like a fish (and they are
his pride), he had wings like a dragon, feet like a bear, and out
of his belly came fire and smoke, and his mouth was as the mouth
of a lion.[84] When he was come up to Christian, he beheld him with
a disdainful countenance, and thus began to question with him.

APOL. Whence come you? and whither are you bound?

CHR. I am come from the City of Destruction, which is the place
of all evil, and am going to the City of Zion.

APOL. By this I perceive thou art one of my subjects, for all
that country is mine, and I am the prince and god of it. How is
it, then, that thou hast run away from thy king? Were it not that
I hope thou mayest do me more service, I would strike thee now,
at one blow, to the ground.

CHR. I was born, indeed, in your dominions, but your service was
hard, and your wages such as a man could not live on, "for the
wages of sin is death" (Rom. 6:23); therefore, when I was come
to years, I did as other considerate persons do, look out, if,
perhaps, I might mend myself.

APOL. There is no prince that will thus lightly lose his subjects,[85]
neither will I as yet lose thee; but since thou complainest of thy
service and wages, be content to go back; what our country will
afford, I do here promise to give thee.

CHR. But I have let myself to another, even to the King of princes;
and how can I, with fairness, go back with thee?

APOL. Thou hast done in this according to the proverb, "Changed a
bad for a worse"; but it is ordinary for those that have professed
themselves His servants, after a while to give Him the slip, and
return again to me. Do thou so too, and all shall be well.

CHR. I have given Him my faith, and sworn my allegiance to Him;
how, then, can I go back from this, and not be hanged as a traitor?

APOL. Thou didst the same to me, and yet I am willing to pass by
all, if now thou wilt yet turn again and go back.

CHR. What I promised thee was in my nonage;[86] and, besides, I
count the Prince under whose banner now I stand is able to absolve
me; yea, and to pardon also what I did as to my compliance with
thee; and besides, O thou destroying Apollyon! to speak truth,
I like His service, His wages, His servants, His government, His
company, and country, better than thine; and, therefore, leave off
to persuade me further; I am His servant, and I will follow Him.

APOL. Consider again, when thou art in cool blood, what thou art
like to meet with in the way that thou goest. Thou knowest that,
for the most part, His servants come to an ill end, because they
are transgressors against me and my ways. How many of them have
been put to shameful deaths! and, besides, thou countest His service
better than mine, whereas He never came yet from the place where
He is to deliver any that served Him out of their hands; but as
for me, how many times, as all the world very well knows, have I
delivered, either by power or fraud, those that have faithfully
served me, from Him and His, though taken by them; and so I will
deliver thee.

CHR. His forbearing at present to deliver them is on purpose to
try their love, whether they will cleave to Him to the end; and
as for the ill end thou sayest they come to, that is most glorious
in their account; for, for present deliverance, they do not much
expect it, for they stay for their glory, and then they shall have
it, when their Prince comes in His and the glory of the angels.

APOL. Thou hast already been unfaithful in thy service to Him;
and how dost thou think to receive wages of Him?

CHR. Wherein, O Apollyon! have I been unfaithful to Him?

APOL. Thou didst faint at first setting out, when thou wast almost
choked in the Gulf of Despond; thou didst attempt wrong ways to
be rid of thy burden, whereas against thou shouldest have stayed
till thy Prince had taken it off; thou didst sinfully sleep, and
lose thy choice thing; thou wast, also, almost persuaded to go back,
at the sight of the lions; and when thou talkest of thy journey,
and of what thou hast heard and seen, thou art inwardly desirous
of vain-glory in all that thou sayest or doest.[87]

CHR. All this is true, and much more which thou has left out;
but the Prince, whom I serve and honour, is merciful, and ready
to forgive; but, besides, these infirmities possessed me in thy
country, for there I sucked them in; and I have groaned under
them, been sorry for them, and have obtained pardon of my Prince.[88]

APOL. Then Apollyon broke out into a grievous rage, saying, I am
an enemy to this Prince; I hate His person, His laws, and people;
I am come out on purpose to withstand thee.

CHR. Apollyon, beware what you do; for I am in the king's highway,
the way of holiness; therefore take heed to yourself.

APOL. Then Apollyon straddled quite over the whole breadth of the
way, and said, I am void of fear in this matter: prepare thyself
to die; for I swear by my infernal den, that thou shalt go no
further; here will I spill thy soul.

And with that he threw a flaming dart at his breast;[89] but
Christian had a shield in his hand, with which he caught it, and
so prevented the danger of that.

Then did Christian draw; for he saw it was time to bestir him: and
Apollyon as fast made at him, throwing darts as thick as hail; by
the which, notwithstanding all that Christian could do to avoid
it, Apollyon wounded him in his head, his hand, and foot. This
made Christian give a little back; Apollyon, therefore, followed
his work amain, and Christian again took courage, and resisted
as manfully as he could. This sore combat lasted for above half
a day, even till Christian was almost quite spent; for you must
know, that Christian, by reason of his wounds, must needs grow
weaker and weaker.

Then Apollyon, espying his opportunity, began to gather up close
to Christian, and wrestling with him, gave him a dreadful fall;
and with that, Christian's sword flew out of his hand. Then said
Apollyon, I am sure of thee now.[90] And with that he had almost
pressed him to death; so that Christian began to despair of life:
but as God would have it, while Apollyon was fetching of his last
blow, thereby to make a full end of this good man, Christian nimbly
stretched out his hand for his sword, and caught it, saying,
"Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise"
(Micah. 7:8); and with that gave him a deadly thrust, which made
him give back, as one that had received his mortal wound. Christian
perceiving that, made at him again, saying, "Nay, in all these
things we are more than conquerors, through Him that loved us"
(Rom. 8:37). And with that Apollyon spread forth his dragon's
wings, and sped him away, that Christian for a season[91] saw him
no more[92] (James 4:7).

In this combat no man can imagine, unless he had seen and heard as
I did, what yelling and hideous roaring Apollyon made all the time
of the fight-he spake like a dragon; and, on the other side, what
sighs and groans burst from Christian's heart. I never saw him all
the while give so much as one pleasant look, till he perceived he
had wounded Apollyon with his two-edged sword; then, indeed, he
did smile, and look upward; but it was the most dreadful sight
that ever I saw.[93]

So when the battle was over, Christian said, "I will here give
thanks to Him that delivered me out of the mouth of the lion, to
Him that did help me against Apollyon." And so he did, saying-

Great Beelzebub, the captain of this fiend, Design'd my ruin;
therefore to this end He sent him harness'd out; and he with rage,
That hellish was, did fiercely me engage. But blessed Michael helped
me, and I, By dint of sword, did quickly make him fly. Therefore
to him let me give lasting praise, And thank and bless his holy
name always.

Then there came to him a hand, with some of the leaves of the tree
of life, the which Christian took, and applied to the wounds that
he had received in the battle, and was healed immediately.[94]
He also sat down in that place to eat bread, and to drink of the
bottle that was given him a little before; so being refreshed,
he addressed himself to his journey, with his sword drawn in his
hand; for he said, I know not but some other enemy may be at hand.
But he met with no other affront from Apollyon quite through this
valley.

Now, at the end of this valley, was another, The Valley of the
Shadow of Death. and Christian must needs go through it, because
the way to the Celestial City lay through the midst of it. Now
this valley is a very solitary place. The prophet Jeremiah thus
describes it: "A wilderness, a land of deserts, and of pits, a
land of drought, and of the shadow of death, a land that no man"
(but a Christian) "passed through, and where no man dwelt" (Jer.
2:6).

Now here Christian was worse put to it than in his fight with
Apollyon; as by the sequel you shall see.[95]

I saw then in my dream, that when Christian was got to the borders
of the Shadow of Death, there met him two men, children of them
that brought up an evil report of the good land (Num. 13), making
haste to go back; to whom Christian spake as follows-

CHR. Whither are you going?

MEN. They said, Back! back! and we would have you to do so too,
if either life or peace is prized by you.

CHR. Why? what's the matter? said Christian.

MEN. Matter! said they; we were going that way as you are going,
and went as far as we durst; and indeed we were almost past coming
back; for had we gone a little further, we had not been here to
bring the news to thee.

CHR. But what have you met with? said Christian.

MEN. Why, we were almost in the Valley of the Shadow of Death; but
that, by good hap, we looked before us, and saw the danger before
we came to it (Psa. 44:19; 107:10).

CHR. But what have you seen? said Christian.

MEN. Seen! Why, the valley itself, which is as dark as pitch; we
also saw there the hobgoblins, satyrs, and dragons of the pit; we
heard also in that Valley a continual howling and yelling, as of
a people under unutterable misery, who there sat bound in affliction
and irons; and over that Valley hangs the discouraging clouds of
confusion. Death also doth always spread his wings over it. In a
word, it is every whit dreadful, being utterly without order (Job
3:5; 10:26).

CHR. Then said Christian, I perceive not yet, by what you have
said, but that this is my way to the desired haven[96] (Jer. 2:6).

MEN. Be it thy way; we will not choose it for ours. So they parted,
and Christian went on his way, but still with his sword drawn in
his hand; for fear lest he should be assaulted.

I saw then in my dream so far as this valley reached, there was
on the right hand a very deep ditch: that ditch is it into which
the blind have led the blind in all ages, and have both there
miserably perished[97] (Psa. 69:14, 15). Again, behold, on the
left hand, there was a very dangerous quag, into which, if even
a good man falls, he can find no bottom for his foot to stand on.
Into that quag king David once did fall, and had no doubt therein
been smothered, had not HE that is able plucked him out.

The pathway was here also exceeding narrow, and therefore good
Christian was the more put to it; for when he sought, in the dark,
to shun the ditch on the one hand, he was ready to tip over into
the mire on the other; also when he sought to escape the mire,
without great carefulness he would be ready to fall into the ditch.
Thus he went on, and I heard him here sigh bitterly; for besides
the dangers mentioned above, the pathway was here so dark, that
ofttimes, when he lift up his foot to set forward, he knew not
where, or upon what he should set it next.

About the midst of this valley, I perceived the mouth of hell to
be, and it stood also hard by the way-side. Now, thought Christian,
what shall I do? And ever and anon the flame and smoke would come
out in such abundance, with sparks and hideous noises (things that
cared not for Christian's sword, as did Apollyon before), that
he was forced to put up his sword, and betake himself to another
weapon, called All-prayer (Eph. 4:18). So he cried in my hearing,
"O Lord, I beseech Thee, deliver my soul!" (Psa. 116:4). Thus
he went on a great while, yet still the flames would be reaching
towards him.[98] Also be heard doleful voices, and rushings to and
fro, so that sometimes he thought he should be torn in pieces, or
trodden down like mire in the streets. This frightful sight was
seen, and these dreadful noises were heard by him for several miles
together. And, coming to a place, where be thought he heard a
company of fiends coming forward to meet him, he stopped and began
to muse what he had best to do. Sometimes he had half a thought
to go back; then again he thought he might be half way through
the valley; he remembered also how be had already vanquished many
a danger, and that the danger of going back might be much more
than for to go forward; so he resolved to go on. Yet the fiends
seemed to come nearer and nearer; but when they were come even
almost at him, he cried out with a most vehement voice, "I will
walk in the strength of the Lord God"; so they gave back, and came
no further.

One thing I would not let slip; I took notice that now poor
Christian was so confounded, that he did not know his own voice;
and thus I perceived it. Just when he was come over against the
mouth of the burning pit, one of the wicked ones got behind him,
and stept up softly to him, and, whisperingly, suggested many
grievous blasphemies to him, which he verily thought had proceeded
from his own mind. This put Christian more to it than anything
that he met with before; even to think that he should now blaspheme
Him that he loved so much before; yet, if he could have helped it,
he would not have done it; but he had not the discretion either
to stop his ears, or to know from whence these blasphemies came.[99]