THE
PILGRIM'S PROGRESS
JOHN
BUNYAN
Section
10
Talk
of Christian and Hopeful - Temporary - the backslider - the
land of Beulah - Christian and
Hopeful pass the River - welcome to the Celestial city - Conclusion
WELCOME
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.
"But
ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the
heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, To the general
assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to
God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, And to
Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that
speaketh better things than that of Abel." Hebrews 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.
"He
that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To
him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the
midst of the paradise of God." Revelation 2:7
"Thou
hast a few names even in Sardis
which have not
defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are
worthy." Revelation 3:4
"And
the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the
twelve apostles of the Lamb." Revelation 21:14
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.
"That
he who blesseth himself in the earth shall bless himself in the God of
truth; and he that sweareth in the earth shall swear by the God of truth;
because the former troubles are forgotten, and because they are hid from
mine eyes." Isaiah 65:16
You
are going now 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".
"The
righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart: and merciful men are
taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to
come. He shall enter into peace: they shall rest in their beds, each
one walking in his uprightness." Isaiah 57:1, 2
The
men then asked, "What must we do in the holy place?" To whom it
was answered: "You must there receive the comfort 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.
"Be
not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he
also reap." Galatians 6:7
In
that place you must wear crowns of gold, and enjoy the perpetual sight and
visions of the Holy One; for there you shall see him as he is.
"Beloved,
now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but
we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we 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 got thither
before you; and there you shall with joy receive even every one that follows
into the holy place after you. There, also, you shall 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. Also, when he shall again return to the City, you shall go too,
with sound of trumpet, and be ever with him."
"But
I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are
asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we
believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in
Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the
Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord
shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend
from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the
trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:" 1 Thessalonians
4:13
-16
"And
Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the
Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints" Jude 14
"I
beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit,
whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the
pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels
as burning fire. A fiery stream issued and came forth from before
him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten
thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were
opened." Daniel 7:9, 10
"Do
ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be
judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Know ye not
that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?
1 Corinthians 6:2, 3
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 that are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb".
"And
he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the
marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true
sayings of God." Revelation 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.
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 'twere to guide
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 't 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.
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".
"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."
Revelation 22:14
Then
I saw in my dream, that the shining men bid them call at the gate, the which
when they did, some from above looked over the gate: to wit, Enoch, Moses,
and Elijah; 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,
"that keeps truth, may enter in".
"Open
ye the gates, that the righteous nation which keepeth the truth may enter
in." Isaiah 26:2
Now
I saw in my dream, that these two men went in at the gate; and lo, as they
entered, they were transfigured; and they had raiment put on that shone like
gold. There were also those that met them with harps and crowns, and gave
them to them; the harps to praise withal, and the crowns in token of honour.
Then I heard in my dream, that all the bells in the City rang again for joy;
and that it was said unto them, "Enter ye into the joy of your
Lord." I also heard the men themselves, that they sang with a loud
voice, saying, "Blessing, honour, glory, and power, be to him that
sitteth upon the throne, and to the Lamb for ever and ever".
"And
every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth,
and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying,
Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth
upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever. And the four beasts
said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped
him that liveth for ever and ever." Revelation 5:13, 14
Now,
just as the gates were opened to let in the men, I looked in after them: and
behold, the City shone like the sun: the streets also were paved with gold;
and in them walked many men, with crowns on their heads, palms in their
hands, and golden harps to sing praises withal.
There
were also of them that had wings; and they answered one another without
intermission, saying, "Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord!" And after
that they shut up the gates, which when I had seen, I wished myself among
them.
IGNORANCE COMES TO HIS END
Now,
while I was gazing upon all these things, I turned my head to
look back, and saw IGNORANCE come up to the river side; but he soon got
over, and that without half the difficulty which the other two men met with.
For it happened that there was then in that place one VAIN-HOPE, a ferryman,
that with his boat helped him over: so he, as the other I saw, did ascend
the hill to come up to the gate; only he came alone, neither did any man
meet him with the least encouragement. When he was come up to the gate, he
looked upon the writing that was above, and then began to knock, supposing
that entrance should have been quickly administered to him; but he was asked
by the men that looked over the top of the gate, "Whence came you? and
what would you have?" He answered, "I have ate and drank in the
presence of the King, and he has taught in our streets." Then they
asked him for his certificate, that they might go in and show it to the
King. So he fumbled in his bosom for one, and found none. Then said they,
"Have you none?" But the man answered never a word. So they told
the King; but he would not come down to see him, but commanded the two
Shining Ones that conducted CHRISTIAN and HOPEFUL to the City, to go out,
and take IGNORANCE, and bind him hand and foot, and have him away. Then they
took him up, and carried him through the air to the door that I saw in the
side of the hill, and put him in there. Then I saw that there was a way to
hell, even from the gates of heaven, as well as from the city of
Destruction
. So I awoke, and
behold it was a dream!
THE
CONCLUSION
Now,
reader, I have told my dream to thee;
See if thou canst interpret it to me,
Or to thyself, or neighbour: but take heed
Of misinterpreting; for that, instead
Of doing good, will but thyself abuse:
By misinterpreting evil ensues.
Take heed also that thou be not extreme
In playing with the outside of my dream;
Nor let my figure, or similitude,
Put thee into a laughter or a feud.
Leave this for boys and fools; but as for thee,
Do thou the substance of my matter see.
Put
by the curtains, look within my veil
Turn up my metaphors, and do not fail
There, if thou seekest them, such things to find
As will be helpful to an honest mind.
What of my dross thou findest there, be bold
To throw away; but yet preserve the gold.
What if my gold be wrapped up in ore?
None throws away the apple for the core.
But if thou shalt cast all away as vain
I know not but 'twill make me dream again.
THE END
The
Pilgrim's Progress - Part 2
The
Pilgrim's Progress - Contents
