THE
PILGRIM'S PROGRESS
JOHN
BUNYAN
Section
3
Loses
his burden at the Cross - Simple,
Sloth, Presumption, Formalist, Hypocrisy - hill Difficulty
- the Arbour - misses his roll - the
palace Beautiful - the lions - talk with Discretion, Piety, Prudence, and
Charity - wonders
shown to Christian
THE
CROSS
Now
I saw in my dream,
that the highway up which CHRISTIAN was to go was fenced on either side with
a wall; and that wall was called "Salvation".
"In
that day shall this song be sung in the
land
of Judah;
We have a strong city; salvation will God appoint for walls
and bulwarks." Isaiah 26:1
Up
this way, therefore, did burdened CHRISTIAN run; but not without great
difficulty, because of the load on his back.
He
ran thus till he came at a place somewhat ascending; and upon that place
stood a Cross, and a little below, in the bottom, a sepulchre. So I saw in
my dream, that just as CHRISTIAN came up to the cross, his burden loosed
from off his shoulders, and fell from off his back, and began to tumble; and
so continued to do till it came to the mouth of the sepulchre, where it fell
in, and I saw it no more.
Then was CHRISTIAN glad and lightsome, and said, with a merry heart,
"He
hath given me rest by his sorrow,
And life by his death."
Then
he stood still awhile to look and wonder; for it was very surprising to him,
that the sight of the cross should thus ease him of his burden. He looked
therefore, and looked again, even till the springs that were in his head
sent the waters down his cheeks.
"And
I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem,
the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom
they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his
only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in
bitterness for his firstborn." Zechariah 12:10
Now,
as he stood looking and weeping, behold three shining ones came to him, and
saluted him with, "Peace be to thee!" so the first said to him,
"Thy sins be forgiven thee";
"When
Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be
forgiven thee." Mark 2:5
the
second stripped him of his rags, and clothed him with change of raiment;
"And
he answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away
the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused
thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of
raiment." Zechariah 3:4
the
third also set a mark in his forehead, and gave him a roll with a seal upon
it,
"In
whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the
gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were
sealed with that holy Spirit of promise" Ephesians
1:13
which
he bade him look on as he ran, and that he should give it in at the
Celestial Gate: so they went their way. Then CHRISTIAN gave three leaps for
joy, and went on singing:
"Thus
far did I come laden with my sin,
Nor could aught ease the grief that I was in,
Till I came hither. What a place is this!
Must here be the beginning of my bliss!
Must here the burden fall from off my back!
Must here the strings that bound it to me crack!
Blest cross! blest sepulchre! blest rather be
The Man that there was put to shame for me!"
The
Pilgrim's Progress - Simple, Sloth, Presumption
The
Pilgrim's Progress - Contents
