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
ENTERING
THE PALACE "BEAUTIFUL"
So
I saw in my dream
that he made haste and went forward, that if possible he might get lodging
there. Now before he had gone far, he entered into a very narrow passage,
which was about a furlong off of the porter's lodge; and, looking very
narrowly before him as he went, he espied two lions in the way.
Now, thought he, I see the dangers by which MISTRUST and TIMOROUS were
driven back. (The lions were chained; but he saw not the chains.) Then he
was afraid, and thought also himself to go back after them; for he thought
nothing but death was before him. But the porter at the lodge, whose name is
WATCHFUL, perceiving that CHRISTIAN made a halt, as if he would go back,
cried unto him, saying, "Is thy strength so small?
"And
he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no
faith?" Mark
4:40
fear not the lions; for they are chained, and
are placed there for trial of faith where it is; and for discovery of those
that have none: keep in the midst of the path, and no hurt shall come unto
thee!"
Then I saw that he went on, trembling for fear
of the lions, but taking good heed to the directions of the porter. He heard
them roar; but they did him no harm. Then he clapped his hands, and went on
till he came and stood before the gate where the porter was. Then said
CHRISTIAN to the porter, "Sir, what house is this? and may I lodge here
tonight?" The porter answered, "This house was built by the Lord
of the hill; and he built it for the relief and security of pilgrims."
The porter also asked whence he was, and whither he was going?
Chr. I am come from the city of Destruction, and am going to Mount
Zion; but because the sun is now set, I desire, if I may, to lodge here
tonight.
Watchful, the Porter. What is your name?
Chr. My name is now CHRISTIAN; but my name at the first was
GRACELESS: I came of the race of Japheth, whom God will persuade to dwell in
the tents of Shem.
"God
shall enlarge Japheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem; and
Canaan
shall be his
servant." Genesis 9:27
Watch. But how doth it happen that you
come so late? the sun is set!
Chr. I had been here sooner; but that--wretched man that I am –
I slept by the arbour that stands on the hillside. Nay, I had,
notwithstanding that, been here much sooner, but that in my sleep I lost my
evidence, and came without it to the brow of the hill; and then, feeling for
it, and finding it not, I was forced, with sorrow of heart, to go back to
the place where I slept my sleep, where I found it, and now I am come.
Watch. Well, I will call out one of the virgins of this place, who
will, if she likes your talk, bring you in to the rest of the family,
according to the rules of the house. So WATCHFUL the porter rang a bell; at
the sound of which, came out at the door of the house a grave and beautiful
damsel, named DISCRETION, and asked why she was called.
Watchful answered, "This man is in a journey from the city of
Destruction to Mount Zion; but being weary and benighted, he asked me if he
might lodge here tonight: so I told him I would call for thee, who, after
discourse had with him, mayest do as seemeth thee good, even according to
the law of the house."
Discretion. Then she asked him whence he was, and whither he was going:
and he told her. She asked him also how he got into the way: and he told
her. Then she asked him what he had seen and met with in the way: and he
told her. And last, she asked his name: so he said, "It is CHRISTIAN;
and I have so much the more a desire to lodge here tonight, because, by what
I perceive, this place was built by the Lord of the hill for the relief and
security of pilgrims." So she smiled, but the water stood in her eyes;
and after a little pause, she said, "I will call forth two or three
more of the family." So she ran to the door, and called out PRUDENCE,
PIETY, and CHARITY, who, after a little more discourse with him, had him in
to the family, and many of them meeting him at the threshold of the house,
said, "Come in, thou blessed of the Lord! this house was built by the
Lord of the hill on purpose to entertain such pilgrims in." Then he
bowed his head, and followed them into the house. So when he was come in,
and set down, they gave him something to drink; and consented together that,
until supper was ready, some of them should have some particular discourse
with CHRISTIAN, for the best improvement of time: and they appointed PIETY,
and PRUDENCE, and CHARITY, to discourse with him; and thus they began:
PIETY
Piety. Come, good CHRISTIAN, since we have been so loving to you, as
to receive you into our house this night, let us, if perhaps we may better
ourselves thereby, talk with you of all things that have happened to you in
your pilgrimage.
Chr. With a very good will; and I am glad that you are so well
disposed.
Piety. What moved you at first to betake yourself to a pilgrim's
life?
Chr. I was driven out of my native country by a dreadful sound
that was in mine ears, to wit, that unavoidable destruction did attend me if
I abode in that place where I was.
Piety. But how did it happen that you came out of your country this
way?
Chr. It was as God would have it; for when I was under the fears of
destruction, I did not know whither to go; but by chance there came a man,
even to me (as I was trembling and weeping), whose name is EVANGELIST, and
he directed me to the Wicket gate, which else I should never have found; and
so set me into the way that hath led me directly to this house.
Piety. But did you not come by the house of the INTERPRETER?
Chr. Yes, and did see such things there, the remembrance of which
will stick by me as long as I live; especially three things: to wit, How
Christ in despite of Satan, maintains his work of grace in the heart; how
the man had sinned himself quite out of hopes of God's mercy; and also the
dream of him that thought in his sleep the Day of Judgment was come.
Piety. Why, did you hear him tell his dream?
Chr. Yes, and a dreadful one it was, I thought; it made my heart
ache as he was telling of it; but yet I am glad I heard it.
Piety. Was that all that you saw at the house of the INTERPRETER?
Chr. No: he took me and had me where he showed me a stately
palace; and how the people that were in it were clad in gold; and how there
came a venturous man, and cut his way through the armed men that stood in
the door to keep him out; and how he was bidden to come in and win eternal
glory. Methought those things did ravish my heart: I could have stayed at
the good man's house a twelvemonth but that I knew I had farther to go.
Piety. And what else saw you in the way?
Chr. Saw! Why I went but a little farther, and I saw One, as I
thought in my mind, hang bleeding upon the tree, and the very sight of him
made the burden fall off my back (for I groaned under a weary burden), but
then it fell down from off me. 'Twas a strange thing to me; for I never saw
such a thing before. Yea, and while I stood looking up (for then I could not
forbear looking), three shining ones came to me: one of them testified that
my sins were forgiven; another stript me of my rags, and gave me this
embroidered coat which you see; and the third set the mark which you see in
my forehead, and gave me this sealed roll (and with that he plucked it out
of his bosom).
Piety. But you saw more than this, did you not?
Chr. The things that I have told you were the best; yet I saw
some other small matters, as namely, I saw three men, SIMPLE, SLOTH, and
PRESUMPTION, lie asleep a little out of the way as I came, with irons upon
their heels; but do you think I could awake them! I saw also FORMALIST and
HYPOCRISY come tumbling over the wall, to go, as they pretended, to Zion,
but they were quickly lost; even as I myself did tell them, but they would
not believe: but above all, I found it hard work to get up this hill, and as
hard to come by the lions' mouths; and truly, if it had not been for the
good man, the porter, that stands at the gate, I do not know but that, after
all, I might have gone back again. But now I thank God I am here, and I
thank you for receiving me.
PRUDENCE
Then
PRUDENCE thought it good to ask him a few questions, and desired
his answer to them.
Prudence. Do you not think sometimes of the country from whence you
came?
Chr. Yes, but with much shame and detestation; truly, if I had been
mindful of that country from whence I came out, I might have had opportunity
to have returned; but now I desire a better country, that is, a heavenly.
"And
truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came
out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. But now they desire a
better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to
be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city." Hebrews
11:15, 16
Pru. Do you not yet bear away with you
some of the things that then you were conversant withal?
Chr. Yes, but greatly against my will; especially my inward and
carnal thinking, with which all my countrymen as well as myself, were
delighted. But now all those things are my grief: and might I but choose
mine own things, I would choose never to think of those things more; but
when I would be doing of that which is best, that which is worst is with me.
"Was
then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it
might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the
commandment might become exceeding sinful. For we know that the law is
spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. For that which I do I allow not:
for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. If then I do
that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good. Now
then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. For I know
that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is
present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.
For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I
do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that
dwelleth in me. I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is
present with me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I
see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and
bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O
wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I
thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself
serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin." Romans
7:13-25
Pru. Do you not find sometimes, as if
those things were vanquished, which at other times are your perplexity?
Chr. Yes, but that is but seldom; but they are to me golden hours
in which such things happen to me.
Pru. Can you remember by what means you find your annoyances at
times, as if they were vanquished?
Chr. Yes, when I think of what I saw at the cross, that will do
it; and when I look upon my embroidered 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.
Pru. 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 and annoyances to me; there they say there is no death,
"He
will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from
off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all
the earth: for the LORD hath spoken it." Isaiah 25:8
"And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be
no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more
pain: for the former things are passed away." Revelation 21:4
and there I shall dwell with such company as I
like best. 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."
CHARITY
Then
said CHARITY to CHRISTIAN,
Charity. "Have you a family? Are you a married man?"
Chr. I have a wife and four small children.
Cha. And why did you not bring them along with you?
Chr. Then CHRISTIAN wept, and said, "Oh, how willingly would
I have done it! but they were all of them utterly averse to my going on
pilgrimage."
Cha. But you should have talked to them, and have endeavoured to
show them the danger of being behind.
Chr. So I did, and told them also what God had showed to me of
the destruction of our city; but I seemed to them as one that mocked, and
they believed me not.
"And
Lot
went out, and spake
unto his sons in law, which married his daughters, and said, Up, get you out
of this place; for the LORD will destroy this city. But he seemed as one
that mocked unto his sons in law." Genesis 19:14
Cha. 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.
Cha. 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 again. 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.
Cha. 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.
Cha. 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?
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. Yea, for this very thing, they would tell me I was too precise;
and that I denied myself of sins (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.
Cha. Indeed, Cain hated his brother because his own works were
evil, and his brother's righteous;
"Not
as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And
wherefore slew he him? 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.
"Yet
if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his
wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy
soul." Ezekiel 3:19
The
Pilgrim's Progress - Wonders shown to Christian
The
Pilgrim's Progress - Contents
