The Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan Every Child Can Read
the time of trial. As for a great heart, Little-Faith had none; and I
perceive by thee, my brother, hadst thou been the man concerned, thou
art but for a brush, and then to yield. And, verily, since this is the
height of thy courage now they are at a distance from us, should they
appear to thee as they did to him, they might put thee to second
thoughts. But consider again, they are but journeymen-thieves; they
serve under the king of the bottomless pit, who, if need be, will come
in to their aid himself, and his voice is as the roaring of a lion. I
myself have been engaged as this Little-Faith was, and I found it a
terrible thing. These three villains set upon me: and I beginning like a
Christian to resist, they gave but a call, and in came their master. I
would, as the saying is, have given my life for a penny, but that, as
God would have it, I was clothed with armor of proof. Ay, and yet,
though I was so protected, I found it hard work to quit myself like a
man. No man can tell what in that combat attends us, but he that hath
been in the battle himself.
[Sidenote: LITTLE-FAITH AND GREAT-GRACE]
HOPE. Well, but they ran, you see, when they did but suppose that one
Great-Grace was in the way.
CHRIS. True, they have often fled, both they and their master, when
Great-Grace hath but appeared; and no marvel, for he is the King's
champion. But I trow you will put some difference between Little-Faith
and the King's champion? All the King's subjects are not His champions,
nor can they when tried do such feats of war as he. Is it meet to think
that a little child should handle Goliath as David did? or that there
should be the strength of an ox in a wren? Some are strong, some are
weak; some have great faith, some have little: this man was one of the
weak, and therefore he went to the wall.
HOPE. I would it had been Great-Grace for their sakes.
CHRIS. If it had been he, he might have had his hands full; for I must
tell you that though Great-Grace is excellent good at his weapons, and
has, and can, so long as he keeps them at sword's point, do well enough
with them; yet, if they get within him, even Faint-heart, Mistrust, or
the other, it shall go hard but they will throw up his heels. And when a
man is down, you know, what can he do?
Whoso looks well upon Great-Grace's face will see those scars and cuts
there, that shall easily give proof of what I say. Yea, once I heard
that he should say (and that when he was in the combat), "We despaired
even of life." How did these sturdy rogues and their fellows make David
groan, mourn, and roar! Yea, Heman, and Hezekiah too, though champions
in their days, were forced to bestir when by these attacked; and yet,
notwithstanding, they had their coats soundly brushed by them. Peter,
upon a time, would go try what he could do; but though some do say of
him that he is the prince of the apostles, they handled him so that they
made him at last afraid of a sorry girl.
[Sidenote: LITTLE-FAITH AMONG THIEVES]
Besides, their king is at their whistle--he is never out of hearing; and
if at any time they be put to the worst, he, if possible, comes in to
help them; and of him it is said, "The sword of him that layeth at him
cannot hold; the spear, the dart, nor the habergeon. He esteemeth iron
as straw, and brass as rotten wood. The arrow cannot make him flee;
sling-stones are turned with him into stubble. Darts are counted as
stubble: he laugheth at the shaking of a spear." What can a man do in
this case? It is true, if a man could at every turn have Job's horse,
and had skill and courage to ride him, he might do notable things. For
his neck is clothed with thunder. He will not be afraid as the
grasshopper: "the glory of his nostrils is terrible. He paweth in the
valley, and rejoiceth in his strength: he goeth on to meet the armed
men. He mocketh at fear, and is not affrighted, neither turneth he his
back from the sword. The quiver rattleth against him, the glittering
spear and the shield. He swalloweth the ground with fierceness and rage;
neither believeth he that it is the sound of the trumpet. He saith among
the trumpets, Ha! ha! and he smelleth the battle afar off, the thunder
of the captains, and the shouting."
But for such footmen as thee and I are, let us never desire to meet with
an enemy, nor vaunt as if we could do better, when we hear of others
that have been foiled, nor be tickled at the thoughts of our manhood;
for such commonly come by the worst when tried. Witness Peter, of whom I
made mention before: he would swagger, ay, he would; he would, as his
vain mind prompted him to say, do better and stand more for his Master
than all men; but who so foiled and run down by those villains as he?
Then Christian sang:
"Poor Little-Faith! hast been among the thieves?
Wast robbed? Remember this: whoso believes
And gets more faith, shall then a victor be
Over ten thousand; else, scarce over three."
So they went on, and Ignorance followed. They went then till they came
to a place where they saw a way put itself into their way, and seemed
withal to lie as straight as the way which they should go; and here they
knew not which of the two to take, for both seemed straight before them;
therefore here they stood still to consider. And, as they were thinking
about the way, behold, a man, black of flesh, but covered with a very
light robe, came to them, and asked them why they stood there. They
answered they were going to the Celestial City, but knew not which of
these ways to take. "Follow me," said the man; "it is thither that I am
going." So they followed him to the way that but now came into the road,
which by degrees turned and turned them so from the city that they
desired to go to, that, in a little time, their faces were turned away
from it; yet they followed him. But by-and-by, before they were aware,
he led them both within the folds of a net, in which they were both so
entangled that they knew not what to do; and with that, the white robe
fell off the black man's back. Then they saw where they were. Wherefore,
there they lay crying some time, for they could not get themselves out.
CHRIS. Then said Christian to his fellow, "Now do I see myself in an
error. Did not the shepherds bid us beware of flatterers? As is the
saying of the Wise Man, so we have found it this day: 'A man that
flattereth his neighbor, spreadeth a net at his feet.'"
[Sidenote: A SHINING ONE APPEARS]
HOPE. They also gave us a note of directions about the way, for our more
sure finding thereof; but therein we have also forgotten to read, and
have not kept ourselves from the paths of the destroyer. Thus they lay
bewailing themselves in the net. At last they espied a Shining One
coming towards them with a whip of small cord in his hand. When he was
come to the place where they were, he asked them whence they came, and
what they did there. They told him that they were poor pilgrims going to
Zion, but were led out of their way by a black man clothed in white,
"Who bid us," said they, "follow him, for he was going thither too."
Then said he with the whip, "It is Flatterer, a false prophet, that hath
changed himself into an angel of light." So he rent the net, and let the
men out. Then said he to them, "Follow me, that I may set you in your
way again." So he led them back to the way which they had left to follow
the Flatterer. Then he asked them, saying, "Where did you lie the last
night?" They said, "With the shepherds upon the Delectable Mountains."
He asked them then if they had not of those shepherds a note of
direction for the way. They answered, "Yes." "But did you not," said he,
"when you were at a stand, pluck out and read your note?" They answered,
"No." He asked them, "Why?" They said they forgot. He asked them,
moreover, if the shepherds did not bid them beware of the Flatterer.
They answered, "Yes; but we did not imagine," said they, "that this
fine-spoken man had been he."
Then I saw in my dream, that he commanded them to lie down; which when
they did, he whipped them sore, to teach them the good way wherein they
should walk; and, as he whipped them, he said, "As many as I love, I
rebuke and chasten; be zealous, therefore, and repent." This done, he
bid them go on their way, and take good heed to the other directions of
the shepherds. So they thanked him for all his kindness, and went softly
along the right way, singing:
"Come hither, you that walk along the way,
See how the pilgrims fare that go astray;
They catched are in an entangling net,
'Cause they good counsel lightly did forget;
'Tis true, they rescued were; but yet, you see,
They're scourged to boot: let this your caution be."
Now, after awhile they perceived afar off, one coming softly and alone,
all along the highway, to meet them. Then said Christian to his fellow,
"Yonder is a man with his back towards Zion, and he is coming to meet
us."
HOPE. I see him: let us take heed to ourselves lest he should prove a
flatterer also.
[Sidenote: THEY MEET ATHEIST]
So he drew nearer and nearer, and at last came up to them. His name was
Atheist,[7] and he asked them whither they were going.
[7] An atheist is one who does not believe that there is a God.
CHRIS. We are going to Mount Zion.
Then Atheist fell into a very great laughter.
CHRIS. What is the meaning of your laughter?
ATHEIST. I laugh to see what ignorant persons you are, to take upon
yourselves so tedious a journey, and yet are like to have nothing but
your travel for your pains.
CHRIS. Why, man, do you think we shall not be received?
ATHEIST. Received! There is no such a place as you dream of in all this
world.
CHRIS. But there is in the world to come.
ATHEIST. When I was at home in mine own country, I heard as you now
affirm, and, from that hearing, went out to see, and have been seeking
this city these twenty years, but find no more of it than I did the
first day I set out.
CHRIS. We have both heard and believe that there is such a place to be
found.
ATHEIST. Had not I, when at home, believed I had not come thus far to
seek; but, finding none (and yet I should had there been such a place to
be found, for I have gone to seek it farther than you), I am going back
again, and will seek to refresh myself with the things that I then cast
away for hopes of that which I now see is not.
CHRIS. Then said Christian to Hopeful his fellow, "Is it true which this
man hath said?"
HOPE. Take heed; he is one of the flatterers. Remember what it hath cost
us once already for hearkening to such kind of fellows. What! no Mount
Zion? Did we not see from the Delectable Mountains the gate of the city?
Also, are we not now to walk by faith? Let us go on, lest the man with
the whip overtake us again. I say, my brother, cease to hear him, and
let us believe to the saving of the soul.
CHRIS. My brother, I did not put the question to thee for that I
doubted of the truth of our belief myself, but to prove thee, and to
fetch from thee a fruit of the honesty of thy heart. As for this man, I
know that he is blinded. Let thee and me go on, knowing that we have
belief of the truth, and no lie is of the truth.
HOPE. Now do I rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
So they turned away from the man, and he, laughing at them, went his
way.
I then saw in my dream that they went till they came into a certain
country, whose air naturally tended to make one drowsy if he came a
stranger into it. And here Hopeful began to be very dull and heavy of
sleep; wherefore he said unto Christian, "I do now begin to grow so
drowsy, that I can scarcely hold up mine eyes; let us lie down here, and
take one nap."