The Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan Every Child Can Read
CHRIS. "By no means," said the other, "lest sleeping, we never awake
more."
HOPE. Why, my brother? sleep is sweet to the laboring man: we may be
refreshed if we take a nap.
CHRIS. Do not you remember that one of the shepherds bid us beware of
the Enchanted Ground? He meant by that that we should beware of
sleeping; wherefore let us not sleep as others, but let us watch and be
sober.
HOPE. I acknowledge myself in fault; and had I been here alone, I had,
by sleeping, run the danger of death. I see it is true that the Wise
Man saith, "Two are better than one." Hitherto hath thy company been my
help; and thou shalt have a good reward for thy labor.
CHRIS. "Now, then," said Christian, "to prevent drowsiness in this
place, let us talk about something profitable."
HOPE. With all my heart.
[Sidenote: HOPEFUL NARRATES CONVERSION]
CHRIS. Where shall we begin?
HOPE. Where God began with us. But do you begin, if you please.
CHRIS. I will sing you first this song:
"When saints do sleepy grow, let them come hither,
And hear how these two pilgrims talk together;
Yea, let them learn of them, in any wise,
Thus to keep ope their drowsy, slumbering eyes.
Saints' fellowship, if it be managed well,
Keeps them awake, and that in spite of hell."
CHRIS. Then Christian began, and said, "I will ask you a question. How
came you to think at first of doing as you do now?"
HOPE. Do you mean, how came I at first to look after the good of my
soul?
CHRIS. Yes, that is my meaning.
HOPE. I continued a great while in the delight of those things which
were seen and sold at our fair; things which I believe now would have,
had I continued in them still, drowned me in ruin and destruction.
CHRIS. What things were they?
HOPE. All the treasures and riches of the world. Also I delighted much
in rioting, revelling, drinking, swearing, lying, uncleanness,
Sabbath-breaking, and what not, that tended to destroy the soul. But I
found at last, by hearing and considering of things that are holy, which
indeed I heard of you, as also of beloved Faithful, that was put to
death for his faith, and good living in Vanity Fair, that the end of
these things is death; and that, for these things' sake, the wrath of
God cometh upon those who disobey him.
CHRIS. And did you presently fall under the power of this feeling?
HOPE. No; I was not willing presently to know the evil of sin, nor the
destruction that follows upon the doing of it; but tried, when my mind
at first began to be shaken with the Word, to shut mine eyes against the
light thereof.
CHRIS. But what was the cause of your waiting so long?
HOPE. The causes were,--Firstly, I was ignorant that this was the work
of God upon me. Secondly, Sin was yet very sweet to my flesh, and I was
loth to leave it. Thirdly, I could not tell how to part with mine old
companions, their presence and actions were so desirable unto me.
Fourthly, The hours in which these feelings were upon me, were such
troublesome and such heart-affrighting hours, that I could not bear, no,
not so much as the remembrance of them upon my heart.
CHRIS. Then, as it seems, sometimes you got rid of your trouble?
HOPE. Yes, verily, but it would come into my mind again, and then I
should be as bad, nay, worse than I was before.
CHRIS. Why, what was it that brought your sins to mind again?
HOPE. Many things; as,
1. If I did but meet a good man in the streets; or,
2. If I have heard any read in the Bible; or,
3. If mine head did begin to ache; or,
4. If I were told that some of my neighbors
were sick; or,
5. If I heard the bell toll for some that were
dead; or,
6. If I thought of dying myself; or,
7. If I heard that sudden death happened to
others;
8. But especially when I thought of myself that
I must quickly come to judgment.
CHRIS. And could you at any time with ease get off the guilt of sin,
when by any of these ways it came upon you?
HOPE. No, not I; for then they got faster hold of my conscience; and
then, if I did but think of going back to sin (though my mind was turned
against it,) it would be double torment to me.
CHRIS. And how did you do then?
HOPE. I thought I must endeavor to mend my life; for else, thought I, I
am sure to be lost forever.
CHRIS. And did you endeavor to mend?
HOPE. Yes, and fled from not only my sins, but sinful company too, and
betook me to religious duties, as praying, reading, weeping for sin,
speaking truth to my neighbors, etc. These things did I, with many
others, too much here to tell.
CHRIS. And did you think yourself well then?
HOPE. Yes, for a while; but, at the last, my trouble came tumbling upon
me again, and that over the neck of all my trying to do right.
CHRIS. How came that about, since you were now doing right, as far as
you knew?
HOPE. There were several things brought it upon me; especially such
sayings as these: "All our righteousness are as filthy rags;" "By the
works of the law shall no flesh be made righteous;" "When ye shall have
done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are
unprofitable;" with many more such like. From whence I began to reason
with myself thus: If all my righteousness are filthy rags, if by the
deeds of the law no man can be made righteous, and if, when we have done
_all_, we are yet unprofitable, then it is but a folly to think of
heaven by the law. I further thought thus; If a man runs a hundred
pounds into the shopkeeper's debt, and after that shall pay for all that
he shall buy; yet his old debt stands still in the book uncrossed; for
the which the shopkeeper may sue him, and cast him into prison till he
shall pay the debt.
CHRIS. Well, and how did you apply this to yourself?
HOPE. Why, I thought thus with myself: I have by my sins run a great
way into God's book, and my now reforming will not pay off that score.
Therefore I should think still, under all my present trying. But how
shall I be freed from that punishment that I have brought myself in
danger of by my former sins.
CHRIS. A very good application; but pray go on.
HOPE. Another thing that hath troubled me ever since my late turning
from sin is, that if I look narrowly into the best of what I do now, I
still see sin, new sin, mixing itself with the best of that I do; so
that now I am forced to conclude that, notwithstanding my former fond
opinion of myself and duties, I have committed sin enough in one duty to
send me to hell, though my former life had been faultless.
CHRIS. And what did you do then?
HOPE. Do! I could not tell what to do, till I brake my mind to Faithful;
for he and I were well acquainted. And he told me, that unless I could
obtain the righteousness of a Man that never had sinned, neither mine
own nor all the righteousness of the world could save me.
CHRIS. And did you think he spake true?
HOPE. Had he told me so when I was pleased and satisfied with mine own
trying, I had called him fool for his pains; but now, since I see mine
own weakness and the sin which cleaves to my best performance, I have
been forced to be of his opinion.
CHRIS. But did you think, when at first he suggested it to you, that
there was such a Man to be found, of whom it might justly be said that
He never committed sin?
HOPE. I must confess the words at first sounded strangely; but after a
little more talk and company with him I had full certainty about it.
CHRIS. And did you ask him what Man this was, and how you must be made
righteous by Him?
HOPE. Yes, and he told me it was the Lord Jesus, that dwelleth on the
right hand of the Most High. And thus, said he, you must be made right
by Him, even by trusting what He hath done by Himself in the days of His
flesh, and suffered when He did hang on the tree. I asked him further,
How that Man's righteousness could be of that power to help another
before God? And he told me He was the mighty God, and did what He did,
and died the death also, not for Himself, but for me; to whom His
doings, and the worthiness of them, should be given if I believed on
Him.
CHRIS. And what did you do then?
HOPE. I made my objections against my believing, for that I thought He
was not willing to save me.
CHRIS. And what said Faithful to you then?
HOPE. He bid me go to Him and see. Then I said it was too much for me to
ask for. But he said No, for I was invited to come. Then he gave me a
book of Jesus' own writing to encourage me the more freely to come; and
he said concerning that book, that every word and letter thereof stood
firmer than heaven and earth. Then I asked him what I must do when I
came; and he told me I must entreat on my knees, with all my heart and
soul, the Father to reveal Him to me. Then I asked him further how I
must make my prayer to Him; and he said, Go, and thou shalt find Him
upon a mercy-seat, where He sits all the year long to give pardon and
forgiveness to them that come. I told him that I knew not what to say
when I came; and he bid me say to this effect: God be merciful to me a
sinner, and make me to know and believe in Jesus Christ; for I see that
if His righteousness had not been, or I have not faith in that
righteousness, I am utterly cast away. Lord, I have heard that Thou art
a merciful God, and hast given that Thy Son Jesus Christ should be the
Saviour of the world; and, moreover, that Thou art willing to bestow Him
upon such a poor sinner as I am. And I am a sinner indeed. Lord, take
therefore this opportunity, and show Thy grace in the salvation of my
soul, through Thy Son Jesus Christ. Amen.
CHRIS. And did you do as you were bidden?
HOPE. Yes, over, and over, and over.
CHRIS. And did the Father show His son to you?
HOPE. Not at the first, nor second, nor third, nor fourth, nor fifth;
no, nor at the sixth time neither.
CHRIS. What did you do then?
HOPE. What! why, I could not tell what to do.
CHRIS. Had you no thoughts of leaving off praying?
HOPE. Yes; a hundred times twice told.
CHRIS. And what was the reason you did not?
HOPE. I believed that that was true which had been told me; to wit, that
without the righteousness of this Christ, all the world could not save
me; and therefore, thought I with myself, if I leave off I die, and I
can but die at the throne of grace. And withal, this came into my mind:
"Though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not
tarry." So I continued praying until the Father showed me His Son.
CHRIS. And how was He shown unto you?
HOPE. I did not see Him with my bodily eyes, but with the eyes of my
heart, and thus it was: One day I was very sad, I think sadder than at
any one time in my life; and this sadness was through a fresh sight of
the greatness and vileness of my sins. And, as I was then looking for
nothing but hell and the everlasting loss of my soul, suddenly, as I
thought, I saw the Lord Jesus look down from heaven upon me, and saying,
"Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved."
But I replied, "Lord, I am a great, a very great sinner." And He
answered, "My grace is sufficient for thee." Then I said, "But, Lord,
what is believing?" And then I saw from that saying, "He that cometh to
me shall never hunger, and he that believeth on me shall never thirst,"
that believing and coming was all one; and that he that came, that is,
ran out in his heart and desire after salvation by Christ, he indeed
believed in Christ. Then the water stood in mine eyes, and I asked
further, "But, Lord, may such a great sinner as I am be indeed accepted
of Thee, and be saved by thee?" and I heard Him say, "And him that
cometh to me I will in no wise cast out." Then said I, "But how Lord,
must I consider of Thee in my coming to Thee, that my faith may be