The Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan Every Child Can Read
in the vessel; but who will throw the best out first? None but he that
feareth not God. One leak will sink a ship, and one sin will destroy a
sinner. He that forgets his friends is ungrateful unto him but he that
forgets his Saviour is unmerciful to himself. He that lives in sin, and
looks for happiness hereafter, is like him that soweth weeds, and thinks
to fill his barn with wheat or barley. If a man would live well, let him
bring before him his last day, and make it always his company-keeper.
Whispering, and change of thoughts, prove that sin is in the world. If
the world, which God sets light by, is counted a thing of that worth
with men, what is heaven, that God commendeth! If the life that is
attended with so many troubles is so loth to be let go by us, what is
the life above! Everybody will cry up the goodness of men; but who is
there that is, as he should be, affected with the goodness of God?"
When the Interpreter had done, he takes them out into his garden again,
and had them to a tree, whose inside was all rotten and gone, and yet it
grew and had leaves.
Then said Mercy, "What means this?"
"This tree," said he, "whose outside is fair, and whose inside is
rotten, is that to which many may be compared that are in the garden of
God, who with their mouths speak high in behalf of God, but indeed will
do nothing for Him; whose leaves are fair, but their heart good for
nothing but to be tinder for the devil's tinder-box."
Now supper was ready, the table spread, and all things set on the board;
so they sat down, and did eat when one had given thanks. And the
Interpreter did usually entertain those that lodged with him with music
at meals; so the minstrels played. There was also one that did sing, and
a very fine voice he had. His song was this:
"The Lord is only my support,
And He that doth me feed;
How can I then want anything
Whereof I stand in need?"
[Sidenote: DISCOURSE AT SUPPER]
When the song and music were ended, the Interpreter asked Christiana
what it was that first did move her to betake herself to a pilgrim's
life. Christiana answered, "First, the loss of my husband came into my
mind, at which I was heartily grieved; but all that was but natural
affection. Then, after that, came the troubles and pilgrimages of my
husband into my mind, and also how unkindly I had behaved to him as to
that. So guilt took hold of my mind, and would have drawn me into the
pond, to drown myself, but that, just at the right time, I had a dream
of the well-being of my husband, and a letter sent by the King of that
country where my husband dwells, to come to him. The dream and the
letter together so wrought upon my mind, that they forced me to this
way."
INTER. But met you with no opposition afore you set out of doors?
CHR. Yes, a neighbor of mine, one Mrs. Timorous: she was akin to him
that would have persuaded my husband to go back for fear of the lions.
She all-to-be-fooled me for, as she called it, my intended desperate
adventure; she also urged what she could to dishearten me from it--the
hardship and troubles that my husband met with in the way; but all this
I got over pretty well. But a dream that I had of two ill-looked ones,
that I thought did plot how to make me fail in my journey, that hath
troubled me much: yea, it still runs in my mind, and makes me afraid of
every one that I meet, lest they should meet me to do me a mischief, and
to turn me out of my way. Yea, I may tell my Lord, though I would not
have everybody know it, that, between this and the gate by which we got
into the way, we were both so sorely attacked that we were made to cry
out "murder;" and the two that made this attack upon us were like the
two that I saw in my dream.
Then said the Interpreter, "Thy beginning is good; thy latter end shall
greatly increase." So he addressed himself to Mercy, and said unto her,
"And what moved thee to come hither, sweetheart?"
Then Mercy blushed and trembled, and for a while continued silent.
INTER. Then said he, "Be not afraid; only believe, and speak thy mind."
MER. So she began, and said, "Truly, sir, my lack of knowledge is that
which makes me wish to be in silence, and that also that fills me with
fears of coming short at last. I cannot tell of visions and dreams, as
my friend Christiana can nor know I what it is to mourn for my refusing
the advice of those that were good relations."
INTER. What was it, then, dear heart, that hath prevailed with thee to
do as thou hast done?
MER. Why, when our friend here was packing up to be gone from our town,
I and another went accidentally to see her. So we knocked at the door
and went in. When we were within, and seeing what she was doing, we
asked her what was her meaning. She said she was sent for to go to her
husband; and then she up and told us how she had seen him in a dream,
dwelling in a wonderful place, among immortals, wearing a crown, playing
upon a harp, eating and drinking at his Prince's table, and singing
praises to Him for bringing him thither, and so on. Now, methought while
she was telling these things unto us, my heart burned within me. And I
said in my heart, If this be true, I will leave my father and my mother,
and the land of my birth, and will, if I may, go along with Christiana.
So I asked her further of the truth of these things, and if she would
let me go with her; for I saw now that there was no dwelling but with
the danger of ruin any longer in our town. But yet I came away with a
heavy heart; not for that I was unwilling to come away, but for that so
many of my relations were left behind. And I am come with all the desire
of my heart, and will go, if I may, with Christiana, unto her husband
and his King.
INTER. Thy setting out is good, for thou hast given credit to the truth:
thou art a Ruth, who did, for the love she bare to Naomi and to the Lord
her God, leave father and mother, and the land of her birth, to come out
and go with a people that she knew not heretofore. The Lord bless thy
work, and a full reward be given thee of the Lord God of Israel, under
whose wings thou art come to trust.
Now supper was ended, and preparation was made for bed: the women were
laid singly alone, and the boys by themselves. Now, when Mercy was in
bed, she could not sleep for joy, for that now her doubts of missing at
last were removed farther from her than ever they were before. So she
lay blessing and praising God, who had had such favor for her.
In the morning they arose with the sun, and prepared themselves for
their departure; but the Interpreter would have them tarry a while:
"For," said he, "you must orderly go from hence." Then said he to the
maid that first opened to them, "Take them and have them into the
garden, to the bath, and there wash them, and make them clean from the
soil which they have gathered by traveling."
Then Innocent the maid took them and had them into the garden, and
brought them to the bath; so she told them they must wash and be clean,
for so her master would have the women to do that called at his house as
they were going on pilgrimage. Then they went in and washed, yea, they
and the boys and all; and they came out of that bath, not only sweet and
clean, but also much enlivened, and strengthened in their joints. So,
when they came in, they looked fairer a deal than when they went out to
the washing.
When they were returned out of the garden from the bath, the Interpreter
took them, and looked upon them, and said unto them, "Fair as the moon."
Then he called for the seal wherewith they used to be sealed that were
washed in this bath. So the seal was brought, and he set his mark upon
them, that they might be known in the places whither they were yet to
go; and the mark was set between their eyes. This seal added greatly to
their beauty, for it was an ornament to their faces. It also added to
their glory, and made their countenances more like those of angels.
[Sidenote: CLOTHED IN WHITE RAIMENT]
Then said the Interpreter again to the maid that waited upon these
women, "Go into the vestry, and fetch out garments for these people." So
she went and fetched out white raiment and laid it down before him; so
he commanded them to put it on; it was fine linen, white and clean. When
the women were thus adorned, they seemed to be afraid one of the other,
for that they could not see that glory each one had in herself, which
they could see in each other. Now, therefore, they began to esteem each
other better than themselves. For "You are fairer than I am," said one;
and "You are more beautiful than I am," said another. The children also
stood amazed, to see into what fashion they were brought.
The Interpreter then called for a man-servant of his, one Great-heart,
and bid him take sword, and helmet, and shield, and "Take these my
daughters," said he, "and conduct them to the house called Beautiful, at
which place they will rest next." So he took his weapons, and went
before them; and the Interpreter said, "God speed!" Those also that
belonged to the family sent them away with many a good wish. So they
went on their way and sang:
"This place hath been our second stage:
Here we have heard and seen
Those good things that from age to age
To others hid have been.
The Dunghill-raker, Spider, Hen,
The Chicken, too, to me
Have taught a lesson: let me then
Conformed to it be.
"The Butcher, Garden, and the Field,
The Robin and his bait,
Also the Rotten Tree, doth yield
Me argument of weight:
To move me for to watch and pray,
To strive to be sincere,
To take my cross up day by day,
And serve the Lord with fear."
CHAPTER IV.
THE CROSS AND THE CONSEQUENCES.
Now, I saw in my dream that they went on, and Great-heart before them.
So they went, and came to the place where Christian's burden fell off
his back and tumbled into a sepulchre. Here, then, they made a pause,
and here also they blessed God. "Now," said Christiana, "comes to my
mind what was said to us at the gate, to wit, that we should have pardon
by word and deed: by word, that is, by the promise; by deed, that is, in
the way it was obtained. What the promise is, of that I know something;
but what it is to have pardon by deed, or in the way that it was
obtained, Mr. Great-heart, I suppose you know; wherefore, if you please,
let us hear you speak thereof."
[Sidenote: GREAT-HEART DISCOURSES]
GREAT. Pardon by the deed done, is pardon obtained by some one for
another that hath need thereof; not by the person pardoned, but in the
way, saith another, in which I have obtained it. So then, to speak to
the question at large, the pardon that you, and Mercy, and these boys
have obtained, was obtained by another; to wit, by Him that let you in
at the gate. And He hath obtained it in this double way: He has shown
righteousness to cover you, and spilt His blood to wash you in.
CHR. This is brave! Now I see that there was something to be learnt by
our being pardoned by word and deed. Good Mercy, let us labor to keep
this in mind; and, my children, do you remember it also. But, sir, was
not this it that made my good Christian's burden fall from off his
shoulders, and that made him give three leaps for joy?
GREAT. Yes, it was the belief of this that cut off those strings that
could not be cut by other means; and it was to give him proof of the
virtue of this that he was suffered to carry his burden to the Cross.
CHR. I thought so; for though my heart was lightsome and joyous before,
yet it is ten times more lightsome and joyous now. And I am persuaded by
what I have felt, though I have felt but little as yet, that, if the
most burdened man in the World was here, and did see and believe as I
now do, it would make his heart merry and blithe.