THE
PILGRIMS PROGRESS:
IN THE SIMILITUDE OF A DREAM.
And I slept, and dreamed again, and saw the
same two pilgrims going down the
mountains along the highway towards the
city. Now, a little below these
mountains, on the left hand, lieth the
country of Conceit, from which
country there comes into the way in which
the pilgrims walked, a little
crooked lane. Here, therefore, they met
with a very brisk lad that came out
of that country, and his name was
Ignorance. So Christian asked him from
what parts he came, and whither he was
going.
IGNORANCE: Sir, I was born in the country
that lieth off there, a little on
the left hand, and I am going to the
Celestial City.
CHRISTIAN: But how do you think to get in
at the gate, for you may find some
difficulty there?
IGNORANCE: As other good people do, said
he.
CHRISTIAN: But what have you to show at
that gate, that the gate should be
opened to you?
IGNORANCE: I know my Lord’s will, and have
been a good liver; I pay every
man his own; I pray, fast, pay tithes, and
give alms, and have left my
country for whither I am going.
CHRISTIAN: But thou camest not in at the
wicket-gate, that is at the head of
this way; thou camest in hither through
that same crooked lane, and
therefore I fear, however thou mayest think
of thyself, when the
reckoning-day shall come, thou wilt have
laid to thy charge, that thou art a
thief and a robber, instead of getting
admittance into the city.
IGNORANCE: Gentlemen, ye be utter strangers
to me; I know you not: be
content to follow the religion of your
country, and I will follow the
religion of mine. I hope all will be well.
And as for the gate that you talk
of, all the world knows that is a great way
off of our country. I cannot
think that any man in all our parts doth so
much as know the way to it; nor
need they matter whether they do or no,
since we have, as you see, a fine,
pleasant, green lane, that comes down from
our country, the next way into
the way.
When Christian saw that the man was wise in
his own conceit, he said to
Hopeful whisperingly, “There is more hope
of a fool than of him.” Prov.
26:12. And said, moreover, “When he that is
a fool walketh by the way, his
wisdom faileth him, and he saith to every
one that he is a fool. Eccles.
10:3. What, shall we talk farther with him,
or outgo him at present, and so
leave him to think of what he hath heard
already, and then stop again for
him afterwards, and see if by degrees we
can do any good to him? Then said
Hopeful,
“Let Ignorance a little while now muse
On what is said, and let him not refuse
Good counsel to embrace, lest he remain
Still ignorant of what’s the chiefest gain.
God saith, those that no understanding
have,
(Although he made them,) them he will not
save.”
HOPEFUL: He further added, It is not good,
I think, to say so to him all at
once; let us pass him by, if you will, and
talk to him anon, even as he is
able to bear it.
So they both went on, and Ignorance he came
after. Now, when they had passed
him a little way, they entered into a very
dark lane, where they met a man
whom seven devils had bound with seven
strong cords, and were carrying him
back to the door that they saw on the side
of the hill. Matt. 12:45; Prov.
5:22. Now good Christian began to tremble,
and so did Hopeful, his
companion; yet, as the devils led away the
man, Christian looked to see if
he knew him; and he thought it might be one
Turn-away, that dwelt in the
town of Apostacy. But he did not perfectly
see his face, for he did hang his
head like a thief that is found; but being
gone past, Hopeful looked after
him, and espied on his back a paper with
this inscription, “Wanton
professor, and damnable apostate.”
Then said Christian to his fellow, Now I
call to remembrance that which was
told me of a thing that happened to a good
man hereabout. The name of the
man was Little-Faith; but a good man, and
he dwelt in the town of Sincere.
The thing was this. At the entering in at
this passage, there comes down
from Broadway-gate, a lane, called
Dead-Man’s lane; so called because of the
murders that are commonly done there; and
this Little-Faith going on
pilgrimage, as we do now, chanced to sit
down there and sleep. Now there
happened at that time to come down the lane
from Broadway-gate, three sturdy
rogues, and their names were Faint-Heart,
Mistrust, and Guilt, three
brothers; and they, espying Little-Faith
where he was, came galloping up
with speed. Now the good man was just
awaked from his sleep, and was getting
up to go on his journey. So they came up
all to him, and with threatening
language bid him stand. At this,
Little-Faith looked as white as a sheet,
and had neither power to fight nor fly.
Then said Faint-Heart, Deliver thy
purse; but he making no haste to do it,
(for he was loth to lose his money,)
Mistrust ran up to him, and thrusting his
hand into his pocket, pulled out
thence a bag of silver. Then he cried out,
Thieves, thieves! With that,
Guilt, with a great club that was in his
hand, struck Little-Faith on the
head, and with that blow felled him flat to
the ground, where he lay
bleeding as one that would bleed to death.
All this while the thieves stood
by. But at last, they hearing that some
were upon the road, and fearing lest
it should be one Great-Grace, that dwells
in the town of Good-Confidence,
they betook themselves to their heels, and
left this good man to shift for
himself. Now, after a while, Little-Faith
came to himself, and getting up,
made shift to scramble on his way. This was
the story.
HOPEFUL: But did they take from him all
that ever he had?
CHRISTIAN: No; the place where his jewels
were they never ransacked; so
those he kept still. But, as I was told,
the good man was much afflicted for
his
loss; for the thieves got most of his spending-money. That which they
got not, as I said, were jewels; also, he
had a little odd money left, but
scarce enough to bring him to his journey’s
end. Nay, (if I was not
misinformed,) he was forced to beg as he
went, to keep himself alive, for
his jewels he might not sell; but beg and
do what he could, he went, as we
say, with many a hungry belly the most part
of the rest of the way. 1 Pet.
4:18.
HOPEFUL: But is it not a wonder they got not
from him his certificate, by
which he was to receive his admittance at
the Celestial Gate?
CHRISTIAN: It is a wonder; but they got not
that, though they missed it not
through any good cunning of his; for he,
being dismayed by their coming upon
him, had neither power nor skill to hide
any thing; so it was more by good
providence than by his endeavor that they
missed of that good thing. 2 Tim.
1:12-14; 2 Pet. 2:9.
HOPEFUL: But it must needs be a comfort to
him they got not this jewel from
him.
CHRISTIAN: It might have been great comfort
to him, had he used it as he
should; but they that told me the story
said that he made but little use of
it all the rest of the way, and that
because of the dismay that he had in
their taking away his money. Indeed, he
forgot it a great part of the rest
of his journey; and besides, when at any
time it came into his mind, and he
began to be comforted therewith, then would
fresh thoughts of his loss come
again upon him, and these thoughts would
swallow up all.
HOPEFUL: Alas, poor man, this could not but
be a great grief to him.
CHRISTIAN: Grief? Aye, a grief indeed!
Would it not have been so to any of
us, had we been used as he, to be robbed
and wounded too, and that in a
strange place, as he was? It is a wonder he
did not die with grief, poor
heart. I was told that he scattered almost
all the rest of the way with
nothing but doleful and bitter complaints;
telling, also, to all that
overtook him, or that he overtook in the
way as he went, where he was
robbed, and how; who they were that did it,
and what he had lost; how he was
wounded, and that he hardly escaped with
life.
HOPEFUL: But it is a wonder that his
necessity did not put him upon selling
or pawning some of his jewels, that he
might have wherewith to relieve
himself in his journey.
CHRISTIAN: Thou talkest like one upon whose
head is the shell to this very
day. For what should he pawn them? or to
whom should he sell them? In all
that country where he was robbed, his
jewels were not accounted of; nor did
he want that relief which could from thence
be administered to him. Besides,
had his jewels been missing at the gate of
the Celestial City, he had (and
that he knew well enough) been excluded
from an inheritance there, and that
would have been worse to him than the
appearance and villany of ten thousand
thieves.
HOPEFUL: Why art thou so tart, my brother?
Esau sold his birthright, and
that for a mess of pottage, Heb. 12:16; and
that birthright was his greatest
jewel: and if he, why might not
Little-Faith do so too?
CHRISTIAN: Esau did sell his birthright
indeed, and so do many besides, and
by so doing exclude themselves from the
chief blessing, as also that caitiff
did; but you must put a difference betwixt
Esau and Little-Faith, and also
betwixt their estates. Esau’s birthright
was typical; but Little-Faith’s
jewels were not so. Esau’s belly was his
god; but Little-Faith’s belly was
not so. Esau’s want lay in his fleshy
appetite; Little-Faith’s did not so.
Besides, Esau could see no further than to
the fulfilling of his lusts: For
I am at the point to die, said he: and what
good will this birthright do me?
Gen. 25:32. But Little-Faith, though it was
his lot to have but a little
faith, was by his little faith kept from
such extravagances, and made to see
and prize his jewels more than to sell them,
as Esau did his birthright. You
read not any where that Esau had faith, no,
not so much as a little;
therefore no marvel, where the flesh only
bears sway, (as it will in that
man where no faith is to resist,) if he
sells his birthright and his soul
and all, and that to the devil of hell; for
it is with such as it is with
the ass, who in her occasion cannot be
turned away, Jer. 2:24: when their
minds are set upon their lusts, they will
have them, whatever they cost. But
Little-Faith was of another temper; his
mind was on things divine; his
livelihood was upon things that were
spiritual, and from above: therefore,
to what end should he that is of such a
temper sell his jewels (had there
been any that would have bought them) to
fill his mind with empty things?
Will a man give a penny to fill his belly
with hay? or can you persuade the
turtle-dove to live upon carrion, like the
crow? Though faithless ones can,
for carnal lusts, pawn, or mortgage, or
sell what they have, and themselves
outright to boot; yet they that have faith,
saving faith, though but a
little of it, cannot do so. Here,
therefore, my brother, is thy mistake.
HOPEFUL: I acknowledge it; but yet your
severe reflection had almost made me
angry.
CHRISTIAN: Why, I did but compare thee to
some of the birds that are of the
brisker sort, who will run to and fro in
untrodden paths with the shell upon
their heads: but pass by that, and consider
the matter under debate, and all
shall be well betwixt thee and me.
HOPEFUL: But, Christian, these three
fellows, I am persuaded in my heart,
are but a company of cowards: would they
have run else, think you, as they
did, at the noise of one that was coming on
the road? Why did not
Little-Faith pluck up a greater heart? He
might, methinks, have stood one
brush with them, and have yielded when
there had been no remedy.
CHRISTIAN: That they are cowards, many have
said, but few have found it so
in 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 stomach 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, that they are but
journeymen thieves; They serve under
the king of the bottomless pit, who, if
need be, will come to their aid
himself, and his voice is as the roaring of
a lion. 1 Pet. 5:8. 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. Aye, and
yet, though I was so harnessed, 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.
HOPEFUL: Well, but they ran, you see, when
they did but suppose that one
Great-Grace was in the way.
CHRISTIAN: 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.
HOPEFUL: I would it had been Great-Grace,
for their sakes.
CHRISTIAN: 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 demonstration
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, Psa. 88, and
Hezekiah too, though champions in
their days, were forced to bestir them when
by these assaulted; 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.
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 fly; sling-stones are
turned with him into stubble. Darts are
counted as stubble; he laugheth at
the shaking of a spear.” Job 41:26-29. 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 a
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 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 shoutings.” Job 39:19-25.
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 own manhood; for such
commonly come by the worst when tried.
Witness Peter, of whom I made mention
before: he would swagger, aye, 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?
When, therefore, we hear that such
robberies are done on the King’s highway,
two things become us to do.
1. To go out harnessed, and be sure to take
a shield with us: for it was for
want of that, that he who laid so lustily
at Leviathan could not make him
yield; for, indeed, if that be wanting, he
fears us not at all. Therefore,
he that had skill hath said, “Above all,
take the shield of faith, wherewith
ye shall be able to quench all the fiery
darts of the wicked.” Eph. 6:16.
2. It is good, also, that we desire of the
King a convoy, yea, that he will
go with us himself. This made David rejoice
when in the Valley of the Shadow
of Death; and Moses was rather for dying
where he stood, than to go one step
without his God. Exod. 33:15.
O, my brother, if he will but go along with
us, what need we be afraid of
ten thousands that shall set themselves
against us? Psa. 3:5-8; 27:1-3. But
without him, the proud helpers fall under
the slain. Isa. 10:4.
I, for my part, have been in the fray
before now; and though (through the
goodness of Him that is best) I am, as you
see, alive, yet I cannot boast of
any manhood. Glad shall I be if I meet with
no more such brunts; though I
fear we are not got beyond all danger.
However, since the lion and the bear
have not as yet devoured me, I hope God
will also deliver us from the next
uncircumcised Philistine. Then sang
Christian,
“Poor Little-Faith! hast been among the
thieves?
Wast robb’d? Remember this, whoso believes,
And get more faith; then shall you victors
be
Over ten thousand-else scarce over three.”
So they went on, and Ignorance followed.
They went then till they came at a
place where they saw a way put itself into
their way, and seemed withal to
lie as strait as the way which they should
go; and here they knew not which
of the two to take, for both seemed strait
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, come 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 in the way
that but now came into the road, which by
degrees turned, and turned them so
far from the city that they desired to go
to, that in a little time their
faces were turned away from it; yet they
follow him. But by and by, before
they were aware, he led them both within
the compass 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.
CHRISTIAN: Then said Christian to his
fellow, Now do I see myself in an
error. Did not the shepherds bid us beware
of the Flatterer? As is the
saying of the wise man, so we have found it
this day: “A man that flattereth
his neighbor, spreadeth a net for his
feet.” Prov. 29:5.
HOPEFUL: 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. Here David was wiser
than we; for saith he, “Concerning the
works of men, by the word of thy lips
I have kept me from the paths of the
Destroyer.” Psa. 17:4. Thus they lay
bewailing themselves in the net. At last
they espied a Shining One coming
towards them with a whip of small cords 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 apostle, that hath
transformed himself into an angel of
light. Dan. 11:32; 2 Cor. 11:13,14. 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 the 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, 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. Rom. 16:17,18.
Then I saw in my dream, that he commanded
them to lie down; which when they
did, he chastised them sore, to teach them
the good way wherein they should
walk, Deut. 25:2; 2 Chron. 6:27; and as he
chastised them, he said, “As many
as I love, I rebuke and chasten; be zealous,
therefore, and repent.” Rev.
3:19. This done, he bids them to 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 scouged 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.
HOPEFUL: I see him; let us take heed to
ourselves now, lest he should prove
a Flatterer also. So he drew nearer and
nearer, and at last came up to them.
His name was Atheist, and he asked them
whither they were going.
CHRISTIAN: We are going to Mount Zion.
Then Atheist fell into a very great
laughter.
CHRISTIAN: What’s the meaning of your
laughter?
ATHEIST: I laugh to see what ignorant
persons you are, to take upon you so
tedious a journey, and yet are like to have
nothing but your travel for your
pains.
CHRISTIAN: Why, man, do you think we shall
not be received?
ATHEIST: Received! There is not such a
place as you dream of in all this
world.
CHRISTIAN: 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.
Eccles. 10:15; Jer. 17:15.
CHRISTIAN: 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.
CHRISTIAN: Then said Christian to Hopeful
his companion, Is it true which
this man hath said?
HOPEFUL: Take heed, he is one of the
Flatterers. Remember what it cost us
once already for our 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? 2
Cor. 5:7.
Let us go on, lest the man with the whip
overtake us again. You should have
taught me that lesson, which I will sound
you in the ears withal: “Cease, my
son, to hear the instruction that causeth
to err from the words of
knowledge.” Prov. 19:27. I say, my brother,
cease to hear him, and let us
believe to the saving of the soul.
CHRISTIAN: 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 by the God of this world. Let
thee and me go on, knowing that
we have belief of the truth; and no lie is
of the truth. 1 John, 5:21.
HOPEFUL: 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 on
until 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 to sleep:
wherefore he said unto Christian, I do now
begin to grow so drowsy that I
can scarcely hold open mine eyes; let us
lie down here, and take one nap.
CHRISTIAN: By no means, said the other;
lest, sleeping, we never awake more.
HOPEFUL: Why, my brother? sleep is sweet to
the laboring man; we may be
refreshed, if we take a nap.
CHRISTIAN: Do you not 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 do others;
but let us watch and be sober.” 1
Thess. 5:6.
HOPEFUL: I acknowledge myself in a 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.” Eccl.
4:9. Hitherto hath thy company been
my mercy; and thou shalt have a good reward
for thy labor.
CHRISTIAN: Now, then, said Christian, to
prevent drowsiness in this place,
let us fall into good discourse.
HOPEFUL: With all my heart, said the other.
CHRISTIAN: Where shall we begin?
HOPEFUL: Where God began with us. But do
you begin, if you please.
CHRISTIAN: 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, slumb’ring
eyes.
Saints’ fellowship, if it be managed well,
Keeps them awake, and that in spite of
hell.”
Then Christian began, and said, I will ask
you a question. How came you to
think at first of doing what you do now?
HOPEFUL: Do you mean, how came I at first
to look after the good of my soul?
CHRISTIAN: Yes, that is my meaning.
HOPEFUL: 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
perdition and destruction.
CHRISTIAN: What things were they?
HOPEFUL: All the treasures and riches of
the world. Also I delighted much in
rioting, reveling, 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
divine, 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, Rom.
6:21-23; and that for these things’ sake,
the wrath of God cometh upon the
children of disobedience. Eph. 5:6.
CHRISTIAN: And did you presently fall under
the power of this conviction?
HOPEFUL: No, I was not willing presently to
know the evil of sin, nor the
damnation that follows upon the commission
of it; but endeavored, when my
mind at first began to be shaken with the
word, to shut mine eyes against
the light thereof.
CHRISTIAN: But what was the cause of your
carrying of it thus to the first
workings of God’s blessed Spirit upon you?
HOPEFUL: The causes were, 1. I was ignorant
that this was the work of God
upon me. I never thought that by awakenings
for sin, God at first begins the
conversion of a sinner. 2. Sin was yet very
sweet to my flesh, and I was
loth to leave it. 3. I could not tell how
to part with mine old companions,
their presence and actions were so desirable unto me. 4. The hours
in which
convictions 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.
CHRISTIAN: Then, as it seems, sometimes you
got rid of your trouble?
HOPEFUL: Yes, verily, but it would come
into my mind again; and then I
should be as bad, nay, worse than I was
before.
CHRISTIAN: Why, what was it that brought
your sins to mind again?
HOPEFUL: 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.
CHRISTIAN: And could you at any time, with
ease, get off the guilt of sin,
when by any of these ways it came upon you?
HOPEFUL: 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.
CHRISTIAN: And how did you do then?
HOPEFUL: I thought I must endeavor to mend
my life; for else, thought I, I
am sure to be damned.
CHRISTIAN: And did you endeavor to mend?
HOPEFUL: 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 relate.
CHRISTIAN: And did you think yourself well then?
HOPEFUL: Yes, for a while; but at the last
my trouble came tumbling upon me
again, and that over the neck of all my
reformations.
CHRISTIAN: How came that about, since you
were now reformed?
HOPEFUL: There were several things brought
it upon me, especially such
sayings as these: “All our righteousnesses
are as filthy rags.” Isa. 64:6.
“By the works of the law shall no flesh be
justified.” Gal. 2:16. “When ye
have done all these things, say, We are
unprofitable,” Luke 17:10; with many
more such like. From whence I began to
reason with myself thus: If all my
righteousnesses are as filthy rags; if by
the deeds of the law no man can be
justified; and if, when we have done all,
we are yet unprofitable, then is
it but a folly to think of heaven by the
law. I farther thought thus: If a
man runs a hundred pounds into the
shopkeeper’s debt, and after that shall
pay for all that he shall fetch; yet if his
old debt stands still in the
book uncrossed, the shopkeeper may sue him
for it, and cast him into prison,
till he shall pay the debt.
CHRISTIAN: Well, and how did you apply this
to yourself?
HOPEFUL: 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
amendments, But how shall I be
freed from that damnation that I brought
myself in danger of by my former
transgressions?
CHRISTIAN: A very good application: but
pray go on.
HOPEFUL: Another thing that hath troubled
me ever since my late amendments,
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 conceits of myself and
duties, I have committed sin enough in one
day to send me to hell, though my
former life had been faultless.
CHRISTIAN: And what did you do then?
HOPEFUL: Do! I could not tell what to do,
until I broke 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.
CHRISTIAN: And did you think he spake true?
HOPEFUL: Had he told me so when I was
pleased and satisfied with my own
amendments, I had called him fool for his
pains; but now, since I see my own
infirmity, and the sin which cleaves to my
best performance, I have been
forced to be of his opinion.
CHRISTIAN: 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?
HOPEFUL: I must confess the words at first
sounded strangely; but after a
little more talk and company with him, I
had full conviction about it.
CHRISTIAN: And did you ask him what man
this was, and how you must be
justified by him?
HOPEFUL: Yes, and he told me it was the
Lord Jesus, that dwelleth on the
right hand of the Most High. Heb. 10:12-21.
And thus, said he, you must be
justified by him, even by trusting to what
he hath done by himself in the
days of his flesh, and suffered when he did
hang on the tree. Rom. 4:5; Col.
1:14; 1 Pet. 1:19. I asked him further, how
that man’s righteousness could
be of that efficacy, to justify 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 imputed, if I believed on him.
CHRISTIAN: And what did you do then?
HOPEFUL: I made my objections against my
believing, for that I thought he
was not willing to save me.
CHRISTIAN: And what said Faithful to you
then?
HOPEFUL: He bid me go to him and see. Then
I said it was presumption. He
said, No; for I was invited to come. Matt.
11:28. Then he gave me a book of
Jesus’ inditing, to encourage me the more
freely to come; and he said
concerning that book, that every jot and
tittle thereof stood firmer than
heaven and earth. Matt. 24:35. Then I asked
him what I must do when I came;
and he told me I must entreat upon my
knees, Psa. 95:6; Dan. 6:10, with all
my heart and soul, Jer. 29:12,13, the
Father to reveal him to me. Then I
asked him further, how I must make my
supplications 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. Exod. 25:22; Lev. 16:2;
Num. 7:89; Heb. 4:16. I told him, that I
knew not what to say when I came;
and he bid 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 ordained
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 magnify thy
grace in the salvation of my soul, through
thy Son Jesus Christ. Amen.
CHRISTIAN: And did you do as you were
bidden?
HOPEFUL: Yes, over, and over, and over.
CHRISTIAN: And did the Father reveal the
Son to you?
HOPEFUL: Not at the first, nor second, nor
third, nor fourth, nor fifth, no,
nor at the sixth time neither.
CHRISTIAN: What did you do then?
HOPEFUL: What? why I could not tell what to
do.
CHRISTIAN: Had you not thoughts of leaving
off praying?
HOPEFUL: Yes; an hundred times twice told.
CHRISTIAN: And what was the reason you did
not?
HOPEFUL: I believed that it was true which
hath 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, “If it tarry,
wait for it; because it will surely come,
and will not tarry.” Hab. 2:3. So
I continued praying until the Father showed
me his Son.
CHRISTIAN: And how was he revealed unto
you?
HOPEFUL: I did not see him with my bodily
eyes, but with the eyes of my
understanding, Eph. 1:18,19; 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 damnation of my soul,
suddenly, as I thought, I saw the Lord
Jesus looking down from heaven upon
me, and saying, “Believe on the Lord Jesus
Christ, and thou shalt be
saved.” Acts 16:31.
But I replied, Lord, I am a great, a very
great sinner: and he answered, “My
grace is sufficient for thee.” 2 Cor. 12:9.
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,” John 6:35,
that believing and coming was all one; and
that he that came, that is, that
ran out in his heart and affections 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.” John 6:37. Then I said,
But how, Lord, must I consider of
thee in my coming to thee, that my faith
may be placed aright upon thee?
Then he said, “Christ Jesus came into the world
to save sinners.” 1 Tim.
1:15. He is the end of the law for
righteousness to every one that believes.
Rom.10:4, and chap. 4. He died for our
sins, and rose again for our
justification. Rom. 4:25. He loved us, and
washed us from our sins in his
own blood. Rev. 1:5. He is the Mediator
between God and us. 1 Tim. 2:5. He
ever liveth to make intercession for us.
Heb. 7:25. From all which I
gathered, that I must look for
righteousness in his person, and for
satisfaction for my sins by his blood: that
what he did in obedience to his
Father’s law, and in submitting to the
penalty thereof, was not for himself,
but for him that will accept it for his
salvation, and be thankful. And now
was my heart full of joy, mine eyes full of
tears, and mine affections
running over with love to the name, people,
and ways of Jesus Christ.
CHRISTIAN: This was a revelation of Christ
to your soul indeed. But tell me
particularly what effect this had upon your
spirit.
HOPEFUL: It made me see that all the world,
notwithstanding all the
righteousness thereof, is in a state of
condemnation. It made me see that
God the Father, though he be just, can
justly justify the coming sinner. It
made me greatly ashamed of the vileness of
my former life, and confounded me
with the sense of mine own ignorance; for
there never came a thought into my
heart before now that showed me so the
beauty of Jesus Christ. It made me
love a holy life, and long to do something
for the honor and glory of the
name of the Lord Jesus. Yea, I thought that
had I now a thousand gallons of
blood in my body, I could spill it all for
the sake of the Lord Jesus.
I saw then in my dream, that Hopeful looked
back, and saw Ignorance, whom
they had left behind, coming after. Look,
said he to Christian, how far
yonder youngster loitereth behind.
CHRISTIAN: Aye, aye, I see him: he careth
not for our company.
HOPEFUL: But I trow it would not have hurt
him, had he kept pace with us
hitherto.
CHRISTIAN: That is true; but I warrant you
he thinketh otherwise.
HOPEFUL: That I think he doth; but,
however, let us tarry for him. (So they
did.)
Then Christian said to him, Come away, man;
why do you stay so behind?
IGNORANCE: I take my pleasure in walking
alone, even more a great deal than
in company, unless I like it the better.
Then said Christian to Hopeful, (but
softly,) Did I not tell you he cared
not for our company? But, however, said he,
come up, and let us talk away
the time in this solitary place. Then,
directing his speech to Ignorance, he
said, Come, how do you do? How stands it
between God and your soul now?
IGNORANCE: I hope, well; for I am always
full of good motions, that come
into my mind to comfort me as I walk.
CHRISTIAN: What good motions? Pray tell us.
IGNORANCE: Why, I think of God and heaven.
CHRISTIAN: So do the devils and damned
souls.
IGNORANCE: But I think of them, and desire
them.
CHRISTIAN: So do many that are never like
to come there. “The soul of the
sluggard desireth, and hath nothing.” Prov.
13:4.
IGNORANCE: But I think of them, and leave
all for them.
CHRISTIAN: That I doubt: for to leave all
is a very hard matter; yea, a
harder matter than many are aware of. But
why, or by what, art thou
persuaded that thou hast left all for God
and heaven?
IGNORANCE: My heart tells me so.
CHRISTIAN: The wise man says, “He that
trusteth in his own heart is a
fool.” Prov. 28:26.
IGNORANCE: That is spoken of an evil heart; but mine is a good
one.
CHRISTIAN: But how dost thou prove that?
IGNORANCE: It comforts me in hopes of
heaven.
CHRISTIAN: That may be through its
deceitfulness; for a man’s heart may
minister comfort to him in the hopes of
that thing for which he has yet no
ground to hope.
IGNORANCE: But my heart and life agree
together; and therefore my hope is
well-grounded.
CHRISTIAN: Who told thee that thy heart and
life agree together?
IGNORANCE: My heart tells me so.
CHRISTIAN: “Ask my fellow if I be a thief.”
Thy heart tells thee so! Except
the word of God beareth witness in this
matter, other testimony is of no
value.
IGNORANCE: But is it not a good heart that
hath good thoughts? and is not
that a good life that is according to God’s
commandments?
CHRISTIAN: Yes, that is a good heart that
hath good thoughts, and that is a
good life that is according to God’s
commandments; but it is one thing
indeed to have these, and another thing
only to think so.
IGNORANCE: Pray, what count you good
thoughts, and a life according to
God’s commandments?
CHRISTIAN: There are good thoughts of
divers kinds; some respecting
ourselves, some God, some Christ, and some
other things.
IGNORANCE: What be good thoughts respecting
ourselves?
CHRISTIAN: Such as agree with the word of
God.
IGNORANCE: When do our thoughts of
ourselves agree with the word of God?
CHRISTIAN: When we pass the same judgment
upon ourselves which the word
passes. To explain myself: the word of God
saith of persons in a natural
condition, “There is none righteous, there
is none that doeth good.” It
saith also, that, “every imagination of the
heart of man is only evil, and
that continually.” Gen. 6:5; Rom. 3. And
again, “The imagination of man’s
heart is evil from his youth.” Gen. 8:21.
Now, then, when we think thus of
ourselves, having sense thereof, then are
our thoughts good ones, because
according to the word of God.
IGNORANCE: I will never believe that my
heart is thus bad.
CHRISTIAN: Therefore thou never hadst one
good thought concerning thyself in
thy life. But let me go on. As the word
passeth a judgment upon our hearts,
so it passeth a judgment upon our ways; and
when the thoughts of our hearts
and ways agree with the judgment which the
word giveth of both, then are
both good, because agreeing thereto.
IGNORANCE: Make out your meaning.
CHRISTIAN: Why, the word of God saith, that
man’s ways are crooked ways, not
good but perverse; it saith, they are
naturally out of the good way, that
they have not known it. Psa. 125:5; Prov.
2:15; Rom. 3:12. Now, when a man
thus thinketh of his ways, I say, when he
doth sensibly, and with
heart-humiliation, thus think, then hath he
good thoughts of his own ways,
because his thoughts now agree with the
judgment of the word of God.
IGNORANCE: What are good thoughts
concerning God?
CHRISTIAN: Even, as I have said concerning
ourselves, when our thoughts of
God do agree with what the word saith of
him; and that is, when we think of
his being and attributes as the word hath
taught, of which I cannot now
discourse at large. But to speak of him
with reference to us: then have we
right thoughts of God when we think that he
knows us better than we know
ourselves, and can see sin in us when and
where we can see none in
ourselves; when we think he knows our
inmost thoughts, and that our heart,
with all its depths, is always open unto
his eyes; also when we think that
all our righteousness stinks in his
nostrils, and that therefore he cannot
abide to see us stand before him in any
confidence, even in all our best
performances.
IGNORANCE: Do you think that I am such a
fool as to think that God can see
no further than I; or that I would come to
God in the best of my
performances?
CHRISTIAN: Why, how dost thou think in this
matter?
IGNORANCE: Why, to be short, I think I must
believe in Christ for
justification.
CHRISTIAN: How! think thou must believe in
Christ, when thou seest not thy
need of him! Thou neither seest thy
original nor actual infirmities; but
hast such an opinion of thyself, and of
what thou doest, as plainly renders
thee to be one that did never see the
necessity of Christ’s personal
righteousness to justify thee before God.
How, then, dost thou say, I
believe in Christ?
IGNORANCE: I believe well enough, for all
that.
CHRISTIAN: How dost thou believe?
IGNORANCE: I believe that Christ died for
sinners; and that I shall be
justified before God from the curse,
through his gracious acceptance of my
obedience to his laws. Or thus, Christ
makes my duties, that are religious,
acceptable to his Father by virtue of his
merits, and so shall I be
justified.
CHRISTIAN: Let me give an answer to this
confession of thy faith.
1. Thou believest with a fantastical faith;
for this faith is nowhere
described in the word.
2. Thou believest with a false faith;
because it taketh justification from
the personal righteousness of Christ, and
applies it to thy own.
3. This faith maketh not Christ a justifier
of thy person, but of thy
actions; and of thy person for thy action’s
sake, which is false.
4. Therefore this faith is deceitful, even
such as will leave thee under
wrath in the day of God Almighty: for true
justifying faith puts the soul,
as sensible of its lost condition by the
law, upon flying for refuge unto
Christ’s righteousness; (which
righteousness of his is not an act of grace
by which he maketh, for justification, thy
obedience accepted with God, but
his personal obedience to the law, in doing
and suffering for us what that
required at our hands;) this righteousness, I say, true faith
accepteth;
under the skirt of which the soul being
shrouded, and by it presented as
spotless before God, it is accepted, and
acquitted from condemnation.
IGNORANCE: What! would you have us trust to
what Christ in his own person
has done without us? This conceit would
loosen the reins of our lust, and
tolerate us to live as we list: for what
matter how we live, if we may be
justified by Christ’s personal
righteousness from all, when we believe it?
CHRISTIAN: Ignorance is thy name, and as
thy name is, so art thou: even this
thy answer demonstrateth what I say.
Ignorant thou art of what justifying
righteousness is, and as ignorant how to
secure thy soul, through the faith
of it, from the heavy wrath of God. Yea,
thou also art ignorant of the true
effects of saving faith in this
righteousness of Christ, which is to bow and
win over the heart to God in Christ, to
love his name, his word, ways, and
people, and not as thou ignorantly
imaginest.
HOPEFUL: Ask him if ever he had Christ
revealed to him from heaven.
IGNORANCE: What! you are a man for
revelations! I do believe, that what both
you and all the rest of you say about that
matter, is but the fruit of
distracted brains.
HOPEFUL: Why, man, Christ is so hid in God
from the natural apprehensions of
the flesh, that he cannot by any man be
savingly known, unless God the
Father reveals him to him.
IGNORANCE: That is your faith, but not
mine, yet mine, I doubt not, is as
good as yours, though I have not in my head
so many whimsies as you.
CHRISTIAN: Give me leave to put in a word.
You ought not so slightly to
speak of this matter: for this I will
boldly affirm, even as my good
companion hath done, that no man can know
Jesus Christ but by the revelation
of the Father: yea, and faith too, by which
the soul layeth hold upon
Christ, (if it be right,) must be wrought
by the exceeding greatness of his
mighty power, Matt. 11:27; 1 Cor. 12:3;
Eph. 1:17-19; the working of which
faith, I perceive, poor Ignorance, thou art
ignorant of. Be awakened, then,
see thine own wretchedness, and fly to the
Lord Jesus; and by his
righteousness, which is the righteousness
of God, (for he himself is God,)
thou shalt be delivered from condemnation.
IGNORANCE: You go so fast I cannot keep
pace with you; do you go on before:
I must stay a while behind.
Then they said,
“Well, Ignorance, wilt thou yet foolish be,
To slight good counsel, ten times given
thee?
And if thou yet refuse it, thou shalt know,
Ere long, the evil of thy doing so.
Remember, man, in time: stoop, do not fear:
Good counsel, taken well, saves; therefore
hear.
But if thou yet shalt slight it, thou wilt
be
The loser, Ignorance, I’ll warrant thee.”
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