THE
PILGRIMS PROGRESS:
IN THE SIMILITUDE OF A DREAM.
Then Christian addressed himself thus to
his fellow:
CHRISTIAN: Well, come, my good Hopeful, I
perceive that thou and I must walk
by ourselves again.
So I saw in my dream, that they went on
apace before, and Ignorance he came
hobbling after. Then said Christian to his
companion, I much pity this poor
man: it will certainly go ill with him at
last.
HOPEFUL: Alas! there are abundance in our
town in his condition, whole
families, yea, whole streets, and that of
pilgrims too; and if there be so
many in our parts, how many, think you,
must there be in the place where he
was born?
CHRISTIAN: Indeed, the word saith, “He hath
blinded their eyes, lest they
should see,” etc.
But, now we are by ourselves, what do you
think of such men? Have they at no
time, think you, convictions of sin, and
so, consequently, fears that their
state is dangerous?
HOPEFUL: Nay, do you answer that question
yourself, for you are the elder
man.
CHRISTIAN: Then I say, sometimes (as I
think) they may; but they being
naturally ignorant, understand not that
such convictions tend to their good;
and therefore they do desperately seek to
stifle them, and presumptuously
continue to flatter themselves in the way
of their own hearts.
HOPEFUL: I do believe, as you say, that
fear tends much to men’s good, and
to make them right at their beginning to go
on pilgrimage.
CHRISTIAN: Without all doubt it doth, if it
be right; for so says the word,
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of
wisdom.” Job 28:28; Psalm 111:10;
Prov. 1:7; 9:10.
HOPEFUL: How will you describe right fear?
CHRISTIAN: True or right fear is discovered
by three things:
1. By its rise; it is caused by saving
convictions for sin.
2. It driveth the soul to lay fast hold of
Christ for salvation.
3. It begetteth and continueth in the soul
a great reverence of God, his
word, and ways; keeping it tender, and making it afraid to turn
from them,
to the right hand or to the left, to any
thing that may dishonor God, break
its peace, grieve the Spirit, or cause the
enemy to speak reproachfully.
HOPEFUL: Well said; I believe you have said
the truth. Are we now almost got
past the Enchanted Ground?
CHRISTIAN: Why? are you weary of this
discourse?
HOPEFUL: No, verily, but that I would know
where we are.
CHRISTIAN: We have not now above two miles
further to go thereon. But let us
return to our matter.
Now, the ignorant know not that such
conviction as tend to put them in fear,
are for their good, and therefore they seek
to stifle them.
HOPEFUL: How do they seek to stifle them?
CHRISTIAN: 1. They think that those fears
are wrought by the devil, (though
indeed they are wrought of God,) and
thinking so, they resist them, as
things that directly tend to their
overthrow. 2. They also think that these
fears tend to the spoiling of their faith;
when, alas for them, poor men
that they are, they have none at all; and
therefore they harden their hearts
against them. 3. They presume they ought
not to fear, and therefore, in
despite of them, wax presumptuously
confident. 4. They see that those fears
tend to take away from them their pitiful
old self-holiness, and therefore
they resist them with all their might.
HOPEFUL: I know something of this myself;
for before I knew myself it was so
with me.
CHRISTIAN: Well, we will leave, at this
time, our neighbor Ignorance by
himself, and fall upon another profitable
question.
HOPEFUL: With all my heart; but you shall
still begin.
CHRISTIAN: Well then, did you not know,
about ten years ago, one Temporary
in your parts, who was a forward man in
religion then?
HOPEFUL: Know him! yes; he dwelt in
Graceless, a town about two miles off of
Honesty, and he dwelt next door to one
Turnback.
CHRISTIAN: Right; he dwelt under the same
roof with him. Well, that man was
much awakened once: I believe that then he
had some sight of his sins, and
of the wages that were due thereto.
HOPEFUL: I am of your mind, for (my house
not being above three miles from
him) he would oft-times come to me, and
that with many tears. Truly I pitied
the man, and was not altogether without
hope of him; but one may see, it is
not every one that cries, “Lord, Lord!”
CHRISTIAN: He told me once that he was
resolved to go on pilgrimage, as we
go now; but all of a sudden he grew
acquainted with one Save-self, and then
he became a stranger to me.
HOPEFUL: Now, since we are talking about
him, let us a little inquire into
the reason of the sudden backsliding of him
and such others.
CHRISTIAN: It may be very profitable; but
do you begin.
HOPEFUL: Well, then, there are, in my
judgment, four reasons for it:
1. Though the consciences of such men are
awakened, yet their minds are not
changed: therefore, when the power of guilt
weareth away, that which
provoked them to be religious ceaseth;
wherefore they naturally turn to
their own course again; even as we see the
dog that is sick of what he hath
eaten, so long as his sickness prevails, he
vomits and casts up all; not
that
he doth this of a free mind, (if we may say a dog has a mind,) but
because it troubleth his stomach: but now,
when his sickness is over, and so
his stomach eased, his desires being not at
all alienated from his vomit, he
turns him about, and licks up all; and so
it is true which is written, “The
dog is turned to his own vomit again.” 2
Pet. 2:22. Thus, I say, being hot
for heaven, by virtue only of the sense and
fear of the torments of hell, as
their sense and fear of damnation chills
and cools, so their desires for
heaven and salvation cool also. So then it
comes to pass, that when their
guilt and fear is gone, their desires for
heaven and happiness die, and they
return to their course again.
2. Another reason is, they have slavish
fears that do overmaster them: I
speak now of the fears that they have of
men; “For the fear of man bringeth
a snare.” Prov. 29:25. So then, though they
seem to be hot for heaven so
long as the flames of hell are about their
ears, yet, when that terror is a
little over, they betake themselves to
second thoughts, namely, that it is
good to be wise and not to run (for they
know not what) the hazard of losing
all, or at least of bringing themselves
into unavoidable and unnecessary
troubles; and so they fall in with the
world again.
3. The shame that attends religion lies
also as a block in their way: they
are proud and haughty, and religion in
their eye is low and contemptible:
therefore when they have lost their sense
of hell and the wrath to come,
they return again to their former course.
4. Guilt, and to meditate terror, are
grievous to them; they like not to see
their misery before they come into it;
though perhaps the sight of at it
first, if they loved that sight, might make
them fly whither the righteous
fly and are safe; but because they do, as I
hinted before, even shun the
thoughts of guilt and terror, therefore,
when once they are rid of their
awakenings about the terrors and wrath of
God, they harden their hearts
gladly, and choose such ways as will harden
them more and more.
CHRISTIAN: You are pretty near the
business, for the bottom of all is for
want of a change in their mind and will.
And therefore they are but like the
felon that standeth before the judge: he
quakes and trembles, and seems to
repent most heartily, but the bottom of all
is the fear of the halter: not
that he hath any detestation of the
offence, as it is evident; because, let
but this man have his liberty, and he will
be a thief, and so a rogue still;
whereas, if his mind was changed, he would
be otherwise.
HOPEFUL: Now I have showed you the reason
of their going back, do you show
me the manner thereof.
CHRISTIAN: So I will willingly.
1. They draw off their thoughts, all that
they may, from the remembrance of
God, death, and judgment to come.
2. Then they cast off by degrees private
duties, as closet prayer, curbing
their lusts, watching, sorrow for sin, and
the like.
3. Then they shun the company of lively and
warm Christians.
4. After that, they grow cold to public
duty, as hearing, reading, godly
conference, and the like.
5. They then begin to pick holes, as we
say, in the coats of some of the
godly, and that devilishly, that they may
have a seeming color to throw
religion (for the sake of some infirmities
they have espied in them) behind
their backs.
6. Then they begin to adhere to, and associate
themselves with, carnal,
loose, and wanton men.
7. Then they give way to carnal and wanton
discourses in secret; and glad
are they if they can see such things in any
that are counted honest, that
they may the more boldly do it through
their example.
8. After this they begin to play with
little sins openly.
9. And then, being hardened, they show
themselves as they are. Thus, being
launched again into the gulf of misery,
unless a miracle of grace prevent
it, they everlastingly perish in their own
deceivings.
Now I saw in my dream, that by this time
the pilgrims were got over the
Enchanted Ground, and entering into the
country of Beulah, whose air was
very sweet and pleasant, Isaiah 62:4-12;
Song 2:10-12; the way lying
directly through it, they solaced
themselves there for a season. Yea, here
they heard continually the singing of
birds, and saw every day the flowers
appear in the earth, and heard the voice of
the turtle in the land. In this
country the sun shineth night and day:
wherefore this was beyond the Valley
of the Shadow of Death, and also out of the
reach of Giant Despair; neither
could they from this place so much as see
Doubting Castle. Here they were
within sight of the city they were going
to; also here met them some of the
inhabitants thereof; for in this land the
shining ones commonly walked,
because it was upon the borders of heaven.
In this land also the contract
between the Bride and the Bridegroom was
renewed; yea, here, “as the
bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so
doth God rejoice over them.” Here
they had no want of corn and wine; for in
this place they met with abundance
of what they had sought for in all their
pilgrimage. Here they heard voices
from out of the city, loud voices, saying,
“Say ye to the daughter of Zion,
Behold, thy salvation cometh! Behold, his
reward is with him!” Here all the
inhabitants of the country called them “the
holy People, the redeemed of the
Lord, sought out,” etc.
Now, as they walked in this land, they had
more rejoicing than in parts more
remote from the kingdom to which they were
bound; and drawing near to the
city, they had yet a more perfect view
thereof: It was builded of pearls and
precious stones, also the streets thereof
were paved with gold; so that, by
reason of the natural glory of the city,
and the reflection of the sunbeams
upon it, Christian with desire fell sick;
Hopeful also had a fit or two of
the same disease: wherefore here they lay
by it a while, crying out because
of their pangs, “If you see my Beloved,
tell him that I am sick of love.”
But, being a little strengthened, and
better able to bear their sickness,
they walked on their way, and came yet
nearer and nearer, where were
orchards, vineyards, and gardens, and their
gates opened into the highway.
Now, as they came up to these places,
behold the gardener stood in the way;
to whom the pilgrims said, Whose goodly
vineyards and gardens are these? He
answered, they are the King’s, and are
planted here for his own delight, and
also for the solace of pilgrims. So the
gardener had them into the
vineyards, and bid them refresh themselves
with the dainties, Deut. 23:24;
he also showed them there the King’s walks
and arbors where he delighted to
be: And here they tarried and slept.
Now I beheld in my dream, that they talked
more in their sleep at this time
than ever they did in all their journey;
and, being in a muse thereabout,
the gardener said even to me, Wherefore
musest thou at the matter? It is the
nature of the fruit of the grapes of these
vineyards, “to go down so sweetly
as to cause the lips of them that are
asleep to speak.” Song 7:9.
So I saw that when they awoke, they
addressed themselves to go up to the
city. But, as I said, the reflection of the
sun upon the city (for the city
was pure gold, Rev. 21:18,) was so
extremely glorious, that they could not
as yet with open face behold it, but
through an instrument made for that
purpose. 2 Cor. 3:18. So I saw, that as
they went on, there met them two men
in raiment that shone like gold, also their
faces shone as the light.
These men asked the pilgrims whence they
came; and they told them. They also
asked them where they had lodged, what
difficulties and dangers, what
comforts and pleasures, they had met with
in the way; and they told them.
Then said the men that met them, You have
but two difficulties more to meet
with, and then you are in the City.
Christian then and his companion asked the
men to go along with them: so
they told them that they would; But, said
they, you must obtain it by your
own faith. So I saw in my dream, that they
went on together till they came
in sight of the gate.
Now I further saw, that betwixt them and
the gate was a river; but there was
no bridge to go over, and the river was
very deep. At the sight, therefore,
of this river the pilgrims were much
stunned; but the men that went with
them said, You must go through, or you
cannot come at the gate.
The pilgrims then began to inquire if there
was no other way to the gate. To
which they answered, Yes; but there hath
not any, save two, to wit, Enoch
and Elijah, been permitted to tread that
path since the foundation of the
world, nor shall until the last trumpet
shall sound. The pilgrims then,
especially Christian, began to despond in
their mind, and looked this way
and that, but no way could be found by them
by which they might escape the
river. Then they asked the men if the
waters were all of a depth. They said,
No; yet they could not help them in that
case; for, said they, you shall
find it deeper or shallower as you believe
in the King of the place.
Then they addressed themselves to the
water, and entering, Christian began
to sink, and crying out to his good friend
Hopeful, he said, I sink in deep
waters; the billows go over my head; all
his waves go over me. Selah.
Then said the other, Be of good cheer, my
brother: I feel the bottom, and it
is good. Then said Christian, Ah! my
friend, the sorrows of death have
compassed me about, I shall not see the
land that flows with milk and honey.
And with that a great darkness and horror
fell upon Christian, so that he
could not see before him. Also here he in a
great measure lost his senses,
so that he could neither remember nor
orderly talk of any of those sweet
refreshments that he had met with in the
way of his pilgrimage. But all the
words that he spoke still tended to
discover that he had horror of mind, and
heart-fears that he should die in that
river, and never obtain entrance in
at the gate. Here also, as they that stood
by perceived, he was much in the
troublesome thoughts of the sins that he
had committed, both since and
before he began to be a pilgrim. It was
also observed that he was troubled
with apparitions of hobgoblins and evil spirits;
for ever and anon he would
intimate so much by words.
Hopeful therefore here had much ado to keep
his brother’s head above water;
yea, sometimes he would be quite gone down,
and then, ere a while, he would
rise up again half dead. Hopeful did also
endeavor to comfort him, saying,
Brother, I see the gate, and men standing
by to receive us; but Christian
would answer, It is you, it is you they
wait for; for you have been hopeful
ever since I knew you. And so have you,
said he to Christian. Ah, brother,
(said he,) surely if I was right he would
now arise to help me; but for my
sins he hath brought me into the snare, and
hath left me. Then said Hopeful,
My brother, you have quite forgot the text
where it is said of the wicked,
“There are no bands in their death, but
their strength is firm; they are not
troubled as other men, neither are they
plagued like other men.” Psa.
73:4,5. These troubles and distresses that
you go through in these waters,
are no sign that God hath forsaken you; but
are sent to try you, whether you
will call to mind that which heretofore you
have received of his goodness,
and live upon him in your distresses.
Then I saw in my dream, that Christian was
in a muse a while. To whom also
Hopeful added these words, Be of good
cheer, Jesus Christ maketh thee whole.
And with that Christian brake out with a
loud voice, Oh, I see him again;
and he tells me, “When thou passest through
the waters, I will be with thee;
and through the rivers, they shall not
overflow thee.” Isa. 43:2. Then they
both took courage, and the enemy was after
that as still as a stone, until
they were gone over. Christian, therefore,
presently found ground to stand
upon, and so it followed that the rest of
the river was but shallow. Thus
they got over.
Now, upon the bank of the river, on the
other side, they saw the two shining
men again, who there waited for them.
Wherefore, being come out of the
river, they saluted them, saying, We are
ministering spirits, sent forth to
minister for those that shall be the heirs
of salvation. Thus they went
along towards the gate.
Now you must note, that the city stood upon
a mighty hill; but the pilgrims
went up that hill with ease, because they
had these two men to lead them up
by the arms: they had likewise left their
mortal garments behind them in the
river; for though they went in with them,
they came out without them. They
therefore went up here with much agility and
speed, though the foundation
upon which the city was framed was higher
than the clouds; they therefore
went up through the region of the air,
sweetly talking as they went, being
comforted because they safely got over the
river, and had such glorious
companions to attend them.
The talk that they had with the shining
ones was about the glory of the
place; who told them that the beauty and
glory of it was inexpressible.
There, said they, is “Mount Sion, the
heavenly Jerusalem, the innumerable
company of angels, and the spirits of just
men made perfect.” Heb. 12:22-24.
You are going now, said they, to the
paradise of God, wherein you shall see
the tree of life, and eat of the
never-fading fruits thereof: and when you
come there you shall have white robes given
you, and your walk and talk
shall be every day with the King, even all
the days of eternity. Rev. 2:7;
3:4,5; 22:5. There you shall not see again
such things as you saw when you
were in the lower region upon earth; to
wit, sorrow, sickness, affliction,
and death; “For the former things are
passed away.” Rev. 21:4. You are going
now to Abraham, to Isaac, and Jacob, and to
the prophets, men that God hath
taken away from the evil to come, and that
are now “resting upon their beds,
each one walking in his righteousness.” The
men then asked, What must we do
in the holy place? To whom it was answered,
You must there receive the
comfort of all your toil, and have joy for
all your sorrow; you must reap
what you have sown, even the fruit of all
your prayers, and tears, and
sufferings for the King by the way. Gal.
6:7,8. In that place you must wear
crowns of gold, and enjoy the perpetual
sight and vision of the Holy One;
for “there you shall see him as he is.” 1
John, 3:2. There also you shall
serve him continually with praise, with
shouting and thanksgiving, whom you
desired to serve in the world, though with
much difficulty, because of the
infirmity of your flesh. There your eyes
shall be delighted with seeing, and
your ears with hearing the pleasant voice
of the Mighty One. There you shall
enjoy your friends again that are gone
thither before you; and there you
shall with joy receive even every one that
follows into the holy place after
you. There also you shall be clothed with
glory and majesty, and put into an
equipage fit to ride out with the King of
Glory. When he shall come with
sound of trumpet in the clouds, as upon the
wings of the wind, you shall
come with him; and when he shall sit upon
the throne of judgment, you shall
sit by him; yea, and when he shall pass
sentence upon all the workers of
iniquity, let them be angels or men, you
also shall have a voice in that
judgment, because they were his and your
enemies. Also, when he shall again
return to the city, you shall go too with
sound of trumpet, and be ever with
him. 1 Thess. 4:14-17; Jude 14,15; Dan.
7:9,10; 1 Cor. 6:2,3.
Now, while they were thus drawing towards
the gate, behold a company of the
heavenly host came out to meet them: to
whom it was said by the other two
shining ones, These are the men that have
loved our Lord when they were in
the world, and that have left all for his
holy name; and he hath sent us to
fetch them, and we have brought them thus
far on their desired journey, that
they may go in and look their Redeemer in
the face with joy. Then the
heavenly host gave a great shout, saying,
“Blessed are they that are called
to the marriage-supper of the Lamb.” Rev.
19:9. There came out also at this
time to meet them several of the King’s
trumpeters, clothed in white and
shining raiment, who, with melodious noises
and loud, made even the heavens
to echo with their sound. These trumpeters
saluted Christian and his fellow
with ten thousand welcomes from the world;
and this they did with shouting
and sound of trumpet.
This done, they compassed them round on
every side; some went before, some
behind, and some on the right hand, and
some on the left, (as it were to
guard them through the upper regions,)
continually sounding as they went,
with melodious noise, in notes on high; so
that the very sight was to them
that could behold it as if heaven itself
was come down to meet them. Thus,
therefore, they walked on together; and, as
they walked, ever and anon these
trumpeters, even with joyful sound, would,
by mixing their music with looks
and gestures, still signify to Christian
and his brother how welcome they
were into their company, and with what
gladness they came to meet them. And
now were these two men, as it were, in
heaven, before they came to it, being
swallowed up with the sight of angels, and
with hearing of their melodious
notes. Here also they had the city itself
in view; and they thought they
heard all the bells therein to ring, to
welcome them thereto. But, above
all, the warm and joyful thoughts that they
had about their own dwelling
there with such company, and that for ever and ever; oh, by what tongue
or
pen can their glorious joy be expressed!
Thus they came up to the gate.
Now when they were come up to the gate,
there was written over it, in
letters of gold,
“blessed are they that do his commandments,
that they may have right to the
tree of life, and may enter in through the
gates into the city.”
Then I saw in my dream, that the shining
men bid them call at the gate: the
which when they did, some from above looked
over the gate, to wit, Enoch,
Moses, and Elijah, etc., to whom it was
said, These pilgrims are come from
the City of Destruction, for the love that
they bear to the King of this
place; and then the pilgrims gave in unto
them each man his certificate,
which they had received in the beginning:
those therefore were carried in
unto the King, who, when he had read them,
said, Where are the men? To whom
it was answered, They are standing without
the gate. The King then commanded
to open the gate, “That the righteous
nation (said he) that keepeth the
truth may enter in.”
Isa. 26:2.
Now I saw in my dream, that these two men
went in at the gate; and lo, as
they entered, they were transfigured; and
they had raiment put on that shone
like gold. There were also that met them
with harps and crowns, and gave
them to them; the harps to praise withal,
and the crowns in token of honor.
Then I heard in my dream, that all the
bells in the city rang again for joy,
and that it was said unto them,
“enter ye into the joy of your lord.”
I also heard the men themselves, that they
sang with a loud voice, saying,
“blessing, and honor, and glory, and power,
be unto him that sitteth upon
the throne, and unto the lamb, for ever and
ever.”
Now, just as the gates were opened to let
in the men, I looked in after
them, and behold the city shone like the
sun; the streets also were paved
with gold; and in them walked many men,
with crowns on their heads, palms in
their hands, and golden harps, to sing
praises withal.
There were also of them that had wings, and
they answered one another
without intermission, saying, Holy, holy,
holy is the Lord. And after that
they shut up the gates; which, when I had
seen, I wished myself among them.
Now, while I was gazing upon all these
things, I turned my head to look
back, and saw Ignorance come up to the
river side; but he soon got over, and
that without half the difficulty which the
other two men met with. For it
happened that there was then in that place
one Vain-Hope, a ferryman, that
with his boat helped him over; so he, as
the other I saw, did ascend the
hill, to come up to the gate; only he came
alone, neither did any man meet
him with the least encouragement. When he
was come up to the gate, he looked
up to the writing that was above, and then
began to knock, supposing that
entrance should have been quickly
administered to him; but he was asked by
the men that looked over the top of the
gate, Whence come you? and what
would you have? He answered, I have ate and
drank in the presence of the
King, and he has taught in our streets.
Then they asked him for his
certificate, that they might go in and show
it to the King: so he fumbled in
his bosom for one, and found none. Then
said they, Have you none? but the
man answered never a word. So they told the
King, but he would not come down
to see him, but commanded the two shining
ones, that conducted Christian and
Hopeful to the city, to go out and take
Ignorance, and bind him hand and
foot, and have him away. Then they took him
up, and carried him through the
air to the door that I saw in the side of
the hill, and put him in there.
Then I saw that there was a way to hell,
even from the gate of heaven,
as well as from the City of Destruction. So
I awoke, and behold it was a dream.