THE PILGRIM'S PROGRESS: IN THE SIMILITUDE OF A DREAM. PART I. As I walked through the wilderness of this world, I lighted on a certain place, where was a den, and laid me down in that place to fleep: and, as I flept, I dreamed a dream. I dreamed, and, behold, I faw a man clothed with rags, ftanding in a certain place, with his face from his own house, a book in his hand, and a great burden upon his back. I looked, and faw him open the book, and read therein; and, as he read, he wept and trembled; and, not being able longer to contain, he brake out with a lamentable cry, faying, "What fhall I do b ?" In By the den is meant the jail; in which John Bunyan was confined twelve years for non-conformity; and in which he wrote this book. This is the cry of a convinced finner.-Those who were pricked to the heart under Peter's fermon, Acts ii. 37, cried out, "What shall we do?"-This was the cry of the jailor at Philippi, Sirs, what fhall I do to be faved?"-The finner, In this plight therefore he went home, and refrained himself as long as he could, that his wife and children fhould not perceive his distress; but he could not be filent long, because his trouble increased: wherefore at length he brake his mind to his wife and children; and thus he began to talk to them: "O, my dear wife," faid he, " and you, the "children of my bowels, I, your dear friend, am in myself undone, by reason of a burden that lieth hard upon me : moreover, I am certainly informed, that "this our city will be burned with fire from heaven: " in which fearful overthrow, both myself, with thee "my wife, and you my fweet babes, fhall miferably come to ruin, except, which I yet fee not, fome ce way of escape may be found, whereby we may be "delivered."-At this his relations were fore amazed; not because they believed what he had faid to them was true, but, because they thought fome frenzy diftemper had got into his head; therefore, it drawing towards night, and they, hoping that fleep might fettle his brains, with all hafte got him to bed: but the night was as troublefome to him as the day; wherefore, instead of fleeping, he spent it in fighs when firft awakened, naturally fuppofes that his falvation must, in fome measure, depend upon fomething which he muft do. Nothing but the spirit of God can convince us of this truth, That by grace we are faved through faith; and that even faith is not of ourselves, but the gift of God. The Pilgrim warned his wife and children of their danger, but they did not believe what he faid; nor could they, unless it had been given them from above. and and tears. When the morning was come, they afked him how he did: he told them worse and worfe; he alfo fet to, talking to them again, but they began to be hardened, and thought to drive away his diftemper by harsh and furly carriage to him: fometimes they would deride; fometimes they would chide; and fometimes they would quite neg lect him. Wherefore he began to retire to his chamber, and pray for and pity them; and alfo condole his own mifery: he would alfo walk folitarily in the fields, fometimes reading, and fometimes praying; and thus, for fome days, he spent his time. Now I faw, upon a time, when he was walking in the fields, that he was (as he was wont) reading in his book, and greatly diftreffed in his mind; and as he read, he burst out, as he had done before, crying, "What fhall I do to be faved?"-I faw also that he looked this way, and that way, as if he would run; yet he ftood ftill, becaufe, as I perceived, he could not tell which way. to go. I then looked, and faw a man, named Evangelift, coming to him, who afked, "Wherefore doft thou cry?"-He answered, Sir, I perceive, by the book Thus Philip met the Eunuch.-Thus Peter was fent to Cornelius. It is to be obferved, that Evangelift gives no other direction to the Pilgrim than to knock at the gate; he does not advise him to reform, or to purify his own heart, or to get rid of his burden first, and then to knock at the gate. Chrift invites the heavy laden; he receives finners, and juftifies the ungodly. 1 in my hand, that I am condemned to die, and after that to come to judgment; and I find that I am not willing to do the firft, nor able to do the fecond.— Then faid Evangelift, Why not willing to die, fince this life is attended with fo many evils? The man answered, Becaufe, I fear that this burden which is upon my back will fink me lower than the grave; and I fhall fall into Tophet. And, Sir, if I am not fit to go to prifon, I am not fit to go to judgment, and, from thence, to execution;-the thoughts of thefe things make me cry. Then faid Evangelift, If this be thy condition, why standeft thou ftill? He anfwered, Because I know 'not whither to go. Then Evangelift gave him a parchment roll, in which there was written, "Fly from the wrath to come." The man read it, and, looking very carefully upon Evangelift, faid, Whither /muft I fly? Then faid Evangelift, pointing with his finger over a wide field, Do you fee yonder wicketgate? The man faid, No. Then, faid the other, Do you fee yonder fhining light? He faid, I think I do. Then faid Evangelift, Keep that light in your eye, and go up directly to it, fo fhalt thou fee the gate; at which, when thou knockeft, it shall be told thee what thou fhalt do. So I faw in my dream that the man began to run: now he had not run far from his own door, before his wife and children, perceiving it, began to cry after him to return; but the man put his fingers in his ears, and ran on crying, Life: life: eternal life!" So he looked not |