THE PILGRIM'S PROGRESS.

Part First.

S 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 sleep; and, as

The jail.

I slept, I dreamed a dream. I dreamed, and, behold, I saw a man clothed with rags, standing in a certain place, with his face from his own house, a book in his hand, and a great burden upon his back (Isa. lxiv. 6; Luke xiv. 33; Ps. xxxviii. 4). I looked, and saw 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, saying, "What shall I do?" (Acts ii. 37; xvi. 30, 31; Hab. ii. 1, 2.)

His outcry.

In this plight, therefore, he went home, and refrained himself as long as he could, that his wife and children should not perceive his distress; but he could not be silent long, because that 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, said he, and you the children of The world. my bowels, I, your dear friend, am in myself undone, by reason of a burden that lieth hard upon

me

He knows no way of escape

BUNYAN DREAMING.

moreover, I am for certain 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 sweet babes, shall miserably come to ruin, except (the which yet I us yet. see not) some way of escape can be found, whereby we may be delivered. At this his relations were sore amazed; not for that they believed that what he had said to them was true, but because they thought that some frenzy distemper had got into his head; therefore, it drawing towards night, and they hoping

Carnal phy. sic for a sick

that sleep might settle his brains, with all haste they got him to bed. But the night was as troublesome to him as the day; wherefore, instead of sleeping, he spent it in sighs and tears. So, when the morning was come, they would know how he did. He told them, Worse and worse: he also set to talking to them again; but they began to be hardened. They also thought to drive away his distemper by harsh and surly carriages to him sometimes they would deride, sometimes they would chide, and sometimes they would quite neglect him. Wherefore he began to retire himself to his chamber, to pray for and pity them, and also to condole his own misery; he would also walk solitarily in the fields, sometimes reading and sometimes praying: and thus for some days he spent his time.

soul.

Now I saw, upon a time, when he was walking in the fields, that he was, as he was wont, reading in his book, and greatly distressed in his mind; and, as he read, he burst out, as he had done before, crying, "What shall I do to be saved?" (Acts xvi. 30, 31.)

I saw also that he looked this way and that way, as if he would run; yet he stood still, because, as I perceived, he could not tell which way to go. I looked then, and saw a man named Evangelist coming to him, who asked, Wherefore dost thou cry?

He answered, Sir, I perceive, by the book in my hand, that I am condemned to die, and after that to come to judgment (Heb. ix. 27); and I find that I am not willing to do the first (Job xvi. 21), nor able to do the second (Ezek. xxii. 14).

Then said Evangelist, Why not willing to die, since this life is attended with so many evils? The man answered, Because I fear that this burden that is upon my back will sink me lower than the grave, and I shall fall into Tophet (Isa. xxx. 33); and, sir, if I be not fit to go to prison, I am not fit, I am sure, to go to judg

28

The Parchment Roll.

ment, and from thence to execution; and the thoughts of these things make me cry.

Conviction of

the necessity of fleeing.

Then said Evangelist, If this be thy condition, why standest thou still? He answered, Because I know not whither to go. Then he gave him a parchment roll, and there was written within, Flee from the wrath to come!" (Matt. iii. 7.)

Christ and the way to him cannot be found without the Word.

The man, therefore, read it, and looking upon Evangelist very carefully, said, Whither must I fly? Then said Evangelist, pointing with his finger over a very wide field, Do you see yonder Wicket-gate? (Matt. vii. 13, 14.) The man said, No. Then said the other, Do you see yonder shining light? (Ps. cxix. 105; 2 Pet. i. 19.) He said, I think I do. Then said Evangelist, Keep that light in your eye, and go up directly thereto so shalt thou see the gate; at which, when thou knockest, it shall be told thee what thou shalt do. So I saw in my dream, that the man began to run. Now, he had not run far from his own door, but 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! (Luke xiv. 26.) So he looked not behind him, but fled towards the middle of the plain (Gen. xix. 17).

They that flee from the wrath to come are a gazingstock to the world.

The neighbours also came out to see him run (Jer. xx. 10); and, as he ran, some mocked, others threatened, and some cried after him to return; and, among those that did so, there were two that resolved to fetch him back by force. the one was Obstinate, and the name of the other Pliable. Now, by this time the man was got a good distance from them but, however, they were resolved to pursue him; which they did, and in a little time they

The name of

Obstinate and Pliable follow him.