The Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan Every Child Can ReadBunyan, John
Religion
The Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan Every Child Can Read
Bunyan, John
Christian life -- Juvenile literature; Christian pilgrims and pilgrimages -- Juvenile literature
SAG. You need not fear to declare it. I mean, that they are all gone on
pilgrimage, both the good woman and her four boys. And, since (we are,
as I perceive) going some considerable way together, I will give you an
account of the whole matter.
This Christiana (for that was her name from the day that she, with her
children betook themselves to a pilgrim's life) after her husband had
gone over the river, and she could hear of him no more, her thoughts
began to work in her mind. First, for that she had lost her husband, and
of that the loving bond of that relation was utterly broken betwixt
them. For you know (said he to me) it is only natural that the living
should have many sad thoughts, in the remembrance of the loss of loving
relations. This, therefore, of her husband, did cost her many a tear.
But this was not all; for Christiana did also begin to consider with
herself, whether unbecoming behavior towards her husband was not one
cause that she saw him no more, and that in such sort he was taken away
from her. And, upon this, came into her mind, by swarms, all her unkind,
unnatural, and ungodly treatment of her dear friend; which also troubled
her conscience, and did load her with guilt. She was, moreover, much
broken with recalling to remembrance the restless groans, brinish tears,
and self-bemoanings of her husband, and how she did harden her heart
against all his entreaties and loving persuasions of her and her sons to
go with him; yea, there was not anything that Christian either said to
her or did before her, all the while that his burden did hang on his
back, but it returned upon her like a flash of lightning, and rent her
heart in sunder. Specially that bitter outcry of his, "What shall I do
to be saved?" did ring in her ears most dolefully.
Then said she to her children, "Sons, we are all undone. I have sinned
away your father, and he is gone; he would have had us with him, but I
would not go myself; I also have hindered you of life."
With that, the boys fell all into tears, and cried out to go after their
father.
"Oh," said Christiana, "that it had been but our lot to go with him!
then had it fared well with us, beyond what it is like to do now. For
though I formerly foolishly imagined, concerning the troubles of your
father, that they came from a foolish fancy that he had, or for that he
was overrun with melancholy humors; yet now it will not out of my mind
but that they sprang from another cause; and it was this, that the light
of life was given him, by the help of which, as I perceive, he has
escaped the snares of death."
[Sidenote: OF CHRISTIANA'S DREAM]
Then they all wept again, and cried out, "Oh, woe worth the day!"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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