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
INTER. The man whose picture this is, is one of a thousand. He can say,
in the words of the apostle Paul, "Though ye have ten thousand teachers
in Christ, yet have you not many fathers; for in Christ Jesus I have
been your father through the Gospel." And whereas thou seest him with
his eyes lifted up to heaven, the best of books in his hand, and the law
of truth writ on his lips, it is to show thee that his work is to know
and unfold dark things to sinners; even as also thou seest him stand as
if he pleaded with men. And whereas thou seest the world is cast behind
him, and that a crown hangs over his head; that is to show thee that,
slighting and despising the things that are in the world, for the love
that he hath to his Master's service, he is sure in the world that comes
next to have glory for his reward. Now, said the Interpreter, I have
showed thee this picture first, because the man whose picture this is,
is the only man whom the Lord of the place whither thou art going hath
chosen to be thy guide, in all difficult places thou mayest meet with in
thy way; wherefore take good heed to what I have showed thee, and bear
well in thy mind what thou hast seen, lest in thy journey thou meet with
some that pretend to lead thee right, but their way goes down to death.
Then he took him by the hand, and led him into a very large parlor, that
was full of dust, because never swept; the which after he had looked at
it a little while, the Interpreter called for a man to sweep. Now, when
he began to sweep, the dust began so abundantly to fly about that
Christian had almost therewith been choked. Then said the Interpreter to
a girl that stood by, "Bring hither water, and sprinkle the room;" the
which when she had done, it was swept and cleansed with ease.
CHRIS. Then said Christian, "What means this?"
INTER. The Interpreter answered, "This parlor is the heart of a man
that was never made pure by the sweet grace of the Gospel. The dust is
his sin, and inward evils that have defiled the whole man. He that began
to sweep at first is the law; but she that brought water, and did
sprinkle it, is the Gospel. Now, whereas thou sawest that, as soon as
the first began to sweep, the dust did fly so about that the room could
not by him be cleansed, but that thou wast almost choked therewith; this
is to show thee, that the law, instead of cleansing the heart (by its
working) from sin, doth revive, put strength into, and increase it in
the soul, even as it doth discover and forbid it, for it doth not give
power to overcome. Again, as thou sawest the girl sprinkle the room with
water, upon which it was cleansed with ease; this is to show thee, that
when the Gospel comes, in the sweet and gracious power thereof, to the
heart, then, I say, even as thou sawest the maiden lay the dust by
sprinkling the floor with water, so is sin vanquished and subdued, and
the soul made clean through the faith of it, and, consequently, fit for
the King of Glory to dwell in."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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