THE PILGRIM'S PROGRESS. 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 I slept, I dreamed a dream.1 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. Psalm xxxviii. 4. Hab. ii. 2.) 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.) 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 my bowels, I, your dear friend, am in myself undone, by reason of a burden that lieth hard upon me: Moreover, I am for certain informed, that this our city' will be burnt 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 see not) some way of escape may be found, whereby we may be delivered." 1 Mr. Bunyan was confined about twelve years in Bedford jail, for exercising his ministry contrary to the statutes then in force. This was the 'den in which he slept and dreamed:' here he penned this instructive allegory, and many other useful works, which evince that he was neither soured nor disheartened by persecution. 2 The city of Destruction (as it is afterwards called) signifies this present evil world. A 2 Christian's Distress upon Reading the Book. 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 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 carriage 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. 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, and 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; and I find that I am not willing to do the first, nor able to do the second. (Heb. ix. 27. Job xvi. 21, 22. 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 to go to judgment, and from thence to execution; and the thoughts of these things make me cry. Then said Evangelist, If this be thy condition, why standest thou still? He answered, Because I know not whither to go. Then he |