The Pilgrim’s Progress, John Bunyan [most popular novels .txt] 📗

fell out of his hand; and yet he ran well while there was nothing special to alarm him. Religious privileges should refresh and not puff up. —⁠Cheever ↩

Proverbs 6:6. ↩

But why go back again? That is the next way to hell. Never go over hedge and ditch to hell. They that miss life perish, because they will not let go their sins, or have no saving faith. —⁠Bunyan’s Strait Gate, vol. 1, p. 388 ↩

To go forward is attended with the fear of death, but eternal life is beyond. I must venture.

My hill was further: so I slung away,
Yet heard a cry
Just as I went, “None goes that way
And lives.” If that be all, said I,
After so foul a journey, death is fair
And but a chair.

—⁠G. Herbert’s Temple⁠—The Pilgrimage

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He is perplexed for his roll; this is right. If we suffer spiritual loss, and are easy and unconcerned about it, it is a sad sign that we indulge carnal security and vain confidences. —⁠Mason ↩

Revelation 2:5; 1 Thessalonians 5:7, 8. ↩

The backslider is attended with fears and doubts such as he felt not before, built on the vileness of his backsliding; more dreadful scriptures look him in the face, with their dreadful physiognomy. His new sins all turn talking devils, threatening devils, roaring devils, within him. Besides, he doubts the truth of his first conversion, and thus adds lead to his heels in returning to God by Christ. He can tell strange stories, and yet such as are very true. No man can tell what is to be seen and felt in the whale’s belly but Jonah. —⁠Bunyan’s Christ a Complete Saviour, vol. 1, p. 224 ↩

1 Thessalonians 5:6, 7. ↩

“Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is Mount Zion; God is known in her palaces for a refuge.” Those who enter must joyfully submit to the laws and ordinances of this house. —⁠Andronicus ↩

The two lions, civil despotism and ecclesiastical tyranny, terrified many young converts, when desirous of joining a Christian church, here represented by the Beautiful Palace. In the reign of the Tudors they committed sad havoc. In Bunyan’s time, they were chained, so that few suffered martyrdom, although many were ruined, imprisoned, and perished in dungeons. When Faithful passed they were asleep. It was a short cessation from persecution. In the Second Part, Great-heart slew Giant Bloody-man, who backed the lions; probably referring to the wretched death of that monster, Judge Jefferies. And in the experience of Mr. Fearing, it is clear that the Hill Difficulty and the lions were intended to represent temporal and bodily troubles, and not spiritual difficulties⁠—“When we came at the Hill Difficulty, he made no stick at that, nor did he much fear the lions; for you must know that his trouble was not about such things as these; his fear was about his acceptance at last’. —⁠Editor ↩

Mark 13:34⁠–⁠37. ↩

Genesis 9:27. ↩

Christian, after feeling the burden of sin, entering by Christ the gate, taught by the Holy Spirit lessons of high concern in the Bible or House of the Interpreter; after losing his burden by faith in his crucified Saviour, his sins pardoned, clothed with his Lord’s righteousness, marked by a godly profession, he becomes fit for church-fellowship; is invited by Bishop Gifford, the porter; and, with the consent of the inmates, he enters the house called Beautiful. Mark, reader, not as essential to salvation; it is by the side of the road, not across it; all that was essential had taken place before. Faithful did not enter. Here is no compulsion either to enter or pay: that would have converted it into the house of arrogance or persecution. It is upon the Hill Difficulty, requiring personal, willing efforts to scramble up; and holy zeal and courage to bear the taunts of the world and the growling frowns of the lions. Here he has new lessons to learn of Discretion, Piety, Prudence, and Charity, to bear with his fellow-members, and they with him; and here he is armed for his journey. Many are the blessed enjoyments of church-fellowship. “Esther was had to the house of the women to be purified, and so came to the king. God also hath appointed that those who come into His royal presence should first go to the house of the women, the church.” (See Bunyan’s Greatness of the Soul, vol. 1, p. 145). Every soul must be fitted for the royal presence, usually in church fellowship: but these lovely maidens sometimes wait on and instruct those who never enter the house Beautiful; who belong to the church universal, but not to any local body of Christians. John directs his Revelations to the seven churches in Asia; Paul, his epistles to the churches in Galatia, or to the church at Corinth-all distinct bodies of Christians; James to the 12 tribes; and Peter to the strangers, and “to them that have obtained like precious faith,” of all churches. —⁠Editor ↩

Hebrews 11:15, 16. ↩

Romans 7. ↩

The true Christian’s inmost feelings will best explain these answers, which no exposition can elucidate to those who are unacquainted with the conflict to which they refer, the golden hours, fleeting and precious, are earnests of the everlasting holy felicity of Heaven. —⁠Scott ↩

The only true mode of vanquishing carnal thoughts is looking at Christ crucified, or dwelling upon His dying love, the robe of righteousness which clothes his naked soul, his roll or evidence of his interest, and the glory and happiness of Heaven! Happy souls who thus oppose their corruptions! —⁠Dr. Dodd ↩

Isaiah 25:8; Revelation 21:4. ↩