The Pilgrim's Progress - Part One
The Author's Apology for His Book | Introduction
| 3 | 4 | 5 | 6
| 7 | 8 | 9 | 10
| 11 | 12 | 13 | 14
| 15 | 16 | 17
| 18 | 19 | 20
| 21 | 22 | 23
| 24 | 25 | 26
| 27 | 28 | 29
| 30 | 31 | 32
| 33 | 34 | 35
| Conclusion
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Formalist and Hypocrisy
Yet was he troubled to think, that men in that danger should so little esteem the
kindness of him that so freely offered to help them: both by awakening of them, counselling
of them, and proffering to help them off with their irons. And as he was troubled
thereabout, he espied two men come tumbling over the wall, on the left hand of the
narrow way, and they made up apace to him. The name of the one was FORMALIST, and
the name of the other HYPOCRISY. So, as I said, they drew up unto him, who thus entered
with them into discourse.
Chr. Gentlemen, whence came you, and whither do you go?
Formalist and Hypocrisy. We were born in the land of Vain-glory, and are going
for praise to Mount Zion.
Chr. Why came you not in at the gate which stands at the beginning of the
way? Know you not that it is written, that "he that enters not in by the door,
but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber?"
"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that
entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the
same is a thief and a robber."
~ John 10:1 ~
Form. and Hyp. They said, that to go to the gate for entrance was by all their
countrymen counted too far about; and that therefore their usual way was to make
a short cut of it, and to climb over the wall as they had done.
Chr. But will it not be counted a trespass against the Lord of the city whither
we are bound, thus to violate his revealed will?
Form. and Hyp. They told him that, as for that, he needed not to trouble his
head thereabout; for what they did they had custom for, and could produce, if need
were, testimony that would witness it, for more than a thousand years.
Chr. "But," said CHRISTIAN, "will your practice stand a trial
at law?"
Form. and Hyp. They told him, that custom, it being of so long a standing
as above a thousand years, would doubtless now be admitted as a thing legal by any
impartial judge. And besides, said they, so be we get into the way, what's matter
which way we get in? If we are in, we are in: thou art but in the way, who, as we
perceive, came in at the gate; and we are also in the way, that came tumbling over
the wall. Wherein now is thy condition better than ours?
Chr. I walk by the rule of my Master; you walk by the rude working of your
fancies. You are counted thieves already by the Lord of the way, therefore I doubt
you will not be found true men at the end of the way. You come in by yourselves without
his direction, and shall go by yourselves without his mercy.
To this they made but little answer, only they bid him look to himself. Then I saw
that they went on every man in his way, without much conference one with another,
save that these two men told CHRISTIAN, that as to laws and ordinances, they doubted
not but they should as conscientiously do them as he. "Therefore," said
they, "we see not wherein thou differest from us, but by the coat that is on
thy back; which was, as we think, given thee by some of thy neighbours to hide the
shame of thy nakedness."
Chr. By laws and ordinances you will not be saved, since you came not in by
the door.
"Knowing that a man is not justified by
the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in
Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works
of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified."
~ Galations 2:16 ~
And as for this coat that is on my back, it was given me by the Lord of the place
whither I go; and that, as you say, to cover my nakedness with. And I take it as
a token of his kindness to me, for I had nothing but rags before. And besides, thus
I comfort myself as I go: Surely, think I, when I come to the gate of the city, the
Lord thereof will know me for good, since I have his coat on my back, a coat that
he gave me freely in the day that he stripped me of my rags. I have, moreover, a
mark in my forehead, of which, perhaps, you have taken no notice, which one of my
Lord's most intimate associates fixed there in the day that my burden fell off my
shoulders. I will tell you, moreover, that I had then given me a roll sealed, to
comfort me by reading as I go in the way; I was also bidden to give it in at the
Celestial Gate, in token of my certain going in after it: all which things I doubt
you want, and want them because you came not in at the gate.
To these things they gave him no answer, only they looked upon each other and laughed.
Then I saw that they all went on, save that CHRISTIAN kept before, who had no more
talk but with himself, and that sometimes sighingly, and sometimes comfortably; also
he would be often reading in the roll that one of the shining ones gave him, by which
he was refreshed.
I beheld, then, that they all went on till they came to the foot of the hill "Difficulty,"
at the bottom of which was a spring. There were also in the same place two other
ways besides that which came straight from the gate; one turned to the left hand,
and the other to the right, at the bottom of the hill: but the narrow way lay right
up the hill (and the name of the going up the side of the hill is called Difficulty).
CHRISTIAN now went to the spring, and drank thereof to refresh himself;
"They shall not hunger nor thirst; neither
shall the heat nor sun smite them: for he that hath mercy on them shall lead them,
even by the springs of water shall he guide them."
~ Isaiah 49:10 ~
and then began to go up the hill, saying:
"This hill, though high, I covet to ascend;
The difficulty will not me offend,
For I perceive the way to life lies here:
Come, pluck up, heart, let's neither faint nor fear!
Better, though difficult, the right way to go,
Than wrong, though easy, where the end is woe."
The other two also came to the foot of the hill. But when they saw that the hill
was steep and high, and that there were two other ways to go; and supposing also
that these two ways might meet again with that up which CHRISTIAN went, on the other
side of the hill, therefore they were resolved to go in those ways (now the name
of one of those ways was "Danger," and the name of the other "Destruction").
So the one took the way which is called Danger, which led him into a great wood;
and the other took directly up the way to Destruction, which led him into a wide
field full of dark mountains, where he stumbled and fell, and rose no more.
Timorous and Mistrust
I looked then after CHRISTIAN, to see him go up the hill, when I perceived he fell
from running to going, and from going to clambering upon his hands and his knees,
because of the steepness of the place. Now about the midway to the top of the hill
was a pleasant arbour, made by the Lord of the hill, for the refreshment of weary
travellers. Thither, therefore, CHRISTIAN got, where also he sat down to rest. Then
he pulled his roll out of his bosom, and read therein to his comfort; he also now
began afresh to take a review of the coat or garment that was given him as he stood
by the cross. Thus pleasing himself awhile, he at last fell into a slumber, and thence
into a fast sleep which detained him in that place until it was almost night, and
in his sleep his roll fell out of his hand. Now as he was sleeping, there came one
to him, and awaked him, saying, "Go to the ant, thou sluggard: consider her
ways, and be wise".
"Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider
her ways, and be wise:"
~ Proverbs 6:6 ~
And with that, CHRISTIAN suddenly started up, and sped him on his way, and went apace
till he came to the top of the hill.
Now when he was got up to the top of the hill, there came two men running against
him furiously. The name of the one was TIMOROUS, and the name of the other MISTRUST;
to whom CHRISTIAN said, "Sirs, what's the matter? You run the wrong way !"
Timorous answered that they were going to the City of Zion, and had got up
that difficult place; "but," said he, "the farther we go, the more
danger we meet with: wherefore we turned, and are going back again."
Mistrust. "Yes," said MISTRUST; "for just before us lie a couple
of lions in the way--whether sleeping or waking we know not,--and we could not think,
if we came within reach, but they would presently pull us in pieces."
Chr. Then said CHRISTIAN, "You make me afraid; but whither shall I fly
to be safe? If I go back to mine own country, that is prepared for fire and brimstone--and
I shall certainly perish there! If I can get to the celestial city, I am sure to
be in safety there. I must venture: to go back is nothing but death; to go forward
is fear of death, and life everlasting beyond it! I will yet go forward!
The Pilgrim's Progress - Part One
The Author's Apology for His Book | Introduction
| 3 | 4 | 5 | 6
| 7 | 8 | 9 | 10
| 11 | 12 | 13 | 14
| 15 | 16 | 17
| 18 | 19 | 20
| 21 | 22 | 23
| 24 | 25 | 26
| 27 | 28 | 29
| 30 | 31 | 32
| 33 | 34 | 35
| Conclusion
Back to Pilgrim's Homepage