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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Sleep in the Daytime
So MISTRUST and TIMOROUS ran down the hill; and CHRISTIAN went on his way. But thinking
again of what he heard from the men, he felt in his bosom for his roll, that he might
read therein, and be comforted; but he felt, and found it not. Then was CHRISTIAN
in great distress, and knew not what to do; for he wanted that which used to relieve
him, and that which should have been his pass into the Celestial City. Here, therefore,
he began to be much perplexed, and knew not what to do; at last he bethought himself
that he had slept in the arbour that is on the side of the hill: and falling down
upon his knees, he asked God forgiveness for that his foolish act, and then went
back to look for his roll. But all the way he went back, who can sufficiently set
forth the sorrow of CHRISTIAN'S heart? sometimes he sighed; sometimes he wept; and
often times he chided himself for being so foolish as to fall asleep in that place,
which was erected only for a little refreshment from his weariness.
Thus therefore, he went back; carefully looking on this side and on that, all the
way as he went, if happily he might find his roll, that had been his comfort so many
times in his journey. He went thus till he came again within sight of the arbour
where he sat and slept; but that sight renewed his sorrow the more, by bringing again
even afresh his evil of sleeping into his mind. Thus therefore, he now went on bewailing
his sinful sleep, saying, "Oh, wretched man that I am, that I should sleep in
the daytime! that I should sleep in the midst of difficulty!;
"For they that sleep sleep in the night;
and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. But let us, who are of the day,
be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope
of salvation."
~ 1 Thessalonians 5:7, 8 ~
"Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy
first love. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the
first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick
out of his place, except thou repent."
~ Revelation 2:4, 5 ~
that I should so indulge the flesh, as to use that rest for ease to my flesh, which
the Lord of the hill hath erected only for the relief of the spirits of pilgrims!
How many steps have I taken in vain! (thus it happened to Israel; for their sin they
were sent back again by the way of the Red Sea); and I am made to tread those steps
with sorrow, which I might have trod with delight, had it not been for this sinful
sleep. How far might I have been on my way by this time! I am made to tread those
steps thrice over which I needed not to have trod but once: yea, now also I am like
to be benighted, for the day is almost spent. Oh that I had not slept!"
Now by this time he was come to the arbour again, where for a while he sat down and
wept; but at last (as CHRISTIAN would have it) looking sorrowfully down under the
settle, there he espied his roll, the which he with trembling and haste caught up,
and put into his bosom; but who can tell how joyful this man was when he had gotten
his roll again! For this roll was the assurance of his life and acceptance at the
desired haven. Therefore he laid it up in his bosom; gave thanks to God for directing
his eye to the place where it lay; and with joy and tears betook himself again to
his journey. But oh, how nimbly now did he go up the rest of the hill! Yet before
he got up, the sun went down upon CHRISTIAN; and this made him again recall the vanity
of his sleeping, and thus he again began to condole with himself: "Oh, thou
sinful sleep! how for thy sake am I like to be benighted in my journey! I must walk
without the sun; darkness must cover the path of my feet; and I must hear the noise
of the doleful creatures-- because of my sinful sleep!" Now also he remembered
the story that MISTRUST and TIMOROUS told him of--how they were frightened with the
sight of the lions. Then said CHRISTIAN to himself again, "These beasts range
in the night for their prey; and if they should meet with me in the dark, how should
I shift them? how should I escape being by them torn in pieces?" Thus he went
on his way; but while he was thus bewailing his unhappy miscarriage, he lift up his
eyes, and behold, there was a very stately palace before him, the name of which was
"Beautiful," and it stood just by the highway side.
Entering the Palace "Beautiful"
So I saw in my dream that he made haste and went forward, that if possible he might
get lodging there. Now before he had gone far, he entered into a very narrow passage,
which was about a furlong off of the porter's lodge; and, looking very narrowly before
him as he went, he espied two lions in the way. Now, thought he, I see the dangers
by which MISTRUST and TIMOROUS were driven back. (The lions were chained; but he
saw not the chains.) Then he was afraid, and thought also himself to go back after
them; for he thought nothing but death was before him. But the porter at the lodge,
whose name is WATCHFUL, perceiving that CHRISTIAN made a halt, as if he would go
back, cried unto him, saying, "Is thy strength so small?
"And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful?
how is it that ye have no faith?"
~ Mark 4:40 ~
fear not the lions; for they are chained, and are placed there for trial of faith
where it is; and for discovery of those that have none: keep in the midst of the
path, and no hurt shall come unto thee!"
Then I saw that he went on, trembling for fear of the lions, but taking good heed
to the directions of the porter. He heard them roar; but they did him no harm. Then
he clapped his hands, and went on till he came and stood before the gate where the
porter was. Then said CHRISTIAN to the porter, "Sir, what house is this? and
may I lodge here tonight?" The porter answered, "This house was built by
the Lord of the hill; and he built it for the relief and security of pilgrims."
The porter also asked whence he was, and whither he was going?
Chr. I am come from the city of Destruction, and am going to Mount Zion; but
because the sun is now set, I desire, if I may, to lodge here tonight.
Watchful, the Porter. What is your name?
Chr. My name is now CHRISTIAN; but my name at the first was GRACELESS: I came
of the race of Japheth, whom God will persuade to dwell in the tents of Shem.
"God shall enlarge Japheth, and he shall
dwell in the tents of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant."
~ Genesis 9:27 ~
Watch. But how doth it happen that you come so late? the sun is set!
Chr. I had been here sooner; but that--wretched man that I am--I slept by
the arbour that stands on the hillside. Nay, I had, notwithstanding that, been here
much sooner, but that in my sleep I lost my evidence, and came without it to the
brow of the hill; and then, feeling for it, and finding it not, I was forced, with
sorrow of heart, to go back to the place where I slept my sleep, where I found it,
and now I am come.
Watch. Well, I will call out one of the virgins of this place, who will, if
she likes your talk, bring you in to the rest of the family, according to the rules
of the house. So WATCHFUL the porter rang a bell; at the sound of which, came out
at the door of the house a grave and beautiful damsel, named DISCRETION, and asked
why she was called.
Watchful answered, "This man is in a journey from the city of Destruction
to Mount Zion; but being weary and benighted, he asked me if he might lodge here
tonight: so I told him I would call for thee, who, after discourse had with him,
mayest do as seemeth thee good, even according to the law of the house."
Discretion. Then she asked him whence he was, and whither he was going: and
he told her. She asked him also how he got into the way: and he told her. Then she
asked him what he had seen and met with in the way: and he told her. And last, she
asked his name: so he said, "It is CHRISTIAN; and I have so much the more a
desire to lodge here tonight, because, by what I perceive, this place was built by
the Lord of the hill for the relief and security of pilgrims." So she smiled,
but the water stood in her eyes; and after a little pause, she said, "I will
call forth two or three more of the family." So she ran to the door, and called
out PRUDENCE, PIETY, and CHARITY, who, after a little more discourse with him, had
him in to the family, and many of them meeting him at the threshold of the house,
said, "Come in, thou blessed of the Lord! this house was built by the Lord of
the hill on purpose to entertain such pilgrims in." Then he bowed his head,
and followed them into the house. So when he was come in, and set down, they gave
him something to drink; and consented together that, until supper was ready, some
of them should have some particular discourse with CHRISTIAN, for the best improvement
of time: and they appointed PIETY, and PRUDENCE, and CHARITY, to discourse with him;
and thus they began:
Piety
Piety. Come, good CHRISTIAN, since we have been so loving to you, as to receive
you into our house this night, let us, if perhaps we may better ourselves thereby,
talk with you of all things that have happened to you in your pilgrimage.
Chr. With a very good will; and I am glad that you are so well disposed.
Piety. What moved you at first to betake yourself to a pilgrim's life?
Chr. I was driven out of my native country by a dreadful sound that was in
mine ears, to wit, that unavoidable destruction did attend me if I abode in that
place where I was.
Piety. But how did it happen that you came out of your country this way?
Chr. It was as God would have it; for when I was under the fears of destruction,
I did not know whither to go; but by chance there came a man, even to me (as I was
trembling and weeping), whose name is EVANGELIST, and he directed me to the Wicket
gate, which else I should never have found; and so set me into the way that hath
led me directly to this house.
Piety. But did you not come by the house of the INTERPRETER?
Chr. Yes, and did see such things there, the remembrance of which will stick
by me as long as I live; especially three things: to wit, How Christ in despite of
Satan, maintains his work of grace in the heart; how the man had sinned himself quite
out of hopes of God's mercy; and also the dream of him that thought in his sleep
the Day of Judgment was come.
Piety. Why, did you hear him tell his dream?
Chr. Yes, and a dreadful one it was, I thought; it made my heart ache as he
was telling of it; but yet I am glad I heard it.
Piety. Was that all that you saw at the house of the INTERPRETER?
Chr. No: he took me and had me where he showed me a stately palace; and how
the people that were in it were clad in gold; and how there came a venturous man,
and cut his way through the armed men that stood in the door to keep him out; and
how he was bidden to come in and win eternal glory. Methought those things did ravish
my heart: I could have stayed at the good man's house a twelvemonth but that I knew
I had farther to go.
Piety. And what else saw you in the way?
Chr. Saw! Why I went but a little farther, and I saw One, as I thought in
my mind, hang bleeding upon the tree, and the very sight of him made the burden fall
off my back (for I groaned under a weary burden), but then it fell down from off
me. 'Twas a strange thing to me; for I never saw such a thing before. Yea, and while
I stood looking up (for then I could not forbear looking), three shining ones came
to me: one of them testified that my sins were forgiven; another stript me of my
rags, and gave me this embroidered coat which you see; and the third set the mark
which you see in my forehead, and gave me this sealed roll (and with that he plucked
it out of his bosom).
Piety. But you saw more than this, did you not?
Chr. The things that I have told you were the best; yet I saw some other small
matters, as namely, I saw three men, SIMPLE, SLOTH, and PRESUMPTION, lie asleep a
little out of the way as I came, with irons upon their heels; but do you think I
could awake them! I saw also FORMALIST and HYPOCRISY come tumbling over the wall,
to go, as they pretended, to Zion, but they were quickly lost; even as I myself did
tell them, but they would not believe: but above all, I found it hard work to get
up this hill, and as hard to come by the lions' mouths; and truly, if it had not
been for the good man, the porter, that stands at the gate, I do not know but that,
after all, I might have gone back again. But now I thank God I am here, and I thank
you for receiving me.
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