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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Faith. Well, if you please, propound another sign how this
work of grace discovers itself where it is.
Talk. Not I; for I see we shall not agree.
Faith. Well, if you will not, will you give me leave to do it?
Talk. You may use your liberty.
Faith. A work of grace in the soul discovers itself either to him that hath
it, or to standers by. To him that hath it, thus: it gives him conviction of sin,
especially of the defilement of his nature, and the sin of unbelief--for the sake
of which he is sure to be damned, if he finds not mercy at God's hand by faith in
Jesus Christ. This sight and sense of things works in him sorrow and shame for sin;
he finds moreover revealed in him the Saviour of the world, and the absolute necessity
of closing with him for life; at the which he finds hungerings and thirstings after
him, to which hungerings, etc., the promise is made. Now, according to the strength
or weakness of his faith in his Saviour, so is his joy and peace; so is his love
to holiness; so are his desires to know him more; and also to serve him in this world.
But though I say it discovers itself thus unto him, yet it is but seldom that he
is able to conclude that this is a work of grace; because his corruptions now, and
his abused reason, make his mind to misjudge in this matter: therefore in him that
hath this work there is required a very sound judgment, before he can with steadiness
conclude that this is a work of grace
"And when he is come, he will reprove the
world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: Of sin, because they believe
not on me;"
~ John 16:8, 9 ~
"O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?"
~ Romans 7:24 ~
"He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved;
but he that believeth not shall be damned."
~ Mark 16:16 ~
"For I will declare mine iniquity; I will be sorry for my sin."
~ Psalm 38:18 ~
"Surely after that I was turned, I repented; and after that I was instructed,
I smote upon my thigh: I was ashamed, yea, even confounded, because I did
bear the reproach of my youth."
~ Jeremiah 31:19 ~
"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 ~
"Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under
heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved."
~ Acts 4:12 ~
"Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for
they shall be filled."
~ Matthew 5:6 ~
"And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the
end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely."
~ Revelation 21:6 ~
"For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession
is made unto salvation."
~ Romans 10:10 ~
"Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark
them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample."
~ Philippians 3:17 ~
"Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God."
~ Matthew 5:8 ~
To others it is thus discovered:
1. By an experimental confession of his faith in Christ. 2. By a life answerable
to that confession: to wit, a life of holiness-- heart holiness, family holiness
(if he hath a family), and by conversation holiness in the world; which in the general
teaches him inwardly to abhor his sin, and himself for that, in secret; to suppress
it in his family; and to promote holiness in the world--not by talk only, as a hypocrite
or talkative person may do, but by a practical subjection in faith and love to the
power of the Word
"If ye love me, keep my commandments."
~ John 14:15 ~
"Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me: and to him that ordereth his conversation
aright will I shew the salvation of God."
~ Psalm 50:23 ~
"I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee.
Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes."
~ Job 42:5, 6 ~
"And there shall ye remember your ways, and all your doings, wherein ye have
been defiled; and ye shall lothe yourselves in your own sight for all your evils
that ye have committed."
~ Ezekiel 20:43 ~
And now, sir, as to this brief description of the work of grace, and also the discovery
of it, if you have ought to object, object; if not, then give me leave to propound
to you a second question.
Talk. Nay, my part is not now to object, but to hear; let me, therefore, have
your second question.
Faith. It is this: Do you experience the first part of this description of
it? and doth your life and conversation testify the same? Or standeth your religion
in word or in tongue, and not in deed and truth? Pray, if you incline to answer me
in this, say no more than you know the God above will say Amen to; and also nothing
but what your conscience can justify you in: for not he that commendeth himself is
approved, but whom the Lord commendeth. Besides, to say I am thus and thus, when
my conversation and all my neighbours tell me I lie, is great wickedness.
Talk. Then TALKATIVE at first began to blush; but recovering himself, thus
he replied: "You come now to experience, to conscience, and God; and to appeal
to him for justification of what is spoken. This kind of discourse I did not expect,
nor am I disposed to give an answer to such questions; because I count not myself
bound thereto, unless you take upon you to be a catechiser; and though you should
so do, yet I may refuse to make you my judge. But I pray, will you tell me why you
ask me such questions?
Faith. Because I saw you forward to talk, and because I knew not that you
had aught else but notion. Besides, to tell you all the truth, I have heard of you,
that you are a man whose religion lies in talk; and that your conversation gives
this your mouth-profession the lie. They say you are a spot among Christians; and
that religion fares the worse for your ungodly conversation; that some already have
stumbled at your wicked ways, and that more are in danger of being destroyed thereby.
Your religion, and an ale house, and covetousness, and uncleanness, and swearing,
and lying, and vain company keeping, etc., will stand together. The proverb is true
of you which is said of a whore, to wit, that "she is a shame to all women":
so you are a shame to all professors.
Talk. Since you are ready to take up reports, and to judge so rashly as you
do, I cannot but conclude you are some peevish or melancholy man, not fit to be discoursed
with: and so adieu!
Chr. Then came up CHRISTIAN, and said to his brother, "I told you how
it would happen: your words and his lusts could not agree; he had rather leave your
company than reform his life. But he is gone--as I said: let him go; the loss is
no man's but his own. He has saved us the trouble of going from him; for he continuing--as
I suppose he will do--as he is, he would have been but a blot in our company; besides,
the Apostle says, "From such withdraw thyself."
Faith. But I am glad we had this little discourse with him; it may happen
that he will think of it again: however, I have dealt plainly with him, and so am
clear of his blood if he perish.
Chr. You did well to talk so plainly to him as you did. There is but little
of this faithful dealing with men nowadays, and that makes religion to stink in the
nostrils of many as it doth; for they are these talkative fools whose religion is
only in word, and are debauched and vain in their conversation, that (being so much
admitted into the fellowship of the godly) do stumble the world, blemish Christianity,
and grieve the sincere. I wish that all men would deal with such as you have done:
then should they either be made more conformable to religion; or the company of saints
would be too hot for them.
Then did FAITHFUL say:
"How TALKATIVE at first lifts up his plumes!
How bravely doth he speak! how he presumes
To drive down all before him! but so soon
As FAITHFUL talks of heart-work, like the moon
That's past the full, into the wave he goes;
And so will all but he that heart-work knows."
Thus they went on talking of what they had seen by the way; and so made that way
easy, which would otherwise no doubt have been tedious to them, for now they went
through a wilderness.
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