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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Hope. But, CHRISTIAN, these three fellows, I am persuaded in
my heart, are but a company of cowards: would they have run else, think you, as they
did at the noise of one that was coming on the road? Why did not LITTLE-FAITH pluck
up a greater heart? He might, methinks, have stood one brush with them, and have
yielded when there had been no remedy.
Chr. That they are cowards, many have said; but few have found it so in the
time of trial. As for a great heart, LITTLE-FAITH had none; and I perceive by thee,
my brother, hadst thou been the man concerned, thou art but for a brush, and then
to yield. And, verily, since this is the height of thy stomach now they are at a
distance from us, should they appear to thee, as they did to him, they might put
thee to second thoughts.
But consider again--they are but journeymen-thieves, they serve under the king of
the bottomless pit; who, if need be, will come in to their aid himself, and his voice
is as the roaring of a lion.
"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary
the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:"
1 Peter 5:8 ~
I myself have been engaged as this LITTLE-FAITH was; and I found it a terrible thing.
These three villains set upon me; and I beginning like a Christian to resist, they
gave but a call, and in came their master: I would, as the saying is, have given
my life for a penny; but that, as God would have it, I was clothed with armour of
proof. Aye, and yet though I was so harnessed, I found it hard work to quit myself
like a man; no man can tell what in that combat attends us, but he that hath been
in the battle himself.
Hope. Well, but they ran, you see, when they did but suppose that one GREAT-GRACE
was in the way.
Chr. True, they have often fled, both they and their master, when GREAT-GRACE
hath but appeared; and no marvel, for he is the King's champion: but I trow, you
will put some difference between LITTLE-FAITH and the King's champion; all the King's
subjects are not his champions; nor can they, when tried, do such feats of war as
he. Is it meet to think that a little child should handle Goliath as David did? or
that there should be the strength of an ox in a wren? Some are strong, some are weak;
some have great faith, some have little: this man was one of the weak; and therefore
he went to the wall.
Hope. I would it had been GREAT-GRACE for their sakes.
Chr. If it had been he, he might have had his hands full: for I must tell
you, that though GREAT-GRACE is excellent good at his weapons, and has done--and
can do, so long as he keeps them at sword's point--well enough with them; yet if
they get within him, even FAINT-HEART, MISTRUST, or the other, it shall go hard but
they will throw up his heels. And when a man is down, you know--what can he do?
Whoso looks well upon GREAT-GRACE'S face, shall see those scars and cuts there, that
shall easily give demonstration of what I say. Yea, once I heard that he should say
(and that when he was in the combat), "We despaired even of life." How
did these sturdy rogues and their fellows make David groan, moan, and roar? Yea,
Heman and Hezekiah too, though champions in their day, were forced to bestir them
when by these assaulted; and yet, that notwithstanding, they had their coats soundly
brushed by them. Peter, upon a time, would go try what he could do; but, though some
do say of him that he is the Prince of the Apostles, they handled him so that they
made him at last afraid of a sorry girl.
Besides, their king is at their whistle, he is never out of hearing; and if at any
time they be put to the worst, he, if possible, comes in to help them. And of him
it is said, "The sword of him that lays at him cannot hold: the spear, the dart,
nor the habergeon. He esteems iron as straw, and brass as rotten wood. The arrow
cannot make him flee; slingstones are turned with him into stubble. Darts are counted
as stubble; he laughs at the shaking of a spear".
"The sword of him that layeth at him cannot
hold: the spear, the dart, nor the habergeon. He esteemeth iron as straw, and
brass as rotten wood. The arrow cannot make him flee: slingstones are turned with
him into stubble. Darts are counted as stubble: he laugheth at the shaking of a spear."
~ Job 41:26-29 ~
What can a man do in this case? 'Tis true, if a man could at every turn have Job's
horse, and had skill and courage to ride him, he might do notable things. For "his
neck is clothed with thunder; he will not be afraid as the grasshopper; the glory
of his nostrils is terrible. He paws in the valley, rejoices in his strength, and
goes out to meet the armed men. He mocks at fear, and is not affrighted, neither
turns back from the sword. The quiver rattles against him; the glittering spear,
and the shield. He swallows the ground with fierceness and rage; neither believes
he that it is the sound of the trumpet. He saith among the trumpets, Ha, ha; and
he smells the battle afar off, the thundering of the captains, and the shouting".
"Hast thou given the horse strength? hast
thou clothed his neck with thunder? Canst thou make him afraid as a grasshopper?
the glory of his nostrils is terrible. He paweth in the valley, and rejoiceth
in his strength: he goeth on to meet the armed men. He mocketh at fear, and
is not affrighted; neither turneth he back from the sword. The quiver rattleth against
him, the glittering spear and the shield. He swalloweth the ground with fierceness
and rage: neither believeth he that it is the sound of the trumpet. He saith
among the trumpets, Ha, ha; and he smelleth the battle afar off, the thunder of the
captains, and the shouting."
~ Job 39:19-25 ~
But for such footmen as thee and I are, let us never desire to meet with an enemy,
nor vaunt as if we could do better, when we hear of others that they have been foiled;
nor be tickled at the thoughts of our own manhood, for such commonly come by the
worst when tried. Witness Peter, of whom I made mention before. He would swagger,
aye, he would: he would, as his vain mind prompted him to say, do better, and stand
more for his Master, than all men; but who was so foiled and run down by these villains
as he?
When, therefore, we hear that such robberies are done on the king's highway, two
things become us to do; first, to go out harnessed, and to be sure to take a shield
with us; for it was for want of that, that he that laid so lustily at Leviathan,
could not make him yield. For, indeed, if that be wanting, he fears us not at all.
Therefore he that had skill hath said, "Above all, take the shield of faith,
wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked".
"Above all, taking the shield of faith,
wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked."
~ Ephesians 6:16 ~
'Tis good also that we desire of the King a convoy, yea, that he will go with us
himself. This made David rejoice when in the Valley of the Shadow of Death; and Moses
was rather for dying where he stood, than to go one step without his God.
"And he said unto him, If thy presence go
not with me, carry us not up hence."
~ Exodus 33:15 ~
Oh, my brother, if he will but go along with us, what need we be afraid of ten thousands
that shall set themselves against us? but without him, the proud helpers fall under
the slain.
"I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for
the LORD sustained me. I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people, that have
set themselves against me round about. Arise, O LORD; save me, O my God: for
thou hast smitten all mine enemies upon the cheek bone; thou hast broken the
teeth of the ungodly. Salvation belongeth unto the LORD: thy blessing is
upon thy people. Selah."
~ Psalm 3:5-8 ~
"The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is
the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked, even
mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell.
Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should
rise against me, in this will I be confident."
~ Psalm 27:1-3 ~
"Without me they shall bow down under the prisoners, and they shall fall under
the slain. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched
out still."
~ Isaiah 10:4 ~
I, for my part, have been in the fray before now; and though (through the goodness
of him that is best) I am, as you see, alive, yet I cannot boast of my manhood. Glad
shall I be if I meet with no more such brunts; though I fear we are not got beyond
all danger. However, since the lion and the bear hath not as yet devoured me, I hope
God will also deliver us from the next uncircumcised Philistine.
Then sang Christian:
"Poor LITTLE-FAITH! hast been among the thieves?
Wast robbed? Remember this: whoso believes,
And gets more faith, shall then a victor be
Over ten thousand, else scarce over three."
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