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
Ignorance Demonstrates His Ignorance
I saw, then, in my dream, that HOPEFUL looked back and saw IGNORANCE, whom they had
left behind, coming after. "Look," said he to CHRISTIAN, "how far
yonder youngster loiters behind."
Chr. Aye, aye, I see him; he cares not for our company.
Hope. But I trow it would not have hurt him had he kept pace with us hitherto.
Chr. That's true; but I warrant you he thinks otherwise.
Hope. "That I think he doth; but, however, let us tarry for him."
So they did.
Chr. Then CHRISTIAN said to him, "Come away, man; why do you stay so
behind?"
Ign. I take my pleasure in walking alone, even more a great deal than in company,
unless I like it the better.
Chr. Then said CHRISTIAN to HOPEFUL (but softly), "Did I not tell you
he cared not for our company? but however," said he, "come up and let us
talk away the time in this solitary place." Then directing his speech to IGNORANCE,
he said, "Come, how do you? how stands it between God and your soul now?"
Ign. I hope well; for I am always full of good motions, that come into my
mind to comfort me as I walk.
Chr. What good motions? Pray tell us.
Ign. Why, I think of God and heaven.
Chr. So do the devils and damned souls.
Ign. But I think of them, and desire them.
Chr. So do many that are never like to come there; the soul of the sluggard
desires, and hath nothing.
"The soul of the sluggard desireth, and
hath nothing: but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat."
~ Proverbs 13:4 ~
Ign. But I think of them, and leave all for them.
Chr. That I doubt, for leaving of all is a hard matter; yea, a harder matter
than many are aware of. But why, or by what, art thou persuaded that thou hast left
all for God and heaven?
Ign. My heart tells me so.
Chr. The wise man says, "He that trusts his own heart is a fool".
"He that trusteth in his own heart is a
fool: but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered."
~ Proverbs 28:26 ~
Ign. This is spoken of an evil heart; but mine is a good one.
Chr. But how dost thou prove that?
Ign. It comforts me in the hopes of heaven.
Chr. That may be through its deceitfulness; for a man's heart may minister
comfort to him in the hopes of that thing for which he yet has no ground to hope.
Ign. But my heart and life agree together; and therefore my hope is well grounded.
Chr. Who told thee that thy heart and life agree together?
Ign. My heart tells me so.
Chr. "Ask my fellow if I be a thief." Thy heart tells thee so! Except
the Word of God bears witness in this matter, other testimony is of no value.
Ign. But is it not a good heart that has good thoughts? and is not a good
life one that is according to God's commandments?
Chr. Yes, that is a good heart that hath good thoughts; and that is a good
life that is according to God's commandments: but it is one thing indeed to have
these, and another thing only to think so.
Ign. Pray, what count you good thoughts, and a life according to God's commandments?
Chr. There are good thoughts of divers kinds: some respecting ourselves, some
God, some Christ, and some other things.
Ign. What be good thoughts respecting ourselves?
Chr. Such as agree with the Word of God.
Ign. When do our thoughts of ourselves agree with the Word of God?
Chr. When we pass the same judgment upon ourselves which the Word passes.
To explain myself: the Word of God saith of persons in a natural condition, "There
is none righteous, there is none that doth good." It saith also, "That
every imagination of the heart of man is only evil, and that continually".
"What then? are we better than they?
No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all
under sin; As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none
that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of
the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no,
not one.
Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit;
the poison of asps is under their lips: Whose mouth is full of cursing
and bitterness: Their feet are swift to shed blood: Destruction and misery
are in their ways: And the way of peace have they not known: There is no fear
of God before their eyes."
~ Romans 3:9-18 ~
"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;"
~ Romans 3:23 ~
"And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that
every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually."
~ Genesis 6:5 ~
And again, "The imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth." Now
then, when we think thus of ourselves, having sense thereof, then are our thoughts
good ones, because they are according to the Word of God.
Ign. I will never believe that my heart is thus bad.
Chr. Therefore thou never hadst one good thought concerning thyself in thy
life. But let me go on. As the Word passes a judgment upon our heart, so it passes
a judgment upon our ways: and when our thoughts of our hearts and ways agree with
the judgment which the Word gives of both, then are both good, because agreeing thereto.
Ign. Make out your meaning.
Chr. Why, the Word of God saith, that man's ways are crooked ways; not good,
but perverse. It saith, they are naturally out of the good way, that they have not
known it.
"As for such as turn aside unto their crooked
ways, the LORD shall lead them forth with the workers of iniquity: but peace
shall be upon Israel."
~ Psalms 125:5 ~
"Whose ways are crooked, and they froward in their paths:"
~ Proverbs 2:15 ~
"What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before
proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin; As it is written, There
is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that
seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable;
there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit;
the poison of asps is under their lips: Whose mouth is full of cursing
and bitterness: Their feet are swift to shed blood: Destruction and misery
are in their ways: And the way of peace have they not known: There is no fear
of God before their eyes."
~ Romans 3:9-18 ~
Now, when a man thus thinks of his ways--I say, when he doth sensibly and with heart
humiliation thus think, then hath he good thoughts of his own ways because his thoughts
now agree with the judgment of the Word of God.
Ign. What are good thoughts concerning God?
Chr. Even (as I have said concerning ourselves) when our thoughts of God do
agree with what the Word saith of him; and that is when we think of his being and
attributes as the Word hath taught, of which I cannot now discourse at large. But
to speak of him with reference to us: then we have right thoughts of God when we
think that he knows us better than we know ourselves, and can see sin in us when
and where we can see none in ourselves; when we think he knows our inmost thoughts,
and that our heart with all its depths is always open unto his eyes; also, when we
think that all our righteousness stinks in his nostrils, and that therefore he cannot
abide to see us stand before him in any confidence even of all our best performances.
Ign. Do you think that I am such a fool as to think God can see no further
than I? or that I would come to God in the best of my performances?
Chr. Why, how dost thou think in this matter?
Ign. Why, to be short, I think I must believe in Christ for justification.
Chr. How think thou must believe in Christ, when thou seest not thy need of
him! Thou neither seest thy original nor actual infirmities; but hast such an opinion
of thyself and of what thou doest, as plainly renders thee to be one that did never
see a necessity of Christ's personal righteousness to justify thee before God. How
then dost thou say, "I believe in Christ?"
Ign. I believe well enough for all that.
Chr. How dost thou believe?
Ign. I believe that Christ died for sinners; and that I shall be justified
before God from the curse, through his gracious acceptance of my obedience to his
law; or thus, Christ makes my duties that are religious acceptable to his Father
by virtue of his merits, and so shall I be justified.
Chr. Let me give an answer to this confession of thy faith:
1. Thou believest with a fantastical faith; for this faith is nowhere described in
the Word.
2. Thou believest with a false faith; because it taketh justification from the personal
righteousness of Christ, and applies it to thy own.
3. This faith makes not Christ a justifier of thy person, but of thy actions; and
of thy person for thy actions' sake, which is false.
4. Therefore this faith is deceitful, even such as will leave thee under wrath in
the day of God Almighty; for true justifying faith puts the soul (as sensible of
its lost condition by the law) upon flying for refuge unto Christ's righteousness--which
righteousness of his is not an act of grace by which he makes for justification thy
obedience accepted with God; but his personal obedience to the law in doing and suffering
for us what that required at our hands. This righteousness, I say, true faith accepts;
under the skirt of which, the soul being shrouded, and by it presented as spotless
before God, it is accepted, and acquitted from condemnation.
Ign. What! would you have us trust to what Christ in his own person has done
without us? This conceit would loosen the reins of our lust, and tolerate us to live
as we list; for what matter how we live, if we may be justified by Christ's personal
righteousness from all, when we believe it?
Chr. IGNORANCE is thy name; and as thy name is, so art thou: even this thy
answer demonstrateth what I say. Ignorant thou art of what justifying righteousness
is; and as ignorant how to secure thy soul, through the faith of it, from the heavy
wrath of God. Yea, thou also art ignorant of the true effects of saving faith in
this righteousness of Christ: which is, to bow and win over the heart to God in Christ,
to love his name, his Word, ways, and people; and not as thou ignorantly imaginest.
Hope. Ask him if ever he had Christ revealed to him from heaven.
Ign. What! you are a man for revelations! I do believe that what both you
and all the rest of you say about that matter is but the fruit of distracted brains.
Hope. Why, man, Christ is so hid in God from the natural apprehensions of
the flesh, that he cannot by any man be savingly known, unless God the Father reveals
him to them.
Ign. That is your faith, but not mine: yet mine, I doubt not, is as good as
yours, though I have not in my head so many whimsies as you.
Chr. Give me leave to put in a word. You ought not so slightly to speak of
this matter; for this I will boldly affirm (even as my good companion hath done),
that no man can know Jesus Christ but by the revelation of the Father; yea, and faith
too, by which the soul lays hold upon Christ (if it be right), must be wrought by
the exceeding greatness of his mighty power;
"All things are delivered unto me of my
Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father,
save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him."
~ Matthew 11:27 ~
"Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God
calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but
by the Holy Ghost."
~ 1 Corinthians 12:3 ~
"The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is
the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the
saints, And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe,
according to the working of his mighty power"
~ Ephesians 1:18 ~
the working of which faith, I perceive, poor IGNORANCE, thou art ignorant of. Be
awakened, then, see thine own wretchedness, and fly to the Lord Jesus; and by his
righteousness, which is the righteousness of God (for He himself is God), thou shalt
be delivered from condemnation.
Ign. You go so fast, I cannot keep pace with you. Do you go on before; I must
stay awhile behind.
Then they said:
"Well, IGNORANCE, Wilt thou yet foolish be,
To slight good counsel ten times given thee?
And if thou yet refuse it, thou shalt know
Ere long the evil of thy doing so.
Remember, man, in time; stoop, do no fear:
Good counsel taken well, saves; therefore hear
But if thou yet shalt slight it, thou wilt be
The loser, IGNORANCE, I'll warrant thee."
Then CHRISTIAN addressed himself thus to his fellow:
Chr. Well, come, my good HOPEFUL; I perceive that thou and I must walk by
ourselves again.
Right Fear
So I saw in my dream that they went on apace before, and IGNORANCE he came hobbling
after. Then said CHRISTIAN to his companion, "It pities me much for this poor
man; it will certainly go ill with him at last."
Hope. Alas, there are abundance in our town in his condition: whole families,
yea, whole streets (and that of pilgrims too); and if there be so many in our parts,
how many, think you, must there be in the place where he was born?
Chr. Indeed the Word saith, "He hath blinded their eyes, lest they should
see," etc. But now we are by ourselves, what do you think of such men? Have
they at no time, think you, convictions of sin; and so, consequently, fears that
their state is dangerous?
Hope. Nay, do you answer that question yourself; for you are the elder man.
Chr. Then I say sometimes (as I think) they may; but they, being naturally
ignorant, understand not that such convictions tend to their good; and therefore
they do desperately seek to stifle them, and presumptuously continue to flatter themselves
in the way of their own hearts.
Hope. I do believe as you say, that fear tends much to men's good, and to
make them right, at their beginning, to go on pilgrimage.
Chr. Without all doubt it doth, if it be right; for so says the Word, "The
fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.''
"And unto man he said, Behold, the fear
of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding."
~ Job 28:28 ~
"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding
have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever."
~ Psalm 111:10 ~
"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools
despise wisdom and instruction."
~ Proverbs 1:7 ~
"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of
the holy is understanding."
~ Proverbs 9:10 ~
Hope. How will you describe right fear?
Chr. True, or right fear, is discovered by three things:
1. By its rise. It is caused by saving convictions for sin.
2. It drives the soul to lay fast hold of Christ for salvation.
3. It begets and continues in the soul a great reverence of God, His Word, and ways;
keeping it tender, and making it afraid to turn from them, to the right hand or to
the left; to anything that may dishonour God, break its peace, grieve the Spirit,
or cause the enemy to speak reproachfully.
Hope. Well said; I believe you have said the truth. Are we now almost got
past the Enchanted Ground?
Chr. Why, are you weary of this discourse?
Hope. No, verily; but that I would know where we are.
Chr. We have not now above two miles farther to go thereon. But let us return
to our matter. Now the ignorant know not that such convictions that tend to put them
in fear are for their good; and therefore they seek to stifle them.
Hope. How do they seek to stifle them?
Chr. 1. They think that those fears are wrought by the devil (though indeed
they are wrought of God); and thinking so, they resist them, as things that directly
tend to their overthrow.
2. They also think that these fears tend to the spoiling of their faith (when, alas
for them, poor men that they are, they have none at all); and therefore they harden
their hearts against them.
3. They presume they ought not to fear; and therefore, in despite of them, wax presumptuously
confident.
4. They see that these fears tend to take away from them their pitiful old self holiness;
and therefore they resist them with all their might.
Hope. I know something of this myself; for before I knew myself, it was so
with me.
Backsliding
Chr. Well, we will leave at this time our neighbour IGNORANCE by himself,
and fall upon another profitable question.
Hope. With all my heart; but you shall still begin.
Chr. Well then, did you not know, about ten years ago, one TEMPORARY in your
parts, who was a forward man in religion then?
Hope. Know him? Yes; he dwelt in Graceless, a town about two miles off to
Honesty, and he dwelt next door to one TURNBACK
Chr. Right; he dwelt under the same roof with him. Well, that man was much
awakened once. I believe that then he had some sight of his sins, and of the wages
that was due thereto.
Hope. I am of your mind; for (my house not being above three miles from him)
he would oft times come to me, and that with many tears. Truly, I pitied the man,
and was not altogether without hope of him; but one may see it is not everyone that
cries, "Lord, Lord !"
Chr. He told me once, that he was resolved to go on pilgrimage, as we do now;
but all of a sudden he grew acquainted with one SAVE-SELF, and then he became a stranger
to me.
Hope. Now, since we are talking about him, let us a little inquire into the
reason of the sudden backsliding of him and such others.
Chr. I may be very profitable; but do you begin.
Hope. Well, then, there are in my judgment four reasons for it.
1. Though the consciences of such men are awakened, yet their minds are not changed;
therefore, when the power of guilt wears away, that which provoked them to be religious
ceaseth. Wherefore, they naturally turn to their own course again; even as we see
the dog that is sick of what he hath eaten, so long as his sickness prevails, he
vomits and casts up all; not that he doth this of a free mind (if we may say a dog
has a mind), but because it troubles his stomach.; but now, when his sickness is
over, and so his stomach eased, his desires being not at all alienate from his vomit,
he turns him about and licks up all. And so it is true which is written, "The
dog is turned to his own vomit again".
"But it is happened unto them according
to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow
that was washed to her wallowing in the mire."
~ 2 Peter 2:22 ~
This, I say, being hot for heaven, by virtue only of the sense and fear of the torments
of hell, as their sense of hell and the fear of damnation chills and cools,--so their
desires for heaven and salvation cool also. So then it comes to pass, that when their
guilt and fear are gone, their desires for heaven and happiness die and they return
to their course again.
2. Another reason is, they have slavish fears that do overmaster them. I speak now
of the fears that they have of men: "For the fear of man brings a snare".
"The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso
putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe."
~ Proverbs 29:25 ~
So then, though they seem to be hot for heaven so long as the flames of hell are
about their ears, yet when that terror is a little over, they betake themselves to
second thoughts; namely, that 'tis good to be wise, and not to run (for they know
not what) the hazard of losing all, or at least of bringing themselves into unavoidable
and unnecessary troubles: and so they fall in with the world again.
3. The shame that attends religion lies also as a block in their way. They are proud
and haughty, and religion in their eye is low and contemptible; therefore, when they
have lost their sense of hell and wrath to come, they return again to their former
course.
4. Guilt and to meditate terror are grievous to them; they like not to see their
misery before they come into it. Though perhaps the sight of it first, if they loved
that sight, might make them fly whither the righteous fly and are safe: but because
they do, as I hinted before, even shun the thoughts of guilt and terror; therefore,
when once they are rid of their awakenings about the terrors and wrath of God, they
harden their hearts gladly, and choose such ways as will harden them more and more.
Chr. You are pretty near the business; for the bottom of all is, for want
of a change in their mind and will. And therefore they are but like the felon that
stands before the judge: he quakes and trembles, and seems to repent most heartily.
But the bottom of all is, the fear of the halter, not of any detestation of the offence;
as is evident, because, let but this man have his liberty, and he will be a thief,
and so a rogue still; whereas if his mind was changed he would be otherwise.
Hope. Now I have showed you the reasons of their going back, do you show me
the manner thereof.
Chr. So I will willingly:
1. They draw off their thoughts all that they may from the remembrance of God, death,
and judgment to come.
2. Then they cast off by degrees private duties: as closet prayer, curbing their
lusts, watching, sorrow for sin, and the like.
3. Then they shun the company of lively and warm Christians.
4. After that they grow cold to public duty: as hearing, reading, godly conference,
and the like.
5. Then they begin to pick holes, as we say, in the coats of some of the godly; and
that devilishly, that they may have a seeming colour to throw religion (for the sake
of some infirmity they have spied in them) behind their backs.
6. Then they begin to adhere to, and associate themselves with, carnal, loose, and
wanton men.
7. Then they give way to carnal and wanton discourses in secret; and glad are they
if they can see such things in any that are counted honest, that they may the more
boldly do it through their example.
8. After this they begin to play with little sins openly.
9. And then, being hardened, they show themselves as they are. Thus, being launched
again into the gulf of misery, unless a miracle of grace prevent it, they everlastingly
perish in their own deceivings.
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