The Pilgrim's Progress


   As I walked through the wilderness of this world, I came to a place where there was a Den, and I lay down in that place to sleep; and as I slept, I dreamed a dream.  I dreamed, and behold, I saw a man clothed with rags, standing in a certain place, a book in his hand, and a great burden upon his back.  I looked, and saw him open the book and read in it; and as he read, he wept and trembled; and not being able any longer to contain himself, he broke out with a lamentable cry, saying, "What shall I do?"
   In such distress he went home and spoke to his wife and children:  "Oh, my dear wife," said he, "and you my children, I am undone by a burden that lies hard upon me.  Moreover, I am certain that our city will be burned with fire from heaven, and both myself, with you my wife, and you my sweet babes, shall miserably come to ruin, unless somehow we can all escape."
   As he spoke, his family was amazed, not because they believed what he had said to them was true, but because they thought that some frenzy had got into his head.  Therefore, it drawing towards night, and hoping that sleep might settle his brains, with all haste they got him to bed.  But the night was as troublesome to him as the day, and instead of sleeping, he spent it in sighs and tears.  Many days he spent like this.
    Then one day I saw him walking in the fields. He was reading in his book, and he was greatly distressed.  As he read, he burst out crying as he had done before: "What shall I do to be saved?"
   I saw also that he looked this way and that way, as if he would run, yet he stood still because he could not tell which way to go.  I looked then, and saw a man named Evangelist coming toward him, who asked, "Why do you cry?"
   He answered, "Sir, I believe that I am condemned to die, and after that to come to judgment, and suffer everlasting fire in hell."
 Then Evangelist said, "Why do you stand still, then?"   He answered, "Because I do not know which way to go."
 Then Evangelist gave him a parchment roll, on which was written, 'Fly from the wrath to come.'
 The man read it, and, looking at Evangelist very carefully, said, "Where must I fly?"
 Then Evangelist said, pointing with his finger over a very wide field, "Do you see yonder wicket-gate?"
 The man said, "No."
 "Then," Evangelist said, "Do you see yonder shining light?"
 He said, "I think I do."
 


 Then Evangelist said, "Keep that light in your eye, and go up directly to it.   It will lead you directly to the gate."

 So I saw in my dream that the man began to run.  He had not run far from his own door, when his wife and children saw him and began to cry after him to return, but the man put his fingers in his ears, and ran on, crying, "Life!  Life!  Eternal life!  So he looked not behind him, but fled towards the middle of the plain, and in a short time, Christian -- for that was his name -- got up to the gate.
 Now, over the gate there was written, 'Knock, and it shall be opened unto you.'  So he knocked.
 Soon there came a solemn person to the gate, named Goodwill, who asked who was there, and where he came from, and what he would have?
 "Here is a poor burdened sinner," said Christian.  "I come from the City of Destruction, but am going to Mount Zion, so I may be delivered from the wrath to come.   Are you willing to let me in?"
 "I am willing with all my heart," said Goodwill, and with that he opened the gate.   "Now, good Christian, come a little way with me, and I will teach you about the way you must go.  Look before you.  Do you see this narrow way?  That is the way you must go.  It was cast up by the patriarchs, prophets, Christ, and his apostles, and it is as straight as a ruler can make it.  This is the way you must go.
 "But," said Christian, "are there no turnings or windings, by which a stranger may lose his way?"
 "Yes," said Goodwill, "there are many ways, and they are crooked and wide.  But, only the right way is the straight and narrow one."
 Then I saw in my dream that Christian departed, and went on till he came to the house of the Interpreter, where he knocked over and over.  At last one came to the door and asked who was there.
 "Sir," said Christian, " I am a man who has come from the City of Destruction, and am going to the Mount Zion."
 "Then come in," said the Interpreter.  "I will show you what will be profitable to you."
 The Interpreter then took Christian by the hand and led him into a very large parlor that was full of dust, because it was never swept.  After they had been there a little while, the Interpreter called for a man to sweep.  Now when he began to sweep, the dust flew so abundantly that Christian was almost choked.  Then the Interpreter said to a damsel who stood nearby, "Bring the water and sprinkle the room."  And she swept and cleansed the room with pleasure.
 Then Christian asked, "What does this mean?"
 The Interpreter answered, "This parlor is the heart of a person that was never sanctified by the sweet grace of the Gospel.  The dust is original sin, and inward corruptions that have defiled the whole person.  She that brought the water and sprinkled it is the Gospel.  So is sin vanquished and subdued, and the soul made clean through faith.
  I saw, moreover, in my dream, that the Interpreter took him by the hand and led him into a little room, where two little children sat, each one in a chair.  The name of the eldest was Passion, and name of the other Patience.  Passion seemed to be much discontented, but Patience was very quiet.
 



   Then I saw that one came to Passion, and brought him a bag of treasure, and poured it down at his feet.  He rejoiced in the treasure, and laughed at Patience to scorn him.  But I saw after awhile that he had squandered all of it away, and had nothing left but rags.
 Then Christian said to the Interpreter, "Explain this to me."
 So, Interpreter said, "Passion represents the people of this world, and Patience the people of the world which is to come.   As with Passiion, the people of this world must have all their good things now.  They cannot wait till next year -- that is, until the next world -- for their portion of good.
 "Then I perceive," said Christian, "that 'tis not best to covet things that are now, but to wait for things to come."
 "You say truth," said Interpreter.  "For the things that are seen are temporal, but the things that are not seen are eternal." And with that he said goodbye to Christian.
 Now I saw in my dream that the highway up which Christian was to go was fenced on either side with a wall, and that wall was called Salvation.   He ran along this highway till he saw two men come tumbling over the wall on the left side of the narrow way, and they came up beside him.  The name of one was Formalist, and the name of the other Hypocrisy.
 "Gentlemen," asked Christian, "Where do you come from, and where are you going?"
 "We were both in the land of Vain-glory, and are going for praise to Mount Zion," they said.
 "Why did you not come in at the gate at the beginning of the way?" asked Christian.
 They said that all their countrymen considered it too long a journey to come in by the gate, and that, therefore, their usual way was to make a short cut of it, and to climb over the wall, as they had done.
 "But won't this be counted as a trespass against the Lord of the city where we are going?" asked Christian.
 They told him that he need not trouble his head about it, for what they did was a custom , that had existed for more than a thousand years.
 "And, besides," they said, "If we get into the way, what does it matter how we do it?  If we are in, we are in!"
 I saw then that 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.
 Christian now went to the spring and drank to refresh himself, and then began to go straight up the hill.  The other two also came to the foot of the hill, but when they saw that the hill was steep and high, they decided to go along the other paths which were easier.  These paths were called Danger and Destruction.  One led into a great wood, and the other into a wide field, full of dark mountains.  Along these paths both  stumbled and fell, and rose no more.
 I looked then and saw Christian going up the hill.  Now about midway to the top of the hill was a pleasant arbor, made by the Lord of the hill for  refreshing weary travellers.  When Christian got there, he sat down to rest. Soon he fell into a fast sleep, which detained him in that place until it was almost night.  When he awoke he hurried on his way.
  He had not gone far when he felt in his bosom for his parchment roll, that he might read from it and be comforted, but he felt and found it not.  Then Christian was in great distress, and knew not what to do.  At last he thought that his roll must have fallen out when he slept in the arbor on the side of the hill, and, falling down upon his knees, he asked God's forgiveness for that foolish act, and then went back to look for his roll.
  On the way he cried out, "Oh, wretched man that I am, that I should sleep in the daytime! "
 When he came to the arbor again, he sat down and wept.  But at last, looking sorrowfully down, he saw his parchment roll, and, trembling, he quickly took it up and put in into his bosom.  Who can tell how joyful this man was when he had gotten his parchment roll again.  Therefore, he gave thanks to God for directing his eye to the place where it lay, and with joy and tears set out again on his journey.
 Soon he entered a place called the Valley of Humiliation.  He had not gone far when he saw a foul fiend coming over the field to meet him.  His name was Apollyon.  This monster was hideous to behold.  He was clothed with scales like a fish. He had wings like a dragon, feet like a bear, and out of his belly came fire and smoke, and his mouth was the mouth of a lion.  When he came up to Christian, he snarled at him:
 "Where do you come from, and where are you bound?"
 "I have come from the City of Destruction," said Christian, "which is the place of all evil, and I am going to the City of Zion."
 "Then you are one of my subjects," said Apollyon, "for all the City of Destruction is mine, and I am the prince and god of it.   Why do you run away from me, your king?
 "I was born, indeed, in your dominions," said Christian, "but your service was hard, and I could not live on your wages, 'for the wages of sin is death.'  Now I have given myself to another, to the king of kings."
 Then Apollyon broke out into a grievous rage, saying, "I am an enemy to this Prince!  I hate him and his people!   I will stop you from going with him."
 Then Christian replied, "Apollyon, beware what you do, for I am on the King's highway, the way of holiness.  Therefore, take heed to yourself."
 Then Apollyon, seeing his opportunity, came up to Christian and threw him down, and almost pressed him to death, so that Christian began to despair of life.  But as God would have it, while Apollyon was readying a fatal blow, Christian nimbly reached for his sword and said,
 "Rejoice not against me, Oh, my enemy.  When I fall I shall arise."  And  he gave Apollyon a deadly thrust, which made him fall back, as one that had received a mortal wound.  Christian, perceiving victory, lunged at him again, but     Apollyon spread forth his dragon's wings and sped away, and Christian for a season saw him no more.
 Then Christian continued on his way and met with no other affront from Apollyon in this valley.
 Now as Christian went on his way, he came to a little hill, and, looking forward, he saw Faithful before him upon his journey.  Then Christian said aloud,
 "My honored and beloved brother Faithful, I am glad that I have overtaken you; and that God has so tempered our spirits that we can walk as companions on this pleasant path." Then they went on together.



 
Now I saw in my dream that they came to a town, and the name of that town was Vanity.  And at the town there was a fair held called Vanity Fair.  It was held all year long. It was called Vanity Fair because all that was sold there, and all that came there was vanity.

 At this fair all kinds of merchandise was sold: houses, land, honors, titles, countries, kingdoms, lust, pleasures, and delights of all sorts, such as whores, wives, husbands, children, masters, servants, lives, blood, bodies, souls, silver, gold, pearls, precious stones, and what not.  And, moreover, at this fair there were cheats, games, plays, fools, and rogues of every kind.
 As Christian and Hopeful made their way through this town, one vendor   mockingly said to them, "What will you buy?"  But they, looking seriously at him answered, "We buy the truth."
 At that, the other vendors of the town mocked and taunted them even more.  And some called upon others to stone them.  But Christian and Faithful were patient and blessed their accusers, giving good words for bad and kindness for injuries done.
 Now word was soon brought to the great one of the fair, who quickly came down and instructed some of his most trustworthy friends to question these men.  So the men were brought to examination, and they  were asked where they  came from and where they were going. The men told them that they were pilgrims and strangers in the world, and that they were going to their own country, which was the heavenly Jerusalem, and that they had given no provocation to the men of the town to abuse them so.  But their examiners did not believed them to be mad.  Therefore, they took them and beat them, and smeared them with dirt, and then put them into a cage, that they might be made a spectacle to all people of the fair.
 Then, a convenient time being appointed, they brought Faithful to his trial.  The judge's name was Lord Hategood.  Faithful's indictment was the following:
 'That he was the enemy to and disturber of their trade; that he had made commotions in the town, and had won support for his own most dangerous opinions, in contempt of the law of their king.'
  Faithful answered  that he had only set himself against those who had set themselves against Him who is higher than the highest.  "And," he said, "As for disturbance, I make none, being myself a man of peace.  And as to the king you talk of, since he is Beelzebub, the enemy of our Lord, I defy him and all his angels.'
 Then three witnesses came in:  Envy, Superstition, and Flattery.  They were asked if they knew the prisoner at the bar, and what they had to say for their lord the king against him.
 Then they all stood up and said, "My Lord, this man is one of the vilest men in our country.   We heard him say that Christianity and the customs of our town of Vanity were diametrically opposite and could not be reconciled, which is to say, my Lord, that he not only condemns all our laudable doings, but he condemns us in the doing of them."
 Then the judge called to the jury:  "Gentlemen of the jury, you see this man about whom so great an uproar has been made in this town.  You have heard his confession, and have also heard what these worthy gentlemen have witnessed against him.  It lies now in your hands whether to hang him or save his life.
 Then the jury went out.  Their names were Mr. Blind-man, Mr. No-good, Mr. Malice, Mr. Love-lust, Mr. Live-loose, Mr. Heady, Mr. High-mind, Mr. Enmity, Mr. Liar, Mr. Cruelty, Mr. Hate-light, and Mr. Implacable.  All afterwards unanimously concluded that Faithful was guilty.  Therefore, he was  condemned to the most cruel death that could be invented.
   First they scourged him and then the lanced his flesh with knives.  After that they stoned him with stones, then pricked him with their swords, and last of all they burned him to ashes at the stake.  Thus Faithful came to his end.  Now I saw that there stood behind the multitude a chariot and a couple of horses, waiting for Faithful, who was taken up into it, and straightway was carried up through the clouds with the sound of a trumpet, the quickest way to the Celestial Gate.
 As for Christian, He that overrules all things, brought it about that he  escaped from the town of Vanity and went on his way.


Now I saw in my dream that Christian did not go forth alone, for there was one whose name was Hopeful, who joined him, and, entering into a brotherly covenant, told him that he would be his companion.  Thus one died for telling the truth, and another rose out of his ashes to be a companion for Christian on his pilgrimage.

 Now as they went on their way, I saw that it soon grew dark, and being weary, the two travellers soon fell asleep.  Not far from the place where they lay, there was a castle called Doubting Castle, and the owner of it was Giant Despair.  It was on his grounds they now were sleeping.  In the morning, when he got up and walked up and down his fields, he caught Christian and Hopeful asleep on his grounds.
 "You have this night trespassed on my grounds," he said. "Therefore, you must go along with me."  The giant then drove them before him and put them into his castle, in to a very dark dungeon, nasty and stinking to the spirits of these two men.
  When the giant arose the next morning, he got a grievous crab-tree cudgel, and went down into the dungeon to them, and started beating them as if they were dogs, although they never said a word.  This done, he withdrew and left them there to mourn under their distress.  So all that day they spent the time in nothing but sighs and bitter lamentations.     When another morning came, the giant went to them in a surly manner as before.  Seeing that they were very sore with the beating he had given them the day before, he told them that, since they were never likely to come out of that place alive, their only way would be to make an end of themselves, either with knife, rope, or poison.   With that the giant looked ugly upon them and withdrew.
  When morning came again, and the two prisoners were still alive, the giant took them into the castle-yard and showed them a pile of bones and skulls.  "These," he said, "were once pilgrims as you are now, and they trespassed on my grounds, as you have done.  And when I thought fit, I tore them to pieces, and so within ten days I will do the same to you."    And with that he beat them all the way back to their prison.  They lay, therefore, all day on that Saturday in a lamentable state, as before.
 On Saturday about midnight, they began to pray, and continued in prayer till almost break of day.
 Now a little before it was day, good Christian, as one half amazed, broke out in this passionate speech:  "What a fool am I, thus to lie in a stinking dungeon, when I may as well walk with liberty!  I have a key in my bosom called Promise, that will, I believe, open any lock in doubting Castle."
 "Then," said Hopeful, "that is good news, brother.  Pluck it out of your bosom and try."
 Then Christian pulled it out of his bosom, and began to try at the dungeon door, whose bolt, as he turned the key, gave way, and the door flew open with ease, and Christian and Hopeful both came out.  Then he went to the outward door that leads into the castle-yard, and with his key opened that door also.  After that, he went to the iron gate, for that had to be opened, too.  Although the lock was damnable hard, finally the key did open it.  Then they thrust open the gate to make their escape with speed, but that gate, as it opened, made such a creaking that it awakened Giant Despair, who, hastily rose to pursue his prisoners, but he was in time only to curse them as they fled.
 
When they came to the King's highway, they were safe because they were out of the giant's jurisdiction.

 Now I saw in my dream that the pilgrims went on their way and soon came to the country of Beulah, whose air was very sweet and pleasant.  Here they heard continually the singing of birds, and saw every day the flowers appear in the earth, and heard the voice of the turtle in the land.
 From here they could see the city they were going to.  It was built of pearls and precious stones, and the streets were paved with gold.
 The city stood upon a mighty hill, but the pilgrims went up that hill with ease, because they had left their mortal garments behind them. They went up through the regions of the air, sweetly talking as they went.  Near the top they met two men whose clothes shone like gold.
 "You are going, now," said the Shining Ones, "to the paradise of God, wherein you shall see the tree of life, and eat of the never-fading fruits thereof.  And when you come in there, you shall have white robes given to you.  And you shall wear crowns of gold, and enjoy the perpetual sight and vision of God.  There also you shall serve him continually with praise, with shouting, and thanksgiving.  There your eyes shall be delighted with seeing, and your ears with hearing the pleasant voice of the Mighty One.  There you shall enjoy your friends again that have gone there before you, and there you shall with joy receive every one that follows into the holy place after you."
  Now when they came up to the gate, there was written over it in letters of gold, 'Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates of the city.'
 Then I saw in my dream that the Shining Ones asked each man for his parchment roll, which each had received in the beginning.  Then those were carried in to the King, who, when he had read them, commanded the gate to open, and said, "That the righteous nation which keeps the truth may enter in."
 Now I saw in my dream that these two men went in at the gate, and lo, as they entered, they were transformed, and they had clothes put on that shone like gold.   And they were given harps and crowns -- the harps to praise with, and the crowns in token of honor.  Then I heard in my dream that all the bells in the city rang again for joy, and that it was said unto them, "Enter ye into the joy of your Lord."
 So I awoke, and, behold, it was a dream.
 

                                           The Conclusion

Now, READER, I have told my dream to thee;
See if thou canst interpret it to me,
Or to thyself; or neighbor, but take heed
Of misinterpreting; for that, instead
Of doing good, will but thyself abuse.
And by misinterpreting, evil ensues.



 

The Pilgrim's Progress
 

 

 


 

 

Return to Study Guide #1
 



Revised August 31, 2003
by Tom Gallup, e-mail address: tom_gallup@westvalley.edu
West Valley College
http://www.westvalley.edu/wvc/ss/gallup/gallup.html