The Pilgrim’s Progress - John Bunyan (top 10 most read books in the world txt) 📗

forever” (Psalms 118:2). —⁠Mason ↩

A more just and keen satirical description of such legal iniquities can scarcely be imagined, than that contained in this passage. The statutes and precedents adduced, with a humourous reference to the style in which charges are commonly given to juries, show what patterns persecutors choose to copy, and whose kingdom they labour to uphold. Nor can any impartial man deny that the inference is fair, which our author meant the reader to deduce, namely, that nominal Protestants, enacting laws requiring conformity to their own creeds and forms, and inflicting punishments on such as peaceably dissent from them, are actually involved in the guilt of these heathen persecutors. —⁠Scott ↩

Exodus 1. ↩

Daniel 3. ↩

Daniel 6. ↩

These words, and this trial, were quoted (January 25, 1848) by the Attorney-General, at Westminster Hall, in answer to the manner in which Dr. Hampden was then charged with heresy by the Puseyites. —⁠Editor ↩

If the Lord were to leave us in the hands of men, we should still find that their tender mercies are cruel. Such a jury as tried Faithful might be found in every county of Britain. —⁠Burder To this may be added, that the witnesses are still living. —⁠Editor ↩

Nothing can be more masterly than the satire contained in this trial. The judge, the witnesses, and the jury, are portraits sketched to the life, and finished, every one of them, in quick, concise, and graphic touches; the ready testimony of Envy is especially characteristic. Rather than anything should be wanting that might be necessary to despatch the prisoner, he would enlarge his testimony against him to any requisite degree. The language and deportment of the judge are a copy to the life of some of the infamous judges under King Charles, especially Jefferies. You may find, in the trial of the noble patriot Algernon Sidney, the abusive language of the judge against Faithful almost word for word. The charge to the jury, with the Acts and laws on which the condemnation of the prisoner was founded, wax full of ingenuity and meaning. —⁠Cheever ↩

Bunyan gives a good portrait of Faithful in his House of Lebanon, referring to the character of Pomporius Algerius, mentioned in Fox’s Book of Martyrs. “Was not this man, think you, a giant? did he not behave himself valiantly? was not his mind elevated a thousand degrees beyond sense, carnal reason, fleshly love, and the desires of embracing temporal things? This man had got that by the end that pleased Him; neither could all the flatteries, promises, threats, reproaches, make him once listen to, or inquire after, what the world, or the glory of it could afford. His mind was captivated with delights invisible. He coveted to show his love to his Lord, by laying down his life for His sake. He longed to be where there shall be no more pain, nor sorrow, nor sighing, nor tears, nor troubles. He was a man of a thousand!” Speaking of the pillars in that house at Lebanon, he says, “These men had the faces of lions, they have triumphed in the flames.” ↩

This is a most exquisitely beautiful sketch; it is drawn to the life from many an era of pilgrimage in this world; there are in it the materials of glory, that constituted spirits of such noble greatness as are catalogued in the eleventh of Hebrews⁠—traits of cruel mockings and scourgings, bonds and imprisonments. —⁠Cheever ↩

Political interests engage ungodly princes to promote toleration, and chain up the demon of persecution. The cruelties they exercise disgust the people, and they are disheartened by the ill success of their efforts to extirpate the hated sect. —⁠Scott ↩

I have often recorded it with thankfulness, that though in the dreary day of my pilgrimage, the Lord hath taken away a dear and faithful Christian friend, yet he has always raised up another. A very great blessing this, for which Christians can never be thankful enough. —⁠Mason ↩

Proverbs 26:25. ↩

Is not this too much the case with professors of this day? The Spirit of truth says, “All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution” (2 Timothy 3:12). But how many act as if they had found the art of making the Spirit of truth a liar! for they can so trim and shape their conduct, as they vainly think to follow Christ, and yet to keep in with the world, which is at enmity against Him⁠—a most fatal and soul-deceiving error. —⁠Mason ↩

What is this something that By-ends knew more than all the world? How to unite Heaven and hell⁠—how to serve God and Mammon⁠—how to be a Christian and a hypocrite at the same time. O the depth of the depravity of the human heart; alas! how many similar characters now exist, with two tongues in one mouth, looking one way and rowing another. —⁠Editor ↩

Fear not, therefore, in her for to abide,
She keeps her ground, come weather, wind, or tide.

—⁠Bunyan’s House of God, vol. 2, p. 579

If we will follow Christ, He tells us that we must take up our cross. The wind sets always on my face; and the foaming rage of the sea of this world, and the proud and lofty waves thereof do continually beat upon the sides of the bark, or ship, that myself, my cause, and my followers are in. —⁠Bunyan’s Greatness of the Soul, vol. 1, p. 107 ↩

Mind how warily these pilgrims acted to this deceitful professor. They did not too rashly take up an ill opinion against him; but when they had full proof of what he was,