The Pilgrim's Progress

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one.” Hitherto hath thy company been my mercy, and thou shalt have a good reward for thy labour.193

CHRISTIAN. Now then, said Christian, to prevent drowsiness in this place, let us fall into good discourse.

HOPEFUL. With all my heart, said the other.

CHRISTIAN. Where shall we begin?

HOPEFUL. Where God began with us. But do you begin, if you please.

CHRISTIAN. I will sing you first this song—

When saints do sleepy grow, let them come hither,
And hear how these two pilgrims talk together:
Yea, let them learn of them, in any wise,
Thus to keep ope their drowsy slumb’ring eyes.
Saints’ fellowship, if it be manag’d well,
Keeps them awake, and that in spite of hell.

CHRISTIAN. Then Christian began, and said, I will ask you a question. How came you to think at first of so doing as you do now?

HOPEFUL. Do you mean, how came I at first to look after the good of my soul?

CHRISTIAN. Yes, that is my meaning.

HOPEFUL. I continued a great while in the delight of those things which were seen and sold at our fair; things which, I believe now, would have, had I continued in them still, drowned me in perdition and destruction.

CHRISTIAN. What things were they?

HOPEFUL. All the treasures and riches of the world. Also I delighted much in rioting, revelling, drinking, swearing, lying, uncleanness, Sabbath-breaking, and what not, that tended to destroy the soul. But I found at last, by hearing

193 Eccl. 4:9  

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and considering of things that are Divine, which indeed I heard of you, as also of beloved Faithful, that was put to death for his faith and good living in Vanity Fair, that “the end of these things is death”194 And that for these things’ sake, “cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience”195

CHRISTIAN. And did you presently fall under the power of this conviction?

HOPEFUL. No, I was not willing presently to know the evil of sin, nor the damnation that follows upon the com-mission of it; but endeavoured, when my mind at first began to be shaken with the Word, to shut mine eyes against the light thereof.

CHRISTIAN. But what was the cause of your carrying of it thus to the first workings of God’s blessed Spirit upon you?

HOPEFUL. The causes were, 1. I was ignorant that this was the work of God upon me. I never thought that by awakenings for sin, God at first begins the conversion of a sinner. 2. Sin was yet very sweet to my flesh, and I was loath to leave it. 3. I could not tell how to part with mine old companions, their presence and actions were so desirable unto me. 4.The hours in which convictions were upon me, were such troublesome and such heart-affrighting hours, that I could not bear, no not so much as the remembrance of them upon my heart.

CHRISTIAN. Then, as it seems, sometimes you got rid of your trouble?

HOPEFUL. Yes, verily, but it would come into my mind again, and then I should be as bad, nay, worse than I was before.

194 Rev. 6:12–13
195 Eph. 5:6  

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CHRISTIAN. Why, what was it that brought your sins to mind again?

HOPEFUL. Many things; as,
1. If I did but meet a good man in the streets; or,
2. If I have heard any read in the Bible; or,
3. If mine head did begin to ache; or,
4. If I were told that some of my neighbours were sick; or,
5. If I heard the bell toll for some that were dead; or,
6. If I thought of dying myself; or,
7. If I heard that sudden death happened to others;
8. But especially, when I thought of myself, that I must quickly come to judgment.

CHRISTIAN. And could you at any time, with ease, get off the guilt of sin, when, by any of these ways, it came upon you?

HOPEFUL. No, not I, for then they got faster hold of my conscience; and then, if I did but think of going back to sin (though my mind was turned against it), it would be double torment to me.|

CHRISTIAN. And how did you do then?

HOPEFUL. I thought I must endeavour to mend my life; for else, thought I, I am sure to be damned.

CHRISTIAN. And did you endeavour to mend?

HOPEFUL. Yes; and fled from not only my sins, but sinful company too; and betook me to religious duties, as prayer, reading, weeping for sin, speaking truth to my neighbours, etc. These things did I, with many others, too much here to relate.

CHRISTIAN. And did you think yourself well then?

HOPEFUL. Yes, for a while; but, at the last, my trouble came tumbling upon me again, and that over the neck of all my reformations.  

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CHRISTIAN. How came that about, since you were now reformed?

HOPEFUL. There were several things brought it upon me, especially such sayings as these: “All our righteousnesses are as filthy rags”.196 “By the works of the law shall no flesh be justified”.197 “When ye shall have done all those things, say, We are unprofitable”;198 with many more such like. From whence I began to reason with myself thus: If ALL my righteousnesses are filthy rags; if, by the deeds of the law, NO man can be justified; and if, when we have done ALL, we are yet unprofitable, then it is but a folly to think of Heaven by the law. I further thought thus: If a man runs a hundred pounds into the shopkeeper’s debt, and after that shall pay for all that he shall fetch; yet, if this old debt stands still in the book uncrossed, for that the shopkeeper may sue him, and cast him into prison till he shall pay the debt.

CHRISTIAN. Well, and how did you apply this to yourself?

HOPEFUL. Why, I thought thus with myself: I have, by my sins, run a great way into God’s book, and that my now reforming will not pay off that score; therefore I should think still, under all my present amendments, But how shall I be freed from that damnation that I have brought myself in danger of, by my former transgressions?

CHRISTIAN. A very good application; but, pray, go on.

HOPEFUL. Another thing that hath troubled me, even since my late amendments, is, that if I look narrowly into the best of what I do now, I still see sin, new sin, mixing itself with the best of that I do; so that now I am forced to conclude, that notwithstanding my former fond conceits of

196 Isa. 64:6
197 Gal. 2:16
198 Luke 17:10  

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myself and duties, I have committed sin enough in one duty to send me to hell, though my former life had been faultless.

CHRISTIAN. And what did you do then?

HOPEFUL. Do! I could not tell what to do, until I brake my mind to Faithful, for he and I were well acquainted. And he told me, that unless I could obtain the righteousness of a man that never had sinned, neither mine own, nor all the righteousness of the world, could save me.

CHRISTIAN. And did you think he spake true?

HOPEFUL. Had he told me so when I was pleased and satisfied with mine own amendment, I had called him fool for his pains; but now, since I see mine own infirmity, and the sin that cleaves to my best performance, I have been forced to be of his opinion.

CHRISTIAN. But did you think, when at first he suggested it to you, that there was such a man to be found, of whom it might justly be said, that He never committed sin?

HOPEFUL. I must confess the words at first sounded strangely, but after a little more talk and company with him, I had full conviction about it.

CHRISTIAN. And did you ask him what man this was, and how you must be justified by Him?

HOPEFUL. Yes, and he told me it was the Lord Jesus, that dwelleth on the right hand of the Most High. And thus, said he, you must be justified by Him, even by trusting to what He hath done by Himself in the days of His flesh, and suffered when He did hang on the tree. I asked him further, how that man’s righteousness could be of that efficacy to justify another before God? And he told me He was the mighty God, and did what He did, and died the death also, not for Himself, but for me; to whom His doings, and the worthiness of them, should be imputed, if I believed on Him.199

199 Heb. 10; Rom. 4; Col. 1; 1 Peter 1  

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CHRISTIAN. And what did you do then?

HOPEFUL. I made my objections against my believing, for that I thought He was not willing to save me.

CHRISTIAN. And what said Faithful to you then?

HOPEFUL. He bid me go to Him and see. Then I said it was presumption; but he said, No, for I was invited to come.200 Then he gave me a book of Jesus, His inditing, to encourage me the more freely to come; and he said, concerning that book, that every jot and tittle thereof stood firmer than Heaven and earth.201 Then I asked him, What I must do when I came; and he told me, I must entreat upon my knees, with all my heart and soul, the Father to reveal Him to me.202 Then I asked him further, how I must make my supplication to Him? And he said, Go, and thou shalt find Him upon a mercy-seat, where He sits all the year long, to give pardon and forgiveness to them that come. I told him that I knew not what to say when I came. And he bid me say to this effect, God be merciful to me a sinner, and make me to know and believe in Jesus Christ; for I see, that if His righteousness had not been, or I have not faith in that righteousness, I am utterly cast away. Lord, I have heard that Thou art a merciful God, and hast ordained that Thy Son Jesus Christ should be the Saviour of the world; and moreover, that thou art willing to bestow Him upon such a poor sinner as I am (and I am a sinner indeed), Lord, take therefore this opportunity, and magnify Thy grace in the salvation of my soul, through Thy Son Jesus Christ. Amen.203

CHRISTIAN. And did you do as you were bidden?

HOPEFUL. Yes; over, and over, and over.

200 Matt. 11:28
201 Matt. 24:35
202 Psa. 95:6; Dan. 6:10; Jer. 29:12, 13
203 Exo. 25:22; Lev. 16:2; Num. 7:89; Heb. 4:16  

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CHRISTIAN. And did the Father reveal His Son to you?

HOPEFUL. Not at the first, nor second, nor third, nor fourth, nor fifth; no, nor at the sixth time neither.

CHRISTIAN. What did you do then?

HOPEFUL. What! why I could not tell what to do.

CHRISTIAN. Had you not thoughts of leaving off praying?

HOPEFUL. Yes, a hundred times twice told.

CHRISTIAN. And what was the reason you did not?

HOPEFUL. I believed that that was true which had been told me, to wit, that without the righteousness of this Christ, all the world could not save me; and therefore, thought I with myself, if I leave off I die, and I can but die at the throne of grace. And withal, this came into my mind, “Though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry”.204 So I continued praying until the Father showed me His Son.

CHRISTIAN. And how was He revealed unto you?

HOPEFUL. I did not see Him with my bodily eyes, but with the eyes of my understanding;205 and thus it was: One day I was very sad, I think sadder than at any one time in my life, and this sadness was through a fresh sight of the greatness and vileness of my sins. And as I was then looking for nothing but hell, and the everlasting damnation of my soul, suddenly, as I thought, I saw the Lord Jesus look down from Heaven upon me, and saying, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved”.206 But I replied, Lord, I am a great, a very great sinner. And He answered, “My grace is sufficient for thee”.207 Then

204 Hab. 2:3
205 Eph. 1:18, 19
206 Acts 16:312072 Cor. 12:9
207 2 Cor. 12:9  

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I said, But, Lord, what is believing? And then I saw from that saying, “He that cometh to Me shall never hunger, and he that believeth on Me shall never thirst”; that believing and coming was all one; and that he that came, that is, ran out in his heart and affections after salvation by Christ, he indeed believed in Christ.208Then the water stood in mine eyes, and I asked further, But, Lord, may such a great sinner as I am, be indeed accepted of Thee, and be saved by Thee? And I heard him say, “And him that cometh to Me, I will in no wise cast out”.209Then I said, But how, Lord, must I con-sider of Thee in my coming to Thee, that my faith may be placed aright upon Thee? Then He said, “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”.210 “He is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth”.211 “He died for our sins, and rose again for our justification”.212 “He loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood”.213 “He is mediator betwixt God and us”.214 “He ever liveth to make intercession for us”.215 From all which I gathered, that I must look for righteousness in His person, and for satisfaction for my sins by His blood; that what He did in obedience to His Father’s law, and in submitting to the penalty thereof, was not for Himself, but for him that will accept it for his salvation, and be thankful. And now was my heart full of joy, mine eyes full of tears, and mine affections running over with love to the name, people, and ways of Jesus Christ.

CHRISTIAN. This was a revelation of Christ to your soul

208 John 6:35
209 John 6:37
210 1 Tim. 1:15
211 Rom. 10:4
212 Rom. 4:25
213 Rev. 1:5
214 1 Tim. 2:5
215 Heb. 7:25  

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indeed; but tell me particularly what effect this had upon your spirit.

HOPEFUL. It made me see that all the world, notwithstanding all the righteousness thereof, is in
a state of condemnation. It made me see that God the Father, though He be just, can
justly justify the coming sinner. It made me greatly ashamed of the vileness of my former life, and
con- founded me with the sense of mine own ignorance; for there never came thought into my heart
before now, that showed me so the beauty of Jesus Christ. It made me love a holy life, and long to
do something for the honour and glory of the name of the Lord Jesus; yea, I thought that had I now
a thousand gallons of blood in my body, I could spill it all for the sake of the Lord Jesus.
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 loitereth behind.

CHRISTIAN. Aye, aye, I see him; he careth not for our company.

HOPEFUL. But I trow it would not have hurt him, had he kept pace with us hitherto.

CHRISTIAN. That is true; but I warrant you he thinketh otherwise.

HOPEFUL. That I think he doth; but, however, let us tarry for him. So they did.
ften Christian said to him, Come away, man, why do you stay so behind?

IGNORANCE. I take my pleasure in walking alone, even more a great deal than in company, unless I
like it the better. Often 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. Often, directing his speech to Ignorance, he said,  

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Come, how do you? How stands it between God and your soul now?

IGNORANCE. I hope well; for I am always full of good motions, that come into my mind, to comfort me as I walk.216

CHRISTIAN. What good motions? pray, tell us.

IGNORANCE. Why, I think of God and Heaven.

CHRISTIAN. So do the devils and damned souls.

IGNORANCE. But I think of them, and desire them.

CHRISTIAN. So do many that are never like to come there. “The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing”.217

IGNORANCE. But I think of them, and leave all for them.

CHRISTIAN. That I doubt; for leaving 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?

IGNORANCE. My heart tells me so.

CHRISTIAN. The wise man says, “He that trusts his own heart is a fool”.218

IGNORANCE. This is spoken of an evil heart, but mine is a good one.

CHRISTIAN. But how dost thou prove that?

IGNORANCE. It comforts me in hopes of Heaven.

CHRISTIAN. 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.

IGNORANCE. But my heart and life agree together, and therefore my hope is well grounded.

216 Prov. 28:26
217 Prov. 13:4
218 Prov. 28:26  

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CHRISTIAN. Who told thee that thy heart and life agree together?

IGNORANCE. My heart tells me so.

CHRISTIAN. Ask my fellow if I be a thief! Thy heart tells thee so! Except the Word of God beareth witness in this matter, other testimony is of no value.

IGNORANCE. But is it not a good heart that hath good thoughts? and is not that a good life that is according to God’s commandments?

CHRISTIAN. Yea, 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.

IGNORANCE. Pray, what count you good thoughts, and a life according to God’s commandments?

CHRISTIAN. There are good thoughts of divers kinds; some respecting ourselves, some God, some Christ, and some other thing.

IGNORANCE. What be good thoughts respecting ourselves?

CHRISTIAN. Such as agree with the Word of God.

IGNORANCE. When do our thoughts of ourselves agree with the Word of God?

CHRISTIAN. 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 doeth good”.219 It saith also, that “every imagination of the heart of man is only evil, and that continually”.220 And again, “The imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth”.221 Now then, when we

219 Rom. 3
220 Gen. 6:5
221 Gen. 8:21  

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think thus of ourselves, having sense thereof then are our thoughts good ones, because according to the Word of God.

IGNORANCE. I will never believe that my heart is thus bad.

CHRISTIAN. Therefore thou never hadst one good thought concerning thyself in thy life. But let me go on. As the Word passeth a judgment upon our heart, so it passeth a judgment upon our ways; and when our thoughts of our hearts and ways agree with the judgment which the Word giveth of both, then are both good, because agreeing thereto.

IGNORANCE. Make out your meaning.

CHRISTIAN. Why, the Word of God saith that man’s ways are crooked ways; not good, but perverse.222 It saith they are naturally out of the good way, that they have not known it (Rom. 3). Now, when a man thus thinketh 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.

IGNORANCE. What are good thoughts concerning God?

CHRISTIAN. 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

222 Psa. 125; Prov. 2:15  

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that, therefore, He cannot abide to see us stand before Him in any confidence, even in all our best performances.

IGNORANCE. 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?

CHRISTIAN. Why, how dost thou think in this matter?

IGNORANCE. Why, to be short, I think I must believe in Christ for justification.

CHRISTIAN. 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 dost, 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?

IGNORANCE. I believe well enough for all that.CHRISTIAN. How dost thou believe?

IGNORANCE. 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.

CHRISTIAN. 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 maketh 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  

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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 maketh, 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 accepteth; under the skirt of which, the soul being shrouded, and by it presented as spot-less before God, it is accepted, and acquit from condemnation.

IGNORANCE. 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?

CHRISTIAN. 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.

HOPEFUL. Ask him if ever he had Christ revealed to him from Heaven.

IGNORANCE. What! you are a man for revelations! I be-lieve that what both you, and all the rest of you, say about that matter, is but the fruit of distracted brains.

HOPEFUL. Why, man! Christ is so hid in God from the natural apprehensions of the flesh, that He cannot by any  

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man be savingly known, unless God the Father reveals Him to them.

IGNORANCE. 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.

CHRISTIAN. 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;223yea, and faith too, by which the soul layeth hold upon Christ, if it be right, must be wrought by the exceeding greatness of His mighty power; the working of which faith, I perceive, poor Ignorance, thou art ignorant of.224 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.

IGNORANCE. You go so fast, I cannot keep pace with you. Do you go on before; I must stay a while 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 not 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 thus himself to his fellow—

223 Matt. 11:27
224 1 Cor. 12:3; Eph 1:18, 19