The Pilgrims Progress | Page 4

looked, and
saw him open the book, and read therein; and, as he read, he wept, and
trembled; and, not being able longer to contain, he brake out with a
lamentable cry, saying, "What shall I do?" [Acts 2:37]
{11} In this plight, therefore, he went home and refrained himself as
long as he could, that his wife and children should not perceive his
distress; but he could not be silent long, because that his trouble
increased. Wherefore at length he brake his mind to his wife and

children; and thus he began to talk to them: O my dear wife, said he,
and you the children of my bowels, I, your dear friend, am in myself
undone by reason of a burden that lieth hard upon me; moreover, I am
for certain informed that this our city will be burned with fire from
heaven; in which fearful overthrow, both myself, with thee my wife,
and you my sweet babes, shall miserably come to ruin, except (the
which yet I see not) some way of escape can be found, whereby we
may be delivered. At this his relations were sore amazed; not for that
they believed that what he had said to them was true, but because they
thought that some frenzy distemper had got into his head; therefore, it
drawing towards night, and they 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; wherefore, instead of sleeping, he spent
it in sighs and tears. So, when the morning was come, they would know
how he did. He told them, Worse and worse: he also set to talking to
them again; but they began to be hardened. They also thought to drive
away his distemper by harsh and surly carriages to him; sometimes
they would deride, sometimes they would chide, and sometimes they
would quite neglect him. Wherefore he began to retire himself to his
chamber, to pray for and pity them, and also to condole his own misery;
he would also walk solitarily in the fields, sometimes reading, and
sometimes praying: and thus for some days he spent his time.
{12} Now, I saw, upon a time, when he was walking in the fields, that
he was, as he was wont, reading in his book, and greatly distressed in
his mind; and, as he read, he burst out, as he had done before, crying,
"What shall I do to be saved?"
{13} I saw also that he looked this way and that way, as if he would
run; yet he stood still, because, as I perceived, he could not tell which
way to go. I looked then, and saw a man named Evangelist coming to
him and asked, Wherefore dost thou cry? [Job 33:23]
{14} He answered, Sir, I perceive by the book in my hand, that I am
condemned to die, and after that to come to judgement [Heb. 9:27]; and
I find that I am not willing to do the first [Job 16:21], nor able to do the
second. [Ezek. 22:14]

CHRISTIAN no sooner leaves the World but meets EVANGELIST,
who lovingly him greets With tidings of another: and doth show Him
how to mount to that from this below.
{15} Then said Evangelist, Why not willing to die, since this life is
attended with so many evils? The man answered, Because I fear that
this burden is upon my back will sink me lower than the grave, and I
shall fall into Tophet. [Isa. 30:33] And, Sir, if I be not fit to go to prison,
I am not fit, I am sure, to go to judgement, and from thence to
execution; and the thoughts of these things make me cry.
{16} Then said Evangelist, If this be thy condition, why standest thou
still? He answered, Because I know not whither to go. Then he gave
him a parchment roll, and there was written within, Flee from the wrath
to come. [Matt. 3.7]
{17} The man therefore read it, and looking upon Evangelist very
carefully, said, Whither must I fly? Then said Evangelist, pointing with
his finger over a very wide field, Do you see yonder wicket-gate? [Matt.
7:13,14] The man said, No. Then said the other, Do you see yonder
shining light? [Ps. 119:105; 2 Pet. 1:19] He said, I think I do. Then said
Evangelist, Keep that light in your eye, and go up directly thereto: so
shalt thou see the gate; at which, when thou knockest, it shall be told
thee what thou shalt do.
{18} So I saw in my dream that the man began to run.
Now, he had not run far from his own door, but his wife and children,
perceiving it, began to cry