Pilgrim's Progress

"...~That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found into praise, and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ~ 1 Peter 1:7


AS I WALKED through the wilderness of this world, I lighted on a certain place where was a den, and laid me 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, with his face from his own house, a Book in his hand, and a great burden upon his back (Isaiah 64:6; Luke 14:33; Psalm 38:4). I 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 break out with a lamentable cry, saying:


PILGRIM: What shall i do? (Acts 2:37; 16:30; Habakkuk1:2-3).


In this plight, therefore, he went home, and restrained 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 break his mind to his wife and children; and thus he began to talk to them:


PILGRIM: O my dear wife, and you my children, I, your dear friend, am in myself undone by a reason of a burden that lieth hard upon me. Moreover, I am certainly 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 toward 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:


PILGRIM: 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 carriage 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.


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.


PILGRIM: What must I do to be saved? (Acts 16:30-31).


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..."

Keywords legend:-

Book - Bible

Burden upon his back - Sins, awareness of sins he had.

Jesus said, "Blessed are the poor and realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs." (Matthew 5:3)

At this point in time, PILGRIM realises the burden he has on his back, and is very upset about the judgement that will fall if he does not find a way to escape the oncoming fire of judgement.