><>...PILGRIM'S PROGRESS Continued...><>
IGNOR...><> What! you are a man for revelations! I believe that what
both you, and all the rest of you, say about that matter,
is but the fruit of distracted brains.
HOPE...><> Why, man! Christ is so hid in God from the natural apprehensions
of the flesh, that he cannot by any man be savingly known,
unless God the Father reveals him to them.
IGNOR...><> 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.
CHR...><> 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; [Matt. 11:27] yea, 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. [1 Cor. 12:3, Eph. 1:18,19] 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.
IGNOR...><> 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:--
CHR...><> Well, come, my good Hopeful, I perceive that thou and I
must walk by ourselves again.
So I saw in my dream that they went on apace before,
and Ignorance he came hobbling after. Then said Christian
to his companion, It pities me much for this poor man,
it will certainly go ill with him at last.
HOPE...><> Alas! there are abundance in our town in his condition,
whole families, yea, whole streets, and that of pilgrims too;
and if there be so many in our parts, how many, think you,
must there be in the place where he was born?
CHR. ..><> Indeed the Word saith, "He hath blinded their eyes,
lest they should see", . But now we are by ourselves,
what do you think of such men? Have they at no time, think you,
convictions of sin, and so consequently fears that their state
is dangerous?
HOPE...><> Nay, do you answer that question yourself, for you are
the elder man.
CHR...><> Then I say, sometimes (as I think) they may; but they being
naturally ignorant, understand not that such convictions tend
to their good; and therefore they do desperately seek to stifle them,
and presumptuously continue to flatter themselves in the way of
their own hearts.
John Bunyan... Pilgrim's Progress
To be continued |
