We just started reading the book, Pilgrim's Progress, in Sunday School. The book was written by John Bunyan while he was in prison during the 17th century and it is one of the most popular books in the English language. I had read the book before and thought it was good, but I did not realize how really, really good it was and how much of the gospel is packed in it. I had read the version "In Today's English" previously, but the old version is so much better that it is not even close. It is a free download on Amazon.com for Kindle. Go get it here:
Here is an excerpt from the book's second chapter, which is a dialogue between Interpreter and the book's main character, Christian:
Inter. Then he took him by the hand, and led him into a very large parlor, that was full of dust, because never swept; the which after he had looked at it a little while, the Interpreter called for a man to sweep. Now, when he began to sweep, the dust began so abundantly to fly about that Christian had almost therewith been choked. Then said the Interpreter to a girl that stood by, "Bring hither water, and sprinkle the room;" the which when she had done, it was swept and cleansed with ease.
Chris. Then said Christian, "What means this?"
Inter. The Interpreter answered , "This parlor is the heart of a man that was never made pure by the sweet grace of the Gospel. The dust is his sin , and inward evils that have defiled the whole man. He that began to sweep at first is the law; but she that brought water, and did sprinkle it, is the Gospel. Now , whereas thou sawest that, as soon as the first began to sweep, the dust did fly so about that the room could not by him be cleansed, but that thou wast almost choked therewith; this is to show thee, that the law, instead of cleansing the heart (by its working) from sin, doth revive, put strength into, and increase it in the soul, even as it doth discover and forbid it, for it doth not give power to overcome. Again, as thou sawest the girl sprinkle the room with water, upon which it was cleansed with ease; this is to show thee, that when the Gospel comes, in the sweet and gracious power thereof, to the heart, then, I say, even as thou sawest the maiden lay the dust by sprinkling the floor with water, so is sin vanquished and subdued, and the soul made clean through the faith of it, and, consequently, fit for the King of Glory to dwell in."
Bunyan, John (2012-12-18). The Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan (Kindle Locations 343-352). . Kindle Edition.
Some deep stuff, check it out and let me know what you think.
