Pilgrim's Progress

Christian's Burden Falls From His Shoulders

As I walked through the wilderness of this world I lighted on a certain place where was a Den, and I laid me down that place to sleep, and as I slept I dreamed a dream.

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. I looked, and saw him open the book and read therein ; and as he read he wept and trembled, and at length brake out with a lamentable cry, saying: " What shall I do ?"

In this plight he went home and told his wife that he was informed that their city would be burnt with fire from heaven, in which fearful overthrow himself, his wife, and his sweet babes would miserably come to ruin, except some way of escape could be found.

His relations tried, without avail, to rid him of his fears.
Now, I saw upon a time when Christian — for this was the man's name — was walking in the fields that he was reading in his book; and as he read he burst out as before, crying : " What shall I do to be saved? "
I looked then and saw a man named Evangelist coming to him, who asked: " Wherefore dost thou cry? "
When he had answered, Evangelist said: "If this be thy condition, why standest thou still ? "
" Because I know not whither to go," he answered.
Then Evangelist gave a parchment roll, and there was written thereon :

" Flee from the wrath to come."

The man read it, and, looking upon Evangelist carefully, said: "Whither must I fly ? "
Then said Evangelist, pointing with his finger over a very wide field: " Do you see yonder wicket-gate? " The man said : " No."

Then said the other : "Do you see yonder shining light?" 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."

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 and neighbours, perceiving it, cried out to him to return.
But the man ran towards the middle of the plain.
Two of his neighbours, Obstinate and Pliable, resolved to fetch him back by force.

Obstinate

When they came up with him, he told them that if they died in the City of Destruction, where he and they were born, they would sink lower than the grave.
They talked together, and Christian asked them to read in his book.
Obstinate cried : " Away with your book! Will you go back with us or no ? "