Tuesday, September 29, 2009

The Hill Difficulty

"Who that has been at the foot of the Cross has not also had to meet the difficulties of the way? These are tests, provided for 'the trial of our faith.' The way is straight and narrow, but it is not always level."[1]

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Good-WIll

"Most suitable name for the porter of the Wicket-gate. 'Goodwill toward men' is part of the definition of the Gospel. All are invited, and all who accept the invitation are welcome."[1]

Friday, September 18, 2009

The Three Shining Ones

"This is one of the most picturesque of the touches of Bunyan’s pencil. These are the evidences of the deliverance from the burden and accompaniments of sin. Yea, they are more: these 'three Shining Ones' are plainly intended to represent no less a visitation than that of Unity in Trinity and Trinity in Unity. This will further appear by considering the particulars of their visit.
They all saluted the Pilgrim with one common salutation—“Peace be to thee.” Here the Three are One.
Then each of the glorious Three has a personal and peculiar office to fulfill, and some special gift to bestow.
The First says—'Thy sins be forgiven thee.' This is God the Father, to whom belongs pardon and forgiveness.
The Second 'stripped him of his rags, and clothed him with change of raiment.' This is Jesus Christ—God the Son. He takes away the rags of our own righteousness, and clothes us with the new robe of his own righteousness—the righteousness from heaven. It is an exchange—not the putting of Christ’s righteousness over our filthy rags, but the gift of Christ’s righteousness instead of our filthy rags.
The Third 'set a mark upon his forehead, and gave him a roll with a seal upon it.' This is evidently the Holy Spirit, who “beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God,” Romans 8:16. He imprints the Mark of ownership, the token that we are of God. He gives the roll of the parchment—the law written on our hearts—upon which the Pilgrim is to look, and out of which he is to read, and thence to take comfort, admonition, and instruction, and to present it by-and-by at the gate of the Celestial City. The seal is 'the seal of the Spirit,' to certify the credential, and authenticate its message.
Thus all the Three Persons of the Triune God have a work to do for man, and each his own respective office to fulfill, in the Pardon, the Justification, and the Sanctification of the sinner. And this great doctrine and fact is thus luminously embodied in the scene at the Cross, and in the appearance of the 'Three Shining Ones.'"[1]

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

The Cross

"The Cross here means the Crucified One. It is the emblem of all that scorn and ignominy, of all that pain and agony, borne by Him who 'took our sins, and bare them in his own body on the tree.' The benefit procured by the death upon the Cross was the object of the Pilgrim’s striving; the central point to which his hopes converged; the source of all the blessed experiences of his after pilgrimage. There was 'the blood of sprinkling;' there the atoning Lamb; there the substitute for the sinner; and there the sacrifice for sin. Christ and the Cross! Here is the Altar, and the Victim, and the Priest; and in the Crucified One the scheme of redemption is accomplished—'IT IS FINISHED!'"[1]

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

The Dusty Parlor

"This symbol is, no doubt, designed to strengthen the impression already made upon the Pilgrim’s mind by the scene at Sinai. The dust of the 'Dusty Parlor' is indwelling sin. The besom of the law awakes the slumbering dust, revives its power, and causes it to be sensibly felt. Disturbed from its settled state, and discovered to our eyes, the dust of sin rises as a cloud of witness, witnessing against us. The law can disturb sin and arouse it, but the law cannot take it away. Then comes the Gospel, with the sprinkled waters of Christ’s atoning love, which bind sin and repress it. The power of the law and the Gospel respectively, with regard to sin, receives here one of the most telling illustrations that uninspired man has ever written. This scene, indeed, well describes those two scriptures—'I had not known sin, but by the law' (Romans 7:7); and, 'Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world' (John 1:29)."[1]

Monday, September 14, 2009

Interpreter

"The Christian Pilgrim seeking and obtaining light, and knowledge, and instruction, from the source of all Christian teaching—the Holy Spirit. It is the office of the Holy Spirit to reveal God’s mind and will, and to explain and interpret the will and mind of God to men: 'He shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you' (John 16:14). The house of the INTERPRETER is the treasure-house of experience, where are stored up all God’s provisions, and providences, and dealings with men. Out of this store-house the Spirit bestows—according to our wants, our asking, and our use of supplies already given—'grace for grace.' It is the shedding of Divine light, and the pouring of Divine love, and the communication of Divine knowledge, into our hearts. God was once revealed to man in the person of his Son; he is now revealed to our hearts in the power of his Spirit."[1]

Friday, September 11, 2009

Worldly-Wiseman

"This WORLDLY-WISEMAN is Self-Righteousness, that glories in the law, attributes nothing to grace, trusts to its own merit, and will not accept the merits of Christ. This Self-Righteous spirit will stand beneath Sinai, rather than look to Calvary. This legal religion would, were it possible, work its own way to heaven, and ignore the salvation that is in Christ Jesus."[1]

Thursday, September 10, 2009

City of Destruction

"The City of Destruction is Satan’s city, and he is its Prince; and accordingly he claims the Pilgrim as one of his subjects."[1]

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Christian

"From the outset of the pilgrimage the Pilgrim has been called by the name of CHRISTIAN. But this was not always his name. This is his 'new name.' And before this was given him, he was called GRACELESS. This was the name by which he was called in the City of Destruction, until God opened his eyes to behold his state in sin, and gave him grace to flee from the wrath to come. He was by nature without grace, and therefore GRACELESS; but now he is with Christ, and therefore is he called by the name of CHRISTIAN."[1]

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Help

"When man has done his best, and yet that best is nothing, then comes HELP. This kind messenger is CHRIST. He reproves the Pilgrim that he had not looked for 'the steps.' And CHRISTIAN answers that 'fear followed' him, and thus he missed the steps. These stepping-stones are the promises of God in Christ. Now 'fear' never yet brought a man to the promises; it only drives us from them, so that we lose the way."[1]

Sources

1. Rev. Robert Maguire, Notes. The Pilgrim's Progress. By John Bunyan. London: Cassell, Petter and Galpin, c1863.
2. John Bunyan, The Pilgrim's Progress.

Illlustrations

Artists:
1. Henry Courtney Selous (1803 - 1890).
2. M. Paolo Priolo.

Engravers:
1. William James Linton (1812 - 1897).
2. Léon Louis Chapon (1836 - 1918).