And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;
— Colossians 2:13-14
And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
— Romans 5:3-5
Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing. For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.
— 2 Corinthians 7:9-10
But ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing.
— 2 Thessalonians 3:13
Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.
— Romans 13:10-12
Christian Found He Was Redeemed of His Sin by Christ, But Faced Difficulties, Sorrows and Weariness, by John Bunyan. The following contains an excerpt from Chapters Six through Eleven of his work, “The Pilgrim’s Progress.”
THE HOUSE OF THE INTERPRETER
“Now,” Christian said, “let me continue on my journey.”
“Not just yet,” said the Interpreter, “until I have showed you a little more —and after that you may go on your way.”
So he took him by the hand again, and led him into a very dark room, where a man in an iron cage sat. Now this man seemed very sad—he sat with his eyes looking down to the ground, his hands folded together, and he sighed as if his heart were breaking.
Christian asked, “What does this mean?”
The Interpreter then told Christian to inquire of the man himself.
Then Christian asked the man, “What are you?”
The man answered, “I am now, what I once was not.”
Christian responded, “What were you once?”
The man said, “I was once a fair and flourishing professor—both in my own eyes, and also in the eyes of others! I once was, as I thought, headed for the Celestial City; and had joy at the thought that I would get there.”
Christian further questioned, “Well—what are you now?”
The man responded,”I am now a man of despair, and am locked up in despair—as in this iron cage. I cannot get out. O, I cannot escape!”
Christian then inquired, “But how did you get into this miserable condition?”
The man in the iron cage replied, “I stopped watching and being serious. I let my worldly lusts reign. I sinned against the light of God’s Word, and His goodness. I tempted the devil—and he has come to me! I have provoked God to anger—and He has left me! I have so hardened my heart, that I cannot repent!”
Then Christian asked the Interpreter, “Is there no hope for such a man as this?”
Then the Interpreter said to the man in the iron cage, “Is there no hope— must you always be kept in this iron cage of despair?”
The man replied, “No, there is no hope at all.”
Interpreter responded, “Why should you have no hope? Jesus is full of mercy.”
The man in the iron cage answered,”I have crucified Him afresh; I have scorned His person; I have despised His righteousness; I have counted His blood as an unholy thing; I have insulted and disdained the Spirit of grace. Therefore I have shut myself out of all the promises, and there now remains nothing for me but threatenings—dreadful threatenings, fearful threatenings of certain judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour me as God’s adversary!”
Interpreter then asked, “For what did you bring yourself into this dreadful condition?”
The man responded, “For the lusts, pleasures, and profits of this world— in the enjoyment of which, I promised myself much delight. But now, every one of those things bite me, and gnaw me like a burning worm!”
Interpreter then questioned, “But can’t you now repent and turn back to God?”
The man answered, “God has denied repentance to me. His Word gives me no encouragement to believe. Yes, He Himself has shut me up in this iron cage! Not all the men in the world can free me. O eternity! eternity! How shall I grapple with the misery that I must meet with in eternity!”
Then the Interpreter said to Christian, “Let this man’s misery be remembered by you—and be an everlasting warning to you!”
“Well,” Christian said, “this is most fearful! May God help me to always watch and to pray that I may shun the cause of this man’s misery! Sir, is it now time for me to go on my way?”
Interpreter replied, “Wait until I show you one last thing—and then you shall go on your way.”
He took Christian by the hand again, and led him into a room, where there was a man rising out of bed; and as he put on his clothing, he shook and trembled.
Then Christian asked, “Why does this man thus tremble?”
The Interpreter then bid the man to tell Christian the reason of his trembling.
So the trembling man began, “This night, as I slept, I dreamed—and behold, the heavens grew exceedingly black; also it thundered and lightninged in a most frightening way—so that it put me into a fearful agony!
“So I looked up in my dream, and saw the clouds driven violently by the wind—upon which I heard a loud blast of a trumpet, and also saw a Man sitting upon a cloud, attended with thousands of angelic beings—all in flaming fire! Also the heavens were in a burning flame! I then heard a voice command, ‘Arise you who are dead—and come to your judgment!’ And with that, the rocks shattered, the graves opened—and the dead came forth! Some of them were exceedingly glad, and looked upward— while others sought to hide themselves under the mountains!
“Then I saw that the Man who sat upon the cloud opened the book, and commanded all people to draw near. Yet there was, by reason of a fierce flame which issued out and came from before Him—a great distance between Him and them, as between the judge and the prisoners at the bar. Then the Man who sat on the cloud commanded the angelic beings, ‘Gather the tares, the chaff, and stubble together—and cast them into the burning lake of fire!’ And with that, the bottomless pit opened, just where I stood! Out of the mouth of the pit spewed forth great billows of smoke and coals of fire, along with hideous noises!
“The angelic beings were then commanded, ‘Gather My wheat into the barn!’ And with that, I saw many caught up and carried away into the clouds—but I was left behind! I then sought to hide myself—but I could not, for the Man who sat upon the cloud fixed His eye upon me! My sins then came to mind—and my conscience accused me on every side! At this, I awakened from my sleep.”
Christian then asked, “What was it which made you so afraid of this sight?”
The trembling man replied, “Why, I thought that the day of judgment had come—and that I was not ready for it! But what frighted me the most, was that the angels gathered up several people near me—and left me behind! Then the pit of Hell opened its mouth just where I stood! My conscience, too, afflicted me! And, as I stood there—the Judge continually kept His eye upon me, with a look of angry disapproval on His face.”
Then the Interpreter said to Christian, “Have you considered all these things?”
“Yes,” replied Christian, “and they cause me to both hope and fear!” “Then,” stated the Interpreter, “keep all of these things in your mind—so that they may spur you forward in the way you must go.”
Christian began to prepare himself to continue on his journey.
Then the Interpreter declared, “May the Comforter always be with you, good Christian—to guide you in the way that leads to the Celestial City!”
So Christian went on his way, saying “I have seen rare and profitable things here! Pleasant things—and dreadful things. May I think on them, and remember the lessons they taught me. I am thankful, O good Interpreter, to you.”
THE CROSS
Now I saw in my dream, that the highway up which Christian was to go, was fenced on both sides with a wall, and that wall was called ‘SALVATION’. Up this way, therefore, burdened Christian ran—but not without great difficulty, because of the heavy load on his back. He ran on thus until he came to a place where there was a hill, and upon that hill stood a Cross; and a little below, at the bottom, was a sepulcher.
I saw in my dream, that just as Christian came up to the Cross—his burden fell off his shoulders and back, and began to tumble, until it came to the mouth of the sepulcher, where it fell in, and I saw it no more!
Then Christian was glad and joyful, and said with a merry heart, “Jesus has given me rest by His sorrow, and life by His death!”
So he stood still awhile to ponder and wonder; for it was very surprising to him, that the sight of the Cross should thus ease him of his burden. He looked, therefore, and looked again—until tears flowed down his cheeks!
Now, as he stood looking and weeping—behold, three Shining Ones came to him and greeted him with “Peace unto you.”
The first said to him, “Your sins are forgiven!”
The second stripped him of his rags, and clothed him with fine new clothes.
The third Shining One put a mark on Christian’s forehead, gave him a scroll with a seal upon it—and encouraged him to read it on his journey. He told Christian that he should turn it in at the Celestial Gate. So the Shining Ones left Christian and went on their way.
Then Christian gave three leaps for joy, and went on singing:
“Thus far did I come laden with my sin;
Nor could anything ease the grief that I was in.
Until I came here—What a place is this!
This must be the beginning of my bliss!
“For here, the burden fell from off my back,
And here, the chains that bound it to me, did crack!
Blessed Cross! Blessed sepulcher! Blessed rather be,
The Man who there, was put to shame for me!”
SIMPLE, SLOTH AND PRESUMPTION
Then I saw in my dream, that Christian went on thus, until he came to a valley, where he saw, a little out of the way—three men fast asleep, with fetters upon their legs. The name of the one was Simple, the next Sloth, and the third Presumption.
Then Christian seeing them fast asleep, went to them, if perhaps he might awaken them, and cried, “You are like those who sleep on the top of a mast, for the Dead Sea is under you—a gulf which has no bottom! Wake up! Wake up—and I will help you take off your fetters!”
He also warned them, “If he who prowls about like a roaring lion comes by—you will most certainly be devoured!”
They then looked upon him, and Simple replied, “I see no danger!” Sloth said, “Yet a little more sleep!”
And Presumption said, “Every tub must stand upon its own bottom—so we don’t need your help!”
And so they lay down to sleep again—and Christian continued on his way. Yet was he troubled to think that men in such danger should so little regard the kindness which he so freely offered—by awakening them, warning them, and offering to help to remove their fetters.
FORMALIST AND HYPOCRISY
And as he was troubled about this—he spotted two men come tumbling over the wall on the left side of the narrow way. They soon caught up to Christian, and entered into conversation with him. The name of the one was Formalist, and the name of the other Hypocrisy.
Christian asked, “Gentlemen, where have you come from—and where are you going?”
Formalist and Hypocrisy answered, “We were born in the land of Vain- glory, and are going to the Celestial City for reward.”
Christian responded, “Why did you not enter in at the gate which stands at the beginning of the way? Do you not know that it is written that the one who does not enter by the gate, but climbs up some other way—that person is a thief and a robber?”
Formalist and Hypocrisy replied, “To journey to the gate for entrance, was considered too far away by all our countrymen. Besides that, our custom is to always make a short-cut, and climb over the wall.”
Christian questioned, “But will it not be counted a trespass against the Lord of the city where we are going—to thus violate His revealed will?”
Formalist and Hypocrisy told Christian that he need not trouble his head about this. For they had a tradition for what they were doing; and, if need be—they could produce witnesses to it—showing that this has been done for more than a thousand years!
“But,” Christian said, “will your practice stand a trial at law?”
They told him that their tradition—being more than a thousand years old, would doubtless be admitted as legal by any impartial judge.
“And besides,” they said, “if we get into the way—what does it matter how we got there? If we are in—we are in! You are in the way to the Celestial City—and you came in at the gate. And we are in the same way—and we came tumbling over the wall. So how is your condition any better than ours?”
Christian explained, “I walk by the rule of my Master; but you walk by the vain working of your imaginations. You are accounted as thieves already, by the Lord of the way! Therefore, you will not be found to be true Pilgrims at the end of the journey. You came in by your own way, without His direction; and you shall go out by yourselves, without His mercy!”
To this, they made but little answer; they only told Christian to pay attention to himself.
Then I saw that they went on in their own ways, without much conversation with one another; except that the two men told Christian, that as to laws and ordinances, they had no doubt but that they were as careful to do them as he was. “Therefore,” said they, “we do not see how you differ from us—except for that coat which is on your back, which probably was given to you by some of your neighbors—to hide the shame of your nakedness.”
Christian answered, “You cannot be saved by laws and ordinances—and you did not come in at the narrow-gate. And as for this coat which is on my back—it was given to me by the Lord of the place where I am going— and just as you say—to cover my nakedness. I take this as a token of His kindness to me—for I had nothing but rags before! With this, I comfort myself as I go: Surely, when I come to the gate of the Celestial City, the Lord will recognize me, since I have His coat on my back—a coat which He gave me on the day when He stripped me of my rags.
“I have, moreover, a mark on my forehead—which perhaps you have not noticed, which one of my Lord’s most intimate associates fixed there on the day that my burden fell off my shoulders! I tell you, furthermore, that I was then given a sealed scroll—to comfort me by reading it as I travel along the way. I was also told to turn it in at the Celestial Gate, as my authorization to enter. But you lack all of these things—since you did not enter in at the narrow-gate!”
To this, they gave him no answer. They only looked at each other and laughed.
Then I saw that they went on, and that Christian walked on ahead—no longer talking to Formalist and Hypocrisy. He would ponder to himself— sometimes sighing, and sometimes content. Also, he would be often reading in the scroll that one of the Shining Ones had given him—which gave him refreshment.
THE HILL DIFFICULTY
I beheld, then, that they all went on until they came to the foot of the Hill Difficulty, at the bottom of which was a spring. Here there also were two other ways besides that path which came straight from the narrow-gate— one turned to the left hand, and the other to the right; however the narrow way went straight up the Hill Difficulty.
Christian now went to the spring, and drank to refresh himself, and then began to go up the hill, saying,
“The hill, though high, I choose to ascend,
The difficulty will not me offend;
For I perceive the way to life lies here.
Come, take heart, let’s neither faint nor fear;
Better, though difficult, the right way to go,
Than wrong, though easy—where the end is woe.”
The other two men also came to the foot of the hill. When they saw that the hill was very steep and high, and that there were two other easier ways to go; and supposing that these two ways might meet again on the other side of the hill with the same hard way that Christian chose; they resolved to go in those easy paths.
Now the name of one of those ways was Danger—and the name of the other Destruction. So one took the way called Danger, which led him into an enormous bewildering forest—and the other took the way to Destruction, which led him into a wide field full of dark pits, where he stumbled and fell, and rose no more.
I then looked at Christian going up the hill, where, because of the steepness of the hill, I saw he went from running to walking, and from walking to crawling on his hands and knees. Now, about midway to the top of the hill was a pleasant arbor, made by the Lord of the hill for the refreshment of weary travelers. When Christian arrived there, he sat down to rest. He then pulled his scroll out of his bosom, and read to his comfort. He also began to examine the garment that was given him while at the Cross.
Thus refreshing himself for a while, he at last fell into a slumber, and thence into a sound sleep, which delayed him there until it was almost night. While asleep, his scroll fell out of his hand.
Now, as he was sleeping, one came and awakened him, saying, “Go to the ant, you sluggard—consider her ways, and be wise!”
With that, Christian suddenly jumped up, and hurried on his way until he came to the top of the hill.
TIMOROUS AND MISTRUST
Now, when he reached the top of the hill, two men came running to meet him—the name of one was Timorous, and the other Mistrust.
Christian inquired of them, “Sirs, what is the matter? You are running the wrong way!”
Timorous answered, “We were going to the Celestial City, but, the further we go, the more dangers we meet with! Therefore we have turned around, and are going back.”
“Yes,” said Mistrust, “for there were lions just ahead of us on the path— and we did not know if they were asleep or awake. We were terrified that they would tear us to pieces!”
Then Christian said, “You frighten me—but where shall I flee to be safe? If I go back to my own country, which shall be destroyed by fire and brimstone—I will certainly perish there! I shall only be safe, if I can reach the Celestial City. I must venture onward. To go back is nothing but death —to go forward is fear of death, and everlasting life beyond it. Therefore, I must surely go forward.”
Mistrust and Timorous ran down the hill, and Christian continued on the difficult way.
Thinking of what he heard from the men, he felt in his bosom for his scroll, that he might read from it and be comforted; but he could not find it. Christian was then in great distress, and did not know what to do—for the scroll was his pass into the Celestial City.
Therefore, he was fearful and bewildered, not knowing what to do. At last, he remembered that he had slept at the arbor on the side of the steep hill. Falling down upon his knees, he asked God’s forgiveness for his foolish act, and then went back to look for his scroll. Who can sufficiently set forth the sorrow of Christian’s heart as he went back! Sometimes he sighed, sometimes he wept, and often he rebuked himself for being so foolish as to fall asleep in that arbor which was only erected for a little refreshment for weary Pilgrims.
Thus he went back, carefully looking on this side, and on that side, all the way as he went—hoping perhaps that he might find his scroll which had been his comfort so many times on his journey.
So he went on until he again came within sight of the arbor where he had rested and slept. But that sight only increased his sorrow, by bringing his folly of sleeping once again into his mind. Thus he bemoaned, “O what a wretched man I am—that I should sleep in the day time, and in the midst of difficulty—that I should so indulge my flesh! For the Lord of the hill has built this arbor only for the refreshment of Pilgrims!
“How many steps have I taken in vain! Thus it happened to Israel, for their sin—they were sent back again by the way of the Red Sea. Just so, I am made to retrace those steps with sorrow, which I might have trod with delight—had it not been for my folly of sleeping. How much further along my way might I have been by this time—but I had to tread these steps three times, which I only needed to have trod but once. Yes, now I must journey in the dark of night, for the daylight is almost gone. O that I had not slept!”
https://takeupcross.com
takeupcross
Take Up the Cross 