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Hopeful's Progress - April 12, 2007
John Bunyan's "Pilgrim's Progress," a 300 year old literary classic, is still incredibly insightful about how people think. In one passage, "Christian" and his companion, "Hopeful" exchange stories of how they set out on pilgrimage. We pick it up from the middle of Hopeful's prayer:
HOPEFUL: ...Lord, I have heard that You are a merciful God, and have ordained that Your Son Jesus Christ be the Savior of the world; and moreover, that You are willing to bestow Him upon such a poor sinner as I (and I am a sinner indeed). Lord, take this opportunity and magnify Your grace in the salvation of my soul, through Your Son Jesus Christ. Amen."
CHRISTIAN: And did you pray thus often?
H: Yes, over and over and over.
C: And did the Father reveal the Son to you?
H: Not at the first, nor second, nor third, nor fourth, nor fifth, nor the sixth.
C: Had you thoughts of leaving off praying?
H: Yes, many times.
C: And what was the reason you did not?
H: I believed it was true which had been told me, to wit, that without the righteousness of this Christ, all the world could not save me, and therefore, thought I with myself, if I leave off, I die, and I can but die at the throne of grace. And withal this came into my mind, "If it tarry, wait for it, because it will surely come." So I continued praying, until the Father showed me his Son.
C: And how was He revealed to you?
H: I did not see Him with my bodily eyes, but with the eyes of mine understanding; and thus it was: One day I was very sad, I think sadder than at any time in my life, and this sadness was through a fresh sight of the vileness of my sins. And I was then looking for nothing but hell, and the everlasting damnation of my soul. Suddenly, as I thought, I saw the Lord Jesus look down from heaven upon me saying, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved." Then I said but Lord, what is believing? and He said, "He that comes to Me shall never hunger, and he that believes on Me shall never thirst." And I saw that believing and coming was all one; that he that ran out in his heart and affections after salvation by Christ, he indeed believed in Christ.
Warren Kramer is the founding editor of Daily Wisdom and operates a graphic design service Warren Kramer&Associates
John Bunyan's "Pilgrim's Progress," a 300 year old literary classic, is still incredibly insightful about how people think. In one passage, "Christian" and his companion, "Hopeful" exchange stories of how they set out on pilgrimage. We pick it up from the middle of Hopeful's prayer:
HOPEFUL: ...Lord, I have heard that You are a merciful God, and have ordained that Your Son Jesus Christ be the Savior of the world; and moreover, that You are willing to bestow Him upon such a poor sinner as I (and I am a sinner indeed). Lord, take this opportunity and magnify Your grace in the salvation of my soul, through Your Son Jesus Christ. Amen."
CHRISTIAN: And did you pray thus often?
H: Yes, over and over and over.
C: And did the Father reveal the Son to you?
H: Not at the first, nor second, nor third, nor fourth, nor fifth, nor the sixth.
C: Had you thoughts of leaving off praying?
H: Yes, many times.
C: And what was the reason you did not?
H: I believed it was true which had been told me, to wit, that without the righteousness of this Christ, all the world could not save me, and therefore, thought I with myself, if I leave off, I die, and I can but die at the throne of grace. And withal this came into my mind, "If it tarry, wait for it, because it will surely come." So I continued praying, until the Father showed me his Son.
C: And how was He revealed to you?
H: I did not see Him with my bodily eyes, but with the eyes of mine understanding; and thus it was: One day I was very sad, I think sadder than at any time in my life, and this sadness was through a fresh sight of the vileness of my sins. And I was then looking for nothing but hell, and the everlasting damnation of my soul. Suddenly, as I thought, I saw the Lord Jesus look down from heaven upon me saying, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved." Then I said but Lord, what is believing? and He said, "He that comes to Me shall never hunger, and he that believes on Me shall never thirst." And I saw that believing and coming was all one; that he that ran out in his heart and affections after salvation by Christ, he indeed believed in Christ.
Warren Kramer is the founding editor of Daily Wisdom and operates a graphic design service Warren Kramer&Associates
