The Pilgrims Progress by John Bunyan 400yrs old

[Relic]

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Any one here ever read this book?
If so, please share your comments about it?
Even if you only read a chapter or so,
please do share your impression of it.

Along with the C S Lewis books, I heard this is one of the best Christian classics ever written.

This CLASSIC IS NOW AVAILABLE ON LINE.
Audio and text formats.

I haven’t read this book but I am now on my journey of listening to the audio and reading along. The Web pages are kind of tricky, you have to have two windows open in order to be able to read the book along with listening to the audio. But once you understand how the files are listed you will be able to keep the text book and the audio in unison.


I got this information from off of the Main Web page to give you an idea of the contents of this book. It is still popular over 400 years later.

The Pilgrims Progress
by John Bunyan

Read the book
http://www.thebaptistpage.com/Reading/Bunyan/Pilgrim/pilgrim_main.htm

Listen to the book
http://www.sermonaudio.com/pilgrims.asp


Quote by Charles Spurgeon:
I would quote John Bunyan as an instance of what I mean. Read anything of his, and you will see that it is almost like the reading the Bible itself. He had read it till his very soul was saturated with Scripture; and, though his writings are charmingly full of poetry, yet he cannot give us his Pilgrim's Progress  that sweetest of all prose poems  without continually making us feel and say, "Why, this man is a living Bible!" Prick him anywhere  his blood is Bibline, the very essence of the Bible flows from him. He cannot speak without quoting a text, for his very soul is full of the Word of God. I commend his example to you, beloved."
.......................... C.H. Spurgeon ..........................



Part One

Apology for his Book

First Stage - Christian's deplorable condition - Evangelist directs him - Obstinate and Pliable - Slough of Despond - Worldly Wiseman - Mount Sinai - Conversation with Evangelist.
Second Stage - The Gate - conversation with Good-Will - the Interpreter's House - Christian entertained - the sights there shown him.
Third Stage - Loses his burden at the Cross - Simple, Sloth, Presumption, Formalist, Hypocrisy - hill Difficulty - the Arbor - misses his roll - the palace Beautiful - the lions - talk with Discretion, Piety, Prudence, and Charity - wonders shown to Christian - he is armed.
Fourth Stage - Valley of Humiliation - conflict with Apollyon - Valley of the Shadow of Death - Giants Pope and Pagan.
Fifth Stage - Discourse with Faithful - Talkative and Faithful - Talkative's character.
Sixth Stage - Evangelist overtakes Christian and Faithful - Vanity Fair - the Pilgrims brought to trial - Faithful's martyrdom.
Seventh Stage - Christian and Hopeful - By-ends and his companions - plain of Ease - Lucre-hill - Demas - the River of Life - Vain- Confidence - Giant Despair - the Pilgrims beaten - the Dungeon - the Key of Promise.
Eighth Stage - The Delectable Mountains - entertained by the Shepherds - a by-way to Hell.
Ninth Stage - Christian and Hopeful meet Ignorance - Turn-away - Little-Faith - the Flatterer - the net - chastised by a Shining One - Atheist - Enchanted Ground - Hopeful's account of his conversion - discourse of Christian and Ignorance.
Tenth Stage - Talk of Christian and Hopeful - Temporary - the backslider - the land of Beulah - Christian and Hopeful pass the River -welcome to the Celestial city.

Part Two

Part One concludes the story of Pilgrim while Part Two tells the story of his wife, Christiana.

Apology for the Second Part
Introduction
First Stage - Christiana and Mercy - Slough of Despond - knocking at the gate - the Dog - talk between the Pilgrims.
Second Stage - The Devil's garden - two ill-favored ones assault them - the Reliever - entertainment at the Interpreter's house - the Significant Rooms - Christiana and Mercy's experience
Third Stage - Accompanied by Great-Heart - the Cross - justified by Christ - Sloth and his companions hung - the hill Difficulty - the Arbor.
Fourth Stage - The Lions - Giant Grim slain by Great-Heart - the Pilgrims entertained - the children catechized by Prudence - Mr. Brisk - Matthew sick - the remedy - sights shown the Pilgrims
Fifth Stage - Valley of Humiliation - Valley of the Shadow of Death - Giant Maul slain
Sixth Stage - Discourse with Old Honest - character and history of Mr. Fearing - Mr. Self-will and some professors - Gaius' house - conversation - the supper - Old Honest and Great-Heart's riddles and discourse - Giant Slay-good killed - Mr. Feeble-mind's history - Mr. Ready-to-halt - Vanity Fair - Mr. Mnason's house - cheering entertainment and converse - a Monster
Seventh Stage - Hill Lucre - River of Life - Giant Despair killed - the Delectable Mountains - entertainment by the Shepherds.
Eighth Stage - Valiant-for-Truth's-Victory - his talk with Great- Heart - the Enchanted Ground - Heedless and Too-bold - Mr. Stand-fast - Madam Bubble's temptations - the land of Beulah - Christiana summoned - her parting addresses - she passes the River - she is followed by Ready- to-halt, Feeble-mind, Despondency and his daughter, Honest, Valiant, Steadfast

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[Relic]

What a delightful read! I'm almost half ways through the book! :D

I left off at the Seventh Stage at - Lucre-hill -

There are a couple of sections in the book I don't quite agree with. And of course they have to do with very sensitive subject matter of the vainity and money section of the story. I'm not quite sure about the view on materialism. I've always had a tough time with. After all, God does want us to prosper and have abundance, to mulitply and share wealth in the material, as well as the spiritual areas of life. This section in the book tends more toward the total nonconformity to material posessions in life. I understand the part in which Christian prefers to purchase truth over vanity, but I am up in the air about the place in life in which material possessions should be. After all, Christian did have his rags replaced with a nice cloak and that IS a material possession and it is representative of abundance, ie, going from a rag to something better. So I'm not quite sure of the whole flow of that section of the book. I'm still pondering that part of the book. :roll:



The narative is wonderfully put together. A must for listening even if you don't read along with the text. Each audio ranges from about 4 minutes up to 9 minutes. each topic within each stage has it's own audio. So you can leave off and return some othertime without having to read for more thatn 9 minutes at a time.

The story is just wonderful! I've been convicted of my own faults, a few times, while reading it! An eye opener for sure! I love it! I can't wait till I resume my reading and listening. :angel:

um :roll: ............... but then, I suppose my passion is getting ahead of my patience :wink: :D



:bday:

 

[JM]

It's amazing how many people read and quote calvinists! (Even when 'calvinist' is seen as a bad word today.) Maybe I shouldn't have said anything. :

j

 

[Relic]

bump.

 

[Scott]

I read it when I was a kid, I only remember the general plot. I'll have to find a copy and read it again.

 

[cubedbee]

I love the Pilgrim's Progress! My childhood church had a ministry called Children's Church which was held during the main church service and was an alternative for 6-14 year olds. A wonderful woman named Lila ran the ministry for some 40 years, and everyone I know from church has amazing memories of it. Every year, for 8 weeks ( I think), Lila had a flannelgraph version of Pilgrim's Progress which she told to us. It was the highlight of the year. Had a map of Pilgrim's entire journey and had pictures of every single person he meets. The best behaved child would be allowed to move Pilgrim along his path for the day and boy, were we good for those two months.

Man, this brings back memories. I read Pilgrim's Regress by C.S. Lewis not too long ago, but I really need to find a copy of this and actually read it for the first time.

 

[jeffnevins]

I just started it- Modern language version. Good metaphors.

 

[lovely]

Love this book! I just purchased it on on CD for my children to listen to it. They have a children's version that is very well written, and beautifully illustated.

Blessings.

 

[karie]

I read it a long time ago as a kid! Wow... forgot about that one. ~Karie

 

[Petrushka]

I read the book a long time ago. It's awesome. I need to read it again, though.

 

[cuiq]

I read this and many of the reformation writers or 15th 16th 17th century writers and I prefer those books to today's books. However I do have some favorites of today, mainly C. S. Lewis (The Chronicles of Narnia, Mere Christianity, The Abolition of Man just to name a few) and also Watchman Nee. I've read a little of the Lee Strobel series of books but never got a chance to finish them I'll probably do that this winter. The only other book that I have finished in the last few years was Michael Horten's "The Agony of Deceit"



Peace In Christ

 

[paisley]

I have tried time and again to read this book but for some reason I just can not get into it. I am sure I would love all the concepts of the book and I admire John Bunyan tremendously, but the book just is not to my taste and liking.