. The pilgrim's progress from this world to that which is to come, delivered under the similitude of a dream . s acting the part of his own Talkative; and beingnow in that frame, and thinking that he pleased God as well as anyman in England, he drew him near to hear those pious neighbours,and to take part in their conversation. But to his astonishment, heheard a new language, and was confounded. The subject on whichtheir hearts were kindliug together was indeed that familiar one ofreligion; but in it those three or four poor women had gone utterlybeyond Bunyans experience; they spake of what h
. The pilgrim's progress from this world to that which is to come, delivered under the similitude of a dream . s acting the part of his own Talkative; and beingnow in that frame, and thinking that he pleased God as well as anyman in England, he drew him near to hear those pious neighbours,and to take part in their conversation. But to his astonishment, heheard a new language, and was confounded. The subject on whichtheir hearts were kindliug together was indeed that familiar one ofreligion; but in it those three or four poor women had gone utterlybeyond Bunyans experience; they spake of what he had never yetdreamed of, what he had never yet began to understand,—the con-flicts and enjoyments of the heart, the flame of heartfelt, experi-mental piety,—an inward, hidden, spiritual life. Here was a check and a blow that brought Bunyan down at oncefrom his high estate. It was as if an arrow had reached an eagle onthe wing. Bunyan had deemed himself a religious man, a greatpleaser of God, and able to keep pace with any talker in the king-dom. He was as if a common carpet-weaver had deemed himself. AUTHOB OF THE PILGRIMS PROGRESS. xvii capable of reproducing the cartoons of Raphael; or as if a meresmelter of the ores of paints had imagined himself a master of theart of painting, and had gone into the shop of Titian to see him andto talk with him, and had heard him conversing with other greatgeniuses, and had seen for the first time one of his great originalproductions. For Bunyan was really as ignorant of true religion asa man who never in his life beheld a picture, or had any employmentbut with black ore, could be ignorant of the mystery and art ofpainting. The idea of the New Birth, the idea of the regenerationof the heart by the Holy Spirit, had never once entered intoBunyans mind. He never had dreamed of noticing the current ofhis secret thoughts, whether they were wicked or no ; he knew andcared nothing for the temptations of Satan, or the way to resist andovercome
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