. The pilgrim's progress from this world to that which is to come, delivered under the similitude of a dream . ;it was all a vigorous, natural, sweet growth, under the open air, sun,rain, wind, and tempests. Even the Scriptures that made him faint and fear, yet kindled anunquenchable fire of resolution in his soul. And the temptationsand mistakes by which he was driven to his wits end, came at lastto be but elements of profound knowledge and faith. He was some-times so tossed and perplexed, as he says, between the devil and hisown ignorance, that he could not tell what to do; as when, under am
. The pilgrim's progress from this world to that which is to come, delivered under the similitude of a dream . ;it was all a vigorous, natural, sweet growth, under the open air, sun,rain, wind, and tempests. Even the Scriptures that made him faint and fear, yet kindled anunquenchable fire of resolution in his soul. And the temptationsand mistakes by which he was driven to his wits end, came at lastto be but elements of profound knowledge and faith. He was some-times so tossed and perplexed, as he says, between the devil and hisown ignorance, that he could not tell what to do; as when, under amistake in regard to the nature of faith, he was tempted to settle thequestion, whether he had any faith or no, by working a temptation, as he says, was so hot upon him, that one day, ashe was passing between and Bedford, he felt an irresistibleimpulse to command a dry place by the roadside to become a pool ofwater; but even just as he was going to speak, the thought came intohis mind, Go first under yonder hedge, and pray that God willmake you able. AUTHOR OF THE PILGRIMS PROGRESS. xxm. Such was the conflict and combination between error and truth,fear, anxiety, distrust, presumption, good sense, and faith, thesuggestions of the tempter and the Word of God, the blinding ofSatan and the enlightening of the Holy Spirit. The result of theseconflicts was always an advancement from the darkness to the sometimes made Bunyan wait at a passage of Scripture formany months together, studying it on all sides, as an army wouldbeleaguer a fortress to take it, yet show-ing him nothing; but then, after all thiswaiting, and praying, and labouring,and longing, when the discovery came,when the light broke, how glorious,how beautiful, how refreshing! It was many months of this conflict-ing experience before Bunyan evengained courage to break his mind tothose poor people in Bedford, fromwhose heavenly conversation he hadgained the first true idea and heart-feltsight of
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