After finding an old copy of John Bunyan’s The Pilgrim’s Progress in a thrift store for 25 cents, I had to add it to my summer reading. Here’s a beautiful passage depicting the effects of the law and the gospel on one’s heart. The image he uses is just so good that I don’t think I can add anything by way of a preface.
Then he took him by the hand, and led him into a very large parlour that was full of dust, because never swept; the which after he had reviewed it a little while, the Interpreter called for a man to sweep. Now, when he began to sweep, the dust began so abundantly to fly about, that Christian had almost therewith been choked. Then said the Interpreter to a damsel that stood by, “Bring hither water, and sprinkle the room,” which, when she had done, it was swept and cleansed with pleasure.
CHRISTIAN. Then said Christian, What means this?
INTERPRETER. The Interpreter answered, This parlour is the heart of a man that was never sanctified by the sweet grace of the Gospel. The dust is his original sin, and inward corruptions, that have defiled the whole man. He that began to sweep at first is the law; but she that brought water, and did sprinkle it, is the Gospel. Now whereas thou sawest that so soon as the first began to sweep, the dust did so fly about that the room by him could not be cleansed, but that thou wast almost choked therewith: this is to show thee, that the law, instead of cleansing the heart (by its working) from sin, doth revive, put strength into, and increase it in the soul, even as it doth discover and forbid it; for it doth not give power to subdue.
Again, as thou sawest the damsel sprinkle the room with water, upon which it was cleansed with pleasure: this is to show thee, that when the Gospel comes in the sweet and gracious influences thereof to the heart, then, I say, even as thou sawest the damsel lay the dust by sprinkling the floor with water, so is sin vanquished and subdued, and the soul made clean through the faith of it, and consequently fit for the King of glory to inhabit.
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3 responses to “Legal Sweeping and Gracious Sprinkling in John Bunyan’s The Pilgrim’s Progress”
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What a beautiful picture this is. Thank you for sharing.
Davis–awesome passage. Thanks.
Wow, what a mental picture! This is awesome.