The Pilgrim's Progress Quotes

“—Veo que nos hemos equivocado. ¿Acaso no nos advirtieron los pastores que nos cuidáramos de los aduladores? Descubrimos hoy que lo que dijo el sabio es cierto: “El hombre que lisonjea a su prójimo, red tiende delante de sus pasos” (Prov. 29:5).”
― Juan Bunyan, El progreso del peregrino para todos

“It is not always necessary to grant things not asked for, for by doing so such things are often viewed as of little value or are taken for granted. However, when the need of something is sensed, that thing becomes valued in the eyes of the one who has recognized the need. And when the value which it is properly due is perceived, it will consequently be used after that point because it is recognized as something of worth. Had my Lord granted you a conductor, you would not have regretted your oversight in not asking for one, as now you have occasion to do. So all things work for good and tend to make you more wary.”
― John Bunyan, Pilgrim's Progress

“Regardless of how high and difficult this hill is, I’m determined to walk up it because I know it leads to the Way of Life. I might become weak or even scared, but I will have courage and press on because it’s better to be on the right path, even if it’s difficult, than to go an easier way that ends in misery.”
― John Bunyan, The Pilgrim's Progress: A Readable Modern-Day Version of John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress

“The spirit of true faith is a transformed life. It’s written that ‘Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.’”107”
― John Bunyan, The Pilgrim's Progress: A Readable Modern-Day Version of John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress

“For, to tell you truth, I love him, because I was by him eased of my burden; and I am weary of my inward sickness. I would fain be where I shall die no more, and with the company that shall continually cry, "Holy, Holy, Holy!”
― John Bunyan, The Pilgrim's Progress

“Almost five thousand years agone, there were pilgrims walking to the Celestial City, as these two honest persons are: and Beelzebub, Apollyon, and Legion, with their companions, perceiving by the path that the pilgrims made, that their way to the city lay through this town of Vanity, they contrived here to set up a fair; a fair wherein, should be sold all sorts of vanity, and that it should last all the year long: therefore at this fair are all such merchandise sold, as houses, lands, trades, places, honours, preferments, titles, countries, kingdoms, lusts, pleasures, and delights of all sorts, as whores, bawds, wives, husbands, children, masters, servants, lives, blood, bodies, souls, silver, gold, pearls, precious stones, and what not.”
― John Bunyan, The Pilgrim's Progress from this world to that which is to come, delivered under the similitude of a dream

“Just like those that know not that precious Stones are covered over with a homely Crust; who when they have found one, becuase they know not what the have found, cast it again away, as men do a common stone.”
― John Bunyan, The Pilgrim's Progress

“Yes, I believed without a doubt that if I had a thousand gallons of blood in my body, I would willingly spill it all for the sake of the Lord Jesus!”
― John Bunyan, The Pilgrim's Progress: A Readable Modern-Day Version of John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress

“As tears filled my eyes, I asked further, ‘But, Lord, may such a great sinner as I am actually be accepted and saved by you?’ “And I heard Him say, ‘Whoever comes to me I will never cast away.’195 “Then I responded, ‘But, Lord, what is the appropriate way for me to come so that my faith is properly placed on you?’ “Then He said, ‘Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners.196 He is the end of the law for righteousness to all who believe.197 He died for our sins and rose again for our justification.198 He loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood.199 He is the mediator between God and us.200 He lives to make intercession for us.’201 “It was from all of this that I understood I must look for righteousness in the person of Jesus Christ and for satisfaction for my sins by His blood.”
― John Bunyan, The Pilgrim's Progress: A Readable Modern-Day Version of John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress

“The one who’s heart honestly desires the salvation of Christ is the one who truly believes in Christ.”
― John Bunyan, The Pilgrim's Progress: A Readable Modern-Day Version of John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress

“Moses said he would prefer dying where he stood rather than to go one more step without his God.”165”
― John Bunyan, The Pilgrim's Progress: A Readable Modern-Day Version of John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress

“Even someone new to the faith could answer ten thousand such questions,” Christian said without hesitation. “According to John 6:26, it’s unlawful to follow Christ for what you think you will get out of it. How much more detestable is it then to use Him for temporary advantage in order to obtain and enjoy the world! The only ones who believe this are heathens, hypocrites, devils, and sorcerers.”
― John Bunyan, The Pilgrim's Progress: A Readable Modern-Day Version of John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress

“true worship of God, a divine faith is required, but there can be no divine faith without a divine revelation of the will of God. Therefore, anything added to the worship of God that’s not in agreement with divine revelation is nothing but human faith, which will not result in eternal life.”
― John Bunyan, The Pilgrim's Progress: A Readable Modern-Day Version of John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress

“Someone can cry out against sin in principle but cannot hate sin unless they have a profound godly aversion to it. I’ve heard many cry out against sin from the pulpit who do not live it out in their heart, home, and lifestyle. Take, for example, Potiphar’s wife. She cried out loudly as if she were godly and virtuous but would have committed adultery with Joseph in a heartbeat!113 Some cry out against sin while condoning it in their own lives. It’s like a mother who scolds the child in her lap when it’s behaving badly but then immediately begins to hug and embrace the same child.”
― John Bunyan, The Pilgrim's Progress: A Readable Modern-Day Version of John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress

“talking alone is not enough to prove that fruit is indeed part of the heart and life. We can be sure that on the Day of Judgment, men will be judged according to their fruit.108 No one will say then, ‘Did you believe?’ but rather, ‘Were you doers or talkers only?’ and they will be judged accordingly. The end of the world is compared to our earthly harvest,109 and you know that men at harvest want nothing but fruit and grain. But know that nothing will be accepted that’s not faith.”
― John Bunyan, The Pilgrim's Progress: A Readable Modern-Day Version of John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress

“I see that words and actions are two different things, and from now on, I will better observe this difference.” “They really are two separate things. In fact, they are as different as the body is from the spirit,” said Christian. “Perhaps it would help if you thought about it like this: The body without the spirit is dead, so the same can be said about words without action. The spirit of true faith is a transformed life. It’s written that ‘Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.’”107”
― John Bunyan, The Pilgrim's Progress: A Readable Modern-Day Version of John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress

“also thought about the Day of Judgment. We will not be designated to life or death according to the standards of this world but according to the wisdom and law of the most High God. “Therefore, I thought, what God says is best is indeed best, though all the men in the world are against it.”
― John Bunyan, The Pilgrim's Progress: A Readable Modern-Day Version of John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress

“He had made many pilgrims into princes, who by their own very nature were born repulsive beggars.73”
― John Bunyan, The Pilgrim's Progress: A Readable Modern-Day Version of John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress

“As he ran to the top of what seemed like a small hill, he saw a cross and, below it, a tomb. Just as he approached the cross, his burden fell off his back and tumbled down the hill until it rolled into the opening of the tomb and was never seen again.”
― John Bunyan, The Pilgrim's Progress: A Readable Modern-Day Version of John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress

“This is Christ, who, with the oil of grace, continually maintains the work already begun in the heart.42 The grace He supplies ignites the soul of His people like a roaring fire that, despite the devil’s best efforts, will never be extinguished. This is a difficult concept for man to understand—that even when we are tempted, Christ is doing all the work by supplying the grace we need to stand firm.”
― John Bunyan, The Pilgrim's Progress: A Readable Modern-Day Version of John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress

“show how the law, instead of cleansing the heart from sin, revives sin, giving it strength to grow and develop in the soul.38 You can see that the law can both discover and condemn sin, but it has no power to control it.”
― John Bunyan, The Pilgrim's Progress: A Readable Modern-Day Version of John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress

“King of Glory has said that if you wish to save your life, you must be willing to lose it. And if you follow Him but do not hate your father, mother, wife, children, brothers, sisters, and even your own life, you cannot be His disciple. Think about it like this: Worldly Wiseman wants to convince you that God’s way will lead to suffering and death, but the truth is that you cannot have eternal life without following God’s way. Therefore, you must strongly reject Worldly Wiseman’s teachings.29”
― John Bunyan, The Pilgrim's Progress: A Readable Modern-Day Version of John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress

“There are three things in the man’s advice that you must absolutely hate: first, his cunning ability to turn you away from the true path; secondly, his work in displaying the cross as unpleasant and repulsive; and finally, that he points you in a direction that ultimately leads to death.”
― John Bunyan, The Pilgrim's Progress: A Readable Modern-Day Version of John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress

“But Evangelist caught him by the right hand and said, “Men will be forgiven for their sins and indiscretions. Don’t be like someone with no faith—you need to start believing!”
― John Bunyan, The Pilgrim's Progress: A Readable Modern-Day Version of John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress

“See that you do not refuse godly advice just like the nation of Israel did. For if God’s own people did not escape judgment and suffered for it, how much more will you suffer if you turn away from Him who warns you from heaven. And what’s more, He tells us that if we are His, we will live by faith, but if we turn our backs on Him, our souls will suffer without Him.25”
― John Bunyan, The Pilgrim's Progress: A Readable Modern-Day Version of John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress

“We will be met by angels and tens of thousands of all the saints in robes so bright that our eyes will dazzle just to look at them! There will be those that have gone before us in this world and have stood for the faith and suffered greatly, including being burned on the stake, thrown to wild beasts, and drowned in the seas—all because of their love for the Lord. They will not harm us but will greet us with love because they walk with God.”18”
― John Bunyan, The Pilgrim's Progress: A Readable Modern-Day Version of John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress

“Everything that you leave behind will not even compare to the smallest portion of what I’m seeking to enjoy. If you come with me and persevere, you’ll find more than enough. I’m telling you the truth. Come with me and see!”
― John Bunyan, The Pilgrim's Progress: A Readable Modern-Day Version of John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress

“1. His turning thee out of the way. 2. His labouring to render the Cross odious to thee. 3. And his setting thy feet in that way that leadeth unto the administration of Death.† First, Thou must abhor his turning thee out of the way;”
― John Bunyan, The Pilgrim's Progress

“Christian had not gone far from his own home when his wife and children came out running, pleading and begging him to come back home, but he put his hands to his ears and ran on, crying, “Life! Life! Eternal life!”
― John Bunyan, The Pilgrim's Progress: A Readable Modern-Day Version of John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress

“will willingly. 1. They draw off their thoughts, all that they may, from the remembrance of God, death, and judgment to come. 2. Then they cast off by degrees private duties, as closet prayer, curbing their lusts, watching, sorrow for sin, and the like. 3. Then they shun the company of lively and warm Christians. 4. After that they grow cold to public duty, as hearing, reading, godly conference, and the like. 5. Then they begin to pick holes, as we say, in the coats of some of the godly; and that devilishly, that they may have a seeming colour to throw religion (for the sake of some infirmity they have espied in them) behind their backs. 6. Then they begin to adhere to, and associate themselves with, carnal, loose, and wanton men. 7. Then they give way to carnal and wanton discourses in secret; and glad are they if they can see such things in any that are counted honest, that they may the more boldly do it through their example. 8. After this they begin to play with little sins openly. 9. And then, being hardened, they show themselves as they are. Thus, being launched again into the gulf of misery, unless a miracle of grace prevent it, they everlastingly perish in their own deceivings.”
― John Bunyan, The Pilgrim's Progress