John Bunyan Quotes

“In quick order, they both fell into the mire. The name of the marshy slough was Despond. Here, they wallowed for a time until they were totally covered with the slime and mud. Because of the burden on his back, Christian began to sink.”

“At the top of the hill stood a cross, and a little below at the bottom was a stone tomb. In my dream, just as Christian came up to the cross his burden loosened from his shoulders and fell off his back. It tumbled and continued to do so down the hill until it came to the mouth of the tomb where it fell inside and was seen no more.”

“This miry slough is a place that can’t be repaired. It is a low-lying place where the scum and filth that come with the conviction of sin drain and collect as the traveling sinner becomes aware of his lost condition. It is the fears, doubts, and discouraging apprehensions about oneself that arise in his soul.”

“That’s exactly what I want to do . . . to be rid of this heavy burden. But I can’t get rid of it on my own, and I don’t know of any man in our country who can take it off my shoulders, so I’m headed in this direction as I told you for that very purpose: to get rid of my burden.”

“In my dream the man began to run. He hadn’t run far from his own door when his wife and children noticed what he was doing and cried out to him. ‘Come back! Come home!’ The man put his fingers in his ears and ran on. ‘Life! Life! Eternal life!’”

“I saw in my dream the Interpreter take Christian by the hand and lead him into a little room. Here two little children sat, each in their own chair. The name of the eldest was Passion and the name of the other Patience. Passion seemed to be very discontented but Patience remained quiet and calm.”

“As I walked through the wilderness of this world, I came upon a certain place with a den, and I lay down to sleep. I fell asleep and dreamed. In my dream, I saw a man clothed with rags standing in a certain place, with his face turned from his own house. In his hand he held a book, and he bore a great burden upon his back.”

“‘A burden lies heavily upon me.’ He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. ‘You see, I’ve learned that our city will be burned with fire from heaven. I’m afraid we are all doomed . . . even you, my sweet children, unless I can find some way of escape, but I haven’t found any way.’”

“A serious-looking man named Goodwill came to the gate. ‘Who is there?’ he asked. ‘And what do you want?’ Christian hung his head. ‘It is me – a poor burdened sinner. I come from the City of Destruction but am going to Mount Zion so I may be delivered from the wrath to come. I have been told, sir, that this gate leads to my destination. Are you willing to let me enter?’ ‘I am willing with all my heart,’ said he. With that he opened the gate.”

“Formalist and Hypocrisy also arrived at the foot of the hill. They paused to consider the hill and how steep and high it was, as well as the fact that there were two alternative ways to go. They assumed that these two easier ways would meet up with the narrow way on the other side of the hill and decided to each choose one of the alternative roads. The name of one of those roads was Danger and the name of the other Destruction. So one turned to take the way called Danger, which led him into vast woods and the other took the way to Destruction, which led him into a wide field full of dark mountains where he stumbled and fell, never to rise again.”

“‘I certainly admire your attitude,’ Talkative said. ‘For you speak with conviction; and I might add, what else is so pleasant and so profitable as to talk about the things of God? For instance, if a man delights in such wonderful things as that, what could be more pleasurable to talk about than the history or mystery of such things? Or if a man loves to talk about miracles, wonders, or signs, where else will he find such things so delightfully recorded and so sweetly penned as in the Holy Scripture?’ ‘That is true,’ Faithful admitted, ‘but the real purpose of such discussion is that we should be benefited by such things in our talk. That should be our intended focus.‘”

“Let us never desire to meet with an enemy or promote ourselves as if we could do better when we hear of others who have suffered defeat.”

“At the top of the hill stood a cross, and a little below at the bottom was a stone tomb. In my dream, just as Christian came up to the cross his burden loosened from his shoulders and fell off his back. It tumbled and continued to do so down the hill until it came to the mouth of the tomb where it fell inside and was seen no more.”

“The shepherds opened the door and told them to look in. They looked in and it was very dark and smoky. From within the darkness they also thought they heard the rumbling sound of fire accompanied by tormented cries. And the smell of brimstone wafted from the door. Christian turned to the shepherds and asked, ‘What does this mean?’ The shepherds told them, ‘This is a byway to hell, where hypocrites enter in.‘”

“Guilt struck Little-Faith on the head with a great club that was in his hand and knocked him flat to the ground, where he lay bleeding profusely and in danger of dying. The thieves just stood by watching him bleed to death, but then heard someone coming on the road. They were afraid it might be Great-Grace who lives in the town of Good-Confidence. They quickly departed and left this good man to fend for himself.”

“Almost five thousand years ago, there were pilgrims walking to the Celestial City, just like Faithful and Christian are doing. So Beelzebub, Apollyon, and Legion, with their associates, perceived by seeing the path made by the pilgrims on their way to the city that the course lay through this town of Vanity. They planned to set up a fair here, a fair at which all sorts of vanity could be sold amid festivities open and ongoing the whole year. Therefore, at this fair they sell such merchandise as houses, land, trades, places, honors, promotions, titles, countries, kingdoms, lusts, and pleasures of all sorts, including things such as harlots, wives, husbands, children, masters, servants, lives, blood, bodies, souls, silver, gold, pearls, precious stones, and much more.”

“Do you place your faith in words or the things you talk about but not in the truth and without a care for how you act?”

“Above all, pay attention to your own hearts with their lusts, for they are ‘deceitful above all things and desperately wicked.’ Set your faces with flint-like resolve since you have all power in heaven and earth on your side.”

“Apollyon looked down on Christian with eyes hooded with pride. ‘No prince worthy of his title releases his subjects easily, and I am no different. I am not ready to let you loose as yet; but since you have complained about your service and wages, let me encourage you to go back home. I personally promise that what our country can afford I will give you.’ Christian shook his head. ‘I can’t do that. You see, I have already yielded myself to another – even to the King of princes. How can I in all fairness go back with you?‘”

“I focused on the fact that what God says is indeed best. It doesn’t matter if all the men in the world are against it. So seeing that God prefers his religion, seeing that God prefers a tender conscience, seeing that those who make themselves fools for the kingdom of heaven are wisest, and that the poor man who loves Christ is richer than the greatest man in the world who hates him, I turned to Shame and said, ‘Depart, you who are an enemy to my salvation. Should I listen to your words which are contrary to my sovereign Lord?‘”

“A man may have knowledge like an angel and yet not be Christian. So your sign of knowledge as evidence is not valid. Indeed, to know is a thing that pleases talkers and boasters, but to do is what pleases God.”