Pilgrim's Progress in Today's English by James Thomas

Author:James Thomas
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Moody Publishers

CHAPTER

10

the talk with ignorance

BY THIS TIME the young man Ignorance had caught up with Christian and Hopeful on the way to the Celestial City. Christian said to him, “Come on, young man, why have you stayed so far behind?”

IGNORANCE: I like to walk alone most of the time, unless I am with those who think as I do.

Asking Probing Questions

CHRISTIAN: How is it, dear Ignorance, with your soul and God?

IGNORANCE: Very well, I hope, for I am always full of good thoughts that come into my mind and console me on the way.

CHRISTIAN: Will you share some of them with us? What have you been thinking?

IGNORANCE: Why, I think often of God and Heaven.

CHRISTIAN: So do all men.

HOPEFUL: But in my thoughts, I desire God and Heaven.

CHRISTIAN: So do many who may never see them. There is a sacred proverb that says, “The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing.”1

IGNORANCE: But I have given up all for them.

CHRISTIAN: One can think so and be mistaken. Giving up everything is much harder than many people imagine. What leads you to believe that you have given up all for God and Heaven?

IGNORANCE: My heart tells me that I have.

CHRISTIAN: But is your heart reliable? The Bible says, “He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool.”2

IGNORANCE: That is spoken of a fool. I’m no fool. My heart is wise and good.

CHRISTIAN: But how do you know that? What means have you of testing your own heart?

IGNORANCE: My heart comforts me in the hope of Heaven.

CHRISTIAN: That may be through its deceitfulness. Jeremiah the prophet said, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?”3 A man’s heart may give him hope when there are no grounds for his hope.

IGNORANCE: But my heart and life agree, so my hope is well grounded.

CHRISTIAN: What proof have you that your heart and life agree?

IGNORANCE: My heart tells me so.

CHRISTIAN: Your heart tells you so! Except the Word of God bears witness, other testimony is of no value.

IGNORANCE: But is it not a good heart that has good thoughts, and is that not a good life that is according to God’s commandments?

CHRISTIAN: Yes, indeed, but it is one thing to have these, and another thing only to think so.

IGNORANCE: Pray tell me, what are good thoughts, and what is a good life, according to the Bible?

CHRISTIAN: There are good thoughts of various kinds—thoughts respecting ourselves, thoughts concerning God, and good thoughts toward humanity.

IGNORANCE: What are good thoughts respecting ourselves?

CHRISTIAN: Such thoughts as agree with the Word of God.

IGNORANCE: When do thoughts of ourselves agree with the Word of God?

CHRISTIAN: When we pass the same judgment on ourselves that the Word of God passes on us. For instance, the Word of God says of those in the natural state: “There is none righteous, no, not one; there is none that doeth good.”4

IGNORANCE: I will never believe that my heart is bad. What are good thoughts concerning God?

CHRISTIAN: Even as I have said concerning ourselves: when our thoughts of God agree with what His Word says about Him.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.