Itmayseemaveryboldundertakingtochangeevenawordofthebookwhich, nexttotheBible, hasbeenreadbymorepeople, oldandyoung, thananyotherbookintheEnglishlanguage.
But, itmustberememberedthat, althoughthePilgrim'sProgresshascometobeachildren'sbook, andisreadmoreoftenbyyoungpeoplethanbythosewhoareolder, itwasnotinthepurposeofJohnBunyantowriteabookforchildrenorevenfortheyoung.
ThePilgrim'sProgresswasabookformenandwomen; ,—asallbooksshouldbewritten,—itcontainsmuchthatachildcannotunderstand; notofteninthestory, , , doctrinalpartsofthebook, withoutunderstandingthem; andevengrownpeoplefindtheminourtimesomewhatofablemishuponthewonderfulstory, valuableastheyweresupposedtobeinBunyan'sowntime.
Formanyyearsithasbeeninmymind, nottorewritethePilgrim'sProgress, forthatwoulddestroyitsgreatestcharm, buttochangethewordshereandtheretosimplerones, andtoomitalltheconversationsandargumentsconcerningsubjectsbelongingtothefieldofdoctrine; inotherwordstoplacethestoryofthePilgrim', leavingtheolderformofthebooktobereadbythemwhentheybecomeolder.
PerhapsashortaccountofBunyan'sownlifemayaddtotheinterestofhisbook.JohnBunyanwasbornin1628atElstow, asmallvillagenearBedford, , travelingonfootfromplacetoplacemendingpotsandpansandthesimplefurnitureofcountrykitchens, andthesonfollowedthesametrade, andwasknownasa "tinker." Hetellsusthathelivedawildlife, andwasespeciallyknownasoneoftheworstswearersintheregion.
WhenthegreatCivilWarbrokeoutinEngland, in1642, betweenKingCharlestheFirstandtheParliament, BunyanbecameasoldieronthesideoftheCommonwealth, asthepartyagainstthekingwascalled.Heservedinthearmybetween1644and1646.
In1648, attheageoftwentyyears, hemarriedagoodyoungwoman, , , justasheafterwardwroteofhis "pilgrim," anditwaslongbeforehefoundpeace.
HebecameamemberofalittleBaptistsociety, , , noreligiousserviceswereallowedexceptthoseoftheChurchofEngland, , , hemadelace, andsolditasasupportforhimselfandhisblinddaughter.
IftheprisonwashardforBunyanhissufferingsweremadeablessingtountoldmillions, forwhileinBedfordjailhewrotethePilgrim', likemanyofourSaviour'steachings; thatis, itputintotheformofastorythelifeofonewhoturnsfromsin, findssalvationthroughChrist, ; andhewillunderstanditbetterashegrowsolder.
In1672Bunyanwassetfree, andallowedtobeginagainhisworkasaBaptistminister, andhesoonbecameoneofthemostpopularpreachersinallEngland.Hediedquitesuddenlyin1688, whenhewassixtyyearsold, andisburiedinanoldgraveyardnownearthecenterofLondon, , DanielDeFoe, whosestoryof "RobinsonCrusoe" ranksnexttothePilgrim'sProgressinthenumberofitsreaders; alsoIsaacWatts, theauthorofmanyhymnssunginallthechurches, , , alllieneartogetherinthissmallcemeteryinLondon.
EverychildshouldreadthePilgrim'sProgressasastoryifnomorethanastory; .
JesseLymanHurlbut
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