The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1909-01-12
\ PILGRIMS PROGRESS
Tcrsc Comments Upon the Christian
Endcavor Topic For january Il
Iilorim's Progress Scrics.) l.
Leaving the City OF Destruction
Acts 10: Obj.
Bv William T. Ellis.

BY William T. Ellis.
The old iail in Bedford. England
has been one of Christdendom's foun-
tains of delight and instruction. There
was written. by the humble tinker
imprisoned for conscience.s sake. n
of the worlds few immortal books. II
his quaint rhNmed preface. John Bun
yam tells US that he did not intend to
write "Piigrim'S Progress the ia
nous a~liegorN was but The by-product
of another work. and, also. a result OF
his enforced idleness.
Neither did l but vacant seasons
spend
In his my S~cribbIe: nor did intend
But to divert myself in doing this,
From Worser thoughts, which make
me do amiss."
Yet for more than two hundred
years this book has been the romance
# childhood. and the wisdom of age
Not to know il is q reelection upon
ones literary taste. The story is
told that a gushing literary woman
once asked President Roosevelt who
is his f~avorite character in literature.
When he promptly replied, Mr..
GTeatleart," she was put TO confusion
by not recognizing the ~allusion. And
anybody who has nOt reasonable
familiarity with "Pilgrim's Progress
deserves to be ashamed.
The literature that lives must be Il
literature of life. touching the deeper
emotions of human nature.
The fashion much commented upon
nowadays, of writing 4 story with a
purpose. is not modern. John BunYan
thus aVoWs his object:
This Book is chalkest out before
thine ewes
The man that seeks the everlasting
Prize:
1t shews YOU whence he comes.
whittier he goes.
What he leave undOne. also what he
does:
1t also shews YOU how he runs and
Til he unto the gate of glory ONES
This boo Will make a Traveller Of
thee.
It Win vii dicet thee 70 fneeasHto5ffysTsahd.
It thou wilt its Directions, under
stand
Yea, it viii make the slothful. active
The Blind also, delightful things to
The idea of a city of destruction has
aWfully impressed upon the
worlds min of late days by the havoc
which the earthquake has made of
Reggie and Messina. in Italy. The
horror of this instantaneous demoli-
ton Of a whole city appaIls even the
most unlmagtnatiNc. We shudder as
we read the cumulative
reports Of this incredible devastation.
Would that we had the imagination 70
shudder also over the cities If de-
stfuction that threatens the souIs of
men. only the concrete seems to APP
peal TO Us. We cannot visualize as did
Bunyan. the spiritual forces that i'm
peril mankind.
The first step owar any progress
IN HE IS an emancipation. an escap ne.
from old conditions.
Unlovely as the subject is we nov
contemplate for a momen the forces
OF which inhabit every
ldrSe cltT. TneN attack q Derson in
the form of idleness. greed love nf
luxury; vanity ana cstentatior, appe-
ute, the gaming instinct. en3niafiipn
and passion. An ugly ana iur aiap
most they are and all combined HER
othef name Is sin. This * ~ &C.,
eSCare-ifom the power Of an,iron-
nneIt ana indWelling sin. Al high
SOUS nave at some time shared pm
yam $ dream Of a race whicb baInf
Cfyif CT of ne great deliverance from the
lily OF destruction. which is aftar
an only a personification of sin
AlelAods Of freeing mankind Fran
the destruction which threafanU rom
various and ingenious. OF Iata = w
odt Widespread social impulse bass "a
T"tteh lhnumerabIe theories &c -,
wf1Pta from which these minon nc
been 6lt 'e ~%Toarredi But after ali have
Win. if ~1pnu1aed and experimental
e. ~ remains true that tho nn1,.
SAFETY for society and for ~ @niy
>iuuai Is to be found in Jesus Cbrint
INC great defect in Bunyan,s ana