Quotes from John Bunyan

Solidity, indeed becomes the pen Of him that writes things divine to men;

Christian reached out and grabbed his hand and Help pulled him out of the mucky mire (He brought me up also out of the pit of hopelessness, out of the miry clay and set my feet upon a rock and straightened my steps. — Psalm 40:2), and set him upon solid ground.

By-ends represents the kind of man who has lifted himself up through craft and manipulation, loves all that is sophisticated and refined, and uses his religious affiliation to advance his own career. His earthy bank account is all that matters. He has no account in Heaven and no checkbook backed by true faith upon which to draw.

What are the things you seek, since you leave all the world to find them?" "I seek an incorruptible inheritance," Christian answered.

Now, if a good man cannot do good things with that oneness and universalness of mind, as a wicked man doth sin with, then is his sin heavier to weigh him down to hell than is his righteousness to buoy him up to the heavens.

Presumption said, Every fat must stand upon his own bottom.

Prudence: Now James, can you tell me who made you? James: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Prudence: Good boy. And can you tell me who saves you? James: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Prudence: Good boy again. But how does God the Father save you? James: By his grace. Prudence: How does God the Son save you?

Talkative represents the man or woman who delights in talking about divine things but has only theoretical knowledge of such things. No actual personal heart experience correlates to the matters they love to discuss so eloquently. They are often highly esteemed by others, but those closest to them would quickly betray a life out-of-sync with their words. The mask fashioned by fluency with all subjects divine hides their real life.

For if we freely let our lusts reign, it is sin. While it seems bad to hold back such feeling based on our opinions, yet not to do so is worse. When a person stumbles accidentally it is bad enough, but allowing your lusts to go unbridled leads into the snare.

Danger. Its name indicates that this is not the straight way but is a way of great variety and many religious philosophies. Hypocrisy.

He told them, Worse and worse: he also set to talking to them again; but they began to be hardened. They also thought to drive away his distemper by harsh and surly carriages to him: sometimes they would deride, sometimes they would chide, and sometimes they would quite neglect him. Wherefore he began to retire himself to his chamber, to pray for and pity them, and also to condole his own misery; he would also walk solitarily in the fields, sometimes reading, and sometimes praying:

As your faith is, such your hope will be. Hope is never ill when faith is well, nor strong if faith be weak.