The Pilgrim'S Progress

John Bunyan, the author of "The Pilgrim's Progress," was born at Elstow, near Bedford, England, in 1628.

In 1655 he became a Baptist minister, and preached with great success, until, in the restoration of Charles II., an Act against conventicles was passed, which put an end to his labors: he was tried, convicted, and sentenced to perpetual banishment, but was shut up in Bedford jail, where he passed the next twelve years of his life. He employed himself while there in making tagged laces for the support of his family, and in writing "The Pilgrim's Progress" and other books. His library consisted of a Bible, and Fox's "Martyrs."

He was several times offered his liberty, on the condition that he should give up preaching; but his brave answer was always, "If you let me out to-day, I'll preach again to-morrow." He was finally released, through the kindly interposition of Dr. Barlow of Lincoln, in 1671. After the declaration of James II. in favor of liberty of conscience, Bunyan again took charge of a church in Bedford, and preached to large congregations for the rest of his life. He died, 1688, in London, where he always went once a year to preach, and was buried in Bunhill Fields, called by Southey "The Campo Santo of the Dissenters." A monument, with a recumbent statue of Bunyan, was erected over his grave in 1862.

"The Pilgrim's Progress," his chief work, has gone through more editions, and been translated into more languages, than any book except the Bible. It is an allegory of a Christian's life from the time of his conversion to that of his death.

"His doubts are giants; his sins, a pack; his Bible, a chart; his minister, Evangelist; his conversion, a flight from the City of Destruction; his struggle with beseting sins, a fight with Apollyon; his death, a toilsome passage over a deep stream, and so on.

"The second part is Christiana and her family led by Greatheart through the same road, to join Christian, who had gone before."