Required reading
Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan (available from Amazon or free on the internet,
here for example)
- Up to the paragraph that begins: 'Now I beheld in my dream that they had not journeyed far but the River and the way for a time parted. At which they were not a little sorry, yet they durst not go out of the way.'
My notes and thoughts
Today interaction continues with Mr By-ends and our pilgrims come across a silver mine, a pillar and a river.
The majority of today's reading concerns Mr By-ends and his friends trying to persuade Christian and Hopeful that seeking money is a noble desire if it causes one to strengthen his religious activities. Mr Money-Love says: 'Suppose a minister, a worthy man, possessed but of a very small benefice, and has in his eye a greater, more fat and plump by far; he has also now an opportunity of getting of it; yet so as by being more studious, by preaching more frequently and zealously , and because the temper of the people requires it, by altering of some of his principles, for my part I see no reason but a man may do this...' Kind of like saying, 'the means justifies the ends'!
Christian's response is direct from Scripture: 'For if it be unlawful to follow Christ for loaves, as it is, how much more abominable is it to make of him and religion a stalking horse to get and enjoy the world.' Christian also concludes with the great insight: '...man that takes up religion for the world will throw away religion for the world...' A few popular preachers already jump into my mind who have taken up religion for the world - it's only a matter of time until they drop even the religion that they have for the world.
Now it's your turn
Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.
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