¤[music ends]¤¤
00:00:16.58\00:00:18.58
[birds
twittering, traffic noise]
00:00:20.35\00:00:21.65
>>John Bradshaw: Well, it
doesn't look like much, does it?
00:00:21.68\00:00:23.39
It's just a field.
Nothing much goes on here.
00:00:23.42\00:00:27.66
We're just
beyond the edge of town.
00:00:27.69\00:00:29.66
That road you see
back there is the A421.
00:00:29.69\00:00:32.59
It crosses south
central England east-west.
00:00:32.63\00:00:36.26
If you were driving
from Cambridge to Oxford,
00:00:36.30\00:00:38.87
you'd drive on the A421.
00:00:38.90\00:00:40.70
[birds
twittering, traffic noise]
00:00:40.74\00:00:42.37
But while history
keeps many secrets,
00:00:42.40\00:00:44.77
she cannot keep them all.
00:00:44.81\00:00:46.71
It was here in Elstow,
apparently on this very spot,
00:00:46.74\00:00:51.08
that one of history's
most read authors was born.
00:00:51.11\00:00:54.92
The book he wrote 350 years
ago has never been out of print.
00:00:54.95\00:00:59.32
It sold more than
250 million copies.
00:00:59.35\00:01:03.06
That's more than any other novel
in the English language by far.
00:01:03.09\00:01:07.96
John Bunyan was
born here in 1628.
00:01:08.00\00:01:11.77
During his almost 60 years
on this earth, he preached,
00:01:11.80\00:01:15.70
spent a fifth of
his life in prison,
00:01:15.74\00:01:19.64
and wrote the literary
and spiritual masterpiece
00:01:19.67\00:01:22.98
"The Pilgrim's Progress."
00:01:23.01\00:01:24.98
¤[pensive orchestral music]¤
00:01:25.01\00:01:27.75
[waves crashing]
00:01:27.78\00:01:29.48
Bunyan's day was a challenging
time to be a believer in Jesus--
00:01:37.13\00:01:41.20
that is, if you had
deep spiritual convictions
00:01:41.23\00:01:43.70
and you dared to live them.
00:01:43.73\00:01:45.47
The English state was
closely bound together
00:01:45.50\00:01:48.00
with the English church.
00:01:48.04\00:01:49.94
Although Catholicism had at
times been the ruling church
00:01:49.97\00:01:53.01
in England,
when Bunyan was born,
00:01:53.04\00:01:55.48
the monarch,
Charles I, was a Protestant.
00:01:55.51\00:01:58.58
The Act of Uniformity
made the Church of England
00:01:58.61\00:02:01.15
the established church 70
years before Bunyan was born.
00:02:01.18\00:02:05.32
Yet England was not a
bastion of religious liberty.
00:02:05.35\00:02:08.92
Remember, the "Mayflower" sailed
from England only eight years
00:02:08.96\00:02:12.23
before Bunyan was born.
00:02:12.26\00:02:14.36
You were free to be a Protestant
00:02:14.36\00:02:16.56
as long as you were the
right kind of Protestant.
00:02:16.60\00:02:19.77
John Bunyan wasn't the
right kind of Protestant.
00:02:19.80\00:02:23.91
He started life as a bad kid,
00:02:23.94\00:02:26.84
didn't do well in school
00:02:26.88\00:02:28.24
and wasn't only a
troublemaker but a ringleader.
00:02:28.28\00:02:31.61
And he wasn't
interested in Christianity.
00:02:31.65\00:02:34.38
He joined the army at 16 and
fought in England's civil war.
00:02:34.42\00:02:38.75
He was very nearly
killed while in the military.
00:02:38.79\00:02:41.59
He was selected to take
part in a siege near Leicester
00:02:41.62\00:02:44.89
when another soldier
asked to take his place.
00:02:44.93\00:02:48.16
That other soldier
was shot and killed.
00:02:48.20\00:02:50.27
[gunshot sound]
00:02:50.30\00:02:51.83
When he married,
Bunyan and his wife moved here
00:02:51.87\00:02:55.84
to St. Cuthbert's
Street in nearby Bedford,
00:02:55.87\00:02:58.51
which is about 50
miles from London.
00:02:58.54\00:03:00.98
Today, Bedford is a
market town with a population
00:03:01.01\00:03:03.35
of about 175,000 people.
00:03:03.38\00:03:05.88
Then, the
population was closer to 2,000.
00:03:05.91\00:03:09.62
The newlyweds
lived in abject poverty.
00:03:09.65\00:03:12.59
But something they did
have was two spiritual books
00:03:12.62\00:03:16.12
Mrs. Bunyan
brought into the marriage.
00:03:16.16\00:03:18.63
Those books, along
with sermons he heard
00:03:18.66\00:03:20.73
and an occasion on which
00:03:20.76\00:03:22.30
a woman chastised
him for his bad language,
00:03:22.33\00:03:25.20
convinced Bunyan
that he needed to change.
00:03:25.23\00:03:27.70
And so he did--outwardly.
00:03:27.74\00:03:30.44
There was a head
change but no heart change.
00:03:30.47\00:03:33.44
And he knew it.
00:03:33.48\00:03:35.11
But Martin Luther's commentary
on the book of Galatians
00:03:35.14\00:03:37.81
got through to the young
man, and he was born again.
00:03:37.85\00:03:40.98
It wasn't long and John
Bunyan was preaching--often.
00:03:41.02\00:03:45.65
But the problem was that
Bunyan was a nonconformist,
00:03:45.69\00:03:48.99
that is, he didn't attend
a Church of England church.
00:03:49.02\00:03:52.63
Baptists,
Methodists, Presbyterians,
00:03:52.66\00:03:54.96
and Quakers were
considered nonconformists.
00:03:55.00\00:03:58.23
But Bunyan didn't identify
with any of these groups.
00:03:58.27\00:04:01.64
He was a Puritan.
00:04:01.67\00:04:04.01
Puritans were Protestants who
believed the Church of England
00:04:04.04\00:04:07.28
wasn't Protestant enough.
00:04:07.31\00:04:09.28
They felt the Anglican
Church was still too Catholic,
00:04:09.31\00:04:12.75
and to take the
Protestant Reformation further.
00:04:12.78\00:04:15.45
And that just wouldn't do.
00:04:15.48\00:04:17.95
The idea that a tinker,
a mender of pots and pans,
00:04:17.99\00:04:22.16
like his father, would preach,
00:04:22.19\00:04:24.76
that was too much for
the Church of England.
00:04:24.79\00:04:27.56
¤[playful
orchestral and synth music]¤
00:04:27.60\00:04:31.57
[indistinct voices]
00:04:37.51\00:04:38.81
For a while, he
preached in disguise,
00:04:38.84\00:04:40.98
but then he gave
that up and was arrested
00:04:41.01\00:04:43.85
and cast into the Bedford jail,
00:04:43.88\00:04:45.81
which stood right
there on that spot.
00:04:45.85\00:04:48.52
It was a loathsome thing:
00:04:48.55\00:04:50.85
two cells, dreadfully
overcrowded, no running water,
00:04:50.89\00:04:54.96
and open sewers.
00:04:54.99\00:04:57.29
It was not nice.
00:04:57.33\00:04:59.49
He was charged with having
"devilishly and perniciously
00:04:59.53\00:05:02.66
"abstained from coming to
church to hear divine service,"
00:05:02.70\00:05:06.50
as well as holding
"several unlawful meetings
00:05:06.53\00:05:09.00
"and conventicles, to the great
disturbance and distraction
00:05:09.04\00:05:12.44
of the good
subjects of this kingdom."
00:05:12.47\00:05:14.88
But he could easily
have avoided prison.
00:05:14.91\00:05:17.28
All he needed to do
was assure the judge
00:05:17.31\00:05:19.58
that he would go to church
where and when he was told.
00:05:19.61\00:05:23.22
He could then have stayed
with his wife and children,
00:05:23.25\00:05:25.35
earned a living, and
supported his family.
00:05:25.39\00:05:27.89
But as much as
he wanted to avoid
00:05:27.92\00:05:29.42
that, that awful Bedford jail
and remain with his loved ones,
00:05:29.46\00:05:33.73
Bunyan gave the
judge no such assurance.
00:05:33.76\00:05:36.36
In fact, he told the judge
that should he be released,
00:05:36.40\00:05:39.60
he would go out and
start preaching immediately.
00:05:39.63\00:05:42.94
So, on November 13, 1660,
John Bunyan was imprisoned.
00:05:42.97\00:05:48.64
If after being released
from prison he didn't attend
00:05:48.68\00:05:51.95
a regular Anglican church, he'd
be banished from the kingdom.
00:05:51.98\00:05:56.62
If he didn't go, he'd hang.
00:05:56.65\00:06:00.16
When Charles II
was crowned king,
00:06:00.19\00:06:02.16
many prisoners were pardoned.
00:06:02.19\00:06:04.16
In fact, only
the worst were not.
00:06:04.19\00:06:06.59
Bunyan was not.
00:06:06.63\00:06:08.83
He spent 12 years
in the Bedford jail.
00:06:08.86\00:06:11.37
He refused to even apply for
a pardon because that would be
00:06:11.40\00:06:15.34
to admit he had
done something wrong.
00:06:15.37\00:06:18.14
While he was in prison,
00:06:18.17\00:06:19.21
he earned a little
money making shoelaces,
00:06:19.24\00:06:22.48
but his family was supported
mainly by church members.
00:06:22.51\00:06:26.48
He was so well
liked by the jailers
00:06:26.51\00:06:28.62
that there times he
was allowed out of prison.
00:06:28.65\00:06:31.99
And he even managed to
attend nonconformist meetings.
00:06:32.02\00:06:36.06
He used his time in the jail
as productively as he could.
00:06:36.09\00:06:39.79
He wrote "Grace Abounding
to the Chief of Sinners"
00:06:39.83\00:06:42.66
while imprisoned,
00:06:42.70\00:06:44.23
and he began work on
"The Pilgrim's Progress."
00:06:44.27\00:06:47.27
¤[soft music]¤
00:06:47.30\00:06:49.27
Bunyan was released after
serving 12 years in prison,
00:06:49.30\00:06:52.94
but it seems he did not go back
to his old life as a tinker.
00:06:52.97\00:06:57.65
Instead, he
became a prolific author,
00:06:57.68\00:06:59.28
penning in
total around 60 works.
00:06:59.31\00:07:02.52
He wrote a commentary
on the book of Revelation.
00:07:02.55\00:07:04.99
His book "Grace Abounding
to the Chief of Sinners"
00:07:05.02\00:07:08.06
is still regarded
as a classic today.
00:07:08.09\00:07:10.66
It was published in 1666,
00:07:10.69\00:07:12.99
the same year as the
Great Fire of London.
00:07:13.03\00:07:16.50
"The Pilgrim's
Progress" was published in 1678,
00:07:16.53\00:07:19.50
almost 100
years before the start
00:07:19.53\00:07:21.90
of the American
Revolutionary War.
00:07:21.94\00:07:25.21
Bunyan also became
a local church pastor.
00:07:25.24\00:07:29.44
We'll visit the
site of his church
00:07:29.48\00:07:32.11
and the museum dedicated
to the life and ministry
00:07:32.15\00:07:35.58
of the Puritan
preacher in just a moment.
00:07:35.62\00:07:39.05
¤[upbeat music
swells and ends]¤¤
00:07:39.09\00:07:46.09
>>John: The cross is a
symbol for Christianity
00:07:48.40\00:07:51.00
for millions of
people around the world.
00:07:51.03\00:07:53.64
But beyond the symbol,
there is power in the cross,
00:07:53.67\00:07:56.74
power God wants
you to experience.
00:07:56.77\00:07:59.34
Learn more by
requesting today's free offer,
00:07:59.37\00:08:01.51
"The Power of the Cross."
00:08:01.54\00:08:03.08
To receive "The
Power of the Cross,"
00:08:03.11\00:08:05.21
simply call 800-253-3000.
00:08:05.25\00:08:09.02
You can also visit us online,
00:08:09.05\00:08:10.79
write to the
address on your screen,
00:08:10.82\00:08:12.55
or text "freecross" to 71392.
00:08:12.59\00:08:16.39
Request your free copy now.
00:08:16.42\00:08:18.09
>>John Bradshaw: Thanks for
joining me on "It Is Written."
00:08:19.59\00:08:22.13
After being
released from prison,
00:08:22.16\00:08:24.27
John Bunyan went on to
have a very successful ministry
00:08:24.30\00:08:27.30
as an author and a
preacher of the gospel.
00:08:27.34\00:08:30.91
Today, Bedford
remembers its illustrious son.
00:08:30.94\00:08:34.54
¤[soft music]¤
00:08:34.58\00:08:35.88
There's been a nine-feet-tall
statue of Bunyan standing
00:08:35.91\00:08:38.95
on St. Peter's
Green for 150 years
00:08:38.98\00:08:42.55
since it was donated
by the duke of Bedford.
00:08:42.58\00:08:45.39
It depicts Bunyan
preaching from an open Bible,
00:08:45.42\00:08:49.26
a broken chain
connected to his left foot,
00:08:49.29\00:08:52.26
a reminder of his
days in the Bedford jail.
00:08:52.29\00:08:55.26
There are three scenes
from Bunyan's famous book
00:08:55.30\00:08:58.13
depicted on the
base of the statue:
00:08:58.17\00:09:00.80
Christian talking with
Evangelist at the Wicket Gate,
00:09:00.84\00:09:04.54
Christian
laying down his burden,
00:09:04.57\00:09:07.34
and his battle with Apollyon,
the embodiment of evil.
00:09:07.38\00:09:12.85
The unveiling of the
statue was a big deal,
00:09:12.88\00:09:15.85
with people coming
from all across Britain
00:09:15.88\00:09:18.35
to witness the event.
00:09:18.39\00:09:20.56
But the most
significant memorial in Bedford
00:09:20.59\00:09:23.09
to John Bunyan today
is the John Bunyan Museum
00:09:23.12\00:09:27.56
and the Bunyan
Meeting Free Church,
00:09:27.60\00:09:29.83
which stands on
the site of a church
00:09:29.86\00:09:31.90
that John Bunyan
himself pastored many years ago.
00:09:31.93\00:09:35.60
Visitors still stop by
from all over the world.
00:09:35.64\00:09:39.04
The first thing you notice
when you approach the building
00:09:39.07\00:09:41.88
is the doors, given by the
same man who funded the building
00:09:41.91\00:09:45.85
of the Bunyan statue.
00:09:45.88\00:09:47.65
The doors feature 10
scenes from the book:
00:09:47.68\00:09:51.12
Christian and Hopeful
crossing the River of Death,
00:09:51.15\00:09:53.86
Christian welcomed by
Goodwill at the Wicket Gate,
00:09:53.89\00:09:57.16
Christian passing lions on
his way to the House Beautiful,
00:09:57.19\00:09:59.96
meeting the
Shining Ones at the cross,
00:10:00.00\00:10:02.13
Christian leaving his
family, and others besides.
00:10:02.16\00:10:06.37
The church is beautiful and
features stained glass windows
00:10:06.40\00:10:09.90
depicting scenes from the book:
00:10:09.94\00:10:12.27
Evangelist pointing the way,
00:10:12.31\00:10:14.48
the battle with Apollyon,
00:10:14.51\00:10:16.21
climbing the Hill Difficulty.
00:10:16.24\00:10:18.78
A congregation still
meets here each week.
00:10:18.81\00:10:21.92
In the museum itself is
the anvil Bunyan himself used
00:10:21.95\00:10:26.25
in his work as a
tinker, as well as his violin,
00:10:26.29\00:10:30.16
a stone jug he used in
prison, and a copy of his will.
00:10:30.19\00:10:34.83
There's a
re-creation of the Bedford jail,
00:10:34.86\00:10:37.63
although it's unlikely any
exhibit could really capture
00:10:37.67\00:10:41.30
the nastiness of
what Bunyan experienced.
00:10:41.34\00:10:44.87
>>John Pestell:
The jail, uh, it stood,
00:10:44.91\00:10:47.14
uh, just off Bedford High Street
on the crossroads, and, um,
00:10:47.18\00:10:51.05
we believe it was a two-story
affair with a half basement.
00:10:51.08\00:10:57.92
Unfortunately, when it was,
um, uh, knocked down in 1801,
00:10:57.95\00:11:03.46
there were no known photographs.
00:11:03.49\00:11:05.76
We have in the museum,
uh, one of the jail doors,
00:11:05.79\00:11:10.07
but, uh, nothing to actually
depict its character at all.
00:11:10.10\00:11:14.44
The times that Bunyan lived,
00:11:14.47\00:11:17.01
there was no such
thing as sanitation.
00:11:17.04\00:11:20.14
Everywhere was filthy.
00:11:20.18\00:11:22.74
There would have been
a stench around the town
00:11:22.78\00:11:25.48
which was most obnoxious.
00:11:25.51\00:11:27.02
So, uh, on a hot August
day, boy, oh boy, it was, uh,
00:11:27.05\00:11:31.62
very hard, very hard indeed.
00:11:31.65\00:11:34.29
>>John: Must have been
horrifying for family members
00:11:34.32\00:11:36.66
to come and bring food--
>>John Pestell: Absolutely.
00:11:36.69\00:11:38.86
>>John: ...or visit their family
and realize they were in that.
00:11:38.89\00:11:41.20
>>John Pestell: The pictures
depicting Bunyan in jail
00:11:41.23\00:11:43.67
are very romantic-- >>John: Yes.
00:11:43.70\00:11:45.03
>>John Pestell: ...if you
could imagine, with Victorians,
00:11:45.07\00:11:47.20
but it's, uh, very
far from the truth.
00:11:47.24\00:11:50.21
>>John: If you read
"The Pilgrim's Progress,"
00:11:50.24\00:11:52.41
you realize right
away that John Bunyan
00:11:52.44\00:11:55.04
was an extraordinarily
creative storyteller
00:11:55.08\00:11:57.81
with a sharp
imagination, a giant intellect,
00:11:57.85\00:12:01.85
and an incredible
grasp on Scripture.
00:12:01.88\00:12:04.39
The book itself is
almost 110,000 words long.
00:12:04.42\00:12:08.86
That's half as long
again as "Tom Sawyer"
00:12:08.89\00:12:12.53
or the
autobiography of Ben Franklin.
00:12:12.56\00:12:15.23
It's a substantial book.
00:12:15.26\00:12:16.87
It's an allegory, a
story that can be interpreted
00:12:16.90\00:12:20.24
to reveal a hidden meaning,
00:12:20.27\00:12:22.50
as the
Cambridge Dictionary says,
00:12:22.54\00:12:24.41
"a work in which the
characters and events represent
00:12:24.44\00:12:28.04
particular moral, religious, or
political qualities or ideas."
00:12:28.08\00:12:32.75
The book is written as the
retelling of a dream in which
00:12:34.25\00:12:37.82
we witness the journey
of a man named Christian.
00:12:37.85\00:12:41.26
A man named
Evangelist encourages Christian
00:12:41.29\00:12:43.66
to leave his home in
the City of Destruction
00:12:43.69\00:12:46.59
and make his way to Mount
Zion, or the Celestial City.
00:12:46.63\00:12:50.97
His family
refuse to go with him.
00:12:51.00\00:12:53.34
Christian says, "My wife
was afraid of losing this world,
00:12:53.37\00:12:57.01
"and my children were given
to foolish delights of youth;
00:12:57.04\00:13:00.84
"so, what by one
thing, and what by another,
00:13:00.88\00:13:03.68
they left me to
wander in this manner alone."
00:13:03.71\00:13:07.55
So he leaves them
behind and sets off on his own.
00:13:07.58\00:13:10.35
Along the way he
encounters an array
00:13:10.39\00:13:12.25
of fascinating individuals,
00:13:12.29\00:13:13.96
adventures that
sometimes imperiled his life.
00:13:13.99\00:13:17.09
He meets animals and
demons and a whole lot more
00:13:17.13\00:13:20.60
as he makes his way
towards the Celestial City.
00:13:20.63\00:13:24.77
Bunyan was a man who
contended for his faith.
00:13:24.80\00:13:28.04
His impact on society
and on succeeding generations
00:13:28.07\00:13:31.51
was immense.
00:13:31.54\00:13:33.34
John Newton, the man
who wrote "Amazing Grace"
00:13:33.38\00:13:36.01
and campaigned for the
abolition of slavery in Britain,
00:13:36.04\00:13:39.18
encouraged William Wilberforce,
00:13:39.21\00:13:41.08
the man who was really
responsible for ending slavery,
00:13:41.12\00:13:44.32
to read three books by Bunyan:
00:13:44.35\00:13:47.02
"The Jerusalem Sinner Saved,"
00:13:47.06\00:13:49.22
"Come and
Welcome to Jesus Christ,"
00:13:49.26\00:13:51.43
and "Grace Abounding
to the Chief of Sinners."
00:13:51.46\00:13:55.43
Newton himself preached a
series of sermons on the book
00:13:55.46\00:13:59.37
"The Pilgrim's Progress."
00:13:59.40\00:14:01.90
"The Pilgrim's
Progress" has been translated
00:14:01.94\00:14:04.04
into more than 200 languages.
00:14:04.07\00:14:06.71
Three years after it was
first published in England,
00:14:06.74\00:14:09.84
it was printed in New
England in the United States.
00:14:09.88\00:14:13.55
In 1847, a London
missionary society
00:14:13.58\00:14:16.72
sent 5,000
Tahitian Bibles to Tahiti,
00:14:16.75\00:14:20.72
along with 4,000 Tahitian copies
of "The Pilgrim's Progress."
00:14:20.76\00:14:25.99
One of the great strengths
of the book is its ability
00:14:26.03\00:14:29.23
to cut to the heart, to
present profound spiritual ideas
00:14:29.26\00:14:33.80
in a simple and clear way.
00:14:33.84\00:14:35.90
Let me share
some quotes with you:
00:14:35.94\00:14:38.31
"What God says is best, is best,
00:14:38.34\00:14:41.38
though all the men in
the world are against it."
00:14:41.41\00:14:44.08
"It is my duty, said he, to
distrust [mine] own ability,
00:14:45.08\00:14:49.42
that I may have reliance on
Him that is stronger than all."
00:14:49.45\00:14:53.92
"There is in Jesus Christ
more merit and righteousness
00:14:54.92\00:14:58.26
than the whole
world has need of."
00:14:58.29\00:15:00.40
"To know is a thing that
pleaseth talkers and boasters;
00:15:01.36\00:15:05.23
but to do is that
which pleaseth God."
00:15:05.27\00:15:08.90
"Dark clouds bring waters,
when the bright bring none."
00:15:09.90\00:15:13.98
>>John: I think he
wrote that from experience.
00:15:14.01\00:15:16.31
And this:
00:15:16.34\00:15:17.91
"I would advise you
then... that you quickly get rid
00:15:17.95\00:15:20.12
"of your burden, for you'll
never be settled in your mind
00:15:20.15\00:15:23.25
"till you do. Nor can you enjoy
the benefits of the blessings
00:15:23.28\00:15:26.96
God has bestowed
upon you till you do."
00:15:26.99\00:15:29.59
>>John: That thought,
getting rid of your burden,
00:15:30.59\00:15:33.56
it's a key theme in
Bunyan's famous book.
00:15:33.60\00:15:37.17
We'll explore it
further in just a moment.
00:15:37.20\00:15:40.34
¤[upbeat music
swells and ends]¤¤
00:15:40.37\00:15:47.38
>>John: Thank you for
remembering that It Is Written
00:15:50.08\00:15:52.15
exists because of the kindness
of people just like you.
00:15:52.18\00:15:55.95
To support this international
life-changing ministry,
00:15:55.98\00:15:58.49
please call us
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00:15:58.52\00:16:02.92
You can send your
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00:16:02.96\00:16:04.59
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00:16:04.63\00:16:06.03
or you can visit us
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00:16:06.06\00:16:10.10
Thank you for your prayers
and your financial support.
00:16:10.13\00:16:12.27
Our number
again is 800-253-3000,
00:16:12.30\00:16:16.00
or you can visit us
online at itiswritten.com.
00:16:16.04\00:16:19.87
>>John: He was born in the
shadow of the Tower of London,
00:16:21.31\00:16:24.05
and by the age of 11 he
was working on sailing ships.
00:16:24.08\00:16:27.58
In time, he would
become a slave trader.
00:16:27.62\00:16:30.42
But when his life turned around,
00:16:30.45\00:16:32.25
John Newton became a
giant of the Christian faith.
00:16:32.29\00:16:35.69
He was an influential
pastor, a prolific hymn-writer,
00:16:35.72\00:16:39.33
and one of the architects
of the abolition of slavery
00:16:39.36\00:16:42.23
in the British Empire.
00:16:42.26\00:16:44.03
The man who
wrote "Amazing Grace"
00:16:44.07\00:16:46.40
experienced God's
grace in his life,
00:16:46.43\00:16:48.80
and left an
indelible mark on the world.
00:16:48.84\00:16:51.81
Don't miss "Men of
Faith: John Newton, Part 1."
00:16:51.84\00:16:55.74
We'll visit London, England.
00:16:55.78\00:16:57.68
We'll go to the town where
his ministry began and visit
00:16:57.71\00:17:00.82
the museum dedicated to
his life and accomplishments.
00:17:00.85\00:17:04.22
Once a hard-drinking immoral
man involved in witchcraft,
00:17:04.25\00:17:07.92
John Newton's transformed life
00:17:07.96\00:17:09.86
speaks of what God's
grace can do in any human heart.
00:17:09.89\00:17:14.00
"Men of Faith:
John Newton, Part 1,"
00:17:14.03\00:17:17.20
brought to you
by It Is Written TV.
00:17:17.23\00:17:20.07
¤[bright piano
and orchestral music]¤
00:17:22.07\00:17:24.04
[traffic noise]
00:17:24.07\00:17:26.14
[car horn honking,
chirp of crosswalk signal]
00:17:26.17\00:17:28.51
>>John Bradshaw:
John Bunyan and his book,
00:17:31.01\00:17:32.41
"The Pilgrim's Progress," have
touched the lives of millions.
00:17:32.45\00:17:36.69
The John Bunyan Museum
in Bedford gives visitors
00:17:36.72\00:17:40.09
a small glimpse of the impact
both have had on the world.
00:17:40.12\00:17:43.99
>>Nicola Sherhod: Well, there's
been a museum on this site
00:17:45.93\00:17:47.73
since 1946. It was
originally in a room,
00:17:47.76\00:17:51.67
sort of over the
other side of the church,
00:17:51.70\00:17:53.30
and it was just lots of stuff
packed into a very small space.
00:17:53.34\00:17:58.84
And then, um, in
the '90s, '80s-'90s,
00:17:58.87\00:18:02.01
they, the church did a
big fundraising and bid
00:18:02.04\00:18:05.51
and, and put
together this fantastic museum
00:18:05.55\00:18:08.38
where we are now.
00:18:08.42\00:18:09.55
>>John: Where do
people come here from?
00:18:09.58\00:18:11.75
>>Nicola: Oh, we have
visitors from around the world.
00:18:11.79\00:18:13.72
So we have a good sort
of 5,000 visitors a year.
00:18:13.76\00:18:17.09
A large proportion
are from, uh, America,
00:18:17.13\00:18:20.46
lots from
Europe, uh, New Zealand.
00:18:20.50\00:18:23.53
We have a huge
amount from, uh, Korea.
00:18:23.57\00:18:26.23
So-- >>John: From Korea?
00:18:26.27\00:18:27.57
>>Nicola: ...so,
lots of Koreans come.
00:18:27.60\00:18:29.14
Uh, some missionary
groups come over, too, um.
00:18:29.17\00:18:32.87
He's very big in
Korea. >>John: So why is that?
00:18:32.91\00:18:35.04
Why is, why is
Bunyan so big in Korea?
00:18:35.08\00:18:37.08
And that leads me
to another question.
00:18:37.11\00:18:38.81
Why do people come here from
the other side of the world?
00:18:38.85\00:18:41.68
There's a
connection; what is that?
00:18:41.72\00:18:43.69
>>Nicola: Um, it was, it was the
use of "The Pilgrim's Progress,"
00:18:43.72\00:18:47.09
uh, by missionaries, basically.
00:18:47.12\00:18:48.82
So, there was, uh,
people trying to get, um,
00:18:48.86\00:18:53.66
the Bible out into the world.
00:18:53.70\00:18:55.80
Um, and it was quite a
complicated story, and, I mean,
00:18:55.83\00:18:59.73
Bunyan, his purpose when
writing "The Pilgrim's Progress"
00:18:59.77\00:19:03.54
was to explain or make
the Bible more attainable,
00:19:03.57\00:19:08.14
more understandable
for just the common person.
00:19:08.18\00:19:11.61
And so, it was used as
a, as a stepping stone.
00:19:11.65\00:19:15.85
So, they would take
"The Pilgrim's Progress" out.
00:19:15.88\00:19:19.19
Um, a lot of the
countries, including China,
00:19:19.22\00:19:22.79
it was also a
safer book to get out.
00:19:22.82\00:19:25.26
So, the Bible was not something
00:19:25.29\00:19:27.03
that was
allowed to go out there,
00:19:27.03\00:19:28.50
whereas actually "Pilgrim's
Progress" was a story, um,
00:19:28.53\00:19:31.30
a nice story
about living a good life
00:19:31.33\00:19:33.44
and being a good person,
00:19:33.47\00:19:34.87
though obviously it has that
sort of backend of information,
00:19:34.90\00:19:38.24
the, if you're in the know,
you can understand a bit more.
00:19:38.27\00:19:42.21
The missionaries at
the time would translate
00:19:42.24\00:19:44.61
"The Pilgrim's Progress,"
take it out to the countries,
00:19:44.65\00:19:48.05
and then you have this fantastic
development of the editions
00:19:48.08\00:19:51.52
of "The Pilgrim's Progress,"
where the early editions
00:19:51.55\00:19:54.72
are in the particular language
00:19:54.76\00:19:57.36
but with, uh,
European illustrations.
00:19:57.39\00:20:00.73
Then the, the illustrations
are then changed to match
00:20:00.76\00:20:03.67
the culture that
the book is going into.
00:20:03.70\00:20:06.07
The foreign language editions
are fantastic and a reason why
00:20:06.10\00:20:09.27
we have so many
visitors from around the world.
00:20:09.30\00:20:11.47
>>John: John Bunyan wrote the
story of a man named Christian,
00:20:12.74\00:20:15.94
who was told by Evangelist
00:20:15.98\00:20:17.78
that in order to get
to the Celestial City,
00:20:17.81\00:20:20.95
he must pass through a
gate called the Wicket Gate.
00:20:20.98\00:20:24.89
Christian is determined
to get through that gate.
00:20:24.92\00:20:28.19
People think
Christian has lost his mind,
00:20:28.22\00:20:30.16
but he ignores the detractors
and gives himself completely
00:20:30.19\00:20:34.23
to getting through the gate and
then on to the Celestial City.
00:20:34.30\00:20:38.40
You can already see how
Bunyan is using his book
00:20:38.43\00:20:41.37
as a teaching device to explain
to people how to be saved.
00:20:41.40\00:20:46.54
Give everything you have
to reach the Celestial City;
00:20:46.57\00:20:49.78
let nothing stop you.
00:20:49.81\00:20:51.51
To get there, you
go through a gate.
00:20:51.55\00:20:53.35
Jesus referred
to that narrow gate.
00:20:53.38\00:20:56.02
And you must be aware
that discouragement and guilt
00:20:56.05\00:20:58.69
and despondency
can drag you down
00:20:58.72\00:21:01.19
and get you off
the path to salvation.
00:21:01.22\00:21:04.39
That's true, isn't it?
00:21:04.43\00:21:05.73
The reason many people
fall out of faith in Christ
00:21:05.76\00:21:08.86
is simply due to discouragement,
doubt, despondency,
00:21:08.90\00:21:14.34
a sense of the
weight of their sins.
00:21:14.37\00:21:16.67
¤[music ends]¤¤
00:21:16.71\00:21:18.84
It is no surprise that
John Bunyan, a Protestant,
00:21:19.84\00:21:23.75
took aim at the
Roman Catholic Church
00:21:23.78\00:21:26.18
in "The Pilgrim's Progress."
00:21:26.21\00:21:28.28
One of the characters
in the story is Giant Pope.
00:21:28.32\00:21:31.89
He's depicted as being
senile and dwelling in a cave,
00:21:31.92\00:21:35.52
"crazy and stiff in
his joints," the book says,
00:21:35.56\00:21:38.59
too weak to do any
real harm to the pilgrims.
00:21:38.63\00:21:41.93
Bunyan felt that by the time he
wrote "The Pilgrim's Progress,"
00:21:41.96\00:21:45.40
the Roman Catholic
Church was a spent force.
00:21:45.43\00:21:49.24
The early part of the book sees
Christian trying to find a way
00:21:49.27\00:21:53.07
to get rid of his burden.
00:21:53.11\00:21:55.58
He was weighed down by his sin
and wanted more than anything
00:21:55.61\00:22:00.08
to get rid of
that terrible weight.
00:22:00.12\00:22:02.52
Well, that's
people today, isn't it?
00:22:02.55\00:22:04.12
Carrying around a
load, a weight, a burden.
00:22:04.15\00:22:08.36
Many don't realize
that it's their sin
00:22:08.39\00:22:10.53
that's weighing them down,
00:22:10.56\00:22:12.33
maybe guilt, a
sense of worthlessness
00:22:12.36\00:22:15.33
brought on by mistakes
and shame and, and sin.
00:22:15.36\00:22:20.14
But what did
Christian experience?
00:22:20.17\00:22:22.90
It was when
Christian came to the cross
00:22:22.94\00:22:26.34
that his burden just fell away.
00:22:26.37\00:22:29.64
Angels tell him
his sins are forgiven,
00:22:29.68\00:22:32.75
and he's given new clothing,
and that's righteousness.
00:22:32.78\00:22:37.65
If you're burdened today,
00:22:37.69\00:22:40.22
get to the cross
as quickly as you can.
00:22:40.26\00:22:43.89
It was there that
Jesus died for you.
00:22:43.93\00:22:46.53
It was there that
your burden was lifted.
00:22:46.56\00:22:49.63
There's no need to
be carrying a weight
00:22:49.66\00:22:51.73
that Jesus died to bear.
00:22:51.77\00:22:54.64
Will God forgive you?
00:22:54.67\00:22:56.50
Yes.
00:22:56.54\00:22:57.51
After all you've done?
00:22:57.54\00:22:59.07
Yes. That's why
Bunyan wrote the book,
00:22:59.11\00:23:01.44
to show that you could be
forgiven and take your place
00:23:01.48\00:23:06.05
in the Celestial City.
00:23:06.08\00:23:07.55
¤[soft reflective music]¤
00:23:07.58\00:23:09.58
Some years ago I was
talking to a group of people
00:23:11.19\00:23:13.42
who work in ministry,
and I asked them a question.
00:23:13.46\00:23:17.06
I said, "The Bible says we're
saved by grace through faith,
00:23:17.09\00:23:20.06
and yet Jesus said, 'Strive to
enter in at the strait gate.'"
00:23:20.10\00:23:24.20
Which is very
"Pilgrim's Progress."
00:23:24.23\00:23:26.53
I asked them to explain that,
to bring those verses together.
00:23:26.57\00:23:30.64
No one was able to.
00:23:30.67\00:23:32.97
But then from the back of
the room there came a voice,
00:23:33.01\00:23:35.54
which said,
"Daddy, I think I know."
00:23:35.58\00:23:39.88
It was my son. He was
6 years old at the time.
00:23:39.91\00:23:44.25
I'll be honest. I
thought, "Oh no, here we go."
00:23:44.29\00:23:48.06
But I didn't want to act like
his thoughts weren't important,
00:23:48.09\00:23:51.33
so I asked him to explain
to us all what it was he meant.
00:23:51.36\00:23:54.86
"Daddy," he said, "as you know,
00:23:54.93\00:23:56.36
I've been listening
to 'Pilgrim's Progress.'"
00:23:56.40\00:23:58.60
I did know that, he had been,
00:23:58.63\00:24:00.87
but I didn't know where
this was going; no one did.
00:24:00.90\00:24:03.30
He said, "In the
story, Christian is told
00:24:03.34\00:24:06.44
"to go to the Celestial City.
00:24:06.47\00:24:08.14
Evangelist tells him
first to go to the Wicket Gate."
00:24:08.18\00:24:12.55
I asked him to
proceed. He proceeded.
00:24:12.58\00:24:15.05
He said, "Christian
didn't know where to go.
00:24:15.08\00:24:18.39
"So Evangelist told him to
keep his eyes on the light.
00:24:18.42\00:24:24.09
"If he did that, if he followed
the light, he'd be okay.
00:24:24.13\00:24:28.83
Daddy," my boy said, "I think
those verses are telling us
00:24:28.86\00:24:33.80
to keep our eyes on the Light."
00:24:33.84\00:24:37.17
Well, there was nothing
to say to that, was there?
00:24:38.71\00:24:41.24
I think I said, "Amen."
00:24:41.28\00:24:43.65
And I've never
forgotten that lesson.
00:24:43.68\00:24:45.15
I don't think any of us
forgot the lesson we learned
00:24:45.18\00:24:48.85
from a 6-year-old boy
00:24:48.88\00:24:50.85
who'd been listening
to "Pilgrim's Progress."
00:24:50.89\00:24:54.52
¤[music continues]¤
00:24:54.56\00:24:56.56
John Bunyan was 59 when he died.
00:25:00.63\00:25:03.87
He became ill while in London
to preach, and he died there.
00:25:03.90\00:25:07.74
He was buried in Bunhill Fields,
00:25:11.57\00:25:13.84
a cemetery in London
popular with nonconformists.
00:25:13.88\00:25:17.25
Daniel Defoe, who
wrote "Robinson Crusoe,"
00:25:17.28\00:25:19.71
is buried there.
00:25:19.75\00:25:21.58
How's your pilgrimage going?
00:25:22.88\00:25:25.25
Jesus died so that you
could live with assurance,
00:25:25.29\00:25:29.02
so that although
you're a pilgrim,
00:25:29.06\00:25:31.29
although the road is
long and sometimes hazardous,
00:25:31.33\00:25:34.73
you can lay your
burden down at the cross
00:25:34.73\00:25:37.93
and live with confidence
that eternity is yours
00:25:37.97\00:25:41.74
because of what
Jesus has done for you.
00:25:41.77\00:25:45.07
>>John: The cross is a
symbol for Christianity
00:25:47.08\00:25:49.68
for millions of
people around the world.
00:25:49.71\00:25:52.35
But beyond the symbol
there is power in the cross,
00:25:52.38\00:25:55.45
power God wants
you to experience.
00:25:55.48\00:25:58.02
Learn more by
requesting today's free offer,
00:25:58.05\00:26:00.52
"The Power of the Cross."
00:26:00.56\00:26:02.19
To receive "The
Power of the Cross,"
00:26:02.22\00:26:03.89
simply call 800-253-3000.
00:26:03.93\00:26:07.73
You can also visit us online,
00:26:07.76\00:26:09.36
write to the
address on your screen,
00:26:09.40\00:26:11.20
or text "freecross" to 71392.
00:26:11.23\00:26:15.04
Request your free copy now.
00:26:15.07\00:26:16.74
>>John: Let me
pray with you now.
00:26:18.14\00:26:20.11
Our Father in
heaven, I'm thankful
00:26:20.14\00:26:21.64
that 350 or so years later,
00:26:21.68\00:26:24.01
there is a book that still
speaks to us of the love of God,
00:26:24.05\00:26:27.68
that still speaks to us of Your
willingness to bear our sins,
00:26:27.72\00:26:30.89
remove our guilt,
00:26:30.92\00:26:31.89
and give to us a
place in the Celestial City.
00:26:31.92\00:26:34.39
And I'm thankful for the
Bible, which, two millennia on,
00:26:35.39\00:26:39.53
tells the story of the cross,
speaks to us of a God of love,
00:26:39.56\00:26:44.67
that speaks to us of a
Savior who died for our sins,
00:26:44.70\00:26:47.44
that tells us that Your
heart is a forgiving heart,
00:26:47.47\00:26:50.67
and that there is a place
for us in the heart of God.
00:26:50.71\00:26:55.04
My friend, as I'm
praying, if you would ask Jesus
00:26:55.08\00:26:57.48
to be your Lord and Savior or
recommit your life to Him now,
00:26:57.51\00:27:01.18
would you do that? Can I
pray for you to that end?
00:27:01.22\00:27:02.88
Our Father, would
You take that heart?
00:27:02.92\00:27:05.35
Would You bless that life?
00:27:05.39\00:27:07.02
Would You remove that burden?
Would You take away that guilt?
00:27:07.06\00:27:10.36
Would You give that person
assurance that will last them
00:27:10.39\00:27:12.76
beyond this life and
into the life to come?
00:27:12.79\00:27:16.80
We thank You
because You are good.
00:27:16.83\00:27:19.23
We are grateful
that on our pilgrimage,
00:27:19.27\00:27:22.00
we can look towards the heavens
and know that there is a Savior
00:27:22.04\00:27:25.54
who died to
take away our burden.
00:27:25.57\00:27:29.01
We accept that, and we pray it,
00:27:29.04\00:27:32.25
in Jesus' name.
00:27:32.28\00:27:34.52
Amen.
00:27:34.55\00:27:35.88
Thank you so
much for joining me.
00:27:35.92\00:27:37.55
I'm looking forward to
seeing you again next time.
00:27:37.59\00:27:39.45
Until then, remember:
00:27:39.49\00:27:41.36
"It is written, 'Man
shall not live by bread alone,
00:27:41.39\00:27:45.66
but by every word that proceeds
from the mouth of God.'"
00:27:45.69\00:27:49.96
¤[dramatic,
triumphant theme music]¤
00:27:50.00\00:27:54.97
¤[music ends]¤¤
00:28:25.57\00:28:27.57