The City Of Destruction In The Pilgrim's Progress

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The Pilgrim’s Progress was written in 1678 (Bremer 38). It has long been known as one of the most widely read books; it is second only to the Bible. Since the 1600s, transportation methods have improved from horse and carriage to cars, technologies have enhanced from lanterns to electric lights, and letters have turned into text messages. The world is constantly changing around us. So what makes this book a hit that has transcended time and drawn so much interest? The truth found in the extended allegory of The Pilgrim’s Progress which constantly draws people to it because ultimately everyone wants to know the truth. One of the truths that remains firm and true is the reality of the sinful nature of man and his need for a Savior. Through the …show more content…
In The Pilgrim’s Progress, the city of destruction demonstrates how difficult it is to escape the situation of sin and death by creating the obstacles of Christian’s friends and family (Oakley 158). Obstinate cannot find his way out of the city of destruction because of the huge obstacle of peer pressure that came from his friends and family. “What”, said Obstinate, “and leave our friends and comforts behind us!”(Bunyan 19). Showing how tough it was for obstinate to escape the city displays the depth of sin that every human being is in. The deceit of the family and friends of Christian show the vanity of the city that reflects the reason of the damnation of the city and the result of everyone in the city perishing. Escaping sin cannot be done without God’s help because we are in too deep. Bunyan understood that escaping sin had to start with spiritual awakening and not simply trying to escape (Christian’s Burden… Part Two …show more content…
The truth that he found in Christ changed him forever and gave him a hope that could not be put out. John Bunyan was put in prison for preaching on what he knew to be true, but a jail cell didn’t stop him from telling the truth about Christ (Bremer 37). Using the allegories of the City of Destruction, Christian’s Burden, and the cross, John Bunyan created a new method for sharing the salvation story in a deep and rich way that is understandable to others which ultimately creates the theme that all is vain except for the hope found in Christ. The evidence leads to the fact that although John Bunyan created a small glimpse of the Christian walk, he ultimately expounded upon the magnificence of the work of Christ and the hope found in the cross. The city of destruction starts the setting of the hopelessness of all man and the terrible condition that man is in. The burden of sin on the shoulders of Christian adds to the helplessness of man by illustrating the personal aspect of sin each one’s life. Then John Bunyan uses the cross to tie the first to allegories together and make a final point in the novel. All men are under the damnation that comes from sin, but the work of Christ extinguishes all shame and guilt and provides a hope. John Bunyan wished to share his indescribable peace through the work of The Pilgrim’s Progress, but he also wished that we would share the truth with others as well. In the words of John Bunyan, “Let truth
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