PUBLIC-DOMAIN CHRISTIAN BOOK
The Heavenly Footman; Or, A Description of the Man That Gets to Heaven With Directions How to Run So as to Obtain
Bunyan, John, 1628-1688 · 14,709 words · 23 reading sections
Part 1
Note: The 8th Chapter of Joshua is referenced in the phrase: "It is taken from that xxth of Joshua"…
19 wordsSECTION 2THE HEAVENLY FOOTMAN
or, A Description of the Man That Gets to Heaven: with Directions How to Run So As to Obtain by…
20 wordsSECTION 3JOHN BUNYAN
"So run, that ye may obtain."--1 Cor. IX. 24.…
10 wordsSECTION 4THE AUTHOR'S EPISTLE TO ALL SLOTHFUL AND CARELESS PEOPLE.
Friends, Solomon saith, that "the desire of the slothful killeth him;" and if so, what will slothfulness itself do to those that entertain it? The proverb is, "He that sleepeth in harvest is a son that causeth shame:" and this I dare be bold to say, no greater shame can befall a man, than to see that he hath fooled aw…
859 wordsSECTION 5Part 5
Sluggard! art thou asleep still? Art thou resolved to sleep the sleep of death? Will neither tidings from heaven nor hell awake thee? Wilt thou say still, yet a little sleep, a little slumber, and a little folding of the arms to sleep? Wilt thou yet turn thyself in thy sloth, as the door is turned upon the hinges? O th…
731 wordsSECTION 6HEAVEN MUST BE RUN FOR.
SO RUN, THAT YE MAY OBTAIN.--1 Corinthians ix. 24. Heaven and happiness is that which every one desireth, insomuch that wicked Balaam could say, "Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his!" Yet for all this, there are but very few that do obtain that ever-to-be-desired glory, insomuch that…
909 wordsSECTION 7Part 7
What! do you think that every heavy heeled professor will have heaven? What! every lazy one? Every wanton and foolish professor, that will be stopped by any thing; kept back by any thing; that scarce runneth so fast heavenward as a snail creepeth on the ground? Nay, there are some professors that do not go on so fast i…
833 wordsSECTION 8Part 8
6. They that will go to heaven must run for it; because _perchance the gates of heaven may shut shortly_. Sometimes sinners have not heaven-gates open to them so long as they suppose; and if they be once shut against a man, they are so heavy, that all the men in the world, or all the angels in heaven, are not able to o…
259 wordsSECTION 9DIRECTIONS FOR THIS HEAVENLY COURSE.
_Question_. "But how should a poor soul do, so to run?" For this very thing is that which afflicteth me sore, (as you say,) to think that I may run and yet fall short. Methinks to fall short at last, Oh! it fears me greatly! Pray, tell me, therefore, how I should run.' _Answer_. That thou mayst indeed be satisfied in …
907 wordsSECTION 10Part 10
Let thy study be much exercised about Christ, who is the way; what he is, what he hath done, and why he is what he is, and why he hath done what is done; as why he took upon him the form of a servant, why he was made in the likeness of men; why he cried; why he died; why he bare the sins of the world; why he was made s…
838 wordsSECTION 11Part 11
But have a care thou beguile not thyself with a fancy; for then thou mayst light into any lane or way. But that thou mayst not be mistaken, consider, though it seem ever so pleasant, yet if thou do not find that in the very middle of the road there is written with the heart blood of Christ, that he came into the world …
798 wordsSECTION 12Part 12
You know what it cost the young man whom Solomon speaks of, (in the 7th of Proverbs,) that was enticed by a harlot. With her much fair speech she won him, and caused him to yield; with the flattering of her lips she forced him, till he went after her, as an ox to the slaughter, as a fool to the correction of the stocks…
936 wordsSECTION 13Part 13
1. In the doctrine of _justification_ there is a great deal of the cross. In that, a man is forced to suffer the destruction of his own righteousness for the righteousness of another. This is no easy matter for a man to do. I assure you it stretcheth every vein in his heart, before he will be brought to yield to it. Wh…
928 wordsSECTION 14Part 14
But how froward, how hasty, how peevish, and self-resolved are the generality of professors at this day! Alas! how little considering the poor, unless it be to say, Be thou warmed and filled! But to give, is a seldom work! also especially to give to any poor. I tell you all these things are cross to flesh and blood; an…
786 wordsSECTION 15Part 15
Pray therefore that God would enlighten thy understanding. That will be a very great help unto thee. It will make thee endure many a hard brunt for Christ; as Paul saith, "After you were illuminated, ye endured a great fight of afflictions." You "took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye h…
846 wordsSECTION 16Part 16
O therefore cry hard to God to inflame thy will for heaven and Christ. Thy will, I say, if that be rightly set for heaven, thou wilt not be beat off with discouragements; and this was the reason that when Jacob wrestled with the angel, though he lost a limb as it were; (for the hollow of his thigh was put out of joint …
243 wordsSECTION 17MOTIVES TO PURSUE THIS HEAVENLY COURSE.
Yet before I do quite take my leave of thee, let me give thee a few motives to take along with thee. It may be they will be as good as a pair of spurs to prick on thy lumpish heart in this rich journey. THE FIRST MOTIVE.--Consider there is no way but this: _thou must either win or lose._ If thou winnest, then heaven, …
689 wordsSECTION 18Part 18
THE SIXTH MOTIVE.--Think much of them that are gone before. First, How really they go into the kingdom. Secondly, How safe they are in the arms of Jesus. Would they be here again for a thousand worlds? Or if they were, would they be afraid that God would not make them welcome? Thirdly, What would they judge of thee, if…
728 wordsSECTION 19APPLICATION OF THE POINT.
Thus you see I have here spoken something, though but little. Now I shall come to make some use and application of what hath been said, and so conclude. THE FIRST USE.--You see here, that he that will go to heaven must _run_ for it; yea, and not only run, but "_so_ run;" that is, as I have said, run earnestly, run con…
783 wordsSECTION 20Part 20
THE THIRD USE.--In the next place, What then will become of them that some time since were running post-haste to heaven, (insomuch that they seemed to outstrip many,) but now are running as fast back again? Do you think those ever come thither? What! to run back again, back again to sin, to the world, to the devil, bac…
884 wordsSECTION 21Part 21
THE SEVENTH USE.--Again, How basely do they behave themselves, how unlike they are to win, that think it enough to keep company with the hindmost! There are some men that profess themselves such as run for heaven as well as any; yet if there be but any lazy, slothful, cold, half-hearted professors in the country, they …
897 wordsSECTION 22Part 22
PROVOCATION.--Now that you may be provoked to run with the foremost, take notice of this. When Lot and his wife were running from cursed Sodom to the mountains, to save their lives, it is said, that his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt. And yet you see that neither her practice, nor the…
743 wordsSECTION 23FAREWELL.
[Footnote A: This book will be found in the volume of Bunyan's AWAKENING WORKS, published by this Society.]…
18 wordsSource & rights
Public domain in the USA; original historical text digitized by Project Gutenberg.
Project Gutenberg source record →
Historical Christian writing; not Scripture.