How we cite our quotes: Paragraph (P#) or Line (Line #)
Quote #4
Now Faithful play the man, speak for thy God:
Fear not the wicked's malice nor their rod:Speak boldly man, the truth is on thy side;Die for it, and to life in triumph ride. (P500)
As you've noticed, Bunyan often inserts verse-passages into his text. Sometimes they're little songs sung by the pilgrims, or, as here, short poems that seem spoken by Bunyan himself at moments of high drama. Here, Faithful is about to make his reply to the judges and jury of Vanity Fair. But what do you make of these lines? They tell precisely what will happen to Faithful, so, in a sense, he doesn't seem to have much choice over what he will do—or does he? Bunyan's urging him here to a kind of moral perseverance. You might think about how that last line acts a kind of carrot for the pilgrim…
Quote #5
Hopeful: I am sorry that I was so foolish, and am made to wonder that I am not now as Lot's Wife; for wherein was the difference 'twixt her sin and mine? she only looked back, and I had a desire to go see: let Grace be adored, and let me be ashamed that ever such a thing should be in mine heart. (P595)
The story of Lot's wife comes from Genesis. Lot and his family are fleeing the city of Sodom, which God is about to destroy for its sinfulness. Just as they are out, however, Lot's wife takes a moment to look back at the city and… is turned into a pillar of salt. In Luke 17:32 Jesus says "Remember Lot's Wife"—a warning against returning to one's old ways, having once abandoned them. Does this story ring a bell? Hmm… sort of sounds like… Christian leaving the City of Destruction. The image of Lot's wife is one of the most powerful symbols for perseverance there is: don't look down.
Quote #6
On either side of the River was also a Meadow, curiously beautiful with Lilies; and it was green all the year long. In this Meadow they lay down and slept, for here they might lie down safely. When they awoke they gathered again of the Fruit of the Trees, and drank again of the water of the River, and then lay down again to sleep. Thus they did several days and nights. (P600)
They can't sleep on the Hill of Difficulty, or the Enchanted Ground, or even walk in the grass of By-pass Meadow. Where can the pilgrims rest? At the River of Life, Bunyan provides his travelers with the conditions for some safe R&R. And Bunyan emphasizes that factor of safety here for a reason. The men know that this meadow is provided by God, that it's a part of the designated route.