One dark night in England more than 300 years ago a man was preparing to preach to a group of eager listeners who had gathered quietly. These were brave people whose hearts burned to know more about their Lord Jesus and to worship Him with other Christians, in spite of the disapproval of the King.

Every man’s heart jumped when a loud knock was heard at the main door and the King’s men in bright uniforms came briskly into their meeting room.

The preacher was taken away and put before a judge, who offered to let the preacher go home if he would promise to stop his preaching. When he refused, he was immediately taken to prison.

As he sat there in his bare room, with the stone walls so strong around him, the preacher thought of his Christian friends, his wife, his children, and especially of his blind daughter, whom he loved so much. He cried with loneliness and fear for their safety. He was also very much afraid that the soldiers would take him away to be executed, and wondered if he would be strong enough to face death for his God.

He had many empty hours to think about his growing-up years—how, when he was 8 or 9, he had often awakened at night, trembling from dreams of hell because of the bad things he had done that day; how he had decided he didn’t care about being good and instead became a wild, cursing teenager how he had tried for years after that to get rid of the load of his sin; and how he had finally come to know Jesus and the sweet freedom of being forgiven.

He knew Jesus was very close to him there in his bare prison room, and he spent many wonderful hours reading God’s Word with no interruptions.

As the years went by, he began to write a story about his experiences. This man was John Bunyan, and the story he wrote is called Pilgrim’s Progress. In it, a man named “Christian” struggles to find his way to heaven, with a huge pack of sin on his back. Have you ever heard or read that story? If you haven’t, be sure to ask someone where you can find it.

John Bunyan used his 12 years in prison to write for you one of the greatest stories you’ll ever read.

Carol Wright

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What’s To Do?

These are some parts of God’s Word that especially helped John Bunyan in prison. Look them up and imagine what they would mean to you if you were in prison. Then find the key word that fits in the phrase quoted here.* The circles will spell a word that tells you how John Bunyan felt when he was taken away from his friends and family.

1 Peter 1:8 __ __ (__) __ __ __ __ in Him

Jeremiah 49:11 Leave your (__) __ __ __ __ __ __

2 Corinthians 1:9 __ __ __ __ __ (__) __ __ of death

John 16:33 in Me you may have __ (__) __ __ __

John 14:1 heart(s) be __ __ __ __ __ (__) __ __

Colossians 3:4 with Him in __ __ __ __ (__)

*The NASB or NIV may be used in solving this puzzle.