Though it's a bother converting the julian date, and the quotes from Pilgrim's Progress seem a little small in comparison to the commentary, this book makes for great devotional reading with my 10 year old boy. He enjoys looking up the two or three scripture references at the bottom and the prayer after that is always appropriate to the story above. Each day brings a new lesson in the Christian graces.

The Pilgrim's Progress is a wonderful Christian classic that the author John Bunyan wrote while in jail for his Christian faith. It is a wonderfully rich book which charts the ups and downs of the Christian faith, as the character Christian finds his way to the Gate where he will find relief for the burden on his back. Amid the fiery trials that comes his way, he meets people like Evangelist and Help who offer him sound advice, while others like Worldly Wise attempt to lead him off the narrow and straight path.

This commentary by Cheryl Ford does justice to this great classic. The author of this book dispenses scriptural lessons from the original classic. Each day's devotion is full of rich insights that is backed up by scripture verses. It offers sound theology that does not shy away from commenting on where Christians sometimes trip up on our walk. For example, there is a point where Christian falls into the Slough of Despond, because his awareness of his sin becomes overwhelming. But the message is that God's grace is greater than our feeling of condemnation. Each day's devotion also comes with a prayer that asks God to help us guard against these weaknesses. Definitely recommended.

It remains to be seen how many literary works of our day will survive even the minimum duration of popularity to reach classical status. Judging the current day classics against our modern day offerings, I suspect our number of contributions will be woefully lacking. Measured against the best selling book of all time (Bible), the structural basis of this book, Pilgrim's Progress, rates second. Why? Because as with the Bible, it deals with and addresses man's inherent needs to know who am I, where did I come from, what is my purpose in life and how do I achieve it?

Cheryl Ford did an outstanding job segmenting this complex work, dealing with the convoluted issues of life, to daily doses of spiritual meditations. Who should read this book? Only those who have the intellectual honesty to face the issue of who we truly are.....God's fallen creation and then, the courage to begin their own personal pilgrimage back to God.

This second book in Piper's new series "The Swans are not Silent" is an excellent biographical account of three men: John Bunyan, William Cowper (pronounced Cooper),and David Brainerd. The common thread joining the lives of these three men is suffering. Hence the subtitle: "the fruit of affliction in the lives of ..."

Piper gives us a good introduction to Bunyan, the tinker turned Baptist preacher who spent twelve years in Bedford jail in the 1600's because he wouldn't promise to quit preaching. Bunyan was also the author of The Pilgrim's Progress - probably the most widely-read Christian book besides the Bible ever published. Piper shows how Bunyan learned the secret to enduring suffering by "seeing God who is invisible." This sketch is a great encouragement to persevere.

The second biography is of a different sort, looking at the life of the melancholy poet, William Cowper, who authored the best hymn on God's providence ever written, "God Moves in a Mysterious Way." Cowper's life was checkered with depression, insanity, and multiple suicide attempts - a strange candidate for a Christian hero. Yet, Piper shows how through John Newton's tireless encouragement, Cowper managed to find windows of hope in his all but despair-filled life. It is a sad story, but an encouraging one. Those who appreciate poetry and the agony of soul that often breeds it, will appreciate this sketch of Cowper.

The third sketch covers the life of David Brainerd, the Yale student who was expelled for an untimely word, and became a missionary to the Indians. Despite tuberculosis and harsh living conditions, Brainerd pressed on in the wearisome labor of translation and preaching for the conversion of dozens of Indians. Drawing from the diary and journal compiled by Jonathan Edwards, Piper shows how Brainerd's fasting, prayer, and study helped sustain him through unmitigated suffering and affliction in the work of evangelizing the heathen - and how his example has inspired generations of missionaries (William Carey, Henry Martyn, and Jim Elliot to name a few) ever since. Brainerd's great passion was well expressed in his own words: "O that I may not loiter in my heavenly journey!" What an example.

These biographical masterpieces were first delivered as lectures at the Bethlehem Conference for Pastors at Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where Dr. Piper pastors. The audio cassettes are available from their ministry outreach (web site). I recommend these without reserve to those who want to be encouraged in the midst of suffering for the sake of the Kingdom.

In our day of self-help and "feel good" religion this may seem a strange book to many. Through the looking glass of the lives of John Buyan, William Cowper, and David Brainerd, John Piper reminds us of something the Purtians called "The frowning providence of God."

This is the second in a series of books called, The Swans are Not Silent. Each book in this series takes a theme and then examines that theme in the Scripture and the lives of believers of the past. The theme of this work is suffering and affliction.

As always, Piper stretches our faith well beyond the normal comfort zones of evangelical thought. One can feel hid sorrow as Buyan parted from his family to spend 12 years in prison. It was in that prison however, that Pilrgims Progress was born. Piper carries us with William Cowper into the darkness of an insane asylum where in utter despair he finally found the grace and mercy of God. From that darkness Cowper broke into glorious light, writing that great hymn, There is a Fountain Filled With Blood. We are transported back to the apparent failure of David Brainerd as he was expelled from Yale for questioning the salvation of an instructor. We walk with Brainerd through his short years as a missionary to the Indians. Piper reminds us that none of us know what waves will spread out from a pebble dropped into the ocean of God's will.

The Hidden Smile of God is the kind of book that you won't put down once you open it. This is a much needed book in our day. So-called Christian broadcasting is beaming a message around the world of feel-good easiness. It may be a hard word to embrace but it is true. God's people are not spared from affliction and trouble. They are brought through these things in the grace and mercy of God.

Prayer is divided into two parts: an exposition of what true prayer is and how praying is an appeal to Jesus on his throne of grace. To be frank, this is not Bunyan at his best. He's written better stuff (see Pilgrim's Progress). The material is pretty dry and half the time, he's battling high church Anglicanism. The few diamonds here are his descriptions of prayer being from the heart, not an formulistic external exercise.
The backdrop of where the book was written (Bunyan was imprisioned for his Puritan beliefs after Cromwell died and England reverted back to monarchy) is very interesting and I suggest all to familiarize themselves with that interesting period.

In the two discourses combined in this book, Bunyan labors, sucessfully, to show the Christian that honest prayers do not come from a book and they are not regurgitations of some memorized text. Prayer is an outpouring of one's heart to God. Bunyan suffered persecution and imprisonment for this cause. His passion for the subject of prayer is obvious in this book. It's a passion I think all Christians could use a little more of.

"Prayer is a sincere, sensible, affectionate pouring out of the soul to God, through Christ, in the power of the Holy Spirit, for such things as He has promised, for the good of the church with submission in faith to the will of God."

This is how Bunyan defines prayer in this amazing little book. Written while imprisoned in Bedford gaol for nonconformity, these two treatises show Christians the beauty, power, and awe of true prayer. In the first, Bunyan describes prayer as being "in the Spirit", and "with understanding" (1 Cor. 14:15). In the second, the theme is the Christian's privilege of approaching "the Throne of Grace" (Heb. 4:16).

Beware! says Bunyan. "You are not a Christian if you are not a praying person. The promise is that every one that is righteous shall pray (Ps. 32:6). You then are a wicked wretch if you do not." Surely this is a serious call to prayer!

But he also gives an encouragement: "If [God] had said, I will commune with thee from my throne of judgment, then indeed you might have trembled and fled from the face of the great and glorious Majesty. But when he says he will hear and commune with souls upon the throne of grace, or from the mercy-seat, this should encourage you, and cause you to hope, nay, to 'come boldly unto the throne of grace, that you may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.'" Surely this is a wonderful word for Christian and non-Christian alike - God is on his Throne of Grace, and He can be approached through prayer!

Read this book, and learn of the true biblical understanding of prayer from one of the greatest writers in all history!

does any one have a ten page report on this book that they can give me if so please download it asap! thank you very much!

This is the original "Life Application Bible." I now understand why it is considered the 2nd most influential book ever written (the Bible being the first). The story is timeless. It applies to us now as much as it did to its original readers in the 1600s. Fabulously written! If King James English is too cumbersome for you, try the Modern English version. It is very true to the original. It is exceptionaly inspiring.

This is a wonderful book. The language can be a bit difficult, however the story line is adventuresome and exciting. Christian, the main character, begins his life as an average person in the city of destruction. Symbolically, over the course of his life, he overcomes temptation and reaches the Celestial City, heaven, his ultimate goal as a christian.

I'm not a Pilgrim's Progress expert, but this doesn't seem to be the best edition of this book. There are footnotes (including Bunyan's own notes) but they are often "late"; for example, footnotes to explain the archaic meaning of the word are often included on the second or third appearance of the word. Also, the editor has included indicators as to who is speaking in each paragraph (much like a stage script) but it is not consistent.

Shop around and see if you can find a better edition of Pilgrim's Progress.

I Corinthians 13 says the following: If I have all faith as to
remove mountains, but have not love, then I am nothing...

Bunyan's allegory about Christian's journey is
predominantly a journey about faith....He doesn't really
talk about one's day to day struggles, and the need to
bear each other's burdens....It is primarily a solo kind of
journey here, but this should not be too surprising
considering that the book is an allegory about one's
own INNER struggle to avoid temptation, as typified by
"the world". In Christ our flesh has been crucified, so we
are not to dwell on earthly things.

I think the book succeeds admirably in admonishing the
Christian to avoid temptation and stay on the path that is
narrow and straight.

With that said, this is a remarkably readable version, that
is at the same time true to the original 17th century text.
Only spelling and punctuation have been changed to aid
the modern reader. Grammar and paragraphing have not
been altered. Where a word's meaning has changed over
time, its archaic meaning is included as a footnote. Also,
where Bunyan quotes from the Bible, directly or indirectly,
the passages quoted from are cited. The editors have
done a remarkable job, although truthfully I haven't looked
at all the other versions out there....For me, this version
does the job.

This was very unique. As two popular foltailers came to life to play baseball. Paul Bunyan {Stong Giant} and John Henry {Steel Worker} play America's favorite sport with a blind umpire. It has...interesting results.

As someone who is pretty outspoken about the modern translations of the Bible (hate them) I see that PP has been flayed alive in like manner and had all the poetry taken out. If you must read what is essentially a beautifully written evangelical tract, then at least get the beautifully written version. It was written in English to begin with; it never needed a 'translation,' and certainly not one this flaccid.

Read Pilgrim's Progress, by all means, but not this 'adapted' version. What will they do next, translate Shakespeare to make it more 'accessible?' Awful.

Wiersbe's revised edition of this classic is notable for several reasons. The extensive notes, Scripture references and end-of-chapter comments are excellent. Also, the translation manages to retain the style and form of the original--I wasn't jarred by obviously modern words or phrases. I would recommend The New Pilgrim's Progress, especially as a companion in studying Bunyan's original work.

When a classic book is re-written for children, one of the things I expect is enough faithfulness to the original story so that a child who has read the children's version can, as an adult, pick up the full original and recognize a story they are familiar with. I have read John Bunyan's Holy War, and I have read this re-write called "Target Earth!" Target Earth fails the test. It is true there is imagery and a story line coming from Bunyan's original work, but it is crowded out by the un-nessecary device of telling the story through the experiances of two "young" angels, and a general mediocrity in writing that falls far short of the richness of a true classic.

I am also very concerned about how Mr. Christopher Wright choose to describe the Trinity (Page 107). At face value, the description sets forth the modalistic error in contrast to the full and careful Trinitarian view of the historic orthodox church that John Bunyan would have held to. (See the Westminster Confession of Faith, Chapter 2, paragraph 3.) On this basis alone, this book is not one I want my children to read. I want to believe that Mr. Wright does hold the orthodox Biblical view of the three persons of the Trinity, and this passage reflects an un-fortunate choice of words. I leave him free to explain or clarify as he chooses.

It will be for someone else to re-write this classic in a way that repects the original, and gives children an authentic introduction to John Bunyan's "Holy War".

I have read all of Bunyan's works and I am 100% sure that he did not write this book. This book was found among his writings after his death and was included in his complete works. It is NOT his work.

While I agree with the doctrine described in this book, I find my intelligence insulted by the "updating for modern readers" performed by the editor. I would suggest that you buy the collected works of Bunyan which is in print and will edify you without insulting your intelligence.