i’ve been reading the above book at the recommendation of a friend. (i grew up on The Dangerous Journey – the kid’s version with wonderful illustrations!) and i came across this passage:
(Mr Worldly Wiseman is talking to Christian toward the beginning of Christian’s journey and trying to discourage him from continuing on)
Mr. W – “…thou art like to meet with , in the way which thou goest, Wearisomeness, Painfulness, Hunger, Perils, Nakedness, Sword, Lions, Dragons, Darkness, and in a word, Death, and what not! These things are certainly true, having been confirmed by many testimonies. And why should a man so carelessly cast away himself, by giving heed to a stranger? (referring to Christian following the direction of Evangelist)”
Christian – “Why, Sir, this Burden upon my back is more terrible to me than are all these things which you have mentioned; nay, methinks I care not what I meet with in the way, so be I can also meet with deliverance from my Burden.”
i also read this quote this morning:
“Your sufferings are not so great as your sins: put these two in the balance, and see which weighs heaviest; where sin lies heavy, sufferings lie light. A carnal spirit makes more of his sufferings, and less of his sins… The carnal hear cried, ‘Take away the punishment’; but a gracious heart cries ‘Take away the iniquity.’ One saith, ‘Never anyone suffered as I have done,’ but the other saith, ‘Never any one sinned as I have done.’ –Thomas Watson, The Art of Divine Contentment p82
do you realize what you’re biggest problem is?
and do you realize that you live each day with your biggest problem taken care of?
“Now I saw in my Dream, that the highway up which Christian was to go, was fenced on either side with a Wall, and that Wal is called Salvation. Up this way therefore did burdened Christian run, but not without great difficulty, because of the load on his back.
He ran thus till he came at a place somehwat ascending, and upon that place stood a Cross, and a little below in the bottom, a Sepulchre. So I saw in my Dream, that just as Christian came up with the Cross, his Burden was loosed from off his shoulders, and fell from off his back, and began to tumble, and so continued to do, till it came to the mouth of the Sepulchre, where it fell in, and I saw it no more.
Then was Christian glad and lightsome, and said with a merry heart, He hath given me rest by his sorrow, and life by his death. Then he stood still awhile to look and wonder; for it was very surprising to him, that the sight of the Cross shoudl thus ease him of his Burden. He looked therefore, and looked again, even till the springs that were in his head sent the waters down his cheeks…
…Then Christian gave three leaps for joy, and went on singing,
Thus far did i come laden with my sin;
Nor could aught ease the grief that I was in
Till I came hither: What a place is this!
Must here be the beginning of my bliss?
Must here the Burden fall from off my back?
Must here the strings that bound it to me crack?
Blest Cross! blest Sepulchre! blest rather be
The Man that there was put to shame for me.”
Amen!
we’ve decided that we’re going to teach my kids this game and it’s going to be their special game they play with grandpa…. 
Zach & Andrea 