He Giveth More Grace: An Illustration

Did you know that there are lots of free books on Kindle? The secret to finding them is to look for books written or translated into English before copyright laws in their modern form came into effect. Some great authors include Leo Tolstoy, Victor Hugo, George MacDonald, G.K. Chesterton, and--the author I am currently reading--John Bunyan, author of Pilgrim's Progress.

All of Pilgrim's Progress is an allegory for the Christian life. I have enjoyed reading it and taken much encouragement therein. (Also, my internal monologue is starting to sound like the King James Bible.) Below is one of my favorite illustrations:

"Then I saw in my dream that the Interpreter took Christian by the hand, and led him into a place where was a fire burning against a wall, and one standing by it, always casting much water upon it, to quench it; yet did the fire burn higher and hotter.

Then said Christian, 'What means this?'

The Interpreter answered, 'This fire is the work of grace that is wrought in the heart; he that casts water upon it, to extinguish and put it out, is the Devil; but in that thou seest the fire nowithstanding burn higher and hotter, thou shalt also see the reason of that.' So he had him about to the backside of the wall, where he saw a man with a vessel of oil in his hand, of the which he did also continually cast, but secretly, into the fire.

Then said Christian, 'What means this?'

The Interpreter answered, 'This is Christ, who continually, with the oil of his grace, maintains the work already begun in the heart: by the means of which, notwithstanding what the devil can do, the souls of his people prove gracious still. And in that thou sawest that the man stood behind the wall to maintain the fire, that is to teach thee that it is hard for the tempted to see how this work of grace is maintained in the soul.'"

I have thought of this illustration often while I've slowly made my way through the book. Yesterday I was laid up with the flu, and although I feel much better today, I still am not quite back to normal. Despite my weakness, though, it is wonderful to think that Christ is working in my life, behind the scenes, adding the "oil of his grace" to the fire.