How we cite our quotes: Paragraph (P#) or Line (Line #)
Quote #7
"Do you not remember, that one of the shepherds bid us beware of the Enchanted Ground? He meant by that that we should beware of sleeping; wherefore let us not sleep as do others, but let us watch and be sober." (P700)
Spoken like a true insomniac, Christian. But he also has experience to guide him in his counsel to Hopeful here. Having fallen asleep himself on the Hill of Difficulty and lost his scroll because of it, Christian is particularly wary of letting down his guard again. It's important to remember the function of sleep as an allegory—for letting loose, being less watchful of oneself and less vigilant in general. The pilgrims do let their guards down in some places (The Palace Beautiful, The River of Life, The Delectable Mountains), but only when their surroundings are safe and conducive to their purpose of salvation. Using the metaphor of sleep (and the awful drag of enduring through the lack of it), Bunyan speaks to the very real effort it takes to maintain one's Christian principles.
Quote #8
"I believed that that was true which had been told me, to wit, that without the righteousness of this Christ all the world could not save me; and therefore thought I with myself, If I leave off, I die, and can but die at the Throne of Grace. And withal, this came into my mind, If it tarry, wait for it, because it will surely come, it will not tarry. So I continued praying until the Father shewed me his Son." (P771)
Clearly, the pilgrims are called to "persevere" in more ways than one. While the literal journey on the road is the most evident metaphor Bunyan uses, Hopeful's description of his perseverance in prayer is also deep and important. He is describing the "revelation of Christ" to his soul here, the general phrase used for the moment of conversion. But it's no simple matter of praying and suddenly seeing Christ. Hopeful lives up to his name as he describes having had to pray hundreds of times before finally seeing Jesus.