“Forget not Master Valiant-for-the-Truth, That man of courage, tho’ a very youth.  Tell every one his spirit was so stout, No man could ever make him face about.” Bunyan.

“I am of Dark-land, for there was I born, and there my father and mother are still.”  “Dark-land,” said the guide; “doth not that lie upon the same coast as the City of Destruction?” “Yes, it doth,” replied Valiant-for-truth.  “And had I not found incommodity there, I had not forsaken it at all; but finding it altogether unsuitable to me, and very unprofitable for me, I forsook it for this way.  Now, that which caused me to come on pilgrimage was this.  We had one Mr. Tell-true came into our parts, and he told it about what Christian had done, that went from the City of Destruction.  That man so told the story of Christian and his travels that my heart fell into a burning haste to be gone after him, nor could my father and mother stay me, so I got from them, and am come thus far on my way.”

1.  A very plain and practical lesson is already read to us all in Valiant-for-truth’s explanation of his own pilgrimage.  He tells the guide that he was made a pilgrim just by having the story of The Pilgrim told to him.  All that Tell-true did was just to recite the story of the pilgrim, when young Valiant’s heart fell into a burning haste to be a pilgrim too.  My brethren, could any lesson be plainer?  Read the Pilgrim’s Progress with your children.  And, after a time, read it again till they call it beautiful, and till you see the same burning haste in their hearts that young Valiant felt in his heart.  Circulate the Pilgrim’s Progress.  Make opportunities to give the Pilgrim’s Progress to the telegraph boys and errand boys at your door.  Never go on a holiday without taking a dozen cheap and tasteful copies of The Pilgrim to give to boys and girls in the country.  Make sure that no one, old or young, of your acquaintance, in town or country, is without a good copy of The Pilgrim.  And the darker their house is, make all the more sure that John Bunyan is in it.

   “Now may this little book a blessing be,
   To those that love this little book and me
   And may its buyer have no cause to say
   His money is but lost or thrown away.”

2.  But the great lesson of Valiant’s so impressive life lies in the tremendous fight he had with three ruffians who all set upon him at once and well-nigh made an end of him.  For, when we put by the curtains here again, and turn up the metaphors, what do we find?  What, but a lesson of first-rate importance for many men among ourselves; for many public men, many ministers, and many other much-in-earnest men.  For Valiant, as his name tells us, was set to contend for the truth.  He had the truth.  The truth was put into his keeping, and he was bound to defend it.  He was thrown into a life of controversy, and thus into all the terrible temptations—­worse