The Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan

CHRISTIAN: "And did you think yourself well then?”
HOPEFUL: "Yes, for a while — but eventually my troubling convictions
came tumbling upon me again, in spite of all my reformations."
CHRISTIAN: "How so, since you were now reformed?”
HOPEFUL: "There were several things which brought these convictions
upon me, especially such sayings as these: 'All our righteousnesses are
as filthy rags.' 'By the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.' 'When
we have done everything we should — we are unworthy servants, doing
but our duty' — along with many more similar sayings. Hence I began
to reason thus with myself: If ALL my righteousnesses are filthy rags —
and if, by the deeds of the law, NO man can be justified — and if, when
we have done ALL our duty, we are yet unprofitable servants — then it
is but folly to think of gaining Heaven by keeping the law.
"I further thought thus: If a man runs a hundred dollars into debt to the
shopkeeper, and from then on, he pays for everything that he
purchases; yet, if his old debt still remains unpaid in the ledger book —
the shopkeeper will sue him for that, and cast him into prison until he
shall pay the full debt."
CHRISTIAN: "So how did you apply this to yourself?"
HOPEFUL: "Why, I thought thus with myself: I have, by my sins,
accumulated a great debt in God's Book — and that my now reforming
will not pay off that debt. Therefore even with all my present
amendments — I would not be freed from that damnation which my
former transgressions still deserved.”
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