And of his Pilgrimage. 301 fixed my way is before me, my mind is beyond the River that has no bridge; though I am, as you see, but of a feeble mind.' (i) Then said Mr. Honest, "Have not you some time acquainted with one Mr. Fearing, a Pilgrim P ago been Feebl. Acquainted with him! yes: he came from the town of Stupidity, which lies four degrees northward of the City of Destruction, and as many off of where I was born; yet we were well acquainted, for indeed he was my uncle, my father's brother; he and I have been much of a temper: he was a little shorter than I, but yet we were much of a complexion. Hon. I perceive you know him; and I am apt to believe also, that you were related one to another, for you have his whitely look, a cast like his with your eye, and your speech is much alike. Feebl. Most have said so, that have known us both; and, besides, what I have read in him, I have for the most part found in myself. "Come Sir,' said good Gaius, be of good cheer; you are welcome to me, and to my house, and what thou hast a mind to, call for freely; and what thou wouldest have my servants do for thee, they will do it with a ready mind.' Then said Mr. Feeble-mind, "This is an unexpected favour, and as the sun shining out of a very dark cloud. Did Giant Slay-good intend me this favour when he stopt me, and resolved to let me go no further? Did he intend, that after he had rifled my pocket, I should go to "Gaius mine host " Yet so it is.' Now just as Mr. Feeble-mind and Gaius were thus in talk, there comes one running, and called at the door, and told, that about a mile and a half off there was one Mr. Not-right, (i) The character of Feeble-mind seems to coincide in some things with that of Fearing; and in others with the description of Little-faith. Constitutional timidity and lowness of spirits, arising from a feeble frame and frequent sickness, while they are frequently the means of exciting men to religion, give also a peculiar cast to their views and the nature of their profession; tend to hold them under perpetual discouragements, and unft them for hard and perilous services. This seems implied in the name given to the native place of Feeble-mind: his uncertainty or hesitation in his religious profession was the effect of his natural turn of mind, which was opposite to the sanguine and confident. Yet this timid and discouraged irresolution is often connected with evident sincerity and remarkable perseverance in the ways of God. The principal difference between Feeble-mind and Fearing seems to be this; that the former was more afraid of opposition, and the latter more doubtful about the event; which perhaps may intimate, that Slay-good rather represents persecutors than deceivers, В в 302 Matthew and Mercy are Married. a Pilgrim, struck dead upon the place where he was, with a thunderbolt. "Alas!' said Mr. Feeble-mind, is he slain? He overtook me some days before I came so far as hither, and would be my company-keeper: he also was with me when Slay-good the Giant took me, but he was nimble of his heels, and escaped but, it seems, he escaped to die, and I was took to live.' (k) "What, one would think, doth seek to slay outright, Ofttimes delivers from the saddest plight. Hands cross'd gave death to him, and life to me.' Now about this time Matthew and Mercy were married: also Gaius gave his daughter Phebe to James, Matthew's brother, to wife. After which time they staid about ten days at Gaius' house; spending their time, and the seasons, like as Pilgrims used to do. When they were to depart, Gaius made them a feast, and they did eat and drink, and were merry. Now the hour was come that they must be gone; wherefore Mr. Greatheart called for a reckoning. But Gaius told him, that at his house is was not the custom of Pilgrims to pay for their entertainment. He boarded them by the year, but looked for his pay from the Good Samaritan, who had promised him, at his return, whatsoever charge he was at with them, faithfully to repay him. Then said Mr. Great-heart to him,-"Beloved, thou doest faithfully, whatsoever thou doest to the brethren and to strangers, which have borne witness of thy charity before the church; whom if thou yet bring forward on their journey, after a godly sort, thou shalt do well."+ Then Gaius took his leave of them all, and his children, and particularly of Mr. Feeble-mind: he also gave him something to drink by the way. *Luke x. 34, 35. +3 John 5, 6. (k) Here again we meet with a contrast between a feeble believer and a specious hypocrite. The latter eludes persecution by time-serving, yet perishes in his sins: the former suffers and trembles, yet hopes; is delivered and comforted, and finds his trials terminate in his greater advantage. The frequency with which this difference is introduced, and the variety of character by which it is illustrated, shews us, how important the author deemed it, to warn false professors at the same time, that we comfort the feeble minded, and to mark as exactly as we can the discriminating peculiarities of their aim and expe rience. Great-heart encourages Feeble-mind. S03 Now Mr. Feeble-mind, when they were going out at the door, made as if he intended to linger. The which when Mr. Great-heart espied, he said, 'Come, Mr. Feeble-mind, pray do you go along with us, I will be your Conductor, and you shall fare as the rest.' Feebl. Alas! I want a suitable companion; you are all lusty and strong: but I, as you see, am weak; I choose therefore rather to come behind, lest by reason of my many infirmities, I should be both a burden to myself and to you. I am, as I said, a man of a weak and a feeble mind, and shall be offended and made weak at that which others can bear. I shall like no laughing: I shall like no gay attire: I shall like no unprofitable questions. Nay, I am so weak a man, as to be offended with that which others have a liberty to do. I do not know all the truth: I am a very ignorant Christian man: sometimes, if I hear some rejoice in the Lord, it troubles me, because I cannot do so too. It is with me, as it is with a weak man among the strong, or as a lamp despised. "He that is ready to slip with his feet, is as a lamp despised in the thought of him that is at ease;"* so that I know not what to do. 'But, brother,' said Mr. Great-heart, 'I have it in commission to "comfort the feeble-minded," and to support the weak. You must needs go along with us: we will wait for you, we will lend you our help; we will deny ourselves of some things, both opinionative and practical, for your sake; we will not enter into "doubtful disputations" before you; we will be made all things to you, rather than you shall be left behind.'t (?) *Job xii. 5. +Rom. xiv. 1 Cor. viii. ix. 22. (1) Weak believers are conscientious even to scrupulosity: so far from allowing themselves in the practice of known sin, or the omission of evident duty, they are prone to abridge themselves in things which are indifferent; they often impose rules on themselves which they do not expect others to observe; and sometimes are sensible that their uneasiness, at the liberty used by their brethren, arises from ignorance and low attainments : and therefore they deem it better to live retired, than to burden others with their peculiarities, or be grieved with things which every where meet their observation.-But there are per. sons, that expect to be encouraged as weak believers, who are far removed from such scrupulousness; and whose weakness consists merely in an inability to maintain an unwaver ing confidence, while they live in a loose and negligent manner. These seem more to resemble Not-right than Feeble-mind.-They that are indeed weak believers should learn from this passage, to beware of censoriousness, and of making themselves a standard for others: and their stronger brethren should be reminded not to despise or grieve them, by an inexpedient use of their liberty.The author, in a marginal note, has marked Greatheart's answer as a Christian spirit.) They will, however, commonly find associates, in some measure of their own turn, who are often more useful to them, than such as cannot enthely sympathize with their feelings.. 504 Ready-to-halt joins them. Now all this while they were at Gaius' door; and behold, as they were thus in the heat of their discourse, Mr. Readyto-halt came by, with his crutches in his hand, and he also was going on pilgrimage.* Then said Mr. Feeble-mind to him, 'How camest thou hither? I was but now complaining that I had not a suitable companion; but thou art according to my wish. Welcome, welcome, good Mr. Ready-to-halt, I hope thou and I may be some help.' I shall be glad of thy company,' said the other; and good Mr. Feeble-mind, rather than we will part, since we are thus happily met, I will lend thee one of my crutches." Nay,' said he, though I thank thee for thy good-will, I am not inclined to halt before I am lame. Howbeit, I think, when occasion is, it may help me against a dog.' Ready-to-halt. If either myself or my crutches can do thee a pleasure, we are both at thy command, good Mr. Feeble mind. Thus therefore they went on. Mr. Great-heart and Mr. Honest went before, Christiana and her children went next, and Mr. Feeble-mind and Mr. Ready-to-halt came behind with his crutches. Then said Mr. Honest, Pray, Sir, now we are upon the road, tell us some profitable things of some that have gone on pilgrimage before us.' Gr.-H. With a good will. I suppose you have heard how Christian of old did meet with Apollyon in the Valley of Humiliation, and also what hard work he had to go through the Valley of the Shadow of Death. Also I think you cannot but have heard how Faithful was put to it by Madam Wanton, with Adam the First, with one Discontent, and Shame : four as deceitful villains as a man can meet with upon road. the Hon. Yes, I believe I heard of all this: but indeed good Faithful was hardest put to it with Shame : he was an unwearied one. Gr.-H. Ay: for, as the Pilgrim well said, 'He of all men had the wrong name.' Hon. But pray, Sir, where was it that Christian and Faithful met Talkative? that same was a notable one. Gr.-H. He was a confident fool; yet many follow his ways. Hon. He had like to have beguiled Faithful. *Pa. xxxviii. 17. Faithful's Sufferings-By-ends Instability. S05 Gr.-H. Ay, but Christian put him into a way quickly to find him out. Thus they went on till they came to the place where Evangelist met with Christian and Faithful, and prophesied to them what they should meet with at Vanity-Fair. Then said their Guide, 'Hereabouts did Christian and Faithful meet with Evangelist, who prophesied to them of what troubles they should meet with at Vanity-Fair.' Hon. Say you so? I dare say it was a hard chapter that then he did read unto them. (m) Gr.-H. It was so, but then he gave them encouragement withal. But what do we talk of them? they were a couple of lion-like men; they had set their faces like flints. Do not you remember how undaunted they were when they stood before the judge? Hon. Well, Faithful bravely suffered. Gr.-H. So he did, and as brave things came on't for Hopeful and some others, as the story relates, were converted by his death.* Hon. Well, pray go on ; for you are well acquainted with things. Gr.-H. Above all that Christian met with after he had passed through Vanity-Fair, one By-ends was the arch one. Hon. By-ends! What was he? Gr.-H. A very arch fellow, a downright hypocrite; one that would be religious, which way ever the world went: but so cunning, that he would be sure never to lose or to suffer for it. He had his mode of religion for every fresh occasion, and his wife was as good at it as he. He would turn and change from opinion to opinion; yea, and plead for so doing too. But as far as I could learn, he came to an illend with his by-ends; nor did I ever hear, that any of his children were ever of any esteem with any that truly fear God.t Part i. p. 97-123. † Part i. p. 129-141. (m) The near prospect of persecution is formidable even to true lx lievers, notwithstand ing all the encouragements of God's word.—It is therefore very useful to realize such scenes to our minds, and to consider how we should feel were they actually present; that we may be preserved from self-confidence; excited to diligence in every thing connected with the assurance of hope; put on our guard against every action or engagement which might weaken our confidence in God; and pray without ceasing, for that measure of wisdom, fortitude, patience, meekness, faith and love, which might be sufficient for us, should mas fers come to the worst. В в 2 |