Evangelist, (pointing with his finger over a very wide field,)" Do you see yonder Wicket gate?"* The man said, "No." Then (said the other)" Do you see yonder shining light?" He said, "I think I do." "Then (said Evangelist) keep that light in your eye, and go up directly thereto; so shalt thou see the gate; at which, when thou knockest, it shall be told thee what thou shalt do." So I saw in my dream, that the man began to run. Now, had not run far from his own door, but his wife and children perceiving it, began to cry after him to return; but the man put his fingers in his ears, and ran on, crying Life! life! eternal life! So he looked not behind him, but fled towards the middle of the plain. The neighbors also came out to see him run; and as he ran, some mocked, others threatened, and some cried after him to return;** and among those that did so, there were two that were resolved to fetch him back by force. The name of the one was Obstinate, and the name of the other Pliable. Now, by this time, the man was got a good distance from them; but however they were resolved to pursue him; which they did, and in a little time they overtook him. Then said the man, "Neighbors, wherefore are ye come?" They said, "To persuade you to go back with us:" but he said, "That can by no means be; you dwell (said he) in the city of destruction, (the place also where I was born,) I see it to be so; and dying there sooner or later, you will sink lower than the grave, into a place that burns with fire and brimstone; be content, good neighbors, and go along with me." "What! (said Obstinate,) and leave our friends and our comforts behind us!" "Yes, (said Christian, for that was his name,) because that all that which you shall forsake, is not worthy to be compared ++ with a little of that that I am seeking to enjoy: and if you will go along with me, and hold it, you shall fare as I myself: for there where I go, is enough and to spare: come away, and prove my words." Obstinate. What are these things you seek, since you leave all the world to find them? Christian. I seek an inheritance incorruptible, unde * Matt. vii. 13, 14. † Psalm cxix. 105.-2 Pet. i. 19. ‡ Note.-Christ and the way to him cannot be found without the word. 6 Luke xiv. 26. Jer. xx. 10. **Note. They that fly from the wrath to come, are a gazing-stock to the world. Gen. xix. 17. tt Rom. viii. 18. + Luke xv. 17. filed, and that fadeth not away;* and it is laid up in heaven, and safe there, to be bestowed, at the time appointed, on them that diligently seek it. Read it so, if you will, in my book. Obstinate. Tushaway with your book: Will you go back with us or no? Christian. No, not I; because I have laid my hand to the plough.‡ Obstinate. Come, then, neighbor Pliable, let us turn again, and go home without him; there is a company of these crazy-headed coxcombs, that when they take a fancy by the end, are wiser in their own eyes than seven men that can render a reason. Pliable. Do not revile: if what the good Christian says is true, the things he looks after are better than ours: my heart inclines to go with my neighbor. Obstinate. What! more fools still? Be ruled by me, and go back; who knows whither such a brain-sick fellow will lead you? Go back, go back, and be wise. Christian. Nay, but do thou come with thy neighbor Pliable; there are such things to be had which I spoke of, and many more glories besides; if you believe not nie, read here in this book, and for the truth of what is expressed therein, behold all is confirmed by the blood of Him that made it. Pliable. Well, neighbor Obstinate, I begin to come to a point; I intend to go along with this good man; and to cast in my lot with him: but, my good companion, do you know the way to this desired place? Christian. I am directed by a man whose name is Evangelist, to speed me to a little gate that is before us; where we shall receive instructions about the way. Pliable. Come, then, good neighbor, let us be going. Obstinate. And I will go back to my place: I will be no companion of such misled, fantastical fellows. Now I saw in my dream, that when Obstinate was going back, Christian and Pliable went talking over the plain; and thus they began their discourse. Christian. Come, neighbor Pliable, how do you do? I am glad you are persuaded to go along with me: had even Obstinate himself but felt what I have felt of the powers and terrors of what is yet unseen, he would not thus lightly have given us the back. Pliable. Come, neighbor Christian, since there are † Heb xi. 16. + Luke ix. 62. * Pet. i. 4. Prov. xxvi. 16. none but us two here, tell me now farther, what the things are, and how to be enjoyed, whither we are going? Christian. I can better conceive of them with my mind, than speak of them with my tongue: but yet, since you are desirous to know, I will read of them in my book. Pliable. And do you think that the words of your book are certainly true? Christian. Yes, verily, for it was made by Him that cannot lie.t Pliable. Well said: What things are they? Christian. There is an endless kingdom to be inhabited, and everlasting life to be given us, that we may inhabit that kingdom for ever. Pliable. Well said; and what else? Christian. There are crowns of glory to be given us; and garments that will make us shine like the sun || in the firmament of heaven. Pliable. This is very pleasant; and what else? Christian. There shall be no more crying, nor sorrow; for He that is owner of the place, will wipe all tears from our eyes. T Pliable. And what company shall we have there? Christian. There we shall be with seraphims and cherubims,** creatures that will dazzle your eyes to look on them: There also we shall meet with thousands and ten thousands that have gone before us to that place; none of them are hurtful, but loving and holy, every one walking in the sight of God, and standing in the presence with acceptance for ever. In a word, there we shall see the elders with their golden crowns:++ There we shall see the holy virgins with their golden harps :‡‡ There we shall see men, that by the world were cut in pieces, burnt in flames, eaten of beasts, drowned in the seas, for the love that they bare to the lord of the place; all well clothed with immortality,|||| as with a garment. Pliable. The hearing of this is enough to ravish one's heart: but are these things to be enjoyed? how shall we get to be sharers thereof? Christian. The Lord, the Governor of the country, hath recorded that in this book, the substance of which is, if † Tit. i. 2. 2 Tim. iv. 8. Isaiah xv. 18.-Rev. vii. 16, 17.-xxi. 4 17.-Rev. v. 11. tt Rev. iv. 4. Ø Heb. xi. 35, &c.-John xii. 28. *Note.-God's things are unspeakable. B we be truly willing to have it, he will bestow it upon us freely.* Pliable. Well, my good companion, glad am I to hear of these things; come on, let us mend our pace. Christian. I cannot go so fast as I would, by reason of this burthen that is on my back. Now I saw in my dream, that just as they had ended their talk, they drew nigh to a very miry slough that was in the midst of the plain, and they being heedless, did both fall suddenly into the bog. The name of the slough was Despond. Here therefore they wallowed for a time, being grievously bedaubed with dirt; and Christian, because of the burthen that was upon his back, began to sink in the mire. Then said Pliable, "Ah, neighbor Christian, where are you now?" "Truly, (said Christian,) I do not know." 66 At this Pliable began to be offended, and angrily said to his fellow, "Is this the happiness you have told me all this while of? If we have such ill speed at our first setting out, what may we expect betwixt this and our journey's end?† May I but get out again with my life, you shall possess the brave country alone for me." And with what he gave a desperate struggle or two, and got out of the mire on that side of the slough which was next his own house; so away he went, and Christian saw him no more. Wherefore Christian was left to tumble in the Slough of Despond alone: but still he endeavored to struggle to that side of the slough that was farther from his own house, and next to the wicket-gate: the which he did, but could not get out, because of the burthen that was upon his back: But I beheld in my dream, that a man came to him, whose name was Help, and asked him, "What he did there?" "Sir, (said Christian,) I was bid to go this way, by a man called Evangelist, who directed me also to yonder gate, that I might escape the wrath to come. And as I was going thither, I fell in here." Help. But why did you not look for the steps? Christian. Fear followed me so hard, that I fled the next way, and fell in. Then said Help, "Give me thy hand;" so he gave him * Isaiah lv 12.-John vi. 37.-vii. † Note.-It is not enough to be pliable. ‡ Note.-A Christian, though in trouble, seeks still to get farther from his own house. The Promises. his hand, and he drew him out, and set him upon sound ground, and bade him go on his way. (Then I stepped to him who plucked him out; and said, "Sir; wherefore, since over this place is the way from the city of Destruction to yonder gate, is it, that this plat is not mended, that poor travellers might go thither with more security?" And he said unto me; "This miry slough is such a place as cannot be mended: it is the descent whither the scum and filth that attend conviction for sin, do continually run; and therefore it is called the Slough of Despond; for, still as the sinner is awakened about his lost condition, there arise in his soul many fears and doubts, and discouraging apprehensions, which all of them get together, and settle in this place: and this is the reason of the badness of this ground. It is not the pleasure of the king that this place should remain so bad,† his laborers also have, by the direction of his Majesty's surveyors, been for above these sixteen hundred years employed about this patch of ground, if perhaps it might have been mended. Yea, and to my knowledge (said he) here have been swallowed up at least twenty thousand cart-loads, yea, millions of wholesome instructions, that have at all seasons been brought from all places of the king's dominions, (and they that can tell, say, they are the best materials to make good ground of the place,) if so be it might have been mended; but it is the Slough of Despond still; and so will be, when they have done what they can. True, there are, by the direction of the Law-giver, certain good and substantial steps, placed even through the very midst of this slough, but at such time as this place doth much spew out of it filth, as it doth against change of weather, these steps are hardly seen, or, if they be, men, through the dizziness of their heads, step beside; and then they are bemired to some purpose, notwithstanding the steps be there; but the ground is good when they are once got in at the gate.”) Now I saw in my dream, that by this time Pliable was got home to his house. So his neighbors came to visit him; and some of them called him wise man for coming back; and some called him fool for hazarding himself with Christian:-others again did mock his cowardliness, saying, "Surely, since you began to venture, I would not have been so base to have given out for a few difficulties." So Pliable sat sneaking among them. But at last he got more * Psalm xl. 2. † Isaiah xxxv. 3, 4. The promises of forgiveness and acceptance to life by faith in Christ. 31 Sam xii. 23. |