Pilgrims Progress Pt1 ending by John Bunyan

Then I saw in my dream, that the Shepherds had them to another place, in a bottom, where was a door in the side of a hill,
and they opened the door, and bid them
look in. They looked in, therefore, and saw
that within it was very dark and smoky;
they also thought that they heard there a
rumbling noise as of fire, and a cry of some
tormented, and that they smelt the scent of
brimstone. Then said Christian, What
means this? The Shepherds told them, This
is a byway to hell, a way that hypocrites go
in at; namely, such as sell their birthright,
with Esau; such as sell their master, with
Judas; such as blaspheme the Gospel, with
Alexander; and that lie and dissemble, with
Ananias and Sapphira his wife.[231] Then
said Hopeful to the Shepherds, I perceive
that these had on them, even every one, a
show of pilgrimage, as we have now; had
they not?
SHEP. Yes, and held it a long time too.
HOPE. How far might they go on in
pilgrimage in their day, since they notwithstanding were thus miserably cast away?
SHEP. Some further, and some not so
far, as these mountains.[232]
Then said the Pilgrims one to another,
We had need to cry to the Strong for
strength.
SHEP. Aye, and you will have need to
use it, when you have it, too.
By this time the Pilgrims had a desire to
go forward, and the Shepherds a desire
they should; so they walked together towards the end of the mountains. Then said
the Shepherds one to another, Let us here
show to the Pilgrims the gates of the Celestial City, if they have skill to look through
our perspective glass.[233] The Pilgrims
then loving accepted the motion; so they
had them to the top of a high hill, called
Clear, and gave them their glass to look.
Then they essayed to look, but the remembrance of that last thing that the Shepherds had showed them, made their hands
shake; by means of which impediment,
they could not look steadily through the
glass; yet they thought they saw something
like the gate, and also some of the glory of
the place.[234] Then  they went away, and
sang this song—Thus, by the Shepherds,
secrets are reveal’d, Which from all other
men are kept conceal’d Come to the Shepherds, then, if you would see Things deep,
things hid, and that mysterious be.[235]
When they were about to depart, one of
the Shepherds gave them a note of the way.
Another of them bid them beware of the
Flatterer. The third bid them take heed that
they sleep not upon the Enchanted Ground.
And the fourth bid them God speed. So I
awoke from my dream.[236]
And I slept, and dreamed again, and
saw the same two Pilgrims going down the
mountains along the highway towards the
city. Now, a little below these mountains,
on the left hand, lieth the country of Conceit;[237] from which country there comes
into the way in which the Pilgrims walked,
a little crooked lane. Here, therefore, they
met with a very brisk lad, that came out of
that country; and his name was Ignorance.
So Christian asked him from what parts he
came, and whither he was going.
IGNOR. Sir, I was born in the country
that lieth off there, a little on the left hand,
and I am going to the Celestial City.
CHR. But how do you think to get in at
the gate? for you may find some difficulty
there. 58
IGNOR. As other good people do, said
he.
CHR. But what have you to show at that
gate, that may cause that the gate should be
opened to you?
IGNOR. I know my Lord’s will, and I
have been a good liver; I pay every man his
own; I pray, fast, pay tithes, and give alms,
and have left my country for whither I am
going.[238]
CHR.  But  thou  camest  not  in  at  the
wicket-gate that is at the head of this way;
thou camest in hither through that same
crooked lane, and therefore, I fear, however
thou mayest think of thyself, when the
reckoning day shall come, thou wilt have
laid to thy charge that thou art a thief and a
robber, instead of getting admittance into
the city.
IGNOR. Gentlemen, ye be utter strangers to me, I know you not; be content to follow the religion of your country, and I will
follow the religion of mine. I hope all will
be well. And as for the gate that you talk of,
all the world knows that that is a great way
off of our country. I cannot think that any
man in all our parts doth so much as know
the way to it, nor need they matter whether
they do or no, since we have, as you see, a
fine pleasant green lane, that comes down
from our country, the next way into the
way.
When Christian saw that the man was
“wise in his own conceit,” he said to Hopeful, whisperingly, “There is more hope of a
fool than of him” (Prov. 26:12). And said,
moreover, “When he that is a fool walketh
by the way, his wisdom faileth him, and he
saith to everyone that he is a fool” (Eccl.
10:3). What, shall we talk further with him,
or out-go him at present, and so leave him
to think of what he hath heard already, and
then stop again for him afterwards, and see
if by degrees we can do any good to him?
Then said Hopeful—Let Ignorance a little
while now muse On what is said, and let
him not refuse Good counsel to embrace,
lest he remain Still ignorant of what’s the
chiefest gain. God saith, those that no understanding have, Although He made
them, them He will not save.
HOPE. He further added, It is not good,
I think, to say all to him at once; let us pass
him by, if you will, and talk to him anon,
even as he is able to bear it.[239]
So they both went on, and Ignorance he
came after. Now when they had passed
him a little way, they entered into a very
dark lane, where they met a man whom
seven devils had bound with seven strong
cords, and were carrying of him back to the
door that they saw on the side of the
hill[240] (Matt. 12:45; Prov. 5:22). Now
good Christian began to tremble, and so
did Hopeful his companion; yet as the devils led away the man, Christian looked to
see if he knew him; and he thought it might
be one Turn-away, that dwelt in the town
of Apostasy. But he did not perfectly see
his face, for he did hang his head like a
thief that is found.[241] But being once
past, Hopeful looked after him, and espied
on his back a paper with this inscription,
“Wanton professor, and damnable apostate.”[242] Then said Christian to his fellow, Now I call to remembrance, that
which was told me of a thing that happened to a good man hereabout. The name
of the man was Little-faith, but a good man,
and he dwelt in the town of Sincere. The
thing was this: At the entering in at this
passage, there comes down from Broadway Gate, a lane called Dead Man’s
Lane;[243] so called because of the murders
that are commonly done there; and this Little-faith going on pilgrimage, as we do
now, chanced to sit down there, and slept.
Now there happened, at that time, to come
down the lane from Broad-way Gate, three
sturdy rogues, and their names were Faintheart, Mistrust, and Guilt (three brothers),
and they espying Little-faith, where he was,
came galloping up with speed. Now the
good man was just awake from his sleep,
and was getting up to go on his journey. So
they came up all to him, and with threaten-59
ing language bid him stand. At this, Littlefaith looked as white as a cloud, and had
neither power to fight nor fly. Then said
Faint-heart, Deliver thy purse. But he making no haste to do it (for he was loath to
lose his money), Mistrust ran up to him,
and thrusting his hand into his pocket,
pulled out thence a bag of silver. Then he
cried out, Thieves! Thieves! With that,
Guilt, with a great club that was in his
hand, struck Little-faith on the head, and
with that blow felled him flat to the
ground; where be lay bleeding as one that
would bleed to death.[244] All this while
the thieves stood by. But, at last, they hearing that some were upon the road, and
fearing lest it should be one Great-grace,
that dwells in the city of good-confidence,
they betook themselves to their heels, and
left this good man to shift for himself. Now,
after a while, Little-faith came to himself,
and getting up, made shift to scrabble on
his way.[245] This was the story.
HOPE. But did they take from him all
that ever he had?
CHR. No; the place where his jewels
were they never ransacked, so those he
kept still. But, as I was told, the good man
was much afflicted for his loss, for the
thieves got most of his spending-money.
That which they got not (as I said) were
jewels,[246] also he had a little odd money
left, but scarce enough to bring him to his
journey’s end (1 Peter 4:18); nay, if I were
not misinformed, he was forced to beg as
be went, to keep himself alive; for his jewels he might not sell. But beg, and do what
he could, he went (as we say) with many a
hungry belly the most part of the rest of the
way.[247]
HOPE. But is it not a wonder they got
not from him his certificate, by which he
was to receive his admittance at the Celestial Gate?
CHR. It is a wonder; but they got not
that, though they missed it not through any
good cunning of his; for he, being dismayed with their coming upon him, had
neither power nor skill to hide anything; so
it  was  more  by  good  Providence  than  by
his endeavour, that they missed of that
good thing.[248]
HOPE. But it must needs be a comfort
to him, that they got not this jewel from
him.[249]
CHR. It might have been great comfort
to him, had he used it as he should; but
they that told me the story said, that he
made but little use of it all the rest of the
way, and that because of the dismay that he
had in the taking away his money; indeed,
he forgot it a great part of the rest of his
journey; and besides, when at any time it
came into his mind, and he began to be
comforted therewith, then would fresh
thoughts of his loss come again upon him,
and those thoughts would swallow up all
(1 Peter 1:9).
 HOPE. Alas! poor man. This could not
but be a great grief to him.
CHR. Grief! aye, a grief indeed. Would
it  not  have  been  so  to  any  of  us,  had  we
been used as he, to be robbed, and
wounded too, and that in a strange place,
as he was? It is a wonder he did not die
with grief, poor heart! I was told that he
scattered almost all the rest of the way with
nothing but doleful and bitter complaints;
telling also to all that overtook him, or that
he overtook in the way as he went, where
he was robbed, and how; who they were
that did it, and what he lost; how he was
wounded, and that he hardly escaped with
his life.[250]
HOPE. But it is a wonder that his necessity did not put him upon selling or pawning some of his jewels,[251] that he might
have wherewith to relieve himself in his
journey.
CHR. Thou talkest like one upon whose
head is the shell to this very day; for what
should he pawn them, or to whom should
he sell them? In all that country where he
was robbed, his jewels were not accounted
of; nor did he want that relief which could
from thence be administered to him. Be-60
sides, had his jewels  been missing at the
gate of the Celestial City, he had (and that
he knew well enough) been excluded from
an inheritance there; and that would have
been worse to him than the appearance and
villainy of 10,000 thieves.
HOPE. Why art thou so tart, my
brother? Esau sold his birthright, and that
for a mess of pottage, and that birthright
was his greatest jewel; and if he, why might
not Little-faith do so too? (Heb. 12:16).
CHR. Esau did sell his birthright indeed, and so do many besides, and by so
doing exclude themselves from the chief
blessing, as also that caitiff did; but you
must put a difference betwixt Esau and Little-faith, and also betwixt their estates.
Esau’s birthright was typical, but Littlefaith’s jewels were not so; Esau’s belly was
his god, but Little-faith’s belly was not so;
Esau’s want lay in his fleshly appetite, Little-faith’s did not so. Besides, Esau could
see no further than to the fulfilling of his
lusts; “Behold I am at the point to die (said
he), and what profit shall this birthright do
me?” (Gen. 25:32). But Little-faith, though it
was his lot to have but a little faith, was by
his little faith kept from such extravagances, and made to see and prize his jewels more than to sell them, as Esau did his
birthright. You read not anywhere that
Esau had faith, no, not so much as a little;
therefore no marvel if, where the flesh only
bears sway (as it will in that man where no
faith is to resist), if he sells his birthright,
and his soul and all, and that to the devil of
hell; for it is with such, as it is with the ass,
who in her occasions cannot be turned
away (Jer. 2:24). When their minds are set
upon their lusts, they will have them whatever they cost. But Little-faith was of another temper, his mind was on things divine; his livelihood was upon things that
were spiritual, and from above; therefore,
to  what  end  should  he  that  is  of  such  a
temper sell his jewels (had there been any
that would have bought them) to fill his
mind with empty things? Will a man give a
penny to fill his belly with hay; or can you
persuade the turtle-dove to live upon carrion like the crow? Though faithless ones
can, for carnal lusts, pawn, or mortgage, or
sell what they have, and themselves outright to boot; yet they that have faith, saving faith, though but a little of it, cannot do
so. Here, therefore, my brother, is thy mistake.
HOPE. I acknowledge it; but yet your
severe reflection had almost made me angry.[252]
CHR. Why, I did but compare thee to
some of the birds that are of the brisker
sort, who will run to and fro in untrodden
paths, with the shell upon their heads; but
pass by that, and consider the matter under
debate, and all shall be well betwixt thee
and me.
HOPE. But, Christian, these three fellows, I am persuaded in my heart, are but a
company of cowards;[253] would they have
run else, think you, as they did, at the noise
of one that was coming on the road? Why
did not Little-faith pluck up a greater
heart? He might, methinks, Have stood one
brush with them, and have yielded when
there had been no remedy.
CHR. That they are cowards, many
have said, but few have found it so in the
time of trial. As for a great heart, Littlefaith
had none; and I perceive by thee, my
brother, hadst thou been the man concerned, thou art but for a brush, and then to
yield. And, verily, since this is the height of
thy stomach, now they are at a distance
from us, should they appear to thee as they
did to him, they might put thee to second
thoughts.
But, consider again, they are but journeymen thieves, they serve under the king
of the bottomless pit, who, if need be, will
come in to their aid himself, and his voice is
as the roaring of a lion (Psa. 7:2; 1 Peter 5:8).
I myself have been engaged as this Littlefaith was, and I found it a terrible thing.
These three villains set upon me, and I beginning, like a Christian, to resist, they 61
gave but a call, and in came their master. I
would, as the saying is, have given my life
for a penny; but that, as God would have it,
I was clothed with armour of proof. Aye,
and yet, though I was so harnessed, I found
it hard work to quit myself like a man. No
man can tell what in that combat attends
us, but he that hath been in the battle himself.[254]
HOPE. Well, but they ran, you see,
when they did but suppose that one Greatgrace was in the way.[255]
 CHR. True, they have often fled, both
they and their master, when Great-grace
hath but appeared; and no marvel; for he is
the King’s Champion. But, I trow,[256] you
will put some difference betwixt Little-faith
and the King’s Champion. All the King’s
subjects are not His champions, nor can
they, when tried, do such feats of war as he.
Is it meet to think that a little child should
handle Goliath as David did? Or that there
should  be  the  strength  of  an  ox  in  a  wren?
Some are strong, some are weak; some
have great faith, some have little. This man
was one of the weak, and therefore he went
to the wall.
HOPE. I would it had been Great-grace
for their sakes.
CHR. If it had been, he might have had
his hands full; for I must tell you, that
though Great-grace is excellent good at his
weapons, and has, and can, so long as be
keeps them at sword’s point, do well
enough with them; yet, if they get within
him, even Faint-heart, Mistrust, or the
other, it shall go hard but they will throw
up his heels. And when a man is down,
you know, what can he do?
Whoso looks well upon Great-grace’s
face, shall see those scars and cuts there,
that shall easily give demonstration of what
I say. Yea, once I heard that he should say
(and that when he was in the combat), “We
despaired even of life.”[257] How did these
sturdy rogues and their fellows make
David groan, mourn, and roar? Yea, Heman and Hezekiah, too, though champions
in their day, were forced to bestir them,
when by these assaulted; and yet, notwithstanding, they had  their coats soundly
brushed by them. Peter, upon a time,
would go try what he could do; but though
some  do  say  of  him  that  he  is  the  prince  of
the apostles, they handled him so, that they
made him at last afraid of a sorry girl.
Besides, their king is at their whistle. He
is never out of hearing; and if at any time
they be put to the worst, he, if possible,
comes in to help them; and of him it is said,
“The sword of him that layeth at him cannot hold; the spear, the dart, nor the habergeon: he esteemeth iron as straw, and brass
as rotten wood. The arrow cannot make
him flee; sling stones are turned with him
into stubble. Darts are counted as stubble:
he laugheth at the shaking of a spear” (Job.
12:26-29). What can a man do in this case?
It is true, if a man could, at every turn, have
Job’s horse, and had skill and courage to
ride him, he might do notable things; “for
his neck is clothed with thunder, he will
not be afraid of the grasshopper; the glory
of his nostrils is terrible; he paweth in the
valley, and rejoiceth in his strength, he
goeth on to meet the armed men. He mocketh at fear, and is not affrighted, neither
turneth he back from the sword. The quiver
rattleth against him, the glittering spear,
and the shield. He swalloweth the ground
with fierceness and rage, neither believeth
he that it is the sound of the trumpet. He
saith among the trumpets, Ha, ha! and he
smelleth the battle afar off, the thunder of
the captains, and the shouting” (Job 34:19-
25).
But for such footmen as thee and I are,
let us never desire to meet with an enemy,
nor vaunt as if we could do better, when
we hear of others that they have been
toiled, nor be tickled at the thoughts of our
own manhood; for such commonly come
by the worst when tried.[258] Witness Peter, of whom I made mention before. He
would swagger, aye, he would; he would,
as his vain mind prompted him to say, do 62
better, and stand more for his Master than
all men; but who so foiled, and run down
by these villains, as he?[259]
 When, therefore, we hear that such
robberies are done on the King’s highway,
two things become us to do:
 1. To go out harnessed, and to be sure
to take a shield with us; for it was for want
of that, that he that laid so lustily at Leviathan could not make him yield; for, indeed,
if that be wanting, he fears us not at all.
Therefore, he that had skill hath said,
“Above all, taking the shield of faith,
wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the
fiery darts of the wicked” (Eph. 6:16).
2. It is good, also, that we desire of the
King a convoy,[260] yea, that he will go
with us Himself. This made David rejoice
when in the Valley of the Shadow of Death;
and Moses was rather for dying where he
stood, than to go one step without his God
(Exo. 33:15). O my brother, if He will but go
along with us, what need we be afraid of
ten thousands that shall set themselves
against us? (Psa. 3:5-8; 27:1-3). But, without
Him, the proud helpers “fall under the
slain” (Isa. 10:4).
I, for my part, have been in the fray before now; and though, through the goodness of Him that is best, I am, as you see,
alive; yet I cannot boast of my manhood:
Glad shall I be, if I meet with no more such
brunts; though, I fear, we are not got beyond all danger.[261] However, since the
lion and the bear have not as yet devoured
me, I hope God will also deliver us from
the next uncircumcised Philistine. Then
sang Christian—Poor Little-faith! Hast been
among the thieves? Wast robb’d? Remember this, whoso believes, And gets more
faith, shall then a victor be Over ten thousand, else scarce over three.
So they went on, and Ignorance followed. They went then till they came at a
place where they saw a way put itself into
their way, and seemed withal to lie as
straight as the way which they should go;
and here they knew not which of the two to
take, for both seemed straight before them;
therefore, here they stood still to consider.
And as they were thinking about the way,
behold a man, black of flesh, but covered
with a very light robe, came to them, and
asked them why they stood there.[262]
They answered, they were going to the Celestial City, but knew not which of these
ways to take. Follow me, said the man, it is
thither that I am going. So they followed
him in the way that but now came into the
road, which by degrees turned, and turned
them so from the city that they desired to
go to, that, in little time, their faces were
turned away from it; yet they followed him.
But by and by, before they were aware, he
led them both within the compass of a net,
in which they were both so entangled, that
they knew not what to do; and with that
the white robe fell off the black man’s back.
Then they saw where they were. Wherefore, there they lay crying some time, for
they could not get themselves out.[263]
CHR. Then said Christian to his fellow,
Now do I see myself in an error. Did not
the Shepherds bid us beware of the flatterers? As is the saying of the wise man, so we
have found it this day, “A man that flattereth his neighbour, spreadeth a net for his
feet” (Prov. 29:5).
HOPE. They also gave us a note of directions about the way, for our more sure
finding thereof; but therein we have also
forgotten to read, and have not kept ourselves from the paths of the destroyer. Here
David was wiser than we; for, saith he,
“Concerning the works of men, by the
word  of  thy  lips,  I  have  kept  me  from  the
paths of the destroyer” (Psa. 16:4). Thus
they lay bewailing themselves in the net. At
last they espied a Shining One coming towards them, with a whip of small cord in
his hand. When he was come to the place
where they were, he asked them whence
they came, and what they did there. They
told him that they were poor pilgrims going to Zion, but were led out of their way
by a black man, clothed in white, who bid 63
us, said they, follow him, for he was going
thither too. Then said he with the whip, It is
Flatterer, a false apostle, that hath transformed himself into an angel of light (Prov.
29:5; Dan. 11:32; 2 Cor. 11:13, 14). So he rent
the net, and let the men out. Then said he to
them, Follow me, that I may set you in your
way again. So he led them back to the way
which they had left to follow the Flatterer.
Then he asked them, saying, Where did
you lie the last night? They said, With the
Shepherds, upon the Delectable Mountains.
He asked them then, if they had not of
those Shepherds a note of direction for the
way. They answered, Yes. But did you, said
he, when you were at a stand, pluck out
and read your note? They answered, No.
He asked them, Why? They said, they forgot. He asked, moreover, if the Shepherds
did not bid them beware of the Flatterer.
They answered, Yes, but we did not imagine, said they, that this fine-spoken man
had been he[264] (Rom. 16:18).
Then I saw in my dream, that he commanded them to lie down; which, when
they did, he chastised them sore, to teach
them the good way wherein they should
walk, (Deut. 25:2); and as he chastised
them, he said, “As many as I love, I rebuke
and chasten; be zealous, therefore, and repent” (Rev. 3:19; 2 Chron. 6:26, 27). This
done, he bid them go on their way, and
take good heed to the other directions of
the Shepherds. So they thanked him for all
his kindness, and went softly along the
right way, singing—Come hither, you that
walk along the way; See how the pilgrims
fare that go astray! They catched are in an
entangling net, ‘Cause they good counsel
lightly did forget: ‘Tis true, they rescued
were, but yet you see, They’re scourg’d to
boot. Let this your caution be.
Now, after a while, they perceived, afar
off, one coming softly and alone, all along
the highway to meet them. Then said
Christian to his fellow, Yonder is a man
with his back toward Zion, and he is coming to meet us.
HOPE. I see him, let us take heed to
ourselves now, lest he should prove a flatterer also. So he drew nearer and nearer,
and at last came up unto them. His name
was Atheist, and he asked them whither
they were going.
 CHR. We are going to the Mount Zion.
 Then Atheist fell into a very great
laughter.
CHR. What is the meaning of your
laughter?
ATHEIST. I laugh to see what ignorant
persons you are, to take upon you so tedious a journey, and yet are like to have nothing but your travel for your pains.
CHR. Why, man, do you think we shall
not be received?
ATHEIST. Received! There is no such
place as you dream of in all this world.[265]
CHR. But there is in the world to come.
ATHEIST. When I was at home in mine
own country, I heard as you now affirm,
and from that hearing went out to see, and
have been seeking this city this 20 years;
but find no more of it than I did the first
day I set out (Jer. 22:12; Eccl. 10:15).
CHR. We have both heard and believe
that there is such a place to be found.
ATHEIST. Had not I, when at home, believed, I had not come thus far to seek; but
finding none (and yet I should, had there
been such a place to be found, for I have
gone to seek it further than you), I am going back again, and will seek to refresh myself with the things that I then cast away,
for hopes of that which, I now see, is
not.[266]
CHR. Then said Christian to Hopeful
his fellow, Is it true which this man hath
said?
HOPE. Take heed, he is one of the flatterers; remember what it hath cost us once
already for our hearkening to such kind of
fellows. What! no Mount Zion? Did we not
see, from the Delectable Mountains, the
gate of the city?[267] Also, are we not now
to  walk  by  faith?  Let  us  go  on,  said  Hope-64
ful, lest the man with the whip overtake us
again[268] (2 Cor. 5:7).
You should have taught me that lesson,
which I will round[269] you in the ears
withal: “Cease, my son, to hear the instruction that causeth to err from the words of
knowledge” (Prov. 19:17). I say, my
brother, cease to hear him, and let us “believe to the saving of the soul” (Heb. 10:39).
CHR. My brother, I did not put the
question to thee, for that I doubted of the
truth of our belief myself, but to prove thee,
and to fetch from thee a fruit of the honesty
of thy heart. As for this man, I know that he
is blinded by the god of this world. Let thee
and I go on, knowing that we have belief of
the truth, “and no lie is of the truth” (1 John
2:21).
HOPE. Now do I rejoice in hope of the
glory of God. So they turned away from the
man; and he, laughing at them, went his
way.
I saw then in my dream, that they went
till they came into a certain country, whose
air naturally tended to make one drowsy, if
he came a stranger into it. And here Hopeful began to be very dull and heavy of
sleep; wherefore he said unto Christian, I
do now begin to grow so drowsy that I can
scarcely hold up mine eyes; let us lie down
here, and take one nap.[270]
CHR.  By  no  means,  said  the  other;  lest,
sleeping, we never awake more.
HOPE. Why, my brother? Sleep is sweet
to the labouring man; we may be refreshed
if we take a nap.[271]
CHR. Do you not remember that one of
the Shepherds bid us beware of the Enchanted Ground?[272] He meant by that,
that we should beware of sleeping; “Therefore let us not sleep, as do others, but let us
watch and be sober”[273] (1 Thess. 5:6).
HOPE. I acknowledge myself in a fault;
and had I been here alone, I had by sleeping run the danger of death. I see it is true
that the wise man saith, “Two are better
than one.” Hitherto hath thy company been
my mercy, and thou shalt have a good reward for thy labour. (Eccl. 4:9). CHR. Now
then, said Christian, to prevent drowsiness
in this place, let us fall into good discourse.
HOPE. With all my heart, said the other.
CHR. Where shall we begin?
HOPE. Where God began with us. But
do you begin, if you please.
CHR. I will sing you first this song—
When saints do sleepy grow, let them come
hither, And hear how these two pilgrims
talk together: Yea, let them learn of them, in
any wise, Thus to keep open their drowsy
slumb’ring eyes. Saints’ fellowship, if it be
manag’d well, Keeps them awake, and that
in spite of hell.
CHR. Then Christian began, and said, I
will ask you a question. How came you to
think at first of so doing as you do now?
HOPE. Do you mean, how came I at
first to look after the good of my soul?
CHR. Yes, that is my meaning.
HOPE. I continued a great while in the
delight of those things which were seen
and sold at our fair; things which, I believe
now, would have, had I continued in them
still, drowned me in perdition and destruction.
CHR. What things were they?
HOPE. All the treasures and riches of
the world. Also I delighted much in rioting,
revelling, drinking, swearing, lying, uncleanness, Sabbath-breaking, and what not,
that tended to destroy the soul. But I found
at last, by hearing and considering of things
that are Divine, which indeed I heard of
you, as also of beloved Faithful, that was
put to death for his faith and good living in
Vanity Fair, that “the end of these things is
death” (Rev. 6:21-23). And that for these
things’ sake, “cometh the wrath of God
upon the children of disobedience” (Eph.
5:6).
CHR. And did you presently fall under
the power of this conviction?
HOPE. No, I was not willing presently
to know the evil of sin, nor the damnation
that follows upon the commission of it; but
endeavoured, when my mind at first began 65
to be shaken with the Word, to shut mine
eyes against the light thereof.
CHR. But what was the cause of your
carrying of it thus to the first workings of
God’s blessed Spirit upon you?
HOPE. The causes were, 1. I was ignorant that this was the work of God upon
me. I never thought that by awakenings for
sin, God at first begins the conversion of a
sinner. 2. Sin was yet very sweet to my
flesh, and I was loath to leave it. 3. I could
not tell how to part with mine old companions, their presence and actions were so desirable unto me. 4. The hours in which convictions were upon me, were such troublesome and such heart-affrighting hours, that
I could not bear, no not so much as the remembrance of them upon my heart.[274]
CHR. Then, as it seems, sometimes you
got rid of your trouble?
HOPE. Yes, verily, but it would come
into my mind again, and then I should be
as bad, nay, worse than I was before.
CHR. Why, what was it that brought
your sins to mind again?
HOPE. Many things; as,
1. If I did but meet a good man in the
streets; or,
 2. If I have heard any read in the Bible;
or,
 3. If mine head did begin to ache; or,
4. If I were told that some of my
neighbours were sick; or,
5. If I heard the bell toll for some that
were dead; or,
6. If I thought of dying myself; or,
7. If I heard that sudden death happened to others;
8. But especially, when I thought of myself, that I must quickly come to judgment.
CHR. And could you at any time, with
ease, get off the guilt of sin,[275] when, by
any of these ways, it came upon you?
HOPE. No, not I, for then they got faster
hold of my conscience; and then, if I did
but think of going back to sin (though my
mind was turned against it), it would be
double torment to me.
CHR. And how did you do then?
HOPE. I thought I must endeavour to
mend my life; for else, thought I, I am sure
to be damned.
CHR. And did you endeavour to mend?
HOPE. Yes; and fled from not only my sins,
but sinful company too; and betook me to
religious duties, as prayer, reading, weeping for sin, speaking truth to my
neighbours, &c. These things did I, with
many others, too much here to relate.
CHR. And did you think yourself well
then?
HOPE. Yes, for a while; but, at the last,
my trouble came tumbling upon me again,
and that over the neck of all my reformations.
CHR. How came that about, since you
were now reformed?
HOPE. There were several things
brought it upon me, especially such sayings
as these: “All our righteousnesses are as
filthy rags” (Isa. 64:6). “By the works of the
law shall no flesh be justified” (Gal. 2:16).
“When ye shall have done all those things,
say, We are unprofitable” (Luke 17:10);
with many more such like. From whence I
began to reason with myself thus: If ALL
my righteousnesses are filthy rags; if, by
the deeds of the law, NO man can be justified; and if, when we have done ALL, we
are yet unprofitable, then it is but a folly to
think of Heaven by the law. I further
thought thus: If a man runs a hundred
pounds into the shopkeeper’s debt, and after that shall pay for all that he shall fetch;
yet, if this old debt stands still in the book
uncrossed, for that the shopkeeper may sue
him, and cast him into prison till he shall
pay the debt.
CHR. Well, and how did you apply this
to yourself?
HOPE. Why, I thought thus with myself: I have, by my sins, run a great way
into God’s book, and that my now reforming will not pay off that score; therefore I
should think still, under all my present
amendments, But how shall I be freed from 66
that damnation that I have brought myself
in danger of, by my former transgressions?
CHR. A very good application; but,
pray, go on.
HOPE. Another thing that hath troubled
me, even since my late amendments, is,
that if I look narrowly into the best of what
I do now, I still see sin, new sin, mixing itself with  the best of  that  I do;  so  that now  I
am forced to conclude, that notwithstanding  my  former  fond  conceits  of  myself  and
duties, I have committed sin enough in one
duty to send me to hell,[276] though my
former life had been faultless.[277]
CHR. And what did you do then?
HOPE. Do! I could not tell what to do,
until I brake my mind to Faithful, for he
and I were well acquainted. And he told
me, that unless I could obtain the righteousness of a man that never had sinned,
neither mine own, nor all the righteousness
of the world, could save me.
CHR. And did you think he spake true?
HOPE. Had he told me so when I was
pleased and satisfied with mine own
amendment, I had called him fool for his
pains; but now, since I see mine own infirmity, and the sin that cleaves to my best
performance, I have been forced to be of his
opinion.
CHR. But did you think, when at first
he suggested it to you, that there was such
a man  to be  found, of whom  it might  justly
be said, that He never committed sin?
HOPE. I must confess the words at first
sounded strangely, but after a little more
talk and company with him, I had full conviction about it.
CHR. And did you ask him what man
this was, and how you must be justified by
Him?
HOPE. Yes, and he told me it was the
Lord Jesus, that dwelleth on the right hand
of the Most High. And thus, said he, you
must be justified by Him, even by trusting
to  what  He  hath  done  by  Himself  in  the
days of His flesh, and suffered when He
did hang on the tree. I asked him further,
how that man’s righteousness could be of
that efficacy to justify another before God?
And he told me He was the mighty God,
and did what He did, and died the death
also, not for Himself, but for me; to whom
His doings, and the worthiness of them,
should be imputed, if I believed on Him
(Heb. 10; Rom. 4; Col. 1; 1 Peter 1).
CHR. And what did you do then?
HOPE. I made my objections against my
believing, for that I thought He was not
willing to save me.
CHR. And what said Faithful to you
then?
HOPE. He bid me go to Him and see.
Then I said it was presumption; but he said,
No, for I was invited to come (Matt. 11:28).
Then  he  gave  me  a  book  of  Jesus,  His  inditing, to encourage me the more freely to
come; and he said, concerning that book,
that every jot and tittle thereof stood firmer
than Heaven and earth (Matt. 24:35). Then I
asked him, What I must do when I came;
and he told me, I must entreat upon my
knees, with all my heart and soul, the Father to reveal Him to me (Psa. 95:6; Dan.
6:10; Jer. 29:12, 13). Then I asked him further, how I must make my supplication to
Him? And he said, Go, and thou shalt find
Him upon a mercy-seat, where He sits all
the year long, to give pardon and forgiveness to them that come. I told him that I
knew not what to say when I came. And he
bid me say to this effect, God be merciful to
me a sinner, and make me to know and believe in Jesus Christ; for I see, that if His
righteousness had not been, or I have not
faith in that righteousness, I am utterly cast
away.[278] Lord, I have heard that Thou art
a merciful God, and hast ordained that Thy
Son Jesus Christ should be the Saviour of
the world; and moreover, that thou art willing to bestow Him upon such a poor sinner
as I am (and I am a sinner indeed), Lord,
take therefore this opportunity, and magnify Thy grace in the salvation of my soul,
through Thy Son Jesus Christ. Amen. (Exo.
25:22; Lev. 16:2; Num. 7:89; Heb. 4:16). 67
 CHR. And did you do as you were
bidden?
HOPE. Yes; over, and over, and over.
CHR. And did the Father reveal His Son
to you?
HOPE. Not at the first, nor second, nor
third, nor fourth, nor fifth; no, nor at the
sixth time neither.
CHR. What did you do then?
HOPE. What! why I could not tell what
to do.
CHR. Had you not thoughts of leaving
off praying?
HOPE. Yes, a hundred times twice told.
CHR. And what was the reason you did
not?
HOPE. 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 I can but die at the throne of grace.
And withal, this came into my mind,
“Though it tarry, wait for it; because it will
surely come, it will not tarry” (Hab. 2:3). So
I continued praying until the Father
showed me His Son.[279]
CHR. And how was He revealed unto
you?
HOPE. I did not see Him with my bodily eyes, but with the eyes of my understanding (Eph. 1:18, 19); and thus it was:
One day I was very sad, I think sadder than
at any one time in my life, and this sadness
was through a fresh sight of the greatness
and vileness of my sins. And as I was then
looking for nothing but hell, and the everlasting damnation of my soul, suddenly, as
I thought, I saw the Lord Jesus look down
from Heaven upon me, and saying, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou
shalt be saved” (Acts 16:31).
But I replied, Lord, I am a great, a very
great sinner. And He answered, “My grace
is sufficient for thee”[280] (2 Cor. 12:9).
Then I said, But, Lord, what is believing?
And then I saw from that saying, “He that
cometh to Me shall  never hunger, and he
that believeth on Me shall never thirst”;
that believing and coming was all one; and
that he that came, that is, ran out in his
heart and affections after salvation by
Christ, he indeed believed in Christ (John
6:35). Then the water stood in mine eyes,
and I asked further, But, Lord, may such a
great sinner as I am, be indeed accepted of
Thee, and be saved by Thee? And I heard
him say, “And him that cometh to Me, I
will in no wise cast out” (John 6:37). Then I
said, But how, Lord, must I consider of
Thee in my coming to Thee, that my faith
may be placed aright upon Thee? Then He
said, “Christ Jesus came into the world to
save sinners” (1 Tim. 1:15). “He is the end
of the law for righteousness to every one
that believeth” (Rom. 10:4). “He died for
our sins, and rose again for our justification” (Rom. 4:25). “He loved us, and
washed us from our sins in His own blood”
(Rev. 1:5). “He is mediator betwixt God and
us” (1 Tim. 2:5). “He ever liveth to make
intercession for us” (Heb. 7:25). From all
which I gathered, that I must look for righteousness in His person, and for satisfaction
for my  sins by His blood;  that what He did
in obedience to His Father’s law, and in
submitting to the penalty thereof, was not
for Himself, but for him that will accept it
for his salvation, and be thankful. And now
was my heart full of joy, mine eyes full of
tears, and mine affections running over
with love to the name, people, and ways of
Jesus Christ.[281]
CHR. This was a revelation of Christ to
your soul indeed; but tell me particularly
what effect this had upon your spirit.[282]
HOPE. It made me see that all the
world, notwithstanding all the righteousness thereof, is in a state of condemnation.
It made me see that God the Father, though
He be just, can justly justify the coming
sinner. It made me greatly ashamed of the
vileness of my former life, and confounded
me with the sense of mine own ignorance;
for there never came thought into my heart
before now, that showed me so the beauty 68
of Jesus Christ. It made me love a holy life,
and long to do something for the honour
and glory of the name of the Lord Jesus;
yea, I thought that had I now a thousand
gallons of blood in my body, I could spill it
all for the sake of the Lord Jesus.[283]
I saw then in my dream that Hopeful
looked back and saw Ignorance, whom
they had left behind, coming after. Look,
said he to Christian, how far yonder
youngster loitereth behind.
CHR. Aye, aye, I see him; he careth not
for our company.
HOPE. But I trow it would not have
hurt him, had he kept pace with us hitherto.
CHR. That is true; but I warrant you he
thinketh otherwise.
HOPE. That I think he doth; but, however, let us tarry for him. So they did.
 Then Christian said to him, Come
away, man, why do you stay so behind?
 IGNOR. I take my pleasure in walking
alone, even more a great deal than in company, unless I like it the better.[284]
Then said Christian to Hopeful (but
softly), Did I not tell you he cared not for
our company? But, however, said he, come
up, and let us talk away the time in this
solitary place. Then, directing his speech to
Ignorance, he said, Come, how do you?
How stands it between God and your soul
now?
IGNOR. I hope well;  for I am always
full of good motions, that come into my
mind, to comfort me as I walk (Prov. 28:26).
 CHR. What good motions? pray, tell us.
IGNOR. Why, I think of God and
Heaven.
CHR. So do the devils and damned
souls.
IGNOR. But I think of them, and desire
them.[285]
CHR. So do many that are never like to
come there. “The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing” (Prov. 13:4).
IGNOR. But I think of them, and leave
all for them.
CHR. That I doubt; for leaving all is a
hard matter; yea, a harder matter than
many are aware of. But why, or by what,
art thou persuaded that thou hast left all for
God and Heaven?
IGNOR. My heart tells me so.
CHR. The wise man says, “He that
trusts his own heart is a fool”[286] (Prov.
28:26).
IGNOR. This is spoken of an evil heart,
but mine is a good one.
CHR. But how dost thou prove that?
IGNOR. It comforts me in hopes of
Heaven.
CHR. That may be through its deceitfulness; for a man’s heart may minister
comfort to him in the hopes of that thing,
for which he yet has no ground to hope.
IGNOR. But my heart and life agree together, and therefore my hope is well
grounded.
CHR. Who told thee that thy heart and
life agree together?
IGNOR. My heart tells me so.
CHR. Ask my fellow if I be a thief! Thy
heart tells thee so! Except the Word of God
beareth witness in this matter, other testimony is of no value.
IGNOR. But is it not a good heart that
hath good thoughts? and is not that a good
life that is according to God’s commandments?
CHR. Yea, that is a good heart that hath
good thoughts, and that is a good life that
is according to God’s commandments; but
it is one thing, indeed, to have these, and
another thing only to think so.
IGNOR. Pray, what count you good
thoughts, and a life according to God’s
commandments?
CHR. There are good thoughts of divers
kinds; some respecting ourselves, some
God, some Christ, and some other thing.
IGNOR. What be good thoughts respecting ourselves?
CHR. Such as agree with the Word of
God. 69
 IGNOR. When do our thoughts of ourselves agree with the Word of God?
CHR. When we pass the same judgment
upon ourselves which the Word passes. To
explain myself-the Word of God saith of
persons in a natural condition, “There is
none righteous, there is none that doeth
good” (Rom. 3). It saith also, that “every
imagination of the heart of man is only evil,
and that continually” (Gen. 6:5). And again,
“The imagination of man’s heart is evil
from his youth” (Gen. 8:21). Now then,
when we think thus of ourselves, having
sense thereof then are our thoughts good
ones, because according to the Word of
God.
IGNOR. I will never believe that my
heart is thus bad.
CHR. Therefore thou never hadst one
good thought concerning thyself in thy life.
But let me go on. As the Word passeth a
judgment upon our heart, so it passeth a
judgment upon our ways; and when our
thoughts of our hearts and ways agree with
the judgment which the Word giveth of
both, then are both good, because agreeing
thereto.
IGNOR. Make out your meaning.
CHR. Why, the Word of God saith that
man’s ways are crooked ways; not good,
but perverse (Psa. 125; Prov. 2:15). It saith
they are naturally out of the good way, that
they have not known it (Rom. 3). Now,
when a man thus thinketh of his ways; I
say, when he doth sensibly, and with heart
humiliation, thus think, then hath he good
thoughts of his own ways, because his
thoughts now agree with the judgment of
the Word of God.[287]
IGNOR. What are good thoughts concerning God?
CHR. Even as I have said concerning
ourselves, when our thoughts of God do
agree with what the Word saith of Him;
and that is, when we think of His being and
attributes as the Word hath taught, of
which I cannot now discourse at large; but
to speak of Him with reference to us: Then
we have right thoughts of God, when we
think that He knows us better than we
know ourselves, and can see sin in us when
and where we can see none in ourselves;
when we think He knows our inmost
thoughts, and that our heart, with all its
depths, is always open unto His eyes; also,
when we think that all our righteousness
stinks in His nostrils, and that, therefore,
He cannot abide to see us stand before Him
in any confidence, even in all our best performances.
IGNOR. Do you think that I am such a
fool as to think God can see no further than
I? or, that I would come to God in the best
of my performances?
CHR. Why, how dost thou think in this
matter?
IGNOR. Why, to be short, I think I must
believe in Christ for justification.
CHR. How! think thou must believe in
Christ, when thou seest not thy need of
Him! Thou neither seest thy original nor
actual infirmities; but hast such an opinion
of thyself, and of what thou dost, as plainly
renders thee to be one that did never see a
necessity of Christ’s personal righteousness
to justify thee before God.[288] How, then,
dost thou say, I believe in Christ?
IGNOR. I believe well enough for all
that.
CHR. How dost thou believe?
IGNOR. I believe that Christ died for
sinners; and that I shall be justified before
God from the curse, through His gracious
acceptance of my obedience to His law. Or
thus, Christ makes my duties, that are religious, acceptable to His Father, by virtue of
His merits; and so shall I be justified.[289]
CHR. Let me give an answer to this confession of thy faith.
1. Thou believest with a fantastical faith;
for this faith is nowhere described in the
Word.
2. Thou believest with a false faith; because it taketh justification from the personal righteousness of Christ, and applies it
to thy own.[290] 70
3. This faith maketh not Christ a justifier
of thy person, but of thy actions; and of thy
person for thy actions’ sake, which is
false.[291]
4. Therefore, this faith is deceitful, even
such as will leave thee under wrath, in the
day of God Almighty; for true justifying
faith puts the soul, as sensible of its lost
condition by the law, upon flying for refuge
unto Christ’s righteousness, which righteousness of His is not an act of grace, by
which He maketh, for justification, thy
obedience accepted with God; but His personal obedience to the law, in doing and
suffering for us what that required at our
hands; this righteousness, I say, true faith
accepteth; under the skirt of which, the soul
being shrouded, and by it presented as
spotless before God, it is accepted, and acquit from condemnation.[292]
IGNOR. What! would you have us trust
to what Christ, in His own person, has
done without us? This conceit would
loosen the reins of our lust, and tolerate us
to live as we list; for what matter how we
live, if we may be justified by Christ’s personal righteousness from all, when we believe it?
CHR. Ignorance is thy name, and as thy
name is, so art thou; even this thy answer
demonstrateth what I say. Ignorant thou art
of what justifying righteousness is, and as
ignorant how to secure thy soul, through
the faith of it, from the heavy wrath of God.
Yea, thou also art ignorant of the true effects of saving faith in this righteousness of
Christ, which is, to bow and win over the
heart to God in Christ, to love His name,
His Word, ways, and people, and not as
thou ignorantly imaginest.
HOPE. Ask him if ever he had Christ
revealed to him from Heaven.[293]
IGNOR. What! you are a man for revelations! I believe that what both you, and
all the rest of you, say about that matter, is
but the fruit of distracted brains.
HOPE. Why, man! Christ is so hid in
God from the natural apprehensions of the
flesh, that He cannot by any man be savingly known, unless God the Father reveals
Him to them.[294]
IGNOR. That is your faith, but not
mine; yet mine, I doubt not, is as good as
yours, though I have not in my head so
many whimsies as you.
CHR. Give me leave to put in a word.
You ought not so slightly to speak of this
matter; for this I will boldly affirm, even as
my good companion hath done, that no
man can know Jesus Christ but by the revelation of the Father (Matt. 11:27); yea, and
faith too, by which the soul layeth hold
upon Christ, if it be right, must be wrought
by the exceeding greatness of His mighty
power; the working of which faith, I perceive, poor Ignorance, thou art ignorant of
(1 Cor. 12:3; Eph 1:18, 19). Be awakened
then, see thine own wretchedness, and fly
to the Lord Jesus; and by His righteousness,
which is the righteousness of God, for He
Himself is God, thou shalt be delivered
from condemnation.[295]
IGNOR. You go so fast, I cannot keep
pace with you. Do you go on before; I must
stay a while behind.[296]
Then they said—Well, Ignorance, wilt
thou yet foolish be, To slight good counsel,
ten times given thee? And if thou yet refuse
it, thou shalt know, Ere long, the evil of thy
doing so. Remember, man, in time, stoop,
do not fear; Good counsel taken well, saves:
therefore hear. But if thou yet shalt slight it,
thou wilt be The loser (Ignorance) I’ll warrant thee.
Then Christian addressed thus himself
to his fellow—CHR. Well, come, my good
Hopeful, I perceive that thou and I must
walk by ourselves again.
So I saw in my dream that they went on
apace before, and Ignorance he came bobbling after. Then said Christian to his companion, It pities me much for this poor
man, it will certainly go ill with him at last.
HOPE. Alas! there are abundance in our
town in his condition, whole families, yea,
whole streets, and that of pilgrims too; and 71
if there be so many in our parts, how many,
think you, must there be in the place where
he was born?
CHR. Indeed the Word saith, “He hath
blinded their eyes, lest they should see,”
&c. But now we are by ourselves, what do
you think of such men? Have they at no
time, think you, convictions of sin, and so
consequently fears that their state is dangerous?
HOPE. Nay, do you answer that question yourself, for you are the elder man.
CHR. Then I say, sometimes (as I think)
they may; but they being naturally ignorant, understand not that such convictions
tend to their good; and therefore they do
desperately seek to stifle them, and presumptuously continue to flatter themselves
in the way of their own hearts.
HOPE. I do believe, as you say, that fear
tends much to men’s good, and to make
them right, at their beginning to go on pilgrimage.
CHR. Without all doubt it doth, if it be
right; for so says the Word, “The fear of the
Lord is the beginning of wisdom”[297]
(Prov. 1:7; 9:10; Psa. 111:10; Job. 28:28).
 HOPE. How will you describe right
fear?
CHR. True or right fear is discovered by
three things—1. By its rise; it is caused by
saving convictions for sin.
2. It driveth the soul to lay fast hold of
Christ for salvation.
3. It begetteth and continueth in the soul
a great reverence of God, his Word, and
ways, keeping it tender, and making it
afraid to turn from them, to the right hand
or to the left, to anything, that may dishonour God, break its peace, grieve the Spirit,
or cause the enemy to speak reproachfully.[298]
HOPE. Well said; I believe you have
said the truth. Are we now almost got past
the Enchanted Ground?
CHR. Why, art thou weary of this discourse?
HOPE. No, verily, but that I would
know where we are.
CHR. We have not now above two
miles further to go thereon. But let us return to our matter. Now the ignorant know
not that such convictions as tend to put
them in fear are for their good, and therefore they seek to stifle them.
HOPE. How do they seek to stifle them?
CHR. 1. They think that those fears are
wrought by the devil (though indeed they
are wrought of God); and, thinking so, they
resist them as things that directly tend to
their overthrow. 2. They also think that
these fears tend to the spoiling of their
faith, when, alas for them, poor men that
they are, they have none at all! and therefore they harden their hearts against them.
3. They presume they ought not to fear; and
therefore, in despite of them, wax presumptuously confident. 4. They see that
those fears tend to take away from them
their pitiful old self-holiness,[299] and
therefore they resist them with all their
might.
HOPE. I know something of this myself;
for, before I knew myself, it was so with
me.[300]
CHR. Well, we will leave, at this time,
our neighbour Ignorance by himself, and
fall upon another profitable question.
HOPE. With all my heart, but you shall
still begin.
CHR. Well then, did you not know,
about 10 years ago, one Temporary in your
parts, who was a forward man in religion
then?[301]
HOPE. Know him! yes, he dwelt in
Graceless, a town about two miles off of
Honesty, and he dwelt next door to one
Turnback.
CHR. Right, he dwelt under the same
roof with him. Well, that man was much
awakened once; I believe that then he had
some sight of his sins, and of the wages that
were due thereto.
HOPE. I am of your mind, for, my
house not being above three miles from 72
him, he would ofttimes come to me, and
that with many tears. Truly I pitied the
man, and was not altogether without hope
of him; but one may see, it is not every one
that cries, Lord, Lord.
CHR.  He  told  me  once  that  he  was  resolved to go on pilgrimage, as we do now;
but all of a sudden he grew acquainted
with one Save-self, and then he became a
stranger to me.
HOPE. Now, since we are talking about
him, let us a little inquire into the reason of
the sudden backsliding of him and such
others.
CHR. It may be very profitable, but do
you begin.
HOPE. Well then, there are in my
judgment four reasons for it—1. Though
the consciences of such men are awakened,
yet their minds are not changed; therefore,
when the power of guilt weareth away, that
which provoked them to be religious
ceaseth, wherefore they naturally turn to
their own course again, even as we see the
dog that is sick of what he has eaten, so
long as his sickness prevails, he vomits and
casts up all; not that he doth this of a free
mind (if we may say a dog has a mind), but
because it troubleth his stomach; but now,
when his sickness is over, and so his stomach eased, his desire being not at all alienate from his vomit, he turns him about and
licks up all, and so it is true which is written, “The dog is turned to his own vomit
again” (2 Peter 2:22).[302] Thus I say, being
hot for Heaven, by virtue only of the sense
and fear of the torments of hell, as their
sense of hell, and the fears of damnation,
chills and cools, so their desires for Heaven
and salvation cool also. So then it comes to
pass, that when their guilt and fear is gone,
their desires for Heaven and happiness die,
and they return to their course again.[303]
2. Another reason is, they have slavish
fears that do overmaster them; I speak now
of the fears that they have of men, for “the
fear of man bringeth a snare” (Prov. 29:25).
So then, though they seem to be hot for
Heaven, so long as the flames of hell are
about their ears, yet, when that terror is a
little over, they betake themselves to second thoughts; namely, that it is good to be
wise, and not to run (for they know not
what) the hazard of losing all, or, at least, of
bringing themselves into unavoidable and
unnecessary troubles, and so they fall in
with the world again.
3. The shame that attends religion lies
also as a block in their way; they are proud
and haughty, and religion in their eye is
low and contemptible; therefore, when they
have lost their sense of hell and wrath to
come, they return again to their former
course.
4. Guilt, and to meditate terror, are
grievous to them. They like not to see their
misery before they come into it; though
perhaps the sight of it first, if they loved
that sight, might make them fly whither the
righteous fly and are safe. But because they
do, as I hinted before, even shun the
thoughts of guilt and terror, therefore,
when once they are rid of their awakenings
about the terrors and  wrath of God, they
harden their hearts gladly, and choose such
ways as will harden them more and more.
CHR. You are pretty near the business,
for the bottom of all is, for want of a change
in their mind and will. And therefore they
are but like the felon that standeth before
the judge, he quakes and trembles, and
seems to repent most heartily, but the bottom of all is the fear of the halter; not that
he hath any detestation of the offence, as is
evident, because, let but this man have his
liberty, and he will be a thief, and so a
rogue still, whereas, if his mind were
changed, he would be otherwise.
HOPE. Now, I have showed you the
reasons of their going back, do you show
me the manner thereof.[304]
CHR. So I will, willingly.
1. They draw off their thoughts, all that
they may, from the remembrance of God,
death, and judgment to come. 73
2. Then they cast off by degrees private
duties, as closet prayer, curbing their lusts,
watching, sorrow for sin, and the like.
3. Then they shun the company of lively
and warm Christians.
4. After that, they grow cold to public
duty, as hearing, reading, godly conference,
and the like.
5. Then they begin to pick holes, as we
say, in the coats of some of the godly; and
that devilishly, that they may have a seeming colour to throw religion (for the sake of
some infirmity they have espied in them)
behind their backs.
6. Then they begin to adhere to, and associate themselves with, carnal, loose, and
wanton men.
7. Then they give way to carnal and
wanton discourses in secret; and glad are
they if they can see such things in any that
are counted honest, that they may the more
boldly do it through their example.
8. After this, they begin to play with little sins openly.
9. And then, being hardened, they show
themselves as they are. Thus, being
launched again into the gulf of misery,
unless a miracle of grace prevent it, they
everlastingly perish in their own deceivings.[305]
Now I saw in my dream, that by this
time the Pilgrims were got over the Enchanted Ground, and entering into the
country of Beulah, whose air was very
sweet and pleasant, the way lying directly
through it, they solaced themselves there
for a season (Isa. 62:4). Yea, here they heard
continually the singing of birds, and saw
every day the flowers appear in the earth,
and heard the voice of the turtle in the land
(Song. 2:10-12). In this country the sun shineth night and day; wherefore this was beyond the Valley of the Shadow of Death,
and also out of the reach of Giant Despair,
neither could they from this place so much
as see Doubting Castle.[306] Here they
were within sight of the city they were going to, also here met them some of the inhabitants thereof; for in this land the Shining Ones commonly walked, because it was
upon the borders of Heaven. In this land
also the contract between the bride and the
bridegroom was renewed; yea, here, “As
the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so
did their God rejoice over them” (Isa. 62:5).
Here they had no want of corn and wine;
for in this place they met with abundance
of what they had sought for in all their pilgrimage (v. 8). Here they heard voices from
out of the city, loud voices, saying, “Say ye
to the daughter of Zion, Behold, thy salvation cometh! Behold, His reward is with
Him!” (v. 11). Here all the inhabitants of the
country called them, “The holy people, The
redeemed of the Lord, Sought out,” &c. (v.
12).
Now, as they walked in this land, they
had more rejoicing than in parts more remote from the kingdom to which they were
bound; and drawing near to the city, they
had yet a more perfect view thereof. It was
builded of pearls and precious stones, also
the street thereof was paved with gold; so
that by reason of the natural glory of the
city, and the reflection of the sunbeams
upon it, Christian with desire fell sick.
Hopeful also had a fit or two of the same
disease.[307] Wherefore, here they lay by it
a while, crying out, because of their pangs,
“If ye find my Beloved, tell Him that I am
sick of love[308] (Song. 5:8).
But being a little strengthened, and better able to bear their sickness, they walked
on their way, and came yet nearer and
nearer, where were orchards, vineyards,
and gardens, and their gates opened into
the highway. Now, as they came up to
these places, behold, the gardener stood in
the way, to whom the Pilgrims said, Whose
goodly vineyards and gardens are these?
He answered, They are the King’s, and are
planted here for His own delight, and also
for the solace of pilgrims. So the gardener
had them into the vineyards, and bid them
refresh themselves with the dainties (Deut.
23:24). He also showed them there the 74
King’s walks, and the arbours, where He
delighted to be; and here they tarried and
slept.[309]
Now  I  beheld  in  my  dream,  that  they
talked more in their sleep at this time than
ever they did in all their journey; and being
in a muse thereabout, the gardener said
even to me, Wherefore musest thou at the
matter? It is the nature of the fruit of the
grapes of these vineyards to go down so
sweetly, as to cause the lips of them that are
asleep to speak.[310]
So I saw that when they awoke, they
addressed themselves to go up to the city.
But, as I said, the reflection of the sun upon
the city (for “the city was pure gold),” (Rev.
21:18), was so extremely glorious, that they
could  not,  as  yet,  with  open  face  behold  it,
but through an instrument made for that
purpose (2 Cor. 3:18). So I saw, that as they
went on, there met them two men, in raiment that shone like gold; also their faces
shone as the light.[311]
These men asked the Pilgrims whence
they came; and they told them. They also
asked them where they had lodged, what
difficulties and dangers, what comforts and
pleasures they had met in the way; and
they told them. Then said the men that met
them, You have but two difficulties more to
meet with, and then you are in the
city.[312]
Christian then, and his companion,
asked the men to go along with them; so
they told them they would. But, said they,
you must obtain it by your own faith. So I
saw in my dream that they went on together, until they came in sight of the gate.
Now, I further saw, that betwixt them
and the gate was a river, but there was no
bridge to go over; the river was very deep.
At the sight, therefore, of this river, the Pilgrims were much stunned: but the men that
went with them said, You must go through,
or you cannot come at the gate.[313]
The Pilgrims then began to inquire if
there was no other way to the gate; to
which they answered, Yes; but there hath
not any, save two, to wit, Enoch and Elijah,
been permitted to tread that path, since the
foundation of the world, nor shall, until the
last trumpet shall sound (1 Cor. 15:51, 52).
The Pilgrims then, especially Christian, began to despond in their minds, and looked
this way and that, but no way could be
found by them, by which they might escape the river.[314] Then they asked the
men if the waters were all of a depth. They
said, No; yet they could not help them in
that case; for, said they, you shall find it
deeper or shallower, as you believe in the
King of the place.
They then addressed themselves to the
water; and entering, Christian began to
sink, and crying out to his good friend
Hopeful, he said, I sink in deep waters; the
billows go over my head, all his waves go
over me! Selah.[315]
Then said the other, Be of good cheer,
my brother, I feel the bottom, and it is
good. Then, said Christian, Ah! my friend,
“the sorrows of death have compassed me
about”; I shall not see the land that flows
with milk and honey; and with that a great
darkness and horror fell upon Christian, so
that he could not see before him. Also here
he in great measure lost his senses, so that
he could neither remember, nor orderly
talk of any of those sweet refreshments that
he had met with in the way of his pilgrimage. But all the words that he spake still
tended to discover that he had horror of
mind, and heart fears that he should die in
that river, and never obtain entrance in at
the gate. Here also, as they that stood by
perceived, he was much in the troublesome
thoughts of the sins that he had committed,
both since and before he began to be a pilgrim. It was also observed that he was
troubled with apparitions of hobgoblins
and evil spirits; for ever and anon he would
intimate so much by words.[316] Hopeful,
therefore, here had much ado to keep his
brother’s head above water; yea, sometimes
he would be quite gone down, and then,
ere awhile, he would rise up again half 75
dead. Hopeful also would endeavour to
comfort him, saying, Brother, I see the gate,
and men standing by to receive us; but
Christian would answer, It is you, it is you
they wait for; you have been Hopeful ever
since I knew you.[317] And so have you,
said he to Christian. Ah, brother! said he,
surely if I were right He would now arise
to help me; but for my sins He hath
brought me into the snare, and hath left
me. Then said Hopeful, My brother, you
have quite forgot the text, where it is said
of the wicked, “There are no bands in their
death; but their strength is firm. They are
not in trouble as other men, neither are
they plagued like other men (Psa. 73:4, 5).
These troubles and distresses that you go
through in these waters are no sign that
God hath forsaken you; but are sent to try
you, whether you will call to mind that
which heretofore you have received of His
goodness, and live upon Him in your distresses.[318]
 Then I saw in my dream, that Christian
was as in a muse a while. To whom also
Hopeful added this word, Be of good cheer,
Jesus Christ maketh thee whole;[319] and
with that Christian brake out with a loud
voice, O! I see Him again, and He tells me,
“When thou passest through the waters, I
will be with thee; and through the rivers,
they shall not overflow thee” (Isa. 43:2).
Then they both took  courage, and the enemy was after that as still as a stone, until
they were gone over. Christian therefore
presently found ground to stand upon, and
so it followed that the rest of the river was
but shallow. Thus they got over.[320] Now,
upon the bank of the river, on the other
side, they saw the two shining men again,
who there waited for them; wherefore, being come out of the river, they saluted
them, saying, We are ministering spirits,
sent forth to minister for those that shall be
heirs of salvation. Thus they went along
towards the gate.[321] Now you must note
that the city stood upon a mighty hill, but
the Pilgrims went up that hill with ease, because they had these two men to lead them
up by the arms; also, they had left their
mortal garments behind them in the river,
for though they went in with them, they
came out without them. They, therefore,
went up here with much agility and speed,
though the foundation upon which the city
was framed was higher than the
clouds.[322] They, therefore, went up
through the regions of the air, sweetly talking as they went, being comforted, because
they safely got over the river, and had such
glorious companions to attend them.[323]
The talk they had with the Shining Ones
was about the glory of the place; who told
them that the beauty and glory of it was
inexpressible. There, said they, is the
“Mount Zion, the heavenly Jerusalem, the
innumerable company of angels, and the
spirits of just men made perfect” (Heb.
12:22-24). You are going now, said they, to
the paradise of God, wherein you shall see
the tree of life, and eat of the never-fading
fruits thereof; and when you come there,
you shall have white robes given you, and
your walk and talk shall be every day with
the King, even all the days of eternity (Rev.
2:7; 3:4; 22:5). There you shall not see again
such things as you saw when you were in
the lower region upon the earth, to wit, sorrow, sickness, affliction, and death, “for the
former things are passed away.” You are
now going to Abraham, to Isaac, and Jacob,
and to the prophets-men that God hath
taken away from the evil to come, and that
are now resting upon their beds, each one
walking in his righteousness[324] (Isa. 57:1,
2; 65:17). The men then asked, What must
we do in the holy place? To whom it was
answered, You must there receive the comforts of all your toil, and have joy for all
your sorrow; you must reap what you have
sown, even the fruit of all your prayers,
and tears, and sufferings for the King by
the way (Gal. 6:7). In that place you must
wear crowns of gold, and enjoy the perpetual sight and vision of the Holy One, for
“there you shall see Him as He is” (1 John 76
3:2). There also you shall serve Him continually with praise, with shouting and
thanksgiving, whom you desired to serve
in the world, though with much difficulty,
because of the infirmity of your flesh. There
your eyes shall be delighted with seeing,
and your ears with hearing the pleasant
voice of the Mighty One. There you shall
enjoy your friends again, that are gone
thither before you; and there you shall with
joy receive, even every one that follows into
the holy place after you. There also shall
you be clothed with glory and majesty, and
put into an equipage fit to ride out with the
King  of  glory.  When  He  shall  come  with
sound of trumpet in the clouds, as upon the
wings of the wind, you shall come with
Him; and when He shall sit upon the
throne of judgment, you shall sit by Him;
yea, and when He shall pass sentence upon
all the workers of iniquity, let them be angels or men, you also shall have a voice in
that judgment, because they were His and
your enemies (1 Thess. 4:13-17; Jude 14;
Dan. 7:9, 10; 1 Cor. 6:2, 3). Also when He
shall again return to the city, you shall go
too, with sound of trumpet, and be ever
with Him.
Now, while they were thus drawing
towards the gate, behold a company of the
heavenly host came out to meet them; to
whom it was said, by the other two Shining
Ones, These are the men that have loved
our Lord when they were in the world, and
that have left all for His holy name; and He
hath sent us to fetch them, and we have
brought them thus far on their desired
journey, that they may go in and look their
Redeemer in the face  with joy. Then the
heavenly host gave a great shout, saying,
“Blessed are they which are called unto the
marriage supper of the Lamb” (Rev. 19:9).
There came out also at this time to meet
them, several of the King’s trumpeters,
clothed in white and shining raiment, who,
with melodious noises, and loud, made
even the heavens to echo with their sound.
These trumpeters saluted Christian and his
fellow with 10,000 welcomes from the
world; and this they did with shouting, and
sound of trumpet.
This done, they compassed them round
on every side; some went before, some behind, and some on the right hand, some on
the left (as it were to guard them through
the upper regions), continually sounding as
they went, with melodious noise, in notes
on high; so that the very sight was to them
that could behold it, as if Heaven itself was
come down to meet them.[325] Thus, therefore, they walked on together; and as they
walked, ever and anon these trumpeters,
even with joyful sound, would, by mixing
their music with looks and gestures, still
signify to Christian and his brother, how
welcome they were into their company,
and with what gladness they came to meet
them; and now were these two men, as it
were, in Heaven, before they came at it, being swallowed up with the sight of angels,
and with hearing of their melodious notes.
Here also they had the city itself in view,
and they thought they heard all the bells
therein to ring, to welcome them thereto.
But above all, the warm and joyful
thoughts that they had about their own
dwelling there, with such company, and
that forever and ever. O by what tongue or
pen can their glorious joy be expressed![326] And thus they came up to the
gate.
Now, when they were come up to the
gate, there was written over it in letters of
gold, “Blessed are they that do His commandments, that they may have right to
the tree of life, and  may enter in through
the gates into the city” (Rev. 22:14).
Then I saw in my dream, that the Shining Men bid them call at the gate; the
which, when they did, some looked from
above over the gate, to wit, Enoch, Moses,
and Elijah, &c., to whom it was said, These
pilgrims are come from the City of Destruction, for the love that they bear to the King
of this place; and then the pilgrims gave in
unto them each man his certificate,[327] 77
which they had received in the beginning;
those, therefore, were carried into the King,
who, when He had read them, said, Where
are the men? To whom it was answered,
They are standing without the gate. The
King then commanded to open the gate,
“That the righteous nation,” said He,
“which keepeth the truth, may enter
in”[328] (Isa. 26:2).
 Now I saw in my dream that these two
men went in at the gate; and lo, as they entered, they were transfigured, and they had
raiment put on that shone like gold. There
were also that met them with harps and
crowns, and gave them to them-the harps
to praise withal, and the crowns in token of
honour. Then I heard in my dream that all
the bells in the city rang again for joy, and
that it was said unto them, “ENTER YE
INTO THE JOY OF YOUR LORD.”[329] I
also heard the men themselves, that they
sang with a loud voice, saying, “BLESSING, AND HONOUR, AND GLORY, AND
POWER, BE UNTO HIM THAT SITTETH
UPON THE THRONE, AND UNTO THE
LAMB, FOREVER AND EVER” (Rev. 5:13).
 Now just as the gates were opened to
let in the men, I looked in after them, and,
behold, the City shone like the sun; the
streets also were paved with gold, and in
them walked many men, with crowns on
their heads, palms in their hands, and
golden harps to sing praises withal. There
were also of them that had wings, and they
answered one another without intermission, saying, “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord”
(Rev. 4:8). And after that, they shut up the
gates; which, when I had seen, I wished
myself among them.
Now while I was gazing upon all these
things, I turned my head to look back, and
saw Ignorance come up to the river side;
but he soon got over, and that without half
that difficulty which the other two men met
with.[330] For it happened that there was
then in that place,  one Vain-hope,[331] a
ferryman, that with his boat helped him
over; so he, as the other I saw, did ascend
the hill, to come up to the gate, only he
came alone; neither did any man meet him
with the least encouragement. When he
was come up to the gate, he looked up to
the writing that was above, and then began
to knock, supposing that entrance should
have been quickly administered to him; but
he was asked by the men that looked over
the top of the gate, Whence came you? and
what would you have? He answered, I
have eat and drank in the presence of the
King, and He has taught in our streets.
Then they asked him for his certificate, that
they might go in and show it to the King; so
he fumbled in his bosom for one, and
found none. Then said they, Have you
none? But the man answered never a word.
So they told the King, but He would not
come down to see him, but commanded the
two Shining Ones that conducted Christian
and Hopeful to the City, to go out and take
Ignorance, and bind him hand and foot,
and have him away. Then they took him
up, and carried him through the air, to the
door that I saw in the side of the hill, and
put him in there. Then I saw that there was
a way to hell, even from the gates of
Heaven, as well as from the City of Destruction![332] So I awoke, and behold it
was a dream.
THE CONCLUSION.
Now,  READER,  I  have  told  my  dream
to thee; See if thou canst interpret it to me,
Or to thyself, or neighbour; but take heed
Of misinterpreting; for that, instead Of doing good, will but thyself abuse: By misinterpreting, evil ensues.
Take heed also, that thou be not extreme, In playing with the outside of my
dream: Nor let my figure or similitude Put
thee into a laughter or a feud. Leave this for
boys and fools; but as for thee, Do thou the
substance of my matter see.
Put by the curtains, look within my veil,
Turn up my metaphors, and do not fail; 78
There, if thou seekest them, such things to
find, As will be helpful to an honest mind.
What of my dross thou findest there, be
bold To throw away, but yet preserve the
gold; What if my gold be wrapped up in
ore?-None throws away the apple for the
core. But if thou shalt cast all away as vain,
I know not but ‘twill make me dream
again.
THE END OF THE FIRST PART.