I saw then in my dream, that he went on
thus, even until he came at a bottom, where
he saw, a little out of the way, three men
fast asleep, with fetters upon their heels. 16
The name of the one was Simple, another
Sloth, and the third Presumption.
Christian then seeing them lie in this
case, went to them, if peradventure he
might awake them, and cried, You are like
them that sleep on the top of a mast, for the
Dead Sea is under you—a gulf that hath no
bottom (Prov. 23:34). Awake, therefore, and
come away; be willing also, and I will help
you off with your irons. He also told them,
If he that “goeth about like a roaring lion”
comes by, you will certainly become a prey
to his teeth (1 Peter 5:8). With that they
looked upon him, and began to reply in
this sort: Simple said, “I see no danger”;
Sloth said, “Yet a little more sleep”; and
Presumption said, “Every fat[53] must
stand upon its own bottom; what is the answer else that I
should give thee?” And so
they lay down to sleep again, and Christian
went on his way.
Yet was he troubled to think that men in
that danger should so little esteem the
kindness of him that so freely offered to
help them, both by awakening of them,
counselling of them, and proffering to help
them off with their irons.[54] And as he
was troubled thereabout, he espied two
men come tumbling over the wall, on the
left hand of the narrow way; and they
made up apace to him. The name of the one
was Formalist, and the name of the other
Hypocrisy. So, as I said, they drew up unto
him, who thus entered with them into discourse.
CHR. Gentlemen,
whence came you,
and whither go you?
FORM. and HYP. We were born in the
land of Vain-glory, and are going for praise
to Mount Sion.
CHR. Why came you not in at the gate,
which standeth at the beginning of the
way? Know you not that it is written, that
he that cometh not in by the door, “but
climbeth up some other way, the same is a
thief and a robber?” (John 10:1).
FORM. and HYP. They said, That to go
to the gate for entrance was, by all their
countrymen, counted too far about; and
that, therefore, their usual way was to
make a short cut of it, and to climb over the
wall, as they had done.
CHR. But will it not be counted a trespass against the Lord
of the city whither we
are bound, thus to violate His revealed
will?
FORM. and HYP. They told him, that,
as for that, he needed not to trouble his
head thereabout; for what they did, they
had custom for; and could produce, if need
were, testimony that would witness it for
more than a thousand years.
CHR. But, said
Christian, will your
practice stand a trial at law?
FORM. and HYP. They told him, That
custom, it being of so long a standing as
above a thousand years, would, doubtless,
now be admitted as a thing legal by any
impartial judge; and beside, said they, if we
get into the way, what’s matter which way
we get in? if we are in, we are in; thou art
but in the way, who, as we perceive, came
in at the gate; and we, are also in the way,
that came tumbling over the wall; wherein,
now, is thy condition better than ours?
CHR. I walk by the rule of my Master;
you walk by the rude working of your fancies. You are
counted thieves already, by
the Lord of the way; therefore, I doubt you
will not be found true men at the end of the
way. You come in by yourselves, without
His direction; and shall go out by yourselves, without His
mercy.[55]
To this they made him but little answer;
only they bid him look to himself. Then I
saw that they went on every man in his
way, without much conference one with
another; save that these two men told
Christian, that as to laws and ordinances,
they doubted not but they should as conscientiously do them
as he; therefore, said
they, we see not wherein thou differest
from us, but by the coat that is on thy back,
which was, as we trow[56] given thee by
some of thy neighbours, to hide the shame
of thy nakedness. 17
CHR. By laws and ordinances you will
not be saved, since you came not in by the
door (Gal. 1:16). And as for this coat that is
on my back, it was given me by the Lord of
the place whither I go; and that, as you say,
to cover my nakedness with. And I take it
as a token of His kindness to me; for I had
nothing but rags before. And, besides, thus
I comfort myself as I go: Surely, think I,
when I come to the gate of the city, the
Lord thereof will know me for good, since I
have His coat on my back—a coat that He
gave me in the day that He stripped me of
my rags. I have, moreover, a mark in my
forehead, of which, perhaps, you have
taken no notice, which one of my Lord’s
most intimate associates fixed there in the
day that my burden fell off my shoulders. I
will tell you, moreover, that I had then
given me a roll, sealed, to comfort me by
reading, as I go on the way; I was also bid
to give it in at the Celestial Gate, in token of
my certain going in after it; all which
things, I doubt, you want, and want them
because you came not in at the gate.
To these things they gave him no answer; only they looked
upon each other,
and laughed.[57] Then I saw that they went
on all, save that Christian kept before, who
had no more talk but with himself, and that
sometimes sighingly and sometimes comfortably;[58] also he
would be often reading
in the roll that one
of the Shining Ones
gave him, by which he was refreshed.
I beheld, then, that they all went on till
they came to the foot of the Hill Difficulty;
at the bottom of which was a spring. There
were also in the same place two other ways
besides that which came straight from the
gate; one turned to the left hand, and the
other to the right, at the bottom of the hill;
but the narrow way lay right up the hill,
and the name of the going up the side of
the hill is called Difficulty. Christian now
went to the spring, and drank thereof, to
refresh himself (Isa. 49:10), and then began
to go up the hill, saying—
“The hill, though high, I covet to ascend, The difficulty
will not me offend; For
I perceive the way to life lies here. Come,
pluck up heart, let’s neither faint nor fear;
Better, though difficult, the right way to go,
Than wrong, though easy, where the end is
Woe.”
The other two also came to the foot of
the hill; but when they saw that the hill was
steep and high, and that there were two
other ways to go; and supposing also that
these two ways might meet again, with that
up which Christian went, on the other side
of the hill; therefore they were resolved to
go in those ways. Now the name of one of
those ways was Danger, and the name of
the other Destruction. So the one took the
way which is called Danger, which led him
into a great wood, and the other took directly up the way to
Destruction, which led
him into a wide field, full of dark mountains, where he
stumbled and fell, and rose
no more.[59]
I looked, then, after Christian, to see
him go up the hill, where I perceived he fell
from running to going, and from going to
clambering upon his hands and his knees,
because of the steepness of the place. Now,
about the midway to the top of the hill was
a pleasant arbour, made by the Lord of the
hill for the refreshing of weary travellers;
thither, therefore, Christian got, where also
he sat down to rest him. Then he pulled his
roll out of his bosom, and read therein to
his comfort; he also now began afresh to
take a review of the coat or garment that
was given him as he stood by the cross.
Thus pleasing himself awhile, he at last fell
into a slumber, and thence into a fast
sleep,[60] which detained him in that place
until it was almost night; and in his sleep
his roll fell out of his hand.[61] Now, as he
was sleeping, there came one to him, and
awaked him, saying, “Go to the ant, thou
sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise”
(Prov. 6:6). And with that Christian suddenly started up,
and sped him on his way, 18
and went apace, till be came to the top of
the hill.
Now, when he was got up to the top of
the hill, there came two men running to
meet him amain; the name of the one was
Timorous, and of the other Mistrust; to
whom Christian said, Sirs, what’s the matter? You run the
wrong way. Timorous answered, that they were going to the City of
Zion, and had got up that difficult place;
but, said he, the further we go, the more
danger we meet with; wherefore we
turned, and are going back again.[62]
Yes, said Mistrust, for just before us lie a
couple of lions in the way, whether sleeping or waking we
know not, and we could
not think, if we came within reach, but they
would presently pull us in pieces.
CHR. Then said Christian, You make
me afraid, but whither shall I fly to be safe?
If I go back to mine own country, that is
prepared for fire and brimstone, and I shall
certainly perish there. If I can get to the Celestial City,
I am sure to be in safety there. I
must venture. To
go back is
nothing but
death; to go forward is fear of death, and
life everlasting beyond it. I will yet go forward.[63] So
Mistrust and Timorous ran
down the hill, and Christian went on his
way. But, thinking again of what he heard
from the men, be felt in his bosom for his
roll, that he might read therein, and be
comforted; but he felt, and found it not.
Then was Christian in great distress, and
knew not what to do; for he wanted that
which used to relieve him, and that which
should have been his pass into the Celestial
City. Here, therefore, he began to be much
perplexed, and knew not what to do.[64] At
last, he bethought himself, that he had slept
in the arbour that is on the side of the hill;
and, falling down upon his knees, he asked
God’s forgiveness for that his foolish act,
and then went back to look for his roll. But
all the way he went back, who can sufficiently set forth the
sorrow of Christian’s
heart! Sometimes he sighed, sometimes he
wept, and oftentimes he chid himself for
being so foolish to fall asleep in that place,
which was erected only for a little refreshment for his
weariness. Thus therefore he
went back, carefully looking on this side,
and on that, all the way as he went, if happily he might
find his roll, that had been his
comfort so many times in his journey. He
went thus, till he came again within sight of
the arbour where he sat and slept; but that
sight renewed his sorrow the more, by
bringing again, even afresh, his evil of
sleeping into his mind (Rev. 2:5; 1 Thess.
5:7, 8). Thus, therefore, he now went on
bewailing his sinful sleep, saying, “O
wretched man that I am!” that I should
sleep in the day time! that I should sleep in
the midst of difficulty! that I should so indulge the flesh,
as to use that rest for ease
to my flesh, which the Lord of the hill hath
erected only for the relief of the spirits of
pilgrims![65]
How many steps have I took in vain!
Thus it happened to Israel, for their sin;
they were sent back again by the way of the
Red Sea; and I am made to tread those
steps with sorrow, which I might have trod
with delight, had it not been for this sinful
sleep. How far might I have been on my
way by this time! I am made to tread those
steps thrice over, which I needed not to
have trod but once; yea, now also I am like
to be benighted, for the day is almost spent.
O that I had not slept!
Now by this
time be was
come to the
arbour again, where for a while he sat
down and wept; but at last, as Christian
would have it, looking sorrowfully down
under the settle, there he espied his roll; the
which he, with trembling and haste,
catched up, and put it into his bosom. But
who can tell how joyful this man was when
he had gotten his roll again! for this roll
was the assurance of his life and acceptance
at the desired haven. Therefore he laid it up
in his bosom, gave thanks to God for directing his eye to
the place where it lay, and
with joy and tears betook himself again to
his journey. But O how nimbly now did he 19
go up the rest of the hill! Yet, before be got
up, the sun went down upon Christian; and
this made him again recall the vanity of his
sleeping to his remembrance; and thus he
again began to condole with himself. O
thou sinful sleep! how, for thy sake am I
like to be benighted in my journey! I must
walk without the sun; darkness must cover
the path of my feet; and I must hear the
noise of the doleful creatures, because of
my sinful sleep (1 Thess. 5:6, 7). Now also
he remembered the story that Mistrust and
Timorous told him of, how they were
frighted with the sight of the lions. Then
said Christian to himself again, These
beasts range in the night for their prey; and
if they should meet with me in the dark,
how should I shift them? How should I escape being by them
torn in pieces? Thus he
went on his way. But while he was thus
bewailing his unhappy miscarriage, he lift
up his eyes, and behold there was a very
stately palace before him, the name of
which was Beautiful; and it stood just by
the highway side.[66]
So I saw
in my dream,
that he made
haste and went forward, that if possible he
might get lodging there. Now before he
had gone far, be entered into a very narrow
passage, which was about a furlong off of
the porter’s lodge; and looking very narrowly before him as
he went, he espied two
lions in the way.[67] Now, thought he, I see
the dangers that Mistrust and Timorous
were driven back by. (The lions were
chained, but he saw not the chains). Then
he was afraid, and thought also himself to
go back after them, for he thought nothing
but death was before him. But the porter at
the lodge, whose name is Watchful, perceiving that Christian
made a halt as if he
would go back, cried unto him, saying, Is
thy strength so small? (Mark 13:34-37). Fear
not the lions, for they are chained, and are
placed there for trial of faith where it is,
and for discovery of those that have none.
Keep in the midst of the path, and no hurt
shall come unto thee.
Then I saw that he went on, trembling
for fear of the lions, but taking good heed
to the directions of the porter; he heard
them roar, but they did him no harm. Then
he clapped his hands, and went on till he
came and stood before the gate, where the
porter was. Then said Christian to the porter, Sir, what
house is this? and may I lodge
here tonight? The porter answered, This
house was built by the Lord of the hill, and
He built it for the relief and security of pilgrims. The
porter also asked whence he
was, and whither he was going.
CHR. I am come from the City of Destruction, and am going to
Mount Zion; but
because the sun is now set, I desire, if I
may, to lodge here tonight.
POR. What is your name?
CHR. My name is now Christian, but
my name at the first was Graceless; I came
of the race of Japheth, whom God will persuade to dwell in
the tents of Shem (Gen.
9:27).
POR. But how doth it happen that you
come so late? The sun is set.
CHR. I had been here sooner, but that,
“wretched man that I am!” I slept in the arbour that stands
on the hill side; nay, I had,
notwithstanding that, been here much
sooner, but that, in my sleep, I lost my evidence, and came
without it to the brow of
the hill; and then feeling for it, and finding
it not, I was forced, with sorrow of heart, to
go back to the place where I slept my sleep,
where I found it, and now I am come.
POR. Well, I will call out one of the virgins of this place,
who will, if she likes your
talk, bring you in to the rest of the family,
according to the rules of the house. So
Watchful, the porter, rang a bell, at the
sound of which came out at the door of the
house, a grave and beautiful damsel,
named Discretion, and asked why she was
called.
The porter answered, This man is in a
journey from the City of Destruction to
Mount Zion, but being weary and benighted, he asked me if he
might lodge 20
here tonight; so I told him I would call for
thee, who, after discourse had with him,
mayest do as seemeth thee good, even according to the law of
the house.
Then she asked him whence he was,
and whither he was going; and he told her.
She asked him also how he got into the
way; and he told her. Then she asked him
what he had seen and met with in the way;
and he told her. And last she asked his
name; so he said, It is Christian, and I have
so much the more a desire to lodge here tonight, because, by
what I perceive, this
place was built by the Lord of the hill, for
the relief and security of pilgrims. So she
smiled, but the water stood in her eyes; and
after a little pause, she said, I will call forth
two or three more of the family. So she ran
to the door, and called out Prudence, Piety,
and Charity, who, after a little more discourse with him,
had him into the family;
and many of them meeting him at the
threshold of the house, said, “Come in,
thou blessed of the Lord”; this house was
built by the Lord of the hill, on purpose to
entertain such pilgrims in.[68] Then he
bowed his head, and followed them into
the house. So when he was come in and sat
down, they gave him something to drink,
and consented together, that until supper
was ready, some of them should have some
particular discourse with Christian, for the
best improvement of time; and they appointed Piety, and
Prudence, and Charity
to discourse with him; and thus they began:
PIETY. Come, good Christian, since we
have been so
loving to you,
to receive you
into our house this night, let us, if perhaps
we may better ourselves thereby, talk with
you of all things that have happened to you
in your pilgrimage.
CHR. With a very good will, and I am
glad that you are so well disposed.
PIETY. What moved you at first to betake yourself to a
pilgrim’s life?
CHR. I was driven out of my native
country, by a dreadful sound that was in
mine ears; to wit, that unavoidable destruction did attend
me, if I abode in that country place where I was.
PIETY. But how did it happen that you
came out of your country this way?
CHR. It was as God would have it; for
when I was under the fears of destruction, I
did not know whither to go; but by chance
there came a man, even to me, as I was
trembling and weeping, whose name is
Evangelist, and he directed me to the
wicket-gate, which else I should never have
found, and so set me into the way that hath
led me directly to this house.
PIETY. But did you not come by the
house of the Interpreter?
CHR. Yes, and did see such things
there, the remembrance of which will stick
by me as long as I live; especially three
things, to wit, how Christ, in despite of Satan, maintains
His work of grace in the
heart; how the man had sinned himself
quite out of hopes of God’s mercy; and also
the dream of him that thought in his sleep
the day of judgment was come.
PIETY. Why, did you hear him tell his
dream?
CHR. Yes, and a dreadful one it was. I
thought it made my heart ache as he was
telling of it; but yet I am glad I heard it.
PIETY. Was that all that you saw at the
house of the Interpreter?
CHR. No; he took me and had me
where he showed me a stately palace, and
how the people were clad in gold that were
in it; and how there came a venturous man
and cut his way through the armed men
that stood in the door to keep him out; and
how he was bid to come in, and win eternal
glory. Methought those things did ravish
my heart! I would have staid at that good
man’s house a twelvemonth, but that I
knew I had further to go.
PIETY. And what saw you else in the
way?
CHR. Saw! why, I went but a little further, and I saw one,
as I thought in my
mind, hang bleeding upon the tree; and the
very sight of Him made my burden fall off 21
my back (for I groaned under a very heavy
burden), but then it fell down from off me.
It was a strange thing to me, for I never saw
such a thing before; yea, and while I stood
looking up, for then I could not forbear
looking, three Shining Ones came to me.
One of them testified that my sins were
forgiven me; another stripped me of my
rags, and gave me this broidered coat
which you see; and the third set the mark
which you see in my forehead, and gave
me this sealed
roll. (And with that he
plucked it out of his bosom).
PIETY. But you saw more than this, did
you not?
CHR. The things that I have told you
were the best, yet some other matters I saw,
as, namely, I saw three men, Simple, Sloth,
and Presumption, lie asleep a little out of
the way, as I came, with irons upon their
heels; but do you
think I could awake
them? I also saw Formality and Hypocrisy
come tumbling over the wall, to go, as they
pretended, to Zion, but they were quickly
lost, even as I myself did tell them; but they
would not believe. But above all, I found it
hard work to get up this hill, and as hard to
come by the lions’ mouths; and truly if it
had not been for the good man, the porter
that stands at the gate, I do not know but
that after all I might have gone back again;
but now, I thank God I am here, and I
thank you for receiving of me.
Then Prudence thought good to ask him
a few questions, and desired his answer to
them.
PRUD. Do you not think sometimes of
the country from whence you came?
CHR. Yes, but with much shame and
detestation: “truly if I had been mindful of
that country from whence I came out, I
might have had opportunity to have returned; but now I
desire a better country,
that is, an heavenly” (Heb. 11:15, 16).
PRUD. Do you not yet
bear away with
you some of the things that then you were
conversant withal?
CHR. Yes, but greatly against my will;
especially my inward and carnal cogitations, with which all
my countrymen, as
well as myself, were delighted; but now all
those things are my grief; and might I but
choose mine own things, I would choose
never to think of those things more; but
when I would be doing of that which is
best, that which is worst is with me (Rom.
7).
PRUD. Do you not find
sometimes, as if
those things were vanquished, which at
other times are your perplexity?
CHR. Yes, but that is but seldom; but
they are to me golden hours, in which such
things happen to me.[69]
PRUD. Can you remember by what
means you find your annoyances, at times,
as if they were vanquished?
CHR. Yes; when I think what I saw at
the cross, that will do it; and when I look
upon my broidered coat, that will do it;
also when I look into the roll that I carry in
my bosom, that will
do it; and when my
thoughts wax warm about whither I am going, that will do
it.[70]
PRUD. And what is it that makes you so
desirous to go to Mount Zion?
CHR. Why, there I hope to see Him
alive that did hang dead on the cross; and
there I hope to be rid of all those things that
to this day are in me an annoyance to me;
there, they say, there is no death; and there
I shall dwell with such company as I like
best (Isa. 25:8; Rev. 21:4). For, to tell you
truth, I love Him, because I was by Him
eased of my burden; and I am weary of my
inward sickness. I would fain be where I
shall die no more, and with the company
that shall continually cry, “Holy, holy,
holy.”
Then said Charity to Christian, Have
you a family? Are you a married man?
CHR. I have a wife
and four small children.[71]
CHAR. And why did you not bring
them along with you? 22
CHR. Then Christian wept, and said, O
how willingly would I have done it! but
they were all of them utterly averse to my
going on pilgrimage.
CHAR. But you should
have talked to
them, and have endeavoured to have
shown them the danger of being behind.
CHR. So I
did; and told
them also what
God had shown to me of the destruction of
our city; “but I seemed to them as one that
mocked,” and they believed me not (Gen.
19:14).
CHAR. And did you pray to God that
He would bless your counsel to them?
CHR. Yes, and that with much affection;
for you must think that my wife and poor
children were very dear unto me.
CHAR. But did you tell them of your
own sorrow, and fear of destruction? for I
suppose that destruction was visible
enough to you.
CHR. Yes, over, and over, and over.
They might also see my fears in my countenance, in my tears,
and also in my trembling under the apprehension of the judgment that did hang
over our heads; but all
was not sufficient to prevail with them to
come with me.
CHAR. But what could they say for
themselves, why they came not?
CHR. Why, my wife was afraid of losing this world, and my
children were given
to the foolish delights of youth; so what by
one thing, and what by another, they left
me to wander in this manner alone.
CHAR. But did you not, with your vain
life, damp all that you by words used by
way of persuasion to bring them away with
you?[72]
CHR. Indeed, I cannot commend my
life; for I am conscious to myself of many
failings therein; I know also, that a man by
his conversation may soon overthrow,
what by argument or persuasion he doth
labour to fasten upon others for their good.
Yet this I can say, I was very wary of giving
them occasion, by any unseemly action, to
make them averse to going on pilgrimage.[73] Yea, for this
very thing, they
would tell me I was too precise, and that I
denied myself of things, for their sakes, in
which they saw no evil. Nay, I think I may
say, that if what they saw in me did hinder
them, it was my great tenderness in sinning
against God, or of doing any wrong to my
neighbour.
CHAR. Indeed Cain hated his brother,
“because his own works were evil, and his
brother’s righteous” (1 John 3:12); and if
thy wife and children have been offended
with thee for this, they thereby show themselves to be
implacable to good, and “thou
hast delivered thy soul from their blood”
(Ezek. 3:19).
Now I saw in my
dream, that thus they
sat talking together until supper was
ready.[74] So when they had made ready,
they sat down to meat. Now the table was
furnished “with fat things, and with wine
that was well refined”: and all their talk at
the table was about the Lord of the hill; as,
namely, about what He had done, and
wherefore He did what He did, and why
He had builded that house. And by what
they said, I perceived that He had been a
great warrior, and had fought with and
slain “him that had the power of death,”
but not without great danger to Himself,
which made me love Him the more[75]
(Heb. 2:14, 15).
For, as they said, and as I believe (said
Christian), He did it with the loss of much
blood; but that which put glory of grace
into all He did, was, that He did it out of
pure love to His country. And besides,
there were some of them of the household
that said they had been and spoke with
Him since He did die on the cross; and they
have attested that they had it from His own
lips, that He is such a lover of poor pilgrims, that the
like is not to be found from
the east to the west.
They, moreover, gave an instance of
what they affirmed, and that was, He had
stripped Himself of His glory, that He
might do this for the poor; and that they 23
heard Him say and affirm, “that He would
not dwell in the mountain of Zion alone.”
They said, moreover, that He had made
many pilgrims princes, though by nature
they were beggars born, and their original
had been the dunghill (1 Sam. 2:8; Psa.
113:7).
Thus they discoursed together till late at
night; and after they had committed themselves to their Lord
for protection, they betook themselves to rest: the Pilgrim they
laid in a large upper chamber, whose window opened toward
the sun-rising; the
name of the chamber was Peace;[76] where
he slept till break of day, and then he
awoke and sang[77]—
Where am I now? Is this the love and
care Of Jesus for the men that pilgrims are?
Thus to provide!
that I should
be forgiven!
And dwell already the next door to
Heaven!
So, in the morning, they all got up; and
after some more discourse, they told him
that he should not depart till they had
shown him the rarities of that place. And
first, they had him into the study, where
they showed him records of the greatest
antiquity; in which, as I remember my
dream, they showed him first the pedigree
of the Lord of the hill, that He was the Son
of the Ancient of Days, and came by that
eternal generation. Here also was more
fully recorded the acts that He had done,
and the names of many hundreds that He
had taken into His service; and how He
had placed them in such habitations, that
could neither by length of days, nor decays
of nature, be dissolved.
Then they read to him some of the worthy acts that some of
His servants had
done: as, how they had “subdued kingdoms, wrought
righteousness, obtained
promises, stopped the mouths of lions,
quenched the violence
of fire, escaped the
edge of the sword, out of weakness were
made strong, waxed valiant in fight, and
turned to flight the
armies of the aliens”
(Heb. 11:33, 34).
They then read again in another part of
the records of the house, where it was
showed how willing their Lord was to receive into His favour
any, even any, though
they in time past had offered great affronts
to His person and proceedings. Here also
were several other histories of many other
famous things, of all which Christian had a
view; as of things both ancient and modern;
together with prophecies and predictions of
things that have their certain accomplishment, both to the
dread and amazement of
enemies, and the comfort and solace of pilgrims.
The next day they took him and had
him into the armoury, where they showed
him all manner of furniture, which their
Lord had provided for pilgrims, as sword,
shield, helmet, breastplate, all-prayer, and
shoes that would not wear out.[78] And
there was here enough of this to harness
out as many men, for the service of their
Lord, as there be stars in the Heaven for
multitude.[79]
They also showed him some of the engines with which some of
his servants had
done wonderful things. They showed him
Moses’ rod; the hammer and nail with
which Jael slew Sisera; the pitchers, trumpets, and lamps
too, with which Gibeon put
to flight the armies of Midian. Then they
showed him the ox’s goad wherewith
Shamgar slew 600 men. They showed him,
also, the jaw-bone with which Samson did
such mighty feats. They showed him,
moreover, the sling and stone with which
David slew Goliath of Gath; and the sword,
also, with which their Lord will kill the
Man of Sin, in the day that he shall rise up
to the prey. They showed him, besides,
many excellent things, with which Christian was much
delighted. This done, they
went to their rest again.[80]
Then I saw in my dream, that, on the
morrow, he got up to go forward; but they
desired him to stay till the next day also;
and then, said they, we will, if the day be
clear, show you the Delectable Moun-24
tains,[81] which, they said, would yet further add to his
comfort, because they were
nearer the desired haven than the place
where at present he was; so he consented
and staid. When the morning was up, they
had him to the top of the house, and bid
him look south; so he did; and, behold, at a
great distance, he saw a most pleasant
mountainous country, beautified with
woods, vineyards, fruits of all sorts, flowers
also, with springs and fountains, very delectable to behold
(Isa. 33:16, 17). Then he
asked the name of the country. They said it
was Immanuel’s Land; and it is as common,
said they, as this hill is, to and for all the
pilgrims. And when thou comest there,
from thence, said they, thou mayest see to
the gate of the Celestial City, as the shepherds that live
there will make appear.
Now, he bethought himself of setting
forward, and they were willing he should,
But first, said they, let us go again into the
armoury. So they did; and when they came
there, they harnessed him from head to foot
with what was of proof, lest, perhaps, he
should meet with assaults in the way. He
being, therefore, thus accoutred, walketh
out with his friends to the gate, and there
he asked the porter if he saw any pilgrims
pass by. Then the porter answered, Yes.
CHR. Pray, did you know him? said he.
POR. I asked his name, and he told me
it was Faithful.
CHR. O, said
Christian, I know
him; he
is my townsman, my near neighbour; he
comes from the place where I was born.
How far do you think he may be before?
POR. He is got by this time below the
hill.
CHR. Well, said Christian, good Porter,
the Lord be with thee, and add to all thy
blessings much increase, for the kindness
that thou hast showed to me.
Then he began to go forward; but Discretion, Piety, Charity,
and Prudence,
would accompany him down to the foot of
the hill. So they went on together, reiterating their former
discourses, till they came
to go down the hill. Then, said Christian, as
it was difficult coming up, so, so far as I can
see, it is dangerous going down. Yes, said
Prudence, so it is, for it is a hard matter for
a man to go down into the Valley of Humiliation, as thou art
now, and to catch no
slip by the way; therefore, said they, are we
come out to accompany thee down the hill.
So he began to go down, but very warily;
yet he caught a slip or two.[82] Then I saw
in my dream that these good companions,
when Christian was gone to the bottom of
the hill, gave him a loaf of bread, a bottle of
wine, and a cluster of raisins; and then he
went on his way.
But now, in this Valley of Humiliation,
poor Christian was hard put to it; for he
had gone but a little way, before he espied
a foul fiend coming over the field to meet
him; his name is Apollyon. Then did Christian begin to be
afraid, and to cast in his
mind whether to go back or to stand his
ground. But he considered again that he
had no armour for his back; and, therefore,
thought that to turn the back to him might
give him the greater advantage, with ease
to pierce him with his darts.[83] Therefore
he resolved to venture and stand his
ground; for, thought he, had I no more in
mine eye than the saving of my life, it
would be the best way to stand.
So he went on, and Apollyon met him.
Now the monster was hideous to behold;
he was clothed with scales, like a fish (and
they are his pride), he had wings like a
dragon, feet like a bear, and out of his belly
came fire and smoke, and his mouth was as
the mouth of a lion.[84] When he was come
up to Christian, he beheld him with a disdainful
countenance, and thus began to
question with him.
APOL. Whence come you? and whither
are you bound?
CHR. I am come from the City of Destruction, which is the
place of all evil, and
am going to the City of Zion.
APOL. By this I perceive thou art one of
my subjects, for all that country is mine, 25
and I am the prince and god of it. How is it,
then, that thou hast run away from thy
king? Were it not that I hope thou mayest
do me more service, I would strike thee
now, at one blow, to the ground.
CHR. I was born, indeed, in your dominions, but your service
was hard, and
your wages such as a man could not live
on, “for the wages of sin is death” (Rom.
6:23); therefore, when I was come to years, I
did as other considerate persons do, look
out, if, perhaps, I might mend myself.
APOL. There is no prince that will thus
lightly lose his subjects,[85] neither will I as
yet lose thee; but since thou complainest of
thy service and wages, be content to go
back; what our country will afford, I do
here promise to give thee.
CHR. But I have let myself to another,
even to the King of princes; and how can I,
with fairness, go back with thee?
APOL. Thou hast done in this according
to the proverb, “Changed a bad for a
worse”; but it is ordinary for those that
have professed themselves His servants,
after a while to give Him the slip, and return again to me.
Do thou so too, and all
shall be well.
CHR. I have given Him my faith, and
sworn my allegiance to Him; how, then,
can I go back from this, and not be hanged
as a traitor?
APOL. Thou didst the same to me, and
yet I am willing to pass by all, if now thou
wilt yet turn again and go back.
CHR. What I promised thee was in my
nonage;[86] and, besides, I count the Prince
under whose banner now I stand is able to
absolve me; yea, and to pardon also what I
did as to my compliance with thee; and besides, O thou
destroying Apollyon! to
speak truth, I like His service, His wages,
His servants, His government, His company, and country,
better than thine; and,
therefore, leave off to persuade me further;
I am His servant, and I will follow Him.
APOL. Consider again, when thou art in
cool blood, what thou art like to meet with
in the way that thou goest. Thou knowest
that, for the most part, His servants come to
an ill end, because they are transgressors
against me and my ways. How many of
them have been put to shameful deaths!
and, besides, thou countest His service better than mine,
whereas He never came yet
from the place where He is to deliver any
that served Him out of their hands; but as
for me, how many times, as all the world
very well knows, have I delivered, either
by power or fraud, those that have faithfully served me,
from Him and His, though
taken by them; and so I will deliver thee.
CHR. His forbearing at present to deliver them is on purpose
to try their love,
whether they will cleave to Him to the end;
and as for the ill end thou sayest they come
to, that is most glorious in their account;
for, for present deliverance, they do not
much expect it, for they stay for their glory,
and then they shall
have it, when their
Prince comes in His and the glory of the
angels.
APOL. Thou hast already been unfaithful in thy service to
Him; and how dost
thou think to receive wages of Him?
CHR. Wherein, O Apollyon! have I been
unfaithful to Him?
APOL. Thou didst faint at first setting
out, when thou wast almost choked in the
Gulf of Despond; thou didst attempt wrong
ways to be rid of thy burden, whereas
against thou shouldest have stayed till thy
Prince had taken it off; thou didst sinfully
sleep, and lose thy choice thing; thou wast,
also, almost persuaded to go back, at the
sight of the lions; and when thou talkest of
thy journey, and of what thou hast heard
and seen, thou art inwardly desirous of
vain-glory in all that thou sayest or
doest.[87]
CHR. All this is true, and much more
which thou has left out; but the Prince,
whom I serve and honour, is merciful, and
ready to forgive; but, besides, these infirmities possessed
me in thy country, for there I
sucked them in; and I have groaned under 26
them, been sorry for them, and have obtained pardon of my
Prince.[88]
APOL. Then Apollyon broke out into a
grievous rage, saying, I am an enemy to
this Prince; I hate His person, His laws, and
people; I am come out on purpose to withstand thee.
CHR. Apollyon, beware what you do;
for I am in the king’s highway, the way of
holiness; therefore take heed to yourself.
APOL. Then Apollyon straddled quite
over the whole breadth of the way, and
said, I am void of fear in this matter: prepare thyself to
die; for I swear by my infernal den, that thou shalt go no further; here
will I spill thy soul.
And with that he threw a flaming dart
at his breast;[89] but Christian had a shield
in his hand, with which he caught it, and so
prevented the danger of that.
Then did Christian draw; for he saw it
was time to bestir him: and Apollyon as
fast made at him, throwing darts as thick as
hail; by the which, notwithstanding all that
Christian could do to avoid it, Apollyon
wounded him in his head, his hand, and
foot. This made Christian give a little back;
Apollyon, therefore, followed his work
amain, and Christian again took courage,
and resisted as manfully as he could. This
sore combat lasted for above half a day,
even till Christian was almost quite spent;
for you must know, that Christian, by reason of his wounds,
must needs grow
weaker and weaker.
Then Apollyon, espying his opportunity, began to gather up
close to Christian,
and wrestling with him, gave him a dreadful fall; and with
that, Christian’s sword
flew out of his hand. Then said Apollyon, I
am sure of thee now.[90] And with that he
had almost pressed him to death; so that
Christian began to despair of life: but as
God would have it, while Apollyon was
fetching of his last blow, thereby to make a
full end of this good man, Christian nimbly
stretched out his hand for his sword, and
caught it, saying, “Rejoice not against me,
O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise”
(Micah. 7:8); and with that gave him a
deadly thrust, which made him give back,
as one that had received his mortal wound.
Christian perceiving that, made at him
again, saying, “Nay, in all these things we
are more than conquerors, through Him
that loved us” (Rom. 8:37). And with that
Apollyon spread forth his dragon’s wings,
and sped him away, that Christian for a
season[91] saw him no more[92] (James
4:7).
In this combat no man can imagine,
unless he had seen and heard as I did, what
yelling and hideous roaring Apollyon
made all the time of the fight—he spake
like a dragon; and, on the other side, what
sighs and groans burst from Christian’s
heart. I never saw him all the while give so
much as one pleasant look, till he perceived
he had wounded Apollyon with his twoedged sword; then,
indeed, he did smile,
and look upward; but it was the most
dreadful sight that ever I saw.[93]
So when the battle was over, Christian
said, “I will here give thanks to Him that
delivered me out of the mouth of the lion,
to Him that did help me against Apollyon.”
And so he did, saying—
Great Beelzebub, the captain of this
fiend, Design’d my ruin; therefore to this
end He sent him harness’d out; and he with
rage, That hellish was, did fiercely me engage. But blessed
Michael helped me, and I,
By dint of sword, did quickly make him fly.
Therefore to him let me give lasting praise,
And thank and bless his holy name always.
Then there came to him a hand, with
some of the leaves of the tree of life, the
which Christian took, and applied to the
wounds that he had received in the battle,
and was healed immediately.[94] He also
sat down in that place to eat bread, and to
drink of the bottle that was given him a little before; so
being refreshed, he addressed
himself to his journey, with his sword
drawn in his hand; for he said, I know not
but some other enemy may be at hand. But 27
he met with no other affront from Apollyon
quite through this valley.
Now, at the end of this valley, was another, The Valley of
the Shadow of Death.
and Christian must needs go through it,
because the way to the Celestial City lay
through the midst of it. Now this valley is a
very solitary place. The prophet Jeremiah
thus describes it: “A wilderness, a land of
deserts, and of pits, a land of drought, and
of the shadow of death, a land that no
man” (but a Christian) “passed through,
and where no man dwelt” (Jer. 2:6).
Now here Christian
was worse put to it
than in his fight with Apollyon; as by the
sequel you shall see.[95]
I saw then in my dream, that when
Christian was got to the borders of the
Shadow of Death, there met him two men,
children of them that brought up an evil
report of the good land (Num. 13), making
haste to go back; to whom Christian spake
as follows—
CHR. Whither are you going?
MEN. They said, Back! back! and we
would have you to do so too, if either life or
peace is prized by you.
CHR. Why? what’s the matter? said
Christian.
MEN. Matter! said
they; we were going
that way as you are going, and went as far
as we durst; and indeed we were almost
past coming back; for had we gone a little
further, we had not been here to bring the
news to thee.
CHR. But what have you met with? said
Christian.
MEN. Why, we were almost in the Valley of the Shadow of
Death; but that, by
good hap, we looked before us, and saw
the danger before we came to it (Psa. 44:19;
107:10).
CHR. But what have you seen? said
Christian.
MEN. Seen! Why, the valley itself,
which is as dark as pitch; we also saw there
the hobgoblins, satyrs, and dragons of the
pit; we heard also in that Valley a continual
howling and yelling, as of a people under
unutterable misery, who there sat bound in
affliction and irons; and over that Valley
hangs the discouraging clouds of confusion. Death also doth
always spread his
wings over it. In a word, it is every whit
dreadful, being utterly without order (Job
3:5; 10:26).
CHR. Then said
Christian, I perceive
not yet, by what you have said, but that
this is my way to the desired haven[96] (Jer.
2:6).
MEN. Be it thy way;
we will not choose
it for ours. So they parted, and Christian
went on his way, but still with his sword
drawn in his hand; for fear lest he should
be assaulted.
I saw then in my dream so far as this
valley reached, there was on the right hand
a very deep ditch: that ditch is it into which
the blind have led the blind in all ages, and
have both there miserably perished[97]
(Psa. 69:14, 15). Again, behold, on the left
hand, there was a very dangerous quag,
into which, if even a good man falls, he can
find no bottom for his foot to stand on. Into
that quag king David once did fall, and had
no doubt therein been smothered, had not
HE that is able plucked him out.
The pathway was here also exceeding
narrow, and therefore good Christian was
the more put to it; for when he sought, in
the dark, to shun the ditch on the one hand,
he was ready to tip over into the mire on
the other; also when he sought to escape
the mire, without great carefulness he
would be ready to fall into the ditch. Thus
he went on, and I heard him here sigh bitterly; for besides
the dangers mentioned
above, the pathway was here so dark, that
ofttimes, when he lift up his foot to set forward, he knew
not where, or upon what he
should set it next.
About the midst of this valley, I perceived the mouth of
hell to be, and it stood
also hard by the way-side. Now, thought
Christian, what shall I do? And ever and
anon the flame and smoke would come out 28
in such abundance, with sparks and hideous noises (things
that cared not for Christian’s sword, as did Apollyon before), that
he was forced to put up his sword, and betake himself to
another weapon, called Allprayer (Eph. 4:18). So he cried in my hearing, “O
Lord, I beseech Thee, deliver my
soul!” (Psa. 116:4). Thus he went on a great
while, yet still the flames would be reaching towards
him.[98] Also be heard doleful
voices, and rushings to and fro, so that
sometimes he thought he
should be torn
in
pieces, or trodden down like mire in the
streets. This frightful sight was seen, and
these dreadful noises were heard by him
for several miles together. And, coming to a
place, where be thought he heard a company of
fiends coming forward
to meet
him, he stopped and began to muse what
he had best to do. Sometimes he had half a
thought to go back; then again he thought
he might be half way through the valley; he
remembered also how be had already vanquished many a danger,
and that the danger of going back might be much more than
for to go forward; so he resolved to go on.
Yet the fiends seemed to come nearer and
nearer; but when they were come even almost at him, he cried
out with a most vehement voice, “I will walk in the strength
of the Lord God”; so they gave back, and
came no further.
One thing I would not let slip; I took notice that now poor
Christian was so confounded, that he did not know his own
voice; and thus I perceived it. Just when he
was come over against the mouth of the
burning pit, one of the wicked ones got behind him, and
stept up softly to him, and,
whisperingly, suggested many grievous
blasphemies to him, which he verily
thought had proceeded from his own mind.
This put Christian more to it than anything
that he met with before; even to think that
he should now blaspheme Him that he
loved so much before; yet, if he could have
helped it, he would not have done it; but he
had not the discretion either to stop his
ears, or to know from whence these blasphemies came.[99]
When Christian had travelled in this
disconsolate condition some considerable
time, he thought he heard the voice of a
man, as going before him, saying, “Though
I walk through the valley of the shadow of
death, I will fear no evil; for Thou art with
me” (Psa. 23:4).[100]
Then he was glad, and that for these
reasons:
First, Because he gathered from thence,
that some who feared God, were in this valley as well as
himself.
Secondly, For that he perceived God
was with them, though in that dark and
dismal state; and why not, thought he, with
me? though, by reason of the impediment
that attends this place, I cannot perceive it
(Job. 9:11).
Thirdly, For that he
hoped, could he
overtake them, to have company by and by.
So he went on, and called to him that was
before; but he knew not what to answer; for
that he also thought himself to be alone.
And by and by the day broke; then said
Christian, He hath turned “the shadow of
death into the morning” (Amos 5:8).[101]
Now morning being come, he looked
back, not out of desire to return, but to see,
by the light of the day, what hazards he
had gone through in the dark. So he saw
more perfectly the ditch that was on the
one hand, and the quag that was on the
other; also how narrow the way was which
led betwixt them both; also now he saw the
hobgoblins, and satyrs, and dragons of the
pit, but all afar off (for after break of day,
they came not nigh); yet they were discovered to him,
according to that which is
written, “He discovereth deep things out of
darkness, and bringeth out to light the
shadow of death” (Job 12:22).
Now was Christian
much affected with
his deliverance from all the dangers of his
solitary way; which dangers, though he
feared them more before, yet he saw them
more clearly now, because the light of the 29
day made them conspicuous to him. And
about this time the sun was rising, and this
was another mercy to Christian; for you
must note, that though the first part of the
Valley of the Shadow of Death was dangerous, yet this second
part which he was
yet to go, was, if possible, far more dangerous:[102] for
from the place where he now
stood, even to the end of the valley, the
way was all along set so full of snares,
traps, gins, and nets here, and so full of
pits, pitfalls, deep holes, and shelvings
down there, that had it now been dark, as it
were when he came the first part of the
way, had he had a thousand souls, they
had in reason been cast away;[103] but, as I
said, just now the sun was rising. Then said
he, “His candle shineth upon my head, and
by His light I walk through darkness” (Job
29:3).
In this light, therefore, he came to the
end of the valley. Now I saw in my dream,
that at the end of this valley lay blood,
bones, ashes, and mangled bodies of men,
even of pilgrims that had gone this way
formerly; and while I was musing what
should be the reason, I espied a little before
me a cave, where two giants, POPE and
PAGAN, dwelt in old time; by whose
power and tyranny the men whose bones,
blood, ashes, &c., lay there, were cruelly
put to death.[104] But by this place Christian went without
much danger, whereat I
somewhat wondered; but I have learnt
since, that PAGAN has been dead many a
day; and as for the other, though he be yet
alive, he is, by reason of age, and also of the
many shrewd brushes that he met with in
his younger days, grown so crazy and stiff
in his joints, that he can now do little more
than sit in his cave’s mouth, grinning at
pilgrims as they go by, and biting his nails
because he cannot come at them.[105]
So I saw that Christian went on his way;
yet, at the sight of the Old Man that sat in
the mouth of the cave, he could not tell
what to think, especially because he spake
to him, though he could not go after him;
saying, “You will never mend, till more of
you be burned.” But he held his peace, and
set a good face on it, and so went by and
catched no hurt.[106] Then sang Christian,
O world of wonders! (I can say no less)
That I should be preserv’d in that distress
That I have met with here! O blessed be
That hand that
from it hath
deliver’d me!
Dangers in darkness, devils, hell, and sin,
Did compass me, while I this vale was in:
Yea, snares and pits, and traps, and nets,
did lie My path about, that worthless, silly I
Might have been catch’d, entangled, and
cast down; But since I live, let JESUS wear
the crown.
Now, as Christian went on his way, he
came to a little ascent, which was cast up
on purpose, that pilgrims might see before
them. Up there, therefore, Christian went;
and looking forward, he saw Faithful before him, upon his
journey. Then said
Christian aloud, “Ho! ho! Soho! stay, and I
will be your companion.”[107] At that,
Faithful looked behind him; to whom
Christian cried again, “Stay, stay, till I come
up to you.” But Faithful answered, “No, I
am upon my life, and the avenger of blood
is behind me.”
At this, Christian was somewhat
moved, and putting to all his strength, he
quickly takes got up with Faithful, and did
also overrun him; so the last was first. Then
did Christian vain-gloriously smile, because he had gotten
the start of his
brother;[108] but not taking good heed to
his feet, he suddenly stumbled and fell, and
could not rise again, until Faithful came up
to help him.
Then I saw in my dream, they went
very lovingly on together, and had sweet
discourse of all things that had happened
to them in their pilgrimage; and thus Christian began.
CHR. My honoured and well-beloved
brother, Faithful, I am glad that I have
overtaken you; and that God has so tempered our spirits,
that we can walk as companions in this so pleasant a path. 30
FAITH. I had thought, dear friend, to
have had your company quite from our
town; but you did get the start of me,
wherefore I was forced to come thus much
of the way alone.
CHR. How long did you stay in the City
of Destruction, before you set out after me
on your pilgrimage
FAITH. Till I could stay no longer; for
there was great talk presently after you
were gone out, that our city would, in short
time, with fire from Heaven, be burned
down to the ground.
CHR. What! did your neighbours talk
so?
FAITH. Yes, it was for a while in everybody’s mouth.
CHR. What! and did no more of them
but you come out to escape the danger?
FAITH. Though there were, as I said, a
great talk thereabout, yet I do not think
they did firmly believe it. For in the heat of
the discourse, I heard some of them deridingly speak of you,
and of your desperate
journey (for so they called this your pilgrimage), but I did
believe, and do still,
that the end of our city will be with fire and
brimstone from above; and therefore I have
made my escape.
CHR. Did you hear no talk of neighbour
Pliable?
FAITH. Yes, Christian, I heard that he
followed you till he came at the Slough of
Despond, where, as some said, he fell in;
but he would not be known to have so
done; but I am sure he was soundly bedabbled with that kind
of dirt.
CHR. And what said the neighbours to
him?
FAITH. He hath, since his going back,
been had greatly in derision, and that
among all sorts of people; some do mock
and despise him; and scarce will any set
him on work. He is now seven times worse
than if he had never gone out of the
City.[109]
CHR. But why should they be so set
against him, since they also despise the
way that he forsook?
FAITH. O! they say, Hang him, he is a
turn-coat; he was not true to his profession.
I think God has stirred up even his enemies
to hiss at him, and make him a proverb, because he hath
forsaken the way (Jer. 29:18,
19).
CHR. Had you no talk with him before
you came out?
FAITH. I met him once in the streets,
but be leered away on the other side, as one
ashamed of what he had done; so I spake
not to him.
CHR. Well, at my first setting out, I had
hopes of that man; but now I fear he will
perish in the overthrow of the city; For it is
happened to him according to the true
proverb, The dog is turned to his own
vomit again; and the sow that was washed,
to her wallowing in the mire” (2 Peter 2:22).
FAITH. These are my fears of him too;
but who can hinder that which will be?
CHR. Well, neighbour Faithful, said
Christian, let us leave him, and talk of
things that more immediately concern ourselves. Tell me now,
what you have met
with in the way as you came; for I know
you have met with some things, or else it
may be writ for a wonder.
FAITH. I escaped the Slough that I perceived you fell into,
and got up to the gate
without that danger; only I met with one
whose name was Wanton, who had like to
have done me a mischief.
CHR. It was well you escaped her net;
Joseph was hard put to it by her, and he escaped her as you
did; but it had like to have
cost him his life (Gen. 39:11-13). But what
did she do to you?
FAITH. You cannot think, but that you
know something, what a flattering tongue
she had; she lay at me hard to turn aside
with her, promising me all manner of content.
CHR. Nay, she did not promise you the
content of a good conscience. 31
FAITH. You know what I mean; all carnal and fleshly content.
CHR. Thank God you have escaped her;
“the abhorred of the Lord shall fall into her
ditch” (Pro. 22:14).
FAITH. Nay, I know not whether I did
wholly escape her or no.
CHR. Why, I trow[110] you did not consent to her desires?
FAITH. No, not to
defile myself; for I
remembered an old writing that I had seen,
which said, “Her steps take hold on hell”
(Prov. 5:5). So I shut mine eyes, because I
would not be bewitched with her looks (Job
31:1). Then she railed on me, and I went my
way.[111]
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