CHRISTIAN IS STILL A PRISONER. who, so soon as his adversaries had despatched him, was taken up into it, and straightway was carried up through the clouds, with sound of trumpet, the nearest way to the Celestial Gate. But as for Christian, he had some respite, and was remanded back to prison; so he there remained for a space. But He that overrules all things, having the power of their rage in his own hand, so wrought it about, that Christian for that time escaped them, and went his way. And as he went he sang, saying Well, Faithful, thou hast faithfully profest, Unto thy Lord, with whom thou shalt be blest; Now I saw in my dream, that Christian went not forth alone; for there was one whose name CHRISTIAN HAS ANOTHER COMPA was Hopeful, (being so made by the be- NION. holding of Christian and Faithful in their words and behaviour in their sufferings at the fair,) who joined himself unto him, and, entering into a brotherly covenant, told him that he would be his companion. Thus one died to bear testimony to the truth, and another rises out of his ashes to be a companion with Christian in his pilgrimage.* This Hopeful also told Christian, that there were many more of the men in the fair that would take their time, and follow after. THERE ARE MORE OF THE MEN OF THE FAIR WILL FOLLOW. I have often recorded it with thankfulness, that though in the dreary day of my pilgrimage, the Lord hath taken away a dear and faithful christian friend, yet he has always raised up another. A very great blessing this, for which Christians can never be thankful enough. THEY OVERTAKE BY-ENDS. So I saw, that quickly after they were got out of the fair, they overtook one that was going before them, whose name was By-ends: so they said to him, What countryman, sir? and how far go you this way? He told them that he came from the town of Fair-speech, and he was going to the Celestial City; but told them not his name. From Fair-speech! said Christian: is there any good that lives there ?e BY. Yes, said By-ends, I hope. CHR. Pray, sir, what may I call you? said Christian. By. I am a stranger to you, and you to me: if you be going this I shall be glad of your BY-ENDS LOTH TO TELL HIS NAME. way, company; if not, I must be content. CHR. This town of Fair-speech, said Christian, I have heard of; and, as I remember, they say it is a wealthy place. BY. Yes, I will assure you that it is; and I have very many rich kindred there. CHR. Pray, who are your kindred there, if a man may be so bold? BY. Almost the whole town: and, in particular, my Lord Turn-about, my Lord Time-server, my Lord Fairspeech, from whose ancestors that town first took its name also Mr. Smooth-man, Mr. Facing-both-ways, Mr. Any-thing; and the parson of our parish, Mr. Two-tongues, was my mother's own brother by father's side and, to tell you the truth, I am become a gentleman of good quality; yet my great-grandfather was but a waterman, looking one way and rowing another, and I got most of my estate by the same occupation. CHR. Are you a married man? BY. Yes, and my wife is a very virtuous woman, the e Prov. xxvi. 25 daughter of a virtuous woman; she was my Lady Feigning's daughter, therefore THE WIFE AND KINDRED OF BY-ENDS. WHERE BY-ENDS DIFFERS FROM OTHERS IN RELIGION. she came of a very honourable family, and is arrived to such a pitch of breeding, that she knows how to carry it to all, even to prince and peasant. It is true, we somewhat differ in religion from those of the strictest sort, yet but in two small points: First, we never strive against wind and tide. Secondly, we are always most zealous when Religion goes in his silver slippers; we love much to walk with him in the street, if the sun shines, and the people applaud him.* Then Christian stepped a little aside to his fellow Hopeful, saying, It runs in my mind that this is one By-ends, of Fair-speech; and if it be he, we have as very a knave in our company as dwelleth in all these parts. Then said Hopeful, Ask him; methinks he should not be ashamed of his name. So Christian came up with him again, and said, Sir, you talk as if you knew something more than all the world doth; and, if I take not my mark amiss, I deem I have half a guess of you is not your name Mr. By-ends, of Fairspeech? BY. This is not my name, but indeed it is a nickname that is given me by some that cannot abide me, and I must be content to bear it as a reproach, as other good men have borne theirs before me. * Is not this too much the case with professors of this day? The Spirit of truth says, "All who will live godly in Christ Jesus, shall suffer persecution," 2 Tim. iii. 12. But how many act as if they had found the art of making the Spirit of truth a liar! for they can so trim and shape their conduct, as they vainly think, to follow Christ, and yet to keep in with the world which is at enmity against him. A most fatal, soul-deceiving error! T CHR. But did you never give an occasion to men to call you by this name? BY. Never, never! The worst that ever I did to give them an occasion to give me this name was, that I had always the luck to HOW BY-ENDS GOT HIS NAME. jump in my judgment with the present way of the times, whatever it was, and my chance was to get thereby but if things are thus cast upon me, let me count them a blessing; but let not the malicious load me, therefore, with reproach.* CHR. I thought, indeed, that you were the man that I heard of; and, to tell you what I think, I fear this name belongs to you more properly than you are willing we should think it doth. KEEP COMPANY WITH CHRISTIAN, By. Well, if you will thus imagine, I cannot help it; HE DESIRES TO you shall find me a fair company-keeper, if you will still admit me your associate. CHR. If you will go with us, you must go against wind and tide; the which, I perceive, is against your opinion. You must also own Religion in his rags, as well as when in his silver slippers; and stand by him, too, when bound in irons, as well as when he walketh the streets with applause. BY. You must not impose, nor lord it over my faith; leave me to my liberty, and let me go with you. CHR. Not a step farther, unless you will do in what I propound as we. Then said By-ends, I shall never desert my old principles, since they are harmless and profitable. If I may with you, I must do as I did before you overtook not go * How artful, how delusive, are the reasonings of such men! O beware of this spirit! In opposition to this, watch and pray earnestly that ye may not be double-minded, but sincere until the day of Christ. me, even go by myself, until some overtake me that will be glad of my company.* BY-ENDS AND THEY PART. HE HAS NEW COMPANIONS. Now I saw in my dream, that Christian and Hopeful forsook him, and kept their distance before him; but one of them, looking back, saw three men following Mr. By-ends; and behold, as they came up with him, he made them a very low congee; and they also gave him a compliment. The men's names were, Mr. Hold-the-world, Mr. Moneylove, and Mr. Save-all, men that Mr. By-ends had formerly been acquainted with, for in their minority they were schoolfellows, and were taught by one Mr. Gripeman, a schoolmaster in Love-gain, which is a markettown in the county of Coveting, in the north. This schoolmaster taught them the art of getting, either by violence, cozenage, flattery, lying, or by putting on a guise of religion; and these four gentlemen had attained much of the art of their master, so that they could each of them have kept such a school themselves. Well, when they had, as I said, thus saluted each other, Mr. Money-love said to Mr. By-ends, Who are they upon the road before us? for Christian and Hopeful were yet within view. · BY-ENDS' CHARACTER OF THE PIL By. They are a couple of far countrymen, that, after their mode, are going on GRIMS pilgrimage. MONEY. Alas! why did they not stay, that we might * Mind how warily these pilgrims acted to this deceitful professor. They did not too rashly take up an ill opinion against him; but when they had full proof of what he was, they did not hesitate one moment, but dealt faithfully with him, and conscientiously withdrew from him. Love should always move slowly in receiving a report, but ever deal faithfully when it is made plain that men are not what they profess to be. |