4. Simon the wizard was of this religion too : for he would have had the Holy Ghost, that he might have got money therewith; and his sentence from Peter's mouth was according." 5. Neither will it out of my mind, but that that man that takes up religion for the world, will throw away religion for the world; for so surely as Judas designed the world in becoming religious, so surely did he also sell religion and his Master for the same. To answer the question therefore affirmatively, as I perceive you have done, and to accept of, as authentic, such answer, is both heathenish, hypocritical, and devilish ; and your reward will be according to your works. Then they stood staring one upon another, but had not wherewith to answer Christian. Hopeful also approved of the soundness of Christian's answer; so there was a great silence among them. Mr. By-ends and his company also staggered and kept behind, that Christian and Hopeful might outgo them. Then said Christian to his fellow, If these men cannot stand before the sentence of men, what will they do with the sentence of God? And if they are mute when dealt with by vessels of clay, what will they do when they shall be rebuked by the flames of a devouring fire ?* Then Christian and Hopeful outwent them again, and went till they came at a g Acts viii. 18-23, EASE THE THAT PILGRIMS HAVE 18 BUT LITTLE IN THIS LIFE. * Here see the blessedness of being mighty in the scriptures, and the need of that exhortation, "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly," Col. iii. 16. For the word of God is quick and powerful, and sharper than a two-edged sword, it pierceth through all the subtle devices of Satan, and the cunning craftiness of carnal professors, and divideth asunder the carnal reasonings of the flesh, from the spiritual wisdom which cometh from above. delicate plain, called Ease; where they went with much content but that plain was but narrow, so they were quickly got over it.* Now, at the farther side of that plain was a little hill, called Lucre, and in that hill a silver mine, which some of them that had formerly gone that way, because of the rarity of it, had turned aside to see; but going too near the brim of the pit, the ground, being deceitful under LUCRE-HILL, A DAN GEROUS HILL. them, broke, and they were slain: some also had been maimed there, and could not to their dying day be their own men again. In this plain some fall asleep, and dream of sinless perfection, and talk, in their sleep, that they are free from sin, that it is destroyed root and branch, so that it has no being in them. But real pilgrims go through this plain of Ease, sensible that they are still sinners. Then I saw in my dream, that a little off the road, over-against the silver mine, stood Demas (gentleman-like) to call passengers to DEMAS AT THE HILL LUCRE. come and see; who said to Christian and his fellow, Ho! turn aside hither, and I will show you a thing. HE CALLS TO CHRISTIAN AND HOPEFUL TO COME TO HIM. CHR. What thing so deserving as to turn us out of the way to see it? DEMAS. Here is a silver mine, and some digging in it for treasure; if you will come, with a little pains you may richly provide for yourselves. HOPEFUL TEMPTED TO GO, BUT CHRISTIAN HOLDS HIM BACK. HOPE. Then said Hopeful, Let us go see. CHR. Not I, said Christian; I have heard of this place before now, and how many have there been slain; and, besides, that treasure is a snare to those that seek it, for it hindereth them in their pilgrimage.* Then Christian called to Demas, saying, Is not the place dangerous? hath it not hindered many in their pilgrimage? DEMAS. Not very dangerous, except to those that are careless. But withal he blushed as he spake. CHR. Then said Christian to Hopeful, Let us not stir a step, but still keep on our way. HOPE. I will warrant you, when By-ends comes up, if he hath the same invitation as we, he will turn in thither to see. CHR. No doubt thereof, for his principles lead him that way, and a hundred to one but he dies there. See the value of a faithful friend. But how few act so faithfully! How few professors will bear it! What! hold a man back from getting money! O how few are aware, that covetousness is idolatry; and attend to our Lord's double caution, "Take heed, and beware of covetousness," Luke xii. 15. U DEMAS. Then Demas called again, saying, But will you not come over and see? CHR. Then Christian roundly answered, saying, Demas, thou art an enemy to the right CHRISTIAN ROUNDETH UP DEMAS. ways of the Lord of this way, and hast been already condemned for thine own turning aside, by one of his Majesty's judges ;" and why seekest thou to bring us into the like condemnation? Besides, if we at all turn aside, our Lord the King will certainly hear thereof, and will there put us to shame, where we would stand with boldness before him. Demas cried again, that he also was one of their fraternity; and that if they would tarry a little, he also himself would walk with them. CHR. Then said Christian, What is thy name? Is it not the same by the which I have called thee? DEMAS. Yes, my name is Demas; I am the son of Abraham. CHR. I know you: Gehazi was your great-grandfather, and Judas your father, and you have trod in their steps. It is but a devilish prank that thou usest: thy father was hanged for a traitor, and thou deservest no better reward. Assure thyself, that when we come to the King, we will tell him of this thy behaviour. Thus they went their way. BY-ENDS GOES OVER TO DEMAS. By this time By-ends and his companions were come again within sight, and they at the first beck went over to Demas. Now, whether they fell into the pit by looking over the brink thereof, or whether they went down to dig, or whether they were smothered in the bottom by the damps that commonly arise, of these things I am not certain; but this h 2 Tim. iv. 10. í 2 Kings v. 20-27. Matt. xxvi. 14, 15. xxvii. 3—5. I observed, that they never were seen again in the way." Then sang Christian: By-ends and silver Demas both agree: One calls, the other runs, that he may be A sharer in his lucre; so these do Take up in this world, and no further go. THEY SEE A STRANGE Now I saw, that just on the other side of this plain, the pilgrims came to a place where stood an old monument hard by the highwayside; at the sight of which they were both concerned, because of the strangeness of the form thereof, for it seemed to them as if it had been a woman transformed into the shape of a pillar. Here, therefore, they stood looking and looking upon it, but could not for a time tell what they should make thereof. At last Hopeful espied, written above, upon the head thereof, a writing in an unusual hand; but he, being no scholar, called to Christian (for he was learned) to see if he could pick out the meaning: so he came, and after a little laying of the letters together, he found the same to be this, "Remember Lot's wife." So he read it to his fellow; after which they both concluded, that that was the pillar of salt into which Lot's wife was turned, for her looking back with a covetous heart, when she was going from Sodom for safety. Which sudden and amazing sight gave them occasion for this discourse. k Gen. xix. 26. Here you see the end of double-minded men, who vainly attempt to temper the love of money with the love of Christ. They go on with their art for a season, but the end makes it manifest what they Take David's advice, "Fret not thyself because of evil-doers," Psalm xxxvii. 1. "Be not thou afraid when one is made rich, when the glory of his house is increased," xlix. 16. But go thou into the sanctuary of thy God, read his word, and understand the end of these were. men. |