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and everlasting life to be given us, that we may inhabit that kingdom for ever."

PLI. Well said; and what else?

CHR. There are crowns of glory to be given us; and garments that will make us shine like the sun in the firmament of heaven."

PLI. This is very pleasant; and what else?

CHR. There shall be no more crying, nor sorrow; for He that is owner of the place will wipe all tears from our eyes.'

PLI. And what company shall we have there?

CHR. There we shall be with seraphims and cherubims, creatures that will dazzle your eyes to look on them." There also you shall meet with thousands and ten thousands that have gone before us to that place; none of them are hurtful, but loving and holy; every one walking in the sight of God, and standing in his presence with acceptance for ever. In a word, there we shall see the elders with their golden crowns; there we shall see the holy virgins with their golden harps ;" there we shall see men that by the world were cut in pieces, burnt in flames, eaten of beasts, drowned in the seas, for the love they bare to the Lord of the place, all well, and clothed with immortality as with a garment.*

PLI. The hearing of this is enough to ravish one's heart. But are these things to be enjoyed? How shall we get to be sharers thereof?

CHR. The Lord, the governor of the country, hath recorded that in this book, the substance of which is, If we be truly willing to have it, he will bestow it upon us freely."

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PLI. Well, my good companion, glad am I to hear of these things: come on, let us mend our pace.

CHR. I cannot go so fast as I would, by reason of this burden that is on my back.

Now I saw in my dream, that just as they had ended this talk, they drew nigh to a very miry slough, that was in the midst of the plain; and they being heedless, did both fall suddenly into the bog. The name of the

THE SLOUGH
OF DESPOND.

slough was Despond. Here, therefore, they

wallowed for a time, being grievously bedaubed with the dirt; and Christian, because of the burden that was on his back, began to sink in the mire.

PLI. Then said Pliable, Ah, neighbour Christian, where are you now?

CHR. Truly, said Christian, I do not know.

PLI. At this Pliable began to be offended, and angrily said to his fellow, Is this the happiness you have told me all this while of? If we have such ill speed at our first setting out, what may we expect between this and our journey's end? May I get out again with my life, you shall possess the brave country alone for me. And with that he gave a desperate struggle or two, and got out of the mire on that side of

IT IS NOT ENOUGH TO BE PLIABLE.

*Here see the fleshly joys and fleshly comforts of temporary professors he is too hot to hold; too light, having never felt the burden of his sins, to travel far. Our Lord describes such, as the stonyground hearers. They receive the word with joy; the word hath no root in their hearts; they believe for a while, but in times of temptation fall away, Luke viii. 13. So did Pliable at the Slough of Despond. This signifies those desponding fears and despairing doubts, which beset us, arising from unbelief of God's word, the suggestions of Satan, and the carnal reasonings of our corrupt nature, against the revealed truths and precious promises of God. These try the reality of our convictions, and the sincerity of our faith.

the slough which was next to his own house: so away he went, and Christian saw him no more.*

CHRISTIAN, IN TROUELE, SEEKS STILL TO FARTHER FROM HIS OWN HOUSE.

GET

Wherefore Christian was left to tumble in the Slough of Despond alone: but still he endeavoured to struggle to that side of the slough that was farthest from his own house, and next to the Wicket-gate;† the which he did, but could not get out because of the burden that was upon his back. But I beheld in my dream, that a man came to him, whose name was Help, and asked him, What he did there?

CHR. Sir, said Christian, I was bid to go this way by a man called Evangelist, who directed me also to yonder gate, that I might escape the wrath to come. And as I was going thither, I fell in here.

HELP. But why did not you look for the THE PROMISES. steps ?§

CHR. Fear followed me so hard, that I fled the next way, and fell in.

HELP. Then said he, Give me thy hand; so he gave him his hand, and he drew him out, and set him upon sound ground, and bid him go on his way."

z Psalm xl. 2.

HELP LIFTS HIM OUT.

It is not enough to be Pliable; for the first trial he met with cooled his courage, damped his joy, killed his faith, and sent him back to the city of Destruction.

+ Christian, in trouble, seeks still to get farther from his own house. See the difference between a truly convinced sinner, and a pliable unconvinced professor: one keeps his face towards Christ for hope and help; the other flies back for comfort to the city of Destruction.

The arm of Christ's omnipotent grace, reached forth to snatch poor sinners from destruction; for he says of them, "Thou hast destroyed thyself, but in me is thine help," Hos. xiii. 9.

§ The great and precious promises of God, which are in Christ Jesus, to poor, needy, and distressed sinners.

THE SLOUGH OF

Then I stepped to him that plucked him out, and said, Sir, wherefore, since over this place is the way from the city of Destruction to yonder gate, is it, that this plat is not mended, that poor travellers might go thither with more security? And he said unto me, This miry slough is such a place as cannot be mended: WHAT MAKES it is the descent whither the scum and filth that attends conviction for sin doth continually run, and therefore it is called the Slough of Despond; for still, as the sinner is awakened about his lost condition, there arise in his soul many fears and doubts, and discouraging apprehensions, which all of them get together, and settle in this place. And this is the reason of the badness of this ground.

DESPOND.

It is not the pleasure of the King that this place should remain so bad. His labourers also have, by the direction of his Majesty's surveyors, been for above these sixteen hundred years employed about this patch of ground, if perhaps it might have been mended: yea, and to my knowledge, said he, here have been swallowed up at least twenty thousand cart-loads, yea, millions of wholesome instructions, that have at all seasons been brought from all places of the King's dominions, (and they that can tell, say, they are the best materials to make good ground of the place,) if so be it might have been mended; but it is the slough of Despond still, and so will be when they have done what they can.*

True, there are, by the direction of the Lawgiver, THE PROMISE certain good and substantial steps, placed

OF FORGIVENESS

AND ACCEPT

ANCE TO LIFE

BY FAITH IN
CHRIST.

even through the very midst of this slough; but at such time as this place doth much

a Isa. xxxv. 3, 4, 8.

* Signifying, that there is nothing but despondency and despair in the fallen nature of sinful man: the best that we can do, leaves us in the Slough of Despond, as to any hopes in ourselves.

spew out its filth, as it doth against change of weather, these steps are hardly seen; or if they be, men, through the dizziness of their heads, step beside; and then they are bemired to purpose, notwithstanding the steps be there but the ground is good when they are once got in at the gate.

Now I saw in my dream, that by this time Pliable was got home to his house. So his neighbours came to visit him; and some of them HOME,

PLIABLE GOT
AND IS

VISITED BY HIS
NEIGHBOURS.

called him wise man for coming back, and some called him fool for hazarding himself with Christian: others again did mock at his cowardliness, saying, Surely, since you began to venture, I would not have been so base as to have given out for a few difficulties: so Pliable sat sneaking among them. But at last he got more confidence, and then they all turned their tales, and began to deride poor Christian behind his back. And thus much concerning Pliable.

MR. WORLDLY WISEMAN MEETS WITH CHRISTIAN.

Now as Christian was walking solitarily by himself, he espied one afar off, come crossing over the field to meet him; and their hap was to meet just as they were crossing the way of each other. The gentleman's name that met him was Mr. Worldly Wiseman: he dwelt in the town of Carnal Policy, a very great town, and also hard-by from whence Christian came. This man then, meeting with Christian, and having some inkling of him, (for Christian's setting forth from the city of Destruction was much noised abroad, not only in the town where he dwelt, but also

b 1 Sam. xii. 21.

* That is the Lord Jesus Christ. We never find good ground, nor safe standing, nor comfortable walking, till we enter into possession of Christ by faith, and till our feet are set upon Christ, who is the Rock of Ages.

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