THE INTERPRETER'S DOOR. in his hand, and gave a small rap or two; then one opened to him, but he shrunk back as before. He that opened, stepped out after him, and said, Thou trembling one, what wantest thou? With that he fell down to the ground. He that spoke to him wondered to see him so faint, so he said to him, Peace be to thee; up, for I have set open the door to thee; come in, for thou art blessed. With that he got up, and went in trembling; and when that he was in, he was ashamed to show his face. Well, after he had been entertained there a while, as you know how the manner is, he was bid go on his way, and also told the way he should take. So he went on till he came to our house; but as he HIS BEHAVIOUR AT behaved himself at the gate, so he did at my Master the Interpreter's door. He lay thereabout in the cold a good while, before he would adventure to call; yet he would not go back: and the nights were long and cold then. Nay, he had a note of necessity in his bosom to my Master to receive him, and grant him the comfort of his house, and also to allow him a stout and valiant conductor, because he was himself so chicken-hearted a man; and yet, for all that, he was afraid to call at the door. So he lay up and down thereabouts, till, poor man, he was almost starved; yea, so great was his dejection, that though he saw several others for knocking get in, yet he was afraid to venture. At last, I think, I looked out of the window, and perceiving a man to be up and down about the door, I went out to him, and asked what he was. But, poor man, the water stood in his eyes; so I perceived what he wanted. I went therefore in, and told it in the house, and we showed the thing to our Lord: so he sent me out again, to entreat him to come in; but I dare say, I had hard work to do it. At last he came 1 HOW HE WAS ENTER- in; and I will say that for my Lord, he carried it wonderful lovingly to him. There were but a few good bits at the table, but some of it was laid upon his trencher. Then he presented the note; and my Lord looked thereon, and said his desire should be granted. So when he had been there a good while, he seemed to get some heart, and to be a little more comfortable. For my Master, HE IS A LITTLE ENCOURAGED AT THE INTERPRET you must know, is one of very tender ER'S HOUSE. bowels, especially to them that are afraid; wherefore he carried it so towards him, as might tend most to his encouragement. Well, when he had had a sight of the things of the place, and was ready to take his journey to go to the city, my Lord, as he did to Christian before, gave him a bottle of spirits, and some comfortable things to eat. Thus we set forward, and I went before him; but the man was but of few words, only he would sigh aloud. When we were come to where the three fellows were hanged, he said that he doubted that that would be his end also. Only he seemed glad when he saw the Cross HE WAS GREATLY AFRAID WHEN HE SAW THE GIBBET, BUT CHEERY WHEN HE SAW THE CROSS. and the Sepulchre. There I confess he desired to stay a little to look; and he seemed for a while after to be a little cheery. When he came to the hill Difficulty, he made no stick at that, nor did he much fear the lions for you must know that his trouble was not about such things as these; his fear was about his acceptance at last.* * See all through this character, what a conflict there was between fear, and the influence of grace. Though it may not be the most comfortable, yet the end of Mr. Fearing was very joyful. O what a godly jealousy displayed itself all through his life! Better this, than strong in vain-glorious confidence. DUMPISH AT THE HOUSE BEAUTIFUL. I got him in at the house Beautiful, I think before he was willing. Also when he was in, I brought him acquainted with the damsels of the place; but he was ashamed to make himself much in company. He desired much to be alone; yet he always loved good talk, and often would get behind the skreen to hear it. He also loved much to see ancient things, and to be pondering them in his mind. He told me afterward, that he loved to be in those two houses from which he came last, to wit, at the Gate, and that of the Interpreter, but that he durst not be so bold as to ask. PLEASANT IN THE VALLEY OF HUMILIATION. When we went also from the house Beautiful, down the hill, into the Valley of Humiliation, he went down as well as ever I saw a man in my life; for he cared not how mean he was, so he might be happy at last. Yea, I think there was a kind of sympathy betwixt that valley and him; for I never saw him better in all his pilgrimage than he was in that valley.* Here he would lie down, embrace the ground, and kiss the very flowers that grew in this valley. He would now be up every morning by break of day, tracing and walking to and fro in the valley.† But when he was come to the entrance of the Valley of the Shadow of Death, I thought I MUCH PERPLEXED IN THE VALLEY OF should have lost my man: not for that he had any inclination to go back; that he always abhorred; but he was ready to die for fear. Oh, the hobgoblins will have me! the hobgoblins will have me! * k Lam. iii. 27-29. The valley of Humiliation suits well with fearing hearts. + Fearing souls dwell much, early and late, in the Valley of Meditation. cried he; and I could not beat him out on't. He made such a noise and such an outcry here, that had they but heard him, it was enough to encourage them to come and fall upon us. But this I took very great notice of, that this valley was as quiet when we went through it, as ever I knew it before or since. I suppose those enemies here had now a special check from our Lord, and a command not to meddle until Mr. Fearing had passed over it. When It would be too tedious to tell you of all: we will therefore only mention a passage or two more. he was come to Vanity Fair, I thought he would have fought with all the men HIS BEHAVIOUR AT VANITY FAIR. in the fair. I feared there we should have been both knocked on the head, so hot was he against their fooleries.* Upon the Enchanted Ground he was very wakeful. But when he was come at the river where was no bridge, there again he was in a heavy case. Now, now, he said, he should be drowned for ever, and so never see that face with comfort, that he had come so many miles to behold. And here also I took notice of what was very remarkable ;—the water of that river was lower at this time than ever I saw it in all my life; so he went over at last, not much above wetshod.† When he was going up to the gate, I began to take leave of him, and to wish him a good reception above. So he said, I shall, I shall. Then parted we asunder, and I saw him no more. * Here is a glorious display of a fearing heart. against evil, and fired with zeal for God's glory. HIS BOLDNESS AT LAST. Full of courage ↑ O how gracious is our Lord! As thy day is, O pilgrim, so shall thy strength be. Even the river of death, though there be no bridge to go over, yet faith makes one: and the Lord of faith makes the waters low, to suit the state of his beloved ones. HON. Then it seems he was well at last? GREAT. Yes, yes, I never had doubt about him. He was a man of a choice spirit, only he was always kept very low, and that made his life so burdensome to himself, and so troublesome to others. He was, above many, tender of sin: he was so afraid of doing injuries to others, that he often would deny himself of that which was lawful, because he would not offend."* REASONS WHY GOOD HON. But what should be the reason that such a good man should be all his days so much in the dark? GREAT. There are two sorts of reasons for it. One is, the wise God will have it so some must pipe, and some must weep." Now Mr. Fearing was one that played upon the bass. He and his fellows sound the sackbut, whose notes are more doleful than the notes of other music are; though indeed some say, the bass is the ground of music. And for my part, I care not at all for that profession that begins not in heaviness of mind. The first string that the musician usually touches, is the bass, when he intends to put all in tune. God also plays upon this string first, when he sets the soul in tune for himself. Only there was the imperfection of Mr. Fearing; he could play upon no other music but this, till towards his latter end. I make bold to talk thus metaphorically for the ripening of the wits of young readers, and because in the book of the Revelation, the saved are compared to a company of musicians, that play upon their trumpets and harps, and sing their songs before the throne." 1 Psalm lxxxviii. m Rom. xiv. 21. 1 Cor. viii. 13. n Matt. xi. 16, 17. * Oh, this is a blessed spirit! Ye who are strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might, study to excel herein. |