They get away his silver, and knock

him down.

bag of silver. Then he cried out, Thieves, thieves! With that Guilt, with a great club that was in his hand, struck Little-faith on the head, and, with that blow, felled him flat to the ground, where he lay bleeding as one that would bleed to death. All this while the thieves stood by. But, at last, hearing that some were upon the road, and fearing lest it should be one Great-grace, that dwells in the town of Good-confidence, they betook themselves to their heels, and left this good man to shift for himself. Now, after a while, Little-faith came to himself, and getting up, made shift to scramble on his way. This was the story.

Hope. But did they take from him all that ever he had?

Little-faith lost not his best things.

Chr. No; the place where his jewels were they never ransacked; so those he kept still. But, as I was told, the good man was much afflicted for his loss; for the thieves had got most of his spending money. That which they got not, as I said, were jewels; also he had a little odd Little-faith forced money left, but scarce enough to bring him to his to beg to his jour- journey's end: nay, (if I was not misinformed,) he ney's end. was forced to beg as he went, to keep himself alive, (for his jewels he might not sell :) but beg, and do what he could, he went, as we say, with many a hungry belly, the most part of the rest of the way.*

Hope. But is it not a wonder they got not from him his certificate, by which he is to receive his admittance at the Celestial Gate ?

Chr. 'Tis a wonder; but they got not that, though they missed He kept not his it not through any good cunning of his; for he, bebest things by his ing dismayed with their coming upon him, had neither power nor skill to hide any thing; so it was more by good providence than by his endeavour that they missed of that good thing.†

own cunning.

Hope. But it must needs be a comfort to him that they got not this jewel from him.

Chr. It might have been great comfort to him, had he used it as he should; but they that told me the story said, that he made but little use of it all the rest of the way; and that because of the dismay that he had in the taking away of his money. Indeed he forgot it a great part of the rest of his journey; and besides, when at any time it came into his mind, and he began to be comforted therewith, then would fresh thoughts of his loss come again upon him, and these thoughts would swallow up all.

Hope. Alas, poor man! This could not but be a He is pitied by great grief to him.

both.

Chr. Grief! Ay, a grief indeed. Would it not have been so to any of us, had we been used as he, to be robbed and wounded too, and that in a strange place, as he was? 'Tis a wonder he did not die with grief, poor heart! I was told that he scattered almost all the rest of the way with nothing but doleful and bitter complaints; telling also to all that overtook him, or that he overtook in the way as he went, where he was robbed, and how; who they were that did it, and what he had lost; how he was wounded, and that he hardly escaped with life.

Hope. But 'tis a wonder that his necessity did not put him upon selling or pawning some of his jewels, that he might have wherewithal to relieve himself in his journey.

Christian snibbeth

his fellow for unadvisedly speaking.

Chr. Thou talkest like one upon whose head is the shell to this very day: for what should he pawn them? or to whom should he sell them? In all that country where he was robbed, his jewels were not accounted of; nor did he want that relief which could from thence be administered to him. Besides, had his jewels been missing at the Gate of the Celestial City, he had (and that he knew well enough) been excluded from an inheritance there; and that would have been worse to him than the appearance and villany of ten thousand thieves.

Hope. Why art thou so tart, my brother? Esau sold his birthright, and that for a mess of pottage, * and that birthright was his greatest jewel; and if he, why might not Little-faith do so too?

Chr. Esau did sell his birthright indeed, and so A discourse about do many besides, and, by so doing, exclude them- Esau and Littleselves from the chief blessing, as also that caitiff faith.

did; but you must put a difference between Esau and Little-faith, and also betwixt their estates. Esau's birthright was typical, but

Little-faith's jewels were not so. Esau's belly Esau was ruled by was his god; but Little-faith's belly was not so. his lusts. Esau's want lay in his fleshly appetite; Little-faith's did not so. Besides, Esau could see no farther than to the fulfilling of his lusts; "for I am at the point to die," said he, "and what good will this birthright do me?"† But Little-faith, though it was his lot to have but a little faith, was by this litttle faith kept from such extravagances, and made to see and prize his jewels more than to sell them, as Esau did his birthright. You read not Esau never had any where that Esau had faith, no, not so much as faith. a little; therefore no marvel, where the flesh only bears sway, (as

it will in that man where no faith is to resist,) if he sells his birthright, and his soul, and all, and that to the Devil of Hell; for it is with such as it is with the ass, "who, in her occasion cannot be turned away." ."* When their minds are set upon their lusts, they Little-faith could will have them, whatever they cost. But Littlenot live upon faith was of another temper: his mind was on Esau's pottage. things divine; his livelihood was upon things that were spiritual, and from above; therefore to what end should he that is of such a temper sell his jewels, (had there been any that would have bought them,) to fill his mind with empty things? Will a man give a penny to fill his belly with hay? or can you persuade the turtle-dove to live upon carrion, like the crow? Though faithless ones can, for carnal lusts, pawn, or mortgage, or sell what they have, and themselves outright to boot; yet they that have faith, saving faith, though but a little of it, cannot do so. Here, therefore, my brother, is thy mistake.

A comparison be. tween the turtle dove and the crow

Hope. I acknowledge it, but yet your severe reflection had almost made me angry.

Chr. Why, I did but compare thee to some of the birds that are of the brisker sort, who will run to and fro in untrodden paths, with the shell upon their heads: but pass by that, and consider the matter under debate, and all shall be well betwixt thee and me.

Hope. But, Christian, these three fellows, I am Hopeful swaggers. persuaded in my heart, are but a company of cow.

ards; would they have run else, think you, as they did, at the noise of one that was coming on the road? Why did not Little-faith pluck up a greater heart? He might, methinks, have stood one brush with them, and have yielded when there had been no remedy. No great heart for Chr. That they are cowards many have said, God where there is but few have found it so in the time of trial. As but little faith. for a great heart, Little-faith had none; and I perceive by thee, my brother, hadst thou been the man concerned, thou art but for a brush, and then to yield. And, verily, since this is the height of thy stomach, now are out, then when they are at a distance from us, should they appear to thee as they did to him, they might put thee to

We have more

courage when we

we are in.

second thoughts.

But consider, again, they are but journeymen thieves; they serve under the King of the Bottomless Pit, who, if need be, will come in to their aid himself, and his voice is "as the roaring of a Lion." I myself have been engaged as this Little-faith was, and I found

• Jer. ii. 24.

Christian tells his

own experience in

this case.

it a terrible thing. These three villains set upon me, and I beginning like a Christian to resist, they gave but a call and in came their master: I would (as the saying is) have given my life for a penny; but that, as God would have it, I was clothed with armour of proof. Ay, and yet, though I was so harnessed, I found it hard work to quit myself like a man; no man can tell what in that combat attends us, but he that hath been in the battle himself.

Hope. Well, but they ran, you see, when they did but suppose that one Great-grace was in the

way.

Chr. True, they have often fled, both they and their master, when Great-grace hath but appeared; and no mar- The King's Cham. vel, for he is the King's Champion: but I trow you pion. will put some difference between Little-faith and the King's Champion! All the King's subjects are not his champions, nor can they, when tried, do such feats of war as he. Is it meet to think that a little child should handle Goliah as David did? or that there should be the strength of an ox in a wren? Some are strong, some are weak; some have great faith, some have little: this man was one of the weak, and therefore he went to the wall. Hope. I would it had been Great-grace, for their sakes.

Chr. If it had been he, he might have had his hands full: for I must tell you, that though Great-grace is excellent good at his weapons, and has, and can, so long as he keeps them at sword's point, do well enough with them, yet if they get within him, even Faint-heart, Mistrust, or the other, it shall go hard but they will throw up his heels. And when a man is down, you know, what can he do?

Whoso looks well upon Great-grace's face will see those scars and cuts there that shall easily give demonstration of what I say. Yea, once I heard that he should say, (and that when he was in the combat,) We despaired even of life. How did these sturdy rogues and their fellows make David groan, mourn, and roar! Yea, Mordecai and Hezekiah too, though champions in their days, were forced to bestir them, when by these assaulted; and yet, notwithstanding, they had their coats soundly brushed by them. Peter, upon a time, would go try what he could do; but, though some do say of him that he is the prince of the apostles, they handled him so, that they made him at last afraid of a sorry girl.

Besides, their King is at their whistle; he is never out of hearing; and, if at any time they be put to the worst, he, if possible, comes in to help them: and of him it is said, "The sword Leviathan's sturdi. of him that layeth at him cannot hold; the spear,

ness.

The excellent met

horse.

the dart nor the habergeon. He esteemeth iron as straw, and brass as rotten wood. The arrow cannot make him fly: sling-stones are turned with him into stubble: darts are counted as stubble; he laugheth at the shaking of a spear."* What can a man do in this case? It is true, if a man could at every turn tle that is in Job's have Job's horse, and had skill and courage to ride him, he might do notable things: for "his neck is clothed with thunder; he will not be afraid as the grasshopper; the glory of his nostrils is terrible; he paweth in the valley, rejoiceth in his strength, and goeth out to meet the armed men. He mocketh at fear, and is not affrighted, neither turneth back from the sword. The quiver rattleth against him, the glittering spear and the shield. He swalloweth the ground with fierceness and rage, neither believeth he that it is the sound of the trumpet. He saith among the trumpets, 'Ha, ha!' and he smelleth the battle afar off, the thundering of the captains, and the shouting."†

But for such footmen as thee and I are, let us never desire to meet with an enemy, nor vaunt as if we could do better, when we hear of others that have been foiled; nor be tickled at the thoughts of our own manhood; for such commonly come by the worst when tried. Witness Peter, of whom I made mention before; he would swagger, ay, he would; he would, as his vain mind prompted him to say, do better and stand more for his Master than all men; but who so foiled and run down by these villains as he!

When, therefore, we hear that such robberies are done on the King's highway, two things become us to do; 1. To go out har nessed, and to be sure to take a shield with us; for it was for want of that, that he who laid so lustily at Leviathan could not make him yield. For indeed, if that be wanting, he fears us not at all. Therefore he that had skill hath said, “Above all, take the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked."

"Tis good to have a convoy.

2. It is good also that we desire of the King a convoy, yea, that he will go with us himself. This made David rejoice when in the Valley of the Shadow of Death: and Moses was rather for dying where he stood, than to go one step without his God.§ O, my brother! if He will but go along with us, what need we be afraid of ten thousands that shall set themselves against us!|| but, without him, the proud helpers fall under the slain.¶

I, for my part, have been in the fray before now, and though, ↑ Job xxxix. 19, 20. + Eph. vi. 16. § Exod. xxxiii. 15. ¶ Isaiah x. 4.

⚫ Job xli. 26-29.1

I Psalm iii. 6.