58 Christian met by Formalist and Hypocrisy. and come away; be willing also, and I will help you off with your irons. He also told them, If he that goeth about like a roaring lion comes by, you will certainly become a prey to his teeth. With that they looked upon him, and began to reply in this sort Simple said, "I see no danger :" Sloth said, "Yet a little more sleep" and Presumption said, "Every vatt must stand upon its own bottom." And so they lay down to sleep again, and Christian went on his way.(p) Yet was he troubled to think, that men in that danger should so little esteem the kindness of him that so freely offered to help them, both by awakening of them, counselling of them, and proffering to help them off with their irons. And as he was troubled thereabout, he espied two men come tumbling over the wall, on the left hand of the narrow way; and they made up apace to him. The name of the one was Formalist, and the name of the other Hypocrisy. So, as I said, they drew up un to him, who thus entered with them into discourse. Chr. Gentlemen, whence came you, and whither do you go? Form. and Hyp. We were born in the land of Vain-glory, and are going for praise to Mount Zion. Chr. Why came you not in at the Gate which standeth at the beginning of the way? Know you not that it is written, that *1 Pet. v. 8. (P) We were before informed that other ways butted down upon' the straight way; and the connexion of the allegory required the introduction of various characters, besides that of the true believer. Many outwardly walk in the ways of religion, and seem to be pilgrims, who are destitute of those "things which accompany salvation."-The three allegorical persons next introduced are nearly related; they appear to be pilgrims, but are a little out of the way, asleep, and fettered. Many hear and learn to talk about the peculiar doctrines of Christianity, and have transient convictions, who yet cleave to the world, and rest more securely in the bondage of sin and Satan, by means of their profession of religion. They reject or pervert all instruction, hate all trouble, yet are confident that every thing is and will be well with them; while teachers after their own hearts lull them with a syren's song, by confounding the form with the power of godliness: and if any one attempt, in the most affectionate manner, to warn them of their danger, they answer, (according to the tenor of the words here used,) Mind your own business; we see no danger; you shall not disturb our composure, or induce us to make so much ado about religion. See to yourselves, and leave us to ourselves.' Thus they sleep on till death and judgment awake them! Christian in vain reasons with Formalist and Hypocrisy. 59 "He that cometh not in by the door, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber."* They said, That to go to the gate for entrance, was by all their countrymen counted too far about; and that therefore their usual way was to make a short cut of it, and to climb over the wall as they had done. Chr. But will it not be counted a trespass against the Lord of the City whither we are bound, thus to violate his revealed will? : They told him, That as for that, he needed not to trouble his head thereabout: for what they did they had custom for and could produce, if need were, testimony that would witness it, for more than a thousand years. But (said Christian) will your practice stand a trial at law? They told him, That custom, it being of so long a standing as above a thousand years, would doubtless now be admitted as a thing legal, by an impartial judge and besides, said they, if we get into the way, what's matter which way we get in? If we are in, we are in: thou art but in the way, who as we perceive came in at the gate; and we are also in the way, that came tumbling over the wall: wherein now is thy condition better than ours? Chr. I walk by the rule of my Master, you walk by the rude working of your fancies: you are counted thieves already by the Lord of the way; therefore I doubt you will not be found true men at the end of the way. You come in by yourselves without his direction; and shall go out by yourselves without his mercy. To this they made him but little answer; only they bid him look to himself. Then I saw that they went on every man in his way, without much conference one with another; save that these two men told Christian, That, as to laws and ordinances, they doubted not but they should as conscienciously do them as he. Therefore, said they, we see not wherein thou differest from us, but by the coat that is on thy back, which was, as we tro', given thee by some of thy neighbours, to hide the shame of thy nakedness. Chr. By laws and ordinances you will not be saved,† since you came not in by the door. And as for this coat that is on my back, it was given me by the Lord of the place whither I 60 The direct Way up the Hill Difficulty. go; and that, as you say, to cover my nakedness with. And I take it as a token of his kindness to me; for I had nothing but rags before and besides, thus I comfort myself as I go; Surely, think I, when I come to the gate of the city, the Lord thereof will know me for good, since I have his coat on my back! a coat that he gave me freely in the day that he stript me of my rags. I have moreover a mark in my forehead, of which perhaps you have taken no notice, which one of my Lord's most intimate associates fixed there, in the day that my burden fell off my shoulders. I will tell you moreover, that I had then given me a Roll sealed, to comfort me by reading as I go on the way; I was also bid to give it in at the Celestial Gate, in token of my certain going in after it: all which things I doubt you want, and want them because you came not in at the Gate. (q) To these things they gave him no answer; only they looked upon each other and laughed. Then I saw that they went on all, save that Christian kept before, who had no more talk but with himself, and that sometimes sighingly and sometimes comfortably; also he would be often reading in the Roll that one of the shining ones gave him, by which he was refreshed. (r) (4) The true Christian will always be troubled at the vain confidence of many professors: but he is more surprised by it at first than afterwards; for he sets out with the idea, that all apparently religious people sincerely seek the salvation of their souls. But at length experience draws his attention to those parts of the scripture which mention tares among the wheat, and foolish virgins among the wise.-Formalist and Hypocrasy soon come in his way. These are near relations: the first represents such as by notions and external observances deceive themselves; the second those who more grossly attempt to impose upon others. They are both actuated by vain-glory, and seek the applause of men by their most zealous profession and most specious actions, while the credit thus acquired subserves also their temporal interests: but repentance, conversion, and the life of faith, would not only cost them too much labour, but destroy the very principle by which they are actuated. By a much shorter cut,' they become a part of the visible church, are satisfied with a form of godliness, and kept in countenance by the example of great numbers of professed Christians, in every age and place. Their confidence, however, will not bear the light of scripture; they, therefore, shrink from investigation, and treat with derision and reproaches all who would convince them of their fatal mistake, or show them the real nature of evangelical religion. (r) True Christians even when most assured of their acceptance, and competent to perceive the awful delusions of false professors, find cause for sighs amidst their comforts, while employed in serious retired self-re |