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and is met by Evangelist.

fore there he stood still, and knew not what to do. Also his burden now seemed heavier to him than while he was in his way. There came also flashes of fire (Exod. xix. 18.) out of the hill, that made Christian afraid that he should be burned: and therefore he sweat, and did quake for fear. (Heb. xii. 21.) And now he began to be sorry that he had taken Mr. Worldly Wiseman's counsel; and with that he saw Evangelist coming to meet him, at the sight also of whom he began to blush for shame. So Evangelist drew nearer and nearer; and coming up to him, he looked upon him with a severe and dreadful countenance, and thus began to reason with Christian.

EVAN. What doest thou here Christian? said he : at which words Christian knew not what to answer; wherefore at present he stood speechless before him. Then said Evangelist farther, Art not thou the man that I found crying without the walls of the city of Destruction?

CHR. Yes, dear Sir, I am the man.

EVAN. Did not I direct thee the way to the little Wicket-gate?

CHR. Yes, dear Sir, said Christian.

EVAN. How is it then that thou art so quickly turned aside? For thou art now out of the way.

CHR. I met with a gentleman so soon as I had got over the Slough of Despond, who persuaded me that I might, in the village before me, find a man that could take off my burden.

EVAN. What was he?

CHR. He looked like a gentleman, and talked much to me, and got me at last to yield: so I came hither

* When Christians unto carnal men give ear,
Out of their way they go, and pay for't dear ;
For raster Worldly Wiseman can but show
A saint the way to bondage and to woe,

Christian warned of the Danger

but when I beheld this hill, and how it hangs over the way, I suddenly made a stand, lest it should fall on my head.

EVAN. What said that gentleman to you?

CHR. Why, he asked me whither I was going; and told him.

EVAN. And what said he then?

CHR. He asked me if I had a family; and I told him But, said I, I am so loaded with the burden that is on my back, that I cannot take pleasure in them as formerly.

EVAN. And what said he then?

ance.

CHR. He bid me with speed get rid of my burden; and I told him it was ease that I sought: And, said I, I am therefore going to yonder gate, to receive farther direction how I may get to the place of deliverSo he said that he would show me a better way, and short, not so attended with difficulties as the way, Sir, that you set me in; which way, said he, will direct you to a gentleman's house that has skill to take off these burdens: so I believed him, and turned out of that way into this, if haply I might be soon eased of my burden. But when I came to this place, and beheld things as they are, I stopped, for fear (as I said) of danger: but I now know not what to do.

EVAN. Then said Evangelist, Stand still a little, that I may show thee the words of God. So he stood trembling. Then said Evangelist, "See that you refuse not him that speaketh; for if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven." (Heb. xii. 25.) He said moreover, "Now the just shall live by faith; but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him." (Heb. x. 38.) He also did thus apply them; -Thou art the man that is running into this misery;

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of turning out of the Way.

thou hast begun to reject the counsel of the Most High, and to draw back thy foot from the way of peace, even almost to the hazarding of thy perdition. Then Christian fell down at his feet as dead, crying, "Woe is me, for I am undone!" At the sight of which Evangelist caught him by the right hand, saying "All manner of sin and blasphemies shall be forgiven unto men; be not faithless, but believing." Then did Christian again a little revive, and stood up trembling, as at first, before Evangelist.

Then Evangelist proceeded, saying, "Give more earnest heed to the things that I shall tell thee of. I will now show thee who it was that deluded thee, and who it was also to whom he sent thee. The man that met thee is one Worldly Wiseman: and rightly he is so called; partly because he savoureth only of the doctrine of this world; (1 John iv. 5.) (therefore he always goes to the town of Morality to church;) and partly because he loveth that doctrine best, for it saveth him from the cross; (Gal. vi. 12.) and because he is of this carnal temper, therefore he seeketh to pervert my ways, though right. Now there are three things in this man's counsel, that thou must utterly abhor.

1. His turning thee out of the way.

2. His labouring to render the cross odious to thee.

3. And his setting thy feet in that way that leadeth unto the ministration of death.

First, Thou must abhor his turning thee out of the way; yea, and thine own consenting thereto; because this is to reject the counsel of God for the sake of the counsel of a Worldly Wiseman. The Lord says, "Strive to enter in at the strait gate," (Luke xiii. 24.) the gate to which I send thee; "for strait is the gate that leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” 'Matt. vii. 13, 14.) From this little Wicket-gate, and

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