them that diligently feek it. Read it fo, Obft. Tufh, faid Obftinate, away with your Book: Will you go back with us, or no? Chr. No, not I, faid the other; because Luke ix. 62. I have laid my Hand to the Plough. Chriftian Obft. Come then, Neighbour Pliable, let us turn again, and go home without him: There is a Company of these crazyheaded Coxcombs, that when they take a Fancy by the End, are wifer in their own Eyes than feven Men that can render a Reason. Pli. Then, faid Pliable, do not revile; if what the good Chriftian fays is true, the Things he looks after are better than our's; my Heart inclines to go with my Neighbour. Obft. What! more Fools ftill? Be ruled by me, and go back; who knows whither fuch a Brain-fick Fellow will lead you? Go back, go back, and be wise. Chr. Nay, but do thou* come with thy and Obftinate Neighbour Pliable; there are fuch Things pull for Plia- to be had which I fpoke of, and many ble's Soul. more Glories befides; if you believe not me, read here in this Book, and for the Truth of what is expreffed therein, behold Heb. ix. 17, all is confirmed by the Blood of him 18, 19, 20, that made it. 21. + Pliable confented to go with Chrif tian. Pli. Well neighbour Obftinate, (faith Pliable) I begin to come to a Point; I intend to go along with this good Man, and to caft in my Lot with him; but, my good Companion, do you know the Way to this defired Place? 6 Obr. Chr. I am directed by a Man whose Name is Evangelift, to fpeed me to a little Gate that is before us, where we fhall receive Instructions about the Way. Pli. Come then, good Neighbour, let us be going; then they went both together. Oft. And I will go back to my Place, faid Obftinate: * I will be no Companion Obitinats of fuch milled fantastical Fellows. goes railing Now I faw in my Dream, that when Ob- back. ftinate was going back, Christian and Pli able went talking over the Plain; and + Talk bethus they began their Discourse. Chr. Come, Neighbour Pliable, how do you do? I am glad you are perfuaded to go along with me; had even Obftinate himself but felt what I have felt of the Powers and Terrors of what is yet unfeen, he would not thus lightly have given us the Back. Pli. Come, Neighbour Christian, since there are none but us two bere, tell me now farther, what the Things are? and how to be enjoyed, whither we are going? tween Chriftian and Pli. able. Chr. I can better conceive of them God's Things with my Mind, than to speak of them with unspeakable. my Tongue: But yet fince you are, desirous to know, I will read of them in my Book. Pli. And do yon think that the Words of your Book are certainly true? Chr. Yes verily, for it was made by him that cannot lye. Pli. Well faid, What things are they? Tit. i. 2. Chr. There is an endlefs Kingdom to Ifa. xlv. 17. be inhabited, and everlatting Life to be John x. 27. given us, that we may inhabit that King- 28, 29. dom for ever. B 4 Pli. 2 Tim. iv. 8. Pli. Well faid; and what else? Chr. There are Crowns of Glory to be Rev. xxii. 5. given us; and Garments that will make us fhine like the Sun in the Firmament of Heaven. Matth. xiii. 43. Ifa. xv. 18. Rev. vii. 16. 17. Chap. xxi. 4. Pli. This is very pleafant; and what else? Chr. There fhall 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? Ifa. vi. 2. Chr. There we fhall be with Seraphims 1Thef. iv. 16, and Cherubims, Creatures that will daz17. Rev.v.11. zle your Eyes to look on them: There also we fhall meet with Thoufands and ten Thoufands 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 the Prefence with Acceptance for ever: In a Word, there we fhall fee the Elders with their golden Crowns: There we shall fee the Holy Virgins with their golden Harps: There we fhall fee Men, that by the World were cut in Pieces, burnt in Flames, eaten of Beafts, drowned in the Seas, for the Love that they bare to the Lord of the Place; all well, and cloathed with Immortality, as with a Garment. Rev. iv. 4. Chap. xiv. John xii. 25. 2 Cor. v. 2, 3, 4. Ifa.lv. 12. John vii. 37. Pli. The bearing of this is enough to ravifh one's Heart: but are thefe Things to be enjoyed? How shall we get to be Sharers thereof? Chr. The Lord, the Governor of the Cap. vi. 37. Country, hath recorded that in this Rev. xxi. 6. Book, the Subftance of which is, if we Chap. xxii. be be truly willing to have it, he will bestow it upon us freely. Pli. Well, my good Companion, glad am I to bear of these Things; come on, let us mend our Pace. Chr. I cannot go fo fast as I would, by Reason of this Burden that is on my Back. Now I faw in my Dream, that just as they had ended this Talk, they drew nigh to a very Miry Slough that was in the The Slough Midft of the Plain, and they being heed- of Defpond. less, did both fall fuddenly into the Bog. The Name of the Slough was Defpond. Here therefore they wallowed for a Time, being grievously bedaubed with Dirt; and Chriftian, because of the Burden that was on his Back, began to fink in the Mire. Pli. Then faid Pliable, Ab, Neighbour Chriftian, where are you now? Chr. Truly, faid Chriftian, I do not know. Pli. At this Pliable began to be offended, and angrily faid to his Fellow, is this the Happiness you have told me all this while of? If we have fuch ill Speed at our first setting out, what may we expect betwixt this and our Journey's End? +May + It is not I get out again with my Life, you fhall enough to be poffefs the brave Country alone for me. And with that he gave a defperate Struggle or two, and got out of the Mire on that Side of the Slough which was next his own Houfe; fo away he went, and Chriftian faw him no more. Wherefore Chriftian was left to tumble in the Slough of Defpond alone; but ftill he Pliable. in Trouble feeks ftill to get farther from his own Chriftian he endeavoured to ftruggle to that Side of the Slough that was farther * from his own House, and next to the Wicket-Gate; the which he did, but could not get out, because of the Burthen that was upon his Back: But I beheld in my Dream, that a Man came to him, whofe Name was Help, and afked him, What he did there? Houje.. + The mifes. Chr. Sir, faid Chriftian, I was bid to go this Way, by a Man called Evangelift, who directed me alfo to yonder Gate, that I might efcape the Wrath to come. And as I was going thither, I fell in here. Help. But why did not you look for the Pro-Steps? + Help lifts him out. Pfal. xl. 2. Chr. Fear followed me fo hard, that I fled the next Way, and fell in. Help. Then, faid he, ‡ give me thy Hand: fo he gave him his Hand, and he drew him out, and fet him upon found Ground, and bid him go on his Way. Then I stepped to him who plucked him out, and faid, Sir, wherefore, fince 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 faid unto me, This Miry Slough is fuch a Place as cannot be mendWhat makes ed: It is the Defcent whither the $ Scum the Slough of and Filth that attends Conviction for Sin Defpond. doth continually run, and therefore it is called the Slough of Defpond; for still as the Sinner is awakened about his loft Condition, there arife in his Soul many Fears and Doubts, and difcouraging Apprehenfions, which all of them get toge ther, |