PERSPECTIVE GLASS. THE HILL CLEAR. and walked together towards the end of the Mountains. Then said the Shepherds one to another, Let us here shew the Pilgrims the Gates of the Celestial City, THE SHEPHERDS' if they have skill to look through our perspective glass. The Pilgrims then lovingly accepted the motion; so they had them to the top of an high hill, called Clear, gave them the glass to look. Then they tried to look, but the remembrance of that last thing that the Shepherds had shewn them made their hands shake; by means of which impediment they could not look steadily through the glass; yet they thought they saw something like the Gate, and also some of the glory of the place. Thus they went away and sang this song; THE FRUITS OF SERVILE FEAR. Thus, by the Shepherds, secrets are reveal'd, A TWOFOLD When they were about to depart, one CAUTION. of the Shepherds gave them a note of the way. Another of them bid them beware of the Flatterer. The third bid them take heed that they slept not upon the Enchanted Ground; and the fourth bid them God speed. So I awoke from my dream. THE COUNTRY OF And I slept, and dreamed again, and saw the same two Pilgrims going down the Mountains, along the highway, towards the City. Now, a CONCEIT, OUT OF little below these Mountains, on the left hand, lieth the country of Conceit; from which country there comes into WHICH CAME IG- the way in which the Pilgrims walked a little crooked lane. Here, therefore, they met with a very brisk lad that came out of that country, and his name was Ignorance. So Christian asked him, from what parts he came? and whither he was going? Ignor. Sir, I was born in the coun CHRISTIAN AND try that lieth off there, a little on the IGNORANCE HAVE left hand; and I am going to the Ce lestial City. SOME TALK. Chr. But how do you think to get in at the Gate? for you may find some difficulty there. As other good people do, said he. Chr. But what have you to shew at that Gate, that the Gate should be opened to you? Ignor. I know my Lord's will, THE GROUNDS OF and have been a good liver; I pay IGNORANCE's Hope. every man his own; I pray, fast, pay tithes, and give alms, and have left my country, for whither I am going. Chr. But thou camest not in at the Wicket-Gate that is at the head of this way; thou camest in hither through that same crooked lane; and therefore I fear, however thou mayst think of thyself, when the reckoning day shall come, thou wilt have laid to thy charge that thou art a thief and a robber, instead of getting admittance into the City. HE TELLETH EVERY ONE Ignor. Gentlemen, ye be utter strangers to me; I know you not: be content to follow the religion of your country, and I will follow the religion of mine. I hope all will be well. And as for the Gate that you talk of, all the world knows that that is a great way off of our country. I cannot think that any man in all our parts doth so much as know the way to it; nor need they matter whether they do or no, since we have, as you see, a fine pleasant green lane, that comes down from our country the next way into the way. When Christian saw that the man was wise in his own conceit, he said to Hopeful, whispering, There is more hope of a fool than of him: and said moreover, When he that is a fool walketh by the way, his wisdom faileth him, and he saith to every one that he is a fool. What! shall we talk farther with him, or outgo him at present, and so leave him to think of what he hath heard already, and then stop again for him afterwards, and see if by degrees we can do any good by him? Then said Hopeful, HOW TO CARRY Let Ignorance a little while now muse (Although he made them,) them he will not save. He farther added, It is not good, I think, to say to him all at once; let us pass him by, if you will, and talk to him anon, even as he is able to bear it. So they both went on, and Ignorance he came after. Now, when they had passed him a little way, they entered into a very dark lane, where they met a man whom seven Devils had bound with seven strong cords, and were a-carrying him back to the door that they saw on the side of the hill. Now good Christian began to tremble, and so did Hopeful his companion; yet as the Devils led away the man, Christian looked THE DESTRUC TION of one CHRISTIAN TELLETH HIS COMPANION A FAITH. BROAD-WAY-GATE, to see if he knew him, and he thought it might be one Turn-away, that dwelt in the town of Apostacy. But he did not perfectly see his face; for he did hang his head like a thief that is found. But, being gone past, Hopeful looked after him, and espied on his back a paper with this inscription, Wanton Professor, and damnable Apostate.' Then said Christian to his fellow, Now I call to my remembrance that which was told me of a thing that happened to a good man hereabout: The name of that man was Little-faith, but a good man, and he dwelt in the town of Sincere. The thing was this: At the entering in at this passage, there comes down from Broad-way-Gate a lane, called DEAD MAN's lane. Dead Man's Lane, so called because of the murders that are commonly done there; and this Little-faith, going on pilgrimage as we do now, chanced to sit down there and sleep. Now there happened at that time to come down the lane, from Broad-way-gate, three sturdy rogues, and their names were Faint-heart, Mistrust, and Guilt (three brothers); and they, espying Littlefaith where he was, came galloping up with speed. Now, the good man was just awakened from his sleep, and was getting up to go on his journey: so they came up all to him, and, with threatening language, bid him stand. At this Little-faith looked as white as a clout, and had neither power to fight nor fly. Then said Faint-heart, Deliver thy LITTLE-FAITH ROBBED purse; but he making no haste to BY FAINT-HEart, misdo it, (for he was loath to lose his TRUST, ANd guilt. money,) Mistrust ran up to him, and thrusting his hand into his pocket, pulled out thence a bag of silver. THEY GET AWAY Then he cried out, Thieves, thieves! that was in his hand, struck Littlefaith 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 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 money left, but scarce enough to bring him to his journey's end: nay, (if I was not FORCED TO BEG misinformed,) he 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. LITTLE-FAITH TO HIS JOUR NEY'S END. 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? 5 1 Pet. iv. 18. |