also to your Father in his distress is a great load to my conscience; for I hardened both mine own heart and yours against him, and refused to go with him on Pilgrimage. The thoughts of these things would now kill me outright, but that for a dream which I had last night, and but that for the encouragement that this Stranger has given me this morning. Come, my children, let us pack up and be gone to the Gate that leads to the Celestial Country, that we may see your Father, and be with him and his companions in peace, according to the laws of that land. Then did her children burst out into tears, for joy that the heart of their Mother was so inclined; so their Visitor bid them farewell, and they began to prepare to set out for their journey. But while they were thus about to be gone, two of the women that were TIMOROUS AND MERCY, COME Christiana's neighbours came up to her TO VISIT CHRIShouse, and knocked at her door; to TIANA. whom she said as before, if you come in God's Name, come in! At this the women were CHRISTIANA'S NEW LANGUAGE STUNS BOURS. stunned, for this kind of language they used not to hear, or to perceive to drop from the lips of Christiana. Yet they came in; but behold they found the good Woman preparing to be gone from her house. So they began, and said, Neighbour, pray what is your meaning by this? Christiana answered and said to the eldest of them, whose name was Mrs. Timorous, I am preparing for a journey. (This Timorous was daughter to him that met Christian upon the hill of Difficulty, and would have had him go back for fear of the Lions.) Tim. For what journey, I pray you ? Chr. Even to go after my good Husband. And with that she fell a-weeping. Tim. I hope not so, good neighbour; pray, for your poor children's sake, do not so unwomanly cast away yourself. Chr. Nay, my children shall go with me, not one of them is willing to stay behind. Tim. I wonder in my very heart what or who has brought you into this mind! Chr. Oh! neighbour, knew you but as much as I do, I doubt not but that you would go with me. DEATH. Tim. Pr'ythee, what new knowledge hast thou got, that so worketh off thy mind from thy friends, and that tempteth thee to go nobody knows where? Then Christiana replied, I have been sorely afflicted since my Husband's departure from me; but specially since he went over the River. But that which troubleth me most is my churlish carriage to him when he was under his distress. Besides, I am now as he was then; nothing will serve me but going on Pilgrimage. I was a-dreaming last night that I saw him. O that my soul was with him! He dwelleth in the presence of the King of the country; he sits and eats with Him at his table; he is become a companion of Immortals, and has a house now given him to dwell in, to which the best palace on earth, if compared, seems to me but as a dunghill.9 The Prince of the Place has also sent for me, with 92 Cor. v. 1-3. promise of entertainment, if I shall come to him; his messenger was here even now, and has brought me a Letter, which invites me to come. And with that she plucked out her Letter, and read it, and said to them, What now will you say to this? Tim. Oh! the madness that has possessed thee and thy Husband, to run yourselves upon such difficulties! You have heard, I am sure, what your Husband did meet with, even in a manner, at the first step that he took on his way, as our neighbour Obstinate can yet testify, for he went along with him, yea, and Pliable too; until they, like wise men, were afraid to go any farther. We also heard, over and above, how he met with the Lions, Apollyon, the Shadow THE REASONINGS of Death, and many other things. OF THE flesh. Nor is the danger he met with at Vanity-Fair to be forgotten by thee: for if he, though a Man, was so hard put to it, what canst thou, being but a poor Woman, do? Consider also that these four sweet babes are thy children, thy flesh and thy bones. Wherefore, though thou should'st be so rash as to cast away thyself, yet, for the sake of the fruit of thy body, keep thou at home. But Christiana said unto her, Tempt me not, my neighbour; I have now a prize put into my hands to get gain, and I should be a fool of the greatest size, if I should have no heart to strike in with the opportunity. And for that you tell me of all these troubles that I am like to meet with in the way, they are so far off from being to me a discouragement, that they shew I am in the right. "The A PERTINENT REPLY TO bitter must come before the FLESHLY REASONING. sweet," and that also will make the sweet the sweeter. Wherefore, since you came not to my house in God's name, as I said, I pray you to be gone, and not to disquiet me farther. MERCY'S BOWELS CHRISTIANA. Then Timorous all-to-reviled her, and said to her fellow, Come, neighbour Mercy, let us leave her in her own hands, since she scorns our counsel and company. But Mercy was at a stand, and could not so readily comply with her neighbour, and that for a twofold reason. 1. Her bowels yearned over Christiana. So she said within herself, if my neighbour will needs be gone, I will go a little way with her, and help her. 2. Her bowels yearned over her own Soul; for what Christiana had said had taken some hold upon her mind. Wherefore she said within herself again, I will yet have more talk with this Christiana, and if I find truth and life in what she shall say, myself with my heart shall also go with her. Wherefore Mercy began thus to reply to her neighbour Timorous. Mercy. Neighbour, I did indeed come with you to see Christiana this morning; and since she is, as you see, a taking of her last farewell of her Country, I think to walk this sunshiny morning a little with her to help her on her way. But she told her not of her second reason, but kept it to herself. Tim. Well, I see you have a mind to go a-fooling too; but take heed in time, and be wise: while we are out of danger, we are out; but when we are in, we are in. So Mrs. Timorous returned to her house, and Christiana betook herself to her journey. But TIMOROUS FORSAKES |