Gambar halaman
PDF
ePub

mind, and

my

conscience did accuse me on every side. Upon this I awakened from my sleep.9

Chr. But what was it that made you so afraid of this sight?

Man. Why, I thought that the Day of Judgment was come, and that I was not ready for it: But this frighted me most, that the Angels gathered up several, and left me behind; also the Pit of Hell opened her mouth just where I stood. My conscience, too, afflicted me; and, as I thought, the Judge had always his eye upon me, shewing indignation in his counte

nance.

Then said the Interpreter to Christian, hast thou considered all these things?

Chr. Yes; and they put me in hope and fear.

Inter. Well, keep all things so in thy mind, that they may be as a goad in thy sides, to prick thee forward in the way thou must go. Then Christian began to gird up his loins, and to address himself to his journey. Then said the Interpreter, The Comforter be always with thee, good Christian, to guide thee in the way that leads to the city! So Christian went on his way, saying,

Here have I seen things rare and profitable,

Things pleasant, dreadful, things to make me stable

In what I have begun to take in hand:

Then let me think on them, and understand

Wherefore they shew'd me were; and let me be

Thankful, O good Interpreter ! to thee.

91 Cor. xv. 1 Thess. iv. Jude, ver. 15. John, v. 28. 2 Thess. i. 8. Rev. xx. 11-14. Isaiah, xxvi. 21.

[blocks in formation]

Micah, vii. 16, 17. Psalm v.

Mark, iii. 13. chap. xiv. 32.

Mal. iv. 1. Luke, iii. 17. 1 Thess. iv. 16, 17. Rom. ii. 14, 15.

Now I saw in my dream that the highway, up which Christian was to go, was fenced on either side with a wall, and that wall was called Salvation. Up this way, therefore, did burdened Christian run, but not without great difficulty, because of the load on his back.1

He ran thus till he came at a place somewhat ascending; and upon that place stood a Cross, and a little below, in the bottom, a Sepulchre. So I saw.in

[graphic]

my dream, that just as Christian came up with the Cross, his Burden loosed from off his shoulders, and fell from off his back, and began to tumble; and so continued to do, till it came to the mouth of the Sepulchre, where it fell in, and I saw it no more.

Then was Christian glad and lightsome, and said, with a merry heart, "He hath given me rest by his sorrow, and life by his death."

1 Isaiah, xxvi. 1.

E

WHEN GOD RELEASES

US OF OUR GUILT AND
BURDEN, WE ARE AS

THOSE THAT LEAP FOR

JOY.

Then he stood still a while to look and wonder; for it was very surprising to him, that the sight of the Cross should thus ease him of his Burden. He looked therefore, and looked again, even till the springs that were in his head sent the waters down his cheeks. Now, as he stood looking and weeping, behold three shining ones came to him, and saluted him with "Peace be to thee:" so the first said to him, " Thy sins be forgiven thee:" the second stripped him of his rags, and clothed him with change of raiment. The third also "set a mark on his forehead," and gave him a Roll, with a seal upon it, which he bid him look on as he ran, and that he should give it in at the Celestial Gate; so they went their way. Then Christian gave three leaps for joy, and went on singing,2

A CHRISTIAN
CAN SING,

THOUGH

ALONE, WHEN
GOD DOTH

GIVE HIM JOY

Thus far did I come loaden with my sin;

Nor could aught ease the grief that I was in,
Till I came hither! What a place is this!
Must here be the beginning of my bliss?

Must here the burden fall from off

my

back?

Must here the strings that bound it to me crack?

IN HIS HEART. Bless'd Cross! bless'd Sepulchre! bless'd rather be The Man that there was put to shame for me.

I saw then, in my dream, that he went on thus, even until he came at a bottom, where he saw, a little out of the way, three men fast

SIMPLE, SLOTH,
AND PRESUMP-

TION.

ters upon their heels.

asleep, with fet

The name of the one was Simple, another Sloth, the third Presumption.

Christian, then, seeing them lie in this case, went to them, if peradventure he might awake them; and cried, You are like them that sleep on the top of a

2 Zech. xii. 10. Mark, ii. 5. Zech. iii. 4. Eph. i. 13.

[graphic][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed]
« SebelumnyaLanjutkan »