given you, and walk and talk shall be every day your with the King, even all the Days of Eternity. There you shall not see again such things as you saw when you were in the lower region upon the earth, to wit, sorrow, sickness, affliction, and death; "for the former things are passed away." You are now going to Abraham, to Isaac, and Jacob, and to the Prophets; men that God hath taken away from the evil to come, and that are now resting upon their beds, each one walking in his righteousness. The men then asked, What must we do in the Holy Place? To whom it was answered, You must there receive the comforts of all your toil, and have joy for all your sorrow; you must reap what you have sown, even the fruit of all your prayers, and tears, and sufferings for the King by the way. In that place you must wear crowns of gold, and enjoy the perpetual sight and vision of the Holy One; "for there you shall see Him as He is.": There also you shall serve Him continually with praise, with shouting, and thanksgiving, whom you desired to serve in the world, though with much difficulty, because of the infirmity of your flesh. There your eyes shall be delighted with seeing, your ears with hearing the pleasant voice of the Mighty One. There you shall enjoy your friends again that are gone thither before you; and there you shall with joy receive even every one that follows into the Holy Place after you. There also you shall be clothed with glory and majesty, and put in an equipage fit to ride out with the King of Glory. When He shall come with sound of trumpet in the clouds, as upon the wings of the wind, you 1 Rev. xxii. 5. 2 Ib. xxi. 4. 3 1 John iii. 2. shall come with Him; and when He shall sit upon the Throne of Judgment, you shall sit by Him; yea, and when He shall pass sentence upon all the workers of iniquity, let them be Angels or men, you also shall have a voice in that judgment, because they were His and your enemies. Also, when He shall again return to the City, you shall go too, with sound of trumpet, and be ever with Him." 5 Now, while they were thus drawing towards the Gate, behold! a company of the Heavenly Host came out to meet them: to whom it was said, by the other two Shining Ones, These are the men that have loved our Lord, when they were in the world, and that have forsaken all for His holy name; and He hath sent us to fetch them, and we have brought them thus far on their desired journey, that they may go in and look their Redeemer in the face with joy. Then the Heavenly Host gave a great shout, saying, "Blessed are they that are called to the marriage-supper of the Lamb."7 There came out also to meet them several of the King's trumpeters, clothed in white and shining raiment, who, with melodious voices, made even the heavens to echo with their sound. These trumpeters. saluted Christian and his fellow with ten thousand welcomes from the world; and this they did with shouting and sound of trumpet. This done, they compassed them round about on every side some went before, some behind, and some on the right hand, some on the left, (as it were to guard them through the upper regions,) continually 4 1 Thess. iv. 16. Jude 14. 5 1 Cor. vi. 2. 7 Rev. xix. 9. sounding as they went, with melodious noise, in notes on high; so that the very sight was, to them that could behold it, as if Heaven itself was come down to meet them. Thus, therefore, they walked on together; and, as they walked, ever and anon these trumpeters, even with joyful sound, would, by mixing their music with looks and gestures, still signify to Christian and his brother how welcome they were into their company, and with what gladness they came to meet them. And now were these two men as it were in Heaven, before they came at it; being swallowed up with the sight of Angels, and with hearing of their melodious notes. Here also they had the City itself in view, and they thought they heard all the bells therein to ring, to welcome them thereto; but, above all, the warm and joyful thoughts that they had about their own dwelling there with such company, and that for ever and ever:-Oh! by what tongue or pen can their glorious joy be expressed! Thus they came up to the Gate. Now, when they were come up to the Gate, there was written over it, in letters of gold, "BLESSED ARE THEY THAT DO HIS COMMAND MENTS, THAT THEY MAY HAVE RIGHT TO Then I saw in my dream, that the Shining Men bid them call at the Gate; the which when they did, some from above looked over the Gate, to wit, Enoch, Moses, and Elijah, &c.; to whom it was said, These Pilgrims are come from the city of Destruction, for the love Rev. xxii. 14. that they bear to the King of this place: and then the Pilgrims gave in unto them each man his certificate, which they had received in the beginning. Those, therefore, were carried in to the King, who, when he had read them, said, Where are the men? To whom it was answered, They are standing without the Gate. The King then commanded to open the Gate," that the righteous nation (said he) that keepeth truth may enter in." 9 Now I saw in my dream, that these two men went in at the Gate; and lo! as they entered, they were transfigured, and they had raiment put on that shone like gold. There were also that met them with harps and crowns, and gave them to them; the harps to praise withal, and the crowns in token of honour. Then I heard in my dream that all the bells in the City rang again for joy; and that it was said unto them, "ENTER YE INTO THE JOY OF OUR LORD."' I also heard the men themselves sing with a loud voice, saying, "BLESSING, AND HONOUR, AND GLORY, AND POWER BE UNTO HIM THAT SITTETH UPON Now, just as the Gates were opened to let in the men, I looked in after them, and behold the City shone like the sun; the streets also were paved with gold, and in them walked many men with crowns 9 Isa. xxvi. 2. Matt. xxv. 23. 2 Rev. v. 13, 14. upon their heads, palms in their hands, and golden harps to sing praises withal. There were also of them that had wings; and they answered one another without intermission, saying, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord." And after that they shut up the Gates; which, when I had seen, I wished myself among them. Now, while I was gazing upon all UP TO THE RIVER. these things, I turned my head to look IGNORANCE COMES back, and saw Ignorance come up to the river-side but he soon got over, and that without half the difficulty which the other two men met with. For it happened that there was then in that place one Vain-hope, a ferry-man, that with his boat helped him over: : VAIN-HOPE DOES FERRY HIM OVER. so he, as the others, I saw, did ascend the hill to come up to the Gate; only he came alone, neither did any meet him with the least encouragement. When he was come up to the Gate, he looked up to the writing that was above, and then began to knock, supposing that entrance should have been quickly administered to him but he was asked by the Men that looked over the top of the Gate, Whence come you? and what would you have? He answered, I have eat and drank in the presence of the King, and He has taught in our streets. Then they asked him for his certificate, that they might go in and shew it to the King. So he fumbled in his bosom for one, and found none. Then said they, Have you none? But the man answered never a word. So they told the King; but He would not come down to see him, but commanded the two Shining Ones that conducted Christian and Hope |