24 FORMALIST AND HYPOCRISY. said, Every tub must stand upon for, and could produce, if need were, its own bottom. And so they lay testimony that would witness it, down to sleep again, and Christian for more than a thousand years. went on his way. 1 CHR. But, said Christian, will your practice stand a trial at law? Yet was he troubled to think, that men in that danger should so little esteem the kindness of him that so freely offered to help them, both by awakening of them, counselling of them, and proffering to help them off with their irons. And as he was troubled thereabout, he espied two men come tumbling over the wall on the left hand of the narrow way; and they made up apace to him. The name of the one was Formalist, and the name of the other Hypocrisy. So, as I said, they drew up unto him, who thus entered with them into discourse. CHR. Gentlemen, whence came Christian talks you and whither do with them. you go? FORM. and HYP. We were born in the land of Vain-glory, and are going for praise to Mount Zion. CHR. I walk by the rule of my Master: you walk by the rude working of your fancies. You are counted thieves already by the Lord CHR. Why came you not in at the of the way; therefore I doubt you gate which standeth at the begin-will not be found true men at the ning of the way? Know ye not that it is written, that "he that cometh not in by the door, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber?" John x. 1. FORM. and HYP. They said, that to go to the gate for entrance was by all their countrymen counted too far about; and that therefore their usual way was to make a short cut of it, and to climb over the wall as they had done. CHE. But will it not be counted a trespass against the Lord of the city whither we are bound, thus to violate his revealed will? end of the way. You come in by yourselves without his direction, and shall go out by yourselves without his mercy. To this they made him but little answer; only they bid him look to himself. Then I saw that they went on every man in his way, without much conference one with another; save that these two men told Christian, that as to laws and ordinances, they doubted not but that they should as conscientiously do them as he. Therefore, said they, we see not wherein thou differest from us, but by the coat that is on thy back, which was, as we trow, given thee by some of thy FORM. and HYP. They told him, that as for that, he needed not to trouble his head thereabout: for neighbours, to hide the shame of what they did they had custom thy nakedness. He is com CHRISTIAN REACHES THE HILL DIFFICULTY. 25 25 CHR. By laws and ordinances you will not be saved, since you came not in by the door, Gal. ii. 16. And as for this coat that is on my back, it was given me by the Lord of the place whither I go; and that, as you say, to cover my nakedness with. And I take it as a token of his kindness to me; for I had noChristian has thing but rags before. got his Lord's And besides, thus I coat on hisback, and is comfort. comfort myself as I ed therewith. go. Surely, think when I come to the gate of the city, the Lord thereof will know me for good, since I forted also with have his coat on my his mark and back; a coat that he gave me freely in the day that he stript me of my rags. I have, moreover, a mark in my forehead, of which perhaps you have taken no notice, which one of my Lord's most intimate associates fixed there in the day that my burden fell off my shoulders. I will tell you, moreover, that I had then given me a roll sealed, to comfort me by reading as I go in the way; other ways to go; and supposing I was also bid to give it in at the celestial gate, in token of my certain going in after it; all which things I doubt you want, and want them because you came not in at the gate. on till they came to the foot of the hill Difficulty, at He comes to the the bottom of which hill Difficulty. was a spring. There were also in the same place two other ways, besides that which came straight from the gate: one turned to the left hand, and the other to the right, at the bottom of the hill; but the narrow way lay right up the hill, and the name of the going up the side of the hili is called Difficulty. Christian now went to the spring, Isa. xlix. 10, and drank thereof to refresh himself, and then began to go up the hill, saying, his roll. self. To these things they gave him no answer; only they looked upon each other, and laughed. Then I Christian has saw that they went on talk with him- all, save that Christian kept before, who had no more talk but with himself, and that sometimes sighingly, and sometimes comfortably: also he would be often reading in the roll that one of the Shining Ones gave him, by which he was refreshed. I beheld then, that they all went The hill, though high, I covet to ascend; fear. Than wrong, though easy, where the end is woe. The other two also came to the foot of the hill. But when they saw that the hill was steep and high, and that there were two also that these two ways might meet again with that up which Christian went, on the other side of the hill; therefore they were resolved to go in those ways. Now the name of one of those ways was Danger, and the name of the other Destruction. So the The danger of one took the way turning out of which is called Danger, which led him into a great wood; and the other took directly up the way to Destruction, which led him into a wide field, full of dark mountains, where he stumbled and fell, and rose no more. the way. I looked then after Christian, to see him go up the hill, where I perceived he fell from running to going, 26 grace. is a loser. HE CLIMBS THE HILL.-MISSES HIS ROLL. know not; and we could not think, if we came within reach, but they would presently pull us in pieces. to take comfort and from going to clambering upon his hands and his knees, because A ward of of the steepness of the place. Now about CHR. Then said Christian, You the mid-way to the top of the hill make me afraid; but whither shall was a pleasant arbour, made by the I fly to be safe? If I go back to my Lord of the hill for the refreshment own country, that is prepared for of weary travellers, Thither, there-fire and brimstone, and I shall cerfore, Christian got, where also he tainly perish there; if I can get to sat down to rest him: then he celestial city, I am sure to be in pulled his roll out of his bosom, safety there: I must Christian and read therein to his comfort; venture. To go back shakes off fear. he also now began afresh to take a is nothing but death: to go forreview of the coat or garment that ward is fear of death, and life everwas given him as he stood by lasting beyond it: I will yet go forthe cross. Thus pleasing himself ward. So Mistrust and Timorous awhile, he at last fell into a slum- ran down the hill, and Christian ber, and thence into a fast sleep, went on his way. But thinking which detained him in that place again of what he heard from the He that sleeps until it was almost men, he felt in his bosom for his night; and in his sleep roll, that he might Christian mishis roll fell out of his hand. Now read therein, and be ses his roll as he was sleeping, there came one comforted; but he felt, wherein he used to him, and awaked him, saying, and found it not. "Go to the ant, thou sluggard; Then was Christian in great distress, consider her ways and be wise," and knew not what to do; for he Prov. vi. 6. And with that Chris- wanted that which used to relieve tian suddenly started up, and sped him, and that which should have him on his way, and went apace been his pass into the celestial City. till he came to the top of the hill. Here, therefore, he be- He is perplexgan to be much per- ed for his roll. plexed, and knew not what to do. At last he bethought himself that he had slept in the arbour that is on the side of the hill; and, falling down upon his knees, he asked God forgiveness for that his foolish act, and went back to look for his roll. But all the way he went back, who can sufficiently set forth the sorrow of Christian's heart? Sometimes he sighed, sometimes he wept, and oftentimes he chid himself for being so foolish to fall asleep in that place, which was erected only for a little refreshment from his weariness. Thus, therefore, he went back, carefully looking on this side and on Christian meets Now when he was got up to the top of the hill, there came two men running to meet him amain; the name of the one was with Mistrust Timorous, and of the and Timorous. other Mistrust: to whom Christian said, Sirs, what's the matter? you run the wrong way. Timorous answered, that they were going to the city of Zion, and had got up that difficult place: but, said he, the farther we go, the more danger we meet with; wherefore we turned, and are going back again. Yes, said Mistrust, for just before us lie a couple of lions in the way, whether sleeping or waking we FINDS HIS ROLL.-THE PALACE CALLED BEAUTIFUL. 27 thou sinful sleep! how for thy sake am I like to be benighted in my journey! I must walk without the sun, darkness must cover the path of my feet, and I must hear the that, all the way as he went, if hap- For this roll was the assurance of pily he might find his roll that had his life, and acceptance at the debeen his comfort so many times in sired haven. Therefore he laid it his journey. He went thus till he up in his bosom, gave thanks to came again within sight of the God for directing his eye to the arbour where he sat and slept; place where it lay, and with joy but that sight renewed his sorrow and tears betook himself again to Christian be- the more, by bring- his journey. But oh how nimbly wails his foolish ing again, even afresh, now did he go up the rest of the sleeping. his evil of sleeping un-hill! Yet, before he got up, the sun to his mind, Rev. ii. 4; 1 Thess. went down upon Christian; and v. 6-8. Thus, therefore, he now this made him again recall the went on bewailing his sinful sleep, vanity of his sleeping to his resaying, Oh wretched man that I membrance; and thus he again beam, that I should sleep in the day-gan to condole with himself: Oh time! that I should sleep in the midst of difficulty! that I should so indulge the flesh, as to use that rest for ease to my flesh, which the Lord of the hill hath erected only for the relief of the spirits of pil-noise of the doleful creatures, begrims! How many steps have I taken in vain! Thus it happened to Israel; for their sin they were sent back by the way of the Red Sea; and I am made to tread those steps with sorrow, which I might have trod with delight, had it not been for this sinful sleep. How far might I have been on my way by this time! I am made to tread those steps thrice over, which I needed not to have trod but once yea, now also I am like to be benighted, for the day is almost spent. Oh that I had not slept! cause of my sinful sleep! Now also Now by this time he was come Christian find to the arbour again, eth his roll where for a while he where he lost it. sat down and wept; but at last (as Providence would So I saw in my dream, that he have it) looking sorrowfully down made haste, and went forward, under the settle, there he espied that if possible he might get lodghis roll, the which he, with trem-ing there. Now before he had gone bling and haste, catched up, and far, he entered into a very narrow put it into his bosom. But who can tell how joyful this man was when he had gotten his roll again? passage, which was about a furlong off the Porter's lodge: and looking very narrowly before him as he 28 CONVERSATION WITH THE PORTER. CHR. I had been here sooner, but that, wretched man that I am, I slept in the arbour that stands on the hill side! Nay, I had, notwithstanding that, been here much sooner, but that in my sleep I lost my evidence, and came without it to the brow of the hill; and then feeling for it, and finding it not, I was forced with sorrow of heart to go back to the place where I slept my sleep, where I found it; and now I am come. went, he espied two lions in the that you come so late? The sun is way. Now, thought he, I see the set. dangers that Mistrust and Timorous were driven back by. (The lions were chained, but he saw not the chains.) Then he was afraid, and thought also himself to go back after them; for he thought nothing but death was before him. But the Porter at the lodge, whose name is Watchful, perceiving that Christian made a halt, as if he would go back, cried unto him, saying, Is thy strength so small? Mark iv. 40.Fear not the lions, for they are chained, and are placed there for trial of faith where it is, and for discovery of those that have none: keep in the midst of the path, and no hurt shall come unto thee. PORT. Well, I will call out one of the virgins of this place, who will, if she likes your talk, bring you in to the rest of the family, according to the rules of the house. So Watchful the Porter rang a bell, at the door of the house a grave and beautiful damsel, named Discretion, and asked why she was called. Then I saw that he went on trembling for fear of the lions; but tak-sound of which came out of the ing good heed to the directions of the Porter, he heard them roar, but they did him no harm. Then he clapped his hands, and went on till he came and stood before the gate where the Porter was. Then said Christian to the Porter, Sir, what house is this? and may I lodge here to-night? The Porter answered, This house was built by the Lord of the hill, and he built it for the relief and security or pilgrims. The Porter also asked whence he was, and whither he was going. CHR. I am come from the city of Destruction, and am going to Mount Zion; but because the sun is now set, I desire, it I may, to lodge here to-night. PORT. What is your name? CHR. My name is now Christian, but my name at the first was Graceless: I came of the race of Japheth, whom God will persuade to dwell in the tents of Shem, Gen. ix. 27. PORT. But how doth it happen The Porter answered, This man is on a journey from the city of Destruction to Mount Zion; but being weary and benighted, he asked me if he might lodge here to-night: so I told him I would call for thee, who, after discourse had with him, mayest do as seemeth thee good, even according to the law of the house. Then she asked him whence he was, and whither he was going; and he told her. She asked him also how he got into the way; and he told her. Then she asked him what he had seen and met with in the way; and he told her. And at last she asked his name. So he said, It is Christian; and I have so much the more a desire to lodge here tonight, because, by what I perceive, this place was built by the Lord of the hill for the relief and security 1 |