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self to his chamber, to pray for and pity them, and also to condole his own misery; he would also walk solitarily in the fields, sometimes reading, and sometimes praying: and thus for some days he spent his time.

Now I saw, upon a time, when he was walking in the fields, that he was (as he was wont) reading in his book, and greatly distressed in his mind; and as he read, he burst out as he had done before, crying, "What shall I do to be saved?" Acts xvi. 30, 31.

I saw also that he looked this way, and that way, as if he would run; yet he stood still, because (as I perceived) he could not tell which way to go. I looked then, and saw a man named Evangelist coming to him, and asked, Wherefore dost thou cry?

He answered, Sir, I perceive, by the book in my hand, that I am condemned to die, and after that to come to judgment, Heb. ix. 27; and I find that I am not willing to do the first, Job xvi. 21, 22, nor able to do the second, Ezek. xxii. 14.

Then said Evangelist, Why not willing to die, since this life is attended with so many evils? The man answered, Because I fear that this burden that is upon my back will sink me lower than the grave, and I shall fall into Tophet, Isa. xxx. 33. And, sir, if I be not fit to go to prison, I am not fit to go to judgment, and from thence to execution; and the thoughts of these things make me cry.

Then said Evangelist, If this be thy condition, why standest thou still? He answered, Because I know

Conviction of and there was written the necessity of fleeing. within, "Fly from

the wrath to come," Matt. iii. 7.

not be found

The man therefore read it, and, looking upon Evangelist very carefully, said, Whither must I fly? Then said Evangelist (pointing with his finger over a wide field), Do you see yonder wicket-gate? Matt. vii. 13, 14. The man said, No. Then said the other, Do you Christ and the see yonder shining way to him canlight? Psa. cxix. 105; without the 2 Pet. i. 19. He said, word. I think I do. Then said Evangelist, Keep that light in your eye, and go up directly thereto, so shalt thou see the gate; at which, when thou knockest, it shall be told thee what thou shalt do. So I saw in my dream that the man began to run Now he had not run far from his own door, when his wife and children, perceiving it, began to cry after him to return; but the man put his fingers in his ears, and ran on, crying, Life! life! eternal life! Luke xiv. 26. So he looked not behind him, Gen. xix. 17, but fled towards the middle of the plain.

to come are a

The neighbours also came out to see him run, Jer. xx. 10; and as he ran some mocked, others threatened, and some cried They that flee after him to return; from the wrath and among those that gazing-stock to did so, there were two the world. that resolved to fetch him back by force. The name of the one was Obstinate, and the name of the other Pliable. Now by this time the man was got a good distance from them; but however they were resolved to pursue him, which they did, and in a little time they overtook him. Then said the man, Neighbours,

terrors of what is yet unseen, he would not thus lightly have given us the back.

PLI. Come, neighbour Christian, since there are none but us two here, tell me now further, what the things are, and how to be enjoyed, whither we are going.

CHR. I can better conceive of God's things them with my mind unspeakable. than speak of them with my tongue: but yet, since you are desirous to know, I will read of them in my book.

PLI. And do you think that the words of your book are certainly true?

CHR. Yes, verily; for it was made by Him that cannot lie, Tit. i. 2. PLI. Well said; what things are they?

CHR. There is an endless king dom to be inhabited, and everlasting life to be given us, that we may inhabit that kingdom for ever, Isa. xlv. 17; John x. 27-29.

PLI. Well said; and what else? CHR. There are crowns of glory to be given us; and garments that will make us shine like the sun in the firmament of heaven, 2 Tim. iv. 8; Rev. xxii. 5; Matt. xiii. 43.

that place; none of them are hurtful, but loving and holy; every one walking in the sight of God, and standing in his presence with acceptance for ever. In a word, there we shall see the elders with their golden crowns, Rev. iv. 4; there we shall see the holy virgins with their golden harps, Rev. xiv. 1-5; there we shall see men, that by the world were cut in pieces, burnt in flames, eaten of beasts, drowned in the seas, for the love they bare to the Lord of the place, John xii. 25; all well, and clothed with immortality as with a garment, 2 Cor. v. 2, 3, 5.

PLI. The hearing of this is enough to ravish one's heart. But are these things to be enjoyed? How shall we get to be sharers thereof?

CHR. The Lord, the governor of the country, hath recorded that in this book, Isa. lv. 1, 2; John vi. 37; vii. 37; Rev. xxi. 6; xxii. 17; the substance of which is, If we be truly willing to have it, he will bestow it upon us freely.

PLI. Well, my good companion, glad am I to hear of these things: come on, let us mend our pace.

CHR. I cannot go so fast as I would, by reason of this burden that is on my back.

drew nigh to a very miry slough that was in the midst of the plain; and they being heedless, did both fall suddenly into the bog. The

CHR. Truly, said Christian, I do not know.

the way from the city of Destruction to yonder gate, is it that this plat is not mended, that poor tra

security? And he said unto me, This miry slough is such a place as cannot be mended, it is the descent whither the scum and filth that attend conviction for sin doth continually run, and therefore it is called the Slough of Despond; for still as the sinner is awakened about his

Wherefore Christian was left to tumble in the Slough of Despond alone: but still he endeavoured to struggle to that side of the slough which was farthest from his own house, and next to the wicket-gate; the which he did, but could not get out because of the burden that was upon his back: but I beheld in my dream, that a man came to him whose name was Help, and asked him, What he did there?

CHR. Sir, said Christian, I was bid to go this way by a man called Evangelist, who directed me also to yonder gate, that I might escape the wrath to come. And as I was going there I fell in here.

But why did not you The promises. look for the steps?

CHR. Fear followed me so hard, that I fled the next way, and fell in. HELP. Then said he, Give me thine hand: so he gave him his hand, and he drew him out, Psa. xl. 2, and set him upon sound ground, and bid him go on his way. Then I stepped to him that plucked him out, and said, Sir, wherefore, since over this place is

many fears, and doubts and discouraging apprehensions, which all of them get together, and settle in this place. And this is the reason of the badness of this ground.

It is not the pleasure of the King that this place should remain so bad, Isa. xxxv. 3, 4. His labourers also have, by the direction of his Majesty's surveyors, been for above these sixteen hundred years employed about this patch of ground, if perhaps it might have been mended: yea, and to my knowledge, said he, here have been swallowed up at least twenty thousand cart-loads, yea, millions, of wholesome instructions, that have at all seasons been brought from all places of the King's dominions, (and they that can tell, say, they are the best materials to make good ground of the place,) if so be it might have been mended; but it is the Slough of Despond still, and so will be when they have done what they can.

True, there are, by the direction of the Lawgiver, cerThe promise tain good and sub- of forgiveness stantial steps, placed and acceptance even through the very in Christ. to life by faith midst of this slough; but at such time as this place doth much spew out its filth, as it doth against change of weather, these