210 THE ONLY SECURITY AGAINST ROBBERS.

do: first, to go out harnessed, and to be sure to take a shield with us; for it was for want of that, that he that laid so lustily at Leviathan, could not make him yield; for, indeed, if that be wanted, he fears us not at all. Therefore he that had skill hath said, "above all, take the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked."(a)

It is good also that we desire of the King a convoy, that he will go with us himself. This made David rejoice when in the valley of the Shadow of Death; and Moses was rather for dying where he stood, than to go one step without his God. (b) O my brother, if he will but go along with us, what need we be afraid of ten thousand that shall set themselves against us? but without him "the proud helpers fall under the slain."*(c)

I, for my part, have been in the fray before now; and though, through the goodness of him that is best, I am, as you see, alive, yet I cannot boast of any manhood. Glad shall I be if I meet with no more such brunts; though I fear we are not got beyond all danger. However, since the lion and the bear have not as yet devoured me, I hope God will deliver us from the next uncircumcised Philistines. Then sang

Christian

"Poor Little-faith! hast been among the thieves;
Wast robb'd; Remember this, whoso believes,
And get more faith, then shall you victors be
Over ten thousands, else scarce over three."

* But how contrary to this, is the walk and conduct of some who profess to be pilgrims, and yet can wilfully and deliberately go upon the devil's ground, and indulge themselves in carnal pleasures and sinful diversions! Such evidently declare in plain language, that they desire not the presence of God, but that he should depart from them: but a day will come, which will burn as an oven, when such professors, i they repent not, shall become stubble, and be consumed by the fire of God

(a) Eph. vi. 16.

(b) Exod. xxxiii. 15.
xxvii. 1-3. Isa. x. 4.

(c) Psal. iii. 5-8.

THE PILGRIMS SEDUCED BY THE FLATTERER. 211

So they went on, and Ignorance followed. They went then till they came at a place where they saw a way put itself into their way,* and seemed withal to lie as straight as the way which they should go; and here they knew not which of the two to take, for both seemed straight before them: therefore here they stood still to consider. And as they were thinking about the way, behold, a man of black flesh, but covered with a very light robe, came to them, and asked them, why they stood there? They answered, They were a going to the Celestial City, but knew not which of these ways to take. "Follow me," says the man, "it is thither that I am going." So they followed him in the way that but now came into the road, which by degrees turned, and turned them so from the city that they desired to go to, that in a little time their faces were turned away from it yet they followed him. But by and by, before they were aware, he led them both within the compass of a net, in which they were both so entangled, that they knew not what to do; and with that the white robe fell off the black man's back:-They then saw where they were. Wherefore there they lay crying some time, for they could not get themselves out.†

Then said Christian to his fellow, Now do I see myself in an error. Did not the shepherds bid us beware of the flatterers? As is the saying of the wise man, so have we found it this day, "A man that flattereth his neighbour, spreadeth a net for his feet."(a)

By this way and a way, it is plain the author means the way of selfrighteousness, and the way of the imparted righteousness of Christ. Whenever we turn aside to the former, we get out of the way to the city; yea, we see by degrees the pilgrims' faces were turned away from it, and they were entangled in the net of pride and folly.

Luther was wont to caution against the white devil, as much as the black one; for Satan transforms himself into an angel of light, and his ministers as ministers of righteousness. 2 Cor. xi. 14, 15. And how do they ruin souls? By flattery, deceiving the ignorant, and beguiling the unstable. These are black men clothed in white.

(a) Prov. xxix. 5.

212

THEY ARE DELIVERED,

HOPE. They also gave us a note of directions about the way, for our more sure finding thereof; but herein we have also forgotten to read, and have not kept ourselves from the "paths of the destroyer." Here David was wiser than we; for saith he, "concerning the works of men, by the word of thy lips, I have kept me from the paths of the destroyer."(a) Thus they lay bewailing themselves in the net. At last they spied a shining one* coming towards them, with a whip of small cord in his hand. When he was come to the place where they were, he asked them, whence they came, and what they did there? They told him, that they were poor pilgrims going to Zion, but were led out of their way by a black man clothed in white, who bid us, said they, follow him, for he was going thither too. Then said he with the whip, It is a flatterer, "a false apostle, that hath transformed himself into an angel of light."(b) So he rent the net, and let the men out. Then said he to them, Follow me, that I may set you in the way again so he led them back to the way which they had left to follow the flatterer. Then he asked them, saying, Where did you lie the last night? They said, With the shepherds upon the Delectable Mountains. He asked them then, if they had not a note of direction for the way? They answered, Yes. But did you, said he, when you were at a stand, pluck out and read your note? They answered, No. He asked them, Why? They said, they forgot. He asked moreover, If the shepherds did not bid them beware of the flatterer? They answered, Yes; but we did not imagine, said they, that this fine spoken man had been he.(c)

:

By this shining one, understand the Holy Ghost, the leader and guide of all who believe. When they err and stray from Jesus the way, and are drawn from him as the Truth, the Spirit comes with his rod of conviction and chastisement, to whip them from their self-righteousness and folly, back to Christ, to trust wholly in him, to rely only on him, and to walk in fel

(a) Psal. xvii. 4. (b) 2 Cor. xi. 13, 14. Dan. xi. 32. (c) Rom. xvi, 17, 18

AND SORELY CHASTISED.

213

Then I saw in my dream, that he commanded them to lie down ;(a) which when they did, he chastised them sore, to teach them the good way wherein they should walk (6) and, as he chastised them, he said, "As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten; be zealous, therefore, and repent."(c) "This done, he bid them go on their way, and take good heed to the other directions of the shepherds. So they thanked him for all his kindness, and went softly along the right way, singing

"Come hither, you that walk along the way,
See how the pilgrims fare that go astray:
They catched are in an entangling net,

'Cause they good counsel lightly did forget;

'Tis true, they rescu'd were; but yet, you see,
They're scourg'd to boot :-let this your caution be."

lowship with him. So he acted by the Galatian Church, who was flattered into a notion of self-righteousness and self-justification. David also, when he found himself near lost, cries out,-" He restoreth my soul, He leadeth me in paths of righteousness for his name sake." Psal. xxiii. 3.

The following lines are very expressive of the state of mind of any who, by giving place to unbelief, may have turned aside from the narrow way.

Often thus, through sin's deceit,
Grief and shame and loss I meet;

Like a fish, my soul mistook,
Saw the bait, but not the hook:
Made, by past experience, wise;
Let me learn thy word to prize;
Taught by what I've felt before,
Satan's flattery to abhor.

BURDER.

(a) Deut. xxix. 2.

(6) 2 Chron. vi. 26, 27.

(c) Rev. iii. 19.

214

A MAN WITH HIS BACK TO ZION :

CHAPTER XVIII.

THE PILGRIMS MEET WITH ATHEIST, AND PASS OVER THE ENCHANTED GROUND.

NOW after a while, they perceived afar off, one coming softly, and alone, all along the highway, to meet them. Then said Christian to his fellow, Yonder is a man with his back towards Zion, and he is coming to meet us.

HOPE. I see him; let us take heed to ourselves now, lest he should prove a flatterer also. So he drew nearer and nearer, and at last came up to them. His name was Atheist; and he asked them whither they were going?

CHR. We are going to mount Zion.

Then Atheist fell into a very great laughter.

CHR. What is the meaning of your laughter? ATH. I laugh to see what ignorant persons you are, to take upon you so ridiculous a journey; and yet are like to have nothing but your travel for your pains.

CHR. Why, man, do you think we shall not be received?

ATH. Received! there is no such place as you dream of in all this world.

CHR. But there is in the world to come.

ATH. When I was at home, in mine own country, I heard as you now affirm, and from that hearing went out to see, and have been seeking this city twenty years, but find no more of it than I did the first day I set out. (a)

CHR. We have both heard and believe that there is such a place to be found.

АTH. Had not I, when at home, believed, I had not come thus far to seek; but finding none (and yet I should, had there been such a place to be found, for

(a) Eccl. x. 15. Jer. xvii. 15.