+ Evangelist convinces Christian of his Error. Earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from Heaven. He said moreover, Now the just shall live by Faith, but if any man draws back, my Soul shall have no pleasure in him. He also did thus apply them: Thou art the man that art running into this misery, thou hast begun to reject the Counsel of the most high, and to draw back thy foot from the way of peace, even almost to the hazarding of thy Perdition. * Chap. 10. 38. Then Christian fell down at his foot as dead, crying, Wo is me, for I am undone at the sight of which, Evangelist caught him by the right hand, saying, All manner of Sin and Blasphemies shall be forgiven unto men; be not faithless, but believing; then did Christian again a little revive, and stood up trembling, as at first, before Evangelist. + Mr.Worldly Wiseman described by Evangelist. Then Evangelist proceeded, saying, Give more earnest heed to the things that I shall tell thee of. I will now shew thee who it was that deluded thee, and who it was also to whom he sent thee. The Man that met thee is one Worldly Wiseman, and rightly is he so called; partly, *because he savoureth only the Doctrine of this World, (therefore he always goes to the Town of Morality to Church) and partly, because he loveth that Doctrine best; for it saveth him best from the Cross; and because he is of this carnal temper, therefore he seeketh to pervert my ways, though right. *Now there are three things in this mans Counsel that thou must utterly abhor. * 1 John 4. 5. + Col. 6. 12. * Evangelist discovers the deceit of Mr. Worldly Wiseman. I. His turning thee out of the way. 2. His labouring to render the Cross odious to thee. 3. And his setting thy feet in that way that leadeth unto the administration of Death. First, Thou must abhor his turning thee out of the way; yea, and thine own consenting thereto; because this is to reject the Counsel of God for the sake of the Counsel of a Worldly Wiseman. The Lord says, †strive to enter in at the strait Gate, the Gate to which I send thee, *for strait is the Gate that leadeth unto Life, and few there be that find it. From this little Wicket + Luke 13. 24. * Mat. 7. 13, 14. gate, and from the way thereto, hath this wicked Man turned thee, to the bringing of thee almost to Destruction; hate therefore his turning thee out of the way, and abhor thy self for hearkning to him. render the + Heb. 11.25, 26. * Mark 8. 34. Mat. 10. 39. John 13. 25. Secondly, Thou must abhor his labouring to Cross odious unto thee; for thou art to prefer it before the Treasures in Egypt: besides, the King of Glory hath told thee, that he that will save his Life shall lose it: and the that comes after him, and hates not his Father and Mother, and Wife, and Children, and Brethren, and Sisters, yea, and his own Life also, he cannot be my Disciple, I say therefore, for man to labour to perswade thee, that that shall be thy Death, without which, the Truth hath said, thou canst not have eternal life: this Doctrine thou must abhor. + Luk. 14. 16. Thirdly, Thou must hate his setting of thy feet in the way that leadeth to the ministration of Death. And for this, thou must consider to whom he sent thee, and also how unable that Person was to deliver thee from thy burden. * Gal. 4. 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, The Bondwoman. He to whom thou wast sent for ease, being by name Legality, is the Son of the Bond-woman which now is, and is in Bondage with her Children, and is in a Mystery this †Mount Sinai, which thou 26, 27. hast feared will fall on thy head. Now if she with her Children are in Bondage, how canst thou expect by them to be made free? This Legality therefore is not able to set thee free from thy Burden. No man was as yet ever rid of his Burden to him, no, nor ever is like to be ye cannot be justified by the works of the Law; for by the deeds of the Law no man living can be rid of his Burden therefore Mr. Worldly Wiseman is an Alien, and Mr. Legality is a Cheat: and for his Son Civility, notwithstanding his simpering looks, he is but an Hypocrite, and cannot help thee. Believe me, there is nothing in all this noise, that thou hast heard of these sottish men, but a design to beguile thee of thy Salvation, by turning thee from the way in which I had set thee. After this Evangelist called aloud to the Heavens for Confirmation of what he had said; and with that there came words and fire out of the Mountain under which poor Christian stood, that made the hair of his Flesh stand up. The words were thus pronounced, As many as are of the works of the Law, are under the curse; for it is written, Gal. 3. 10. cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the Book of the Law to do them. Now Christian looked for nothing but Death, and began to cry out lamentably even cursing the time in which he met with Mr. Worldly Wiseman; still calling himself a thousand Fools for hearkening to his Counsel: he also was greatly ashamed to think that this Gentlemans Arguments, flowing only from the flesh, should have the Prevalency with him as to cause him to forsake the right way. This done, he applied himself again to Evangelist in words and sence as follows. Chr. * Christian enquired if he may yet be happy. Evan. + Evangelist comforts him. *Sir, what think you? is there hopes? may I now go back; and go up to the Wicket-Gate, shall I not be abandoned for this, and sent back from thence ashamed? I am sorry I have hearkened to this mans counsel, but may my sins be forgiven? Then said Evangelist to him, Thy sin is very great, for by it thou hast committed two evils; thou hast forsaken the way that is good, to tread in forbidden paths: †yet will the man at the Gate receive thee, for he has good will for men; only, said he, take heed that thou turn not aside again, lest thou perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Then did Christian address himself to go back, and Evangelist, after he had kist him, gave him one smile, and bid him God speed: so he went on with haste, neither spake he to any man by the way; nor if any asked him, would he vouchsafe them an answer. He went like one that was all the while treading on forbidden ground, and could by no means think himself safe, till again he was got into the way which he left to follow Mr. Worldly Wiseman's Counsel: so in process of time Christian got up to the Gate. Now over the Gate there was written, Knock and it shall be opened + Mat. 7. 8. to yout. He knocked therefore more than once or twice, saying, * Psal. 2. last. May I now enter here? will be within At last there came a grave Person to the Gate, named Good-will, who asked who was there? and whence he came? and what he would have? Chr. Here is a poor burdened Sinner, I come from the City of Destruction, but am going to Mount Zion, that I may be delivered from the Wrath to come; I would therefore, Sir, since I am informed that by this Gate is the way thither, know if you are willing to let me in. Good-will. I am willing with all my Heart, said he; and with that he opened the Gate. *The Gate will be opened to broken sinners. * Satan envies So when Christian was stepping in, the other gave him a Pull: then said Christian, What means that? the other told him, A little distance from this Gate, there is erected a strong Castle, of which *Beelzebub is the Captain; from thence both he, and them that are with him, shoot Arrows at those that come up to this Gate: if happily they may die before they can enter in. Christian, I rejoyce and tremble. was got in, the Man of the Gate asked him, who directed him thither? Then said those that enter the straight Gate. + Christian entred the Gate with Joy and Trembling. Chr. Evangelist +bid me come hither and knock, (as I did;) and he said, that you, Sir, would tell me what I must do. Good-will. An open door is set before thee, and no man can shut it. you came alone? + Talk between Goodwill and Christian. Chr. Now I begin to reap the Benefits of my Hazards. Good-will. But how is it that Chr. Because none of my Neighbours saw their danger as I saw mine. Good-will. Did any of them know of your coming? Chr. Yes, My Wife and Children saw me at the first, and called after me to turn again: also some of my Neighbours stood crying and calling after me to return; but I put my Fingers in my Ears, and so came on my way. Good-will. But did none of them follow you to perswade you to go back? Chr. Yes, both Obstinate and Pliable: But when they saw that they could not prevail, Obstinate went railing back: but Pliable came with me a little way. Good-will. But why did he not come through? Chr. We indeed came both together, until we came at the Slough of Despond, into the which we also suddenly fell. And then was my Neighbour Pliable discouraged, and would not adventure farther. *Wherefore, getting out again, on that side next to his own House, he told me, I should possess the brave Country alone for him: So he went his way, and I came mine. He after Obstinate, and I to this Gate. *A Man may have company when he sets out for Heaven, and yet go thither alone. Good-will. Then said Good-will, Alas poor Man, is the Coelestial Glory of so small esteem with him, that he counteth it not worth running the hazard of a few Difficulties to obtain it? + Christian accuseth himself before the Man at the Gate. Chr. Truly, said Christian, I have said the Truth of Pliable, and if I should also say all the truth of my self, it will appear there is no betterment 'twixt him and my self. 'Tis true, he went back to his own house, but I also turned aside to go into the way of Death, being perswaded thereto by the carnal Argument of one Mr. Worldly-wiseman. Good-will. Oh, did he light upon you? What, he would have had you a sought for ease at the hands of Mr. Legality; they are both of them a very cheat: but did you take his Counsel? Chr. Yes, as far as I durst, I went to find out Mr. Legality, untill I thought that the Mountain that stands by his house, would have fallen upon my head, wherefore there I was forced to stop. Good-will. That Mountain has been the death of many, and will be the death of many more: 'tis well you escaped being by it dash'd in pieces. Ch. Why, truly, I do not know what had become of me there, had not Evangelist happily met me again as I was musing in the midst of my Dumps: but 'twas God's Mercy that he came to me again, for else I had never come hither. But now I am come, such a one as I am, more fit indeed for death, by that Mountain, than thus to stand talking with my Lord: But oh! what a favour is this to me, that yet I am admitted entrance here. |