when Mrs. Diffidence and her husband, the Giant, were got to bed, they began to renew their discourse of their Prisoners; and withal the old Giant wondred that he could neither by his blows nor counsel, bring them to an end. And with that his wife replied, I fear said she, that they live in hopes that some will come to relieve them, or that they have pick-locks about them, by the means of which they hope to escape. And sayst thou so, my dear, said the Giant, I will therefore search them in the morning. Well, on Saturday about midnight they began to pray and continued in prayer till almost break of day. A Key in Promise, opens Now a little before it was day, good Christian, as one half amazed, brake out in this passionate speech, What a fool (quoth he) am I, thus to lie in a stinking Dungeon when I may as well walk at liberty? I have a Key in my bosom, called Promise, that will, (I am perswaded) open any Lock in Doubting-Castle. Then said Hopeful, That's good news; good Brother pluck it out of thy bosom and try. Then Christian pulled it out of his bosom and began to try at the Dungeon door, whose bolt (as he turned the Key) gave back, and the door flew open with ease, and Christian and Hopeful both came out. Then he went to the outward door, that leads into the Castle-yard, and with his Key opened that door also. After he went to the Iron-gate, for that must be opened too, but that Lock went damnable hard, yet the Key did open it then they thrust open the gate to make their escape with speed; but that gate as it opened made such a cracking, that it waked Giant Despair, who hastily rising to pursue his Prisoners, felt his limbs to fail, for his fits took him again, so that he could by no means go after them. Then they went on, and came to the Kings High-way; and so were safe, because they were out of his Jurisdiction. Now when they were gone over the Stile, they began to contrive with themselves what they should do at that Stile, to prevent those that shall come after from falling into the hands of Giant Despair. So they consented to erect there a *Pillar, and to engrave upon the side thereof this Sentence, over this Stile is the way to Doubting-Castle, which is kept by * A Pillar erected by Christian and his fellow. Giant Despair, who despiseth the King of the Celestial Country, and seeks to destroy the Holy Pilgrims. Many therefore that followed after, read what was written, and escaped the danger. This done, they sang as follows. Out of the way we went, and then we found The delectable Whose Castle's Doubting, and whose name's Despair. They went then till they came to the delectable Mountains, which Mountains belong to the Lord of that Hill of which we have spoken before; so they went up to the Mountains to behold the Gardens and Orchards, the Vineyards and Fountains of Water; where also they drank and washed themselves, and did freely eat of the Vineyards. Now there was on the tops of these Mountaines, Shepherds feeding their flocks, and they stood by the High-way-side. The Pilgrims therefore went to them, and leaning upon their staves; (as is common with weary Pilgrims, when they stand to talk with any by the way,) they asked, Whose delectable Mountains are these; and whose be the sheep that feed upon them? They are refreshed in the Mountains. * Talks with the Shepherds. * Shep. These Mountains are Immanuels Land, and they are within sight of his City; and the Sheep also are his; and he laid down his life for them. Chr. Is this the way to the Celestial City? Shep. You are just in your way. Chr. How far is it thither? Shep. Too far for any, but those that shall get thither indeed. Chr. Is the way safe or dangerous? Shep. Safe for those for whom it is to be safe, but Transgressors shall fall therein. Hos. 14. 9. Chr. Is there in this place any reliefe for Pilgrims, that are weary and faint in the way? Shep. The Lord of these Mountains hath given us a charge, not to be forgetful to entertain strangers; Therefore Heb. 13. 1, 2. the good of the place is before you. I also saw in my dream, that when the Shepherds perceived that they were way-faring-men, they also put questions to them (to which they made answer as in other places) as whence came you? and how got you into the way? And by what means have you so persevered therein? For but few of them that begin to come hither, do shew their faces on these Mountains. But when the Shepherds heard their answers, being pleased therewith, they looked very lovingly upon them, and said, Welcome to the delectable Mountains. * * The Shepherds welcome them. The Names of the Shepherds. The Shepherds, I say, whose names were Knowledge, Experience, Watchful, and Sincere, took them by the hand, and had them to their Tents, and made them partake of that which was ready at present. They said moreover, We would that you should stay here a while, to be acquainted with us, and yet more to solace your selves with the good of these delectable Mountains. They then told them, that they were content to stay; and so they went to their rest that night, because it was very late. * They are sure wonders. The mountain of Error. Then I saw in my Dream, that in the Morning, The Shepherds called up Christian and Hopeful to walk with them upon the Mountains: So they went forth with them, and walked a while, having a pleasant prospect on every side. Then said the Shepherds one to another, shall we shew these Pilgrims some wonders? so when they had concluded to do it, they had them first to the top of an Hill called Error, which was very steep on the farthest side, and bid them look down to the bottom. So Christian and Hopeful looked down, and saw at the bottom several men, dashed all to pieces by a fall that they had from the top. Then said Christian, what meaneth this? The Shepherds answered, have you not heard of them that were made to err, by hearkning to *Hymeneus and Philetus, as concerning the faith of the Resurrection of the body? They answered, yea. Then said the Shepherds, those that you see lie dashed in peices at the bottom of this Mountain, are they, and they have continued to this day unburied (as you see) for an Example to others to take heed how they clamber too high, or how they come too near the brink of this Mountain. * 2 Tim. 2. 17, 18. Mount Caution. Then I saw that they had them to the top of another Mountain, and the name of that is Caution, and bid them look afar off: which when they did, they perceived, as they thought, several men walking up and down among the Tombs that were there. And they perceived that the men were blind because they stumbled sometimes upon the Tombs, and because they could not get out from among them. Then said Christian, what means this? The Shepherds then answer'd, did you not see a little below these Mountains, a Stile that lead into a Meadow, on the left hand of this way? They answered, Yes. Then said the Shepherds from that Stile there goes a path that leads directly to Doubting-Castle, which is kept by Gyant-Despair, and these men (pointing to them among the Tombs) came once on Pilgrimage, as you do now, even till they came to that same Stile. And because the right way was rough in that place, they chose to go out of it into that meadow, and there were taken by Giant-Despair, and cast into Doubting-Castle: where after they had a while been kept in the Dungeon, he at last did put out their eyes, and led them among those Tombs, where he has left them to wander to this very day that the saying of the wise man might be fulfilled, He that wandereth out of the way of understanding, shall remain in the Prov. 21. 26. Congregation of the dead. Then Christian and Hopeful looked upon one another, with tears gushing out; but yet said nothing to the Shepherds. Then I saw in my Dream, that the Shepherds had them to another place in a Bottom, where was a door in the side of a hill and they opened the door, and bid them look in: They looked in therefore, and saw that within it was very dark and smoaky; they also thought, that they heard there a rumbling noise, as of fire, and a cry of some tormented, and that they smelt the scent of Brimstone. Then said Christian, what means this? The Shepherds told them, this is a By-way to Hell, a way that Hypocrites go in at ; namely such as sell their Birth-right with Esau; such as sell their Master with Judas; such as blaspheme the Gospel, with Alexander; and that lye and dissemble, with Ananias and Saphira his Wife. A By-way to Hell. Hope. Then said Hopeful to the Shepherds, I perceive that these had on them, even every one a shew of Pilgrimage, as we have now; had they not? Shep. Yea, and held it a long time too. Hop. How far might they go on in Pilgrimage in their day; since they notwithstanding were thus miserably cast away? Shep. Some further, and some Mountains. not so far as these Then said the Pilgrims one to another, we had need to cry to the strong for strength. Shep. Ay, and you will have need to use it when you have it too. By this time the Pilgrims had a desire to go forwards, and the Shepherds a desire they should: so they walked together towards the end of the Mountains. Then said the Shepherds one to another: Let us here shew to the Pilgrims the Gates of the Celestial City, if they have skill to look through our Perspective-Glass. The Pilgrims then lovingly accepted the motion: so they had them to the top of an high Hill, called Clear, and gave them their glass to look. * The Shepherds Perspective-Glass. * The Hill Clear. Then they essayed to look, but the remembrance of that last thing that the Shepherds had shewed them, made their hands shake; by means of which impediment they could not look steddily through the glass, yet thought they saw something like the Gate, and also some of the Glory of the place. Then they went away and sang this Song. The fruits of servile fear. Thus by the Shepherds Secrets are reveal'd. When they were about to depart, one of the Shepherds gave them a Note of the Way. Another of them bid them beware of the Flatterer. The third bid them take heed that they sleep not upon the Inchanted * A two-fold Caution. Ground. And the fourth bad them God speed. So I awoke from my Dream. |