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Christian and Pliable in the Slough of Despond.

well, and clothed with immortality as with a gar

ment.

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; 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 I am to hear of these things; come on, let us mend our pace7. CHR. I cannot go so fast as I would by reason of this burden that is on my back.

Now I saw in my dream, that just as they had ended this talk, they 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 name of the slough was Despond. Here therefore they wallowed for a time, being grievously bedaubed with dirt and Christian, because of the burden that was on his back, began to sink in the mire.

PLI. Then said Pliable, Ah! neighbour Christian, where are you now?

CHR. Truly, said Christian, I do not know.
PLI. At this Pliable began to be offended, and

7 Here see the fleshly joys and fleshly comforts of temporary professors; he is too hot to hold; too light (having never felt the burden of his sins) to travel far. Our Lord describes such as the stony ground hearers. They receive the word with joy: the word hath no root in their hearts; they believe a while, but in times of temptation fall away, Luke viii. 13. So did Pliable at the Slough of Despond. This signifies those desponding fears and despairing doubts which beset us, arising from unbelief of God's word, the suggestions of Satan, and the carnal reasonings of our corrupt nature, against the revealed truths and precious promises of God. These try the reality of our convictions, and the sincerity of our faith.

John xi. 25. 2 Cor. v. 2-5. a Isa. lv. 1—8. John vi. 37; vii. 37. Rev. xxi. 6; xxii, 17.

Christian rescued from the Slough of Despond.

angrily said to his fellow, Is this the happiness you have told me all this while of? If we have such ill speed at our first setting out, what may we expect betwixt this and our journey's end? May I get out again with my life, you shall possess the brave country alone for me. And with that he gave a desperate struggle or two, and got out of the mire on that side of the slough which was next his own house; so away he went, and Christian saw him no more 8.

Wherefore Christian was left to tumble in the Slough of Despond alone; but still he endeavoured to struggle to that side of the slough that was farthest from his own house, and next to the WicketGate': 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 thither, I fell in here.

HELP. But why did you not 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 thy hand: so he

It is not enough to be Pliable; for the first trial he met with cooled his courage, damped his joy, killed his faith, and sent him back to the City of Destruction.

9 Christian, in trouble, seeks still to get farther from his own house. See the difference between a truly convinced sinner and a pliable unconverted professor; one keeps his face towards Christ for hope and help, the other flies back for comfort to the City of Destruction.

1 The arm of Christ's omnipotent grace reached forth to snatch poor sinners from destruction; for he says of them, "Thou hast destroyed thyself, but in me is thine help," Hos. xiii. 9.

2 The great and precious promises of God, which are in Christ Jesus, to poor, needy, and distressed sinners.

The Slough of Despond described.

gave him his hand, and he drew him out, and set him upon sound ground, and bid him go his way.

Then I stepped to him that plucked him out, and said, Sir, wherefore, since over this place is the way from the City of Destruction to yonder gate, is it that this plat is not mended, that poor travellers might go thither with more 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 attends conviction for sin doth continually run, and therefore it is called the Slough of Despond: for still, as the sinner is awakened about his lost condition, there arise in his soul 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: his labourers also have, by the directions 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 the 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 3.

True, there are, by the direction of the Lawgiver, certain good and substantial steps, placed even through the very midst of this slough; but at such a

- 3 Signifying, that there is nothing but despondency and despair in the fallen nature of sinful man; the best that we can do leaves us in the Slough of Despond, as to any hopes in ourselves,

f Isa. xxxv. 3, 4.

• Psal. xl. 1.

Worldly-Wiseman meets Christian,

time as this, this place does much cast out its filth, as it doth against change of weather, these steps are hardly seen, or if they be, men, through the dizziness of their heads, step beside; and then they are bemired to purpose, notwithstanding the steps be there; but the ground is good, when they are once got in at the gate

Now I saw in my dream, that by this time Pliable was got home to his house. So his neighbours came to visit him; and some of them called him wise man for coming back; and some called him fool for hazarding himself with Christian; others again did mock at his cowardliness, saying, "Surely, since you began to venture, I would not have been so base as to have given out for a few difficulties :". so Pliable sat sneaking among them. But at last he got more confidence; and then they all turned their tales, and began to deride poor Christian behind his back. And thus much concerning Pliable.

Now as Christian was walking solitarily by himself, he espied one afar off crossing over the field to meet him, and their hap was to meet just as they were crossing the way of each other. The gentleman's name that met him was Mr. Worldly-Wiseman: he dwelt in the town of Carnal Policy, a very great town, and also hard by from whence Christian came. This man then meeting with Christian, and having some knowledge of him (for Christian's setting forth from the City of Destruction was much noised abroad, not only in the town where he dwelt, but also it began to be the town-talk in some other places :) Mr. Worldly-Wiseman, therefore, having some guess of him, by beholding his laborious going, by ob

4 That is, the Lord Jesus Christ. We never find good ground, nor safe sounding, nor comfortable walking, till we enter into possession of Christ, by faith, and till our feet are set upon Christ, who is the rock of ages.

1 Sam. xii. 23.

and endeavours to turn him out of his Way.

serving his sighs and groans, and the like, began thus to enter into some talk with Christian:

WORLD. How now, good fellow; whither away, after this burdened manner?

CHR. A burdened manner indeed, as ever, I think, poor creature had! And whereas you asked me, Whither away? I tell you, Sir, I am going to yonder Wicket-Gate, before me; for there, as I am informed, I shall be put in a way to get rid of my heavy burden.

WORLD. Hast thou a wife and children?

CHR. Yes; but I am so laden with this burden, that I cannot take that pleasure in them as formerly: methinks I am as if I had none".

WORLD. Wilt thou hearken to me, if I give thee good counsel ?

CHR. If it be good I will; for I stand in need of good counsel.

WORLD. I would advise thee, then, that thou with all speed get rid of thy burden; for thou wilt never be settled in thy mind till then; nor canst thou enjoy the benefits of the blessings which God hath bestowed upon thee till then.

CHR. That is that which I seek for, even to be rid of this heavy burden; but get it off myself I cannot; nor is there any man in our country that can take it off my shoulders; therefore am I going this way, as I told you, that I may be rid of my burdens. WORLD. Who bid you go this way to be rid of your burden ?

CHR. A man that appeared to me to be a very great and honourable person; his name, as I remember, is Evangelist.

5 A glimpse of the Wicket-Gate, or of deliverance from the guilt of sin by Christ, will make the sinner reject all other ways, and press on towards Christ only.

h 1 Cor. vii, 29.

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