They descend the Valley of Humiliation. groves and solitary places, places desirous to be in3. By this time Piety was come again; so she said to Christiana, Look here, I have brought thee a scheme of all those things thou has seen at our house, upon which thou mayest look when thou findestthyself forgetful, and call those things again to remembrance, for thy edification and comfort. Now they began to go down the hill into the valley of Humiliation. It was a steep hill, and the way was slippery; but they were very careful; so they got down pretty well. When they were down in the valley, Piety said to Christiana, This is the place where your husband met with the foul fiend Apollyon, and where they had the great fight that they had; I know you cannot but have heard thereof. But be of good courage; as long as you have here Mr. Great-Heart to be your guide and You see those joyful notes spring from a sense of nearness to the Lord, and a firm confidence in his divine truth and everlasting mercy. Oh, when the Sun of righteousness shines with the beams of divine favour on the soul, and gives it clear views of mercy, the pilgrims sing most sweetly, and shout most joyfully indeed! These songs approach very nearly to the heavenly music in the realms of glory. After being thus highly favoured with divine comforts in the views of faith, the delights of hope, and the joys of love, see the next step these pilgrims are to take; it is down the hill Difficulty, into the valley of Humility. What doth this place signify? A deep and abiding sight, a keen sense of ourselves; of our ruined state, lost condition, and desperate circumstances, as fallen sinners: This is absolutely necessary, lest we should be exalted above measure, and think more highly of ourselves than we ought to think. For the Lord would abundantly favour us with manifestations of his love and the comforts of his Spirit, but through the corruption of our nature and the subtilty of Satan we should be in danger of pride and vanity. Hence we are exhorted to think soberly, Rom. xii. 3. This the valley of Humility causes us to do. Song ii. 11, 12. Great-Heart describes the Valley of Humiliation. conductor, we hope you will fare the better. So when these two had committed the pilgrims unto the conduct of their guide, he went forward and they went after. GREAT. Then said Mr. Great-Heart, We need not be so afraid of this valley, for here is nothing to hurt us, unless we procure it ourselves. It is true, Christian did here meet with Apollyon, with whom he had also a sore combat; but that fray was the fruit of those slips that he got in his going down the hill for they that get slips there, must look for combats here. And hence it is that this valley has got so hard a name. For the common people, when they hear that some frightful thing has befale len such an one, in such a place, are of opinion that that place is haunted with some foul fiend, or evil spirit; when, alas! it is for the fruit of their doing that such things do befall them theres. This valley of Humiliation is of itself as fruitful a place as any the crow flies over: and I am persuaded 5 What a great blessing it is to have Great-Heart in the valley of Humility! How sad it is for pilgrims to procure evils to themselves by their sin and folly! How joyful is it to know, that "like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him!" Psal. ciii. 13. Yet if we slip, we shall be sure to smart. If we do not hold fast faith, hope, love, and obedience, Satan will attack, distress us in some sort, and prevail against us, and then we shall bring up an evil report of the safe and fruitful valley of Humility. Are you in this valley? Do you see and feel nothing in yourself but what tends to lay you low, and keep you low? Beware of murmuring and complaining, though you continue long in it; yea, all your life through: for your Jesus is proving you, and trying you, that he may show you what is in you, that you may see that you are wholly and solely indebted to his arm that brought salvation to you, and wrought every deliverance for you that you may ever glory in him, and for him, and give all glory to him, for his loving kindness and tender mercy to such a helpless creature as you are, and to such an unprofitable servant as you ever will be. Part I. page 74-80. Great-Heart describes the Valley of Humiliation. if we could hit upon it, we might find somewhere hereabout something that might give us an account why Christian was so hardly beset in this place. Then James said to his mother, "Lo, yonder stands a pillar, and it looks as if something was written thereon; let us go and see what it is." So they went and found there written, "Let Christian's slips, before he came hither, and the burden that he met with in this place, be a warning to those that come after." Lo," said their guide, "did I not tell you that there was something hereabouts that would give intimation of the reason why Christian was so hard beset in this place?" Then turning to Christiana, he said, No disparagement to Christian, more than to many others whose hap and lot it was. For it is easier going up than down this hill, and that can be said but of few hills in all these parts of the world. But we will leave the good man, he is at rest, he also had a brave victory over his enemy: let Him grant that dwelleth above, that we fare not worse when we come to be tried than he! But we will come again to this valley of Humiliation.-It is the best and most fruitful piece of ground in all these parts. It is a fat ground; and, as you see, consisteth much in meadows; and if a man was to come here in the summer time, as we do now, if he knew not any thing before thereof, and if he also delighted himself in the sight of his eyes, he might see that which would be delightful to him. Behold, how green this valley is; also how beautiful with lilies'. I have also known many labouring men that have got good estates in this valley of Humiliation; (for God resisteth the proud, but giveth more grace to the humble";") for t Song ii. 1. u James iv, 6. 1 Pet. v. 5. The Shepherd's Song. indeed it is a very fruitful soil, and doth bring forth by handfuls. Some also have wished, that the next way to their Father's house were here, that they might be troubled no more with either hills or mountains to go over: but the way is the way, and there is an end'. Now as they were going along, and talking, they spied a boy feeding his father's sheep. The boy was in very mean clothes, but of a fresh and wellfavoured countenance; and as he sat by himself, he sung. Hark, said Mr. Great-Heart, to what the shepherd's boy saith: so they hearkened, and he said "He that is down need fear no fall; He that is low, no pride: I am content with what I have, And, Lord, contentment still I crave, Fullness to such a burden is "Though this valley of Humiliation, or a clear sight and abiding sense of the sinfulness of our nature, and the wickedness of our hearts, may be very terrifying to pilgrims, after they have been favoured with peace and joy, and comforted by the views of faith and hope; yet it is a very safe place: and, though at their first entering into it, and seeing more of themselves than was ever before shewed them, they may fear and tremble; yet, after some time continuing here, they are more reconciled and contented: for here they find the visits of their Lord; and in the depths of their humility, they behold the heights of his love, and the greatness of his mercy, and cry out in joy, "Where sin abounded, grace superabounds: though sin abounded in me, the grace of Jesus superabounds towards me: though I am emptied of all, yet I have an inexhaustible fullness in Jesus, to supply me with all I want, and all I hope for!" * Heb. xiii. 5. Great-Heart describes Then said the guide, Do you hear him? I will dare to say this boy lives a merrier life, and wears more of the herb called heart's ease in his bosom, than he that is clad in silk and velvet. But we will proceed in our discourse. In this valley our Lord formerly had his countryhouse, he loved much to be here: he loved also to walk in these meadows, and he found the air was pleasant. Besides, here a man shall be free from the noise, and from the hurryings of this life: all states are full of noise and confusion, only the valley of Humiliation is that empty and solitary place. Here a man shall not be let and hindered in his contemplation, as in other places he is apt to be.. This is a valley that nobody walks in but those that love a pilgrim's life. And though Christian had the hard hap to meet with Apollyon, and to enter with him in a brisk encounter; yet I must tell you that in former times men have met with angels here, have found pearls here, and have in this place found the words of life"," 7 Ever remember the word of our blessed Lord, “It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master." If your Lord made it his chief delight to be in this valley of Humiliation, learn from his example to prize this valley. Though you may meet with an Apollyon, or a destroyer, here; yet you are safe in the arms and under the power of your all-conquering Lord: for though the Lord is high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly.-Therefore you may add with David, "Though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou wilt revive me. Thou shalt stretch forth thine hand against the wrath of mine enemies, and thy right hand shall save me. The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me. Thy mercy O Lord, endureth for ever: forsake not the works of thine own hands," Psal. cxxxviii. 6-8. Such is the confidence, the reasoning, and the pleading, of humble souls, in the power of faith, which leads them quite out of themselves, in point of dependence, to their Lord. y Hos. xii. 4, 5. |