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Formality and Hypocrisy.

an impartial judge: and besides, said they, if we get into the way, what matter is it which way we get in? If we are in, we are in: thou art but in the way, who, as we perceive, camest in at the gate; and we are also in the way, that came tumbling over the wall: wherein now is thy condition better than ours?

CHR. I walk by the rule of my master: you walk by the rude working of your fancies. You are counted thieves already by the Lord of the way: therefore I doubt you will not be found true men at the end of the way. You came in by yourselves without his direction, and shall go out by yourselves without his mercy.

To this they made him but little answer; only they bid him look to himself. Then I saw that they went on every man in his way, without much conference one with another; save that these two men told Christian, that as to laws and ordinances, they doubted not but they should as conscientiously do them as he. "Therefore," said they, "we see not wherein thou differest from us, but by the coat that is on thy back, which was, as we trow, given thee by some of thy neighbours, to hide the shame of thy nakedness."

CHR. By laws, and ordinances you will not be saved, since you came not in by the door. (Gal. ii. 16.) And as for this coat that is on my back, it was given me by the Lord of the place whither I go; and that as you say, to cover my nakedness with. And I take it as a token of kindness to me; for I had nothing but rags before. And besides thus I comfort myself as I go. Surely, think I, when I come to the gate of the city, the Lord thereof will know me for good, since I have his coat on my back; a coat that he gave me freely in the day that he stript me of my rags. I have moreover a mark in my

* Christian has got his Lord's coat on his back, and is comforted therewith.

1

Christian arrives at the Hill Difficulty.

forehead, of which perhaps you have taken no notice, which one of my Lord's most intimate associates fixed there in the day that my burden fell off my shoulders. I will tell you, moreover, that I had then given me a roll sealed, to comfort me by reading as I go on the way; I was also bid to give it in at the celestial gate, in token of my certain going in after it; all which things I doubt you want, and want them because you came not in at the gate.

To these things they gave him no answer; only they looked upon each other, and laughed. Then I saw that they went on all, save that Christian kept before, who had no more talk but with himself, and that sometimes sighingly, and sometimes comfortably also he would be often reading in the roll that one of the Shining Ones had given him, by which he was refreshed.

I beheld then, that they all went on till they came to the foot of the hill Difficulty, at the bottom of which was a spring. There were also in the same place two other ways, besides that which came straight from the gate: one turned to the left hand, and the other to the right, at the bottom of the hill; but the narrow way lay right up the hill, and the name of the going up the side of the hill is called Difficulty. Christian now went to the spring, (Isa. xlix. 10.) and drank thereof to refresh himself, and then began to go up the hill, saying,

"The hill, though high, I covet to ascend;

The difficulty will not me offend;

For I perceive the way to life lies here:

Come, pluck up heart, let's neither faint nor fear.
Better, though difficult, the right way to go,

Than wrong, though easy, where the end is woe."

The other two also came to the foot of the hill. But when they saw that the hill was steep and high, and that there were two other ways to go; and supposing also that these two ways might meet again with that up which Christian went, on the other side of the hill; therefore they were resolved to go in those ways,

Christian sleeps in the Arbour.

Now the name of one of those ways was Danger, and the name of the other Destruction. So the one took the way that is called Danger', which led into a great wood; and the other took directly up the way to Destruction, which led him into a wide field, full of dark mountains, where he stumbled and fell, and rose no more2.

I looked then after Christian, to see him go up the hill, where I perceived he fell from running to going, and from going to clambering upon his hands and knees, because of the steepness of the place. Now about the midway to the top of the hill was a pleasant Arbour, made by the Lord of the hill for the refreshing of weary travellers. Thither therefore Christian got, where also he sat down to rest him: then he pulled his roll out of his bosom, and read therein to his comfort; he also now began afresh to take a review of the coat or garment that was given him as he stood by the cross. Thus pleasing himself awhile, he at last fell into a slumber, and thence into a fast sleep, which detained him in that place until it was almost night; and in his sleep his roll fell out of his hand. Now as he was sleeping, there came one to him, and awaked him, saying, "Go to the ant thou sluggard; consider her ways and be wise." (Prov. vi. 6.) And with that Christian suddenly started up, and sped him on his way, and went apace till he came to the top of the hill.

Now when he was got up to the top of the hill, there came two men running to meet him amain; the name of the one was Timorous, and of the other

y The danger of turning out of the way.

z Below the picture of the End of Formality and Hypocrisy :Shall they who wrong begin, yet rightly end? Shall they at all have safety for their friend? No, no, in headstrong manner they set out, And headlong they will fall at last, no doubt. A word of grace. b He that sleeps is a loser.

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Meets with Timorous and Mistrust.

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Mistrust to whom Christian said, "Sirs, what is the matter that you run the wrong way?" Timorous answered, that they were going to the city of Zion, and had got up that difficult place: "but," said he, "the farther we go, the more danger we meet with; wherefore we turned, and are going back again."

"Yes," said Mistrust," for just before us lie a couple of lions in the way, whether sleeping or waking we know not; and we could not think, if we came within reach, but they would presently pull us in pieces."

CHR. Then said Christian, You make me afraid; but whither shall I flee to be safe? If I go back to my own country, that is prepared for fire and brimstone, and I shall certainly perish there; if I can get to the celestial city, I am sure to be in safety there: I must venture. To go back is nothing but death: to go forward is fear of death, and life everlasting beyond it: I will yet go forward. So Mistrust and Timorous ran down the hill, and Christian went on his way. But thinking again of what he had heard from the men, he felt in his bosom for his roll, that he might read therein, and be comforted; but he felt, and found it not. Then was Christian in great distress, and knew not what to do; for he wanted that which used to relieve him, and which should have been his pass into the celestial city. Here therefore he began to be much perplexed, and knew not what to do. At last he bethought himself that he had slept in the harbour that is on the side of the bill; and falling down upon his knees, he asked God for giveness for that his foolish act, and then went back to look for his roll. But all the way he went back, who can sufficiently set forth the sorrow of Christian's heart? Sometimes he sighed, sometimes he wept, and oftentimes he chid himself for being so foolish as to fall asleep in that place, which was erected only for a little refreshment for his weariness. Thus there

Christian finds his Roll,

fore he went back, carefully looking on this side and on that, all the way as he went, if happily he might find the roll that had been his comfort so many times in his journey. He went thus till he came again in sight of the harbour where he had sat and slept; but that sight renewed his sorrow the more, by bringing again even afresh, his evil of sleeping into his mind. (Rev. ii. 4. 1 Thes. v. 6-8.) Thus therefore he now wept on, bewailing his sinful sleep, saying, O wretched man that I am, that I should sleep in the day-time! that I should sleep in the midst of difficulty! that I should so indulge the flesh, as to use that rest for ease to my flesh, which the Lord of the hill hath erected only for the relief of the spirits of pilgrims! How many steps have I taken in vain! Thus it happened to Israel; for their sin they were sent back again by the way of the Red Sea; and I am made to tread those steps with sorrow, which I might have trod with delight, had it not been for this sinful sleep. How far might I have been on my way by this time! I am made to tread those steps thrice over, which I needed to have trod but once: yea, now also I am like to be benighted, for the day is almost spent. O that I had not slept!

Now by this time he was come to the arbour again, where for a while he sat down and wept; but at last (as Providence would have it) looking sorrowfully down under the settle, there he espied his roll, the which he with trembling and haste, catched up, and put into his bosom. But who can tell how joyful this man was when he had gotten his roll again? For this roll was the assurance of his life, and of his ассерtance at the desired haven. Therefore he laid it up in his bosom, gave thanks to God for directing his eye to the place where it lay, and with joy and tears betook himself again to his journey. But O how nimbly now did he go up the rest of the hill! Yet, before he he got up, the sun went down upon Christian; this made him again recal the vanity of his sleeping to

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