convinces error. Then said Evangelist, stand still a little, that I may show thee the words of God. So he stood trembling. Then said Evangelist Evangelist, 'See that ye refuse not him that speaketh; for if they escaped not who refused him him of his that spake on 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 draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.'t 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. Then Christian fell down at his feet as dead, crying, Woe 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. Then Evangelist proceeded, saying, Give more earnest heed to the things that I shall tell thee of. I will now show thee who it was that deluded thee, and who it was also to whom he sent thee. That man that met thee is one Worldly Mr.Worldly Wiseman, and rightly is he so called; partly Wiseman because he savoureth only of the doctrine of this described by world,|| (therefore he always goes to the town of Evangelist. Morality to church,) and partly because he loveth that doctrine best, for it saveth him 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 man's counsel that thou must utterly abhor: 1. 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 * Heb. xii. 25. + Heb. x. 38. Matth. xii. 31. § John xx. 27. || 1 John iv. 5.. Gal. vi. 12. Worldly Wiseman. The Lord says, 'Strive to enter in at the Strait Gate,'* the Gate to which I send thee; 'Because strait is the Gate which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.' From this little Wicket-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 thyself for hearkening to him. + Secondly. Thou must abhor his labouring to render the Cross odious unto thee; for thou art to 'prefer it before the treasures of Egypt.' Besides, the King of Glory hath told thee, that he that will save his life shall lose it.'§ And he 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 persuade thee that that shall be thy death, without which, the Truth hath said, thou canst not have eternal life, this doctrine thou must abhor. 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. He to whom thou wast sent for ease, being by name. Legality, is the son of that Bond-Woman, which now is, and is in bondage with her children, and is in a mystery this Mount Sinai, which thou 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 by 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 a 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 * Luke xiii. 24. § Mark viii. 35; John xii. 25; Matth. x. 39. Luke xiv. 26. Gal. iv. 21-27. 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, which 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, 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 great ashamed to think that this gentleman's arguments, flowing only from the flesh, should have the prevalency with him so far as to cause him to forsake the right way. This done, he applied himself again to Evangelist in words and sense as follows: Christian CHR. Sir, what think you? is there any hope? inquires if May I now go back, and go up to the Wickethe may yet Gate? Shall I not be abandoned for this, and be happy. sent back from thence ashamed? I am sorry I have hearkened to this man's counsel: but may my sin 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 Evangelist Man at the Gate receive thee, for he has goodcomforts him. 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 kissed 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 had left to follow Mr. Worldly Wiseman's counsel. So, in process of time, Christian got up to the Gate. Now over the Gate + Psalm ii. last. * Gal. iii. 10. there was written, Knock, and it shall be opened unto you.' He knocked, therefore, more than once or twice, saying: May I now enter here? Will he 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. I am willing with all my heart, said he and with that he opened the Gate. The Gate will be opened to brokenhearted sin So, when Christian was stepping in, the other gave him a pull: Then said Christian, What ners. * Matth. vii. 7. means that? The other told him, a little distance from this Satan Gate there is erected a strong Castle, of which envies those 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 haply they may die before they can enter in. that enter the Strait Gate. Christian entered the Gate with joy and trembling. Talk be tween Good will and Christian. Then said Christian, I rejoice and tremble. So, when he was got in, the Man at the Gate asked him, Who directed him thither? 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. An open door is set before thee, and no man can shut it. CHR. Now I begin to reap the benefit of my hazards. CHR. Because none of my neighbours saw their danger, as I saw mine. GOOD. 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. But did none of them follow you to persuade 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. have com GOOD. But why did he not come through? CHR. We indeed came both together until we came to 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 the 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 pany when he sets out for Heaven, and yet go thither alone. Then said Good-will, Alas! poor man is the celestial |