of fire out of the hill, that made Christian afraid that he should be burned:30 here therefore he sweats, and did quake for fear. And now he began to be sorry that he had taken Mr. Worldly Wiseman's counsel: and with that he saw Evangelist coming to meet him; at the sight also of whom he began to blush for shame. So Evangelist drew nearer and nearer, and coming up to him, he looked upon him with a severe and dreadful countenance: and thus began to reason with Christian.

What dost thou here, Christian? said he: at which words Christian knew not what to answer: wherefore at present he stood speechless before him. Then said Evangelist farther, Art not thou the man that I found crying without the walls of the City of Destruction?

Chr. Yes, dear Sir, I am the man.

Evan. Did not I direct thee the way to the little Wicket-gate?

Chr. Yes, dear Sir.

Evan. How is it then that thou art so quickly turned aside, for thou art now out of the way?

Chr. I met with a gentleman so soon as I had got over the Slough of Despond, who persuaded me, that I might, in the village before me, find a man that could take off my burden.

Evan. What was he?

Chr. He looked like a gentleman, and talked much to me, and got me at last to yield; so I came hither: but when I beheld this hill, and how it hangs over the way, I suddenly made a stand, lest it should fall on my head. Evan. What said that gentleman to you?

Chr. Why, he asked me whither I was going; and I told him.

Evan. And what said he then?

Chr. He asked me if I had a family; and I told him : but, said I, I am so loaded with the burden that is on my back, that I cannot take pleasure in them as formerly. Evan. And what said he then?

Chr. He bid me with speed get rid of my burden; and I told him, it was ease that I sought: and, said I, I am therefore going to yonder gate, to receive farther direction. how I may get to the place of deliverance. So he said,

that he would show me a better way, and shorter; not so attended with difficulties as the way, Sir, that you set me in; which way, said he, will direct you to a gentleman's house that has skill to take off these burdens: so I believed him, and turned out of that way into this, if haply I might be soon eased of my burden. But when I came to this place, and beheld things as they are, I stopped for fear, as I said, of danger; but I now know not what to do.

Then said Evangelist, Stand still a little, that I may show thee the words of God. So he stood trembling. Then said Evangelist: "See that ye refuse not him that speaketh: for if they escape not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven:"31 he said moreover, "Now the just shall live by faith; but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.”32 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 sins and blasphemies shall be forgiven unto men.33 Be not faithless, but believing."34 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. The man that met thee, is one Worldly Wiseman; and rightly he is so called: partly, because he savoureth only of the doctrine of this world;35 (therefore he always goes to the town of 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:-His turning thee out of the way;-his labouring to render the cross

odious to thee; and, his setting thy feet in that way that leadeth unto the ministration 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 Worldly Wiseman. The Lord says, "Strive to enter in at the strait gate,' ,"36 (the gate to which I sent thee); for "strait is the gate that leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it."37 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.

38

Secondly, Thou must abhor his labouring to render the cross odious to 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." 39 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." "40 I say, therefore, for a 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.

41

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 the 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 as 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 a liar, and Mr. Legality is cheat; as 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 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, that 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 called himself a thousand fools for hearkening to his counsel: he also was greatly ashamed to think that this gentleman's arguments, flowing only from the flesh, should have the prevalency with him, to cause him to forsake the right way. This done, he applied himself again to Evangelist, in words and sense as follows:

Sir, what think you? is there any hope? May I now go back, and go up to the Wicket-gate? Shall I not be abandoned for this, and 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 man at the gate receive thee, for he has good-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."43 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; 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 left to follow Mr. Worldly Wiseman's counsel. So in process

nor

66

of time, Christian got up to the gate, Now over the gate there was written, Knock, and it shall be opened unto He knocked therefore more than once or twice,

9944

you. saying,

May I now enter here? Will he within
Open to sorry me, though I have been
An undeserving rebel? Then shall I

Not fail to sing his lasting praise on high.

At last there came a grave person to the gate, named Goodwill, 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.

Good. I am willing with all my heart, said he; and with that he opened the gate.

So when Christian was stepping in, the other gave him a pull: then said Christian, What means that? The other told him, A little distance from this gate there is erected a strong castle, of which Beelzebub is the captain; from thence both he, and them that are with him, shoot arrows at those that come up to the gate, if haply they may die before they can enter in. Then said Christian, I rejoice and tremble. So when he was got in, the man of 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. 66 An open door is before thee, and no man can shut it."

Chr. Now I begin to reap the benefits of my hazards. Good. But how is it that you came alone?

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.