THEIR SELF-SUFFICIENCY. 41 testimony that would witness it, for more than a thousand years. But, said Christian, will your practice stand a trial at law? They told him, that custom, it being of so long standing as above a thousand years, would doubtless now be admitted as a thing legal, by an impartial judge: and besides, said they, if we get into the way, what's matter which way we get in? If we are in, we are in: thou art but in the way, who as we perceive came 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 come in by yourselves without his direction, and shall go out by yourselves without his mercy. To this they made 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. 42 THEIR CONVERSATION. Chr. By laws and ordinances you will not be saved,1 since you came not in by the door. 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 stripped me of my rags. I have moreover a mark in my 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 gave him, by which he was refreshed. I beheld then that they all went on till they came (1) Gal. ii. 16. THE HILL difficulty. 43 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 went now to the spring, and drank thereof to refresh himself,1 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, 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 into those ways. Now the name of one of those ways was Danger, and the name of the other Destruction. So the one took the way which is called Danger, which led him 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 more. I looked then after Christian to see him go up the (1) Isa. xlix. 10. 44 CHRISTIAN FALLS ASLEEP. hill, where I perceived he fell from running to going, and from going to clambering upon his hands and his 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 a while, 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." 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 Mistrust: to whom Christian said, Sirs, what is the matter you run the wrong way y? 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 (1) Prov. vi. 6. |