that same crooked Lane, and therefore I fear, however thou mayest think of thyself, when the reckoning day shall come, thou wilt have laid to thy charge, that thou art a Thief and a Robber, instead of getting admittance into the City.

every one,

fool.

Ignor. Gentlemen, ye be utter strangers to me, I He saith to know you not, be content to follow the Religion of your that he is a Country, and I will follow the Religion of mine. I hope all will be well. And as for the Gate that you talk of, all the World knows that that is a great way off of our Country. I cannot think that any man in all our parts doth so much as know the way to it; nor need they matter whether they do or no, since we have, as you see, a fine pleasant green Lane, that comes down from our Country the next way into it.

it to a fool.

When Christian saw that the man was wise in his own conceit, he said to Hopeful, whisperingly, There is Pr. 26. 12. more hopes of a fool than of him. And said moreover, When he that is a fool walketh by the way, his wisdom Eccl. 10. 3. faileth him, and he saith to every one that he is a fool. How to carry What, shall we talk further with him? or out-go him at present? and so leave him to think of what he hath heard already; and then stop again for him afterwards, and see if by degrees we can do any good of him? Then said Hopeful:

Let Ignorance a little while now muse
On what is said, and let him not refuse
Good Counsel to Embrace, lest he remain
Still Ignorant of what's the chiefest gain.
God saith, Those that no understanding have,
(Although he made them) them he will not save.

Hope. He further added, It is not good, I think, to

Prov. 5. 22.

say all to him at once, let us pass him by, if

you will,

and talk to him anon, even as he is able to bear it.

So they both went on, and Ignorance he came after. Now when they had passed him a little way, they entered into a very dark Lane, where they met a man Matt. 12. 45. whom seven Devils had bound with seven strong Cords, and were carrying of him back to the door that they saw in the side of the Hill. Now good Christian began to tremble, and so did Hopeful his Companion: Yet as the Devils led away the man, Christian looked to see if The destruc- he knew him, and he thought it might be one Turn-away Turn-away. that dwelt in the Town of Apostacy. But he did not

tion of one

Christian
telleth his
Companion a
story of
Little-
Faith.

perfectly see his face, for he did hang his head like a Thief that is found: But being gone past, Hopeful looked after him, and espied on his back a Paper with this Inscription, Wanton Professor, and damnable Apostate. Then said Christian to his Fellow, Now I call to remembrance that which was told me of a thing that happened to a good man hereabout. The name of the man was Little-Faith, but a good man, and he dwelt in the Town of Sincere. The thing was this; at the entering in of this passage there comes down from Broad-way-gate a Lane called Dead-man's-lane; so Dead man's called, because of the Murders that are commonly done

Broadway gate.

Lane.

there. And this Little-Faith going on Pilgrimage, as we do now, chanced to sit down there and slept. Now there happened, at that time, to come down that Lane from Broad-way-gate three Sturdy Rogues, and their names. were Faint-heart, Mistrust and Guilt, (three brothers) and they espying Little-faith where he was came galloping up with speed: Now the good man was just awaked from his sleep, and was getting up to go on his Journey. So they came all up to him, and with threatning

robbed by

Mistrust

Silver, and

Language bid him stand. At this, Littlefaith lookt as Little-faith white as a Clout, and had neither power to fight nor fly. Faint-heart, Then said Faint-heart, Deliver thy Purse; but he making and Guilt. no haste to do it, (for he was loth to lose his Money,) Mistrust ran up to him, and thrusting his hand into his Pocket, pull'd out thence a bag of Silver. Then he cried out, Thieves, thieves. With that, Guilt with a great They got Club that was in his hand, strook Little-Faith on the away his head, and with that blow fell'd him flat to the ground, knockt him were he lay bleeding as one that would bleed to death. All this while the Thieves stood by: But at last, they hearing that some were upon the Road, and fearing lest it should be one Great-grace that dwells in the City of Good-confidence, they betook themselves to their heels, and left this good man to shift for himself. Now after a while, Little-faith came to himself, and getting up, made shift to scrabble on his way. This was the story.

down.

lost not his

Hope. But did they take from him all that ever he had? Chr. No: The place where his Jewels were, they Little-faith never ransack'd, so those he kept still; but as I was told, best things. the good man was much afflicted for his loss. For the Thieves got most of his spending Money. That which they got not (as I said) were Jewels, also he had a little odd Money left, but scarce enough to bring him to his 1 Pet. 4. 18. Journey's end; nay, (if I was not mis-informed) he was forced to beg as he went, to keep himself alive, (for his Little-faith Jewels he might not sell.) But beg, and do what he to his Jourcould, he went (as we say) with many a hungry belly, the most part of the rest of the way.

Hope. But is it not a wonder they got not from him his Certificate, by which he was to receive his admittance at the Coelestial gate?

Chr. 'Tis a wonder but they got not that: though

forced to beg

ney's end.

his best

own cun

He kept not they miss'd it not through any good cunning of his, for things by his he being dismayed with their coming upon him, had neither power nor skill to hide anything; so 'twas more 2 Tim. 1. 14. by good Providence than by his endeavour, that they miss'd of that good thing.

ning.

2 Pet. 2. 9.

He is pitied by both.

Hope. But it must needs be a comfort to him, that they got not this Jewel from him.

Chr. It might have been great comfort to him, had he used it as he should; but they that told me the story, said, That he made but little use of it all the rest of the way; and that because of the dismay that he had in their taking away his Money: indeed he forgot it a great part of the rest of his Journey; and besides, when at any time, it came into his mind, and he began to be comforted therewith, then would fresh thoughts of his loss come again upon him, and those thoughts would swallow up all. Hope. Alas poor Man! this could not but be a great grief unto him.

Chr. Grief! Ay, a grief indeed! would it not have been so to any of us, had we been used as he, to be Robbed and wounded too, and that in a strange place, as he was? 'Tis a wonder he did not die with grief, poor heart! I was told, that he scattered almost all the rest of the way with nothing but doleful and bitter complaints. Telling also to all that overtook him, or that he overtook in the way as he went, where he was Robbed, and how; who they were that did it, and what he lost; how he was wounded, and that he hardly escaped with life.

Hope. But 'tis a wonder that his necessity did not put him upon selling, or pawning some of his Jewels, that he might have wherewith to relieve himself in his Journey.

Chr. Thou talkest like one upon whose head is the snibbeth his Shell to this very day: For what should he pawn them?

Christian

advised

or to whom should he sell them? In all that Country fellow for unwhere he was Robbed, his Jewels were not accounted speaking. of, nor did he want that relief which could from thence be administred to him; besides, had his Jewels been missing at the Gate of the Coelestial City, he had (and that he knew well enough) been excluded from an Inheritance there; and that would have been worse to him than the appearance and villany of ten thousand Thieves.

Hope. Why art thou so tart my Brother? Esau sold Heb. 12. 16. his Birth-right, and that for a mess of Pottage; and that Birth-right was his greatest Jewel: and if he, why might not Little-Faith do so too?

But you

about Esau

Faith.

Chr. Esau did sell his Birth-right indeed, and so do a discourse many besides; and by so doing, exclude themselves from and Littlethe chief blessing, as also that Caitiff did. must put a difference betwixt Esau and Little-Faith, and also betwixt their Estates. Esau's Birth-right was Typical, but Little-faith's Jewels were not so. Esau's belly was his God, but Little-faith's belly was not so. Esau's want lay in his fleshly appetite, Little-faith's did

Esau was

lusts.

not so. Besides, Esau could see no further than to the ruled by his fulfilling of his Lusts, For I am at the point to die, said Gen. 25. 32. he, and what good will this Birth-right do me? But Little-faith, though it was his lot to have but a little faith, was by his little faith kept from such extravagancies; and made to see and prize his Jewels more, than to sell them, as Esau did his Birth-right. You read not anywhere that Esau had faith, no not so much Esau never had faith. as a little Therefore no marvel, if where the flesh only bears sway (as it will in that Man where no faith is to resist) if he sells his Birth-right, and his Soul and all, and that to the Devil of Hell; for it is with such, as it is with the Ass, Who in her occasions cannot be turned Jer. 2. 24.