faw then in my Dream that he went on thus, even till he came at the bottom, where he faw a little out of the Way, three Men, faft afleep, with Fetters upon their Heels, the Name of the one was Simple, the other Simple, Sloth, and the third Prefumption. 24. Sloth, and Chriftiana then feeing them lie in this Cafe, Prefumpwent to them, if paradventure he might tion. awake them? And cryed, You are like them that fleep on the Top of at Malt, for Prov. 25. the Dead Sea is under you, a Gulph that bath no Bottom: Awake, therefore, and come arvay, be willing alfo, and I will help you off with your Irons. He alfo told them, If he that goeth about like a roaring Lion, comes by, you will certainly become a Prey to his Teeth. With that they looked upon g. him, and began to reply in this fort: + Sim- + There is ple, faid, I fee no Danger: Sloth faid, Yet a no Perfua little more Sleep: And Prefumption faid, Eve- fion will ry Tub must fand upon his own Bottom. And fo they lay down to fleep again, and Chriflian openeth not went on his Way. * Yet he was troubled to think, that Men in that Danger fhould fo little esteem the Kindnefs of him that fe freely offered to help them, both by the awakening of them, counselling of them, and proffering to help them off with their Irons. And as he was troubled thereabouts, he efpied two Men come tumbling over the Wall, on the left hand of the narrow Way; and they made up apace to him. The Name of the one was Farmalift, and the Name of the other Hypocrify. So, as I faid, they drew up unte him, who thus enter'd with them into Dif course. Pet. 5. do, if God the Eyes. * Chrifti- Chr. * Gentlemen, Whence come you, aɛ an talketh whither go you? with them. Form. and Hyp. We were born in the Lar of Vain-Glory, and we are going for Praise Mount Zion. Chr. Why came you not in at the Ga which ftandeth at the Beginning of the Way John To Know ye not that it is written, + That that cometh not in by the Door, but climber up fome other Way, the fame is a Thief and Robber. *They that the Way, Form. and Hyp. They faid, That to go te the Gate of Entrance, was by all their Coun try Men counted too far about; and therefor their usual Way was to make a fhort Cu of it, and to climb over the Wall as they had done. Chr. But it will be counted a Trefpafs againf the Lord of the City, whither we are bound thus to violate his revealed Will. Form. and Hp. They told him That a come into for that he needed not trouble his Head there about; for what they did they had Custom for and could produce, if need were, Teftimony that would witness it, for more than a Thou think that fand Years. but not by the Door, they can Chr. But faid Chriftian, Will it ftand a Jay Jome Tryal at Law? thing in Form. and Hyp. They told him, That Cuften Vindication being of fo long a ftanding as above a Thou. of their fand Years, would doubtless now be admit wn Pra- ted as a Thing legal by an impartial Judge tice. And befides, fay they, if we get into the Way what matter which Way we get in? If we are in, we are in: Thou art but in the Way, who, as we perceive, come in at the Gate, and we are alfo in the Way, that came tumb Jing ling over the Wall; wherein now is thy Condition better than ours? Chr. I walk by the Rule of my Mafter, 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 your felves without his Direction; and fhall go out by your selves without his Mercy. To this they made him but little Anfwer; only they bid him look to himself. Then I faw that they went on every Man iu his way, without much Conference one; with another; fave that these two Men told Chriftian, That as to Laws and Ordinances, they doubted not but they should as confcientiously do them as he. Therefore, faid, they, we fee not wherein thou differeft from us, but by thy Coat that is now on thy Back, which was, as we trow, given thee by fome of thy Neighbours to hide the Shame of thy Nukednefs. * Chr. By Laws and Ordinances you Galdis will not be faved, fince you came not in by 16, the Door. And as for this Coat that is on + Chriftimy Back, it was given me by the Lord of an bas got the Place whither I go; and that, as you his Lord's fay, to cover my Nakedness with. And as I Coat on his take it as a Token of Kindness to me, for I Back, and had nothing but Rags before; and befides, is comfor thus I comfort my felf as I go: Surely, ted there think I, when I come to the Gate of the with. City, the Lord thereof will know me good, fince I have his Coat on my Back; a Coat that he gave me freely in the Day that he fript me of my Rags. I have moreover C 3 for Marke bis Roll He is com- a Mark in my Forehead of which perhaps you forted alfo have taken no Notice, which one of my Lords with his moft intimate Affociates fixed there in the Mark and Day that my Burden fell off my shoulders. I will tell you, moreover, that I had then given me a Roll fealed to comfort me by reading, as I go on the way; I was allo bid to give it in at the Coeleftial Gate, in Token of my certain going in after it, all which I doubt you want, and want them because you came not in at the Gate. To thefe Things they gave him no Anfwer, only they looked upon each other and laughed. Then I faw that they went on all, fave that Chriftian went before, who had no *Chrifti-other Talk * but with himself, and that an has fometimes Aghingly, and fometimes сом. Talk with fortably: Alfo he would be often reading in himself. the Roll, that one of the Shining Ones gave him, by which he was refreshed. I beheld then that they all went on till He comes they come at the Foot of the Hill Diffito the Hill culty, at the Bottom of which was a Spring. Difficulty There was alfo in the fame Place, two other *Ifa. 49 20. Ways befides that which came ftrait from the the Gate; one turned to the Left-hand, and The Hill, the High, I covet to afcend, Diffi |