图书图片
PDF
ePub

therewith; and his sentence from Peter's mouth was accordingly.'

Neither will it go out of my mind, but that the man who takes up religion for the world, will throw away religion for the world; for so surely as Judas designed the world in becoming religious, so surely did he also sell religion and his master for the same.-To answer the question therefore affirmatively, as I perceive you have done, and to accept of, as authentic, such answer, is both heathenish, hypocritical, and devilish; and your reward will be according to your works. Then they stood staring one upon another, but had not wherewith to answer Christian. Hopeful also approved of the soundness of Christian's answer; so there was a great silence among them. Mr. By-ends and his company also staggered and kept behind, that Christian and Hopeful might outgo them. Then said Christian to his fellow, If these men cannot stand before the sentence of men, what will they do with the sentence of God? And, if they are mute when dealt with by vessels of clay, what will they do when they shall be rebuked by the flames of a devouring fire.

Then Christian and Hopeful outwent them again, and went till they came at a delicate plain, called Ease; where they went with much content: but that plain was but narrow, so they were quickly got over it. Now at the further side of that plain was a little hill, called Lucre, and in that hill a silver mine, which some of them that had formerly gone that way, because of the rarity of it, had turned aside to see; but going too near the brink of the pit, the ground, being deceitful under them, broke, and they were slain: some also had been maimed there, and could not to their dying day be their own men again.

Then I saw in my dream, that a little off the road, over-against the silver mine, stood Demas (gentlemanlike) to call passengers to come and see; who said to Christian and his fellow, Ho! turn aside hither, and I will shew you a thing.

Chr. What thing is so deserving, as to turn us out of the way to see it?

1 Acts viii. 18---23,

Demas. Here is a silver mine, and some digging in it for treasure; if you will come, with a little pains, you may richly provide for yourselves.

Then said Hopeful, Let us go see.

Not I, said Christian, I have heard of this place before now, and how many have been slain there; and besides, that treasure is a snare to those that seek it; for it hindereth them in their pilgrimage.

Then Christian called to Demas, saying, Is not the place dangerous? Hath it not hindered many in their pilgrimage?

Demas. Not very dangerous, except to those that are careless: but withal, he blushed as he spoke.

Then said Christian to Hopeful, Let us not stir a step, but still keep on our way.

Hope. I will warrant you, when By-ends comes up, if he hath the same invitation as we, he will turn in thither

to see.

Chr. No doubt thereof, for his principles lead him that way, and a hundred to one but he dies there.

Then Demas called again, saying, But will you not come over and see?

Then Christian roundly answered, saying, Demas, thou art an enemy to the right ways of the Lord of this way, and hast been already condemned, for thine own turning aside, by one of his Majesty's judges' and why seekest thou to bring us into the like condemnation? Besides, if we at all turn aside, our Lord the King will certainly hear thereof, and will there put us to shame, where we should stand with boldness before him.

Demas cried again, that he also was one of their fraternity; and that, if they would tarry a little, he also himself would walk with them.

Then said Christian, What is thy name? Is it not the same by which I have called thee?

Demas. Yes, my name is Demas; I am the son of Abraham.

Chr. I know you; Gehazi was your great-grandfather, and Judas your father, and you have trod in their steps; it is but a devilish prank that thou usest: thy father was

1 2 Tim. iv. 13.

hanged for a traitor, and thou deservest no better rèward. Assure thyself that when we come to the King we will tell him of this thy behaviour. Thus they went their way.

By this time By-ends and his companions were come again within sight, and they at the first beck went over to Demas. Now, whether they fell into the bit by looking over the brink thereof, or whether they went down to dig, or whether they were smothered in the bottom by the damps that commonly arise, of these things I am not certain but this I observed, that they never were seen again in the way. Then sang Christian:

By-ends and silver Demas both agree;

One calls, the other runs, that he may be
A sharer in his lucre; so these do

Take up in this world, and no farther go.

Now I saw that, just on the other side of this plain, the pilgrims came to a place where stood an old monument hard by the high-way side, at the sight of which they were both concerned, because of the strangeness of the form thereof; for it seemed to them to have been a woman transformed into the shape of a pillar: here therefore they stood looking, and looking upon it, but could not for a time tell what they should make thereof: at last Hopeful espied, written upon the head thereof, a writing in an unusual hand; but he being no scholar, called to Christian (for he was learned) to see if he could pick out the meaning: so he came, and after a little laying of the letters together, he found the same to be this, Remember Lot's wife. So he read it to his fellow; after which they both concluded, that that was the pillar of salt into which Lot's wife was turned, for looking back with a covetous heart, when she was going from Sodom for safety. Which sudden and amazing sight gave them occasion for this discourse.

[ocr errors]

Chr. Ah, my brother, this is a seasonable sight; it came opportunely to us after the invitation which Demas gave us to come over to view the hill Lucre; and had we gone over as he desired us, and as thou wast inclined to 1 2d Kings, v. 20---27. Matt. xxvi. 14, 15. xxvii. 3---5. 2 Gen. xix. 26.

do my brother, we had, for aught I know, been made like this woman, a spectacle for those that shall come after, to behold.

Hope. I am sorry that I was so foolish, and am made to wonder that I am not now as Lot's wife; for wherein was the difference betwixt her sin and mine? she only looked back, and I had a desire to go see: let grace be adored, and let me be ashamed that ever such a thing should be in mine heart.

Chr. Let us take notice of what we see here for our help for time to come; this woman escaped one judgement, for she fell not by the destruction of Sodom, yet she was destroyed by another, as we see, she is turned into a pillar of salt.

Hope. True, and she may be to us both caution, and example; caution, that we may shun her sin; or a sign of what judgement will overtake such as shall not be prevented by such caution; so Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, with the two hundred and fifty men that perished in their sin, did also become a sign or example to beware.'But, above all, I muse at one thing, to wit, how Demas and his fellows can stand so confidently yonder to look for that treasure, which this woman but for looking behind her after (for we read not that she stepped one foot out of the way,) was turned into a pillar of salt; especially since the judgement which overtook her did make her an example within sight of where they are: for they cannot choose but see her, did they but lift up their eyes.

Chr. It is a thing to be wondered at, and it argueth that their hearts are grown desperate in that case; and I cannot tell whom to compare them so fitly, as to them that pick pockets in the presence of the judge, or that will cut purses under the gallows. It is said of the men of Sodom that they were sinners exceedingly," because they were sinners "before the Lord," that is, in his eyesight, and notwithstanding the kindnesses that he had showed them; for the land of Sodom was now like the

1 Numb. xxvi. 9. 10.

garden of Eden heretofore. This therefore provoked him the more to jealously, and made their plague as hot as the fire of the Lord out of heaven could make it.And it is most rationally to be concluded, that such, even such as these are, who shall sin in the sight, yea and that too in despite of such examples as are set continually before them to caution them to the contrary, must be partakers of the severest judgements..

Hope. Doubless thou hast said the truth: but what a mercy is it, that neither thou, but especially I, am not made myself this example! This ministereth occasion to us to thank God, to fear before him, and always to " member Lot's wife.".

CHAP. XV.

re

Christian and Hopeful mistake their way, and fall into the hands of Giant Despair.

[ocr errors]

SAW then, that they went on their way to a pleasant

[ocr errors]

but John, "the river of the water of life." Now their way lay just upon the bank of the river: here therefore Christian and his companion walked with great delight: they drank also of the water of the river, which was pleasant, and enlivening to their weary spirits. Besides, on the banks of this river, on either side, were green trees for all manner of fruit; and the leaves they ate to prevent surfeits, and other diseases that are incident to those that heat their blood by travels. On either side of the river was also a meadow, curiously beautified with lilies; and it was green all the year long. In this meadow they lay down and slept: for here they might lie down safely.3 When they awoke, they gathered again of the fruits of the trees, and drank again of the water of the river, and then lay down again to sleep. Thus they did several days and nights. Then they sang:

Behold ye how those crystal streams do glide
To comfort pilgrims by the highway side.
The meadows green, besides the fragrant smell,
Yield dainties for them: and he that can tell

What pleasant fruit, yea leaves, these trees do yield,
Will soon sell all, that he may buy this field.

1 Gen. xiii. 10--13. 2 Ps. lxv. 9. Ezek. xlvii. Rev. xxi. f. 3 Ps. xxiii.. Isa. xiv. 30.

« 上一页继续 »