out of that way into this, if haply I might be foon eased of my burden. But when I came to this place, and beheld things as they are, I ftopped, as I faid, for fear of danger: and now I know not what to do.

Evan. Then ftand ftill a little, that I may fhew thee the words of God.

So he stood trembling.

Evan. See that you refuse not him that speaketh; for if they escaped not, who refufed him that spake on earth, much more fhall not we escape if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven. He said moreover, Now the juft fhall live by faith; but if any man draws back, my foul fhall have no pleasure in him. He alfo did thus apply them, Thou art the man who art running into this mifery: thou haft begun to reject the counsel of the Moft High, and to draw back thy foot from the way of peace, even almoft to the hazarding of thy per

dition.

Then Chriftian fell down at his feet as dead, crying, Wo is me, for I am undone! At the fight of which, Evangelift caught him by the right hand, faying, All manner of fin and blafphemies fhall be forgiven unto men; be not faithlefs, but be-lieving. Then did Chriftian again a little revive, and stood up trembling, as at firft, before Evangelift.

Then Evangelift proceeded, faying, Give more carneft heed to the things that I fhall tell thee of. C 3

I will

I will now fhew thee who it was that deluded thee, and who it was alfo to whom he fent thee. The man who met thee is one Worldly Wiseman, and he is rightly fo called, partly because he favoureth only of the doctrine of this world; therefore he always goes to the town of Morality to church: and partly, because he loveth that doctrine best which faveth him from the cross; and becaufe he himself is of this carnal temper, therefore he feeketh to prevent my ways, though right. Now there are three things in this man's counsel which thou must utterly abhor.

1. His turning thee out of the way.

2. His labouring to render the crofs odious to thee. 3. And his fetting thy feet in that way which leadeth unto the administration of death.

First, Thou must abhor his turning thee out of the way; yea, and thine own confenting thereto; because this is to reject the counsel of God for the fake of the counsel of a Worldly Wifeman. The Lord fays, Strive to enter in at the ftrait gate, that is the gate to which I fend thee; for ftrait is the gate that leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. From this little wicket-gate, and from the way thereto, this wicked man hath turned thee, even to the bringing of thee almoft to deftruction: hate, therefore, his turning thee out of the way, and abhor thyfelf for hearkening to him.

Secondly, Thou must abhor his labouring to render the cross odious unto thee; for thou art to prefer

prefer that before the treasures in Egypt: befides, the King of Glory hath told thee, "He that will « save his life shall lose it:" And, "He that cometh "after me, and hates not his father and mother, " and wife, and children, and brethren, and fifters, (c yea, and his own life alfo, cannot be my difciple." I fay, therefore, for a man to labour to perfuade thee that that fhall be thy death, without which, the truth hath faid, thou canst not have eternal life: this doctrine thou must abhor.

Thirdly, Thou must hate his turning thy feet into the way that leadeth to the miniftration of death. Thou must confider to whom he fent thee, and also how unable that person was to deliver thee from thy burden.

He, to whom thou waft fent for eafe, being by name Legality, is the fon of the bond-woman, who 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, if fhe, with her children, are in bondage, how canft thou expect by them to be made free? This Legality, therefore, is not able to set thee free from thy burden. No man, as yet, was ever rid of his burden by him; no, nor ever is like to be: ye cannot be justified by the works of the law; fo then by the deeds of the law no man living can be rid of his burden. Therefore Mr. Worldly Wiseman is an alien; and Mr. Legality is a cheat; and as for his fon Civility, notwithstanding his fimpering looks, he is but a hypo

crite,

C 4

crite, and cannot help thee. Believe me, there is nothing in all this noife, which thou haft heard from thefe fottish men, but a defign to beguile thee of thy falvation, by turning thee from the way in which I had fet thee.

After this, Evangelift called aloud to the hea¬ vens for confirmation of what he had faid; and, with that, there came words and fire out of the mountain under which poor Chriftian ftood, which made the hair of his flesh ftand up. The words were thus pronounced, "As many as are of the "works of the law are under the curfe; for it is "written, Curfed 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 curfing the time in which he met with Mr. Worldly Wiseman; ftill calling himself a thousand fools for hearkening to his counsel he also was greatly afhamed to think that this gentleman's arguments, flowing only from the flesh, should have fuch prevalency with him as to cause him to forfake the right way. This done, he applied himself again to Evangelift in words and fenfe as follows:

s Chriftian is terrified with the words and the fire which came out of the mountain. This is agreeable to the defcription which St. Paul gives of this mountain, Heb. xii. 18, 19. This fhews the nature, end, and ufe of the law; as Dr. Watts fays, To convince and to condemn is all the law can do.

Chr.

Chr. 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 fent back from thence ashamed? I am forry I have hearkened to this man's counfel; but may my fin be forgiven?

Evan. Thy fin is very great, for by it thou haft committed two evils; thou haft forfaken the way that is good; thou haft trodden in forbidden paths; yet will the man at the gate receive thee, for he has good will for men; only take heed that thou turn not aside again, left thou perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little '.

Then did Christian address himself to go back "; and Evangelist, after he had kiffed him, gave him one fmile, and bid him God speed: fo he went on with haste, neither fpake he to any man by the way; nor, if any asked him, would he vouchsafe them an answer. He went like one who was all the while treading on forbidden ground, and could by no means think himself safe, till he was got into the way which he left to follow Mr. Worldly Wifeman's counfel.

In process of time, Christian got up to the gate: and over the gate there was written, "Knock, and it

* Chriftian is comforted by Evangelift; though at firft he ufed great sharpness of speech, yet it was in love, in order to make Chriftian fenfible of his fault.

u Chriftian goes back by the way he came. This is the fruit of their labour who are going about to establish their own righteousness: if ever they are truly convinced of fin, they must cast all away:

fhall