horse. the dart nor the habergeon. He esteemeth iron as straw, and brass as rotten wood. The arrow cannot make him fly: sling-stones are turned with him into stubble: darts are counted as stubble; he laugheth at the shaking of a spear." What can a man do in The excellent met this case? It is true, if a man could at every turn tle that is in Job's have Job's horse, and had skill and courage to ride him, he might do notable things: for "his neck is clothed with thunder; he will not be afraid as the grasshopper; the glory of his nostrils is terrible; he paweth in the valley, rejoiceth in his strength, and goeth out to meet the armed men. He mocketh at fear, and is not affrighted, neither turneth back from the sword. The quiver rattleth against him, the glittering spear and the shield. He swalloweth the ground with fierceness and rage, neither believeth he that it is the sound of the trumpet. He saith among the trumpets, 'Ha, ha!' and he smelleth the battle afar off, the thundering of the captains, and the shouting." t But for such footmen as thee and I are, let us never desire to meet with an enemy, nor vaunt as if we could do better, when we hear of others that have been foiled; nor be tickled at the thoughts of our own manhood; for such commonly come by the worst when tried. Witness Peter, of whom I made mention before; he would swagger, ay, he would; he would, as his vain mind prompted him to say, do better and stand more for his Master than all men; but who so foiled and run down by these villains as he! When, therefore, we hear that such robberies are done on the King's highway, two things become us to do; 1. To go out harnessed, and to be sure to take a shield with us; for it was for want of that, that he who laid so lustily at Leviathan could not make him yield. For indeed, if that be wanting, he fears us not at all. Therefore be that had skill hath said, "Above all, take the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked."‡ 'Tis good to have a convoy. 2. It is good also that we desire of the King a convoy, yea, that he will go with us himself. This made David rejoice when in the Valley of the Shadow of Death: and Moses was rather for dying where he stood, than to go one step without his God.§ O, my brother! if He will but go along with us, what need we be afraid of ten thousands that shall set themselves against us! but, without him, the proud helpers fall under the slain. I, for my part, have been in the fray before now, and though, Eph. vi. 16. § Exod. xxxiii. 15. Job xli. 26-29. ↑ Job xxxix. 19, 20. (through the goodness of Him that is best,) I am, as you see, alive, yet I cannot boast of my manhood. Glad shall I be if I meet with no more such brunts; though I fear we are not got beyond all danger. However, since the Lion and the Bear have not as yet devoured me, I hope God will also deliver us from the next uncir cumcised Philistine. Then sang Christian : Poor Little-faith! hast been among the thieves? They The Flatterer finds them. So they went on, and Ignorance followed. They went, then, till they came at a place where they saw a way A way and a way put itself into their way, and seemed withal to lie as straight as the way which they should go; and here they knew not which of the two to take, for both seemed straight before them; therefore here they stood still to consider: and as they were thinking about the way, behold a Man, black of flesh, but covered with a very light robe, came to them, and asked them why they stood there? answered, they were going to the Celestial City, but knew not which of these ways to take. Follow me, said the Man, it is thither that I am going. So they followed him in the way that but now came into the road, which by degrees turned, and turned them so from the City that they desired to go Christian and his to, that in little time their faces were turned away fellow deluded. from it; yet they followed him. But, by-and-by, before they were aware, he led them both within the compass of a net, in which they were both so entangled that they knew not what to do; and with that the white robe fell off the Black Man's back; then they saw where they were. Wherefore there they lay some time, for they could not get themselves out. They are taken in a net. They bewail their condition. Then said Christian to his fellow, Now do I see myself in an error. Did not the Shepherds bid us beware of the Flatterer? As is the saying of the wise man, so we have found it this day, "A man that flattereth his neighbour spreadeth a net for his feet." Hope. They also gave us a Note of Directions about the way, for our more certain finding thereof; but therein we have also for gotten to read, and have not kept ourselves from the paths of the Destroyer. Here David was wiser than we: for, saith he, "Con • Prov. xxix. 5. cerning the works of men, by the word of thy lips, I have kept me A Shining One to them comes hand. from the paths of the Destroyer."* Thus they lay bewailing themselves in the net. At last they espied a Shining One coming towards them, with a whip of small with a whip in his cords in his hand. When he was come to the place where they were, he asked them, Whence they came, and what they did there? They told him, that they were poor Pilgrims going to Zion, but were led out of their way by a Black Man, clothed in white, who bid us, said they, follow him, for he was going thither too. Then said he with the whip, It is Flatterer, a false apostle, that hath transformed himself into an angel of light:† so he rent the net, and let the men out. Then said he to them, Follow me, that I may set you in your way again; so he led them back to the way they had left to follow the Flatterer. They are examin. Then he asked them, saying, Where did you lie ed, and convicted the last night? They said, with the Shepherds of forgetfulness. upon the Delectable Mountains. He asked them then, if they had not a Note of Directions for the way? They answered, Yes. But did you not, said he, when you were at a stand, pluck out and read your note? They answered, No. He asked them, Why? They said, they forgot. He asked, moreover, Psalm xvii. 4 +2 Cor. xi. 13, 14 Deceivers fine spoken. They are whipped and sent on their way. If the Shepherds did not bid them beware of the Flatterer? They answered, Yes; but we did not imagine, said they, that this fine-spoken man had been he. Then I saw in my dream, that he commanded them to lie down; which when they did, he chastised them sore, to teach them the good way wherein they should walk.* And as he chastised them, he said, "As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten; be zealous, therefore, and repent." This done, he bids them go on their way, and take good heed to the other directions of the Shepherds. So they thanked him for his kindness, and went softly along the right way, singing: Come hither, you that walk along the way, 'Tis true, they rescued were: but yet, you see, They're scourged to boot: let this your caution be. Now, after a while, they perceived, afar off, one coming softly and alone, all along the highway, to meet them. Then said Christian to his fellow, Yonder is a man with his back towards Zion, and he is coming to meet us. The Atheist meets them. Hope. I see him: let us take heed to ourselves now, lest he should prove a Flatterer also. So he drew nearer, and at last came up to them. His name was Atheist, and he asked them, Whither they were going? Chr. We are going to mount Zion. Then Atheist fell into a very great laughter. He laughs at them. Ath. I laugh to see what ignorant persons you are, to take upon you so tedious a journey, and yet are like to have nothing but your travel for your pains. Chr. Why, man! do you think we shall not be They reason toreceived? gether. Ath. Received! There is not such a place as you dream of in all this World. Chr. But there is in the World to come. Ath. When I was at home in mine own country, I heard as you now affirm; and, from that hearing, went out to see, and have been seeking this City these twenty years, but find no more of it than I did the first day I set out.‡ * Deut. xxv. 2. 2 Cor. iv. 17. + Rev. iii 19 t Eccl. x. 15. Chr. We have both heard, and believe that there is such a place to be found. The Atheist takes this world. Ath. Had not I, when at home, believed, I had up his content in not come thus far to seek; but finding none, (and yet I should, had there been such a place to be found, for I have gone to seek it farther than you,) I am going back again, and will seek to refresh myself with the things that I then cast away, for hopes of that which I now see is not. Christian proveth his brother. answer. no mount Zion! the Gate of the Then said Christian to Hopeful, his companion, Is it true which this man hath said? Hope. Take heed, he is one of the Flatterers; Hopeful's gracious remember what it hath cost us once already for our hearkening to such kind of fellows. What! Did we not see from the Delectable Mountains City? Also, are we not now to walk by faith? Let us go on, lest the man with the whip overtake us again. You should have taught me that lesson, which I will round you in the ears withal: "Cease, my son, to hear the instruction that causeth to I err from the words of knowledge." say, my brother, cease to hear him, and let us "believe to the saving of the soul."† Remembrance of former chastise ments is a help against present temptations. Chr. My brother, I did not put the question to thee for that I doubted of the truth of our belief myself, but to prove thee, and to A fruit of an hon- fetch from thee a proof of the honesty of thy heart. As for this man, I know that he is blinded by the god of this world. Let thee and I go on, knowing that we have belief of the truth, and "no lie is of the truth."‡ est heart. Hope. Now do I rejoice in hope of the glory of God. So they turned away from the man, and he, laughing at them, went his way. I then saw in my dream, that they went on until They come to the enchanted ground. they came into a certain country, whose air naturally tended to make one drowsy, if he came a stranger into it. And here Hopeful began to be very dull and heavy to sleep; Hopeful begins to wherefore he said unto Christian, I do now begin to grow so drowsy, that I can scarcely hold open mine eyes; let us lie down here, and take one nap. Christian keeps him awake. be drowsy. By no means, said the other, lest, sleeping, we never awake more. Hope. Why, my brother? Sleep is sweet to the labouring man ; we may be refreshed, if we take a nap. |