CONVERSATION WITH MR. WORLDLY WISEMAN.

11

counsel! there is not a more dan- | for ease this way, seeing so many gerous and troublesome way in the dangers attend it? especially since world than is that into which he (hadst thou but patience to hear hath directed thee; and that thou me) I could direct thee to the obshalt find, if thou wilt be ruled by taining of what thou desirest, withhis counsel. Thou hast met with out the dangers thou in this way something, as I perceive, already; wilt run thyself into. Yea, and for I see the dirt of the Slough of the remedy is at hand. Besides, I Despond is upon thee; but that will add, that instead of those danslough is the beginning of the sor-gers, thou shalt meet with much safety, friendship, and content.

rows that do attend those that go on in that way. Hear me: I am older than thou: thou art like to meet with, in the way which thou goest, wearisomeness, painfulness, hunger, perils, nakedness, sword, lions, dragons, darkness, and, in a word, death, and what not. These things are certainly true, having been confirmed by many testimonies. And why should a man so carelessly cast away himself, by giving heed to a stranger?

CHR. Pray, sir, open this secret to me.

WORLD. Why, in yonder village (the village is named Morality) there dwells a gentleman whose name is Legality, a very judicious man, and a man of a very good name, that has skill to help men off with such burdens He prefers moas thine is from their rality before the strait gate. shoulders; yea, to my knowledge, he hath done a great deal of good this way; ay, and besides, he hath skill to cure those that are somewhat crazed in their wits with their burdens. To him, as I said, thou mayest go, and be helped presently. His house is not quite a mile from this place; and

CHR. Why, sir, this burden upon my back is more terrible to me than all these things which you have mentioned: nay, methinks I care not what I meet with in the way, if so be I can also meet with deliverance from my burden. WORLD. How camest thou by thy if he should not be at home himburden at first?

self, he hath a pretty young man

CHR. By reading this book in my to his son, whose name is Civility, hand.

that can do it (to speak on) as WORLD. I thought so; and it has well as the old gentleman himself: happened unto thee as to other there, I say, thou mayest be eased weak men, who, meddling with of thy burden; and if thou art not things too high for them, do sud-minded to go back to thy former denly fall into thy distractions; habitation (as indeed I would not which distractions do not only un- wish thee), thou mayest send for man men, as thine I perceive have thy wife and children to thee to done thee, but they run them upon this village, where there are houses desperate ventures, to obtain they now standing empty, one of which know not what. thou mayest have at a reasonable CHR. I know what I would ob-rate: provision is there also cheap tain; it is ease from my heavy burden.

WORLD. But why wilt thou seek

and good; and that which will make thy life the more happy is, to be sure thou shalt live by ho

12

EVANGELIST MEETS CHRISTIAN UNDER MOUNT SINAI. nest neighbours, in credit and good Christian knew not what to anfashion. swer; wherefore at present he stood Now was Christian somewhat at speechless before him. Evangelist reaa stand; but presently he con-hen said Evangelist sons afresh with cluded, If this be true which this further, Art not thou gentleman hath said, my wisest course is to take his advice; and with that he thus further spake. CHR. Which is my way to this honest man's house?

WORLD. Do you see yonder high hill?

CHR. Yes, very well.

WORLD. By that hill you must go, and the first house you come at is his.

:

Christian.

the man that I found crying without the walls of the city of Destruction?

CHR. Yes, dear sir, I am the

man.

EVAN. Did not I direct thee the way to the little wicket-gate?

CHR. Yes, dear sir, said Christian.

EVAN. How is it then that thou art so quickly turned aside? For thou art now out of the way.

CHR. I met with a gentleman so soon as I had got over the Slough of Despond, who persuaded me that I might, in the village before me, find a man that could take off burden.

my

EVAN. What was he?

CHR. He looked like a gentleman, and talked much to me, and got me at last to yield: so I came hither; but when I beheld this hill, and how it hangs over the way, I suddenly made a stand; lest it should fall on my head.

So Christian turned out of his way to go to Mr. Legality's house for help but behold, when he was got now hard by the hill, it seemed so high, and also that side of it that was next the way-side did hang so much over, that Christian was afraid to venture fartner, lest the hill should fall on his head; wherefore there he stood still, and wotted not what to do. Also his burden now seemed heavier to him than while he was in his way. There came also flashes of fire, Exod. xix. 16, 18, out of the hill, that made Christian afraid that he should be burnt: here therefore he did sweat, and quake for fear, Heb. xii. 21. And now he began to be sorry that he had taken Mr. Worldly Wiseman's counsel: and with that he saw Evangelist com-family: and I told him. But, said ing to meet him, at the sight also, of whom he began to blush for shame. So Evangelist drew nearer and nearer; and coming up to him, he looked upon him with a severe and dreadful countenance, and thus began to reason with Christian.

EVAN. What dost thou here, Christian? said he: at which words

* Knew.

EVAN. What said that gentleman to you?

CHR. Why, he asked me whither
I was going; and I told him.

EVAN. And what said he then?
CHR. He asked me if I had a

I am so laden with the burden that is on my back, that I cannot take pleasure in them as formerly.

EVAN. And what said he then?

CHR. He bid me with speed get rid of my burden; and I told him it was ease that I sought: And, said I, I am therefore going to yonder gate, to receive further direction how I may get to the place of

HE CONVINCES CHRISTIAN OF HIS ERROR.

list.

13

deliverance. So he said that he bling, as at first, before Evangewould show me a better way, and short, not so attended with difficulties as the way, sir, that you set me in; which way, said he, will direct you to a gentleman's house that hath skill to take off these burdens: so I believed him, and turned out of that way into this, if haply I might be soon eased of my burden. But when I came to this place, and beheld things as they are, I stopped, for fear (as I said) of danger: but I now know not what to do.

his error.

EVAN. Then said Evangelist, Evangelist con- Stand still a little, vinces him or that I may show thee the words of God. So he stood trembling. Then said Evangelist, "See that ye refuse not Him that speaketh: for if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from Him that speaketh from heaven," Heb. xii. 25. He said, moreover, "Now the just shall live by faith; but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him," Heb. x. 38. He also did thus apply them; Thou art the man that art running into misery; thou hast begun to reject the counsel of the Most High, and to draw back thy foot from the way of peace, even almost to the hazarding of thy perdition.

de

Then Evangelist proceeded, saying, Give more earnest heed to the things that I shall tell thee of. I will now show thee who it was that deluded thee, and who it was also to whom he sent thee. That man that met thee is one Worldly Wiseman; and right- Mr. Worldly ly is he so called; Wiseman partly because he sa- scribed by Evangelist. voureth only of the doctrine of this world, 1 John iv. 5; (therefore he always goes to the town of Morality to church;) and partly because he loveth that doctrine best, for it saveth him from the cross, Gal. vi. 12; and because he is of this carnal temper, therefore he seeketh to pervert my ways, though right. Now there are three things in this man's counsel, that thou must utterly abhor.

1. His turning thee out of the way.

2. His labouring to render the cross odious to thee.

3. And his setting thy feet in that way that leadeth unto the administration of death.

First, Thou must abhor his turning thee out of the way; yea, and thine own consenting thereto; because this is to reject the counsel of God for the sake of the counsel of a Worldly Wiseman. The Lord says, "Strive to enter in at the Then Christian fell down at his strait gate," Luke xiii. 24; the feet as dead, crying, Woe is me, for gate to which I send thee; "for I am undone! At the sight of which strait is the gate that leadeth unto Evangelist caught him by the right lite, and few there be that find it," hand, saying, "All manner of sin Matth. vii. 13, 14. From this little and blasphemies shall be forgiven wicket-gate, and from the way unto men," Matt. xii. 31. "Be thereto, hath this wicked man not faithless, but believing," John turned thee, to the bringing of thee xx. 27. Then did Christian again almost to destruction: hate, therea little revive, and stood up trem-fore, his turning thee out of the

14

EVANGELIST CONVINCES HIM OF HIS ERROR.

way, and abhor thyself for heark- and Mr. Legality is a cheat; and for ening to him. his son Civility, notwithstanding Secondly, Thou must abhor his his simpering looks, he is but a labouring to render the cross odi- hypocrite, and cannot help thee. ous unto thee; for thou art to pre-Believe me, there is nothing in all fer it before the treasures of Egypt, this noise that thou hast heard of Heb. xi. 25, 26. Besides, the King these sottish men, but a design to of glory hath told thee, that he beguile thee of thy salvation, by that will save his life shall lose it. turning thee from the way in which And he that comes after him, and I had set thee. After this, Evanhates not his father, and mother, gelist called aloud to the heavens and wife, and children, and bre- for conformation of what he had thren, and sisters, yea, and his said; and with that there came own life also, he cannot be his dis- words and fire out of the mountain ciple, Mark viii. 38; John xii. 25; under which poor Christian stood, Matt. x. 39; Luke xiv. 26. I say, which made the hair of his flesh therefore, for man to labour to per- stand up. The words were thus suade thee that that shall be thy pronounced, "As many as are of death, without which, the truth the works of the law are under the hath said, thou canst not have eter-curse; for it is written, Cursed is nal life: this doctrine thou must every one that continueth not in abhor. all things which are written in the Thirdly, Thou must hate his set-book of the law to do them." Gal. ting of thy feet in the way that leadeth to the ministration of death. And for this thou must consider to whom he sent thee, and also how unable that person was to deliver thee from thy burden.

He to whom thou wast sent for ease, being by name Legality, is the son of the bond-woman which now is, and is in bondage with her children, Gal. iv. 21-27; and is, in a mystery, this Mount Sinai, which thou hast feared will fall on thy head. Now if she with her children are in bondage, how canst thou expect by them to be made free? This Legality, therefore, is not able to set thee free from thy burden. No man was as yet ever rid of his burden by him; no, nor ever is like to be: ye cannot be justified by the works of the law; for by the deeds of the law no man living can be rid of his burden. Therefore Mr. Worldly Wiseman is an alien,

iii. 10.

Now Christian looked for nothing but death, and began to cry out lamentably; even cursing the time in which he met with Mr. Worldly Wiseman; still calling himself a thousand fools for hearkening to his counsel. He also was greatly ashamed to think that this gentleman's arguments, flowing only from the flesh, should have the prevalency with him so far as to cause him to forsake the right way. This done, he applied himself again to Evangelist in words and sense as follows.

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 sent back from Christian inthence ashamed? I quires if he may am sorry I have heark- yet be happy. ened to this man's counsel; but may my sin be forgiven?

CHRISTIAN KNOCKS AT AND ENTERS IN AT THE GATE.

EVAN. Then said Evangelist to him, Thy sin is very great, for by it thou hast committed two evils; thou hast forsaken the way that is good, to tread in forbidden paths. Yet will the man at the gate receive thee, for he has goodwill for men; only, said he, take heed that thou turn not aside again, lest thou "perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little," Psa. ii. 12. Then did Christian address Evangelist himself to go back; comforts him. and Evangelist, after he had kissed him, gave him one smile, and bid him God-speed; so he went on with haste, neither spake he to any man by the way; nor if any asked him, would he vouchsafe them an answer. He went like one that was all the while treading on forbidden ground, and could by no means think himself safe, till again he was got into the way which he had left to follow Mr. Worldly Wiseman's counsel; so in process of time, Christian got up to the gate. Now over the gate there was written, 66 'Knock, and it shall be opened unto you," Matt.. vii. 7.

He knocked, therefore, more than once or twice, saying,

"May I now enter here? Will he within
Open to sorry me, though I have been
An undeserving rebel? Then shall I
Not fail to sing his lasting praise on high."

At last there came a grave person
to the gate, named Goodwill, who
asked who was there, and whence
he came, and what he would have.

CHR. Here is a poor burdened sinner. I come from the city of Destruction, but am going to Mount Zion, that I may be delivered from the wrath to come: I would therefore, sir, since I am informed that by this gate is the way thither,

15

know if you are willing to let me in.

GOOD. I am willing with all my heart, said he and The gate will with that he opened be opened to the gate.

broken-hearted sinners.

So when Christian was stepping in, the other gave him a pull. Then said Christian, What means that? The other told him, A little distance from this gate, there is erected a strong castle, of which Beelzebub is the captain; from thence both he and they that are with him, shoot arrows at those that come up to this gate, if haply those that enter they may die before the strait gate. they can enter in. Christian enThen said Christian, I ters the gate with joy and rejoice and tremble. trembling. So when he was got in, the man of the gate asked him who directed him thither.

Satan envies

CHR. Evangelist bid me come hither and knock, as Talk between I did: and he said, Goodwill that you, sir, would tell me what I must do.

Christian.

and

GOOD. An open door is set before thee, and no man can shut it.

CHR. Now I begin to reap the benefit of my hazards.

GOOD. But how is it that you came alone?

CHR. Because none of my neighbours saw their danger, as I saw mine.

GOOD. Did any of them know of your coming?

CHR. Yes, my wife and children saw me at the first, and called after me to turn again: also some of my neighbours stood crying and calling after me to return; but I put my fingers in my ears, and so came on my way.

GOOD. But did none of them fol.