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192

THE KEY PROMISE; THEIR ESCAPE.

Hopeful, that's good news, good brother, pluck it out of thy bosom, and try.* *

Then Christian pulled it out of his bosom, and be gan to try at the dungeon door; whose bolt, as he turned the key, gave back, and the door flew open with ease, and Christian and Hopeful both came out. Then

he went to the outward door that leads into the castle. yard, and with this key opened that door also. After, he went to the iron gate, for that must be opened too, but that lock went very hard; yet the key did open it. Then they thrust open the gate to make their escape with speed; but that gate as it opened, made such a cracking, that it waked Giant Despair, who hastily rising to pursue his prisoners, felt his limbs to fail, for his fits took him again, so that he could by no means go after them. Then they went on, and came to the king's highway, and so were safe, because they were out of his jurisdiction.†

Now, when they were gone over the stile, they began to contrive with themselves what they should do at that stile, to prevent those that should come after from falling into the hand of Giant Despair. So they consented to erect there a pillar, and to engrave upon the side thereof this sentence, "Over this stile is the way to Doubting Castle, which is kept by Giant Despair, who despiseth the king of the Celestial Country, and seeks to destroy the holy pilgrims." Many therefore

• Precious Promise! The promises of God in Christ, are the life of faith, and the quickeners of prayer. O how oft do we neglect God's great and precious promises in Christ Jesus, while doubts and despair keep_us prisoners? So it was with these pilgrims: they were kept under hard bondage of soul for four days. Hence see what it is to grieve the Spirit of God, and dread it. For he only is the Comforter. And if we cause him to with draw his influences, who or what can comfort us? Though precious promises are revealed in the word, yet we can get no comfort from them, but by the grace of the Spirit.

† Mind, though the Spirit works deliverance and brings comfort, yet it is by means of the word of Promise; for as we depart from and dishonour God by unbelief, so we come back to and honour him, by believing his word of grace to us through his beloved Son. In this way the Spirit brings deliverance.

DANGER ESCAPED BY MEANS OF THE PILLAR. 193

that followed after, read what was written, and escaped the danger:*This done they sang as follows:

"Out of the way we went, and then we found
What 'twas to tread upon forbidden ground;
And let them that come after have a care
Lest they, for trespassing, his pris'ners are
Whose castle's Doubting, and whose name's Despair.”

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* Recording our own observations, and the experience we have had of God's dealing with our souls, are made of special and peculiar use to our fellow Christians. But let us ever take heed of self-exalting; ever remembering that all Christian experience is to humble the soul, and exalt the Saviour. As here these two pilgrims, by their own folly, got into DoubtingCastle; so it was by faith in the promise that they escaped from it. This pillar was a memento to their shame, while it was a monument of God's free favour in Christ to them.

Reader? have you, through unbelief, been brought into doubts; and has. the Lord, in his great mercy, sent deliverance to your soul? Keep then, your faith in continual exercise, while you take up the following lines:

Son of God, if thy free grace
Again hath rais'd me up,
Call'd me still to seek thy face,
And given me back my hope:
Still thy timely help afford,
And all thy loving-kindness show;
Keep me, keep me, gracious Lord,
And never let me go.

By me, O my Saviour, stand,

In sore temptation's hour,

Save me with thine out-stretch'd hand,

And shew forth all thy power;

O be mindful of thy word;

Thy all-sufficient grace bestow,
Keep me, keep me, gracious Lord,
And never let me go.

Give me, Lord, a holy fear,
And fix it in my heart;
That I may when doubts appear,
With timely care depart;
Sin be more than hell abhor'd,
Till thou destroy the tyrant foe;
Keep me, keep me, gracious Lord,
And never let me go.

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194

THE SHEPHERDS ENTERTAIN THE PILGRIMS:

CHAPTER XVI.

THE PILGRIMS ENTERTAINED BY THE SHEPHERDS ON THE DELECTABLE MOUNTAINS.

THEY went then till they came to the Delectable Mountains; which mountains belong to the Lord of that hill, of which we have spoken before: so they went up the mountains, to behold the gardens and orchards, the vineyards, and fountains of water; where also they drank and washed themselves, and did freely eat of the vineyards. Now there were on the tops of these mountains, shepherds feeding their flocks, and they stood by the highway side. The pilgrims therefore went to them, and leaning upon their staves (as is common with weary pilgrims when they stand to talk with any by the way,) they asked, "Whose Delectable Mountains are these? and whose be the sheep that feed upon them ?"*

SHEP. The mountains are Emmanuel's Land, and they are within sight of his city; and the sheep also are his, and he laid down his life for them.

CHR. Is this the way to the Celestial City?

SHEP. You are just in the

CHR. How far is it thither?

way.

SHEP. Too far for any, but those that shall get thither indeed.†

CHR. Is the way safe or dangerous?

SHEP. Safe for those for whom it is to be safe; "but transgressors shall fall therein."(a)

* See the ups and downs, the sunshine and clouds, the prosperity and adversity, which Christians go through in their way to the promised Land. Lately, these two pilgrims were bewailing their state in Doubting Castle, under Giant Despair, now they are come to Delectable Mountains, where all is clear, perfect and joyful hope. So that God's word is now comfortably fulfilled upon them; see Isa. xlix 9, 10, 11. "I will make all my mountains a way, and my highways shall be exalted," &c.

O how many professors grow weary of the way, fall short and fail of coming to the end! though the way appears too far, too strait, and too narrow for many who set out; and never hold out to the end; yet, all who are begotten by the word of grace; and born of the Spirit of truth, being kept by the mighty power of God, through an exercise of living faith, unto eternal salvation, shall succeed. 1 Pet. i. 5.

(a) Hos. xiv. 9.

THEIR NAMES, AND DISCOURSE.

195

CHR. Is there in this place any relief for pilgrims, that are weary and faint in the way?

SHEP. The lord of these mountains hath given us a charge "not to be forgetful to entertain strangers ;"(a) therefore the good of the place is before you.

I also saw in my dream, that when the shepherds perceived that they were wayfaring men, they also put questions to them (to which they made answer, as in other places,) as, Whence came you? and, How got you into the way? and, By what means have you so persevered therein? for, but few of them that begin to come hither, do show their faces on this mountain, But when the shepherds heard their answers, being pleased therewith, they looked very lovingly upon them, and said, Welcome to the Delectable Mountains.

The shepherds, I say, whose names were Knowledge, Experience, Watchful, and Sincere, took them by the hand, and had them to their tents, and made them partake of that which was ready at present.* They said, moreover, We would that you should stay here awhile to be acquainted with us, and yet more to solace yourselves with the good of these Delectable Mountains. They then told them, that they were content to stay: so they went to their rest that night, because it was very late.

Then I saw in my dream, that in the morning the shepherds called up Christian and Hopeful, to walk with them upon the mountains: so they went forth with them, and walked awhile, having a pleasant pros. pect on every side. Then said the shepherds one to another, Shall we show these pilgrims some wonders? So, when they had concluded to do it, they had them first to the top of an hill, called Error, which was very steep on the furthest side, and bid them look down"

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*Precious names! what is a pilgrim without knowledge? what is head, knowledge without heart-experience? And watchfulness and sincerity ought attend us every step When these graces are in us and abound, they make delectable mountains indeed.

(a) Heb. xiii. 1. 2.

196 MOUNTS ERROR AND CAUTION; WHERE

to the bottom. So Christian and Hopeful looked down, and saw at the bottom several men dashed all to pieces, by a fall that they had from the top. Then said Christian, What meaneth this? The shepherds answered, Have you not heard of them that were made to err, by hearkening to Hymeneus and Philetus, (a) as concerning the faith of the resurrection of the body? They answered, Yea. Then said the shepherds, Those that you see lie dashed in pieces at the bottom of this mountain are they; and they have continued to this day unburied, as you see, for example to others to take heed how they clamber too high, or how they come too near the brink of this mountain.*

Then I saw they had them to the top of another mountain, and the name of that is Caution, and bid them look afar off:t which when they did, they perceived, as they thought, several men walking up and down among the tombs that were there: and they perceived that the men were blind, because they stumbled sometimes upon the tombs, and because they could not get out from among them. Then said Christian, What means this?

The shepherds then answered, Did you not see a little below these mountains, a stile that leads into a mea dow, on the left hand of this way? They answered, Yes. Then said the shepherds, From that stile there goes a path, that leads directly to Doubting Castle, which is kept by Giant Despair, and these men (pointing to them among the tombs) came once on pilgrimage, as you do now, even till they came to that same stile. And, because the right way was rough in that

The

Fine-spun speculations, and curious reasonings, lead men from simple truth and implicit faith into many dangerous and destructive errors. word records many instances of such for our caution. Be warned to study simplicity and godly sincerity.

It is well for us to be much on this mount. We have constant need of ecaution. Paul takes the Corinthians up to this Mount Caution, and shows them what awful things have happened to professors of old; and he leaves this solemn word for us-" Wherefore let him who thinketh he standeth, take heed lest he fall." 1 Cor. x. 12.

(a) 2 Tim. ii. 17, 18.

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