Mr. Legality's House.

39

tion, as, indeed, I would not wish thee, thou mayest send for thy wife and children to thee to this village, where there are houses now stand empty, one of which thou mayest have at reasonable rates: provision is there also cheap and good; and that which will make thy life the more happy is, to be sure, there thou shalt live by honest neighbours, in credit and good fashion.

Now was Christian somewhat at a stand; but presently he concluded, If this be true, which this gentleman hath said, my wisest course is to take his advice and with that he thus further spake :

Christian snared by Mr. Worldly Wiseman's words.

Chr. Sir, which is my way to this honest man's house?

World. Do you see yonder high hill?
Chr. Yes, very well.

Mount Sinai.

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

Christian afraid that Mount Sinai would fall on his 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 wayside did hang so much over, that Christian was afraid to venture further, 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 out of the hill, that made Christian afraid that he should be burnt (Ex. xix. 16, 18); here, sweat and did 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 coming to meet him; at the sight also of whom he began to blush for shame. So Evangelist drew nearer and nearer; and, coming up

therefore, he

Evangelist findeth Christian under Mount Sinai, and looketh severely upon him.

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Evangelist's Discourse.

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 :

Evangelist reasons afresh with Chris

at which words Christian knew not what to answer; wherefore at present he stood speechless before him. Then said Evangelist further, Art not thou the man that I found crying without the walls of the City of Destruction ?

tian.

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 my burden.

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.

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 family; and I told him. But, said I, I am so loaden 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 fur

ance.

The Words of God.

41

ther direction how I may get to the place of deliverSo he said that he would 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.

66

Evan. Then, said Evangelist, stand still a little, 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 this 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.

Evangel

ist convinceth
Christian
his error.

of

Then Christian fell down at his feet as dead, crying, "Woe is me, for I am undone!" At the sight of which, Evangelist caught him by the right hand, saying, "All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men" (Matt. xii. 31; Mark iii. 28). "Be not faithless, but believing" (John xx. 27). Then did Christian again a little revive, and stood up trembling, as at first, before Evangelist.

Then Evangelist proceeded, saying, Give more earnest heed to the things that I shall tell thee of. I will now show

Mr. Worldly Wiseman described by Evangelist.

thee who it was that deluded thee, and who it was also

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Evangelist's Counsel.

to whom he sent thee: The man that met thee is one Worldly Wiseman, and rightly is he so called; partly because he savoureth 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 best from the cross (Gal.

Evangelist discovers the deceit of Mr. Worldly Wise

man.

vi. 12): and because he is of this carnal temper, therefore he seeketh to prevent 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 strait gate" (Luke xiii. 24), the gate to which I send thee; for 'strait is the gate that leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it " (Matt. vii. 13, 14). From this little Wicket-gate, and from the way thereto, hath this wicked man turned thee, to the bringing of thee almost to destruction; hate, therefore, his turning thee out of the way, and abhor thyself for hearkening to him.

Secondly. Thou must abhor his labouring to render the cross odious unto thee; for thou art to prefer it "before the treasures in Egypt" (Heb. xi. 25, 26). Besides, the King of glory hath told thee, that he that "will save his life shall lose it" (Mark viii. 35; John xii. 25; Matt. x. 39). And, "He that cometh after me, and hateth not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own We also, he cannot be my disciple" (Luke xiv. 26). I

*herefore, for man to labour to persuade thee that

Its Confirmation.

43

that shall be thy death, without which, the Truth hath said, thou canst not have eternal life-this doctrine thou must abhor.

Thirdly. Thou must hate his setting 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.

The bondwoman.

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 likely 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, and Mr. Legality is a cheat; and for his son Civility, notwithstanding his simpering looks, he is but a hypocrite, and cannot help thee. Believe me, there is nothing in all this noise, that thou hast heard of these sottish men, but a design to beguile thee of thy salvation, by turning thee from the way in which I had set thee. After this, Evangelist called aloud to the heavens for confirmation of what he had said; and with that there came words and fire out of the mountain under which poor Christian stood, that made the hair of his flesh stand up. The words were thus pronounced:

As many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them" (Gal. iii. 10).

Now Christian looked for nothing but death, and be