Watchful, the Porter. 69 was Graceless; I came of the race of Japheth, whom God will persuade to dwell in the tents of Shem (Gen. ix. 27). Por. But how doth it happen that you come so late? The sun is set. Chr. I had been here sooner, but that, wretched man that I am!" I slept in the arbour that stands on the hill side. Nay, I had, notwithstanding that, been here much sooner, but that, in my sleep, I lost my evidence, and came without it to the brow of the hill; and then feeling for it, and finding it not, I was forced with sorrow of heart to go back to the place where I slept my sleep, where I found it; and now I am come. Por. Well, I will call out one of the virgins of this place, who will, if she likes your talk, bring you in to the rest of the family, according to the rules of the house. So Watchful, the porter, rang a bell, at the sound of which came out at the door of the house a grave and beautiful damsel, named Discretion, and asked why she was called. The porter answered, This man is on a journey from the City of Destruction to Mount Zion; but being weary and benighted, he asked me if he might lodge here tonight; so I told him I would call for thee, who, after discourse had with him, mayest do as seemeth thee good, even according to the law of the house. Then she asked him whence he was, and whither he was going; and he told her. She asked him also how he got into the way; and he told her. Then she asked him him what he had seen and met with in the way; and he told her. And last she asked his name; so he said, It is Christian, and I have so much the more a desire to lodge here to-night, because, by what I perceive, this place was built by the Lord of the hill for the relief and security of pilgrims. So she smiled, but the water stood in her eyes; and after a little pause she said, I will call forth two or three more of the family. So she ran to the door, and called out Prudence, Piety, CHRISTIAN DISCOURSING WITH PIETY, PRUDENCE, and Charity, who, after a little more discourse with him, had him into the family; and many of them meeting him at the threshold of the house, said, "Come in, thou blessed of the Lord;" this house was built by the Lord of the hill, on purpose to entertain such pilgrims in. Then he bowed his head, and followed them into Particular Discourse. 71 the house. So when he was come in and sat down, they gave him something to drink, and consented together that, until supper was ready, some of them should have some particular discourse with Christian, for the best improvement of time; and they appointed Piety, and Prudence, and Charity, to discourse with him; and thus they began: Piety discourses him. Piety. Come, good Christian, since we have been so loving to you, to receive you in our house this night, let us, if perhaps we may better ourselves thereby, talk with you of all things that have happened to you in your pilgrimage. Chr. With a very good will; and I am glad that you are so well disposed. Piety. What moved you at first to betake yourself to a pilgrim's life? Chr. I was driven out of my native country, by a dreadful sound that was in mine ears; to wit, that unavoidable destruction did attend me, if I abode in that place where I was. How Christian was driven out of his own country. Piety. But how did it happen that you came out of your country this way? Chr. It was as God would have it; for when I was under the fears of destruction, I did not know whither to go; but by chance there came a man, even to me, as I was trembling and weeping, whose name is Evangelist, and he directed me to the Wicket-gate, which else I should never have found, and so he set me into the way that hath led me directly to this house. How he got into the way to Zion. Piety. But did you not come by the house of the Interpreter? Chr. Yes, and did see such things there, the remembrance of which will stick A rehearsal of what he saw in the way. by me as long as I live; especially three things: to wit, 72 Particular Discourse. how Christ, in despite of Satan, maintains his work of grace in the heart; how the man had sinned himself quite out of hopes of God's mercy; and also the dream of him that thought in his sleep the day of judgment was come. Piety. Why, did you hear him tell his dreain? Chr. Yes, and a dreadful one it was. I thought it made my heart ache as he was telling of it; but yet I am glad I heard it. Piety. Was that all you saw at the house of the Interpreter? Chr. No: he took me, and had me where he showed me a stately palace, and how the people were clad in gold that were in it; and how there came a venturous man and cut his way through the armed men that stood in the door to keep him out; and how he was bid to come in and win eternal glory. Methought those things did ravish my heart. I would have stayed at that good man's house a twelvemonth, but that I knew I had further to go. Piety. And what saw you else in the way? Chr. Saw why, I went but a little further, and I saw One, as I thought in my mind, hang bleeding upon the tree; and the very sight of him made my burden fall off my back (for I groaned under a heavy burden; but then it fell down from off me). It was a strange thing to me, for I never saw such a thing before; yea, and while I stood looking up (for then I could not forbear looking), three Shining Ones came to me. One of them testified that my sins were forgiven me; another stripped me of my rags, and gave me this broidered coat which you see; and the third set the mark which you see in my forehead, and gave me this sealed roll (and with that he plucked it out of his bosom). Piety. But you saw more than this, did you not? Chr. The things that I have told you were the best; yet some other matters I saw, as, namely, I saw three Christian's Choice. 73 men, Simple, Sloth, and Presumption, lie asleep, a little out of the way, as I came, with irons upon their heels; but do you think I could awake them? I also saw Formality and Hypocrisy come tumbling over the wall, to go, as they pretended, to Zion; but they were quickly lost, even as I myself did tell them, but they would not believe. But, above all, I found it hard work to get up this hill, and as hard to come by the lions' mouths; and truly if it had not been for the good man, the porter that stands at the gate, I do not know but that, after all, I might have gone back again: but now, I thank God I am here, and I thank you for receiving of me. Then Prudence thought good to ask him a few questions, and desired his answer to them. Prudence discourses him. Pru. Do you not think sometimes of the country from whence you came? Christian's Chr. Yes, but with much shame and detestation : "truly, if I had been mindful of that country from whence I came out, I might thoughts of his have had opportunity to have returned; but now I desire a better country, that is, an heavenly" (Heb. xi. 15, 16). native coun try. Christian distasted with carnal cogita tions. Pru. Do you not yet bear away with you some of the things that then you were conversant withal? Chr. Yes, but greatly against my will; especially my inward and carnal cogitations, with which all my countrymen, as well as myself, were delighted: but now all those things are my grief; and might I but choose mine own things, I would choose never to think of those things more; but when I would be doing of that which is best, that which is worst is with me (Rom. vii.) Pru. Do you not find sometimes as if those things were vanquished, which at other times are your perplexity? Christian's choice. |