FORMALIST AND HYPOCRISY.

35

you, a gulf that hath no bottom: awake, therefore, and come away; be willing also, and I will help you off with your irons. He also told them, If he that goeth about like a roaring lion, 1 Pet. v. 8, comes by, you will certainly become a prey to his teeth. With that they looked upon him, and began to reply in this sort: Simple said, I see no danger; Sloth said, Yet a little God openeth not more sleep; and Presumption said, Every tub must the eyes. stand upon its own bottom. And so they lay down to sleep again, and Christian went on his way.

There is no per

uasion will do if

Yet was he troubled to think, that men in that danger should so little esteem the kindness of him that so freely offered to help them, both by awakening of them, counselling of them, and proffering to help them off with their irons. And as he was troubled thereabout, he espied two men come tumbling over the wall on the left hand of the narrow way; and they made up apace to him. The name of the one was Formalist, and the name of the other Hypocrisy (f.) So, as I said, they drew up unto him, who thus entered with them into discourse. CHR. Gentlemen, whence came you, and whither do you go? FORM. and HYP. We were born in the land of Vain- Christian glory, and are going for praise to mount Zion.

with him.

talks

CHR. Why came you not in at the gate which standeth at the beginning of the way? Know ye not that it is written, that "he that cometh not in by the door, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber?" John x. 1.

FORM. and HYP. They said, that to go to the gate for entrance was by all their countrymen counted too far about; and that therefore their usual way was to make a short cut of it, and to climb over the wall as they had done.

CHR. But will it not be counted a trespass against the Lord of the city whither we are bound, thus to violate his revealed will?

FORM. and HYP. They told him, that as for that, he needed not to trouble his head thereabout: for what they did they had custom for, and could produce, if need were, testimony that would witness it, for more than a thousand years.

CHR. But, said Christian, will your practice stand a trial at law? FORM. and HYP. They told him, that custom, it being of so long

(f) Formalist and Hypocrisy.-The formalist is one who trusts in the observance of the outward forms of religion. "We have eaten and drank in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets," Luke xiii. 26; Matt. vii. 22. The hypocrite trusts in the pretence of religion. "They come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee as my people, and they hear thy words, but they will not of them," Ezek. xxxiii. 31; Matt. vi. 1-5, 16; Rev. iii. 1.

They are classed together, because they both came tumbling over the wall into the narrow way. This is the turning point of the conversation between Christian and them. He insists that their profession of religion-which is represented by their walking in the narrow way, cannot be genuine or lead to heaven, because they did not enter by the Wicket-gate; in other words, did not come as sinners who cast themselves on the free grace of God. On the other hand, all the other blessings he had obtained, the new robe, the mark in the forehead, and the roll, followed naturally in consequence of his entering by the gate, Rom. viii. 30. They began with slighting God's will, he began with submitting to it.

36

Into the way, but not

FORMALIST AND HYPOCRISY.

standing as above a thousand years, would doubtless now be admitted as a thing legal by an impartial judge and besides, They that come said they, if we get into the way, what matter is it by the door, think which way we get in? If we are in we are in: thou that they can say art but in the way, who, as we perceive, came in at dication of their the gate; and we are also in the way, that came own practice. tumbling over the wall: wherein now is thy condi

something in vin

tion better than ours?

CHR. I walk by the rule of my Master: you walk by the rude working of your fancies. You are counted thieves already by the Lord of the way; therefore I doubt you will not be found true men at the end of the way. You come in by yourselves without his direction, and shall go out by yourselves without his mercy.

To this they made him but little answer; only they bid him look to himself. Then I saw that they went on every man in his way, without much conference one with another; save that these two men told Christian, that as to laws and ordinances, they doubted not but that they should as conscientiously do them as he. Therefore, said they, we see not wherein thou differest from us, but by the coat that is on thy back (9), which was, as we trow, given thee by some of thy neighbours, to hide the shame of thy nakedness.

Christian has

got his Lord's coat is comforted there

on his back, and

with.

CHR. By laws and ordinances you will not be saved, since you came not in by the door, Gal. ii. 16. And as for this coat that is on my back, it was given me by the Lord of the place whither I go; and that, as you say, to cover my nakedness with. And I take it as a token of his kindness to me; for I had nothing but rags before. And besides, thus I comfort myself as I go. Surely, think I, when I come to the gate of the city, the Lord thereof will know me for good, since I have his coat on my back; a coat that he gave me freely in the day that he stript He is comforted me of my rags. I have moreover, a mark in my forealso with his mark head, of which perhaps you have taken no notice, which one of my Lord's most intimate associates fixed there in the day that my burden fell off my shoulders. I will tell you, moreover, that I had then given me a roll sealed, to comfort me by reading as Í go in the way; I was also bid to give it in at the celestial gate, in

and his roll.

(g) Christian not ashamed of his coat.

"Since the dear hour that brought me to Thy foot,
And cut up all my follies by the root,

I never trusted in an arm but Thine,

Nor hop'd but in Thy righteousness divine.
My prayers and alms, imperfect and defiled,
Were but the feeble efforts of a child;
Howe'er performed, it was their brightest part,
That they proceeded from a grateful heart;
Cleansed in Thine own all-purifying blood,
Forgive their evil and accept their good;
I cast them at Thy feet-my only plea
Is what it was, dependence upon thee:
While struggling in the vale of tears below,
That never failed, nor shall it fail me now."

CHRISTIAN REACHES THE HILL DIFFICULTY.

37

token of my certain going in after it; all which things I doubt you want, and want them because you came not in at the gate.

Christian

has

To these things they gave him no answer; only they looked upon each other, and laughed. Then I saw that they went on all, save that Christian kept before, who had no more talk but with himself (h), and that sometimes sighingly, and some- talk with himself. times comfortably: also he would be often reading in the roll that one of the Shining Ones gave him, by which he was refreshed.

He comes to the

I beheld then, that they all went on till they came to the foot of the hill Difficulty, at the bottom of which was a spring (i). There were also in the same place two other ways, hill Difficulty. besides that which came straight from the gate one turned to the left hand, and the other to the right, at the bottom of the hill; but the narrow way lay right up the hill, and the name of the going up the side of the hill is called Difficulty. Christian now went to the spring, Isa. xlix. 10, and drank thereof to refresh himself, and then began to up go the hill, saying,

The hill, though high, I covet to ascend;
The difficulty will not me offend;

For I perceive the way to life lies here:

Come, pluck up heart, let's neither faint nor fear.
Better, though difficult, the right way to go,
Than wrong, though easy, where the end is woe

But when they saw

The other two also came to the foot of the hill. that the hill was steep and high, and that there were two other ways to go; and supposing also that these two ways might meet again with that up which Christian went, on the other side of the hill; therefore they were resolved to go in those ways. Now the name of one of those ways was Danger, and the name of the other Destruction (j). So the one took the way which is called Danger, which led The danger him into a great wood; and the other took directly up turning out of the the way to Destruction, which led him into a wide field, way. full of dark mountains, where he stumbled and fell, and rose no more. I looked then after Christian, to see him go up the hill (k), where I

of

(h) Christian has talk with himself.-Christian talked sometimes sighingly and sometimes comfortably. Even though pardoned, and on the way to glory, the pilgrim may lay his account with seasons of depression, from his imperfections and temptations, Ps. xlii. 10, 11.

(i) The Spring.-In keeping with the allegory, at differert stages of the journey provision is made for the refreshment of pilgrims. Now it is a spring, at another time a feast, at another a river, and so forth. By these are represented, either seasons of spiritual refreshment, or the truths and promises by which the soul is refreshed. Thus, when David was at the lowest point of depression, driven from his own country by Saul, driven from the Philistines by fear, Ziklag burned, his family in captivity, and his own men ready to revolt, we read, "But David encouraged himself in the Lord his God," and thus climbed the Hill Difficulty with success.

(j) Danger and Destruction. These are the true names of the two bye-paths, but Formalist and Hypocrisy would have called them Peace and Safety, 1 Thess. v. 3. The character of these professors is tested by the first great difficulty they encounter, and it is found that they who consulted their own ease in entering the way, consult their ease also in leaving it.

(k) The Hill Difficulty.-By this we are to understand the first great trial which a Christian experiences after embracing Christ. It may either be an arduous duty, or

38

CHRISTIAN CLIMBS THE HILL. THE ARBOUR.

perceived he fell from ruuning to going, and from going to clambering upon his hands and knees, because of the steepness of the place. Now about the mid-way to the top of the hill was a pleasant A ward of grace. arbour (1), made by the Lord of the hill for the refreshment of weary travellers. Thither, therefore, Christian got, where also he sat down to rest him: then he pulled his roll out of his bosom, and read therein to his comfort; he also now began afresh to take a

a loser.

review of the coat or garment that was given him as he stood by the cross. Thus pleasing himself awhile, he at last fell into a slumber, and thence into a fast sleep, which detained him in that place until it He that sleeps is Was almost night; and in his sleep his roll fell out of his hand. Now as he was sleeping, there came one to him, and awaked him, saying, "Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise," Prov. vi. 6. And with that Christian suddenly started up, and sped him on his way, and went apace till he came to the top of the hill.

Now when he was got up to the top of the hill, there came two men running to meet him amain; the name of the one was Timorous, and a heavy afflction. Anything which thoroughly tests his faith, and calls forth his spiritual energies, is a Hill Difficulty, Acts iv. 3.

(1) The Arbour.-As the Hill Difficulty represents arduous work, so the arbour represents a brief season of rest in it. Thus, the early Church, after Saul's persecutions, "had rest, and were edified, and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied." Christian had a right to this short season of repose, for the arbour was placed there by the Lord of the hili; but he sinned in waiting too long, neglecting present duty, and falling asleep. The roll by which he was assured of salvation falls out of his hand, for he could keep it no longer than when doing Christ's work. He who is assured of heaven while neglecting his duty, or living in sin, is deceiving himself, Deut. xxix. 19, 20; Ps. xxxvi. 2; Luke xi. 35.

HE MISSES HIS ROLL.

39

of the other Mistrust (m): to whom Christian said, Sirs, what's the matter? you run the wrong way. Timorous answered, Christian meets that they were going to the city of Zion, and had got with Mistrust and up that difficult place: but, said he, the farther we

Timorous.

go, the more danger we meet with; wherefore we turned, and are going back again.

Yes, said Mistrust, for just before us lie a couple of lions in the way, whether sleeping or waking we know not; and we could not think, if we came within reach, but they would presently pull us in pieces.

CHR. Then said Christian, You make me afraid; but whither shall I fly to be safe? If I go back to my own country, that is prepared for fire and brimstone, and I shall certainly perish there; if I can get to the celestial city, I am sure to be in safety there: I Christian shakes off must venture. To go back is nothing but death: to fear.

go forward is fear of death, and life everlasting beyond it; I will yet go forward. So Mistrust and Timorous ran down the hill, and Christian went on his way. But thinking again of what he heard from the men he felt in his bosom for his roll, that he might Christian misses read therein, and be comforted; but he felt, and found his roll wherein he it not (n.) Then was Christian in great distress, and used to take comfort. knew not what to do; for he wanted that which used to relieve him, and that which should have been his pass into the celestial city. Here, therefore, he began to be much perplexed, and He is perplexed for knew not what to do. At last he bethought himself his roll.

that he had slept in the arbour that is on the side of the hill; and, falling down upon his knees, he asked God forgiveness for that his foolish act, and then went back to look for his roll. But all the way he went back, who can sufficiently set forth the sorrow of Christian's heart? Sometimes he sighed, sometimes he wept, and oftentimes he chid himself for being so foolish to fall asleep in that place, which was

(m) Timorous and Mistrust.-Timorous is a coward, Mistrust a doubter. The one lacked firmness, the other faith, Ps. lxxviii. 8-57; Isa. vii. 9; Jer. viii. 9. The lions are dangers which seem to be in the path of life, but lie rather on each side, and therefore are perilous only to those who wander from the narrow way. Luther's friends tried to frighten him from entering Worms by warning him of dangers, but he knew the path of duty, and replied, "Even should there be as many devils in Worms as tiles on the house tops, still I would enter it," Dan. iii, 16-18.

Christian's reply to Timorous and Mistrust is more like his old language to Worldly Wiseman than his more recent conversation. He speaks of death in going back, and death being the worst in going on, but not a word of Christ, the reason being he had lost his roll. His lively sense of the excellence of Christ, and his right in Christ to all the blessings of salvation were gone, and consequently, it is of heaven and hell he talks, rather than of Christ.

(n) Christian misses his Roll.-Here is to be noted,―(1.) His distress. Having lost his deep conviction of Jesus being a Saviour for him, he cannot be comforted. (2.) His penitence. He lost his sense of his interest in Christ by sin, and cannot have it restored till he has confessed his sin and been forgiven. (3.) His search, He must retrace all his steps painfully, and sadly come to the very spot where his sin began. (4.) The discovery. He was almost happier in being restored to peace with God than when he first found it (5.) His trials. Though forgiven and restored to God's favour, yet he must suffer the just consequences of his sin by walking in darkness. "If they break my statutes, and keep not my commandments, then will I visit their transgressions with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes. Nevertheless, my loving-kindness will I not utterly take from him," Ps. lxxxix. 31-33; Jer. ii. 17.