ly venturous as to fet out lightly on pilgrimage, and to come without a guide. Poor Chriftian! It was a wonde that he here efcaped; but he was beloved of his God: All he had a good heart of his own, or elfe he could new Lave done it. Now they drew towards the end of the wa and just there where Chriftian had feen the cave when went by, out thence came forth Maul a giant. This Ma did ufe to fpoil young pilgrims with fophiftry, and he ca led Great-heart by his name, and faid,un He quarrels with him, How many times have ye been f Great-heart. bidden to do these things? Then faid M Great-heart, what things? What thing quoth the giant; you know what things: But I will an end to your trade. But, pray, faid Mr. Great-heat before we fall to it, let us understand wherefore we m fight. (Now the women and children ftood trembling, knew not what to do.) Quoth the giant, you rob the cour try, and rob it with the worst of thieves. Thefe are generals, faid Mr. Great-heart; come to particulars, ma Then faid the giant, thou practifeth craft of a kidnapper, thou gathereft women and children, and carrieth them to a frange country, to the weakning my mafter's kingdom. But now Grea heart replied, I am a fervant of the God of Heaven ; business is to perfuade finners to repentance; I am com manded to do my endeavour to turn me women, and children from darkness to ligh and from the power of Satan to God; an if this be, indeed, the ground of thy quar rel, let us fall to it as foon as thou wilt. Then the giant came up, and Mr. Great-heart went meet him; and as he went he drew his fword, but the gian had a club; fo without more ado they fell to it, and atth frit blow the giant ftruck Mr. Great-heart down upon of his knees; with that the women an children cried: So Mr. Great-heart recover ing himself, laid about him in full lub manner, and gave the giant a wound his arms; that he fought for the space an hour, to that height of heat, that breath came out the giants noftrils, as beat doth out of a boiling cauldron. The Ged's minifters counted as kid nappers. The giant and Mr. Great-beart muft fight. Weak folks prayers at some times help Arong folks crits. Then they fat down to reft them; but Mr. Great-heart ok himfelf to prayer; alfo the women and children did hing but figh and cry all the time that the battle did When they had refted them, and taken ath, they both fell to it again; and Mr. The giant firuck eat-heart, with a full blow, fetched the down. at down to the ground: Nay, hold, let recover, faid he. So Mr. Great heart let him fairly up: So to it they went again, and the giant miffed but le of breaking Mr. Great-hearts fkull with his club. Mr. Great-heart feeing that, runs to him in the full of his fpirit, and pierced him under the fifth rib; with the giant began to faint, and could hold up his club longer: Then Mr. Great-heart feconded blow, and fmote the head of the giant He is flain, and m his fhoulders. Then the women and his head difpo dren rejoiced, and Mr. Great-heart also sed of. aifed God for the deliverance he had ought. When this was done, they among themselves erected a lar, and fattened the giant's head thereon, and wrote un❤ tit, in letters that paffengers might read, He that did wear this head was one He ftopp'd their way, he fpar'd none, Now I faw that they went to the afcent that was, a lit eway off, caft up to be a profpect for pilgrims (that was e place from whence Chriftian had the first fight of Faithal his brother); wherefore here they fat down and refted; ey alfo here did eat and drink, and make merry, for at they had gotten deliverance from this fo dangerous enemy. As they fat thus and did eat, Chrikiana alked e guide if he had caught no hurt in the battle: Then Aid Mr. Great-heart, No, fave a little on my flesh; yet La that alfo fhall be fo far from being to my detriment, it is at prefent a proof of my love to my Mafter and yo and fhall be a means, by grace, to increase my reward laft. 2 Cor. 4. Difcourfe of the fight. It is my duty, faid he, to mistrust own ability, that I may have reliance Him that is ftronger than all. But w did you think, when he fetched you down to the grou at the first blow? Why I thought, quoth he, that fo Mafter himself was ferved, and yet He it was that quered at laft. Matthew here admires Ged's goodness. Matt. When you all have thought w you please, I think God has been wond ful good unto us, both in bringing u of this valley, and in delivering us out the hand of this enemy; for my part, I fee no reason we should diftruft our God any more, fince he has ne and in fuch a place as this, given us fuch teftimony of love as this. But was you not afraid, good Sir, w you faw him come with his club? Then they got up, and went forwa Now a little before them food an oak, under it, when they came to it, they for an old pilgrim faft afleep: they knew he was a pilgrim by his cloaths, and ftaff, and his girdle. Old Honeft aSleep under an oak. So the guide, Mr. Great-heart, awaked him; and old gentleman, as he lift up his eyes, cried out, Whi the matter? who are you? and what is your business he Great-beart. Come, man, be not fo hot, here is but friends: Yet the old man gets up, ftands upon his guard, and will know them what they were. Then faid the guid My name is Great-heart, I am the guide thefe pilgrims which are going to the cel tial country. One faint fometimes takes another for his ene my. Talk between Honeft. Then faid Mr. Honeft, I cry Great beart and mercy; I feared you had been of the co bim. pany of thofe that fome time ago did Little Faith of his money; but now I better about me, I perceive you are honeßler people. Gr Great-heart. Why, what would, or could you have done, have helped yourfelf, if we indeed had been of that tapany? Hon Done! why I would have fought as long as breath been in me; and had I to done, I am fure you could er have given me the worst on't; for a Christian can er be overcome, unless he should yield of himself. Great-heart. Well faid, father Honeft, quoth the guide; by this I know thou art a cock of the right kind, for u haft faid the truth. Hon. And by this alfo I know that thou knowest what pilgrimage is; for all others do think that we are the nell overcome of any. Great-heart. Well, now we are happily met, pray let T crave your name, and the name of the place you came ́ m? Hon. My name I cannot, but I came Whence Mr. m the town of Stupidity; it lieth about Honeft came. ar degrees beyond the city of Destruction. Great-heart. Oh! are you that countryman ? then I deemi ave half a guefs of you, your name is ald Honest, is ia So the old gentleman blufhed and faid, not honeft in e abstract, but Honeft is my name, and I wish my nature by agree to what I am called. Hon. But, Sir, faid the old gentleman, how could you efs that I am fuch a man, fince I came from fuch a lace ? Great-heart. I had heard of you before by my mafter, for e knows all things that are done on the arth: Bat I have often wondered that any Stupified ones hould come from your place, for your town are worse than I worse than is the city of Destruction it- thofe merely elf. carnal. Hon: Yea, we lie more off from the fun, 2 nd fo are more cold and fenfelefs; but was a man in a mountain of ice, yet if the fun of righteoufnefs will arife pon him, his frozen heart fhall feel a thaw; and thus it as been with me. Great-beart. I believe it, father Honeft, I believe it; for I know the thing is true. Then the old gentleman faluted all the pilgrims with a holy kifs of charity, and asked them of their names, and L. 3 how how they had fared fince they fet out on their pilg mage. Old Honeft and Chrift. Then faid Chriftiana, My na Chriftiana talk. I fuppofe you have heard of good Ch tian was my husband, and these four w his children: But can you think how the old gentlem was taken when she told him who he was? he fkipped, fmiled, and bleffed them with a thousand good withes, ing, I have heard much of your husband, and of his vels and wars, which he underwent in his days. Be it f ken to your comfort, the name of your husband rings over thefe parts of the world; his faith, his courage, enduring, and his fincerity under all, has made his na famous. He also talls with the boys Old Mr. Ho nef's bleffing on them. Then he turned to the boys and af them of their names, which they told hi and then faid he unto them, Matthew like Matthew the publican not in vice, in virtue. Samuel, faith he, be thou li Samuel the prophet, a man of faith prayer. Jofeph, faith he, be thou like feph in Potiphar's houfe, chafte, and of that flies from temptation. And, Jame be thou like James the just, and like Jam the brother of our Lord. Then they told him of Merc and how the had left her town, and her kindred, to com along with Chriftiana and her fons: that the old honest man faid, Mercy is th name, by mercy fhalt thou be fustained: and carried thro' all thofe difficulties tha fhall affault thee in thy way, till thou shalt come thither where thou shalt look the fountain of mercy in the fac with comfort. Matth. 10, 3. He blefleth All this while the guide, Mr. Great-heart, was ver well pleased, and failed upon his companion. Now, as they walked together, the guide afked the old gentleman if he did not know one M Fearing, that came on pilgrimage out of his parts. Hon. Yes, very well, faid he: He was man that had the root of the matter in him; but he w one of the most troublesome pilgrims that ever I met with in all my days. Great Talk of one Mr. |
