Loses his burden at the Cross - Simple, Sloth, Presumption, Formalist, Hypocrisy - hill of Difficulty - Timorous and Mistrust - the Arbor - Sleep in the Daytime - misses his roll - the palace Beautiful - the lions - talk with Discretion, Piety, Prudence, and Charity - About the Lord of the Hill - wonders shown to Christian
The Cross
ow
I saw in my dream, that the highway up which CHRISTIAN was to go was
fenced on either side with a wall; and that wall was called "Salvation".
"In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah: 'We have a strong city; God will appoint salvation for walls and bulwarks.'" Isaiah 26:1
So burdened CHRISTIAN ran up this way; but not without great difficulty, because of the load on his back.
He ran thus till he came at a place somewhat upwards; and upon that place stood a Cross, and a little below, in the bottom, a tomb. So I saw in my dream, that just as CHRISTIAN came up to the cross, his burden fell from his shoulders, and from off his back, and began to tumble; and so continued to do till it came to the mouth of the tomb, where it fell in, and that was the last I saw of it.
Then CHRISTIAN was glad and full of light, and said, with a merry heart,
"He has given me rest by his sorrow,
And life by his death."
Then he stood still awhile to look and wonder; for it was very surprising to him, that the sight of the cross should ease him of his burden in this way. He looked therefore, and looked again, even till the springs that were in his head sent tears down his cheeks.
"And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn." Zechariah 12:10
Now, as he stood looking and weeping, behold three shining ones came to him, and saluted him with, "Peace be to you!" so the first said to him, "Your sins be forgiven you";
"When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, 'Son, your sins are forgiven you.'"Mark 2:5
the second stripped him of his rags, and clothed him with a change of clothing;
"Then He answered and spoke to those who stood before Him, saying, 'Take away the filthy garments from him.' And to him He said, 'See, I have removed your iniquity from you, and I will clothe you with rich robes.'" Zechariah 3:4
the third also set a mark in his forehead, and gave him a roll with a seal on it,
"In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise" Ephesians 1:13
which he told to him look upon as he ran, and that he should turn it in at the Celestial Gate: so they went away. Then CHRISTIAN gave three leaps for joy, and went on singing:
"Thus far did I come loaded with my sin,
Nor could anything ease the grief that I was in,
Till I came here. What a place is this!
Must here be the beginning of my bliss!
Must here the burden fall from off my back!
Must here the strings that bound it to me crack!
Blessed cross! blessed tomb! blessed rather be
The Man that there was put to shame for me!"
Simple, Sloth and Presumption
saw then in my dream that he went on this way until he came to the bottom,
where he saw, a little out of the way, three men fast asleep, with shackles
upon their heels. The name of the one was SIMPLE, another SLOTH, and the
third PRESUMPTION.
CHRISTIAN then seeing them lying in this condition, went to them, if he might perhaps awake them, crying, "You are like them that sleep on the top of a mast, for the Dead Sea is under you, a gulf that has no bottom.
"Yes, you will be like one who lies down in the midst of the sea, Or like one who lies at the top of the mast."Proverbs 23:34
Wake up now, and come away; be willing also, and I will help you off with your irons." He also told them, "If he that goes about like a roaring lion comes by, you will certainly become a prey to his teeth".
"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour." 1 Peter 5:8
With that they looked at him, and began to reply in this way:
Simple said, "I see no danger."
Sloth said, "Let me sleep a little more."
And Presumption said, "Every vat must stand upon its own bottom."
And so they laid down to sleep again; and CHRISTIAN went on his way.
Formalist and Hypocrisy
et
he was 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
them, counselling them, and offering to help them off with their irons.
And while he was thinking about it, he saw two men come tumbling over the
wall, on the left hand of the narrow way, and they quickly came to him.
The name of one was FORMALIST, and the name of the other HYPOCRISY. So,
as I said, they drew up to him, and he entered into conversation with them.
Chr. Gentlemen, where have you come from, and where are you going?
Formalist and Hypocrisy. We were born in the land of Vain-glory, and are going for praise to Mount Zion.
Chr. Why did you not come in at the gate which stands at the beginning of the way? Do you not know that it is written, that "he that does not enter in by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber?"
"Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber." John 10:1
Form. and Hyp. They said, that to go to the gate for entrance was counted by all their countrymen too far; so 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 where we are bound, to violate his revealed will in this manner?
Form. and Hyp. They told him that, as for that, he needed not to trouble his head about it; for what they did they had custom for, and could produce, if need be, testimony that would witness for 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 a custom that had stood for more than a thousand years, would doubtless now be admitted as a thing legal by any impartial judge. And besides, they said, if we get into the way, what does it matter which way we get in? If we are in, we are in: you are only in the way, who, as we perceive, came in at the gate; and we are also in the way, that came tumbling over the wall. In what way is your condition 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 said little, only they told him watch out for himself. Then I saw that they went on every man in his way, without much conversation one with another, save that these two men told CHRISTIAN, that as to laws and ordinances, they thought they would do them as conscientiously as he. "Therefore," they said, "we see no difference between you and us, except the coat that is on your back; which was, as we think, given you by some of your neighbours to hide the shame of your nakedness."
Chr. By laws and ordinances you will not be saved, since you did not come in by the door.
"knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified." Galatians 2:16
And as for this coat that is on my back, it was given me by the Lord of the place where 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, I comfort myself as I go in this way thinking, Surely, when I come to the gate of the city, the Lord of it 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 stripped me of my rags. I have, furthermore, a mark in my forehead, 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, also, that I had been given then a sealed roll, to comfort me by reading as I go in the way; I was also commanded to give it in at the Celestial Gate, in token of my certain entrance after giving it: I doubt that you have any of these things, and you do not have them because you did not come in at the gate.
To these things they gave him no answer, they only looked at each other and laughed. Then I saw that they all went on, except that CHRISTIAN kept ahead, and had no more talk but with himself, and that sometimes sighingly, and sometimes comfortably; also he would often be reading in the roll that one of the shining ones gave him, by which he was refreshed.
I saw, then, that they all went on till they came to the foot of the hill "Difficulty," at the bottom of which was a spring. There were also in the same place two other ways 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, and drank of it to refresh himself;
"They shall neither hunger nor thirst, Neither heat nor sun shall strike them; For He who has mercy on them will lead them, Even by the springs of water He will guide them." Isaiah 49:10
and then he began to go up the hill, saying:
"This hill, though high, I desire 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."
The other two also came to the foot of the hill. But when they saw 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, resolved to go in those ways (now the
name of one of those ways was "Danger," and the name of the other "Destruction").
So the one took the way which is called Danger, which led him into a great
wood; and the other went directly up the way to Destruction, which led him
into a wide field full of dark mountains, where he stumbled and fell, and
rose no more.
Timorous and Mistrust
looked
then after CHRISTIAN, to see him go up the hill, when I perceived he
stopped running and began walking, and from walking to clambering upon his
hands and his knees, because of the steepness of the place. Now about midway
to the top of the hill was a pleasant arbour, made by the Lord of the hill,
for the refreshment of weary travellers. There CHRISTIAN went in and sat
down to rest. Then he pulled his roll out of his bosom, and read it for
his comfort; he also now began afresh to take a review of the coat or garment
that was given him as he stood by the cross. Thus pleasing himself awhile,
he at last fell asleep, and then into a deep sleep which detained him in
that place until it was almost night, and in his sleep his roll fell out
of his hand. Now as he was sleeping, one came to him, and awaked him, saying,
"Go to the ant, you sluggard: consider her ways, and be wise".
"Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise:" Proverbs 6:6
And with that, CHRISTIAN suddenly woke up, and went quickly on his way, untill he came to the top of the hill.
Now when he got to the top of the hill, two men came running to him with great speed.
The name of one was TIMOROUS, and the name of the other MISTRUST; to whom CHRISTIAN said, "Sirs, what's the matter? You run the wrong way!"
Timorous answered that they were going to the City of Zion, and had got up that difficult place; "but," said he, "the further we go, the more danger we meet with: therefore we turned, and are going back again."
Mistrust. "Yes," said MISTRUST; "for just before us lie a couple of lions in the way--whether sleeping or waking we know not,--and we thought, if we came within reach, they would instantly pull us in pieces."
Chr. Then CHRISTIAN, said "You make me afraid; but where shall I run 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 must continue: to go back is nothing but death; to go forward is fear of death, and life everlasting beyond it! I will continue forward!
Sleep in the Daytime
o 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,
so that he might read it, and be comforted; but he felt, and did not find
it. Then CHRISTIAN was in great distress, and did not know what to do; for
he lacked that which usually relieved him, and that would have been his
pass into the Celestial City. So he began to be much perplexed here, not
knowing what to do. At last he remembered that he had slept in the arbour
that is on the side of the hill: and falling down on his knees, he asked
God forgiveness for his foolish act, and then went back to look for his
roll. But all the way as he went back, who can sufficiently describe the
sorrow of CHRISTIAN'S heart ? Sometimes he sighed; sometimes he wept; and
often times he scolded himself for being so foolish as to fall asleep in
that place, which was erected only for a little refreshment from his weariness.
So he went back; carefully looking on this side and on that, all the way as he went, if perhaps he might find his roll, that had been his comfort so many times on his journey. He went thus till he came again within sight of the arbour where he sat and slept; but that sight renewed his sorrow even more, by reminding him afresh of his evil of sleeping. Therefore, he now went on bewailing his sinful sleep, saying, "Oh, wretched man that I am, that I should sleep in the daytime! that I should sleep in the midst of difficulty!;
"For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation." 1 Thessalonians 5:7,8
"Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent." Revelation 2:4,5
that I should so indulge the flesh, as to use that rest in order to ease my flesh, which the Lord of the hill has erected only for the relief of the spirits of pilgrims! How many steps have I taken in vain! (thus it happened to Israel; for their sin they were sent back again by the way of the Red Sea); and I am made to tread those steps with sorrow, which I might have trod with delight, had it not been for this sinful sleep. How far might I have been on my way by this time! I am made to tread those steps three times over which I needed to tread only once: yes, now also I am like to be caught by darkness, for the day is almost spent. Oh that I had not slept!"
Now by this time he had come to the arbour again, where for a while he sat down and wept; but at last (as CHRISTIAN would have it) looking sorrowfully down under the seat, he caught sight of his roll, which, with trembling and haste, he picked up, and put into his bosom. Who can tell how joyful this man was when he had hold of his roll again! For this roll was the assurance of his life and acceptance at the desired haven. Therefore he laid it up in his bosom; gave thanks to God for directing his eye to the place where it lay; and with joy and tears continued again on his journey. But oh, how nimbly now did he go up the rest of the hill! Yet before he got up, the sun went down upon CHRISTIAN; and this made him again recall the vanity of his sleeping, and thus he again began to lament with himself: "Oh, you sinful sleep! how for your sake am I likely to be caught by darkness on my journey! I must walk without the sun; darkness must cover the path of my feet; and I must hear the noise of the doleful creatures-- because of my sinful sleep!" Then he remembered the story that MISTRUST and TIMOROUS told him--how they were frightened by the sight of the lions. Then CHRISTIAN said to himself again, "These beasts range in the night for their prey; and if they should meet with me in the dark, how would I get past them? How would I escape being torn in pieces by them?" Thus he went on his way; but while he was bewailing his unhappy mismanagement, he lifted his eyes, and behold, there was a very stately palace before him, the name of which was "Beautiful," and it stood just by the side of the highway.
Entering the Palace "Beautiful"
o I saw
in my dream that he hurried and went forward, that if possible he might
get lodging there. Now before he had gone far, he entered into a very narrow
passage, which was about a furlong away from the porter's lodge; and, looking
very narrowly before him as he went, he caught sight of two lions in the
way.
Now, he realised the dangers by which MISTRUST and TIMOROUS were driven back. (The lions were chained; but he did not see the chains.) Then he was afraid, and also thought to go back after them; for he thought nothing but death was before him. But the porter at the lodge, whose name is WATCHFUL, perceiving that CHRISTIAN halted, as if he would go back, cried out to him, saying, "Is your strength so small?
"But He said to them, Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?" Mark 4:40
do not fear the lions; for they are chained, and are placed there for the trial of faith; and to discover those that have none: keep in the middle of the path, and no harm shall come to you!"
Then I saw that he went on, trembling for fear of the lions, but heeding well the directions of the porter. He heard them roar; but they did him no harm. Then he clapped his hands, and went on till he came and stood before the gate where the porter was. Then CHRISTIAN asked the porter, "Sir, what is this house? and may I lodge here tonight?" The porter answered, "This house was built by the Lord of the hill; and he built it for the relief and security of pilgrims." The porter also asked where he came from, and where he was going?
Chr. I have come from the city of Destruction, and am going to Mount Zion; but because the sun is now set, I desire, if I may, to lodge here tonight.
Watchful, the Porter. What is your name?
Chr. My name is now CHRISTIAN; but my name at the first was GRACELESS: I came of the race of Japheth, whom God will persuade to dwell in the tents of Shem.
"God shall enlarge Japheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant." Genesis 9:27
Watch. But what happened that you are here so late? the sun is set!
Chr. I would have been here sooner; but--wretched man that I am--I slept by the arbour that stands on the hillside. No, I would have been here much sooner if not for that, 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 not finding it, I was forced, with sorrow of heart, to go back to the place where I slept. There I found it, and now I have arrived here.
Watch. Well, I will call out one of the virgins of this place, who will, if she likes your intentions, 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 dignified and beautiful girl, named DISCRETION, and asked why she was called.
Watchful answered, "This man is on a journey from the city of Destruction to Mount Zion; but being weary and caught by the darkness, he asked me if he might lodge here tonight: so I told him I would call for you, who, after conversing with him, may do what seems good to you, even according to the law of the house."
Discretion. Then she asked him where he came from, and where he was going: and he told her. She also asked him how he got into the way: and he told her. Then she asked 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 more a desire to lodge here tonight, 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 tears 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, and CHARITY, who, after a little more conversation with him, had him in with the family, and many of them meeting him at the threshold of the house, said, "Come in, you 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 the house. So when he had 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 discussion with CHRISTIAN, for the best improvement of time: and they appointed PIETY, and PRUDENCE, and CHARITY, to converse with him; and so they began:
Piety
Piety.
ome, good
CHRISTIAN, since we have been so loving to you, as to receive you into
our house this night, let us, if perhaps we may better ourselves by it,
talk with you of all the 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 take up a pilgrim's life for yourself?
Chr. I was driven out of my native country by a dreadful sound that was in my ears, understanding that unavoidable destruction attended me if I remained in the place where I was.
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 where to go; but quite unexpectedly, a man came , even to me (as I was trembling and weeping), whose name is EVANGELIST, and he directed me to the Wicket gate, which I would never have found otherwise; and so he set me into the way that has led me directly to this house.
Piety. But did you not come by the house of the INTERPRETER?
Chr. Yes, and I saw such things there, which I will remember as long as I live; especially three things: namely, How Christ, in spite of Satan, maintains his work of grace in the heart; how the man had sinned himself altogether out of the hope of God's mercy; and also the dream of him that thought in his sleep the Day of Judgment had come.
Piety. Why, did you hear him tell his dream?
Chr. Yes, and a dreadful one it was, I thought; it made my heart ache as he was telling it; yet I am glad I heard it.
Piety. Was that all that you saw at the house of the INTERPRETER?
Chr. No: he took me and brought me where he showed me a stately palace; and I saw how the people that were in it were clad in gold; and how there came an adventurous man, and cut his way through the armed men that stood in the door to keep him out; and how he was bidden to come in and win eternal glory. Those things were ravishing to my heart: I could have stayed at the good man's house for twelve months but that I knew I had further to go.
Piety. And what else did you see in the way?
Chr. See! 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 the burden fall off my back (for I groaned under a weary burden), but then it fell off me. It was a strange thing to me; for I never saw such a thing before. Yes, and while I stood looking up (for then I could not stop looking), three shining ones came to me: one of them testified that my sins were forgiven; another strippfred is a nerded me of my rags, and gave me this embroidered coat which you see; and the third set the mark which you see on 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, didn't you?
Chr. The things that I have told you were the best; yet I saw
some other small matters, as namely, I saw three 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 saw also FORMALIST and
HYPOCRISY come tumbling over the wall, to go, as they pretended, to Zion,
but they were quickly lost; even as I myself told them, but they would not
believe: but above all, I found it hard work to get up this hill, and as
hard to come past 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 after all
that, I might have gone back again. But now I thank God I am here, and I
thank you for receiving me.
Prudence
hen PRUDENCE
thought it good to ask him a few questions, and desired his answer to
them.
Prudence. Do you not think sometimes of the country you came from?
Chr. Yes, but with much shame and detestation; truly, if I had been mindful of that country from where I came out, I might have had opportunity to have returned; but now I desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one.
"And truly if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return. But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them." Hebrews 11:15,16
Pru. Do you not still carry with you some of the things that you were familiar with there?
Chr. Yes, but greatly against my will; especially my inward and carnal thinking, with which all my countrymen as well as myself, were delighted. But now all those things are my grief: and if I could but choose my own things, I would choose never to think of those things anymore; but when I desire to do that which is best, that which is worst is with me.
"Has then what is good become death to me? Certainly not! But sin, that it might appear sin, was producing death in me through what is good, so that sin through the commandment might become exceedingly sinful. For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin. For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good. But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good. For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin." Romans 7:13-25
Pru. Do you not find sometimes, as if those things were overcome, while at other times they annoy you?
Chr. Yes, but that is but seldom; but they are to me golden hours in which such things happen to me.
Pru. Can you remember by what means you find your annoyances at times, as if they were overcome?
Chr. Yes, when I think of what I saw at the cross, that will do it; and when I look upon my embroidered coat, that will do it; also when I look into the roll that I carry in my bosom, that will do it; and when my thoughts increase about where I am going, that will do it.
Pru. And what is it that makes you so desirous to go to Mount Zion?
Chr. Why, there I hope to see him alive that hung dead on the cross; and there I hope to be rid of all those things that to this day are in me and annoyances to me; there they say there is no death,
"He will swallow up death forever, And the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces; The rebuke of His people He will take away from all the earth; For the Lord has spoken." Isaiah 25:8
"And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away." Revelation 21:4
and there I shall live with such company as I like best. For to tell
you truth, I love him because I was eased of my burden by him, and I am
weary of my inward sickness; I would gladly be where I shall die no more,
and with the company that shall continually cry, "Holy, holy, holy."
Charity
hen CHARITY
asked CHRISTIAN,
Charity. "Have you a family? Are you a married man?"
Chr. I have a wife and four small children.
Cha. And why did you not bring them along with you?
Chr. Then CHRISTIAN wept, and said, "Oh, how willingly would I have done it! but all of them were utterly against my going on pilgrimage."
Cha. But you should have talked to them, and have endeavoured to show them the danger of staying behind.
Chr. So I did, and also what God had shown me of the destruction of our city; but I seemed to them to be joking, and they did not believe me.
"So Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, who had married his daughters, and said, “Get up, get out of this place; for the Lord will destroy this city!” But to his sons-in-law he seemed to be joking." Genesis 19:14
Cha. And did you pray to God that he would bless your counsel to them?
Chr. Yes, and that with much affection; for you must rrealise that my wife and poor children were very dear to me.
Cha. But did you tell them of your own sorrow, and fear of destruction? for, I suppose, that destruction was visible enough to you.
Chr. Yes--over, and over, and over again. They could also see my fear in my face, in my tears, and also in my trembling under the apprehension of the judgment that hung over our heads; but it was not sufficient to persuade them to come with me.
Cha. But what excuse did they have, why they did not come?
Chr. Why, my wife was afraid of losing this world; and my children were given to the foolish delights of youth: so what by one thing, and what by another, they left me to wander in this manner alone.
Cha. But did you not with your vain life dampen all that you, by words, used by way of persuasion to bring them away with you?
Chr. Indeed I cannot commend my life, for I am conscious of many failings in my life; I know also that a man by his behaviour may soon overthrow what by argument or persuasion he labours to fasten upon others for their good. Yet this I can say, I was very wary of giving them occasion, by any unseemly action, to make them averse to going on pilgrimage. Yes, for this very thing, they would tell me I was too precise; and that I denied myself of sins (for their sakes), in which they saw no evil. No, I think I may say that if what they saw in me hindered them, it was my great sensitivity in sinning against God, or of doing any wrong to my neighbour.
Cha. Indeed, Cain hated his brother because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous;
"not as Cain who was of the wicked one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his works were evil and his brother’s righteous." 1 John 3:12
and if your wife and children have been offended with you for this, then they show themselves to be implacable to good; and you have delivered your soul from their blood.
"Yet, if you warn the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered your soul." Ezekiel 3:19
About the Lord of the Hill
ow I saw
in my dream, that thus they sat talking together until supper was ready.
So when they had made ready, they sat down to eat. Now the table was furnished
with fat things, and with wine that was well refined; and all their talk
at the table was about the Lord of the hill: namely, about what he had done;
and why he did what he did; and why he had built that house. And by what
they said, I perceived that he had been a great warrior, and had fought
with and slain him that had the power of death;
"Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage." Hebrews 2:14, 15
but not without great danger to himself, which made me love him even more.
For, as they said, and as I believe (said CHRISTIAN), he did it with the loss of much blood; but the thing which put the glory of grace into all he did, was, that he did it out of pure love for his country. And besides, there were some of them of the household that said they had seen and spoke with him since he died on the cross; and they have attested that they had it from his own lips, that he is such a lover of poor pilgrims, that the like is not to be found from the east to the west.
Furthermore they gave an instance of what they affirmed, and that was, he had stripped himself of his glory that he might do this for the poor; and that they heard him say and affirm that he would not dwell in the Mountain of Zion alone. They said, moreover, that he had made many pilgrims princes, though by nature they were born beggars, and their original home had been the dunghill.
"He raises the poor from the dust And lifts the beggar from the ash heap, To set them among princes And make them inherit the throne of glory. “For the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s, And He has set the world upon them." 1 Samuel 2:8
"He raises up the poor out of the dust, and lifts the needy out of the dunghill;" Psalm 113:7
Thus they conversed together till late at night; and after they had committed themselves to their Lord for protection, they left to rest. They put the pilgrim in a large upper bedroom whose window opened towards the sun rising; the name of the room was Peace, where he slept till break of day; and then he awoke and sang--
"Where am I now? is this the love and care
Of Jesus for the men that pilgrims are,
Thus to provide? That I should be forgiven!
And dwell already the next door to heaven!"
The Rarities of "Beautiful"
o in the
morning they all got up; and after some more conversation, they told
him that he should not depart till they had shown him the rarities of that
place. And first they took him into the study, where they showed him records
of the greatest antiquity; in which, as I remember my dream, they showed
him the first pedigree of the Lord of the hill, that he was the Son of the
Ancient of Days, and came by an eternal generation. Here also were more
fully recorded the acts that he had done; and the names of many hundreds
that he had taken into his service; and how he had placed them in such habitations
that could neither by length of days, nor decays of nature, be dissolved.
Then they read to him some of the worthy acts that some of his servants had done. As how they had "subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword; out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in fight, and turned to flight the armies of the aliens".
"who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens." Hebrews 11:33, 34
Then they read again in another part of the records of the house, where it was shown how willing their Lord was to receive into his favour any, even any, though they in time past had offered great affronts to his person and proceedings. Here also were several other histories of many other famous things, all of which CHRISTIAN had a view. Things both ancient and modern; together with prophecies and predictions of things that have their certain accomplishment, both to the dread and amazement of enemies, and the comfort and solace of pilgrims.
The next day they took him into the armoury; where they showed him all manner of furniture, which their Lord had provided for pilgrims: sword, shield, helmet, breastplate, all-prayer, and shoes that would not wear out. And here there was enough of this to harness out as many men for the service of their Lord as there be stars in the heaven for multitude.
They also showed him some of the instruments with which some of his servants had done wonderful things. They showed him Moses' rod; the hammer and nail with which Jael slew Sisera; the pitchers, trumpets, and lamps too, with which Gideon put to flight the armies of Midian. Then they showed him the ox's goad wherewith Shamgar slew six hundred men. They showed him also the jawbone with which Samson did such mighty feats; they showed him, moreover, the sling and stone with which David slew Goliath of Gath; and the sword, also, with which their Lord will kill the man of sin, in the day that he shall rise up to the prey. They showed him many excellent things besides, with which CHRISTIAN was much delighted. This done, they went to their rest again.
Then I saw in my dream, that on the next day he got up to go onward; but they desired him to stay till the next day also, and then, said they, we will, if the day be clear, show you the Delectable Mountains; which, they said, would yet further add to his comfort, because they were nearer the desired haven than the place where he presently was. So he consented and stayed. When the morning was up, they took him to the top of the house, and bid him look south; so he did: and behold, at a great distance
"He will dwell on high; His place of defense will be the fortress of rocks; Bread will be given him, His water will be sure. Your eyes will see the King in His beauty; They will see the land that is very far off." Isaiah 33:16, 17
he saw a most pleasant mountainous country, beautiful with woods, vineyards, fruits of all sorts, flowers also; with springs and fountains, very delectable to behold. Then he asked the name of the country. They said it was Immanuel's Land; and it is as common, they said, to and for all the pilgrims as this hill is. And when you get there, from there, they said, you may see to the gate of the Celestial City, as the shepherds that live there will show you.
