THE
PILGRIMS PROGRESS:
IN THE SIMILITUDE OF A
DREAM.
As I walked through the wilderness of this
world, I lighted on a certain
place where was a den, [3] and laid me down
in that place to sleep; and as I
slept, I dreamed a dream. I dreamed, and
behold, I saw a man clothed with
rags, standing in a certain place, with his
face from his own house, a book
in his hand, and a great burden upon his
back. Isa 64:6; Luke 14:33; Psalm
38:4. I looked and saw him open the book,
and read therein; and as he read,
he wept and trembled; and not being able
longer to contain, he brake out
with a lamentable cry, saying, “What shall
I do?” Acts 2:37; 16:30; Habak
1:2,3.
In this plight, therefore, he went home,
and restrained himself as long as
he could, that his wife and children should
not perceive his distress; but
he could not be silent long, because that
his trouble increased. Wherefore
at length he brake his mind to his wife and
children; and thus he began to
talk to them: “O, my dear wife,” said he,
“and you the children of my
bowels, I, your dear friend, am in myself
undone by reason of a burden that
lieth hard upon me; moreover, I am
certainly informed that this our city
will be burnt with fire from heaven; in
which fearful overthrow, both
myself, with thee my wife, and you my sweet
babes, shall miserably come to
ruin, except (the which yet I see not) some
way of escape can be found
whereby we may be delivered.” At this his
relations were sore amazed; not
for that they believed that what he had
said to them was true, but because
they thought that some frenzy distemper had
got into his head; therefore, it
drawing towards night, and they hoping that
sleep might settle his brains,
with all haste they got him to bed. But the
night was as troublesome to him
as the day; wherefore, instead of sleeping,
he spent it in sighs and tears.
So when the morning was come, they would
know how he did. He told them,
“Worse and worse:” he also set to talking
to them again; but they began to
be hardened. They also thought to drive
away his distemper by harsh and
surly carriage to him; sometimes they would
deride, sometimes they would
chide, and sometimes they would quite
neglect him. Wherefore he began to
retire himself to his chamber to pray for
and pity them, and also to condole
his own misery; he would also walk
solitarily in the fields, sometimes
reading, and sometimes praying: and thus
for some days he spent his time.
Now I saw, upon a time, when he was walking
in the fields, that he was (as
he was wont) reading in his book, and
greatly distressed in his mind; and as
he read, he burst out, as he had done
before, crying, “What shall I do to be
saved?” Acts 16:30,31.
I saw also that he looked this way, and
that way, as if he would run; yet he
stood still because (as I perceived) he
could not tell which way to go. I
looked then, and saw a man named Evangelist
coming to him, and he asked,
“Wherefore dost thou cry?”
He answered, “Sir, I perceive, by the book
in my hand, that I am condemned
to die, and after that to come to judgment,
Heb. 9:27; and I find that I am
not willing to do the first, Job 10: 21,22,
nor able to do the second.”
Ezek. 22:14.
Then said Evangelist, “Why not willing to
die, since this life is attended
with so many evils?” The man answered,
“Because, I fear that this burden
that is upon my back will sink me lower
than the grave, and I shall fall
into Tophet. Isa. 30:33. And Sir, if I be
not fit to go to prison, I am not
fit to go to judgment, and from thence to
execution; and the thoughts of
these things make me cry.”
Then said Evangelist, “If this be thy
condition, why standest thou still?”
He answered, “Because I know not whither to
go.” Then he gave him a
parchment roll, and there was written
within, “Fly from the wrath to
come.” Matt. 3:7.
The man therefore read it, and looking upon
Evangelist very carefully, said,
“Whither must I fly?” Then said Evangelist,
(pointing with his finger over a
very wide field,) “Do you see yonder
wicket-gate?” Matt. 7:13,14. The man
said, “No.” Then said the other, “Do you
see yonder shining light?” Psalm
119:105; 2 Pet. 1:19. He said, “I think I
do.” Then said Evangelist, “Keep
that light in your eye, and go up directly
thereto, so shalt thou see the
gate; at which, when thou knockest, it
shall be told thee what thou shalt
do.” So I saw in my dream that the man
began to run. Now he had not run far
from his own door when his wife and
children, perceiving it, began to cry
after him to return; but the man put his
fingers in his ears, and ran on
crying, Life! life! eternal life! Luke
14:26. So he looked not behind him,
Gen. 19:17, but fled towards the middle of
the plain.
The neighbors also came out to see him run,
Jer. 20:10; and as he ran, some
mocked, others threatened, and some cried
after him to return; and among
those that did so, there were two that were
resolved to fetch him back by
force. The name of the one was Obstinate
and the name of the other Pliable.
Now by this time the man was got a good
distance from them; but, however,
they were resolved to pursue him, which
they did, and in a little time they
overtook him. Then said the man,
“Neighbors, wherefore are you come?” They
said, “To persuade you to go back with us.”
But he said, “That can by no
means be: you dwell,” said he, “in the city
of Destruction, the place also
where I was born: I see it to be so; and
dying there, sooner or later, you
will sink lower than the grave, into a
place that burns with fire and
brimstone: be content, good neighbors, and
go along with me.”
OBSTINATE: What, said Obstinate, and leave
our friends and our comforts
behind us!
CHRISTIAN: Yes, said Christian, (for that
was his name,) because that all
which you forsake is not worthy to be
compared with a little of that I am
seeking to enjoy, 2 Cor. 4:18; and if you
will go along with me, and hold
it, you shall fare as I myself; for there,
where I go, is enough and to
spare. Luke 15:17. Come away, and prove my
words.
OBSTINATE: What are the things you seek,
since you leave all the world to
find them?
CHRISTIAN: I seek an inheritance
incorruptible, undefiled, and that fadeth
not away, 1 Peter 1:4; and it is laid up in
heaven, and safe there, Heb.
11:16, to be bestowed, at the time
appointed, on them that diligently seek
it. Read it so, if you will, in my book.
OBSTINATE: Tush, said Obstinate, away with
your book; will you go back with
us or no?
CHRISTIAN: No, not I, said the other,
because I have laid my hand to the
plough. Luke 9:62.
OBSTINATE: Come then, neighbor Pliable, let
us turn again, and go home
without him: there is a company of these
crazy-headed coxcombs, that when
they take a fancy by the end, are wiser in
their own eyes than seven men
that can render a reason.
PLIABLE: Then said Pliable, Don’t revile;
if what the good Christian says is
true, the things he looks after are better
than ours: my heart inclines to
go
with my neighbor.
OBSTINATE: What, more fools still! Be ruled
by me, and go back; who knows
whither such a brain-sick fellow will lead
you? Go back, go back, and be
wise.
CHRISTIAN: Nay, but do thou come with thy
neighbor Pliable; there are such
things to be had which I spoke of, and many
more glories besides. If you
believe not me, read here in this book, and
for the truth of what is
expressed therein, behold, all is confirmed
by the blood of Him that made
it. Heb. 9: 17-21.
PLIABLE: Well, neighbor Obstinate, said
Pliable, I begin to come to a point;
I intend to go along with this good man,
and to cast in my lot with him:
but, my good companion, do you know the way
to this desired place?
CHRISTIAN: I am directed by a man whose
name is Evangelist, to speed me to a
little gate that is before us, where we
shall receive instructions about the
way.
PLIABLE: Come then, good neighbor, let us
be going. Then they went both
together.
OBSTINATE: And I will go back to my place, said Obstinate: I will be no
companion of such misled, fantastical
fellows.
Now I saw in my dream, that when Obstinate
was gone back, Christian and
Pliable went talking over the plain; and
thus they began their discourse.
CHRISTIAN: Come, neighbor Pliable, how do
you do? I am glad you are
persuaded to go along with me. Had even
Obstinate himself but felt what I
have felt of the powers and terrors of what
is yet unseen, he would not thus
lightly have given us the back.
PLIABLE: Come, neighbor Christian, since
there are none but us two here,
tell me now farther, what the things are,
and how to be enjoyed, whither we
are going.
CHRISTIAN: I can better conceive of them
with my mind, than speak of them
with my tongue: but yet, since you are
desirous to know, I will read of them
in my book.
PLIABLE: And do you think that the words of
your book are certainly true?
CHRISTIAN: Yes, verily; for it was made by
Him that cannot lie. Tit. 1:2.
PLIABLE: Well said; what things are they?
CHRISTIAN: There is an endless kingdom to
be inhabited, and everlasting life
to be given us, that we may inhabit that
kingdom for ever. Isa. 65:17; John
10: 27-29.
PLIABLE: Well said; and what else?
CHRISTIAN: There are crowns of glory to be
given us; and garments that will
make us shine like the sun in the firmament
of heaven. 2 Tim. 4:8; Rev.
22:5; Matt. 13:43.
PLIABLE: This is very pleasant; and what else?
CHRISTIAN: There shall be no more crying,
nor sorrow; for he that is owner
of the place will wipe all tears from our
eyes. Isa. 25:8; Rev 7:16, 17;
21:4.
PLIABLE: And what company shall we have
there?
CHRISTIAN: There we shall be with seraphims
and cherubims, Isaiah 6:2; 1
Thess. 4:16,17; Rev. 5:11; creatures that
will dazzle your eyes to look on
them. There also you shall meet with
thousands and ten thousands that have
gone before us to that place; none of them
are hurtful, but loving and holy;
every one walking in the sight of God, and
standing in his presence with
acceptance for ever. In a word, there we
shall see the elders with their
golden crowns, Rev. 4:4; there we shall see
the holy virgins with their
golden harps, Rev. 14:1-5; there we shall
see men, that by the world were
cut in pieces, burnt in flames, eaten of
beasts, drowned in the seas, for
the love they bare to the Lord of the
place, John 12:25; all well, and
clothed with immortality as with a garment.
2 Cor. 5:2.
PLIABLE: The hearing of this is enough to
ravish one’s heart. But are these
things to be enjoyed? How shall we get to
be sharers thereof?
CHRISTIAN: The Lord, the governor of the
country, hath recorded that in this
book, Isaiah 55:1,2; John 6:37; 7:37; Rev.
21:6; 22:17; the substance of
which is, if we be truly willing to have
it, he will bestow it upon us
freely.
PLIABLE: Well, my good companion, glad am I
to hear of these things: come
on, let us mend our pace.
CHRISTIAN: I cannot go as fast as I would,
by reason of this burden that is
on my back.
Now I saw in my dream, that just as they
had ended this talk, they drew nigh
to a very miry slough that was in the midst
of the plain: and they being
heedless, did both fall suddenly into the
bog. The name of the slough was
Despond. Here, therefore, they wallowed for
a time, being grievously
bedaubed with the dirt; and Christian,
because of the burden that was on his
back, began to sink in the mire.
PLIABLE: Then said Pliable, Ah, neighbor
Christian, where are you now?
CHRISTIAN: Truly, said Christian, I do not
know.
PLIABLE: At this Pliable began to be
offended, and angrily said to his
fellow, Is this the happiness you have told
me all this while of? If we have
such ill speed at our first setting out,
what may we expect between this and
our journey’s end? May I get out again with
my life, you shall possess the
brave country alone for me. And with that
he gave a desperate struggle or
two, and got out of the mire on that side
of the slough which was next to
his own house: so away he went, and
Christian saw him no more.
Wherefore Christian was left to tumble in
the Slough of Despond alone; but
still he endeavored to struggle to that
side of the slough that was farthest
from his own house, and next to the
wicket-gate; the which he did, but could
not get out because of the burden that was
upon his back: but I beheld in my
dream, that a man came to him, whose name
was Help, and asked him what he
did there.
CHRISTIAN: Sir, said Christian, I was bid
to go this way by a man called
Evangelist, who directed me also to yonder
gate, that I might escape the
wrath to come. And as I was going thither,
I fell in here.
HELP: But why did not you look for the
steps?
CHRISTIAN: Fear followed me so hard that I
fled the next way, and fell in.
HELP: Then, said he, Give me thine hand: so
he gave him his hand, and he
drew him out, Psalm 40:2, and he set him
upon sound ground, and bid him go
on his way.
Then I stepped to him that plucked him out,
and said, “Sir, wherefore, since
over
this place is the way from the city of Destruction to yonder gate, is
it, that this plat is not mended, that poor
travellers might go thither with
more security?” And he said unto me, “This
miry slough is such a place as
cannot be mended: it is the descent whither
the scum and filth that attends
conviction for sin doth continually run,
and therefore it is called the
Slough of Despond; for still, as the sinner
is awakened about his lost
condition, there arise in his soul many
fears and doubts, and discouraging
apprehensions, which all of them get
together, and settle in this place: and
this is the reason of the badness of this
ground.
“It is not the pleasure of the King that
this place should remain so bad.
Isa. 35:3,4. His laborers also have, by the
direction of his Majesty’s
surveyors, been for above this sixteen
hundred years employed about this
patch of ground, if perhaps it might have
been mended: yea, and to my
knowledge,” said he, “there have been
swallowed up at least twenty thousand
cart loads, yea, millions of wholesome
instructions, that have at all
seasons been brought from all places of the
King’s dominions, (and they that
can tell, say, they are the best materials
to make good ground of the
place,) if so be it might have been mended; but it is the Slough
of Despond
still, and so will be when they have done
what they can.
“True, there are, by the direction of the
Lawgiver, certain good and
substantial steps, placed even through the very
midst of this slough; but at
such time as this place doth much spew out
its filth, as it doth against
change of weather, these steps are hardly
seen; or if they be, men, through
the dizziness of their heads, step beside,
and then they are bemired to
purpose, notwithstanding the steps be
there: but the ground is good when
they are once got in at the gate.” 1 Sam.
12:23.
Now I saw in my dream, that by this time
Pliable was got home to his house.
So his neighbors came to visit him; and
some of them called him wise man for
coming back, and some called him fool for
hazarding himself with Christian:
others again did mock at his cowardliness,
saying, “Surely, since you began
to venture, I would not have been so base
as to have given out for a few
difficulties:” so Pliable sat sneaking
among them. But at last he got more
confidence, and then they all turned their
tales, and began to deride poor
Christian behind his back. And thus much concerning
Pliable.
Now as Christian was walking solitary by
himself, he espied one afar off
come crossing over the field to meet him;
and their hap was to meet just as
they were crossing the way of each other.
The gentleman’s name that met him
was
Mr. Wordly Wiseman: he dwelt in the town of Carnal Policy, a very great
town, and also hard by from whence
Christian came. This man then, meeting
with Christian, and having some inkling [4]
of him, (for Christian’s setting
forth from the city of Destruction was much
noised abroad, not only in the
town where he dwelt, but also it began to
be the town-talk in some other
places)—Mr. Worldly Wiseman, therefore,
having some guess of him, by
beholding his laborious going, by observing
his sighs and groans, and the
like, began thus to enter into some talk
with Christian.
MR. WORLDLY WISEMAN: How now, good fellow,
whither away after this burdened
manner?
CHRISTIAN: A burdened manner indeed, as
ever I think poor creature had! And
whereas you ask me, Whither away? I tell
you, sir, I am going to yonder
wicket-gate before me; for there, as I am
informed, I shall be put into a
way to be rid of my heavy burden.
MR. WORLDLY WISEMAN: Hast thou a wife and
children?
CHRISTIAN: Yes; but I am so laden with this
burden, that I cannot take that
pleasure in them as formerly: methinks I am
as if I had none. 1 Cor. 7:29.
MR. WORLDLY WISEMAN: Wilt thou hearken to
me, if I give thee counsel?
CHRISTIAN: If it be good, I will; for I
stand in need of good counsel.
MR. WORLDLY WISEMAN: I would advise thee,
then, that thou with all speed get
thyself rid of thy burden; for thou wilt
never be settled in thy mind till
then: nor canst thou enjoy the benefits of
the blessings which God hath
bestowed upon thee till then.
CHRISTIAN: That is that which I seek for,
even to be rid of this heavy
burden: but get it off myself I cannot, nor
is there any man in our country
that can take it off my shoulders; therefore
am I going this way, as I told
you, that I may be rid of my burden.
MR. WORLDLY WISEMAN: Who bid thee go this
way to be rid of thy burden?
CHRISTIAN: A man that appeared to me to be
a very great and honorable
person: his name, as I remember, is
Evangelist.
I beshrew [5] him for his counsel! there is
not a more dangerous and
troublesome way in the world than is that
into which he hath directed thee;
and that thou shalt find, if thou wilt be
ruled by his counsel. Thou hast
met with something, as I perceive, already;
for I see the dirt of the Slough
of Despond is upon thee: but that slough is
the beginning of the sorrows
that do attend those that go on in that
way. Hear me; I am older than thou:
thou art like to meet with, in the way
which thou goest, wearisomeness,
painfulness, hunger, perils, nakedness,
sword, lions, dragons, darkness,
and, in a word, death, and what not. These
things are certainly true, having
been confirmed by many testimonies. And
should a man so carelessly cast away
himself, by giving heed to a stranger?
CHRISTIAN: Why, sir, this burden on my back
is more terrible to me than are
all these things which you have mentioned:
nay, methinks I care not what I
meet with in the way, if so be I can also
meet with deliverance from my
burden.
MR. WORLDLY WISEMAN: How camest thou by thy
burden at first?
CHRISTIAN: By reading this book in my hand.
MR. WORLDLY WISEMAN: I thought so; and it
has happened unto thee as to other
weak men, who, meddling with things too
high for them, do suddenly fall into
thy distractions; which distractions do not
only unman men, as thine I
perceive have done thee, but they run them
upon desperate ventures, to
obtain they know not what.
CHRISTIAN: I know what I would obtain; it
is ease from my heavy burden.
MR. WORLDLY WISEMAN: But why wilt thou seek
for ease this way, seeing so
many dangers attend it? especially since
(hadst thou but patience to hear
me) I could direct thee to the obtaining of
what thou desirest, without the
dangers that thou in this way wilt run
thyself into. Yea, and the remedy is
at hand. Besides, I will add, that instead
of those dangers, thou shalt meet
with much safety, friendship, and content.
CHRISTIAN: Sir, I pray open this secret to
me.
MR. WORLDLY WISEMAN: Why, in yonder village
(the village is named Morality)
there dwells a gentleman whose name is
Legality, a very judicious man, and a
man
of a very good name, that has skill to help men off with such burdens as
thine is from their shoulders; yea to my
knowledge, he hath done a great
deal of good this way; aye, and besides, he
hath skill to cure those that
are somewhat crazed in their wits with
their burdens. To him, as I said,
thou mayest go, and be helped presently.
His house is not quite a mile from
this place; and if he should not be at home
himself, he hath a pretty young
man to his son, whose name is Civility,
that can do it (to speak on) as well
as the old gentleman himself: there, I say,
thou mayest be eased of thy
burden; and if thou art not minded to go
back to thy former habitation, (as
indeed I would not wish thee,) thou mayest
send for thy wife and children to
this village, where there are houses now
standing empty, one of which thou
mayest have at a reasonable rate: 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 neighbors, 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 farther
spake.
CHRISTIAN: Sir, which is my way to this honest man’s house?
MR. WORLDLY WISEMAN: Do you see yonder high
hill?
CHRISTIAN: Yes, very well.
MR. WORLDLY WISEMAN: By that hill you must
go, and the first house you come
at is his.
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
way-side 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, Ex. 19:16, 18, out of
the hill, that made Christian
afraid that he should be burnt: here
therefore he did sweat and quake for
fear. Heb. 12:21. 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 to him, he
looked upon him, with a severe
and dreadful countenance, and thus began to
reason with Christian.
EVANGELIST: What doest thou here,
Christian? said he: at which words
Christian knew not what to answer;
wherefore at present he stood speechless
before him. Then said Evangelist farther,
Art not thou the man that I found
crying without the walls of the city of
Destruction?
CHRISTIAN: Yes, dear sir, I am the man.
EVANGELIST: Did not I direct thee the way
to the little wicket-gate?
CHRISTIAN: Yes, dear sir, said Christian.
EVANGELIST: How is it then thou art so
quickly turned aside? For thou art
now out of the way.
CHRISTIAN: 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.
EVANGELIST: What was he?
CHRISTIAN: 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.
EVANGELIST: What said that gentleman to
you?
CHRISTIAN: Why, he asked me whither I was
going; and I told him.
EVANGELIST: And what said he then?
CHRISTIAN: He asked me if I had a family;
and I told him. But, said I, I am
so laden with the burden that is on my
back, that I cannot take pleasure in
them as formerly.
EVANGELIST: And what said he then?
CHRISTIAN: 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 farther direction how I may get to
the place of deliverance. So 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.
EVANGELIST: Then said Evangelist, Stand
still a little, that I 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. 12:25. 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. 10:38. 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.
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 blasphemies
shall be forgiven unto men.”
Matt. 12:31. “Be not faithless, but
believing.” John 20:27. 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 thee
who it was that deluded thee, and
who it was also to whom he sent thee. The
man that met thee is one Worldly
Wiseman, and rightly is he so called;
partly because he savoreth only the
doctrine of this world, 1 John 4:5,
(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. 6:12:
and because he is of this carnal
temper, therefore he seeketh to pervert 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 laboring 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 straight gate,” Luke 13:24, the gate
to which I send thee; “for
strait is the gate that leadeth unto life,
and few there be that find it.”
Matt. 7:13,14. 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 laboring to
render the cross odious unto thee;
for thou art to prefer it before the
treasures of Egypt. Heb. 11:25,26.
Besides, the King of glory hath told thee,
that he that will save his life
shall lose it. And he that comes after him,
and hates not his father, and
mother, and wife, and children, and
brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own
life also, he cannot be his disciple. Mark
8:38; John 12:25; Matt. 10:39;
Luke 14:26. I say, therefore, for a man to
labor to persuade thee that 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.
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.
4:21-27, 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 like 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, which
made the hair of his flesh stand up.
The words were 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.
3:10.
Now Christian looked for nothing but death,
and began to cry out lamentably;
even cursing the time in which he met with
Mr. Worldly Wiseman; still
calling himself a thousand fools for
hearkening to his counsel. He also was
greatly ashamed to think that this
gentleman’s arguments, flowing only from
the flesh, should have the prevalency with
him so far as to cause him to
forsake the right way. This done, he
applied himself again to Evangelist in
words and sense as follows.
CHRISTIAN: Sir, what think you? Is there
any hope? May I now go back, and go
up to the wicket-gate? Shall I not be
abandoned for this, and sent back from
thence ashamed? I am sorry I have hearkened
to this man’s counsel; but may
my sin be forgiven?
EVANGELIST: Then said Evangelist to him,
Thy sin is very great, for by it
thou hast committed two evils: thou hast
forsaken the way that is good, to
tread in forbidden paths. Yet will the man
at the gate receive thee, for he
has
good-will for men; only, said he, take heed that thou turn not aside
again, lest thou “perish from the way, when
his wrath is kindled but a
little.” Psalm 2:12.
_________________________________________________________________
[3] Bedford jail, in which the author was
imprisoned for conscience’ sake
[4] Slight knowledge.
[5] Wish a curse to.