THE
PILGRIMS PROGRESS:
IN THE SIMILITUDE OF A DREAM.
Now, as Christian went on his way, he came
to a little ascent, which was
cast up on purpose that pilgrims might see
before them: up there, therefore,
Christian went; and looking forward, he saw
Faithful before him upon his
journey: Then said Christian aloud, Ho, ho;
so-ho; stay, and I will be your
companion. At that Faithful looked behind
him; to whom Christian cried
again, Stay, stay, till I come up to you.
But Faithful answered, No, I am
upon my life, and the avenger of blood is
behind me.
At this Christian was somewhat moved, and
putting to all his strength, he
quickly got up with Faithful, and did also
overrun him; so the last was
first. Then did Christian vaingloriously
smile, because he had gotten the
start of his brother; but not taking good
heed to his feet, he suddenly
stumbled and fell, and could not rise again
until Faithful came up to help
him.
Then I saw in my dream, they went very
lovingly on together, and had sweet
discourse of all things that had happened
to them in their pilgrimage; and
thus Christian began.
CHRISTIAN: My honored and well-beloved
brother Faithful, I am glad that I
have overtaken you, and that God has so
tempered our spirits that we can
walk as companions in this so pleasant a
path.
FAITHFUL: I had thought, my dear friend, to
have had your company quite from
our town, but you did get the start of me;
wherefore I was forced to come
thus much of the way alone.
CHRISTIAN: How long did you stay in the
city of Destruction before you set
out after me on your pilgrimage?
FAITHFUL: Till I could stay no longer; for
there was a great talk presently
after you were gone out, that our city
would, in a short time, with fire
from heaven, be burnt down to the ground.
CHRISTIAN: What, did your neighbors talk
so?
FAITHFUL: Yes, it was for a while in every
body’s mouth.
CHRISTIAN: What, and did no more of them
but you come out to escape the
danger?
FAITHFUL: Though there was, as I said, a
great talk thereabout, yet I do not
think they did firmly believe it; for, in
the heat of the discourse, I heard
some of them deridingly speak of you and of
your desperate journey, for so
they called this your pilgrimage. But I did
believe, and do still, that the
end of our city will be with fire and
brimstone from above; and therefore I
have made my escape.
CHRISTIAN: Did you hear no talk of neighbor
Pliable?
FAITHFUL: Yes, Christian, I heard that he
followed you till he came to the
Slough of Despond, where, as some said, he
fell in; but he would not be
known to have so done: but I am sure he was
soundly bedabbled with that kind
of dirt.
CHRISTIAN: And what said the neighbors to
him?
FAITHFUL: He hath, since his going back,
been had greatly in derision, and
that among all sorts of people: some do
mock and despise him, and scarce
will any set him on work. He is now seven
times worse than if he had never
gone out of the city.
CHRISTIAN: But why should they be so set
against him, since they also
despise the way that he forsook?
FAITHFUL: O, they say, Hang him; he is a
turncoat; he was not true to his
profession! I think God has stirred up even His enemies to hiss at
him, and
make him a proverb, because he hath
forsaken the way. Jer. 29:18,19.
CHRISTIAN: Had you no talk with him before
you came out?
FAITHFUL: I met him once in the streets, but
he leered away on the other
side, as one ashamed of what he had done;
So I spake not to him.
CHRISTIAN: Well, at my first setting out I
had hopes of that man; but now I
fear he will perish in the overthrow of the
city. For it has happened to him
according to the true proverb, The dog is
turned to his vomit again, and the
sow that was washed to her wallowing in the
mire. 2 Pet. 2:22.
FAITHFUL: These are my fears of him too;
but who can hinder that which will
be?
CHRISTIAN: Well, neighbor Faithful, said
Christian, let us leave him, and
talk of things that more immediately
concern ourselves. Tell me now what you
have met with in the way as you came; for I
know you have met with some
things, or else it may be writ for a
wonder.
FAITHFUL: I escaped the slough that I
perceive you fell into, and got up to
the gate without that danger; only I met
with one whose name was Wanton,
that had like to have done me mischief.
CHRISTIAN: It was well you escaped her net:
Joseph was hard put to it by
her, and he escaped her as you did; but it
had like to have cost him his
life. Gen. 39:11-13. But what did she do to
you?
FAITHFUL: You cannot think (but that you
know something) what a flattering
tongue she had; she lay at me hard to turn
aside with her, promising me all
manner of content.
CHRISTIAN: Nay, she did not promise you the
content of a good conscience.
FAITHFUL: You know what I mean; all carnal
and fleshly content.
CHRISTIAN: Thank God that you escaped her:
the abhorred of the Lord shall
fall into her pit. Prov. 22:14.
FAITHFUL: Nay, I know not whether I did
wholly escape her or no.
CHRISTIAN: Why, I trow you did not consent
to her desires?
FAITHFUL: No, not to defile myself; for I
remembered an old writing that I
had seen, which said, “Her steps take hold
on Hell.” Prov. 5:5. So I shut
mine eyes, because I would not be bewitched
with her looks. Job 31:1. Then
she railed on me, and I went my way.
CHRISTIAN: Did you meet with no other
assault as you came?
FAITHFUL: When I came to the foot of the
hill called Difficulty, I met with
a very aged man, who asked me what I was,
and whither bound. I told him that
I was a pilgrim, going to the Celestial
City. Then said the old man, Thou
lookest like an honest fellow; wilt thou be
content to dwell with me for the
wages that I shall give thee? Then I asked
his name, and where he dwelt? He
said his name was Adam the First, and that
he dwelt in the town of Deceit.
Eph. 4:22. I asked him then what was his
work, and what the wages that he
would give. He told me that his work was
many delights; and his wages, that
I should be his heir at last. I further
asked him, what house he kept, and
what other servants he had. So he told me
that his house was maintained with
all the dainties of the world, and that his
servants were those of his own
begetting. Then I asked how many children
he had. He said that he had but
three daughters, the Lust of the Flesh, the
Lust of the Eyes, and the Pride
of Life, 1 John, 2:16; and that I should
marry them if I would. Then I
asked, how long time he would have me live
with him; And he told me, as long
as he lived himself.
CHRISTIAN: Well, and what conclusion came the old man and you to
at last?
FAITHFUL: Why, at first I found myself
somewhat inclinable to go with the
man, for I thought he spake very fair; but
looking in his forehead, as I
talked with him, I saw there written, “Put
off the old man with his
deeds.”
CHRISTIAN: And how then?
FAITHFUL: Then it came burning hot into my
mind, that, whatever he said, and
however he flattered, when he got me home
to his house he would sell me for
a slave. So I bid him forbear to talk, for
I would not come near the door of
his house. Then he reviled me, and told me
that he would send such a one
after me that should make my way bitter to
my soul. So I turned to go away
from him; but just as I turned myself to go
thence, I felt him take hold of
my flesh, and give me such a deadly twitch
back, that I thought he had
pulled part of me after himself: this made
me cry, “O wretched man.” Rom.
7:24. So I went on my way up the hill.
Now, when I had got above half-way up, I
looked behind me, and saw one
coming after me, swift as the wind; so he
overtook me just about the place
where the settle stands.
CHRISTIAN: Just there, said Christian, did
I sit down to rest me; but being
overcome with sleep, I there lost this roll
out of my bosom.
FAITHFUL: But, good brother, hear me out.
So soon as the man overtook me, it
was but a word and a blow; for down he
knocked me, and laid me for dead. But
when I was a little come to myself again I
asked him wherefore he served me
so. He said because of my secret inclining
to Adam the First. And with that
he struck me another deadly blow on the
breast, and beat me down backward;
so I lay at his foot as dead as before. So
when I came to myself again I
cried him mercy: but he said, I know not
how to show mercy; and with that he
knocked me down again. He had doubtless
made an end of me, but that one came
by and bid him forbear.
CHRISTIAN: Who was that that bid him
forbear?
FAITHFUL: I did not know him at first: but
as he went by, I perceived the
holes in his hands and in his side: Then I
concluded that he was our Lord.
So I went up the hill.
CHRISTIAN: That man that overtook you was
Moses. He spareth none; neither
knoweth he how to shew mercy to those that
transgress the law.
FAITHFUL: I know it very well; it was not
the first time that he has met
with me. ‘Twas he that came to me when I
dwelt securely at home, and that
told me he would burn my house over my head
if I stayed there.
CHRISTIAN: But did you not see the house
that stood there on the top of the
hill, on the side of which Moses met you?
FAITHFUL: Yes, and the lions too, before I
came at it. But, for the lions, I
think they were asleep, for it was about
noon; and because I had so much of
the day before me, I passed by the Porter,
and came down the hill.
CHRISTIAN: He told me, indeed, that he saw
you go by; but I wish you had
called at the house, for they would have
showed you so many rarities that
you would scarce have forgot them to the
day of your death. But pray tell
me, Did you meet nobody in the Valley of
Humility?
FAITHFUL: Yes, I met with one Discontent,
who would willingly have persuaded
me to go back again with him: his reason
was, for that the valley was
altogether without honor. He told me,
moreover, that to go there was the way
to disoblige all my friends, as Pride,
Arrogancy, Self-Conceit, Worldly
Glory, with others, who he knew, as he
said, would be very much offended if
I made such a fool of myself as to wade
through this valley.
CHRISTIAN: Well, and how did you answer
him?
FAITHFUL: I told him, that although all
these that he named, might claim a
kindred of me, and that rightly, (for
indeed they were my relations
according to the flesh,) yet since I became
a pilgrim they have disowned me,
and I also have rejected them; and therefore
they were to me now no more
than if they had never been of my lineage.
I told him, moreover, that as to
this valley, he had quite misrepresented
the thing; for before honor is
humility, and a haughty spirit before a
fall. Therefore, said I, I had
rather go through this valley to the honor
that was so accounted by the
wisest, than choose that which he esteemed
most worthy of our affections.
CHRISTIAN: Met you with nothing else in
that valley?
FAITHFUL: Yes, I met with Shame; but of all
the men that I met with on my
pilgrimage, he, I think, bears the wrong
name. The other would be said nay,
after a little argumentation, and somewhat
else; but this bold-faced Shame
would never have done.
CHRISTIAN: Why, what did he say to you?
FAITHFUL: What? why, he objected against
religion itself. He said it was a
pitiful, low, sneaking business for a man
to mind religion. He said, that a
tender conscience was an unmanly thing; and
that for a man to watch over his
words and ways, so as to tie up himself
from that hectoring liberty that the
brave spirits of the times accustomed
themselves unto, would make him the
ridicule of the times. He objected also,
that but few of the mighty, rich,
or wise, were ever of my opinion; nor any
of them neither, before they were
persuaded to be fools, and to be of a
voluntary fondness to venture the loss
of all for nobody knows what. 1 Cor. 1:26;
3:18; Phil. 3:7-9; John 7:48. He,
moreover, objected the base and low estate
and condition of those that were
chiefly the pilgrims of the times in which
they lived; also their ignorance
and want of understanding in all natural
science. Yea, he did hold me to it
at that rate also, about a great many more
things than here I relate; as,
that it was a shame to sit whining and
mourning under a sermon, and a shame
to come sighing and groaning home; that it
was a shame to ask my neighbor
forgiveness for petty faults, or to make
restitution where I have taken from
any. He said also, that religion made a man
grow strange to the great,
because of a few vices, which he called by
finer names, and made him own and
respect the base, because of the same
religious fraternity: And is not this,
said he, a shame?
CHRISTIAN: And what did you say to him?
FAITHFUL: Say? I could not tell what to say
at first. Yea, he put me so to
it, that my blood came up in my face; even
this Shame fetched it up, and had
almost beat me quite off. But at last I
began to consider, that that which
is highly esteemed among men, is had in
abomination with God. Luke 16:15.
And I thought again, this Shame tells me
what men are; but he tells me
nothing what God, or the word of God is.
And I thought, moreover, that at
the day of doom we shall not be doomed to
death or life according to the
hectoring spirits of the world, but
according to the wisdom and law of the
Highest. Therefore, thought I, what God
says is best, is indeed best, though
all the men in the world are against it.
Seeing, then, that God prefers his
religion; seeing God prefers a tender
Conscience; seeing they that make
themselves fools for the kingdom of heaven
are wisest, and that the poor man
that loveth Christ is richer than the
greatest man in the world that hates
him; Shame, depart, thou art an enemy to my
salvation. Shall I entertain
thee against my sovereign Lord? How then
shall I look him in the face at his
coming? Mark 8:38. Should I now be ashamed
of his ways and servants, how can
I expect the blessing? But indeed this
Shame was a bold villain; I could
scarcely shake him out of my company; yea,
he would be haunting of me, and
continually whispering me in the ear, with
some one or other of the
infirmities that attend religion. But at
last I told him, that it was but in
vain to attempt farther in this business;
for those things that he
disdained, in those did I see most glory:
and so at last I got past this
importunate one. And when I had shaken him
off, then I began to sing,
“The trials that those men do meet withal,
That are obedient to the heavenly call,
Are manifold, and suited to the flesh,
And come, and come, and come again afresh;
That now, or some time else, we by them may
Be
taken, overcome, and cast away.
O let the pilgrims, let the pilgrims then,
Be vigilant, and quit themselves like men.”
CHRISTIAN: I am glad, my brother, that thou
didst withstand this villain so
bravely; for of all, as thou sayest, I think
he has the wrong name; for he
is so bold as to follow us in the streets,
and to attempt to put us to shame
before all men; that is, to make us ashamed
of that which is good. But if he
was not himself audacious, he would never
attempt to do as he does. But let
us still resist him; for, notwithstanding
all his bravadoes, he promoteth
the fool, and none else. “The wise shall
inherit glory,” said Solomon; “but
shame shall be the promotion of fools.”
Prov. 3:35.
FAITHFUL: I think we must cry to Him for
help against Shame, that would have
us to be valiant for truth upon the earth.
CHRISTIAN: You say true; but did you meet
nobody else in that valley?
FAITHFUL: No, not I; for I had sunshine all
the rest of the way through
that, and also through the Valley of the
Shadow of Death.
CHRISTIAN: ‘Twas well for you; I am sure it
fared far otherwise with me. I
had for a long season, as soon almost as I
entered into that valley, a
dreadful combat with that foul fiend
Apollyon; yea, I thought verily he
would have killed me, especially when he
got me down, and crushed me under
him, as if he would have crushed me to
pieces; for as he threw me, my sword
flew out of my hand: nay, he told me he was
sure of me; but I cried to God,
and he heard me, and delivered me out of
all my troubles. Then I entered
into the Valley of the Shadow of Death, and
had no light for almost half the
way through it. I thought I should have
been killed there over and over; but
at last day brake, and the sun rose, and I
went through that which was
behind with far more ease and quiet.
Moreover, I saw in my dream, that as they
went on, Faithful, as he chanced
to look on one side, saw a man whose name
was Talkative, walking at a
distance beside them; for in this place
there was room enough for them all
to walk. He was a tall man, and something
more comely at a distance than at
hand. To this man Faithful addressed
himself in this manner.
FAITHFUL: Friend, whither away? Are you
going to the heavenly country?
TALKATIVE: I am going to the same place.
FAITHFUL: That is well; then I hope we
shall have your good company?
TALKATIVE: With a very good will, will I be
your companion.
FAITHFUL: Come on, then, and let us go
together, and let us spend our time
in discoursing of things that are
profitable.
TALKATIVE: To talk of things that are good,
to me is very acceptable, with
you or with any other; and I am glad that I
have met with those that incline
to so good a work; for, to speak the truth,
there are but few who care thus
to spend their time as they are in their
travels, but choose much rather to
be speaking of things to no profit; and
this hath been a trouble to me.
FAITHFUL: That is, indeed, a thing to be
lamented; for what thing so worthy
of the use of the tongue and mouth of men
on earth, as are the things of the
God of heaven?
TALKATIVE: I like you wonderful well, for
your saying is full of conviction;
and
I will add, What thing is so pleasant, and what so profitable, as to
talk of the things of God? What things so
pleasant? that is, if a man hath
any delight in things that are wonderful.
For instance, if a man doth
delight to talk of the history, or the
mystery of things; or if a man doth
love to talk of miracles, wonders, or
signs, where shall he find things
recorded so delightful, and so sweetly
penned, as in the holy Scripture?
FAITHFUL: That is true; but to be profited
by such things in our talk,
should be our chief design.
TALKATIVE: That’s it that I said; for to
talk of such things is most
profitable; for by so doing a man may get
knowledge of many things; as of
the vanity of earthly things, and the
benefit of things above. Thus in
general; but more particularly, by this a
man may learn the necessity of the
new birth, the insufficiency of our works,
the need of Christ’s
righteousness, etc. Besides, by this a man
may learn what it is to repent,
to believe, to pray, to suffer, or the
like: by this, also, a man may learn
what are the great promises and
consolations of the Gospel, to his own
comfort. Farther, by this a man may learn
to refute false opinions, to
vindicate the truth, and also to instruct
the ignorant.
FAITHFUL: All this is true; and glad am I
to hear these things from you.
TALKATIVE: Alas! the want of this is the
cause that so few understand the
need of faith, and the necessity of a work
of grace in their soul, in order
to eternal life; but ignorantly live in the
works of the law, by which a man
can by no means obtain the kingdom of
heaven.
FAITHFUL: But, by your leave, heavenly
knowledge of these is the gift of
God; no man attaineth to them by human
industry, or only by the talk of
them.
TALKATIVE: All this I know very well; for a
man can receive nothing, except
it be given him from heaven: all is of
grace, not of works. I could give you
a hundred scriptures for the confirmation
of this.
FAITHFUL: Well, then, said Faithful, what
is that one thing that we shall at
this time found our discourse upon?
TALKATIVE: What you will. I will talk of
things heavenly, or things earthly;
things moral, or things evangelical; things
sacred, or things profane;
things past, or things to come; things
foreign, or things at home; things
more essential, or things circumstantial:
provided that all be done to our
profit.
FAITHFUL: Now did Faithful begin to wonder;
and stepping to Christian, (for
he
walked all this while by himself,) he said to him, but softly, What a
brave companion have we got! Surely, this
man will make a very excellent
pilgrim.
CHRISTIAN: At this Christian modestly
smiled, and said, This man, with whom
you are so taken, will beguile with this
tongue of his, twenty of them that
know him not.
FAITHFUL: Do you know him, then?
CHRISTIAN: Know him? Yes, better than he
knows himself.
FAITHFUL: Pray what is he?
CHRISTIAN: His name is Talkative: he
dwelleth in our town. I wonder that you
should be a stranger to him, only I
consider that our town is large.
FAITHFUL: Whose son is he? And whereabout
doth he dwell?
CHRISTIAN: He is the son of one Say-well. He
dwelt in Prating-Row; and he is
known to all that are acquainted with him
by the name of Talkative of
Prating-Row; and, notwithstanding his fine
tongue, he is but a sorry fellow.
FAITHFUL: Well, he seems to be a very
pretty man.
CHRISTIAN: That is, to them that have not a
thorough acquaintance with him,
for he is best abroad; near home he is ugly
enough. Your saying that he is a
pretty man, brings to my mind what I have
observed in the work of a painter,
whose pictures show best at a distance; but
very near, more unpleasing.
FAITHFUL: But I am ready to think you do
but jest, because you smiled.
CHRISTIAN: God forbid that I should jest
(though I smiled) in this matter,
or that I should accuse any falsely. I will
give you a further discovery of
him. This man is for any company, and for
any talk; as he talketh now with
you, so will he talk when he is on the
ale-bench; and the more drink he hath
in his crown, the more of these things he
hath in his mouth. Religion hath
no place in his heart, or house, or
conversation; all he hath lieth in his
tongue, and his religion is to make a noise
therewith.
FAITHFUL: Say you so? Then am I in this man
greatly deceived.
CHRISTIAN: Deceived! you may be sure of it.
Remember the proverb, “They say,
and do not;” but the kingdom of God is not
in word, but in power. Matt.
23:3; 1 Cor. 4:20. He talketh of prayer, of
repentance, of faith, and of the
new birth; but he knows but only to talk of
them. I have been in his family,
and have observed him both at home and
abroad; and I know what I say of him
is the truth. His house is as empty of
religion as the white of an egg is of
savor. There is there neither prayer, nor
sign of repentance for sin; yea,
the brute, in his kind, serves God far
better than he. He is the very stain,
reproach, and shame of religion to all that
know him, Rom. 2:24,25; it can
hardly have a good word in all that end of
the town where he dwells, through
him. Thus say the common people that know
him, “A saint abroad, and a devil
at home.” His poor family finds it so; he
is such a churl, such a railer at,
and so unreasonable with his servants, that
they neither know how to do for
or speak to him. Men that have any dealings
with him say, It is better to
deal with a Turk than with him, for fairer
dealings they shall have at their
hands. This Talkative (if it be possible)
will go beyond them, defraud,
beguile, and overreach them. Besides, he
brings up his sons to follow his
steps; and if he finds in any of them a
foolish timorousness, (for so he
calls the first appearance of a tender
conscience,) he calls them fools and
blockheads, and by no means will employ
them in much, or speak to their
commendation before others. For my part, I
am of opinion that he has, by his
wicked life, caused many to stumble and
fall; and will be, if God prevents
not, the ruin of many more.
FAITHFUL: Well, my brother, I am bound to
believe you, not only because you
say you know him, but also because, like a
Christian, you make your reports
of men. For I cannot think that you speak
these things of ill-will, but
because it is even so as you say.
CHRISTIAN: Had I known him no more than
you, I might, perhaps, have thought
of him as at the first you did; yea, had I
received this report at their
hands only that are enemies to religion, I
should have thought it had been a
slander-a lot that often falls from bad
men’s mouths upon good men’s names
and professions. But all these things, yea,
and a great many more as bad, of
my own knowledge, I can prove him guilty
of. Besides, good men are ashamed
of him; they can neither call him brother
nor friend; the very naming of him
among them makes them blush, if they know
him.
FAITHFUL: Well, I see that saying and doing
are two things, and hereafter I
shall better observe this distinction.
CHRISTIAN: They are two things indeed, and
are as diverse as are the soul
and the body; for, as the body without the
soul is but a dead carcass, so
saying, if it be alone, is but a dead
carcass also. The soul of religion is
the practical part. “Pure religion and
undefiled before God and the Father
is this, to visit the fatherless and widows
in their affliction, and to keep
himself unspotted from the world.” James
1:27; see also verses 22-26. This,
Talkative is not aware of; he thinks that
hearing and saying will make a
good Christian; and thus he deceiveth his
own soul. Hearing is but as the
sowing of the seed; talking is not
sufficient to prove that fruit is indeed
in the heart and life. And let us assure
ourselves, that at the day of doom
men shall be judged according to their
fruits. Matt. 13:23. It will not be
said then, Did you believe? but, Were you
doers, or talkers only? and
accordingly shall they be judged. The end
of the world is compared to our
harvest, Matt. 13:30, and you know men at
harvest regard nothing but fruit.
Not that any thing can be accepted that is
not of faith; but I speak this to
show you how insignificant the profession
of Talkative will be at that day.
FAITHFUL: This brings to my mind that of
Moses, by which he describeth the
beast that is clean. Lev. 11; Deut. 14. He
is such an one that parteth the
hoof, and cheweth the cud; not that parteth
the hoof only, or that cheweth
the cud only. The hare cheweth the cud, but
yet is unclean, because he
parteth not the hoof. And this truly
resembleth Talkative: he cheweth the
cud, he seeketh knowledge; he cheweth upon
the word, but he divideth not the
hoof. He parteth not with the way of
sinners; but, as the hare, he retaineth
the foot of the dog or bear, and therefore
he is unclean.
CHRISTIAN: You have spoken, for aught I
know, the true gospel sense of these
texts. And I will add another thing: Paul
calleth some men, yea, and those
great talkers too, sounding brass, and
tinkling cymbals, 1 Cor. 13:1, 3;
that is, as he expounds them in another
place, things without life giving
sound. 1 Cor. 14:7. Things without life;
that is, without the true faith and
grace of the gospel; and consequently,
things that shall never be placed in
the kingdom of heaven among those that are
the children of life; though
their sound, by their talk, be as if it
were the tongue or voice of an
angel.
FAITHFUL: Well, I was not so fond of his
company at first, but I am as sick
of it now. What shall we do to be rid of
him?
CHRISTIAN: Take my advice, and do as I bid
you, and you shall find that he
will soon be sick of your company too,
except God shall touch his heart, and
turn it.
FAITHFUL: What would you have me to do?
CHRISTIAN: Why, go to him, and enter into
some serious discourse about the
power of religion; and ask him plainly,
(when he has approved of it, for
that he will,) whether this thing be set up
in his heart, house, or
conversation.
FAITHFUL: Then Faithful stepped forward
again, and said to Talkative, Come,
what cheer? How is it now?
TALKATIVE: Thank you, well: I thought we
should have had a great deal of
talk by this time.
FAITHFUL: Well, if you will, we will fall
to it now; and since you left it
with me to state the question, let it be
this: How doth the saving grace of
God discover itself when it is in the heart
of man?
TALKATIVE: I perceive, then, that our talk
must be about the power of
things. Well, it is a very good question,
and I shall be willing to answer
you. And take my answer in brief, thus:
First, where the grace of God is in
the heart, it causeth there a great outcry
against sin. Secondly-
FAITHFUL: Nay, hold; let us consider of one
at once. I think you should
rather say, it shows itself by inclining
the soul to abhor its sin.
TALKATIVE: Why, what difference is there
between crying out against, and
abhorring of sin?
FAITHFUL: Oh! a great deal. A man may cry
out against sin, of policy; but he
cannot abhor it but by virtue of a godly
antipathy against it. I have heard
many cry out against sin in the pulpit, who
yet can abide it well enough in
the heart, house, and conversation. Gen.
39:15. Joseph’s mistress cried out
with a loud voice, as if she had been very
holy; but she would willingly,
notwithstanding that, have committed
uncleanness with him. Some cry out
against sin, even as the mother cries out
against her child in her lap, when
she calleth it slut and naughty girl, and then
falls to hugging and kissing
it.
TALKATIVE: You lie at the catch, I
perceive.
FAITHFUL: No, not I; I am only for setting
things right. But what is the
second thing whereby you would prove a
discovery of a work of grace in the
heart?
TALKATIVE: Great knowledge of gospel mysteries.
FAITHFUL: This sign should have been first:
but, first or last, it is also
false; for knowledge, great knowledge, may
be obtained in the mysteries of
the Gospel, and yet no work of grace in the
soul. Yea, if a man have all
knowledge, he may yet be nothing, and so,
consequently, be no child of God.
1 Cor. 13:2. When Christ said, “Do you know
all these things?” and the
disciples answered, Yes, he added, “Blessed
are ye if ye do them.” He doth
not lay the blessing in the knowing of
them, but in the doing of them. For
there is a knowledge that is not attended
with doing: “He that knoweth his
Master’s will, and doeth it not.” A man may
know like an angel, and yet be
no Christian: therefore your sign of it is
not true. Indeed, to know is a
thing that pleaseth talkers and boasters;
but to do is that which pleaseth
God. Not that the heart can be good without
knowledge, for without that the
heart is naught. There are, therefore, two
sorts of knowledge, knowledge
that resteth in the bare speculation of
things, and knowledge that is
accompanied with the grace of faith and
love, which puts a man upon doing
even the will of God from the heart: the
first of these will serve the
talker; but without the other, the true
Christian is not content. “Give me
understanding, and I shall keep thy law;
yea, I shall observe it with my
whole heart.” Psa. 119:34.
TALKATIVE: You lie at the catch again: this
is not for edification.
FAITHFUL: Well, if you please, propound
another sign how this work of grace
discovereth itself where it is.
TALKATIVE: Not I, for I see we shall not
agree.
FAITHFUL: Well, if you will not, will you
give me leave to do it?
TALKATIVE: You may use your liberty.
FAITHFUL: A work of grace in the soul
discovereth itself, either to him that
hath it, or to standers-by.
To him that hath it, thus: It gives him
conviction of sin, especially the
defilement of his nature, and the sin of
unbelief, for the sake of which he
is sure to be damned, if he findeth not
mercy at God’s hand, by faith in
Jesus Christ. This sight and sense of
things worketh in him sorrow and shame
for sin. Psa. 38:18; Jer. 31:19; John 16:8;
Rom. 7:24; Mark 16:16; Gal.
2:16; Rev. 1:6. He findeth, moreover,
revealed in him the Saviour of the
world, and the absolute necessity of
closing with him for life; at the which
he findeth hungerings and thirstings after
him; to which hungerings, etc.,
the promise is made. Now, according to the
strength or weakness of his faith
in his Saviour, so is his joy and peace, so
is his love to holiness, so are
his desires to know him more, and also to
serve him in this world. But
though, I say, it discovereth itself thus
unto him, yet it is but seldom
that he is able to conclude that this is a
work of grace; because his
corruptions now, and his abused reason,
make his mind to misjudge in this
matter: therefore in him that hath this
work there is required a very sound
judgment, before he can with steadiness
conclude that this is a work of
grace. John 16:9; Gal. 2:15,16; Acts 4:12;
Matt. 5:6; Rev. 21:6.
To others it is thus discovered:
1. By an experimental confession of his
faith in Christ. 2. By a life
answerable to that confession; to wit, a
life of holiness-heart-holiness,
family-holiness, (if he hath a family,) and
by conversation-holiness in the
world; which in the general teacheth him
inwardly to abhor his sin, and
himself for that, in secret; to suppress it
in his family, and to promote
holiness in the world: not by talk only, as
a hypocrite or talkative person
may do, but by a practical subjection in
faith and love to the power of the
word. Job 42:5,6; Psa. 50:23; Ezek. 20:43;
Matt. 5:8; John 14:15; Rom.
10:10; Ezek. 36:25; Phil. 1:27; 3:17-20.
And now, sir, as to this brief
description of the work of grace, and also
the discovery of it, if you have
aught to object, object; if not, then give
me leave to propound to you a
second question.
TALKATIVE: Nay, my part is not now to
object, but to hear; let me,
therefore, have your second question.
FAITHFUL: It is this: Do you experience
this first part of the description
of it; and doth your life and conversation
testify the same? Or standeth
your religion in word or tongue, and not in
deed and truth? Pray, if you
incline to answer me in this, say no more
than you know the God above will
say Amen to, and also nothing but what your
conscience can justify you in;
for not he that commendeth himself is
approved, but whom the Lord
commendeth. Besides, to say I am thus and
thus, when my conversation, and
all my neighbors, tell me I lie, is great
wickedness.
Then Talkative at first began to blush;
but, recovering himself, thus he
replied: You come now to experience, to
conscience, and to God; and to
appeal to him for justification of what is
spoken. This kind of discourse I
did not expect; nor am I disposed to give
an answer to such questions,
because I count not myself bound thereto,
unless you take upon you to be a
catechiser; and though you should so do,
yet I may refuse to make you my
judge. But I pray, will you tell me why you
ask me such questions?
FAITHFUL: Because I saw you forward to
talk, and because I knew not that you
had aught else but notion. Besides, to tell
you all the truth, I have heard
of you that you are a man whose religion
lies in talk, and that your
conversation gives this your
mouth-profession the lie. They say you are a
spot among Christians, and that religion
fareth the worse for your ungodly
conversation; that some have already
stumbled at your wicked ways, and that
more are in danger of being destroyed
thereby: your religion, and an
ale-house, and covetousness, and
uncleanness, and swearing, and lying, and
vain company-keeping, etc., will stand
together. The proverb is true of you
which is said of a harlot, to wit, “That
she is a shame to all women:” so
are you a shame to all professors.
TALKATIVE: Since you are so ready to take
up reports, and to judge so rashly
as you do, I cannot but conclude you are
some peevish or melancholy man, not
fit to be discoursed with; and so adieu.
Then up came Christian, and said to his
brother, I told you how it would
happen; your words and his lusts could not
agree. He had rather leave your
company than reform his life. But he is
gone, as I said: let him go; the
loss is no man’s but his own. He has saved
us the trouble of going from him;
for he continuing (as I suppose he will do)
as he is, would have been but a
blot
in our company: besides, the apostle says, “From such withdraw
thyself.”
FAITHFUL: But I am glad we had this little
discourse with him; it may happen
that he will think of it again: however, I
have dealt plainly with him, and
so am clear of his blood if he perisheth.
CHRISTIAN: You did well to talk so plainly
to him as you did. There is but
little of this faithful dealing with men
now-a-days, and that makes religion
to stink so in the nostrils of many as it
doth; for they are these talkative
fools, whose religion is only in word, and
who are debauched and vain in
their conversation, that (being so much
admitted into the fellowship of the
godly) do puzzle the world, blemish
Christianity, and grieve the sincere. I
wish that all men would deal with such as
you have done; then should they
either be made more conformable to
religion, or the company of saints would
be too hot for them. Then did Faithful say,
“How Talkative at first lifts up his
plumes!
How bravely doth he speak! How he presumes
To drive down all before him! But so soon
As Faithful talks of heart-work, like the
moon
That’s past the full, into the wane he
goes;
And so will all but he that heart-work
know.”
Thus they went on, talking of what they had
seen by the way, and so made
that way easy, which would otherwise no
doubt have been tedious to them, for
now they went through a wilderness.