Christiana and her sons

By this time Christiana was got on her way, and Mercy went along with her:

so as they went, her children being there also, Christiana began to

discourse. And, Mercy, said Christiana, I take this as an unexpected favor,

that thou shouldest set forth out of doors with me to accompany me a little

in the way.

MERCY: Then said young Mercy, (for she was but young,) If I thought it would

be to purpose to go with you, I would never go near the town any more.

CHRISTIANA: Well, Mercy, said Christiana, cast in thy lot with me: I well

know what will be the end of our pilgrimage: my husband is where he would

not but be for all the gold in the Spanish mines. Nor shalt thou be

rejected, though thou goest but upon my invitation. The King, who hath sent

for me and my children, is one that delighteth in mercy. Besides, if thou

wilt, I will hire thee, and thou shalt go along with me as my servant. Yet

we will have all things in common betwixt thee and me: only go along with

me.

MERCY: But how shall I be ascertained that I also should be entertained? Had

I this hope but from one that can tell, I would make no stick at all, but

would go, being helped by Him that can help, though the way was never so

tedious.

CHRISTIANA: Well, loving Mercy, I will tell thee what thou shalt do: go with

me to the Wicket-gate, and there I will further inquire for thee; and if

there thou shalt not meet with encouragement, I will be content that thou

return to thy place: I will also pay thee for thy kindness which thou

showest to me and my children, in the accompanying of us in the way that

thou dost.

MERCY: Then will I go thither, and will take what shall follow; and the Lord

grant that my lot may there fall, even as the King of heaven shall have his

heart upon me.

Christiana then was glad at heart, not only that she had a companion, but

also for that she had prevailed with this poor maid to fall in love with her

own salvation. So they went on together, and Mercy began to weep. Then said

Christiana, Wherefore weepeth my sister so?

MERCY: Alas! said she, who can but lament, that shall but rightly consider

what a state and condition my poor relations are in, that yet remain in our

sinful town? And that which makes my grief the more heavy is, because they

have no instructor, nor any to tell them what is to come.

CHRISTIANA: Pity becomes pilgrims; and thou dost weep for thy friends, as my

good Christian did for me when he left me: he mourned for that I would not

heed nor regard him; but his Lord and ours did gather up his tears, and put

them into his bottle; and now both I and thou, and these my sweet babes, are

reaping the fruit and benefit of them. I hope, Mercy, that these tears of

thine will not be lost; for the truth hath said, that “they that sow in

tears shall reap in joy.” And “he that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing

precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his

sheaves with him.” Psa. 126:5,6.

Then said Mercy,

“Let the Most Blessed be my guide,

If it be his blessed will,

Unto his gate, into his fold,

Up to his holy hill.

And let him never suffer me

To swerve, or turn aside

From his free-grace and holy ways,

Whate’er shall me betide.

And let him gather them of mine

That I have left behind;

Lord, make them pray they may be thine,

With all their heart and mind.”

Now my old friend proceeded, and said, But when Christiana came to the

Slough of Despond, she began to be at a stand; For, said she, this is the

place in which my dear husband had like to have been smothered with mud. She

perceived, also, that notwithstanding the command of the King to make this

place for pilgrims good, yet it was rather worse than formerly. So I asked

if that was true. Yes, said the old gentleman, too true; for many there be

that pretend to be the King’s laborers, and that say they are for mending

the King’s highways, who bring dirt and dung instead of stones, and so mar

instead of mending. Here Christiana therefore, with her boys, did make a

stand. But said Mercy, Come, let us venture; only let us be wary. Then they

looked well to their steps, and made a shift to get staggering over.

Yet Christiana had like to have been in, and that not once or twice. Now

they had no sooner got over, but they thought they heard words that said

unto them, “Blessed is she that believeth; for there shall be a performance

of those things which were told her from the Lord.” Luke 1:45.

Then they went on again; and said Mercy to Christiana, had I as good ground

to hope for a loving reception at the Wicket-gate as you, I think no Slough

of Despond would discourage me.

Well, said the other, you know your sore, and I know mine; and, good friend,

we shall all have enough evil before we come to our journey’s end. For can

it be imagined that the people who design to attain such excellent glories

as we do, and who are so envied that happiness as we are, but that we shall

meet with what fears and snares, with what troubles and afflictions they can

possibly assault us with that hate us?

And now Mr. Sagacity left me to dream out my dream by myself. Wherefore,

methought I saw Christiana, and Mercy, and the boys, go all of them up to

the gate: to which, when they were come, they betook themselves to a short

debate about how they must manage their calling at the gate, and what should

be said unto him that did open to them: so it was concluded, since

Christiana was the eldest, that she should knock for entrance, and that she

should speak to him that did open, for the rest. So Christiana began to

knock, and as her poor husband did, she knocked and knocked again. But

instead of any that answered, they all thought they heard as if a dog came

barking upon them; a dog, and a great one too; and this made the women and

children afraid. Nor durst they for a while to knock any more, for fear the

mastiff should fly upon them. Now, therefore, they were greatly tumbled up

and down in their minds, and knew not what to do: knock they durst not, for

fear of the dog; go back they durst not, for fear the keeper of that gate

should espy them as they so went, and should be offended with them; at last

they thought of knocking again, and knocked more vehemently than they did at

first. Then said the keeper of the gate, Who is there? So the dog left off

to bark, and he opened unto them.

Then Christiana made low obeisance, and said, Let not our Lord be offended

with his handmaidens, for that we have knocked at his princely gate. Then

said the keeper, Whence come ye? And what is it that you would have?

Christiana answered, We are come from whence Christian did come, and upon

the same errand as he; to wit, to be, if it shall please you, graciously

admitted by this gate into the way that leads unto the Celestial City. And I

answer, my Lord, in the next place, that I am Christiana, once the wife of

Christian, that now is gotten above.

With that the keeper of the gate did marvel, saying, What, is she now become

a pilgrim that but a while ago abhorred that life? Then she bowed her head,

and said, Yea; and so are these my sweet babes also.

Then he took her by the hand and led her in, and said also, Suffer little

children to come unto me; and with that he shut up the gate. This done, he

called to a trumpeter that was above, over the gate, to entertain Christiana

with shouting, and the sound of trumpet for joy. So he obeyed, and sounded,

and filled the air with his melodious notes.

Now all this while poor Mercy did stand without, trembling and crying, for

fear that she was rejected. But when Christiana had got admittance for

herself and her boys, then she began to make intercession for Mercy.

CHRISTIANA: And she said, My Lord, I have a companion that stands yet

without, that is come hither upon the same account as myself: one that is

much dejected in her mind, for that she comes, as she thinks, without

sending for; whereas I was sent for by my husband’s King to come.

Now Mercy began to be very impatient, and each minute was as long to her as

an hour; wherefore she prevented Christiana from a fuller interceding for

her, by knocking at the gate herself. And she knocked then so loud that she

made Christiana to start. Then said the keeper of the gate, Who is there?

And Christiana said, It is my friend.

So he opened the gate, and looked out, but Mercy was fallen down without in

a swoon, for she fainted, and was afraid that no gate should be opened to

her.

Then he took her by the hand, and said, Damsel, I bid thee arise.

Oh, sir, said she, I am faint; there is scarce life left in me. But he

answered, that one once said, “When my soul fainted within me I remembered

the Lord: and my prayer came unto thee, into thy holy temple.” Jonah 2:7.

Fear not, but stand upon thy feet, and tell me wherefore thou art come.

MERCY: I am come for that unto which I was never invited, as my friend

Christiana was. Hers was from the King, and mine was but from her. Wherefore

I fear I presume.

KEEP: Did she desire thee to come with her to this place?

MERCY: Yes; and, as my Lord sees, I am come. And if there is any grace and

forgiveness of sins to spare, I beseech that thy poor handmaid may be a

partaker thereof.

Then he took her again by the hand, and led her gently in, and said, I pray

for all them that believe on me, by what means soever they come unto me.

Then said he to those that stood by, Fetch something and give it to Mercy to

smell on, thereby to stay her faintings; so they fetched her a bundle of

myrrh, and a while after she was revived.

And now were Christiana and her boys, and Mercy, received of the Lord at the

head of the way, and spoken kindly unto by him. Then said they yet further

unto him, We are sorry for our sins, and beg of our Lord his pardon, and

further information what we must do.

I grant pardon, said he, by word and deed; by word in the promise of

forgiveness, by deed in the way I obtained it. Take the first from my lips

with a kiss, and the other as it shall be revealed. Song 1:2; John 20:20.

Now I saw in my dream, that he spake many good words unto them, whereby they

were greatly gladdened. He also had them up to the top of the gate, and

showed them by what deed they were saved; and told them withal, that that

sight they would have again as they went along in the way, to their comfort.

So he left them awhile in a summer parlor below, where they entered into

talk by themselves; and thus Christiana began. O how glad am I that we are

got in hither.

MERCY: So you well may; but I, of all, have cause to leap for joy.

CHRISTIANA: I thought one time, as I stood at the gate, because I had

knocked and none did answer, that all our labor had been lost, especially

when that ugly cur made such a heavy barking against us.

MERCY: But my worst fear was after I saw that you was taken into his favor,

and that I was left behind. Now, thought I, it is fulfilled which is

written, “Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken,

and the other left.” Matt. 24:41. I had much ado to forbear crying out,

Undone! And afraid I was to knock any more; but when I looked up to what was

written over the gate, I took courage. I also thought that I must either

knock again, or die; so I knocked, but I cannot tell how, for my spirit now

struggled between life and death.

CHRISTIANA: Can you not tell how you knocked? I am sure your knocks were so

earnest that the very sound of them made me start; I thought I never heard

such knocking in all my life; I thought you would come in by a violent hand,

or take the kingdom by storm. Matt. 11:12.

MERCY: Alas! to be in my case, who that so was could but have done so? You

saw that the door was shut upon me, and there was a most cruel dog

thereabout. Who, I say, that was so faint-hearted as I, would not have

knocked with all their might? But pray, what said my Lord to my rudeness?

Was he not angry with me?

CHRISTIANA: When he heard your lumbering noise, he gave a wonderful innocent

smile; I believe what you did pleased him well, for he showed no sign to the

contrary. But I marvel in my heart why he keeps such a dog: had I known that

before, I should not have had heart enough to have ventured myself in this

manner. But now we are in, we are in, and I am glad with all my heart.

MERCY: I will ask, if you please, next time he comes down, why he keeps such

a filthy cur in his yard; I hope he will not take it amiss.

Do so, said the children, and persuade him to hang him; for we are afraid he

will bite us when we go hence.

So at last he came down to them again, and Mercy fell to the ground on her

face before him, and worshiped, and said, “Let my Lord accept the sacrifice

of praise which I now offer unto him with the calves of my lips.”

So he said unto her, Peace be to thee; stand up. But she continued upon her

face, and said, “Righteous art thou, O Lord, when I plead with thee; yet let

me talk with thee of thy judgments.” Jer. 12:1. Wherefore dost thou keep so

cruel a dog in thy yard, at the sight of which such women and children as we

are ready to fly from thy gate for fear?

He answered and said, That dog has another owner; he also is kept close in

another man’s ground, only my pilgrims hear his barking; he belongs to the

castle which you see there at a distance, but can come up to the walls of

this place. He has frighted many an honest pilgrim from worse to better, by

the great voice of his roaring. Indeed, he that owneth him doth not keep him

out of any good-will to me or mine, but with intent to keep the pilgrims

from coming to me, and that they may be afraid to come and knock at this

gate for entrance. Sometimes also he has broken out, and has worried some

that I loved; but I take all at present patiently. I also give my pilgrims

timely help, so that they are not delivered to his power, to do with them

what his doggish nature would prompt him to. But what my purchased one, I

trow, hadst thou known never so much beforehand, thou wouldest not have been

afraid of a dog. The beggars that go from door to door, will, rather than

lose a supposed alms, run the hazard of the bawling, barking, and biting too

of a dog; and shall a dog, a dog in another man’s yard, a dog whose barking

I turn to the profit of pilgrims, keep any from coming to me? I deliver them

from the lions, and my darling from the power of the dog. Psa. 22:21,22.

MERCY: Then said Mercy, I confess my ignorance; I spake what I understood

not; I acknowledge that thou doest all things well.

CHRISTIANA: Then Christiana began to talk of their journey, and to inquire

after the way. So he fed them and washed their feet, and set them in the way

of his steps, according as he had dealt with her husband before.