true proverb, "The dog is turned to his vomit again; and the sow that was washed, to her wallowing in the mire."" Faith. They are my fears of him too: but who can hinder that which will be? Well, neighbour 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 written for a wonder. Faith. I escaped the slough that I perceived 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 a mischief. Chr. 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. But what did she do to you? Faith. 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. Chr. Nay, she did not promise you the content of a good conscience. Faith. You know that I mean all carnal and fleshly content. Chr. Thank God you have escaped her: "the abhorred of the Lord shall fall into her ditch.3" Faith. Nay, I know not whether I did wholly escape her or no. Chr. Why, I trow, you did not consent to her desires. Faith. No, not to defile myself; for I remembered an old writing that I had seen, which said, "her steps take hold on hell.4" So I shut mine eyes because I would not be bewitched with her looks :- then she railed on me and I went my way. Chr. Did you meet with no other assault as you came ? Faith. 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 pil1 2 Peter, ii. 22. 2 Gen. xxxix. xi.---13. 3 Prov. xxii. 14. 4 Prov. v. 5. Job xxxi. 1. Then said the old man, grim going to the Celestial City. 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 him his name, and where he dwelt? He said, his name was Adam the first, and that he dwelt in the town of Deceit.' 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 what house he kept, and what other servants he had? So he told me, that his house was maintained with all the dainties in 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," and that I should marry them if I would. Then I asked how long time he would have me to live with him? and he told me, as long as he lived himself. Chr. Well, and what conclusion came the old man and you to at last? Faith. 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." Chr. And how then? Faith. Then it came burning hot into my mind, whatever he said, and however he flattered, when he got me to his house, he would sell me for a flave. 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 gave me such a deadly twitch back, that I thought he had pulled part of me after himself: this made me cry, O wretched man!3 So I went on my way up the hill. Now, when I had got about half way up, I looked behind me, and saw one coming after me, swift as the 1 Ephes. iv. 22. 2 John ii. 16. 3 Rom. vii, 24. wind; so he overtook me just about the place where the settle stands. 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. Faith. But, good brother, hear me out: so soon as the man overtook me, he 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. When I came to myself again, I cried him mercy: but he said, I know not how to shew mercy; and with that knocked me down again. He had doubtless made an end of me, but that one came by and bid him forbear. Chr. Who was it that bid him forbear? Faith. 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. Chr. The man that overtook you was Moses. Ha spareth none, neither knoweth he how to show mercy to those that transgress his law. Faith. I know it very well: it was not the first time that he has met with me. It was 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 staid there. Chr. But did you not see the house that ftood there on the top of the hill, on the side of which Moses met you? Faith. 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 be. fore me, I passed by the porter, and came down the hill. Chr. He told me indeed, that he saw you go by; but I wish you had called at the house; for they would have shewed you so many rarities, that you would scarce But pray have forgot them to the day of your death. tell me, did you meet nobody in the Valley of Humility? Faith. 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 honour. He told me moreover, that there to go, was to disoblige all my friends, as Pride, Arrogancy, SelfConceit, 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. Chr. Well, and how did you answer him? Faith. I told him, that although all these that he named might claim 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, as I also have rejected them, and therefore they are 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 our affections. Chr. Met you with nothing else in that valley? Faith. Yes, I met with Shame; but, of all the men that I met with in my pilgrimage, he, I think, bears the wrong name. The other would be said nay after a little argumentation and somewhat else: but that bold-faced Shame would never have done. Chr. Why, what did he say to you? Faith. 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 accustom themselves unto, would make him the ridicule of the times. He objected also, that but few 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.' 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 set whining and mourning under a sermon, and a shame to come sighing and groaning home that it was a shame to ask my neighbour 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 are 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 ? Chr. And what did you say to him? Faith. 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." And I thought again, this shame tells me what men are; but it 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, 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 manin 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? Should I now be ashamed of his ways and servants, how can I expect the blessing3? 1 John vii. 48. 1 Cor. i. 26. iii. 18. Phil. iii. 7—9. |