"Thus far I did come laden with my sin;
Nor could aught ease the grief that I was in
Till I came hither: 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?
Blest cross! blest sepulchre! blest rather be
The Man that there was put to shame for me!"
{95} I saw then in my dream, that he went on thus, even until he
came at a bottom, where he saw, a little out of the way, three men
fast asleep, with fetters upon their heels. The name of the one
was Simple, another Sloth, and the third Presumption.
{96} Christian then seeing them lie in this case went to them, if
peradventure he might awake them, and cried, You are like them that
sleep on the top of a mast, for the Dead Sea is under you--a gulf
that hath no bottom. [Prov. 23:34] Awake, therefore, and come
away; be willing also, and I will help you off with your irons. He
also told them, If he that "goeth about like a roaring lion" comes
by, you will certainly become a prey to his teeth. [1 Pet. 5:8]
With that they looked upon him, and began to reply in this sort:
Simple said, "I see no danger"; Sloth said, "Yet a little more
sleep"; and Presumption said, "Every fat must stand upon its own
bottom; what is the answer else that I should give thee?" And so
they lay down to sleep again, and Christian went on his way.
{97} Yet was he 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 of them, counselling of them, and proffering
to help them off with their irons. And as he was troubled thereabout,
he espied two men come tumbling over the wall on the left hand of
the narrow way; and they made up apace to him. The name of the one
was Formalist, and the name of the other Hypocrisy. So, as I said,
they drew up unto him, who thus entered with them into discourse.
{98} CHR. Gentlemen, whence came you, and whither go you?
FORM. and HYP. We were born in the land of Vain-glory, and are
going for praise to Mount Zion.
CHR. Why came you not in at the gate which standeth at the beginning
of the way? Know you not that it is written, that he that cometh
not in by the door, "but climbeth 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,
by all their countrymen, counted too far about; and that, therefore,
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 whither we are bound, thus to violate his revealed will?
{99} FORM. and HYP. They told him, that, as for that, he needed not
to trouble his head thereabout; for what they did they had custom
for; and could produce, if need were, testimony that would witness
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 custom, it being of so long a
standing as above a thousand years, would, doubtless, now be admitted
as a thing legal by any impartial judge; and besides, said they,
if we get into the way, what's matter which way we get in? if we
are in, we are in; thou art but 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; wherein, now, is thy 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.
{100} To this they made him but little answer; only they bid him
look to himself. Then I saw that they went on every man in his
way without much conference one with another, save that these two
men told Christian, that as to laws and ordinances, they doubted
not but they should as conscientiously do them as he; therefore,
said they, we see not wherein thou differest from us but by the coat
that is on thy back, which was, as we trow, given thee by some of
thy neighbours, to hide the shame of thy nakedness.
{101} CHR. By laws and ordinances you will not be saved, since you
came not in by the door. [Gal. 2:16] And as for this coat that
is on my back, it was given me by the Lord of the place whither 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, thus I comfort myself as I go: Surely, think
I, when I come to the gate of the city, the Lord thereof will know
me for good since I have this coat on my back--a coat that he
gave me freely in the day that he stripped me of my rags. I have,
moreover, 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, moreover, that I had then given me a roll, sealed, to comfort
me by reading as I go on the way; I was also bid to give it in at
the Celestial Gate, in token of my certain going in after it; all
which things, I doubt, you want, and want them because you came
not in at the gate.
{102} To these things they gave him no answer; only they looked
upon each other, and laughed. Then, I saw that they went on all,
save that Christian kept before, who had no more talk but with
himself, and that sometimes sighingly, and sometimes comfortably;
also he would be often reading in the roll that one of the Shining
Ones gave him, by which he was refreshed.
{103} I beheld, 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 thereof, to refresh himself [Isa. 49:10], and then began
to go up the hill, saying--
"The hill, though high, I covet 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."
{104} 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, therefore they were resolved to go in those ways. Now the
name of one of these 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 took 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.
"Shall they who wrong begin yet rightly end? Shall they at all
have safety for their friend? No, no; in headstrong manner they
set out, And headlong will they fall at last no doubt."
{105} I looked, then, after Christian, to see him go up the hill,
where I perceived he fell from running to going, and from going to
clambering upon his hands and his knees, because of the steepness
of the place. Now, about the midway to the top of the hill was a
pleasant arbour, made by the Lord of the hill for the refreshing
of weary travellers; thither, therefore, Christian got, where also
he sat down to rest him. Then he pulled his roll out of his bosom,
and read therein to 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 into a
slumber, and thence into a fast 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, there came one to him,
and awaked him, saying, Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her
ways and be wise. [Prov. 6:6] And with that Christian started
up, and sped him on his way, and went apace, till he came to the
top of the hill.
{106} Now, when he was got up to the top of the hill, there came
two men running to meet him amain; the name of the one was Timorous,
and 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; wherefore we turned, and are going back again.
Yes, said Mistrust, for just before us lie a couple of lions in
the way, whether sleeping or waking we know not, and we could not
think, if we came within reach, but they would presently pull us
in pieces.
{107} CHR. Then said Christian, You make me afraid, but whither
shall I fly to be safe? If I go back to mine 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 venture. To go back is nothing but death;
to go forward is fear of death, and life-everlasting beyond it. I
will yet go forward. So Mistrust and Timorous ran down the hill,
and Christian went on his way. But, thinking again of what he had
heard from the men, he felt in his bosom for his roll, that he
might read therein, and be comforted; but he felt, and found it
not. Then was Christian in great distress, and knew not what to
do; for he wanted that which used to relieve him, and that which
should have been his pass into the Celestial City. Here, therefore,
he begun to be much perplexed, and knew not what to do. At last
he bethought himself that he had slept in the arbour that is on
the side of the hill; and, falling down upon his knees, he asked
God's forgiveness for that his foolish act, and then went back to
look for his roll. But all the way he went back, who can sufficiently
set forth the sorrow of Christian's heart? Sometimes he sighed,
sometimes he wept, and oftentimes he chid himself for being so
foolish to fall asleep in that place, which was erected only for
a little refreshment for his weariness. Thus, therefore, he went
back, carefully looking on this side and on that, all the way as he
went, if happily he might find his roll, that had been his comfort
so many times in 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 the more, by bringing again, even afresh, his
evil of sleeping into his mind. [Rev. 2:5; 1 Thes. 5:7,8] Thus,
therefore, he now went on bewailing his sinful sleep, saying, O
wretched man that I am that I should sleep in the day-time! that I
should sleep in the midst of difficulty! that I should so indulge
the flesh, as to use that rest for ease to my flesh, which the
Lord of the hill hath erected only for the relief of the spirits
of pilgrims!
{108} How many steps have I took 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 thrice over, which I needed not to have
trod but once; yea, now also I am like to be benighted, for the
day is almost spent. O, that I had not slept!
{109} Now, by this time he was 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 settle, there he espied his
roll; the which he, with trembling and haste, catched up, and put
it into his bosom. But who can tell how joyful this man was when
he had gotten 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 betook himself again to
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 to his
remembrance; and thus he again began to condole with himself: O
thou sinful sleep; how, for thy sake, am I like to be benighted in
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. [1 Thes. 5:6,7] Now also he remembered
the story that Mistrust and Timorous told him of; how they were
frighted with the sight of the lions. Then said Christian to
himself again, These beasts range in the night for their prey; and
if they should meet with me in the dark, how should I shift them?
How should I escape being by them torn in pieces? Thus he went on
his way. But while he was thus bewailing his unhappy miscarriage,
he lift up his eyes, and behold there was a very stately palace
before him, the name of which was Beautiful; and it stood just by
the highway side.
{110} So I saw in my dream that he made haste 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 off the porter's lodge; and looking very narrowly before
him as he went, he espied two lions in the way. Now, thought he,
I see the dangers that Mistrust and Timorous were driven back by.
(The lions were chained, but he saw not the chains.) Then he was
afraid, and thought also himself 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 made a halt
as if he would go back, cried unto him, saying, Is thy strength so
small? [Mark 8:34-37] Fear not the lions, for they are chained, and
are placed there for trial of faith where it is, and for discovery
of those that had none. Keep in the midst of the path, no hurt
shall come unto thee.
"Difficulty is behind, Fear is before,
Though he's got on the hill, the lions roar;
A Christian man is never long at ease,
When one fright's gone, another doth him seize."
{111} Then I saw that he went on, trembling for fear of the lions,
but taking good heed to 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 said Christian to the porter, Sir, what house is this?
And may I lodge here to-night? 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 whence he was,
and whither he was going.
{112} CHR. I am 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 to-night.
POR. 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. [Gen. 9:27]
POR. But how doth it happen that you come so late? The sun is set.
{113} CHR. I had been here sooner, but that, "wretched man that
I am!" I slept in the arbour that stands on the hillside; nay, I
had, notwithstanding that, been here much sooner, 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 finding it not, I was forced with
sorrow of heart, to go back to the place where I slept my sleep,
where I found it, and now I am come.
POR. Well, I will call out one of the virgins of this place, who
will, if she likes your talk, bring you into 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 grave and beautiful damsel, named Discretion, and asked why she
was called.
{114} The porter answered, This man is in a journey from the City
of Destruction to Mount Zion, but being weary and benighted, he
asked me if he might lodge here to-night; so I told him I would call
for thee, who, after discourse had with him, mayest do as seemeth
thee good, even according to the law of the house.
{115} Then she asked him whence he was, and whither he was going,
and he told her. She asked him also 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 the more a desire to lodge
here to-night, 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 the water 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 discourse with him, had him
into the family; and many of them, meeting him at the threshold
of the house, said, Come in, thou 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 was 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 discourse with Christian, for
the best improvement of time; and they appointed Piety, and Prudence,
and Charity to discourse with him; and thus they began:
{116} PIETY. Come, good Christian, since we have been so loving
to you, to receive you in our house this night, let us, if perhaps
we may better ourselves thereby, talk with you of all 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.
{117} PIETY. What moved you at first to betake yourself to a
pilgrim's life?
CHR. I was driven out of my native country by a dreadful sound that
was in mine ears: to wit, that unavoidable destruction did attend
me, if I abode in that 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 whither to go; but by chance there
came a man, even to me, as I was trembling and weeping, whose name
is Evangelist, and he directed me to the wicket-gate, which else I
should never have found, and so set me into the way that hath led
me directly to this house.
{118} PIETY. But did you not come by the house of the Interpreter?
CHR. Yes, and did see such things there, the remembrance of which
will stick by me as long as I live; especially three things: to
wit, how Christ, in despite of Satan, maintains his work of grace
in the heart; how the man had sinned himself quite out of hopes of
God's mercy; and also the dream of him that thought in his sleep
the day of judgement was 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 of it; but yet I am glad I heard it.
{119} PIETY. Was that all that you saw at the house of the Interpreter?
CHR. No; he took me and had me where he shewed me a stately palace,
and how the people were clad in gold that were in it; and how there
came a venturous man and cut his way through the armed men that
stood in the door to keep him out, and how he was bid to come in,
and win eternal glory. Methought those things did ravish my heart!
I would have stayed at that good man's house a twelvemonth, but
that I knew I had further to go.
{120} PIETY. And what saw you else in the way?
CHR. Saw! 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 my burden fall off my back, (for I groaned under
a very heavy burden,) but then it fell down from off me. It was
a strange thing to me, for I never saw such a thing before; yea,
and while I stood looking up, for then I could not forbear looking,
three Shining Ones came to me. One of them testified that my sins
were forgiven me; another stripped me of my rags, and gave me this
broidered coat which you see; and the third set the mark which you
see in my forehead, and gave me this sealed roll. (And with that
he plucked it out of his bosom.)
{121} PIETY. But you saw more than this, did you not?
CHR. The things that I have told you were the best; yet some other
matters I saw, 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
also saw Formality and Hypocrisy come tumbling over the wall, to
go, as they pretended, to Zion, but they were quickly lost, even
as I myself did tell them; but they would not believe. But above
all, I found it hard work to get up this hill, and as hard to come
by 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 that
after all I might have gone back again; but now I thank God I am
here, and I thank you for receiving of me.
{122} Then Prudence thought good to ask him a few questions, and
desired his answer to them.
PRUD. Do you not think sometimes of the country from whence you
came?