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 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.
So, in the process of time, Christian got up to the gate. Now, over the
gate there was written, "Knock, and it shall be opened unto you."
He knocked, therefore, more than once or twice, saying,
May I now enter here? Will he within
Open to sorry me, though I have been
An undeserving rebel? Then shall I
Not fail to sing his lasting praise on high.
At last there came a grave person to the gate, named Goodwill, who asked
who was there, and whence he came, and what he would have.
_Chr._ Here is a poor burdened sinner. I come from the City of
Destruction, but am going to Mount Zion, that I may be delivered from
the wrath to come: I would, therefore, sir, since I am informed that by
this gate is the way thither, know if you are willing to let me in.
_Good._ I am willing with all my heart, said he; and with that he opened
the gate.
So when Christian was stepping in, the other gave him a pull. Then said
Christian, What means that? The other told him, A little distance from
this gate there is erected a strong castle, of which Beelzebub is the
captain; from thence both he and they that are with him shoot arrows at
those who come up to this gate, if haply they may die before they can
enter it. Then said Christian, I rejoice and tremble.
Now I saw in my dream, that the highway which Christian was to go was
fenced on either side with a wall, and that wall was called Salvation.
Up this way therefore did burdened Christian run, but not without great
difficulty, because of the load on his back.
He ran thus till he came at a place somewhat ascending; and upon that
place stood a cross, and a little below, in the bottom, a sepulchre. So
I saw in my dream, that just as Christian came up with the cross, his
burden loosed from off his shoulders, and fell from off his back, and
began to tumble, and so continued to do till it came to the mouth of the
sepulchre, where it fell in, and I saw it no more.
Then was Christian glad and lightsome, and said with a merry heart, "He
hath given me rest by his sorrow, and life by his death." Then he stood
still awhile to look and wonder; for it was very surprising to him that
the sight of the cross should thus ease him of his burden. He looked
therefore, and looked again, even till the springs that were in his head
sent the waters down his cheeks. Now as he stood looking and weeping,
behold, three Shining Ones came to him, and saluted him with "Peace be
to thee." So the first said to him, "Thy sins be forgiven thee;" the
second stripped him of his rags, and clothed him with change of raiment;
the third also set a mark on his forehead, and gave him a roll with a
seal upon it, which he bid him look on as he ran, and that he should
give it in at the celestial gate; so they went their way.
Then Christian gave three leaps for joy, and went on singing:
Thus far did I 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.
I saw then in my dream, that he went on thus, even until he came at the
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, of
another Sloth, and of the third Presumption.
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: 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. 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 tub must stand upon its own bottom.
And so they lay down to sleep again, and Christian went on his way.
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 him into discourse.
_Chr._ Gentlemen, whence came you, and whither do you go?
_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 ye 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?"
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?
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.
But, said Christian, will your practice stand a trial at law?
They told him, that custom, it being of so long standing as above a
thousand years, would, doubtless, now be admitted as a thing legal by an
impartial judge. And besides, said they, if we get into the way, what
matter is it 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 also are 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.
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 that 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 neighbors, to hide the shame of
thy nakedness.
_Chr._ By laws and ordinances you will not be saved, since you came not
in by the door. 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 his 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 in 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.
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.
I beheld, then, that they all went on till they came to the foot of the
hill Difficulty, at the bottom of which there was a string. 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,
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.
The other two also came to the foot of the hill. But when they saw 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 those 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.
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 midway to the top of the hill was a pleasant arbor, made by the
Lord of the hill for the refreshment 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." And with that Christian suddenly started up, and sped him
on his way, and went apace till he came to the top of the hill.
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 to pieces.
_Chr._ Then said Christian, you make me afraid; but whither shall I fly
to be safe? If I go back to my 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
run down the hill, and Christian went on his way. But thinking again of
what he heard from the man, 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 began to be much perplexed,
and knew not what to do. At last he bethought himself that he had slept
in the arbor that is on the side of the hill; and falling down upon his
knees, he asked God 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 from 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 within sight of the arbor
where he sat and slept; but that sight renewed his sorrow the more, by
bringing again even afresh, his evil of sleeping unto his mind. Thus,
therefore, he now went on, bewailing his sinful sleep, saying, Oh,
wretched man that I am, that I should sleep in the daytime! 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! How
many steps have I taken 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, also now I am like to be
benighted, for the day is almost spent. Oh, that I had not slept!
Now by this time he was come to arbor again, where for awhile 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 journy. 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! 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.
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? 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 have none; keep in the midst of the path and no hurt shall
come unto thee.
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.
_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.
_Port._ 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.
_Port._ But how doth it happen that you come so late? The sun is set.
_Chr._ I had been here sooner, but that, wretched man as I am, I slept
in the arbor 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.
_Port._ Well, I will call out one of the virgins of this place, who
will, if she likes your talk, bring you in to 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 of the door of the house a grave
and beautiful damsel, named Discretion, and asked why she was called.
The Porter answered, This man is on 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.
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 at 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, Prudence, and Charity, to discourse with him.
Now I saw in my dream, that thus they sat talking together until supper
was ready. So when they had made ready they sat down to meat. Now the
table was furnished with fat things, and wine that was well refined; and
all their talk at the table was about the Lord of the hill; as namely,
what he had done, and wherefore he did what he did, and why he had
builded that house; and by what they said, I perceived that he had been
a great warrior, and had fought with and slain him that had the power of
death, but not without great danger to himself, which made me love him
the more.
For, as they said, and as I believe, said Christian, he did it with the
loss of much blood. But that which put the glory of grace into all he
did, was, that he did it out of pure love to this country. And besides,
there was some of them of the household that said they had been and
spoke with him since he did die on the cross; and they have attested,
that they had it from his own lips, that he is such a lover of poor
pilgrims, that the like is not to be found from the east to the west.
They, moreover, gave an instance of what they affirmed, and that was, he
had stripped himself of his glory that he might do this for the poor;
and that they had heard him say and affirm, that he would not dwell in
the mountain of Zion alone. They said, moreover, that he had made many
pilgrims princes, though by nature they were beggars born, and their
original had been the dunghill.
Thus they discoursed together till late at night: and after they had
committed themselves to their Lord for protection, they betook
themselves to rest. The pilgrim they laid in a large upper chamber,
whose window opened toward the sunrising. The name of the chamber was
Peace, where he slept till break of day, and then he awoke and sang:
Where am I now? Is this the love and care
Of Jesus, for the men that pilgrims are,
Thus to provide that I should be forgiven,
And dwell already the next door to heaven?
So in the morning they all got up; and after some more discourse, they
told him that he should not depart till they had showed him the
rarities of that place. And first they had him into the study, where
they showed him records of the greatest antiquity; in which, as I
remember my dream, they showed him the pedigree of the Lord of the hill,
that he was the Son of the Ancient of days, and came by that eternal
generation. Here also was more fully recorded the acts that he had done,
and the names of many hundreds that he had taken into his service; and
how he had placed them in such habitations, that could neither by length
of days, nor decays of nature, be dissolved.
Then they read to him some of the worthy acts that some of his servants
had done; as how they had subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness,
obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of
fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong,
waxed valiant in fight, and turned to flight the armies of the aliens.
Then they read again another part of the records of the house, where it
was shown how willing their Lord was to receive into his favor any, even
any, though they in time past had offered great affronts to his person
and proceedings. Here also were several other histories of many other
famous things, of all which Christian had a view; as of things both
ancient and modern, together with prophecies and predictions of things
that have their certain accomplishment, both to the dread and amazement
of enemies, and the comfort and solace of pilgrims.
The next day they took him, and had him into the armory, where they
showed him all manner of furniture which their Lord had provided for
pilgrims, as sword, shield, helmet, breastplate, all-prayer, and shoes
that would not wear out. And there was here enough of this to harness
out as many men for the service of their Lord as there be stars in
heaven for multitude.