{46} So Christian turned out of his way to go to Mr. Legality’s
house for help; but, behold, when he was got now hard by the hill,
it seemed so high, and also that side of it that was next the
wayside did hang so much over, that Christian was afraid to venture
further, lest the hill should fall on his head; wherefore there he
stood still and wotted not what to do. Also his burden now seemed
heavier to him than while he was in his way. There came also
flashes of fire out of the hill, that made Christian afraid that
he should be burned. [Ex. 19:16,18] Here, therefore, he sweat
and did quake for fear. [Heb. 12:21]
When Christians unto carnal men give ear, Out of their way they
go, and pay for ‘t dear; For Master Worldly Wiseman can but shew
A saint the way to bondage and to woe.
{47} And now he began to be sorry that he had taken Mr. Worldly
Wiseman’s counsel. And with that he saw Evangelist coming to meet
him; at the sight also of whom he began to blush for shame. So
Evangelist drew nearer and nearer; and coming up to him, he looked
upon him with a severe and dreadful countenance, and thus began to
reason with Christian.
{48} EVAN. What dost thou here, Christian? said he: at which
words Christian knew not what to answer; wherefore at present he
stood speechless before him. Then said Evangelist further, Art not
thou the man that I found crying without the walls of the City of
Destruction?
CHR. Yes, dear Sir, I am the man.
EVAN. Did not I direct thee the way to the little wicket-gate?
CHR. Yes, dear Sir, said Christian.
EVAN. How is it, then, that thou art so quickly turned aside? for
thou art now out of the way.
{49} CHR. I met with a gentleman so soon as I had got over the
Slough of Despond, who persuaded me that I might, in the village
before me, find a man that would take off my burden.
EVAN. What was he?
CHR. He looked like a gentleman, and talked much to me, and got me
at last to yield; so I came hither; but when I beheld this hill, and
how it hangs over the way, I suddenly made a stand lest it should
fall on my head.
EVAN. What said that gentleman to you?
CHR. Why, he asked me whither I was going, and I told him.
EVAN. And what said he then?
CHR. He asked me if I had a family? And I told him. But, said I,
I am so loaden with the burden that is on my back, that I cannot
take pleasure in them as formerly.
EVAN. And what said he then?
{50} CHR. He bid me with speed get rid of my burden; and I told him
that it was ease that I sought. And said I, I am therefore going
to yonder gate, to receive further direction how I may get to the
place of deliverance. So he said that he would shew me a better
way, and short, not so attended with difficulties as the way,
Sir, that you set me in; which way, said he, will direct you to
a gentleman’s house that hath skill to take off these burdens, so
I believed him, and turned out of that way into this, if haply I
might be soon eased of my burden. But when I came to this place,
and beheld things as they are, I stopped for fear (as I said) of
danger: but I now know not what to do.
{51} EVAN. Then, said Evangelist, stand still a little, that I
may show thee the words of God. So he stood trembling. Then said
Evangelist, “See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they
escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall
not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven.”
[Heb. 12:25] He said, moreover, “Now the just shall live by faith:
but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.”
[Heb. 10:38] He also did thus apply them: Thou art the man that
art running into this misery; thou hast begun to reject the counsel
of the Most High, and to draw back thy foot from the way of peace,
even almost to the hazarding of thy perdition.
{52} Then Christian fell down at his feet as dead, crying, “Woe
is me, for I am undone!” At the sight of which Evangelist caught
him by the right hand, saying, “All manner of sin and blasphemies
shall be forgiven unto men.” [Matt. 12:31, Mark 3:28] “Be not
faithless, but believing.” [John 20:27] Then did Christian again a
little revive, and stood up trembling, as at first, before Evangelist.
{53} Then Evangelist proceeded, saying, Give more earnest heed to
the things that I shall tell thee of. I will now show thee who it
was that deluded thee, and who it was also to whom he sent thee.
– The man that met thee is one Worldly Wiseman, and rightly is he
so called; partly, because he savoureth only the doctrine of this
world, [1 John 4:5] (therefore he always goes to the town of Morality
to church): and partly because he loveth that doctrine best, for
it saveth him best from the cross. [Gal 6:12] And because he is
of this carnal temper, therefore he seeketh to pervert my ways,
though right. Now there are three things in this man’s counsel,
that thou must utterly abhor.
1. His turning thee out of the way. 2. His labouring to render
the cross odious to thee. And, 3. His setting thy feet in that
way that leadeth unto the administration of death.
{54} First, Thou must abhor his turning thee out of the way; and
thine own consenting thereunto: because this is to reject the
counsel of God for the sake of the counsel of a Worldly Wiseman.
The Lord says, “Strive to enter in at the strait gate” [Luke 13:24],
the gate to which I sent thee; for “strait is the gate that leadeth
unto life, and few there be that find it.” [Matt. 7:14] From this
little wicket-gate, and from the way thereto, hath this wicked man
turned thee, to the bringing of thee almost to destruction; hate,
therefore, his turning thee out of the way, and abhor thyself for
hearkening to him.
{55} Secondly, Thou must abhor his labouring to render the cross
odious unto thee; for thou art to prefer it “before the treasures
in Egypt.” [Heb. 11:25,26] Besides the King of glory hath told
thee, that he that “will save his life shall lose it.” [Mark 8:35;
John 12:25; Matt. 10:39] And, “He that cometh after me, and hateth
not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren,
and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.”
[Luke 14:26] I say, therefore, for man to labour to persuade thee,
that that shall be thy death, without which, THE TRUTH hath said,
thou canst not have eternal life; this doctrine thou must abhor.
{56} Thirdly, Thou must hate his setting of thy feet in the way
that leadeth to the ministration of death. And for this thou must
consider to whom he sent thee, and also how unable that person was
to deliver thee from thy burden.
{57} He to whom thou wast sent for ease, being by name Legality,
is the son of the bond-woman which now is, and is in bondage with
her children [Gal 4:21-27]; and is, in a mystery, this Mount Sinai,
which thou hast feared will fall on thy head. Now, if she, with
her children, are in bondage, how canst thou expect by them to be
made free? This Legality, therefore, is not able to set thee free
from thy burden. No man was as yet ever rid of his burden by him;
no, nor ever is like to be: ye cannot be justified by the works
of the law; for by the deeds of the law no man living can be rid
of his burden: therefore, Mr. Worldly Wiseman is an alien, and
Mr. Legality is a cheat; and for his son Civility, notwithstanding
his simpering looks, he is but a hypocrite and cannot help thee.
Believe me, there is nothing in all this noise, that thou hast
heard of these sottish men, but a design to beguile thee of thy
salvation, by turning thee from the way in which I had set thee.
After this, Evangelist called aloud to the heavens for confirmation
of what he had said: and with that there came words and fire out
of the mountain under which poor Christian stood, that made the
hair of his flesh stand up. The words were thus pronounced: `As
many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it
is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things
which are written in the book of the law to do them.’ [Gal. 3:10]
{58} Now Christian looked for nothing but death, and began to cry
out lamentably; even cursing the time in which he met with Mr. Worldly
Wiseman; still calling himself a thousand fools for hearkening
to his counsel; he also was greatly ashamed to think that this
gentleman’s arguments, flowing only from the flesh, should have
the prevalency with him as to cause him to forsake the right way.
This done, he applied himself again to Evangelist in words and
sense as follow:
{59} CHR. Sir, what think you? Is there hope? May I now go back
and go up to the wicket-gate? Shall I not be abandoned for this,
and sent back from thence ashamed? I am sorry I have hearkened to
this man’s counsel. But may my sin be forgiven?
EVAN. Then said Evangelist to him, Thy sin is very great, for by
it thou hast committed two evils: thou hast forsaken the way that
is good, to tread in forbidden paths; yet will the man at the gate
receive thee, for he has goodwill for men; only, said he, take heed
that thou turn not aside again, `lest thou perish from the way,
when his wrath is kindled but a little.’ [Ps. 2:12] Then did
Christian address himself to go back; and Evangelist, after he had
kissed him, gave him one smile, and bid him God-speed. So he went
on with haste, neither spake he to any man by the way; nor, if any
asked him, would he vouchsafe them an answer. He went like one
that was all the while treading on forbidden ground, and could by
no means think himself safe, till again he was got into the way
which he left, to follow Mr. Worldly Wiseman’s counsel. So, in
process of time, Christian got up to the gate. Now, over the gate
there was written, `Knock, and it shall be opened unto you.’ [Matt
7:8]
