The Pilgrim's Progress from this world to that which is to come
DEMAS. Yes, my name is Demas; I am the son of Abraham.
CHR. I know you; Gehazi was your great-grandfather, and Judas your
father; and you have trod in their steps. [2 Kings 5:20, Matt.
26:14,15, 27:1-5] It is but a devilish prank that thou usest;
thy father was hanged for a traitor, and thou deservest no better
reward. Assure thyself, that when we come to the King, we will do
him word of this thy behaviour. Thus they went their way.
{271} By this time By-ends and his companions were come again
within sight, and they, at the first beck, went over to Demas. Now,
whether they fell into the pit by looking over the brink thereof,
or whether they went down to dig, or whether they were smothered in
the bottom by the damps that commonly arise, of these things I am
not certain; but this I observed, that they never were seen again
in the way. Then sang Christian--
By-ends and silver Demas both agree;
One calls, the other runs, that he may be
A sharer in his lucre; so these do
Take up in this world, and no further go.
{272} Now I saw that, just on the other side of this plain,
the pilgrims came to a place where stood an old monument, hard by
the highway side, at the sight of which they were both concerned,
because of the strangeness of the form thereof; for it seemed
to them as if it had been a woman transformed into the shape of a
pillar; here, therefore they stood looking, and looking upon it,
but could not for a time tell what they should make thereof. At
last Hopeful espied written above the head thereof, a writing in
an unusual hand; but he being no scholar, called to Christian (for
he was learned) to see if he could pick out the meaning; so he came,
and after a little laying of letters together, he found the same
to be this, "Remember Lot's Wife". So he read it to his fellow;
after which they both concluded that that was the pillar of salt into
which Lot's wife was turned, for her looking back with a covetous
heart, when she was going from Sodom for safety. [Gen. 19:26]
Which sudden and amazing sight gave them occasion of this discourse.
{273} CHR. Ah, my brother! this is a seasonable sight; it came
opportunely to us after the invitation which Demas gave us to come
over to view the Hill Lucre; and had we gone over, as he desired
us, and as thou wast inclining to do, my brother, we had, for aught
I know, been made ourselves like this woman, a spectacle for those
that shall come after to behold.
HOPE. I am sorry that I was so foolish, and am made to wonder that
I am not now as Lot's wife; for wherein was the difference betwixt
her sin and mine? She only looked back; and I had a desire to go
see. Let grace be adored, and let me be ashamed that ever such a
thing should be in mine heart.
{274} CHR. Let us take notice of what we see here, for our help
for time to come. This woman escaped one judgment, for she fell
not by the destruction of Sodom; yet she was destroyed by another,
as we see she is turned into a pillar of salt.
HOPE. True; and she may be to us both caution and example; caution,
that we should shun her sin; or a sign of what judgment will overtake
such as shall not be prevented by this caution; so Korah, Dathan,
and Abiram, with the two hundred and fifty men that perished in
their sin, did also become a sign or example to others to beware.
[Num. 26:9,10] But above all, I muse at one thing, to wit, how
Demas and his fellows can stand so confidently yonder to look for
that treasure, which this woman, but for looking behind her after,
(for we read not that she stepped one foot out of the way) was
turned into a pillar of salt; especially since the judgment which
overtook her did make her an example, within sight of where they
are; for they cannot choose but see her, did they but lift up their
eyes.
{275} CHR. It is a thing to be wondered at, and it argueth that
their hearts are grown desperate in the case; and I cannot tell who
to compare them to so fitly, as to them that pick pockets in the
presence of the judge, or that will cut purses under the gallows.
It is said of the men of Sodom, that they were sinners exceedingly,
because they were sinners before the Lord, that is, in his eyesight,
and notwithstanding the kindnesses that he had showed them [Gen.
13:13]; for the land of Sodom was now like the garden of Eden
heretofore. [Gen. 13:10] This, therefore, provoked him the more
to jealousy, and made their plague as hot as the fire of the Lord
out of heaven could make it. And it is most rationally to be
concluded, that such, even such as these are, that shall sin in
the sight, yea, and that too in despite of such examples that are
set continually before them, to caution them to the contrary, must
be partakers of severest judgments.
HOPE. Doubtless thou hast said the truth; but what a mercy is it,
that neither thou, but especially I, am not made myself this example!
This ministereth occasion to us to thank God, to fear before him,
and always to remember Lot's wife.
{276} I saw, then, that they went on their way to a pleasant river;
which David the king called "the river of God", but John, "the
river of the water of life". [Ps. 65:9, Rev. 22, Ezek. 47] Now
their way lay just upon the bank of the river; here, therefore,
Christian and his companion walked with great delight; they drank
also of the water of the river, which was pleasant, and enlivening
to their weary spirits: besides, on the banks of this river, on
either side, were green trees, that bore all manner of fruit; and
the leaves of the trees were good for medicine; with the fruit of
these trees they were also much delighted; and the leaves they eat
to prevent surfeits, and other diseases that are incident to those
that heat their blood by travels. On either side of the river was
also a meadow, curiously beautified with lilies, and it was green
all the year long. In this meadow they lay down, and slept; for
here they might lie down safely. When they awoke, they gathered
again of the fruit of the trees, and drank again of the water
of the river, and then lay down again to sleep. [Ps. 23:2, Isa.
14:30] Thus they did several days and nights. Then they sang--
Behold ye how these crystal streams do glide,
To comfort pilgrims by the highway side;
The meadows green, beside their fragrant smell,
Yield dainties for them; and he that can tell
What pleasant fruit, yea, leaves, these trees do yield,
Will soon sell all, that he may buy this field.
So when they were disposed to go on, (for they were not, as yet,
at their journey's end,) they ate and drank, and departed.
{277} Now, I beheld in my dream, that they had not journeyed far,
but the river and the way for a time parted; at which they were
not a little sorry; yet they durst not go out of the way. Now the
way from the river was rough, and their feet tender, by reason of
their travels; so the souls of the pilgrims were much discouraged
because of the way. [Num. 21:4] Wherefore, still as they went
on, they wished for better way. Now, a little before them, there
was on the left hand of the road a meadow, and a stile to go over
into it; and that meadow is called By-path Meadow. Then said
Christian to his fellow, If this meadow lieth along by our wayside,
let us go over into it. Then he went to the stile to see, and
behold, a path lay along by the way, on the other side of the fence.
It is according to my wish, said Christian. Here is the easiest
going; come, good Hopeful, and let us go over.
{278} HOPE. But how if this path should lead us out of the way?
CHR. That is not like, said the other. Look, doth it not go along
by the wayside? So Hopeful, being persuaded by his fellow, went
after him over the stile. When they were gone over, and were got
into the path, they found it very easy for their feet; and withal,
they, looking before them, espied a man walking as they did, (and
his name was Vain-confidence); so they called after him, and asked
him whither that way led. He said, To the Celestial Gate. Look,
said Christian, did not I tell you so? By this you may see we are
right. So they followed, and he went before them. But, behold,
the night came on, and it grew very dark; so that they that were
behind lost the sight of him that went before.
{279} He, therefore, that went before, (Vain-confidence by name),
not seeing the way before him, fell into a deep pit [Isa. 9:16],
which was on purpose there made, by the Prince of those grounds,
to catch vain-glorious fools withal, and was dashed in pieces with
his fall.
{280} Now Christian and his fellow heard him fall. So they called
to know the matter, but there was none to answer, only they heard
a groaning. Then said Hopeful, Where are we now? Then was his
fellow silent, as mistrusting that he had led him out of the way;
and now it began to rain, and thunder, and lighten in a very dreadful
manner; and the water rose amain.
Then Hopeful groaned in himself, saying, Oh, that I had kept on my
way!
{281} CHR. Who could have thought that this path should have led
us out of the way?
HOPE. I was afraid on it at the very first, and therefore gave you
that gentle caution. I would have spoken plainer, but that you
are older than I.
Christian's repentance for leading of his brother out of the way
CHR. Good brother, be not offended; I am sorry I have brought thee
out of the way, and that I have put thee into such imminent danger;
pray, my brother, forgive me; I did not do it of an evil intent.
HOPE. Be comforted, my brother, for I forgive thee; and believe,
too, that this shall be for our good.
CHR. I am glad I have with me a merciful brother; but we must not
stand thus: let us try to go back again.
HOPE. But, good brother, let me go before.
CHR. No, if you please, let me go first, that if there be any danger,
I may be first therein, because by my means we are both gone out
of the way.
{282} HOPE. No, said Hopeful, you shall not go first; for your
mind being troubled may lead you out of the way again. Then, for
their encouragement, they heard the voice of one saying, "Set thine
heart toward the highway, even the way which thou wentest; turn
again." [Jer. 31:21] But by this time the waters were greatly
risen, by reason of which the way of going back was very dangerous.
(Then I thought that it is easier going out of the way, when we
are in, than going in when we are out.) Yet they adventured to go
back, but it was so dark, and the flood was so high, that in their
going back they had like to have been drowned nine or ten times.
{283} Neither could they, with all the skill they had, get again to
the stile that night. Wherefore, at last, lighting under a little
shelter, they sat down there until the daybreak; but, being weary,
they fell asleep. Now there was, not far from the place where they
lay, a castle called Doubting Castle, the owner whereof was Giant
Despair; and it was in his grounds they now were sleeping: wherefore
he, getting up in the morning early, and walking up and down in his
fields, caught Christian and Hopeful asleep in his grounds. Then,
with a grim and surly voice, he bid them awake; and asked them
whence they were, and what they did in his grounds. They told him
they were pilgrims, and that they had lost their way. Then said
the Giant, You have this night trespassed on me, by trampling in
and lying on my grounds, and therefore you must go along with me.
So they were forced to go, because he was stronger than they. They
also had but little to say, for they knew themselves in a fault.
The Giant, therefore, drove them before him, and put them into his
castle, into a very dark dungeon, nasty and stinking to the spirits
of these two men. [Ps. 88:18] Here, then, they lay from Wednesday
morning till Saturday night, without one bit of bread, or drop of