The Pilgrim's Progress from this world to that which is to come
which they got not (as I said) were jewels, also he had a little
odd money left, but scarce enough to bring him to his journey's
end [1 Peter 4:18]; nay, if I was not misinformed, he was forced
to beg as he went, to keep himself alive; for his jewels he might
not sell. But beg, and do what he could, he went (as we say) with
many a hungry belly the most part of the rest of the way.
{313} HOPE. But is it not a wonder they got not from him his certificate,
by which he was to receive his admittance at the Celestial Gate?
CHR. It is a wonder; but they got not that, though they missed it
not through any good cunning of his; for he, being dismayed with
their coming upon him, had neither power nor skill to hide anything;
so it was more by good Providence than by his endeavour, that they
missed of that good thing.
{314} HOPE. But it must needs be a comfort to him, that they got
not his jewels from him.
CHR. It might have been great comfort to him, had he used it as
he should; but they that told me the story said, that he made but
little use of it all the rest of the way, and that because of the
dismay that he had in the taking away his money; indeed, he forgot
it a great part of the rest of his journey; and besides, when at any
time it came into his mind, and he began to be comforted therewith,
then would fresh thoughts of his loss come again upon him, and
those thoughts would swallow up all. [1 Peter 1:9]
{315} HOPE. Alas! poor man! This could not but be a great grief
to him.
CHR. Grief! ay, a grief indeed. Would it not have been so to any
of us, had we been used as he, to be robbed, and wounded too, and
that in a strange place, as he was? It is a wonder he did not die
with grief, poor heart! I was told that he scattered almost all
the rest of the way with nothing but doleful and bitter complaints;
telling also to all that overtook him, or that he overtook in the
way as he went, where he was robbed, and how; who they were that
did it, and what he lost; how he was wounded, and that he hardly
escaped with his life.
{316} HOPE. But it is a wonder that his necessity did not put him
upon selling or pawning some of his jewels, that he might have
wherewith to relieve himself in his journey.
CHR. Thou talkest like one upon whose head is the shell to this
very day; for what should he pawn them, or to whom should he sell
them? In all that country where he was robbed, his jewels were not
accounted of; nor did he want that relief which could from thence
be administered to him. Besides, had his jewels been missing at the
gate of the Celestial City, he had (and that he knew well enough)
been excluded from an inheritance there; and that would have been
worse to him than the appearance and villainy of ten thousand
thieves.
{317} HOPE. Why art thou so tart, my brother? Esau sold his
birthright, and that for a mess of pottage, and that birthright
was his greatest jewel; and if he, why might not Little-faith do
so too? [Heb. 12:16]
CHR. Esau did sell his birthright indeed, and so do many besides,
and by so doing exclude themselves from the chief blessing, as
also that caitiff did; but you must put a difference betwixt Esau
and Little-faith, and also betwixt their estates. Esau's birthright
was typical, but Little-faith's jewels were not so; Esau's belly
was his god, but Little-faith's belly was not so; Esau's want lay
in his fleshly appetite, Little-faith's did not so. Besides, Esau
could see no further than to the fulfilling of his lusts; "Behold,
I am at the point to die, (said he), and what profit shall this
birthright do me?" [Gen. 25:32] But Little-faith, though it was
his lot to have but a little faith, was by his little faith kept
from such extravagances, and made to see and prize his jewels
more than to sell them, as Esau did his birthright. You read not
anywhere that Esau had faith, no, not so much as a little; therefore,
no marvel if, where the flesh only bears sway, (as it will in that
man where no faith is to resist), if he sells his birthright, and
his soul and all, and that to the devil of hell; for it is with
such, as it is with the ass, who in her occasions cannot be turned
away. [Jer. 2:24] When their minds are set upon their lusts,
they will have them whatever they cost. But Little-faith was of
another temper, his mind was on things divine; his livelihood was
upon things that were spiritual, and from above; therefore, to what
end should he that is of such a temper sell his jewels (had there
been any that would have bought them) to fill his mind with empty
things? Will a man give a penny to fill his belly with hay; or can
you persuade the turtle-dove to live upon carrion like the crow?
Though faithless ones can, for carnal lusts, pawn, or mortgage,
or sell what they have, and themselves outright to boot; yet they
that have faith, saving faith, though but a little of it, cannot
do so. Here, therefore, my brother, is thy mistake.
{318} HOPE. I acknowledge it; but yet your severe reflection had
almost made me angry.
CHR. Why, I did but compare thee to some of the birds that are of
the brisker sort, who will run to and fro in untrodden paths, with
the shell upon their heads; but pass by that, and consider the
matter under debate, and all shall be well betwixt thee and me.
HOPE. But, Christian, these three fellows, I am persuaded in
my heart, are but a company of cowards; would they have run else,
think you, as they did, at the noise of one that was coming on
the road? Why did not Little-faith pluck up a greater heart? He
might, methinks, have stood one brush with them, and have yielded
when there had been no remedy.
CHR. That they are cowards, many have said, but few have found it
so in the time of trial. As for a great heart, Little-faith had
none; and I perceive by thee, my brother, hadst thou been the man
concerned, thou art but for a brush, and then to yield.
And, verily, since this is the height of thy stomach, now they are
at a distance from us, should they appear to thee as they did to
him they might put thee to second thoughts.
{319} But, consider again, they are but journeymen thieves, they
serve under the king of the bottomless pit, who, if need be, will
come into their aid himself, and his voice is as the roaring of a
lion. [1 Pet. 5:8] I myself have been engaged as this Little-faith
was, and I found it a terrible thing. These three villains set
upon me, and I beginning, like a Christian, to resist, they gave
but a call, and in came their master. I would, as the saying is,
have given my life for a penny, but that, as God would have it,
I was clothed with armour of proof. Ay, and yet, though I was so
harnessed, I found it hard work to quit myself like a man. No man
can tell what in that combat attends us, but he that hath been in
the battle himself.
{320} HOPE. Well, but they ran, you see, when they did but suppose
that one Great-grace was in the way.
CHR. True, they have often fled, both they and their master, when
Great-grace hath but appeared; and no marvel; for he is the King's
champion. But, I trow, you will put some difference betwixt
Little-faith and the King's champion. All the King's subjects
are not his champions, nor can they, when tried, do such feats of
war as he. Is it meet to think that a little child should handle
Goliath as David did? Or that there should be the strength of
an ox in a wren? Some are strong, some are weak; some have great
faith, some have little. This man was one of the weak, and therefore
he went to the wall.
{321} HOPE. I would it had been Great-grace for their sakes.
CHR. If it had been, he might have had his hands full; for I must
tell you, that though Great-grace is excellent good at his weapons,
and has, and can, so long as he keeps them at sword's point, do well
enough with them; yet, if they get within him, even Faint-heart,
Mistrust, or the other, it shall go hard but they will throw up
his heels. And when a man is down, you know, what can he do?
{322} Whoso looks well upon Great-grace's face, shall see those
scars and cuts there, that shall easily give demonstration of what
I say. Yea, once I heard that he should say, (and that when he was
in the combat), "We despaired even of life." How did these sturdy
rogues and their fellows make David groan, mourn, and roar? Yea,
Heman, and Hezekiah, too, though champions in their day, were forced
to bestir them, when by these assaulted; and yet, notwithstanding,
they had their coats soundly brushed by them. Peter, upon a time,
would go try what he could do; but though some do say of him that
he is the prince of the apostles, they handled him so, that they
made him at last afraid of a sorry girl.
{323} Leviathan's sturdiness
Besides, their king is at their whistle. He is never out of hearing;
and if at any time they be put to the worst, he, if possible, comes in
to help them; and of him it is said, The sword of him that layeth
at him cannot hold the spear, the dart, nor the habergeon; he
esteemeth iron as straw, and brass as rotten wood. The arrow cannot
make him flee; sling stones are turned with him into stubble. Darts
are counted as stubble: he laugheth at the shaking of a spear.
[Job 41:26-29] What can a man do in this case? It is true, if a man
could, at every turn, have Job's horse, and had skill and courage
to ride him, he might do notable things; for his neck is clothed
with thunder, he will not be afraid of the grasshopper; the glory
of his nostrils is terrible: he paweth in the valley, and rejoiceth
in his strength, he goeth on to meet the armed men. He mocketh
at fear, and is not affrighted, neither turneth he back from the
sword. The quiver rattleth against him, the glittering spear, and
the shield. He swalloweth the ground with fierceness and rage,
neither believeth he that it is the sound of the trumpet. He saith
among the trumpets, Ha, ha! and he smelleth the battle afar off,
the thunder of the captains, and the shouting. [Job 39:19-25]
{324} But for such footmen as thee and I are, let us never desire
to meet with an enemy, nor vaunt as if we could do better, when we
hear of others that they have been foiled, Nor be tickled at the
thoughts of our own manhood; for such commonly come by the worst
when tried. Witness Peter, of whom I made mention before. He would
swagger, ay, he would; he would, as his vain mind prompted him to
say, do better, and stand more for his Master than all men; but
who so foiled, and run down by these villains, as he?
When, therefore, we hear that such robberies are done on the King's
highway, two things become us to do:
{325} 1. To go out harnessed, and to be sure to take a shield with
us; for it was for want of that, that he that laid so lustily at
Leviathan could not make him yield; for, indeed, if that be wanting,
he fears us not at all. Therefore, he that had skill hath said,
"Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able
to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked." [Eph. 6:16]
{326} 2. It is good, also, that we desire of the King a convoy,
yea, that he will go with us himself. This made David rejoice
when in the Valley of the Shadow of Death; and Moses was rather for
dying where he stood, than to go one step without his God. [Exo.
33:15] Oh, my brother, if he will but go along with us, what need
we be afraid of ten thousands that shall set themselves against
us? [Ps. 3:5-8, 27:1-3] But, without him, the proud helpers "fall
under the slain". [Isa. 10:4]
{327} I, for my part, have been in the fray before now; and though,
through the goodness of him that is best, I am, as you see, alive,
yet I cannot boast of my manhood. Glad shall I be, if I meet
with no more such brunts; though I fear we are not got beyond all
danger. However, since the lion and the bear have not as yet devoured