The Pilgrim's Progress from this world to that which is to come
me, I hope God will also deliver us from the next uncircumcised
Philistine. Then sang Christian--
Poor Little-faith! Hast been among the thieves?
Wast robb'd? Remember this, whoso believes,
And gets more faith, shall then a victor be
Over ten thousand, else scarce over three.
{328} So they went on and Ignorance followed. They went then till
they came at a place where they saw a way put itself into their way,
and seemed withal to lie as straight as the way which they should
go: and here they knew not which of the two to take, for both
seemed straight before them; therefore, here they stood still to
consider. And as they were thinking about the way, behold a man,
black of flesh, but covered with a very light robe, came to them,
and asked them why they stood there. They answered they were going
to the Celestial City, but knew not which of these ways to take.
Follow me, said the man, it is thither that I am going. So they
followed him in the way that but now came into the road, which by
degrees turned, and turned them so from the city that they desired
to go to, that, in little time, their faces were turned away from
it; yet they followed him. But by and by, before they were aware,
he led them both within the compass of a net, in which they were
both so entangled that they knew not what to do; and with that the
white robe fell off the black man's back. Then they saw where they
were. Wherefore, there they lay crying some time, for they could
not get themselves out.
{329} CHR. Then said Christian to his fellow, Now do I see myself
in error. Did not the Shepherds bid us beware of the flatterers?
As is the saying of the wise man, so we have found it this day. A
man that flattereth his neighbour, spreadeth a net for his feet.
[Prov. 29:5]
HOPE. They also gave us a note of directions about the way, for
our more sure finding thereof; but therein we have also forgotten
to read, and have not kept ourselves from the paths of the destroyer.
Here David was wiser than we; for, saith he, "Concerning the works
of men, by the word of thy lips, I have kept me from the paths of
the destroyer." [Ps. 17:4] Thus they lay bewailing themselves
in the net. At last they espied a Shining One coming towards them
with a whip of small cord in his hand. When he was come to the
place where they were, he asked them whence they came, and what
they did there. They told him that they were poor pilgrims going
to Zion, but were led out of their way by a black man, clothed in
white, who bid us, said they, follow him, for he was going thither
too. Then said he with the whip, It is Flatterer, a false apostle,
that hath transformed himself into an angel of light. [Prov. 29:5,
Dan. 11:32, 2 Cor. 11:13,14] So he rent the net, and let the men
out. Then said he to them, Follow me, that I may set you in your
way again. So he led them back to the way which they had left to
follow the Flatterer. Then he asked them, saying, Where did you lie
the last night? They said, With the Shepherds upon the Delectable
Mountains. He asked them then if they had not of those Shepherds
a note of direction for the way. They answered, Yes. But did you,
said he, when you were at a stand, pluck out and read your note?
They answered, No. He asked them, Why? They said, they forgot.
He asked, moreover, if the Shepherds did not bid them beware of
the Flatterer? They answered, Yes, but we did not imagine, said
they, that this fine-spoken man had been he. [Rom. 16:18]
{330} Then I saw in my dream that he commanded them to lie down;
which, when they did, he chastised them sore, to teach them the
good way wherein they should walk [Deut. 25:2]; and as he chastised
them he said, "As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten; be zealous,
therefore, and repent." [2 Chron. 6:26,27, Rev. 3:19] This
done, he bid them go on their way, and take good heed to the other
directions of the shepherds. So they thanked him for all his
kindness, and went softly along the right way, singing--
Come hither, you that walk along the way;
See how the pilgrims fare that go astray.
They catched are in an entangling net,
'Cause they good counsel lightly did forget:
'Tis true they rescued were, but yet you see,
They're scourged to boot. Let this your caution be.
{331} Now, after a while, they perceived, afar off, one coming
softly and alone, all along the highway to meet them. Then said
Christian to his fellow, Yonder is a man with his back towards
Zion, and he is coming to meet us.
HOPE. I see him; let us take heed to ourselves now, lest he should
prove a flatterer also. So he drew nearer and nearer, and at last
came up unto them. His name was Atheist, and he asked them whither
they were going.
CHR. We are going to Mount Zion.
Then Atheist fell into a very great laughter.
CHR. What is the meaning of your laughter?
{332} ATHEIST. I laugh to see what ignorant persons you are, to
take upon you so tedious a journey, and you are like to have nothing
but your travel for your pains.
CHR. Why, man, do you think we shall not be received?
ATHEIST. Received! There is no such place as you dream of in all
this world.
CHR. But there is in the world to come.
{333} ATHEIST. When I was at home in mine own country, I heard as
you now affirm, and from that hearing went out to see, and have
been seeking this city this twenty years; but find no more of it
than I did the first day I set out. [Jer. 22:12, Eccl. 10:15]
CHR. We have both heard and believe that there is such a place to
be found.
ATHEIST. Had not I, when at home, believed, I had not come thus far
to seek; but finding none, (and yet I should, had there been such
a place to be found, for I have gone to seek it further than you),
I am going back again, and will seek to refresh myself with the
things that I then cast away, for hopes of that which, I now see,
is not.
{334} CHR. Then said Christian to Hopeful his fellow, Is it true
which this man hath said?
Hopeful's gracious answer
Hope. Take heed, he is one of the flatterers; remember what it hath
cost us once already for our hearkening to such kind of fellows.
What! no Mount Zion? Did we not see, from the Delectable Mountains
the gate of the city? Also, are we not now to walk by faith? Let
us go on, said Hopeful, lest the man with the whip overtake us
again. [2 Cor. 5:7] You should have taught me that lesson, which
I will round you in the ears withal: "Cease, my son, to hear
the instruction that causeth to err from the words of knowledge."
[Prov. 19:27] I say, my brother, cease to hear him, and let us
"believe to the saving of the soul". [Heb. 10:39]
{335} CHR. My brother, I did not put the question to thee for that
I doubted of the truth of our belief myself, but to prove thee,
and to fetch from thee a fruit of the honesty of thy heart. As
for this man, I know that he is blinded by the god of this world.
Let thee and I go on, knowing that we have belief of the truth,
"and no lie is of the truth". [1 John 2:21]
HOPE. Now do I rejoice in hope of the glory of God. So they turned
away from the man; and he, laughing at them, went his way.
{336} I saw then in my dream, that they went till they came into
a certain country, whose air naturally tended to make one drowsy,
if he came a stranger into it. And here Hopeful began to be very
dull and heavy of sleep; wherefore he said unto Christian, I do
now begin to grow so drowsy that I can scarcely hold up mine eyes,
let us lie down here and take one nap.
CHR. By no means, said the other, lest sleeping, we never awake
more.
HOPE. Why, my brother? Sleep is sweet to the labouring man; we
may be refreshed if we take a nap.
CHR. Do you not remember that one of the Shepherds bid us beware
of the Enchanted Ground? He meant by that that we should beware
of sleeping; "Therefore let us not sleep, as do others, but let us
watch and be sober." [1 Thess. 5:6]
{337} HOPE. I acknowledge myself in a fault, and had I been here
alone I had by sleeping run the danger of death. I see it is true
that the wise man saith, Two are better than one. Hitherto hath
thy company been my mercy, and thou shalt have a good reward for
thy labour. [Eccl. 9:9]
CHR. Now then, said Christian, to prevent drowsiness in this place,
let us fall into good discourse.
HOPE. With all my heart, said the other.
CHR. Where shall we begin?
HOPE. Where God began with us. But do you begin, if you please.
CHR. I will sing you first this song:--
When saints do sleepy grow, let them come hither,
And hear how these two pilgrims talk together:
Yea, let them learn of them, in any wise,
Thus to keep ope their drowsy slumb'ring eyes.
Saints' fellowship, if it be managed well,
Keeps them awake, and that in spite of hell.
{338} CHR. Then Christian began and said, I will ask you a question.
How came you to think at first of so doing as you do now?
HOPE. Do you mean, how came I at first to look after the good of
my soul?
CHR. Yes, that is my meaning.
HOPE. I continued a great while in the delight of those things
which were seen and sold at our fair; things which, I believe now,
would have, had I continued in them, still drowned me in perdition
and destruction.
CHR. What things are they?
Hopeful's life before conversion
HOPE. All the treasures and riches of the world. Also, I delighted
much in rioting, revelling, drinking, swearing, lying, uncleanness,
Sabbath-breaking, and what not, that tended to destroy the soul.
But I found at last, by hearing and considering of things that are
divine, which indeed I heard of you, as also of beloved Faithful
that was put to death for his faith and good living in Vanity Fair,
that "the end of these things is death". [Rom. 6:21-23] And that
for these things' sake "cometh the wrath of God upon the children
of disobedience". [Eph. 5:6]
CHR. And did you presently fall under the power of this conviction?
{339} HOPE. No, I was not willing presently to know the evil
of sin, nor the damnation that follows upon the commission of it;
but endeavoured, when my mind at first began to be shaken with the
Word, to shut mine eyes against the light thereof.
CHR. But what was the cause of your carrying of it thus to the
first workings of God's blessed Spirit upon you?
{340} HOPE. The causes were, 1. I was ignorant that this was the
work of God upon me. I never thought that, by awakenings for sin,
God at first begins the conversion of a sinner. 2. Sin was yet
very sweet to my flesh, and I was loath to leave it. 3. I could
not tell how to part with mine old companions, their presence and
actions were so desirable unto me. 4. The hours in which convictions
were upon me were such troublesome and such heart-affrighting hours
that I could not bear, no not so much as the remembrance of them,
upon my heart.
CHR. Then, as it seems, sometimes you got rid of your trouble.
HOPE. Yes, verily, but it would come into my mind again, and then
I should be as bad, nay, worse, than I was before.
CHR. Why, what was it that brought your sins to mind again?
{341} HOPE. Many things; as,
1. If I did but meet a good man in the streets; or,
2. If I have heard any read in the Bible; or,
3. If mine head did begin to ache; or,
4. If I were told that some of my neighbours were sick; or,
5. If I heard the bell toll for some that were dead; or,
6. If I thought of dying myself; or,
7. If I heard that sudden death happened to others;
8. But especially, when I thought of myself, that I must quickly
come to judgment.
{342} CHR. And could you at any time, with ease, get off the guilt
of sin, when by any of these ways it came upon you?
HOPE. No, not I, for then they got faster hold of my conscience;
and then, if I did but think of going back to sin, (though my mind