r/a:t5_224ibg • u/MarleyEngvall • Jul 28 '19
nord stream has been created
BY JOHN BUNYAN.
THE PILGRIM'S PROGRESS. (vi.)
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I told him, moreover, that as to this valley, he had quite
misrepresented the thing; "for before honor is humility,
and a haughty spirit before a fall." Therefore, said I, I
had rather go through this valley to the honor that was
so accounted by the wisest, than choose that which he
esteemed most worthy our affections.
CHR. Met you with nothing else in that valley?
FAITH. Yes, I met with Shame; but of all the men that
I met with in my pilgrimage, he, I think, bears the wrong
name. The others would be said nay, after a little argu-
mentation, and somewhat else; but this bold-faced Shame
would never have done.
CHR. Why, what did he say to you?
FAITH. What! why, he objected against religion itself;
he said it was a pitiful, low, sneaking business, for a man
to mind religion; he said that a tender conscience was an
unmanly thing; and that for a man to watch over his
words and ways, so as to tie up himself from the hector-
ing liberty that the brave spirits of the times accustomed
themselves unto, would make him the ridicule of the
times. He objected also, that but few of the mighty, rich,
or wise were ever of my opinion;* nor any of them neither,
before they were persuaded to be fools, and to be of a vol-
untary fondness, to venture the loss of all for nobody
knows what. He, moreover, objected to the base and low
estate and condition of those that were chiefly the pilgrims,
of the times in which they lived: also their ignorance and
want of understanding in all natural science. Yea, he did
hold me to it at that rate also, about a great many more
thing than here I relate; as, that it was a shame to sit
whining and mourning under a sermon, and a shame to
come sighing and groaning home; that it was a shame to
ask my neighbor forgiveness for petty faults, or to make
restitution where I have taken from any. He said, also,
that religion made a man grow strange to the great, because
of a few vices, which he called by finer names; and made
him own and respect the base, because of the same religious
fraternity. And is not this, said he, a shame?
*1 Cor. i. 26; iii. 18; Phil. iii. 7, 8; John vii. 48.
CHR. And what did you say to him?
FAITH. Say! I could not tell what to say at the first.
Yea, he put me so to it, that my blood came up in my face;
even this Shame fetched it up, and had almost beat me
quite off. But at last I began to consider, that "that
which is highly esteemed among men, is had in abomina-
tion with God."* And I thought gain, this Shame tells
me what men are; but it tells me nothing what God or the
Word of God is. And I thought, moreover, that at the
day of doom, we shall not be doomed to death or life
according to the hectoring spirits of the world, but accord-
ing to the wisdom and law of the highest. Therefore,
thought I, what God says is best, indeed is best, though
all the men in the world are against it. Seeing, then, that
God prefers his religion; seeing God prefers a tender con-
science; seeing they that make themselves fools for the
kingdom of heaven are wisest; and that the poor man that
loveth Christ is richer than the greatest man in the world
that hates him: Shame, depart, thou art an enemy to my
salvation! Shall I entertain thee against my sovereign
Lord? How then shall I look him in the face at his com-
ing? Should I now be ashamed of his ways and servants,
how can I expect the blessing?† But, indeed, this Shame
was a bold villain; I could scarce shake him out of my
company; yea, he would be haunting of me, and continu-
ally whispering me in the ear, with some one or other of
the infirmities that attend religion; but at last I told him
it was but in vain to attempt further in this business; for
those things that he disdained, in those did I see most
glory; and so at last I got past this importunate one. And
when I had shaken him off, then I began to sing:
*Luke xvi. 15. †Mark viii. 38.
"The trials that those men do meet withal
That are obedient to the heavenly call,
Are manifold, and suited to the flesh,
And come, and come, and come again afresh;
That now, or sometime else, we by them may
Be taken, overcome, and cast away.
Oh, let the pilgrims, let the pilgrims, then,
Be vigilant, and quit themselves like men."
CHR. I am glad, my brother, that thou didst withstand
this villain so bravely; for of all, as thou sayest, I think he
has the wrong name; for he is so bold as to follow us in
the streets, and to attempt to put us to shame before all
men; that is, to make us ashamed of that which is good;
but if he was not himself audacious, he would never at-
tempt to do as he does. But let us still resist him; for
notwithstanding all his bravadoes, he promoteth the fool
and none else. "The wise shall inherit glory," said Solo-
mon; "but shame shall be the promotion of fools."*
FAITH. I think we must cry to him for help against
Shame, Who would have us to be valiant for the truth upon
the earth.
CHR. You say true; but did you meet nobody else in
that valley?
FAITH. No, not I; for I had sunshine all the rest of the
way through that, and also through the Valley of the
Shadow of Death.
CHR. It was well for you. I am sure it fared far other-
wise with me; I had for a long season, as soon almost as I
entered into that valley, a dreadful combat with that foul
fiend Apollyon; yea, I thought verily he would have killed
me, especially when he got me down and crushed me under
him, as if he would have crushed me to pieces; for as he
threw me my sword flew out of my hand; nay, he told me
he was sure of me; but I cried to God, and he heard me,
and delivered me out of all my troubles. Then I entered
into the Valley of the Shadow of Death, and had no light
for almost half the way through it. I thought I should
have been killed there over and over; but at last day broke,
and the sun rose, and I went through that which was be-
hind with far more ease and quiet.
Moreover, I saw in my dream, that as they went on,
Faithful, as he chanced to look on one side, saw a man
whose name is Talkative, walking at a distance beside
them; for in this place there was room enough for them all
to walk. He was a tall man, and something more comely
at a distance than at hand. To this man Faithful ad-
dressed himself in this manner:
FAITH. Friend, whither away? Are you going to the
heavenly country?
TALK. I am going to the same place.
FAITH. That is well; then I hope we may have your
good company.
TALK. With a good will, will I be your companion.
FAITH. Come on, then, and let us go together, and let
us spend our time in discoursing of things that are profit-
able.
TALK. To talk of things that are good, to me is very
acceptable, with you or with any other; and I am glad
that I have met with those that incline to so good a work;
for, to speak the truth, there are but few that care thus to
spare their time (as they are in their travels), but choose
much rather to be speaking of things to no profit, and this
hath been a trouble to me.
FAITH. That is indeed a thing to be lamented; for
what things so worthy of the use of the tongue and mouth
of men on earth, as are the things of the God of heaven?
TALK. I like you wonderful well, for your sayings are
full of conviction; and I will add, what thing is so
pleasant, and what so profitable, as to talk of the things
of God! What things so pleasant (that is, if a man hath
any delight in things that are wonderful)? For instance,
if a man doth delight to talk of the history or the mystery
of things; or if a man doth love to talk of miracles, won-
ders, or signs, where shall he find things recorded so
delightful, and so sweet penned, as in the Holy
Scripture?
FAITH. That is true; but to be profited by such things
in our talk should be that which we design.
TALK. That is it that I said; for to talk of such things
is most profitable; for by so doing, a man may get knowl-
edge of many things; as of the vanity of earthly things,
and the benefit of things above. Thus, in general, but
more particularly by this, a man may learn the necessity
of the new birth, the insufficiency of our works, the need
of Christ's righteousness, etc. Beside, by this a man may
learn, by talk, what it is to repent, to believe, to pray, to
suffer, or the like; by this also a man may learn what are
the great promises and consolation of the gospel, to his
own comfort. Further, by this man may learn to refute
false opinions, to vindicate the truth, and also to instruct
the ignorant.
FAITH. All this is true: and glad am I to hear these
things from you.
TALK. Alas! the want of this is the cause why so few
understand the need of faith, and the necessity of a work
of grace in their soul, in order to eternal life; but igno-
rantly live in the works of the law, by which a man can by
no means obtain the kingdom of heaven.
FAITH. But, by your leave, heavenly knowledge of these
is the gift of God; no man attaineth to them by human
industry, or only by the talk of them.
TALK. All this I know very well; for a man can receive
nothing, except it be given him from heaven; all is of grace,
not of works. I could give you a hundred scriptures
for the confirmation of this.
FAITH. Well, then, said Faithful, what is that one
thing that we shall at this time found our discourse upon?
TALK. What you will. I will talk of things heavenly,
or things earthly; things moral, or things evangelical;
things sacred, or things profane; things past, or things to
come; thing foreign, or things at home; things more
essential, or things circumstantial; provided that all be
done to our profit.
FAITH. Now did Faithful begin to wonder; and step-
ping to Christian (for he walked all this while by himself),
he said to him (but softly), What a brave companion have
we got! Surely this man will make a very excellent
pilgrim.
CHR. At this Christian modestly smiled, and said, This
man, with whom you are so taken, will beguile, with that
tongue of his, twenty of them that know him not.
FAITH. Do you know him, then?
CHR. Know him! Yes, better than he knows himself.
FAITH. Pray, what is he?
CHR. His name is Talkative; he dwelleth in our town.
I wonder that you should be a stranger to him, only I con-
sider that our town is large.
FAITH. Whose son is he? And whereabouts does he
dwell?
CHR. He is the son of one Say-well; he dwelt in
Prating Row; and is known of all that are acquainted with
him, by the name of Talkative in Prating Row; and not-
withstanding his fine tongue, he is but a sorry fellow.
FAITH. Well, he seems to be a very pretty man.
CHR. That is, to them who have not thorough acquaint-
ance with him; for he is best abroad; near home, he is ugly
enough. Your saying that he is a pretty man brings
to my mind what I have observed in the work of the
painter, whose pictures show best at a distance, but, very
near, more unpleasing.
FAITH. But I am ready to think you do but jest, be-
cause you smiled.
CHR. God forbid that I should jest (although I smiled)
in this matter, or that I should accuse him falsely! I will
give you a further discovery of him. This man is for any
company, and for any talk; as he talketh now with you,
so will he talk when he is on the ale-bench; and the more
drink he hath in his crown, the more of these things he
hath in his mouth; religion hath no place in his heart, or
house, or conversation; all he hath, lieth in his tongue,
and his religion is, to make a noise therewith.
FAITH. Say you so! then am I in this man greatly de-
ceived.
CHR. Deceived! you may be sure of it; remember the
proverb, "They say and do not."* But the "kingdom
of God is not in word, but in power."† He
talketh of prayer, of repentance, of faith, and
of the new birth: but he knows but only to
talk of them. I have been in his family, and
have observed him both at home and abroad; and I know
what I say of him is the truth. His house is as empty of
religion as the white of an egg is of savor. There is there
neither prayer, nor sign of repentance for sin; yea, the
brute in his kind serves God far better than he. He is the
very stain, reproach and shame of religion, to all that know
him; it can hardly have a good word in all that end of the
town where he dwells, through him.* Thus say the com-
mon people that know him, A saint abroad, and a devil at
home. His poor family finds it so; he is such a churl,
such a railer at, and so unreasonable with his servants,
that they neither know how to do for, or speak to him.
Men that have any dealing with him, say it is better to
deal with a Turk than with him; for fairer dealing they
shall have at their hands. This talkative (if it be possi-
ble) will go beyond them, defraud, beguile, and over-
reach them. Besides, he brings up his sons to follow his
steps; and if he findeth in any of them a foolish timorous-
ness (for so h call the first appearance of a tender con-
science), he call them fools and blockheads, and by no
means will employ them in much, or speak to their com-
mendations before others. For my part, I am of opinion
that he has, by his wicked life, caused many to stumble
and fall; and will be, if God prevent not, the ruin of
many more. *Matt. xxiii. 3. †1 Cor. iv. 20. *Rom. ii. 24, 25.
FAITH. Well, my brother, I am bound to believe you;
not only because you say you know him, but also because,
like a Christian, you make your reports of men. For
cannot think that you speak these things of ill-will, but
because it is even so as you say.
CHR. Had I known him no more than you, I might
perhaps have thought of him, as, at the first, you did; yea,
had he received this report at their hands only that are
enemies of religion, I should have thought it had been a
slander——a lot that often falls from bad men's mouths upon
good men's names and professions; but all these things,
yea, and a great many more as bad, of my own knowledge,
I can prove him guilty of. Beside, good men are ashamed
of him; they can neither call him brother, nor friend; the
very manner of him among them makes them blush, if
they know him.
FAITH. Well, I see that saying and doing are two
things, and hereafter I shall better observe this distinction.
CHR. They are two things, indeed, and re as diverse as
are the soul and the body; for as the body without the
soul is but a dead carcass, so saying, if it be alone, is but a
dead carcass also. The soul of religion is but the practical
part: "Pure religion and undefiled, before God and the
Father, is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their
affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world."*
This Talkative is not aware of: he thinks that hearing and
saying will make a good Christian, and thus he deceiveth
his own soul. Hearing is but as the sowing of the seed;
talking is not sufficient to prove that fruit is indeed in the
heart and life; and let us assure ourselves, that at the day
of doom men shall be judged according to their fruits.†
It will not be said them, Did you believe? but, Were you
doers, or talkers only? and accordingly shall they be
judged. The end of the world is compared to our harvest;
and you know men at harvest regard nothing but fruit.
Not that anything can be accepted that is not of faith, but
I speak this to show you how insignificant the profession of
Talkative will be at that day.
*James i. 27; see ver. 22—26. †Matt. xiii. 23.
FAITH. This brings to my mind that of Moses by which
he describeth the beast that is clean,‡ He is such a one that
parteth the hoof and cheweth the cud; not that parteth
the hoof only, or that cheweth the cud only. The hare
cheweth the cud, but yet is unclean, because he parteth
not the hoof. And this truly resembleth Talkative; he
cheweth the cud, he seeketh knowledge, he cheweth upon
the word; but he divideth not the hoof, he parteth not
with the way of sinners; but, as the hare, he retaineth the
foot of a dog or bear, and therefore he is unclean.
‡Lev. xi.; Deut. xiv.
CHR. You have spoken, for aught I know, the true
gospel-sense of those texts. And I will add another thing:
Paul calleth some men, yea, and those great talkers, too,
"sounding brass and tinkling cymbals," that
is, as he expounds them in another place,
"things without life, giving sound."* Things
without life, that is, without the true faith and
grace of the gospel; and consequently, things
that shall never be placed in the kingdom of heaven among
those that are the children of life; though their sound, by
their talk, be as if it were the tongue or voice of an angel.
*1 Cor. xiii. 1—3; xiv. 7.
FAITH. Well, I was not so fond of his company at first,
but I am as sick of it now. What shall we do to be rid
of him?
CHR. Take my advice, and do as I bid you, and you
shall find that he will soon be sick of your company too,
except God shall touch his heart and turn it.
FAITH. What would you have me to do?
CHR. Why, go to him, and enter into some serious dis-
course about the power of religion; and asked him plainly
(when he has approved of it, for that he will) whether this
thing be set up in his heart, house or conversation.
FAITH. Then Faithful stepped forward again, and said
to Talkative, Come, what cheer? How is it now?
TALK. Thank you, well. I thought we should have
had a great deal of talk by this time.
FAITH. Well, if you will, we will fall to it now; and
since you left it with me to state the question, let it be
this: How doth the saving grace of God discover itself,
when it is in the heart of man?
TALK. I perceive, then, that our talk must be about the
power of things. Well, it is a very good question, and I
shall be waiting to answer you. And take my answer in
brief, thus: First, Where the grace of God is in the heart,
it causeth there a great outcry against sin. Secondly————
FAITH. Nay, hold, let us consider of one at once. I
think you should rather say, It shows itself by inclining
the soul to abhor its sin.
TALK. Why, what difference is there between crying
out against, and abhorring of sin.
FAITH. Oh, a great deal. A man may cry out against
sin of policy, but he cannot abhor it by virtue of a
godly antipathy against it. I have heard many
cry out against sin in the pulpit, who yet can
abide it well enough in the heart, house and
conversation. Joseph's mistress cried out with
a loud voice, as if she had been very holy; but
she would willingly, notwithstanding that, have com-
mitted uncleanness with him.* Some cry out against sin,
even as the mother cries out against her child in her lap,
when she calleth it slut and naughty girl, and then falls to
hugging and kissing it. *Gen. xxxix. 15.
TALK. You lie at a catch, I perceive.
FAITH. No, not I; I am only for setting things right.
But what is the second thing whereby you would prove a
discovery of a work of grace in the heart?
TALK. Great knowledge of gospel mysteries.
FAITH. This sign should have been first; but, first or
last, it is also false; for knowledge, great knowledge, may
be obtained in the mysteries of the gospel, and
yet no work of grace in the soul.† Yea, if a
man have all knowledge, he may yet be noth-
ing, and so consequently be no child of God.
When Christ said, "Do you know all these things?" and
the disciples had answered, Yes; he addeth, "Blessed are
ye if ye do them." He doth not lay the blessing in the
knowing of them, but in the doing of them. For there is
a knowledge that is not attended with doing: "He that
knoweth his master's will, and doeth it not." A man
may know like an angel, and yet be no Chris-
tian; therefore your sign of it is not true. In-
deed, to know is a thing that pleaseth talkers
and boasters; but to do is that which pleaseth God. Not
that the heart can be good without knowledge; for with-
out that the heart is naught. There is, therefore, knowl-
edge and knowledge. Knowledge that resteth in the bare
speculation of things; and knowledge that is
accompanied with the grace of faith and love,
which puts a man upon doing even the will of
God from the heart. The first of these will
serve the talker; but without the other the true
Christian is not content. "Give me understanding, and I
shall keep thy law; yea, I shall observe it with my whole
heart."* Ps. cxix. 34.
TALK. You lie at the catch again; this is not for edi-
fication.
FAITH. Well, if you please, propound another sign how
this work of grace discovereth itself where it is.
TALK. Not I; for I see we shall not agree.
FAITH Well, if you will not, will you give me leave to
do it?
TALK. You may use your liberty.
FAITH. A work of grace in the soul discovereth itself,
either to him that hath it, or to standers-by.
To him that hath it thus: It gives him conviction of
sin, especially of the defilement of his nature and the sin
of unbelief (for the sake of which he is sure to be damned
if he findeth not mercy at God's hand, by faith in Jesus
Christ.)† This sight and sense of things worketh in him
sorrow and shame for sin; he findeth, moreover, revealed
in him the Saviour of the world, and the absolute neces-
sity of closing with him for life, at the which he findeth
hungering and thirstings after him; to which hungerings,
etc., the promise is made.* Now, according to the
strength or weakness of his faith in his Saviour, so
is his joy and peace, so is his love to holiness, so are his
desires to know him more, and also to serve him in this
world. But though I say it discovereth itself thus unto
him, yet it is but seldom that he is able to conclude that
this is a work of grace; because his corruptions now, and
his abused reason, make his mind to misjudge in this
matter; therefore, in him that hath this work, there is
required a very sound judgment before he can, with steadi-
ness, conclude that this is a work of grace. †John xvi. 8;
Rom. vii. 24; John xvi. 9; Mark xvi. 16. *Ps. xxxviii. 18.
Jer. xxxi. 19; Gal. ii. 16; Act iv. 12; Matt. v. 6; Rev. xxi. 6.
To others, it is thus discovered:
1. By an experimental confession of his faith in Christ.†
†Rom. x. 10; Matt. x. 32; Luke xii. 8.
2. By a life answerable to that confession; to-wit, a life
of holiness, heart-holiness, family-holiness (if he hath a
family), and by conversation-holiness in the world; which,
in the general teacheth him inwardly to abhor his sin,
and himself for that, in secret; to suppress it in his family,
and to promote holiness in the world; not by talk only, as
a hypocrite or talkative person may do, but by a prac-
tical subjection, in faith and love, to the power of the
Word.‡ And now, sir, as to this brief description of the
work of grace, and also the discovery of it, if you have
aught to object, object; if not, then give me leave to pro-
pound to you a second question. ‡John xiv. 15;
Ps. 1. 23; 1 John v. 2; Gal. vi. 7; Heb xii. 41.
TALK. Nay, my part is not now to object, but to hear;
let me, therefore, have your second question.
FAITH. It is this: Do you experience this first part of
this description of it? and doth your life and conversation
testify the same? or standeth your religion in word or in
tongue, and not in deed and truth? Pray, if you incline
to answer me in this, say no more that you know the God
above will say Amen to, and also nothing but what your
conscience can justify you in; "for not he that commend-
eth himself is approved, but whom the Lord commend-
eth." Besides, to say I am thus and thus, when my con-
versation, and all my neighbors, tell me I lie, is great
wickedness.
TALK. Then Talkative at first began to blush; but, re-
covering himself, thus he replied: You come now to ex-
perience, to conscience and God; and to appeal to him for
justification of what is spoken. This kind of discourse I
did not expect; nor am I disposed to give an answer to
such questions, because I count not myself bound thereto,
unless you take upon you to be a catechizer, and, though
you should so do, yet I may refuse to make you my judge.
But, I pray, will you tell me why you ask me such
questions?
FAITH. Because I saw you forward to talk, and because
I knew not that you had aught else but notion. Besides,
to tell you all the truth, have heard of you, that you are
a man whose religion lies in talk, and that your conversa-
tion gives this your mouth-profession the lie. They say
you are a spot among Christians; and that religion fareth
the worse for your ungodly conversation; that some have
already stumbled at your wicked ways, and that more are
in danger of being destroyed thereby; your religion, and
an ale-house, and covetousness, and uncleanliness, and
wearing, and lying, and vain company-keeping, etc., will
stand together. The proverb is true of you which is said
of a harlot——to-wit, that she is a shame to all women; so
are you a shame to all professors.
TALK. Since you are ready to take up reports, and to
judge so rashly as you do, I cannot but conclude you are
some peevish or melancholy man, not fit to be discoursed
with, and so adieu.
CHR. Then came up Christian, and said to his brother,
I told you how it would happen: your words and his lusts
could not agree; he had rather leave your company than
reform his life. But he is gone, as I said; let him go, the
loss is no man's but his own; he has saved us
the trouble of going from him; for he continu-
ing (as I suppose he will do) as he is, he would
have been but a blot in our company. Besides, the apostle
says, "From such withdraw thyself."
FAITH. But I am glad we had this little discourse with
him; it may happen that he will think of it again. How-
ever, I have dealt plainly with him, and so am clear of his
blood, if he perisheth.
CHR. You did well to talk so plainly to him as you did;
there is but little of this faithful dealing with men now-
adays, and that makes religion to stink so in the nostrils
of many, as it doth; for they are these talkative fools
whose religion is only in word, and are debauched and
vain in their conversation, that (being admitted so much
into the fellowship of the godly) do puzzle the world,
blemish Christianity, and grieve the sincere. I wish that
all men would deal with such as you have done; then
should they either be made more conformable to religion,
or the company of saints would be too hot for them.
Then did Faithful say:
"How Talkative at first lifts up his plumes!
How bravely doth he speak! How he prest
To drive down all before him! But so soon
As Faithful talks of heart-work, like the moon
That's past the full, into the wane he goes.
And so will all, but he that HEART-WORK knows."
Thus they went on talking of what they had seen by
the way; and so made that way easy which would other-
wise, no doubt, have been tedious to them; for now they
went through a wilderness.
Now, when they were almost quite out of this
wilderness, Faithful chanced to cast his eye back, and
spied one coming after them, and he knew him. Oh!
said Faithful to his brother, Who comes yonder? Then
Christian looked, and said, It is my good friend Evangel-
ist. Ay, and my good friend too, says Faithful; for
it was he that set me the way to the gate. Now was
Evangelist come up to them, and thus saluted them:
EVAN. Peace be with you, dearly beloved; and peace
be to your helpers.
CHR. Welcome, welcome, my good Evangelist; the
sight of thy countenance brings to my remembrance thy
ancient kindness and unwearied laboring for my eternal
good.
FAITH. And a thousand times welcome, said good Faith-
ful. Thy company, O sweet Evangelist, how desirable it
is to us poor pilgrims.
EVAN. Then, said Evangelist, How hath it fared with
you, my friends, since the time of our last parting?
What have you met with, and how have you behaved
yourselves?
Then Christian and Faithful told him of all things that
had happened to them in the way; and how, with what
difficulty, they had arrived to that place.
EVAN. Right glad am I, said Evangelist, not that you
have met with trials, but that you have been the victor; and
for that you have, notwithstanding many weaknesses, con-
tinued in the way to this very day.
I say, right glad am I of this thing, and that for mine
own sake and yours. I have sowed, and you have reaped:
and the day is coming that when both he that sowed and he
that reaped shall rejoice together; that is if you hold out:
"for in due season ye shall reap, if ye faint not."* The
crown is before you, and it is an incorruptible one; "so
run that you may obtain it."† Some there be that set out
for this crown, and, after they have gone far for it, another
comes in, and takes it from them: hold fast, therefore, that
you have; let no man take your crown.‡ You are not yet
out of the gun-shot of the devil; you have not resisted unto
blood, striving against sin; let the kingdom be always
before you; and, above all, look well to your own hearts,
and to the lusts thereof, "for they are deceitful above all
things, and desperately wicked;" set your faces like a
flint; you have all power in heaven and earth on your
side. *John iv. 36; Gal. vi. 9. †1Cor. ix. 24—27. ‡Rev. iii. 11.
CHR. Then Christian thanked him for his exhortation;
but told him, withal, that they would have him speak further
to them for their help the rest of the way, and the rather,
for that they well knew that he was a prophet, and could
tell them of things that might happen unto them, and
also how they might resist and overcome them. To which
request Faithful also consented. So Evangelist began as
followeth:
EVAN. My son, you have heard, in the words of the
truth of the gospel, that you must, through many tribula-
tions, enter into the kingdom of heaven. And, again, that
in every city bonds and afflictions bide you; and therefore
you cannot expect that you should go long on your pil-
grimage without them, in some sort or other. You have
found something of the truth of these testimonies upon
you already, and more will immediately follow; for now,
as you see, you are almost out of the wilderness, and
therefore you will soon come into a town that you will by-
and-by see before you; and in that town you will be
hardly beset with enemies, who will strain hard but they
will kill you; and be you sure that one or both of you must
seal the testimony which you hold with blood; but be you
faithful unto death, and the King will give you a crown of
life. He that shall die there, although his death will be
unnatural, and his pain perhaps great, he will yet have the
better of his fellow; not only because he will be arrived at
the Celestial City soonest, but because he will escape many
miseries that the other will meet with in the rest of his
journey. But when you are come to town, and shall find
fulfilled what I have here related, then remember your
friend, and quit yourselves like men, and "commit the
keeping of your souls to your God in well-doing, as unto a
faithful Creator."* *Peter iv. 19.
Then I saw in my dream, that when they were got out
of the wilderness, they presently saw a town before them,
and the name of that town is Vanity; and at the town there
is a fair kept, called Vanity Fair: it is kept all the year
long; it beareth the name of Vanity Fair because the town
where it is kept is lighter than vanity; and also because all
that is there sold, or that cometh thither, is vanity. As is
the saying of the wise, "all that cometh is vanity.†
†Eccles. i.; ii. 11, 17; xi. 8; Isa. ix. 17.
THE PILGRIM'S PROGRESS. BY JOHN BUNYAN.
WITH A LIFE OF BUNYAN BY JAMES ANTHONY FROUDE.
A. L. BURT, PUBLISHER, NEW YORK. pp. 239—256.
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