Christian hails Faithful going on before.

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Faithful before him upon his journey: Then said Christian aloud, Ho, ho! so, ho! Stay, and I will be your companion. At that Faithful looked behind him; to whom Christian cried again, Stay, stay, till I come up to you.' But Faithful answered, No; I am upon my life, and the Avenger of Blood is behind me."

At this Christian was somewhat moved, and putting to all his strength, he quickly got up with Faithful, and did also overrun him; so the last was first. Then did Christian vain-gloriously smile, because he had gotten the start of his brother; but not taking good heed to his feet, he suddenly stumbled and fell, and could not rise again, until Faithful came up to help him.3

Then I saw in my dream they went very lovingly on together, and had sweet discourse of all things that had happened to them in their pilgrimage; and thus Christian began.

Chr. My honoured and well-beloved brother Faithful, I am glad that I have overtaken you, and that God has so tempered our spirits, that we can walk as companions in this so pleasant a path.

Faith. I had thought, dear friend, to have had your company quite from our town, but you did get the start of me; wherefore I was forced to come thus much of the way alone.

Chr. How long did you stay in the city of Destruction, before you set out after me on your pilgrimage?

Faith. Till I could stay no longer; for there was a great talk, presently after you were gone out, that our city would, in a short time, with fire from Heaven, be burnt down to the ground.*

1 The conduct of Christian intimates that believers are sometimes ready to hinder one another, by making their own attainments and progress a standard for their brethren.

2 The lively exercise of faith renders men intent on pressing forward, and more apt to fear the society of such as would influence them to loiter, than to stop for them. This tends to excite an useful emulation.

3 While this emulation promotes diligence, it often gives occasion to those risings of vainglory and self-preference, which are the forerunners of some humiliating fall: and thus believers often feel their need of help from the very persons whom they have foolishly undervalued. Yet this gives occasion to those mutual good offices, which unite them more closely in the nearest ties of tender affection.

4 It often happens, that they who have been acquainted before their conversion, and hear little of each other for some time after, find at length that they were led to attend to religion about the same period without having opportunity or courage to confer together respecting it.

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They go on lovingly together.

Chr. What! did your neighbours talk so?

Faith. Yes, it was for a while in every body's mouth.

Chr. What! and did no more of them but you come out to escape the danger?

Faith. Though there was, as I said, a great talk thereabout, yet I do not think they did firmly believe it; for, in the heat of the discourse, I heard some of them deridingly speak of you, and of your desperate journey (for so they called this your pilgrimage): but I did believe, and do still, that the end of our city will be with fire and brimstone from above: and therefore I have made my escape.1

Chr. Did you hear no talk of neighbour Pliable?

Faith. Yes, Christian, I heard that he had followed you till he came to the Slough of Despond, where, as some said, he fell in; but he would not be known to have so done: but I am sure he was soundly bedabbled with that kind of dirt.

Chr. And what said the neighbours to him?

Faith. He hath, since his going back, been held greatly in derision, and that among all sorts of people; some do mock and despise him, and scarce will any set him on work. He is now seven times worse than if he had never gone out of the city.

Chr. But why should they be so set against him, since they also despise the way that he forsook?

Faith. O, they say, Hang him! he is a turn-coat, he was not true to his profession! I think God has stirred up even his enemies to hiss at him, and make him a proverb, because he hath forsaken the way. (Jer. xxix. 18, 19.)

Chr. Had you no talk with him, before you came out?

Faith. I met him once in the streets, but he leered away on the other side, as one ashamed of what he had done; so I spake not to him.2

Chr. Well, at my first setting out, I had hopes of that man; but

1 This episode, so to speak, and others of the same kind, give our author a happy advantage of varying the characters and experiences of Christians, as found in real life; and of thus avoiding the common fault of making one man a standard for others, in the circumstances of his religious progress.

2 Apostates are often ashamed to own they have had convictions. They shun religious people, as afraid of encountering their arguments, warnings, and expostulations: and thus are in all respects exceedingly contemptible and wretched.