Discourse between the Porter and Christian.

was; so he consented and staid. When the morning was up, they had him to the top of the house, and bid him look* south: so he did; and behold, at a great distance, he saw a most pleasant mountainous country, beautified with woods, vineyards, fruits of all sorts, flowers also, with springs, and fountains, very delectable to behold. Then he asked the name of the country: they said, it was Emanuel's Land; and it is as common, said they, as this hill is to and for all the pilgrims. And when thou comest there, from thence thou mayest see to the gate of the Celestial City, as the shepherds that live there, will make appear. (y)

Now, he bethought himself of setting forward, and they were willing he should. But first, they said, let us go into the armoury. So they did; and when he came there, they harnessed him from head to foot, with what was proof, lest perhaps, he should meet with assaults in the way. He, being therefore, thus (z) accoutred, walked out with his friends to the gate, and there be asked the Porter, if he saw any pilgrim pass by? Then the Porter answered, Yes.

Chr. Pray, did you know him? said he.

› Port. I asked his name, and he said, it was Faithful.

Chr. O, said Christian, I know him; he is my townsman, my near neighbour, he comes from the place where I was born: how far do you think he may be before?

Port. He is got by this time below the hill.

Chr. Well, said Christian, good Porter, the Lord

* Isa. xxxiii. 16, 17.

(y) All this is descriptive of those spiritual and experimental views which souls are favoured with, by the preaching of the word of grace in a visible church of Christ.

(z) See what this Christian armour is, in Ephes. vi. 13, &e,

Christian sets forward on his Journey.

be with thee, and add to all thy blessings much increase, for the kindness thou hast shewn to me. (a) Then he began to go forward, but Discretion, Piety, Charity, and Prudence, would accompany him down to the foot of the hill. So they went on together, reiterating their former discourses, till they came to go down the hill. Then said Christian, as it was difficult coming up, so far as I can see. it is dangerous going down. Yes, said Prudence, so it is; for it is a hard matter for a man to go down into the Valley of Humiliation, as thou art now, and to catch no slip by the way; therefore, said they, are we come out to accompany thee down the hill. So he began to go down, but very warily, yet he caught a slip or two. (b)

Then I saw in my dream, that those good companions, when Christian came down to the bottom of the hill, gave him a loaf of bread, a bottle of wine, and a cluster of raisins; and then, he went on his way.

But now, in this valley of Humiliation, poor Christian was hard put to it; for he had gone but a little way, before he espied a foul fiend coming over the field to meet him his name is Apollyon. Then did Christian begin to be afraid, and to cast

(a) Christians love the ministers of Christ, and bless them and pray for them, because the Lord hath made them profitable to their souls, in edifying, comforting, and establishing them in the faith of his love, and the hope of his salvation.

(b) Thus it is after a pilgrim has been favoured with many special and peculiar blessings, there is danger of his being puffed up by them, and exalted on the account of them; so was even holy Paul; therefore the messenger of Satan was permitted to buffet him, 2 Cor. xii. 7. In our present mixed state, the Lord knows it would not be best for us always to dwell on the mount of spiritual joy; therefore, for the good of the soul, the flesh must be humbled, and kept low, lest spiritual pride prevail. It is hard going down into the Valley of Humiliation, without slipping into murmuring and discontent, and calling in question the dealings of God with us.

Christian meets Apollyon.

in his mind whether to go back, or stand his ground. But he considered again, he had no armour for his back, and therefore thought, that to turn the back to him, might give him greater advantages with ease to pierce him with his darts; therefore, he resolved to venture and stand his ground: for, thought he, had I no more in mine èye than the saving of my life, it would be the best way to stand.

So he went on, and Apollyon met him. Now the monster was hideous to behold: he was clothed with scales, like a fish; and they are his pride; he bad wings, like a dragon, feet, like a bear, and out of his belly, came fire and smoke, and his mouth was as the mouth of a lion. When he was come up to Christian, he beheld him with a disdainful countenance, and thus began to question with him. (c)

Apollyon. Whence came you? And whither are you bound?

Chr. I am come from the City of Destruction, which is the place of all evil, and am going to the City of Zion.

Apol. By this, I perceive thou art one of my subjects; for all that country is mine, and I am the prince and god of it. How is it then that thou hast run away from thy king? Were it not that I hoped thou mayest do me more service, I would strike thee now, at one blow, to the ground.

Chr. I was born indeed in your dominions; but your service was hard, and your wages such as a

(c) Do not be terrified though you meet Satan, and he assaults you in the most terrible form; but mind this, before Satan is suffered to attack Pilgrim, his Lord had provided and fitted him with an armour; the armour of God, wherewith he could stand his ground, conquer Satan, and repel all his fiery darts. In every conflict with Satan the battle is the Lord's: his strength is engaged for our victory: therefore fight the good fight of faith.

Their discourse together.

man could not live on; for the wages of sin is death,* therefore, when I was come to years, I did as other considerate persons do, look out, if perhaps I might mend myself, (d)

Apol. There is no prince that will thus lightly lose his subjects, neither will I as yet lose thee; but since thou complainest of thy service and wages be content to go back; and whatever our country will afford, I do here promise to give thee.

Chr. But I have let myself to another, even to the King of princes; and how can I with fairness go back with thee?

Apol. Thou hast done in this, according to the proverb, Change a bad for a worse, but it is ordinary for those that have professed themselves his servants, after a while, to give him the slip, and return again to me. Do thou so too, and all shall be well, (e)

Chr. I have given him my faith, and sworn my allegiance to him; how then can I go back from this, and not be hanged as a traitor?

Apol. Thou didst the same to me, and yet I am willing to pass by all, if now thou wilt yet turn and go back.

Chr. What I promised thee was in my non-age;

* Rom. vi. 23.

(d) All this is the effect of believing God's word, and the conviction which it brings to the mind, of the evil of sin, of the deplorable state the sinner finds himself in, and of the grace and salvation of the Son of God. As soon as a man believes these truths, he quits the service of the father of lies; and by the faith of the truth he is armed to resist Satan; for it is the glory of faith to draw all its reasonings from divine truth.

(e) Here the father of lies delivers a most awful truth: but like himself, backs it with a lying promise. Most dreadful to think of, to set out in the profession of Jesus, and again to turn back to the service of satan! Yet how common is this! Such reject Christ's truth, and believe the devil's lye, "that all shall be well. But their end is ill, and their death damnation.

Apollyon tempts Christian.

and besides, I count that the Prince, under whose banner now stand, is able to absolve me; yea, and to pardon also what I did as to my compliance with thee and besides, O thou destroying Apollyon, to speak truth, I like his service, his wages, his servants, his government, his company, and country, better than thine; and therefore, leave off to persuade me further:-I am his servant, and I will follow him.

Apol. Consider again, when thou art in cold blood, what thou art likely to meet with in the way thou goest. Thou knowest that for the most part, his servants come to an ill end, because, they are transgressors against me and my ways. How many of them have been put to shameful deaths; and besides, thou countest his service better than mine, whereas, he never came yet from the place where he is, to deliver any that served him out of their hands; but as for me, how many times, as the world very well knows, have I delivered, either by power or fraud, those that have faithfully served me, from him and his, though taken by them; and so I will deliver thee. (f)

Chr. His forbearing at present to deliver them is on purpose to try their love, whether they will cleave to him in the end; and as for the ill end thou sayest they come to, that is most glorious in their account: but, for present deliverance, they do not much expect it, for they stay for their glory, and then they shall have it, when their Prince comes in his, and the glory of the angels. (g)

(f) Mark the many subtle ways and artful reasonings of Satan, to prevent pilgrims from persevering in the ways of the Lord.-Happy for us not to be ignorant of Satan's devices.

(g) Here is the precious reasoning of faith. Well might Paul say, "Above all (or over al!) taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one." Eph. vi, 16.