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The Pilgrims arrive at the Foot of the Hill Difficulty.

have done to such poor women as we are? Then she turned it into a song, saying,

Now then you three hang there, and be a sign
To all that shall against the truth combine.
And let him that comes after fear this end,
If unto pilgrims he is not a friend.

And thou, my soul, of all such men beware,
That unto holiness opposers are.o

Thus they went on till they came to the foot of the hill Difficulty, where again their good friend, Mr. Great-heart, took an occasion to tell them what happened there when Christian himself went by. So he had them first to the spring. "Lo," said he, "this is the spring which Christian drank of before he went up this hill: and then it was clear and good; but now it is dirty with the feet of some that are not desirous that pilgrims here should quench their thirst.” (Ezek. xxxiv. 18, 19.) Upon which Mercy said, "And why so envious, trow ?" "But," said the guide, "it will do, if taken up and put into a vessel that is sweet and good; for then the dirt will sink to the

• There are many that have the privilege of hearing the gospel preached, who continue in their unbelief and hardness of heart, unaffected and unattracted by the amazing love of a dying and atoning Saviour. But such "ignorant, slothful, and presumptuous" professors of religion will at length perish in their iniquity. Disbelief of the gospel arises from a depraved heart, and will be nɔanifested by a dislike to its holy and self-denying precepts. It is truly affecting to consider how much mischief is done to others by the example of such unbelievers; nor is it wonderful if they who are half-hearted, halting between God and the world, should soon give up the profession of religion. These are the class of persons who give an unfavourable representation of the duties of religion, and speak reproachfully of evangelical ministers; and who despise the peculiar truths of the gospel as worthless, the comforts of believers as imaginary, and their expectations as enthusiastic and foolish.-The awful end of unbelievers who were " opposers of holiness," perishing under the gospel, is a monument of the divine displeasure, which should induce all to take heed, lest wicked mea lead them to neglect the great salvation. Let them "kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and they perish froin the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they," and none but they," that put their trust in him," Psalın ii. 11, 1o.

The Pilgrims driul: of the Spring at the Fout of the Hill.

bottom, and the water come out by itself more clear." Thus therefore Christiana and her companions were compelled to do. They took it up, and put it into an earthen pot, and so let it stand till the dirt was gone to the bottom, and then they drank thereof.” ↑

P It is difficult to get good doctrine in erroneous times.

The comparison which is here drawn between the state of "the spring" at the bottom of the hill when Christian went his pilgrimage, and at the time when Christiana performed her journey, plainly shows, that it was the author's design to introduce the peculiar events which occurred in England in regard to religion, at two periods; namely, before the restoration of Charles II. when the parish churches were filled with evangelical Presbyterian ministers, and after the passing of the act of Uniformity, when so many of those excellent men were ejected for their nonconformity. The text in Ezekiel on which this representation is founded, contains cutting interrogations, as proposed to the consciences of the prelates through whom principally the persecuting statutes were enacted. "Seemeth it a small thing unto you to have eaten up the good pasture, but ye must tread down with your feet the residue of your pastures and to have drunk of the deep waters, but ye must foul the residue with your feet? And as for my flock, they eat that which ye have trodden with your feet; and they drink that which ye have fouled with your feet." When the reader recollects that such ministers as Owen, Charnock, Goodwin, Bates, Flavel, Howe, Manton, Jessey, Bamfylde, Dyke,* (who had all been parish miisters,) &c. &c. had been prevented "from feeding the flock of God;" that these ministers were in many places succeeded by men who were ignorant of genuine religion, and persecutors of the saints; and that the gospel was adulterated, as the excellent Mr. Scott has expressed it, (in his edition of the Pilgrim's Progress, p. 262,) "by substituting plausible speculations, or moral lectures, in its stead; or by representing the preparation of heart requisite to a sincere acceptance of free salvation, as a legal condition of being received by him.". The conduct of those who persecuted the nonconformists, and prevented them from preaching, it is hinted, proceeded from "envy," which was most likely the true cause; "for who is able to stand before envy?" Prov. xxvii. 4. It is diflicult, however, to ascertain the precise reason of political measures; though it is easy to perceive that a dissolute unprincipled monarch, like Charles II. would fall in with that party in the state who were most inclined to leave him unmolested in the unrestrained gratification of his lusts. The king had known so much of the auste rity of the Presbyterians in Scotland, that he had no wish to see them possess ecclesiastical power in England. Notwithstanding • Most of these were Presbyterians; some were Independents, and others Baptists.

The By-ways where Formality and Hypocrisy were lost.

Next he showed them the two by-ways that were at the foot of the hill, where Formality and Hypocrisy lost themselves. "These," said he, "are dangerous paths. Two were here cast away when Christian came by; and although you see these ways are since stopped up with chains, posts, and a ditch, yet there are some that will choose to adventure here, rather than take the pains to go up this hill."

CHR. The way of transgressors is hard. (Prov. xiii. 15.) It is a wonder that they can get into those ways without danger of breaking their necks.

GREAT. They will venture; yea, if at any time any of the King's servants do happen to see them, and do call upon them, and tell them that they are in the wrong way, and bid them beware of the danger; then they will railingly return them answer, and say, " As for the word that thou hast spoken unto us in the name of the King, we will not hearken unto thee; but we will certainly do whatsoever thing goeth forth out of our own mouth," Jer. xliv. 16, 17. Nay, if you look a little farther, you will see that these ways are made cautionary enough, not only by these posts, and ditch, and chain, but also by being hedged up: yet they will choose to go there.

CHR. They are idle; they love not to take pains; up-hill way is unpleasant to them. So it is fulfilled all the attempts which were made in this reign to prevent the nonconforming and dissenting ministers from preaching, and their people from hearing them, by the severe operation of the "Fivemile" and "Conventicle Acts," the prelates were unable to succeed; woods and forests, and other secret places, were consecrated as the temples of God; and the tidings of salvation were often proclaimed at midnight, at the risk of the preacher's being apprehended and sent to prison, and the hearers, such of them at least as were above sixteen years of age, being subject, on the oath of one witness, and by the sole decision of a justice of the peace, to heavy fines, and loss of goods. The communication of the refreshing and strengthening consolations of the gospel, through the medium of the ministry among the harassed nonconformists, is probably what the author intended by "the pilgrim's being compelled to let the water of the spring stand in an earthen pot (See 2 Cor. iv. 7.) for the dirt to go to the bottom before they could drink of it."

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The Pilgrims refresh themselves in the Arbour

unto them as it is written, "The way of the slothful man is as a hedge of thorns," Prov. xv. 19. Yea, they will rather choose to walk upon a snare, than go up this hill, and the rest of this way to the city."

Then they set forward, and began to go up the hill, and up the hill they went. But before they had got up to the top, Christiana began to pant, and said, "I dare say this is a breathing hill; no marvel if they that love their ease more than their souls, choose to themselves a smoother way." Then said Mercy, "I must sit down:" also the least of the children began to cry. "Come, come," said Great-heart, "sit not down here; for a little above is the Prince's arbour." Then he took the little boy by the hand, and led him up thereto.

When they were come to the arbour, they were very willing to sit down, for they were all in a melting heat. Then said Mercy, "How sweet is rest to them that labour; (Matt. xi. 28,) and how good is the Prince of pilgrims to provide such resting-places for them! Of this harbour I have heard much; but I never saw it before. But here let us beware of sleeping; for, as I have heard, that cost poor Christian dear."

Then said Mr. Great-heart to the little ones, " Come, my pretty boys, how do you do? what think you now of going on pilgrimage?" "Sir," said the least, "I was almost beat out of heart; but I thank you for lending me a hand at my need. And I remember now what my mother hath told me, namely, that the way to heaven is as a ladder, and the way to hell is as down a bill. But I had rather go up the ladder to life, than down the hill to death."

Then said Mercy," But the proverb is, To go down the hill is easy." But James answered, (for that was

'Formalists and hypocrites abounded even at the time when persons could not profess religion among the nonconformists without being exposed on that account to fines and imprisonment; that is to say, when "their ways were stopped up with chains posts, and a ditch."

by the Side of the Hill Difficulty.

Lis name,)" The day is coming, when, in my opinion, going down the bill will be the hardest of all." "That's a good boy," said the guide," thou hast given her a right answer." Then Mercy smiled, but the little boy did blush.

CHR. Come, said Christiana, will you eat a bit, to swceten your mouths while you sit here to rest yourselves? for I have here a piece of pomegranate, which Mr. Interpreter put into my hand just when I came out of his door: he gave me also a piece of a honeycomb, and a little bottle of spirits. I thought he gave you something, said Mercy, because he called you aside. Yes, so he did, replied Christiana; but it shall be still as I said it should, when at first we came from home; thou shalt be a sharer in all the good that I have, because thou so willingly didst become my companion. Then she gave to them, and they did eat, both Mercy and the boys. And will you, Sir, said Christiana to Mr. Great-heart, do as we? He answered, You are going on pilgrimage, and presently I shall return; much good may what you have do to you at home I eat the same every day. Now when they had eaten and drunk, and had talked a little longer, their guide said to them, The day wears away; if you think good, let us prepare to be going. So they got up to go, and the little boys went before. but Christiana having forgot to take her bottle o spirits with her, sent her little boy back to fetch i Then said Mercy, I think this is a losing place; here Christian lost his roll, and here Christiana left her bottle behind her: Sir, what is the cause of this? The guide made answer, and said, The cause is sleep, or forgetfulness: some sleep when they should keep awake, and some forget when they should remember; and this is the very cause, why often, at the resting places, some pilgrims, in some things, come off losers. Pilgrims should watch, and. remember what they have already received, under their greatest enjoyments; for want of doing so, oftentimes their rejoicing ends in

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