WERE MEN BLINDED BY GIANT DESPAIR.

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place they chose to go out of it into that meadow, and there were taken by Giant Despair, and cast into Doubting Castle; where, after they had a while been kept in the dungeon, he at last did put out their eyes, and led them among those tombs, where he had left them to wander to this very day, that the saying of the wise man might be fulfilled, "He that wandereth out of the way of understanding, shall remain in the congregation of the dead."(a) Then Christian and Hopeful looked upon one another, with tears gushing out, but yet said nothing to the shepherds.*

Then I saw in my dream, that the shepherds had them to another place in a bottom, where was a door in the side of an hill, and they opened the door, and bid them look in. They looked in therefore, and saw that within it was very dark and smoky; they also thought that they heard there a rumbling noise, as of fire, and a cry of some tormented; and that they smelt the scent of brimstone. Then said Christian, What means this? The shepherds told them, This is a byway to hell, a way that hypocrites go in at; namely, such as sell their birthright, with Esau; such as sell their Master, with Judas; such as blaspheme the gospel, with Alexander; and that lie and dissemble, with Ananias, and Sapphira his wife.

Then said Hopeful to the shepherds, I perceive that these had on them, even every one, a show of pilgrimage, as we have now; had they not?

SHEP. Yea, and held it a long time too.

HOPE. How far might they go on in pilgrimage in their days, since they notwithstanding were thus miserably cast away?

* Do we see others fall into perdition by the very same sins and follies from which God has reclaimed us: What must we resolve this into, but his superabounding mercy to us! And surely it is enough to make one's eyes gush out with tears, and to melt our hard hearts into fervent love, to Jook back upon the many singular instances of God's distinguishing favour to us. O call them to mind and be thankful.

(a) Prov. xxi, 16.

198 THE SHEPHERDS' DIRECTIONS TO THE PILGRIMS.

SHEP. Some further, and some not so far as these mountains.*

Then said the pilgrims one to another, We had need to cry to the strong for strength.

SHEP. Ah, and you will have need to use it when you have it, too.

By this time the pilgrims had a desire to go forwards, and the shepherds a desire they should; so they walked together towards the end of the mountains. Then said the shepherds one to another, Let us here show the pilgrims the gates of the Celestial City, if they have skill to look through our prospective glass. The pilgrims then lovingly accepted the motion: so they had them to the top of an high hill, called Clear, and gave them the glass to look.

Then they essayed to look, but the remembrance of that last thing, that the shepherds had showed them made their hands shake; by means of which impediment, they could not look steadily through the glass;† yet they thought they saw something like the gate, and also some of the glory of the place. Then they went away, and sang this song:

"Thus by the shepherds secrets are reveal'd, Which from all other men are kept conceal'd: Come to the shepherds then, if you would see Things deep, things hid, and that mysterious be." When they were about to depart, one of the shepherds gave them a note of the way. bid them beware of the flatterer. take heed that they sleep not upon the And the fourth bid them good speed. my dream.

Another of them The third bid them enchanted ground. So I awoke from

Thus we read of some being once enlightened, and having tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the world to come. Heb. vi. It is hard to say how far, or how long a person may follow Christ, and because of unfaithfulness, yet fall away, and come short of the kingdom at last. This should excite to diligence, humility, and circumspection, ever looking to Jesus to keep us from falling

The glass of God's word of grace and truth, held up by the hand of faith to the eye of the soul. So Paul speaks; beholding as in a glass (the gospel) the glory of the Lord, &c. 2 Cor. iii 18. But unbelieving doubts and fears will make the hand tremble, and the sight dim.

COUNTRY OF CONCEIT: IGNORANCE.

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CHAPTER XVII.

THE PILGRIMS MEET WITH IGNORANCE-THE ROBBERY OF LITTLE-FAITH RELATED--CHRISTIAN AND HOPEFUL CAUGHT IN THE NET.

AND I slept and dreamed again, and saw the same two pilgrims going down the mountains, along the highway towards the city. Now a little below these mountains on the left hand, lieth the country of Conceit,* from which country there comes into the way in which the pilgrims walked, a little crooked lane. Here therefore they met with a very brisk lad, that came out of that country, and his name was Ignorance. So Christian asked him from what parts he came, and whither he was going?

IGNOR. Sir, I was born in the country that lieth off there a little on the left hand, and am going to the Celestial City.

CHR. But how do you think to get in at the gate? for you may find some difficulties there.

As other good people do, said he.

CHR. But what have you to show at that gate, that may cause that gate to be opened to you ?

İGNOR. I know my Lord's will, and have been a good liver; I pay every man his own; I pray, fast, pay tithes, and give alms, and have left my country for whither I am going.t

This country we were all born in; and are all by nature darkness. Some live long in the country of Conceit, and many end their days in it. Are you come out of it? So was Ignorance; but he breathed his native air. So long as any sinner thinks he can do any thing towards making himself righteous before God, his name is ignorance, he is full of self-conceit, and destitute of the faith of Christ.

Is it not very common to hear professors thus express themselves? Yes, and many who make a very high profession too; their hopes are plainly grounded upon what they are in themselves, and how they differ from their former selves and other sinners, instead of what Christ has made us, and what we are in Christ. But the profession of such is begun with an ignorant, whole, self-righteous heart, it is continued in pride, self-seeking, and