Chr. I am directed by a Man whofe Name is Evangelift, to fpeed me to a little Gate that is before us, where we fhall receive Inftructions about the Way.

Pli. Come then good Neighbour, let us be going; then they went both together.

Obft. And I will go back to my Place,

*

faid Obftinate I will be no Companion Obffinate of fuch milled fantaftical Fellows.

Now I faw in my Dream, that when Obfinate was going back, Christian and Pli

goes railing

backa

able went talking over the Plain; and + Talk bethus they began their Difcourfe.

twen Chri

able.

Chr. Come, Neighbour Pliable, how do ftian and Ph you do? I am glad you are perfuaded to go along with me; had even Obftinate himself but felt what I have felt of the Powers and Terrors of what is yet unfeen, he would not thus lightly have given us the Back.

Pli. Come Neighbour Chriftian, fince there are none but us two here, tell me now farther, what the Things are? and how to be enjoyed, whither we are going?

Chr. I can better conceive of them God's things with my Mind, than to fpeak of them with unspeakable. my Tongue: But yet fince you are defirous to know, I will read of them in my Book. Pli. And do you think that the Words of your Book are certainly true?

Chr. Yes verily, for it was made by him that cannot lye.

Pli. Well faid, what Things are they?

§ Tit. I. 2.

Chr. There is an endless Kingdom to Ifa. 45-17be inhabited, and everfafting Life to be John 1o. 27. given us, that we may inhabit that King- 28, 29.

dom for ever.

Pli. Well faid, and what else?

Chr. There are Crowns of Glory to be

• 2 Tim. 4. 8. given us; and Garments that will make Rev. 22. 5. us fhine like the Sun in the Firmament of Matth. 13.43 Heaven.

+ Ifa. 15.'8.

Pli. This is very pleasant; and what else? Chr. There fhall be no more Crying, t Rev.7. 16, 17 nor Sorrow; for he that is Owner of the Chap. 21.4 Place will wipe all Tears from our Eyes. Pli. And what Company shall we have

there?

2

Chr. There we fhall be with Seraphims, Ifa. 6. 2. and Cherubims, Creatures that will daz1 Thef. 4.16 Zle your Eyes to look on them: There alfo 17. Rev. 5.11 you fhall meet with thousands and ten thousands that have gone before us to that Place; none of them are hurtful, but loving and holy, every one walking in the Sight of God, and ftanding in the Prefence with Acceptance for ever: In a word, there we fhall fee the $ Elders with their golden Crowns: There we shall fee the Holy Virgins with their golden Harps: There we fhall fee Men, that by the World were cut in Pieces, burnt in Flames, eaten of Beafts, drowned in the Seas, for the Love that they bare to the Lord of the Place; all well, and cloathed with Immortality, as with a Garment.

Rev. 4. 4.

Chap. 14 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. ¶ John 12. 25.

2 Cor.

2, 3, 4.

5.

+ Ifa. 55, 12. John 7,37 Chap. 6. 37.

Pli. The hearing of this is enough to ravifh one's Heart; but are thefe Things to be enjoyed? How fhall we get to be Sharers thereof?

Chr. The Lord the Governor of the Country, hath recorded that in this Rev. 21. 6. Book, the Substance of which is, if we

Chap.22.17.

be

be truly willing to have it, he will bestow it upon us freely,

Pli. Well, my good Companion, glad am 1 to bear of thefe Things; come on, let us mend our Pace.

Chr. I cannot go fo faft as I would, by Reason of this Burden that is on my Back.

*

Now I faw in my Dream, that just as they had ended this Talk, they drew nigh to a very Miry Slough that was in the The Slough Midft of the Plain, and they being heed- of Defpond. lefs, did both fall fuddenly into the Bog. The Name of the Slough was Defpond. Here therefore they wallowed for a Time, being grievously bedaubed with Dirt; and Chriftian, because of the Burden that was on his back, began to fink in the Mire.

Pli. Then faid Pliable, Ab! Neighbour Christian, where are you now?

Chr. Truly, faid Chriftian, I do not know.

Pli. At this Pliable began to be offended, and angrily said to his Fellow, Is this the Happiness you have told me all this while of? If we have fuch ill Speed at our first setting out, what may we expect betwixt this and our Journey's End? May It is not I get out again with my Life, you fhall enough to be poffefs the brave Country alone for me. And with that he gave a defperated Struggle or two, and got out of the Mire on that Side of the Slough which was next his own House; fo away he went, and Chriftian faw him no more.

Wherefore Chriftian was left to tumble in the Slough of Defpond alone; but still

he

Pliable.

Chriftian

in Trouble

Leeks ftill to get farther from his own House.

The mifes.

kim out.

*

he endeavoured to ftruggle to that Side of the Slough that was farther from his own Houfe, and next to the Wicket-Gate the which he did, but could not get out because of the Burden that was upon his Back But I beheld in my Dream, that a Man came to him, whofe Name was Help and asked him, What he did there?

Chr. Sir, faid Chriftian, I was bid to go this Way, by a Man called Evangelift, who directed me alfo to yonder Gate, that I might efcape the Wrath to come. And as I was going thither, I fell in here. Help. But why did you not look for the

Pro-Steps?

Chr. Fear followed me fo hard, that I fied the next Way, and fell in.

Help lifts Help. Then, faid he, give me thy Hand, fo he gave me his Hand, and he drew Pfalm 40.2. him out, and fet him upon found Ground, and bid him go on his Way.

Then 1 ftepped to him who plucked him out, and faid, Sir, wherefore, fince over this Place is the Way from the City of Destruction to yonder Gate, is it, that this Plat is not mended, that poor Tra vellers might go thither with more Security? And he faid unto me, This Miry Slough is fuch a Place as cannot be mendWhat makes ed: It is the Defcent whither the & Scunt $ the Slough of and Filth that attends Conviction for Sim Defpond. doth continually run, and therefore it is called the Slough of Defpond, for ftill as the Sinner is awakened about his loft Condition, there arife in his Soul many Fears and Doube, and difcouraging Apprehenfions which all of them get toge

ther,

ther, and fettle in this Place? And this is the Reafon of the Badness of this Ground.

*

It is not the Pleafure of the King that *Ifa. 35-3,4this Place fhould remain fo bad; his Labourers alfo have, by the Directions of his Majefty's Surveyors, been for above thefe fixteen hundred Years employed about this Patch of Ground, if perhaps it might have been mended: Yea, and to my Knowledge, faid he, here have been fwallowed up at least twenty thousand Cart Loads; yea, Millions of wholesome Inftructions, that have at all Seafons been brought from all Places of the King's Dominions (and they that can tell, fay, They are the best Materials to make good Ground of the Place) if fo be it might have been mended; but it is the Slough of Defpond ftill; and fo will be when they have done what they can.

True, there are, by the Direction of the Law-giver, certain good and substantial

+ Steps, placed even through the very Midft + The Promiof this Slough, but at fuch Time as this Jes of ForgivePlace doth much fpue out of it's Filth, as nefs and Acceptance to it doth against Change of Weather, these Life by Faith Steps are hardly feen, or if they be, Men, in Chrift. through the Dizziness of their Heads, ftep befides; and then they are bemired to pur-1 1 Sam. 12. pofe, notwithstanding the Steps be there; 23. but the Ground is good when they are Pliable is gone home, and once got in at the Gate is vifited by Now I faw in my Dream, that by this his Neigh Time Pliable was got home to his House. bours. $ So his Neighbours, came to vifit him; § His Enterand fome of them called him wife Man for them at his tainment by

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