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The Porter's
Bleffing.

this fmall Mite: So fhe put a Gold Angel in his Hand, and he made her a low Obeyfance, and said, Let thy Garments be always white, and let thy Head want no Ointment. Let Mercy live and not die, and let not her Works be few. And to the Boys he faid, Do you fly Youthful Lufts, and follow after Godliness with them that are Grave and Wife; fo fhall you put Gladness into your Mother's Heart, and obtain Praife of all that are Soberminded: So they thanked the Porter, and departed.

Now I faw in my Dream, that they went forward until they were come to the Brow of the Hill, where Piety bethinking her felf, cried out, Alas! I have forgot what I intended to bestow upon Christiang and her Companions; I will go back and fetch. it; fo fhe ran and fetched it. When the was gone, Chriftiana thought he heard in a Grove a little Way off on the RightHand, a moft curious melodious Note, with Words much like thefe :

Thro' all my Life thy Favour is
So frankly fhew'd to me,

That in thy House, for evermore

My Dwelling-place fall be.

And liftening ftill, the thought fhe heard another Anfwer, faying,

For

For why? The Lord our God is good;

His Mercy is for ever fure:

His Truth at all Times firmly, food,

And fhall from Age to Age endure.

So Chriftiana afked Prudence what it was that made thofe curious Notes. Song. 2.11, 12. They are, faid fhe, our Country Birds: They fing thefe Notes but feldom except it be at the Spring, when the Flowers appear, and the Sun fhines warm, and then you may hear them all the Day long. I often, faid fhe, go to hear them; we allo oft-times keep them tame in our House. They are very fine Company for us when we are melancholy; alfo they make the Woods and Groves, and Solitary Places, defirous to be in.

By this Time Piety was come again; fo Piety befor fhe faid to Chriftiana, Look here, I have eth fomething brought thee a Scheme of all thofe Things on them at that thou haft feen at our Houfe, upon parting. which thou mayeft look when thou findest thyself forgetful, and call thofe Things again to Remembrance for thy Edification and Comfort.

Now they began to go down the Hill into the Valley of Humiliation. It was a fteep Hill and the Way was flippery : But they were very careful, fo they got down pretty well. When they were down in the Valley, Piety faid to Chriftiana this is the Place where your Husband met with the foul Fiend Apollyon, and where they had the great Fight that they had: I know

Mr. Great

miliation.

you cannot but have heard thereof. But be of good Courage, as long you have here Mr. Great-heart to be your Guide and Conductor, we hope you will fare the better. So when thefe two had committed the Pilgrims unto the Conduct of their Guide, he went forward and they went after.

Great-beart. Then faid Mr. Great heart, heart at the We need not to be fo afraid of this Valley, Valley of Hu- for here is nothing to hurt us, unless we procure it ourselves. It is true, Chriftian did here meet with Apollyon, with whom he had alfo a fore Combat; but that Fray was the Fruit of thofe Slips that he got in his going down the Hill: For they, that get Slips there, muft look for Combats bere. And hence it is that this Valley has Part I. page got fo hard a Name. For the common 65. People, when they hear that fome frightful Thing has befallen fuch a One in fuch a Place, are of Opinion that that Place is haunted with fome foul Fiend, or Evil Spirit; when, alas! it is for the Fruit of their Doing, that fuch Things do befal them there.

The reafon

bere.

This Valley of Humiliation is of itself as by Christian fruitful a Place, as any the Crow flies over; vas jo befet and I am perfuaded, if we could hit upon it, we might find fomewhere hereabout fomething that might give us an Account why Chriftian was fo hardly beset in this Place.

Then James faid to his Mother, Lo, yonder ftands a Pillar, and it looks as if fomewhat was written thereon; let us go and see what it it. So they went and found

there

on it.

there written, Let Chriftian's Slips, before A Pillar with be came hither, and the Burden that he met an Inscription with in this Place, be a Warning to thofe that come after. Lo, faid the Guide, Did I not tell you that there was fomething hereabouts that would give Intimation of the Reason why Chriftian was fo hard befet in this Place: Then turning to Chriftiana, he faid, No Disparagement to Chriftian more than to many others whofe Hap and Lot it was. For it is eafier going up than down this Hill, and that can be faid but of few Hills in all these Parts of the World. But we will leave the good Man, he is at Reft, he also had a brave Victory over his Enemy: Let him grant that dwelleth above, that we fare no worfe when we come to be tried than he.

But we will come again to this Valley This Valley a of Humiliation. It is the best and most brave Place. ufeful Piece of Ground in all these Parts. It is a fat Ground, and, as you fee, confifteth much in Meadows; and if a Man was to come here in the Summer Time, as we do now, if he knew not any thing before thereof, and if he alfo delighted himfelf in the Sight of his Eyes, he might fee that which would be delightful to him. Behold how green this Valley is, alfo how beautiful with Lillies, Song 2. 1 Jam. 4. 6. 1 Pet. 5. 5. I have alfo known many labouring Men that have got good Eftates in this Valley of Humiliation. (For God refifteth the Proud, but Men thrive in gives more Grace to the Humble ;) for the Valley of indeed it is a very fruitful Soil, and doth Humiliation. bring forth by Handfuls. Some alfo have

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wifhed,

Phil. 4. 12.

43.

Heb. 13. 5.

wifhed, that the next Way to their Father's Houfe was here, that they might be troubled no more with either Hills or Mountains to go over; but the Way is the Way, and there is an End.

Now as they were going along, and talking, they efpied a Boy feeding his Father's Sheep. The Boy was in very mean Cloaths, but of a fresh and well-favoured Countenance; and as he fat by himself, he fung. Hark, faid Mr. Great-heart, to what the Shepherd's Boy faith; fo they hearkened, and he faid,

He that is down, needs fear no Fall;
He that is low, no Pride:

He that is bumble, ever ball

Have God to be bis Guide.

I am content with what I bave,
Little be it or mub:

And, Lord, Contentment ftill I crave,
Because thou favest fuch.

Fulness to fuch a Burden is,
That go on Pilgrimage:
Here little, and hereafter Blifs,
Is beft from Age to Age.

Then faid the Guide, do you hear him? I will dare to fay, this Boy lives a merrier Life, and wears more of the Herb called

Heart's

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