Pilgrim's Progress, The The. John Bunyan

and besides, he hath skill to cure those that are somewhat crazed in their wits with their burdens. To him, as I said, thou mayest go, and be helped presently. His house is not quite a mile from this place, and if he should not be at home himself, he hath a pretty young man to his son, whose name is Civility, that can do it (to speak on) as well as the old gentleman himself; there, I say, thou mayest be eased of thy burden; and if thou art not minded to go back to thy former habitation, as, indeed, I would not wish thee, thou mayest send for thy wife and children to thee to this village, where there are houses now stand empty, one of which thou mayest have at reasonable rates; provision is there also cheap and good; and that which will make thy life the more happy is, to be sure, there thou shalt live by honest neighbours, in credit and good fashion.

      Now was Christian somewhat at a stand; but presently he concluded, if this be true, which this gentleman hath said, my wisest course is to take his advice; and with that he thus further spoke.

      CHRISTIAN: Sir, which is my way to this honest man’s house?

      WORLDLY-WISEMAN: Do you see yonder hill?

      CHRISTIAN: Yes, very well.

      WORLDLY-WISEMAN: By that hill you must go, and the first house you come at is his.

      References

³³ 1 Cor 7:29

6 CHRISTIAN SEEKS AFTER THE VILLAGE OF MORALITY

SO Christian turned out of his way to go to Mr. Legality’s house for help; but, behold, when he was got now hard by the hill, it seemed so high, and also that side of it that was next the wayside did hang so much over, that Christian was afraid to venture further, lest the hill should fall on his head; wherefore there he stood still and wotted not what to do. Also his burden now seemed heavier to him than while he was in his way. There came also flashes of fire out of the hill, that made Christian afraid that he should be burned.³⁴ Here, therefore, he sweat and did quake for fear.³⁵

      When Christians unto carnal men give ear, Out of their way they go, and pay for ‘t dear; For Master Worldly Wiseman can but show A saint the way to bondage and to woe.

      And now he began to be sorry that he had taken Mr. Worldly Wiseman’s counsel. And with that he saw Evangelist coming to meet him; at the sight also of whom he began to blush for shame. So Evangelist drew nearer and nearer; and coming up to him, he looked upon him with a severe and dreadful countenance, and thus began to reason with Christian.

      EVANGELIST: What dost thou here, Christian? said he: at which words Christian knew not what to answer; wherefore at present he stood speechless before him. Then said Evangelist further, Art not thou the man that I found crying without the walls of the City of Destruction?

      CHRISTIAN: Yes, dear Sir, I am the man.

      EVANGELIST: Did not I direct thee the way to the little wicket-gate?

      CHRISTIAN: Yes, dear Sir, said Christian.

      EVANGELIST: How is it, then, that thou art so quickly turned aside? for thou art now out of the way.

      CHRISTIAN: I met with a gentleman so soon as I had got over the Slough of Despond, who persuaded me that I might, in the village before me, find a man that would take off my burden.

      EVANGELIST: What was he?

      CHRISTIAN: He looked like a gentleman, and talked much to me, and got me at last to yield; so I came hither; but when I beheld this hill, and how it hangs over the way, I suddenly made a stand lest it should fall on my head.

      EVANGELIST: What said that gentleman to you?

      CHRISTIAN: Why, he asked me whither I was going, and I told him.

      EVANGELIST: And what said he then?

      CHRISTIAN: He asked me if I had a family? And I told him. But, said I, I am so loaden with the burden that is on my back, that I cannot take pleasure in them as formerly.

      EVANGELIST: And what said he then?

      CHRISTIAN: He bid me with speed get rid of my burden; and I told him that it was ease that I sought. And said I, I am therefore going to yonder gate, to receive further direction how I may get to the place of deliverance. So he said that he would show me a better way, and short, not so attended with difficulties as the way, Sir, that you set me in; which way, said he, will direct you to a gentleman’s house that hath skill to take off these burdens, so I believed him, and turned out of that way into this, if haply I might be soon eased of my burden. But when I came to this place, and beheld things as they are, I stopped for fear (as I said) of danger: but I now know not what to do.

EVANGELIST: Then, said Evangelist, stand still a little, that I may show thee the words of God. So he stood trembling. Then said Evangelist, “See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven.”³⁶ He said, moreover, “Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.”³⁷ He also did thus apply them: Thou art the man that art running into this misery; thou hast begun to reject the counsel of the Most High, and to draw back thy foot from the way of peace, even almost to the hazarding of thy perdition.

Then Christian fell down at his feet as dead, crying, “Woe is me, for I am undone!” At the sight of which Evangelist caught him by the right hand, saying, “All manner of sin and blasphemies shall be forgiven unto men.”³⁸ “Be not faithless, but believing.”³⁹ Then did Christian again a little revive, and stood up trembling, as at first, before Evangelist.

Then Evangelist proceeded, saying, Give more earnest heed to the things that I shall tell thee of. I will now show thee who it was that deluded thee, and who it was also to whom he sent thee.—The man that met thee is one Worldly Wiseman, and rightly is he so called; partly, because he savoureth only the doctrine of this world,⁴⁰ (therefore he always goes to the town of Morality to church): and partly because he loveth that doctrine best, for it saveth him best from the cross.⁴¹ And because he is of this carnal temper, therefore he seeketh to pervert my ways, though right. Now there are three things in this man’s counsel, that thou must utterly abhor.

      1. His turning thee out of the way.

      2. His labouring to render the cross odious to thee. And,

      3. His setting thy feet in that way that leadeth unto the administration of death.

First, Thou must abhor his turning thee out of the way; and thine own consenting thereunto: because this is to reject the counsel of God for the sake of the counsel of a Worldly Wiseman. The Lord says, “Strive to enter in at the strait gate”⁴², the gate to which I sent thee; for “strait is the gate that leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.”⁴³ From this little wicket-gate, and from the way thereto, hath this wicked man turned thee, to the bringing of thee almost to destruction; hate, therefore, his turning thee out of the way, and abhor thyself for hearkening to him.

Secondly, Thou must abhor his labouring to render the cross odious unto thee; for thou art to prefer it “before the treasures in Egypt.”⁴⁴