Then Christian
addressed himself thus to his fellow:
Christian: Well,
come, my good Hopeful, I perceive that thou and I must walk by ourselves again.
So I saw in my
dream, that they went on apace before, and Ignorance he came hobbling after.
Then said Christian to his companion, I much pity this poor man: it will
certainly go ill with him at last.
Hopeful: Alas!
there are abundance in our town in his condition, whole families, yea, whole
streets, and that of pilgrims too; and if there be so many in our parts, how
many, think you, must there be in the place where he was born?
Christian:
Indeed, the word saith, “He hath blinded their eyes, lest they should see,”
etc.
But, now we are
by ourselves, what do you think of such men? Have they at no time, think you,
convictions of sin, and so, consequently, fears that their state is dangerous?
Hopeful: Nay, do
you answer that question yourself, for you are the elder man.
Christian: Then I
say, sometimes (as I think) they may; but they being naturally ignorant,
understand not that such convictions tend to their good; and therefore they do
desperately seek to stifle them, and presumptuously continue to flatter
themselves in the way of their own hearts.
Hopeful: I do
believe, as you say, that fear tends much to men’s good, and to make them right
at their beginning to go on pilgrimage.
Christian:
Without all doubt it doth, if it be right; for so says the word, “The fear of
the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.”
Hopeful: How will
you describe right fear?
Christian: True
or right fear is discovered by three things:
1. By its rise;
it is caused by saving convictions for sin.
2. It driveth the
soul to lay fast hold of Christ for salvation.
3. It begetteth
and continueth in the soul a great reverence of God, his word, and ways;
keeping it tender, and making it afraid to turn from them, to the right hand or
to the left, to any thing that may dishonor God, break its peace, grieve the
Spirit, or cause the enemy to speak reproachfully.
Hopeful: Well
said; I believe you have said the truth. Are we now almost got past the
Enchanted Ground?
Christian: Why?
are you weary of this discourse?
Hopeful: No,
verily, but that I would know where we are.
Christian: We
have not now above two miles further to go thereon. But let us return to our
matter.
Now, the ignorant
know not that such conviction as tend to put them in fear, are for their good,
and therefore they seek to stifle them.
Hopeful: How do
they seek to stifle them?
Christian: 1.
They think that those fears are wrought by the devil, (though indeed they are
wrought of God,) and thinking so, they resist them, as things that directly tend
to their overthrow. 2. They also think that these fears tend to the spoiling of
their faith; when, alas for them, poor men that they are, they have none at
all; and therefore they harden their hearts against them. 3. They presume they
ought not to fear, and therefore, in despite of them, wax presumptuously
confident. 4. They see that those fears tend to take away from them their
pitiful old self-holiness, and therefore they resist them with all their might.
Hopeful: I know
something of this myself; for before I knew myself it was so with me.
Christian: Well,
we will leave, at this time, our neighbor Ignorance by himself, and fall upon
another profitable question.
Hopeful: With all
my heart; but you shall still begin.
Christian: Well
then, did you not know, about ten years ago, one Temporary in your parts, who
was a forward man in religion then?
Hopeful: Know
him! yes; he dwelt in Graceless, a town about two miles off of Honesty, and he
dwelt next door to one Turnback.
Christian: Right;
he dwelt under the same roof with him. Well, that man was much awakened once: I
believe that then he had some sight of his sins, and of the wages that were due
thereto.
Hopeful: I am of
your mind, for (my house not being above three miles from him) he would
oft-times come to me, and that with many tears. Truly I pitied the man, and was
not altogether without hope of him; but one may see, it is not every one that
cries, “Lord, Lord!”
Christian: He
told me once that he was resolved to go on pilgrimage, as we go now; but all of
a sudden he grew acquainted with one Save-self, and then he became a stranger
to me.
Hopeful: Now,
since we are talking about him, let us a little inquire into the reason of the
sudden backsliding of him and such others.
Christian: It may
be very profitable; but do you begin.
Hopeful: Well,
then, there are, in my judgment, four reasons for it:
1. Though the
consciences of such men are awakened, yet their minds are not changed:
therefore, when the power of guilt weareth away, that which provoked them to be
religious ceaseth; wherefore they naturally turn to their own course again;
even as we see the dog that is sick of what he hath eaten, so long as his
sickness prevails, he vomits and casts up all; not that he doth this of a free
mind, (if we may say a dog has a mind,) but because it troubleth his stomach:
but now, when his sickness is over, and so his stomach eased, his desires being
not at all alienated from his vomit, he turns him about, and licks up all; and
so it is true which is written, “The dog is turned to his own vomit again.” Thus, I say, being hot for heaven, by virtue only of the sense and fear of the
torments of hell, as their sense and fear of damnation chills and cools, so
their desires for heaven and salvation cool also. So then it comes to pass,
that when their guilt and fear is gone, their desires for heaven and happiness
die, and they return to their course again.
2. Another reason
is, they have slavish fears that do overmaster them: I speak now of the fears
that they have of men; “For the fear of man bringeth a snare.” So then, though they seem to be hot for heaven so long as the flames of hell
are about their ears, yet, when that terror is a little over, they betake
themselves to second thoughts, namely, that it is good to be wise and not to
run (for they know not what) the hazard of losing all, or at least of bringing
themselves into unavoidable and unnecessary troubles; and so they fall in with
the world again.
3. The shame that
attends religion lies also as a block in their way: they are proud and haughty,
and religion in their eye is low and contemptible: therefore when they have
lost their sense of hell and the wrath to come, they return again to their
former course.
4. Guilt, and to
meditate terror, are grievous to them; they like not to see their misery before
they come into it; though perhaps the sight of at it first, if they loved that
sight, might make them fly whither the righteous fly and are safe; but because
they do, as I hinted before, even shun the thoughts of guilt and terror,
therefore, when once they are rid of their awakenings about the terrors and
wrath of God, they harden their hearts gladly, and choose such ways as will
harden them more and more.
Christian: You
are pretty near the business, for the bottom of all is for want of a change in
their mind and will. And therefore they are but like the felon that standeth
before the judge: he quakes and trembles, and seems to repent most heartily,
but the bottom of all is the fear of the halter: not that he hath any
detestation of the offence, as it is evident; because, let but this man have
his liberty, and he will be a thief, and so a rogue still; whereas, if his mind
was changed, he would be otherwise.
Hopeful: Now I
have showed you the reason of their going back, do you show me the manner
thereof.
Christian: So I
will willingly.
1. They draw off
their thoughts, all that they may, from the remembrance of God, death, and
judgment to come.
2. Then they cast
off by degrees private duties, as closet prayer, curbing their lusts, watching,
sorrow for sin, and the like.
3. Then they shun
the company of lively and warm Christians.
4. After that,
they grow cold to public duty, as hearing, reading, godly conference, and the
like.
5. They then
begin to pick holes, as we say, in the coats of some of the godly, and that
devilishly, that they may have a seeming color to throw religion (for the sake
of some infirmities they have espied in them) behind their backs.
6. Then they
begin to adhere to, and associate themselves with, carnal, loose, and wanton
men.
7. Then they give
way to carnal and wanton discourses in secret; and glad are they if they can
see such things in any that are counted honest, that they may the more boldly
do it through their example.
8. After this
they begin to play with little sins openly.
9. And then,
being hardened, they show themselves as they are. Thus, being launched again
into the gulf of misery, unless a miracle of grace prevent it, they
everlastingly perish in their own deceivings.
