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was in the midst of the plain; and they, being heedless, did both fall suddenly into the bog. The name of the The Slough of slough was Despond (h). Here, therefore, Despond. they wallowed for a time, being grievously bedaubed with dirt; and Christian, because of the burden that was on his back, began to sink in the mire.

Pli. Then said Pliable, Ah! neighbour Christian, where are you now?

Chr. Truly, said Christian, 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 such ill speed at our first setting out, what may we expect betwixt this and our journey's end? May I get out again enough to be with my life, you shall possess the brave pliable. country alone for me. And with that he gave a desperate struggle or two, and got out of the

It is not

(h) The Slough of Despond.-Anything which depresses the spirits of a Christian, shakes his faith, or clouds his prospects, may be called a Slough of Despond. If we find it more difficult to deny ourselves a sin, or to discharge a hard duty, than we expected; if we have not enjoyed a religious ordinance, or have made less progress than we hoped for, these may become Sloughs of Despond. Young Christians are particularly liable to seasons of depression, from the feebleness of their faith, their imperfect knowledge, and the liveliness of their sensibilities. Christian afterwards encountered far worse evils than this without flinching, when he became more experienced; but at this time, as we have seen, he was more occupied with the glory of heaven, than with discovering the way to it, and consequently, he fell into temptation With the loss of his hopes and joys, the weight of his sins became very great, hence he began to sink in the mire.'

Pliable, who thought it was an easy thing to be a Christian, is first discouraged, then offended, then disgusted, and at last abandons his profession, Matt. xiii. 20, 21; Jer. xvii. 13; 1 John ii. 19. The proverb says 'The horse which draws its halter is not quite escaped,' on which Trench remarks, 'that so long as any remnant of asinful habit is retained by us, so long as wedraw this halter, wemake an idle boast of our liberty; we may, by aid of that which we still drag with us, be at any moment entangled altogether in the bondage from which we seemed to have entirely escaped.' Pliable, though he had changed his company for a time, had not changed his nature. Christian, though discouraged, is in earnt, and therefore struggles onward and outward, Heb. iv. 11; Luke xin, 24.

mire on that side of the slongh which was next to his own house: so away he went, and Christian saw him

no more.

Christian in trouble, seeks still to get fur

ther from his own house.

Wherefore Christian was left to tumble in the Slough of Despond alone; but still he endeavoured to struggle to that side of the slough that was still further from his own house, 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, whose name was Help (i), and asked him what he did there.

Chr Sir, said Christian, I was bid go this way by a man called Evangelist, who directed me also to yonder gate, that I might escape the wrath to come ; and, as I was going thither, I fell in here.

Help. But why did you not look for the The promises.

steps?

Chr. Fear followed me so hard, that I fled the next way, and fell in.

Help. Then said he, Give me thy hand. So he gave him his hand, and he drew him out, and set him upon sound ground, and bid him go on his way, Help lifts him Ps. xl. 2.

up.

Then I stepped to him that plucked him out, and said, Sir, wherefore, since over this place is the way from the City of Destruction to yonder gate, is it that this plat is not mended, that poor travellers might go thither with more security? And he said unto me, This miry

(i) Help. Various persons are described as addressing Christian in this history, as Evangelist, Help, &c. Remembering that it is an allegory, we need not be too careful to define whom these persons represent. Either Evangelist or Help may be said to represent a minister by whom we are directed to the Gospel; or a good book which leads us to it; or-which is the principal idea-the Scriptures themselves as teachers of the gospel, and helps to salvation. The name given to these allegorical persons is derived from the character of their teaching, one preaches the Gospel or Evangile, and therefore he is called Evangelist; another sets forth the promises, and he is called Help.

C

What makes

Despond.

slough is such a place as cannot be mended: it is the descent whither the scum and filth that atthe Slough of tends conviction for sin doth continually run, and therefore it is called the Slough of Despond; for still, as the sinner is awakened about his lost condition, there ariseth in his soul many fears, and doubts, and discouraging apprehensions, which all of them get together, and settle in this place. And this is the reason of the badness of this ground.

It is not the pleasure of the King that this place should remain so bad, Isa. xxxv. 3, 4. His labourers also have, by the directions of His Majesty's surveyors, been for above these sixteen hundred years employed about this patch of ground, if perhaps it might have been mended: yea, and to my knowledge, said he, here have been swallowed up at least twenty thousand cartloads, yea, millions of wholesome instructions, that have at all seasons been brought rom all places of the king's dominions (and they that can tell, say they are the best materials to make good ground of the place), if so be it might have been mended; but it is the Slough of Despond still, and so will be when they have done what they can.

of forgiveness

True, there are, by the direction of the Lawgiver, certain good and substantial steps, placed The promises even through the very midst of this slough; and acceptance but at such time as this place doth much to life, by faith spew out its filth, as it doth against change in Christ. of weather, those steps are hardly seen; or, if they be, men, through the dizziness of their heads, step beside; and then they are bemired to purpose, notwithstanding the steps be there: but the ground is good when they are once got in at the gate, 1 Sam. xii. 23).

Now, I saw in my dream that by this

Pliablend got time Pliable was got home to his house, so home, is visited of his that his neighbours came to visit him; and neighbours. some of them called him wise man for

coming back, and some called him fool for hazarding

return.

by

himself with Christian: others, again, did mock at his cowardliness, saying, Surely, since you be- His enter gan to venture, I would not have been so tainment base to have given out for a few difficulties, them at his So Pliable sat sneaking among them. But at last he got more confidence, and then they all turned their tale, and began to deride poor Christian behind his back. And thus much concerning Pliable.

Mr Worldly with Christian.

Now, as Christian was walking solitarily by himself, he espied one afar off, come crossing over the field to meet him; and their hap was to meet just as they were crossing the way of each other. Wiseman meets The gentleman's name that met him was Mr Worldly Wiseman (j): he dwelt in the town of Carnal Policy, a very great town, and also hard by from whence Christian came. This man, then, meeting with Christian, and having some inkling of him, for Christian's setting forth from the City of Destruction was much noised abroad, not only in the town where he dwelt, but also it began to be the town

(j) Worldly Wiseman. His name indicates that he is one of those whose principles are not derived from the Scriptures but from the world, who echoes its sayings, and sides with its opinions and practices. His native city, Carnal Policy, is said to be a very great town, because of the immense number of persons who prefer what pleases themselves to what pleases God. In his conversation with Christian, he sets himself (1.) To make him undervalue his burden; so he asks him where he is going after this burdened manner, if he has a wife and children, and tellshim scornfully he will never be settled in his mind till he is rid of his burden. It is the world's way to make us believe our sins are few, and that therefore we need be little concerned for them; this is its way of removing the burden. (2.) His next step is to disparage Evangelist and the Gospel. (3.) Не then attempts to daunt him with the difficulties and dangers he is to meet with. This not succeeding, for death was a trifle to Christian compared with sin.-(4.) He attacks the word of God which had opened his eyes to his sin and danger, but this not succeeding, (5.) He then tempts him to try an easier way of being saved, by going to Legality in the village of Morality. In this he succeeds. All Worldly Wiseman's wiles could not convince Christian that his sins were few, or stop him from seeking salvation, because on these points he was thoroughly and experimentally instructed; bat being very ignorant as yet of the free grace of God, he easily telis into this snare.

talk in some other places, - Mr Worldly Wiseman, therefore, having some guess of him, by beholding his laborious going, by observing his sighs and groans, and the like, began thus to enter into some talk with Christian:

Talk betwixt World. How now, good fellow, whither
Mr Worldly
Wiseman and away after this burdened manner?

Christian.

Chr. A burdened manner indeed, as ever, I think, poor creature had! And whereas you ask me, Whither away? I tell you, sir, I am going to yonder Wicket-gate before me; for there, as I am informed, I shall be put into a way to be rid of my heavy burden. World. Hast thou a wife and children?

Chr. Yes; but I am so laden with this burden, that I cannot take that pleasure in them as formerly: methinks I am as if I had none, 1 Cor. vi. 29.

World. Wilt thou hearken unto me if I give thee counsel ?

Chr. If it be good, I will; for I stand in need of good counsel.

World. I would advise thee, then, that thou with all Mr Worldly speed get thyself rid of thy burden; for Wiseman's thou wilt never be settled in thy mind till counsel to Chris- then; nor canst thou enjoy the benefits of the blessing which God hath bestowed upon

tian.

thee till then.

Chr. That is that which I seek for, even to be rid of this heavy burden: but get it off myself I cannot; nor is there any man in our country that can take it off my shoulders; therefore am I going this way, as I told you, that I may be rid of my burden.

World. Who bid thee go this way to be rid of thy burden ?

Chr. A man that appeared to me to be a very great and honourable person; his name, as I remember, is Evangelist.

World. I beshrew him for his counsel: there is not a Mr Worldly more dangerous and troublesome way in the Wiseman con- world than is that unto which he hath di Hemswange rected thee; and that thou shalt find, if thou

counsel.

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