wilt be ruled by his counsel. Thou hast met with something, as I perceive, already; for I see the dirt of the Slough of Despond is upon thee: but that slough is the beginning of the sorrows that do attend those that go on in that way. Hear me; I am older than thou: thou art like to meet with, in the way which thou goest, wearisomeness, painfulness, hunger, perils, nakedness, sword, lions, dragons, darkness, and, in a word, death and what not! These things are certainly true, having been confirmed by many testimonies. And why should a man so carelessly cast away himself, by giving heed to a stranger? Chr. Why, sir, this burden upon my back is more terrible to me than are all these things The frame of which you have mentioned; nay, methinks the heart of a I care not what I meet with in the way, young Christian. if so be I can also meet with deliverance from my burden. World. How camest thou by thy burden at first? World. I thought so; and it has happened unto thee as to other weak men, who, meddling with Worldly Wisethings too high for them, do suddenly fall man does not into thy distractions; which distractions do like that men not only unman men (as thine, I perceive, ous in reading have done thee), but they run them upon desperate ventures, to obtain they know not what. the Bible. Chr. I know what I would obtain; it is ease from my heavy burden. Whether Mr man Worldly Wise- World. But why wilt thou seek for ease this way, seeing so many dangers attend it? especially since, hadst thou but patience to hear me, I could direct thee to the obtaining of what thou desirest, without the dangers that thou, in this way, wilt run thyself into; yea, and the remedy is at hand. Besides, I will add, that, instead of those dangers, thou shalt meet with much safety, friendship, and content. Chr. Pray, sir, open this secret to me. World. Why, in yonder village (the village is named To Morality) there dwells a gentleman whose name is Legality (k), a very judicious man, and a man of a very good name, that has skill to help men off with such burdens as thine are from their shoulders; yea, to my knowledge, he hath done a great deal of good this way; ay, and besides, he hath skill to cure those that are somewhat crazed in their wits with their burdens. 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 are 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. (k) Legality, his son Civility, and the village Morality. Christian is advised to take up his abode in this village with his family; in other words, he is told that he will be perfectly safe and happy, if during the rest of his life he and they lead a moral and virtucas life. Legality or Civility will help him off with his burden, by teaching him that repentance and a good life are all that are necessary to obtain the forgiveness of sins. Possibly, by calling Morality a village, whilst Carnal Policy is a very great town, Bunyan meant to intimate, that there are but few who lead moral lives unless they are believers in Christ. Evangelist, on meeting Christian a little later, exposes the false character of Worldly Wiseman's teaching. A good life, even though it were perfect, cannot be better than what God requires of us, and though for the future we were blameless as angels, we should be judged and condemned for our past sins. Obedience, duties, mortification of sin and the like,' writes Owen, 'are precious stones to build with, but are unmeet to be first laid, to bear upon them the whole weight of the building. The foundation is to be laid in mere grace, mercy, pardon, in the blood of Jesus Christ; this the saint is to accept of and rest in, merely es it is grace.' Now was Christian somewhat at a stand; but pre sently 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 spake: Christian snared by Mr Worldly Wise man's words. Chr. Sir, which is my way to this honest man's house? World. Do you see yonder high hill? (1) Mount Sinai. Chr. Yes, very well. World. By that hill you must go, and the first house you come at is his. Christian afraid that Mount Sinai would fall on his head. 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 way-side 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 burnt, Ex. xix. 16-18; here, therefore, he sweat and did quake for fear, Heb. xii. 21. And now he began to be sorry that he had taken Mr Worldly Wiseman's counsel. And with that he saw Evangelist coming (1) Mount Sinai. - The instructions of Worldly Wiseman seemed to Christian plainer and easier than those of Evangelist, and the pleasant picture he drew of his family and him all living together in this village, was so tempting, that he took his advice. He ought first to have tested his directions by the Bible which he carried, to which Evangelist appealed, and which was only mentioned by Mr Wiseman with scorn, and he would have been preserved, Psa. xix. 11; Prov. vi. 21, 22; Psa. xxxvii. 31. He ought also to have suspected and resisted the opinion of one who spoke disdainfully of the word of God, Psa. i. 1. On his way to Mr Legality, the little light and hope he once had began to desert him. He is represented as coming near Sinai, the high hill Wiseman pointed out, to show how the more we try to obey God as a means of atoning for past sins, the law seems to be harder, and its penalty more terrible, Matt. iii. 10; Gal. v. 3, 4; Rom. iii. 19, 20. |