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to meet him (m); at the sight also of whom he began Evangelist to blush for shame. So Evangelist drew

findeth Christjan under

nearer and nearer; and, coming up to him, Mount Sinai, he looked upon him with a severe and severely upon dreadful countenance, and thus began to

and looketh

him.

Evangelist

reason with Christian:

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

Chr. Yes, dear sir, I am the man.

Evan. Did not I direct thee the way to the little Wicket-gate?

Chr. Yes, dear sir, said Christian.

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

Chr. 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 could take off my burden.

Evan. What was he?

Chr. 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.

Evan. What said that gentleman to you?. Chr. Why, he asked me whither I was going? and I told him.

(m) Evangelist findeth Christian under Mount Sinar. Chri tian is said to blush for shame when Evangelist drew near; for he knew he had done wrong in listening to bad counsel, and had been more anxious for deliverance from his burden, than salvation for his soul; he had sought the path of ease rather than the path of duty and safety, Prov. xvi. 25; Jer. vi. 14. Evangelist looked upon him with a severe and dreadful countenance, for the Gospel is most faithful in rebuking unbelievers, Phil. iii. 18, 19; Heb. iii. 12; 1 Pet. iv. 17. Christian indicates his contrition by his fear of Evangelist, and being dumb at his questions.

Evan. And what said he then?

Chr. 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.

Evan. And what said he then?

Chr. He bid me with speed get rid of my burden; and I told him 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.

Evan. Then, said Evangelist, stand still a little, that I may show thee the words of God (n). 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 heaver.' Heb. xii. 25. He said, moreover, 'Now

(n) Evangelist reproves Christian. - He reproves him for believing man's word instead of God's word, 'Refuse not Him that speaketh;' 'The just shall live by faith; and warns him of the penalty he has incurred, 'Much more shall not we escape;' 'My soul shall have no pleasure in him. But Evangelist differs entirely from the Law in this, that at the very first word of penitence he cries, 'All manner of sin shall be forgiven.' The Law is, 'Do this and live; the Gospel is, 'Believe and live.' While seeking to obey the Law as a means of justification for the past, he comes to a stand, and is overwhelmed with his danger, but the doctrine of salvation by faith taught by Evangelist revives him, John v. 24. In the conversation which follows, there is an exposure of Worldly Wiseman's character, and the dangerous nature of his counsels, concluding with a demonstration of the impossibility of a sinner who is already condemned by the holy law of God being justitied by his future good works.

Evangelist

the just shall live by faith; but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him' Heb. x. 38. He also did thus apply them: Thou art the convinceth man that art running into this misery; Christian of his 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.

error.

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 blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men,' Matt. xii. 31; Mark iii. 28. 'Be not faithless, but believing,' John xx. 27. Then did Christian again a little revive, and stood up trembling, as at first, before Evangelist.

Wiseman de

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, Mr Worldly and who it was also to whom he sent thee: scribed by Evan- The man that met thee is one Worldly gelist. Wiseman, and rightly is he so called; partly because he savoureth only of the doctrine of this world (1 John iv. 5), therefore he always goes covers the deceit to the town of Morality to church; and of Mr Worldly partly because he loveth that doctrine best, Wiseman. for it saveth him best from the cross (Gal. vi. 12): and because he is of this carnal temper, therefore he seeketh to prevent my ways, though right. Now there are three things in this man's counsel that thou must utterly abhor.

Evangelist dis

1. His turning thee out of the way.

2. His labouring to render the cross odious to thee. 3. And 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; yea, and thine own consenting thereto; 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,' (Luke xiii. 24), the gate to which I send thee; for 'strait is the gate that leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it,' Matt. vii. 13, 14. 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; forthou art to prefer it 'before the treasures in Egypt,' Heb. xi. 25, 26. Besides, the King of glory hath told thee, that he that 'will save his life shall lose it,' Mark viii. 35; John xii. 25; Matt. x. 39. And, He that comes after me, and hateth not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple, Luke xiv. 26. I say, therefore, for man to labour to persuade thee that that shall be thy death, without which, the Truth hath said, thou canst not have eternal life-this doctrine thou must abhor.

Thirdly. Thou must hate his setting of thy feet in the way that leadeth to the ministration of death. And for this thou must consider to whom he sent thee, and also how unable that person was to deliver thee from thy burden.

woman.

He to whom thou wast sent for ease, being by name Legality, is the son of the bond-woman which now is, and is in bondage with her children (Gal. The Bondiv. 21-27); and is in a mystery, this Mount Sinai, which thou hast feared will fall on thy head. Now if she with her children are in bondage, how canst thou expect by them to be made free? This Legality, therefore, is not able to set thee free from thy burden. No man was as yet ever rid of his burden by him; no, nor ever is likely to be ye cannot be justified by the works of the law; for by the deeds of the law no man living can be rid of his burden: therefore, Mr Worldly Wiseman is an alien, and Mr Legality is a cheat; and for his son Civility, notwithstanding his simpering looks, he is but a hypocrite, and cannot help thee. Believe me,

1

there is nothing in all this noise, that thou hast heard of these sottish men, but a design to beguile thee of thy salvation, by turning thee from the way in which I had set thee. After this, Evangelist called aloud to the heavens for confirmation of what he had said; and with that there came words and fire out of the mountain under which poor Christian stood, that made the hair of his flesh stand up. The words were thus pronounced : 'As many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them,' Gal. iii. 10.

Now Christian looked for nothing but death, and began to cry out lamentably; even cursing the time in which he met with Mr Worldly Wiseman; still calling himself a thousand fools for hearkening to his counsel: he also was greatly ashamed to think that this gentleman's arguments, flowing only from the flesh should have that prevalency with him as to cause him to forsake the right way. This done, he applied himself again to Evangelist in words and sense as follow:

Chr. Sir, what think you? Is there hope? May I now Christian in- go back, and go up to the Wicket-gate ? quires if he may Shall I not be abandoned for this, and sent yet be happy. back from thence ashamed? I am sorry I have hearkened to this man's counsel. But may my sin be forgiven?

Evan. Then said Evangelist to him, Thy sin is very great, for by it thou hast committed two evils; thou hast forsaken the way that is good, to tread in forbidden paths. Yet will the man at the gate receive Evangelist thee, for he has good-will for men (o); only, comforts him. said he, take heed that thou turn not aside again, 'lest thou perish from the way, when his wrath

(0) Christian despairing is comforted by Evangelist.-Evangelist deals plainly with Christian that he may be brought to true repentance, for a broken and contrite heart God will not despise. Accordingly, Christian expresses himself with the greatest penitence, and makes no apology or excuse for his sin, but lays the whole blame of his folly on himself. Then the desire to follow

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