The Pilgrims Progess | Page 8

grief, and life by his death.
Yet he stood still for a while, for he was struck with awe to think that
the sight of the cross should thus ease him of his load. Three or four
times did he look on the cross and the tomb, and the tears rose to his
eyes. As he stood thus and wept, lo, three Bright Ones came to him,
and one of them said: Peace be to thee! thou hast grace from thy sins.
And one came up to him to strip him of his rags and put a new robe on
him, while the third set a mark on his face, and gave him a roll with a
seal on it, which he bade him look on as he went, and give it at The
Celestial Gate; and then they left him.
Christian gave three leaps for joy, and sang as he went: Ah, what a
place is this! Blest cross! Blest tomb! Nay, blest is the Lord that was
put to shame for me!
He went on thus till he came to a vale where he saw three men who
were in a sound sleep, with chains on their feet. The name of one was
Simple, one Sloth, and the third Presumption. As Christian saw them
lie in this case, he went to wake them, and said: You are like those that
sleep on the top of a mast, for the Dead Sea is at your feet. Wake, rise,
and come with me. Trust me, and I will help you off with your chains.
With that they cast their eyes up to look at him, and Simple said: I
would fain take more sleep. Presumption said: Let each man look to his
own. And so they lay down to sleep once more.
Then I saw in my dream that two men leapt from the top of the wall
and made great haste to come up to him. Their names were Formalist

and Hypocrisy.
Christian.--Sirs, whence come you, and where do you go?
Formalist and Hypocrisy.--We were born in the land of Vain-glory, and
are on our way to Mount Zion for praise.
Christian.--Why came you not in at the Gate? Know you not that he
that comes not in at the door, but climbs up to get in, the same is a
thief?
They told him that to go through the gate was too far round; that the
best way was to make a short cut of it, and climb the wall, as they had
done.
Christian.--But what will the Lord of the town to which we are bound
think of it, if we go not in the way of his will?
They told Christian that he had no need for care on that score, for long
use had made it law, and they could prove that it had been so for years.
Christian.--But are you quite sure that your mode will stand a suit at
law?
Yes, said they, no doubt of it. And if we get in the road at all, pray what
are the odds? If we are in, we are in; you are but in the way, who come
in at the gate, and we too are in the way that choose to climb the wall.
Is not our case as good as yours?
Christian.--I walk by the rule of my Lord, but you walk by the rule of
your own lusts. The Lord of the way will count you as thieves, and you
will not be found true men in the end.
I saw then that they all went on till they came to the foot of the Hill of
Difficulty, where there was a spring. There were in the same place two
more ways, one on the left hand and one on the right; but the path that
Christian was told to take went straight up the hill, and its name is
Difficulty, and he saw that the way of life lay there.
Now when Christian got as far as the Spring of Life he drank of it, and
then went up the hill. But when the two men saw that it was steep and
high, and that there were three ways to choose from, one of them took
the path the name of which is Danger, and lost his way in a great wood,
and one of them went by the road of Destruction, which led him to a
wide field full of dark rocks, where he fell, and rose no more. I then
saw Christian go up the hill, where at first I could see him run, then
walk, and then go on his hands and knees, so steep was it. Now half
way up was a cave made by the Lord of