THE
PILGRIM'S PROGRESS
Part
II
Section
7
Hill
Lucre - River of Life - Giant Despair killed - the Delectable Mountains
- entertainment by the Shepherds
THE DELECTABLE
MOUNTAINS
When these men had thus bravely
showed themselves against
Doubting
Castle
,
and had slain Giant DESPAIR, they went forward; and went on till they came
to the
Delectable
Mountains
,
where CHRISTIAN and HOPEFUL refreshed themselves with the varieties of the
place. They also acquainted themselves with the shepherds there; who
welcomed them, as they had done CHRISTIAN before, unto the Delectable
Mountains.
Now the shepherds seeing so great a train follow Mr. GREAT-HEART (for with
him they were well acquainted), they said unto him, "Good sir, you have
got a goodly company here; pray where did you find all these?"
Then Mr. GREAT-HEART replied:
"First, here's CHRISTIANA and her train:
Her sons, and her sons' wives; who, like the wain,
Keep by the pole, and do by compass steer
From sin to grace, else they had not been here.
Next, here's old HONEST come on pilgrimage.
READY-TO-HALT too, who, I dare engage,
True hearted is: and so is FEEBLE-MIND,
Who willing was not to be left behind.
DESPONDENCY, good man is coming after;
And so also is MUCH-AFRAID, his daughter.
May we have entertainment here, or must
We farther go? let's know whereon to trust."
Shepherds. Then said the shepherds, "This is a comfortable
company: you are welcome to us, for we have for the feeble as for the
strong; our Prince has an eye to what is done to the least of these.
"And
the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as
ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have
done it unto me." Matthew 25:40
Therefore infirmity must not be a block to
our entertainment."
So they had them to the palace door, and
then said unto them, "Come in, Mr. FEEBLE-MIND; come in, Mr.
READY-TO-HALT; come in, Mr. DESPONDENCY, and Mrs. MUCH-AFRAID, his daughter.
These, Mr. GREAT-HEART," said the shepherds to the guide, "we call
in by name; for that they are most subject to draw back: but as for you, and
the rest that are strong, we leave you to your wonted liberty." Then
said Mr. GREAT-HEART, "This day I see that grace doth shine in your
faces, and that you are my Lord's shepherds indeed; for that you have not
pushed these diseased neither with side nor shoulder, but have rather
strewed their way into the palace with flowers, as you should".
"Because
ye have thrust with side and with shoulder, and pushed all the diseased with
your horns, till ye have scattered them abroad;" Ezekiel 34:21
So the feeble and weak went in; and Mr.
GREAT-HEART and the rest did follow. When they were also set down, the
shepherds said to those of the weakest sort, "What is it that you would
have? for," said they, "all things must be managed here to the
supporting of the weak, as well as the warning of the unruly."
So they made them a feast of things easy of
digestion, and that were pleasant to the palate, and nourishing; the which,
when they had received, they went to their rest, each one respectively unto
his proper place. When morning was come, because the mountains were high and
the day clear, and because it was the custom of the shepherds to show to the
pilgrims, before their departure, some rarities; therefore, after they were
ready, and had refreshed themselves, the shepherds took them out into the
fields, and showed them first what they had shown to CHRISTIAN before.
Then they had them to some new places. The
first was to Mount Marvel; where they looked, and beheld a man at a distance
that tumbled the hills about with words. Then they asked the shepherds what
that should mean. So they told them that that man was the son of one
GREAT-GRACE, of whom you read in the first part of the records of the
"Pilgrim's Progress "; and he is set there to teach pilgrims how
to believe down, or to tumble out of their ways, what difficulties they
shall meet with, by faith.
"For
verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou
removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart,
but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he
shall have whatsoever he saith. Therefore I say unto you, What things soever
ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall
have them." Mark 11:23
Then said Mr. GREAT-HEART, "I know
him; he is a man above many."
Then they had them to another place, called
Mount Innocent; and there they saw a man clothed all in white, and two men,
PREJUDICE and ILL-WILL, continually casting dirt upon him. Now, behold, the
dirt, whatsoever they cast at him, would in little time fall off again; and
his garment would look as clear as if no dirt had been cast thereat.
Then said the pilgrims, "What means
this?" The shepherds answered, "This man is named GODLY-MAN; and
this garment is to show the innocency of his life. Now those that throw dirt
at him are such as hate his well doing; but, as you see, the dirt will not
stick upon his clothes: so it shall be with him that lives truly innocently
in the world. Whoever they be that would make such men dirty, they labour
all in vain; for God, by that a little time is spent, will cause that their
innocence shall break forth as the light, and their righteousness as the
noonday."
Then they took them, and had them to Mount Charity, where they showed them a
man that had a bundle of cloth lying before him, out of which he cut coats
and garments for the poor that stood about him; yet his bundle or roll of
cloth was never the less.
Then said they, "What should this
be?" "This is," said the shepherds, "to show you that he
that has a heart to give of his labour to the poor shall never want
wherewithal. He that waters shall be watered himself. And the cake that the
widow gave to the prophet did not cause that she had ever the less in her
barrel."
They had them also to a place where they
saw one FOOL and one WANT-WIT washing of a filthy man with intention to make
him clean; but the more they washed him the dirtier he became. They then
asked the shepherds what that should mean. So they told them, saying,
"Thus shall it be with the vile person; all means used to get such one
a good name shall, in conclusion, tend but to make him more abominable. Thus
it was with the Pharisees; and so it shall be with all hypocrites."
Then said MERCY, the wife of MATTHEW, to
CHRISTIANA, her mother, "Mother, I would, if it might be, see the hole
in the hill; or that commonly called the By-way to Hell." So her mother
brake her mind to the shepherds. Then they went to the door; it was in the
side of a hill, and they opened it, and bid MERCY hearken awhile. So she
hearkened; and heard one saying, "Cursed be my father for holding my
feet back from the way of peace and life"; and another said, "Oh
that I had been torn in pieces before I had, to save my life, lost my
soul"; and another said, "If I were to live again, how would I
deny myself rather than come to this place!" Then there was as if the
very earth had groaned and quaked under the feet of this young woman for
fear; so she looked white, and came trembling away, saying, "Blessed be
he and she that is delivered from this place."
Now when the shepherds had showed them all
these things, then they had them back to the palace, and entertained them
with what the house would afford; but MERCY, being a young and breeding
woman, longed for something that she saw there, but was ashamed to ask. Her
mother-in-law then asked her what she ailed, for she looked as one not well.
Then said MERCY, "There is a looking glass hangs up in the dining room,
off of which I cannot take my mind; if, therefore, I have not, I think I
shall miscarry." Then said her mother, "I will mention thy wants
to the shepherds; and they will not deny it thee." But she said,
"I am ashamed that these men should know that I longed."
"Nay, my daughter," said she, "it is no shame but a virtue to
long for such a thing as that;" so MERCY said, "Then, mother, if
you please, ask the shepherds if they are willing to sell it."
Now the glass was one of a thousand. It
would present a man, one way, with his own feature exactly; and turn it but
another way, and it would show one of the very face and similitude of the
Prince of pilgrims himself. Yea, I have talked with them that can tell; and
they have said, that they have seen the very crown of thorns upon his head
by looking in that glass; they have therein also seen the holes in his
hands, in his feet, and his side. Yea, such an excellency is there in that
glass, that it will show him to one where they have a mind to see him--
whether living or dead; whether in earth or heaven; whether in a state of
humiliation or in his exaltation; whether coming to suffer or coming to
reign.
"For
if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man
beholding his natural face in a glass:" James 1:23
"For
now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in
part; but then shall I know even as also I am known." 1 Corinthians
13:12
"But
we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are
changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the
Spirit of the Lord." 2 Corinthians 3:18
CHRISTIANA, therefore, went to the
shepherds apart (now the names of the shepherds are KNOWLEDGE, EXPERIENCE,
WATCHFUL, and SINCERE); and said unto them, "There is one of my
daughters, a breeding woman, that I think doth long for something that she
hath seen in this house; and she thinks she shall miscarry if she should by
you be denied."
Experience. "Call her, call her; she shall assuredly have what
we can help her to." So they called her, and said to her, "MERCY,
what is that thing thou wouldst have?" Then she blushed and said,
"The great glass that hangs up in the dining room." So SINCERE ran
and fetched it; and with a joyful consent it was given her. Then she bowed
her head and gave thanks, and said, "By this I know that I have
obtained favour in your eyes."
They also gave to the other young women
such things as they desired; and to their husbands great commendations for
that they joined with Mr. GREAT-HEART to the slaying of Giant DESPAIR and
the demolishing of Doubting Castle.
About CHRISTIANA'S neck the shepherds put a
bracelet; and so they did about the necks of her four daughters; also they
put earrings in their ears and jewels on their foreheads.
When they were minded to go hence, they let
them go in peace; but gave not to them those certain cautions which before
were given to CHRISTIAN and his companion. The reason was, for that these
had GREAT-HEART to be their guide, who was one that was well acquainted with
things; and so could give them their cautions more seasonably, to wit, even
then when the danger was nigh the approaching.
What cautions CHRISTIAN and his companion
had received of the shepherds, they had also lost by that the time was come
that they had need to put them in practice. Wherefore here was the advantage
that this company had over the other.
From hence they went on singing; and they
said:
"Behold, how fitly are the stages set
For their relief that pilgrims are become;
And how they us receive without one let,
That make the other life our mark and home.
What novelties they have to us they give,
That we, though pilgrims, joyful lives may live;
They do upon us too such things bestow,
That show we pilgrims are where'er we go."
The
Pilgrim's Progress - Valiant-for-Truth's Victory
The
Pilgrim's Progress - Contents
