The Pilgrim's Progress

Hast thou considered all these things? Yes, and they put me in hope. And fear. Well, keep all things so in thy mind that they may be as a goad in thy sides, to prick thee forward in the way thou must go. Then Christian began to gird up his loins and to address himself to his journey. Then said the interpreter, The Comforter be always with thee, good Christian, to guide thee in the way that leads to the city. So Christian went on his way, saying, Here I have seen things rare and profitable, things pleasant, dreadful, things to make me stable in what I have begun to take in hand. Then let me think on them, and understand wherefore they showed me were, and let me be thankful, O good interpreter, to thee. Now I saw in my dream that the highway up which Christian was to go was fenced on either side with a wall, and that wall was called Salvation. Up this way, therefore, did burdened Christian run, but not without great difficulty, because of the load on his back. He ran thus till he came at a place somewhat ascending, and upon that place stood a cross, and a little below in the bottom, a sepulcher. So I saw in my dream that just as Christian came up with the cross, his burden loosed from off his shoulders, fell from off his back, and began to tumble, and so continued to do, till it came to the mouth of the sepulcher, where it fell in, and I saw it no more. Then was Christian glad and lightsome, and said with a merry heart, He hath given me rest by his sorrow, and life by his death. Then he stood still a while, to look and wonder, for it was very surprising to him that the sight of the cross should thus ease him of his burden. He looked, therefore, and looked again, even till the springs that were in his head sent the waters down his cheeks. Now as he stood looking and weeping, behold, three shining ones came to him and saluted him. Peace be unto thee. So the first said to him, Thy sins be forgiven thee. The second stripped him of his rags, and clothed him with change of raiment. The third also set a mark on his forehead, and gave him a roll with a seal upon it, which he bade him look on as he ran, and that he should give it in at the celestial gate. So they went their way. Then Christian gave three leaps for joy, and went on singing, Thus far I did come laden with my sin, nor could aught ease the grief that I was in, till I came hither. What a place is this! Must here be the beginning of my bliss? Must here the burden fall from off my back? Must here the strings that bound it to me crack? Blessed cross, blessed sepulcher, blessed rather be the man that was there put to shame for me. I saw then in my dream that he went on thus, even until he came at a bottom, where he saw, a little out of the way, three men fast asleep with fetters upon their heels. The name of the one was simple, another sloth, and the third presumption. Christian, then seeing them lie in this case, went to them, if peradventure he might awake them, and cried, You are like them that sleep on the top of a mast, for the dead sea is under you, a gulf that hath no bottom. Awake therefore, and come away. Be willing also, and I will help you off with your irons. If he that goeth about like a roaring lion comes by, you will certainly become a prey to his teeth. With that they looked upon him, and began to reply in this sort. Simple said, I see no danger. Sloth said, Yellow more sleep. And presumption said, Every fat must stand upon its own bottom. What is the answer else that I should give thee? And so they lay down to sleep again, and Christian went on his way. Yet was he troubled to think that men in that danger should so little esteem the kindness of him that so freely offered to help them, both by awakening of them, counseling of them, and proffering to help them off with their irons.