to judgment!"
—that I could not endure the thought of them in my heart."
CHRISTIAN: "Then, as it seems, sometimes you got rid of your convictions of sin?"
HOPEFUL: "Yes, truly—but they would come into my mind again, and then I would be as bad—nay, worse than I was before."
CHRISTIAN: "Why, what was it that brought your sins to mind again?"
HOPEFUL: "Many things, such as,
1. If I did but meet a godly man in the streets; or,
2. If I heard anyone read in the Bible; or,
3. If my head began to ache; or,
4. If I was told that some of my neighbors were sick; or,
5. If I heard the death-bell toll for someone who had died; or,
6. If I thought of dying myself; or,
7. If I heard that another had died by sudden death.
8. But especially, when I thought of myself—that I must quickly come to judgment!"
CHRISTIAN: "And could you easily at any time, get off the guilt of sin— when, by any of these ways, conviction came upon you?"
HOPEFUL: "No, not I—for then they got a tighter hold on my conscience. And then, if I did but think of going back to sin—though my mind was turned against it—it would be double torment to me."
CHRISTIAN: "And what did you do then?"
HOPEFUL: "I reckoned that I must endeavor to mend my life—for I thought that otherwise, I was sure to be damned."
CHRISTIAN: "And did you ever attempt to mend your life?"
HOPEFUL: "Yes, and I fled not only from my sins—but from sinful company too. I also began religious duties—such as prayer, reading, weeping for sin, speaking truth to my neighbors, and so forth. These things I did, along with many others—too many to recount."
CHRISTIAN: "And did you think yourself well then?"
HOPEFUL: "Yes, for a while—but eventually my troubling convictions came tumbling upon me again, in spite of all my reformations."
CHRISTIAN: "How so, since you were now reformed?"
HOPEFUL: "There were several things which brought these convictions upon me, especially such sayings as these: 'All our righteousnesses are as filthy rags.' 'By the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.' 'When we have done everything we should—we are unworthy servants, doing but our duty'—along with many more similar sayings. Hence I began to reason thus with myself: If ALL my righteousnesses are filthy rags—and if, by the deeds of the law, NO man can be justified—and if, when we have done ALL our duty, we are yet unprofitable servants—then it is but folly to think of gaining Heaven by keeping the law.
"I further thought thus: If a man runs a hundred dollars into debt to the shopkeeper, and from then on, he pays for everything that he purchases; yet, if his old debt still remains unpaid in the ledger book—the shopkeeper will sue him for that, and cast him into prison until he shall pay the full debt."
CHRISTIAN: "So how did you apply this to yourself?"
HOPEFUL: "Why, I thought thus with myself: I have, by my sins, accumulated a great debt in God's Book—and that my now reforming will not pay off that debt. Therefore even with all my present amendments—I would not be freed from that damnation which my former transgressions still deserved."
CHRISTIAN: "A very good application—but please go on."
HOPEFUL: "Another thing which troubled me, even since my recent amendments, is that if I look closely into the best of whatever I do—I still see sin, new sin, mixing itself with my best deeds. So I am forced to conclude, that notwithstanding my former good opinion of myself and my duties, I have committed enough sin in one duty to send me to Hell—even if my former life had been faultless!"
CHRISTIAN: "And what did you do then?"
HOPEFUL: "Do! I did not know what to do, until I shared my thoughts with Faithful—for we were well acquainted. He told me that unless I could obtain the righteousness of a Man who never had sinned—that neither my own, nor all the righteousness of the world, could save me."
CHRISTIAN: "And did you think he spoke the truth?"
HOPEFUL: "Had he told me this while I was yet pleased and satisfied with my own amendments—I would have called him a fool for his counsel. But now, since I see my own error, and the sin which cleaves to even my best performances—I was forced to embrace his opinion."
CHRISTIAN: "But did you think, when at first he suggested it to you— that there was such a Man to be found, of whom it might justly be said, that He never committed any sin?"
HOPEFUL: "I must confess that his words did sound strange at first—but after a little more conversation with him, I was fully convinced."
CHRISTIAN: "And did you ask Faithful who this Man was—and how you must be justified by Him?"
HOPEFUL: "Yes, and he told me it was the Lord Jesus, who dwells on the right hand of the Most High God. And thus he said that I must be justified by Him—even by trusting in what He Himself has done during His earthly life—and what He suffered when He hung on the tree.
"I asked him further—how that Man's righteousness could be effectual to justify another before God? And he told me that He was the mighty God,
and that both His life and His death, was not for Himself—but for me, to whom the worthiness of His doings would be imputed, if I believed on Him."
CHRISTIAN: "And what did you do then?"
HOPEFUL: "I made objections against my believing—for I thought that He was not willing to save me."
CHRISTIAN: "And what did Faithful say to you then?"
HOPEFUL: "He bid me to go to Him and see. And I told him that this would be presumption. But he said, 'Not so—for I was invited to come.' Then he gave me a Book of Jesus, in His own words, to encourage me to come the more freely. He also said, concerning that Book, that its every jot and tittle stood firmer than Heaven and earth.
"Then I asked Faithful what I must do when I go to Him. He told me that I must entreat the Father upon my knees and with all my heart and soul— to reveal the Lord Jesus to me.
"Then I asked him further, how I must make my petition to Him? And he said, 'Go, and you shall find Him upon a mercy-seat, where He sits all the year long, to give pardon and forgiveness to those who come.'
"I told him that I did not know what to say when I go. And he bid me to say something to this effect: 'God be merciful to me a sinner—and make me to know and believe in Jesus Christ. For I see that if He had not provided His perfect righteousness, or if I have not faith in His righteousness—then I am utterly cast away. Lord, I have heard that You are a merciful God, and have ordained that Your Son Jesus Christ should be the Savior of the world; and moreover, that you are willing to bestow Him upon such a poor sinner as I am—and I am a poor sinner indeed. Lord, be pleased to magnify Your grace in the salvation of my soul, through Your Son Jesus Christ. Amen.'"
CHRISTIAN: "And did you do as you were bidden?"
HOPEFUL: "Yes—over, and over, and over."
CHRISTIAN: "And did the Father reveal His Son to you?"
HOPEFUL: "Not at the first, nor the second, nor the third, nor the fourth, nor the fifth—no, not even at the sixth time."
CHRISTIAN: "What did you do then?"
HOPEFUL: "What! Why I could not tell what to do!"
CHRISTIAN: "Did you ever consider giving up praying?"
HOPEFUL: "Yes, a hundred times, twice over!"
CHRISTIAN: "And what was the reason why you did not?"
HOPEFUL: "I believed that what Faithful told me was true, namely, that without the righteousness of Christ—all the world could not save me. Therefore, I thought that if I cease praying, I would die—and I dare not die, except at the throne of grace. Then this thought came into my mind, 'Though it seems slow in coming—wait patiently, for it will surely take place.' So I continued praying until the Father revealed His Son to me."
CHRISTIAN: "And how was He revealed unto you?"
HOPEFUL: "I did not see Him with my bodily eyes, but with the eyes of my understanding. It happened in this way: One day I was very sad, perhaps sadder than at any other time in my life. This sadness sprang from a fresh sight of the immensity and vileness of my sins. As I was then expecting nothing but Hell and the everlasting damnation of my soul— suddenly I thought I saw the Lord Jesus look down from Heaven upon me, and say, 'Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ—and you shall be saved.'
"But I replied, 'Lord, I am a dreadful sinner—a very dreadful sinner.'
"And He answered, 'My grace is sufficient for you.'
"Then I said, 'but, Lord, what is believing?'
"And then I saw from that saying, 'He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes on Me shall never thirst'—that believing and coming were one and the same; and that he who came, that is, he who ran out in his heart and affections after salvation by Christ—he indeed believed in Christ.
"Then the water stood in my eyes, and I asked further: 'But Lord, may such a vile sinner as I am—indeed be accepted by You, and be saved by You?'
"And I heard Him say, 'Whoever comes to Me, I will never cast out.'
"Then I said, 'But how Lord, in my coming to You, must I properly think of You—that my faith may be rightly placed upon You?'
"And He said, 'Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.' 'He is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.' 'He died for our sins, and rose again for our justification.' 'He loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood.' 'He is the mediator between God and men.' 'He ever lives to make intercession for us.'
"From all of this, I gathered that I must look for righteousness in His person, and for atonement for my sins by His blood. Also, that what He did in obedience to His Father's law, and in submitting to its penalty, was not for Himself—but for the one who will accept it for his salvation, and be thankful.
"And now my heart was full of joy, my eyes were full of tears, and my affections were running over—with love to the name, ways and people of Jesus Christ."
CHRISTIAN: "This was a revelation of Christ to your soul indeed! But tell me particularly, what effect this encounter had upon your spirit."
HOPEFUL: "First, it made me see that all the world, notwithstanding all its boasted righteousness—is in a state of condemnation.
"Secondly, it made me see that God the Father is both just—and the Justifier of the one who believes in Jesus.
"Thirdly, it made me greatly ashamed of the vileness of my former life, and confounded me with the sense of my own ignorance; for I never had a thought in my heart before now, that so showed me the beauty of Jesus Christ.
"Lastly, it made me love a holy life, and long to do something for the honor and glory of the name of the Lord Jesus. Yes, I thought that had I now a thousand gallons of blood in my body—I could spill it all for the sake of the Lord Jesus."
IGNORANCE REJOINS THE PILGRIMS
Then I saw in my dream, that Hopeful looked back and saw Ignorance, whom they had left behind, following after them.
"Look," he said to Christian, "Ignorance is still lagging behind us!"
CHRISTIAN: "Yes, yes, I see him—he does not care for our company."
HOPEFUL: "It would not have hurt him—had he stayed with us thus far."
CHRISTIAN: "That is true—but I guarantee that he thinks otherwise."
HOPEFUL: "I agree—however, let us wait for him."
So they did.
Then Christian called to Ignorance, "Come join us—why do you stay so far behind?"
IGNORANCE: "It pleases me to walk alone, rather than in company— unless of course, the company suits me better."
Then Christian whispered to Hopeful, "Did I not tell you that he did not care for our company?"
Then, calling out to Ignorance, Christian said, "Come up, and let us talk
away the time in this solitary place. Say, how are you doing? How does it now stand between God and your soul?"
IGNORANCE: "I hope well—for I am always full of good notions that come into my mind, to comfort me as I walk."
CHRISTIAN: "What good notions? Please tell us."
IGNORANCE: "Why, I think of God and Heaven."
CHRISTIAN: "So do the devils and damned souls."
IGNORANCE: "But I think of them—and desire them."
CHRISTIAN: "So do many who are never likely to get to Heaven. The soul of the sluggard desires—and gets nothing!"
IGNORANCE: "But I think of God and Heaven—and leave all for them."
CHRISTIAN: "That I doubt, for leaving all is a hard matter—yes, a harder matter than many are aware of. But why do you think that you have left all for God and Heaven?"
IGNORANCE: "Because my heart tells me so."
CHRISTIAN: "But the wise man says, 'He who trusts in his own heart is a fool.'"
IGNORANCE: "That was spoken of an evil heart—but mine is a good one."
CHRISTIAN: "But how do you prove that?"
IGNORANCE: "It comforts me in hopes of Heaven."
CHRISTIAN: "That may be through your heart's deceitfulness; for a man's heart may minister comfort to him in the hope of Heaven—and yet be a false hope."
IGNORANCE: "But my heart and my life agree together—and therefore
my hope is well grounded."
CHRISTIAN: "Who told you that your heart and life agree together?"
IGNORANCE: "My heart tells me so."
CHRISTIAN: "Your heart tells you so! Except the Word of God bears witness in this matter—any other testimony is of no value!"
IGNORANCE: "But is it not a good heart, which has good thoughts? And is it not a good life, which is according to God's commandments?"
CHRISTIAN: "Yes, that is a good heart, which has good thoughts; and that is a good life, which is according to God's commandments. But it is one thing, indeed, to have a good heart and life—and it is another thing only to think so."
IGNORANCE: "Tell me please, what you think are good thoughts, and a life according to God's commandments?"
CHRISTIAN: "There are good thoughts of many kinds—some respecting ourselves, some of God, some of Christ, and some of other things."
IGNORANCE: "What are good thoughts respecting ourselves?"
CHRISTIAN: "Such as agree with the Word of God."
IGNORANCE: "When do our thoughts of ourselves agree with the Word of God?"
CHRISTIAN: "When we pass the same judgment upon ourselves, which the Word passes. To explain myself—the Word of God says of people in their natural condition, 'There are none righteous, there are none who do good.' It says also, that 'every imagination of the heart of man is only evil, and that continually.' And again, 'The imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth.' Now then, when we think thus of ourselves—then our thoughts are good ones, because they are according to the Word of God."
IGNORANCE: "I will never believe that my heart is that bad!"
CHRISTIAN: "Therefore you never had one good thought concerning yourself in all of your life! But let me go on. As the Word passes a judgment upon our heart—so it passes a judgment upon our ways. When our thoughts concerning our hearts and our ways agree with the judgment which the Word gives of both—then are both good, because they are in agreement with the Word of God."
IGNORANCE: "Explain what you mean by this."
CHRISTIAN: "Why, the Word of God says that man's ways are crooked and perverse—and not good. It says that no one seeks God—but all have turned away from Him. Now, when a man sincerely thinks thus of his ways, and with heart humiliation—then his thoughts now agree with the judgment of the Word of God."
IGNORANCE: "Further, what are good thoughts concerning God?"
CHRISTIAN: "Just as I have said concerning ourselves—when our thoughts of God agree with what the Word says of Him. That is, when we think of His being and attributes just as the Word teaches, of which I cannot presently discourse at length.
"To speak of Him with reference to ourselves—we have right thoughts of God, when we understand that He knows us better than we know ourselves, and can see sin in us when and where we can see no sin in ourselves. Also when we realize that He knows our inmost thoughts—and that our heart, with all its depths, is always open before His eyes. Also, when we think that all our righteousness is a stench in His nostrils—and that, therefore, He cannot endure to have us stand before Him in any selfconfidence, even in all our best duties."
IGNORANCE: "Do you think that I am such a fool as to imagine that God can see no further than I can—or, that I would come to God in the best of my duties?"
CHRISTIAN: "Well, what do you think concerning this matter?"
IGNORANCE: "Why, to be brief, I think I must believe in Christ for
justification."
CHRISTIAN: "How can you believe in Christ—when you do not see your need of Him? You neither see your original nor actual sins! You have such a high opinion of yourself, and of what you do—so that you never see the necessity of Christ's personal righteousness to justify you before God. How, then, can you say that you believe in Christ?"
IGNORANCE: "My beliefs are fine—in spite of all that you have just said."
CHRISTIAN: "What exactly then, do you believe?"
IGNORANCE: "I believe that Christ died for sinners—and that I shall be justified before God from the curse, through His gracious acceptance of my obedience to His law. To state it another way, Christ makes my religious duties acceptable to His Father, by virtue of His merits—and so I shall be justified."
CHRISTIAN: "Let me give an answer to your beliefs on this issue.
"First, you believe with an imaginary faith—for this kind of faith is nowhere described in the Word.
"Secondly, you believe with a false faith—because you trust that you are justified by your own righteousness, rather than the righteousness of Christ.
"Thirdly, your beliefs make Christ a justifier of your actions—but not of your person. You think that your person is justified for your action's sake, which is false.
"Therefore, your faith is deceitful—even such as will leave you under divine wrath, in the day of Almighty God's judgment. For true justifying faith causes the soul, being sensible of its lost condition by the law, to flee for refuge unto Christ's righteousness. It is not that Christ graciously makes a person's obedience acceptable to God—but true faith accepts Christ's righteousness by His personal obedience to the law, in doing and suffering for us what that law required at our hands. The soul, thus covered in Christ's righteousness and presented as spotless before God—
is accepted by God and acquitted from condemnation."
IGNORANCE: "What! Would you have us trust to only what Christ, in His own person, has done for us? This belief would loosen the reins of our lusts, and allow us to live any sinful way we desire. For what would it matter how we live—if we believe that we are justified by Christ's personal righteousness alone?"
CHRISTIAN: "Ignorance is your name—and as your name is, so you are! Your answer demonstrates what I say. You are ignorant of what justifying righteousness is—and just as ignorant how to secure your soul from the dreadful wrath of God, through Christ's righteousness alone. Yes, you are also ignorant of the true effects of saving faith, such as—to submit the heart to God, to love His Name, His Word, His ways and His people—and not as you ignorantly imagine."
Hopeful then joined in and asked, "Ignorance—has God ever revealed Christ to your heart?"
IGNORANCE: "What! You are a man for revelations! I think that what both of you, and all the rest of your kind say—is but the fruit of your disordered brains!"
HOPEFUL: "Why, Sir! Christ is so hidden from the natural understanding of men—that He cannot be savingly known, unless God the Father reveals Him to them."
IGNORANCE: "That is your belief—but not mine! My beliefs are as good as yours—though I do not have so many foolish notions in my head as you do."
CHRISTIAN: "Allow me to put in a word. You ought not to speak of this matter so lightly. I will boldly affirm, even as my good companion has done—that no man can know Jesus Christ but by the revelation of the Father.
"Also, that faith by which a soul truly lays hold upon Christ, must be wrought by the exceeding greatness of God's mighty power. Poor
Ignorance, I perceive that you are ignorant of the working of this faith in your own soul. Be awakened then—see your own wretchedness and flee to the Lord Jesus! By His divine righteousness alone, can you be delivered from condemnation."
IGNORANCE: "You go too fast—I cannot keep pace with you. Go ahead of me—I must stay behind for a while."
Then they said,
"Well, Ignorance—will you yet foolish be, To slight good counsel, ten times given thee? And if you yet refuse it, you shall know, Before long, the evil of your doing so. Remember, man, in time, bow, do not fear, Good counsel taken well, saves—therefore hear. But if you yet shall slight it, you will be The loser (Ignorance) I'll warrant thee."
Christian then addressed Hopeful: "Come, my good fellow, I see that you and I must walk by ourselves again."
So I saw in my dream that they went on quickly—while Ignorance lagged behind.
Then Christian said to his companion, "I feel much pity for this poor man —it will certainly go badly with him at the last."
HOPEFUL: "Alas! There are many in our town in his condition—whole families, yes, whole streets, and some claiming to be Pilgrims also. If there are so many in our parts, how many, do you think—must there be in the place where Ignorance was born?"
CHRISTIAN: "Indeed the Word says, 'He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts—lest they see with their eyes, and understand with their hearts, and turn—and I would heal them.' But now that we are by ourselves—what do you think of such men as Ignorance? Do you think that they ever have real convictions of sin—and subsequent fears that
their state is dangerous?"
HOPEFUL: "Nay, I think that you should answer that question yourself, for you are older in experience."
CHRISTIAN: "Then, I think that they may sometimes have convictions of sin; but being naturally ignorant, they do not understand that such convictions tend to their good. Therefore they desperately seek to stifle them, and presumptuously continue to flatter themselves in the way of their own hearts."
HOPEFUL: "I do believe, as you say, that fear tends much to men's good —to set them right at their beginning to go on pilgrimage."
CHRISTIAN: "Without doubt it does—if it is right fear; for so says the Word, 'The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.'"
HOPEFUL: "How would you describe the right fear?"
CHRISTIAN: "True or right fear is manifested by three things:
"First. By its rise—it is caused by saving convictions for sin.
"Second. It drives the soul to lay fast hold on Christ for salvation.
"Third. It begets and continues in the soul a great reverence of God, His Word, and His ways—keeping the soul tender, and making it afraid to turn from them, to the right hand or to the left—to anything that may dishonor God, break its peace, grieve the Spirit, or cause the enemy to speak reproachfully."
HOPEFUL: "Well said! I believe you have explained the truth. Have we now almost gotten past the Enchanted Ground?"
CHRISTIAN: "Why, are you weary of this discourse?"
HOPEFUL: "No, truly—I would only like to know where we are."
CHRISTIAN: "We have less than two miles further to go. So let us return
to our discussion. Now the ignorant do not understand that such convictions which tend to put them in fear, are for their good—and therefore they seek to stifle them."
HOPEFUL: "How do they seek to stifle them?"
So Christian explained,
"First, they think that those fears are wrought by the devil (though they are actually wrought by God); and, thinking so, they resist them as things which directly tend to their overthrow.
"Secondly, they also think that these fears tend to the destruction of their faith—when, alas for them, poor men that they are—they have no faith at all! So therefore they harden their hearts against them.
"Thirdly, they presume that they ought not to fear. Therefore, despite their fears—they increasingly become more presumptuous and selfconfident.
"Finally, they see that those fears tend to take away their pathetic former self-righteousness, and therefore they resist them with all their might."
HOPEFUL: "I know something of this myself—for, before I truly knew myself, it was the same with me."
CHRISTIAN: "Well, let us now leave our neighbor Ignorance to himself, and talk about another profitable question."
HOPEFUL: "With all my heart—and you shall begin."
CHRISTIAN: "Well then, did you know, about ten years ago, one named Temporary in your parts—who was then a prominent man in religion?"
HOPEFUL: "Know him! Yes, he dwelt in Graceless—a town about two miles away from Honesty, and he lived next door to a person named Turnback."
CHRISTIAN: "Yes, and he actually dwelt under the same roof with
Turnback. Well, that man was once much awakened—I believe that he then had some sight of his sins, and of the wages which were due for them."
HOPEFUL: "I agree, for my house, being less than three miles from his— he would often visit me with many tears. Truly, I pitied the man, and had some hope for him. But, as you know, not everyone who cries, 'Lord, Lord!' is saved."
CHRISTIAN: "He once told me that he was resolved to go on pilgrimage, just as we are now doing. But all of a sudden he grew acquainted with one named Save-self—and then he became as a stranger to me."
HOPEFUL: "Now, since we are talking about him—let us investigate into the reason of his sudden backsliding, and others like him."
CHRISTIAN: "This may be very profitable—so please begin."
HOPEFUL: "Well then, in my judgment there are four reasons for backsliding:
"First, though the consciences of such men are awakened—yet their minds are not changed. Therefore, when the power of guilt wears off— then that which caused them to become religious ceases, and they naturally turn to their own sinful course again. We see this illustrated in how a sick dog vomits what he has eaten, because it troubles his stomach. When his sickness is over, and his stomach is eased—the desire for what he has vomited returns and he licks it all up. And so that which is written is true, 'The dog returns to its own vomit!'
"They initially are eager for Heaven—but only out of the fear of the torments of Hell. But when their sense of Hell, and their fears of damnation chill and cool—so their desires for Heaven and salvation cool also. It then comes to pass, that when their guilt and fear is gone—their desires for Heaven and its happiness die, and they return to their sinful course again.
"Another reason for backsliding, is that they have slavish fears which