of Despond, who persuaded me that I might, in the village before
me, find a man that would 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.

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
that 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 shew 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
shew thee the words of God. 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
heaven. He said, moreover, Now the just shall live by faith: but
if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. He
also did thus apply them: Thou art the man that art running into
this misery; 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.

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 blasphemies shall
be forgiven unto men. Be not faithless, but believing. Then did
Christian again a little revive, and stood up trembling, as at
first, before Evangelist.

Then Evangelist proceeded, saying, Give more earnest heed to the
things that I shall tell thee of. I will now shew thee who it
was that deluded thee, and who it was also to whom he sent thee.
-- The man that met thee is one Worldly Wiseman, and rightly is
he so called; partly, because he savoureth only the doctrine of
this world (therefore he always goes to the town of Morality to
church): and partly because he loveth that doctrine best,

for it saveth him best from the cross. And because he is of this
carnal temper, therefore he seeketh to pervert my ways though
right. Now there are three things in this man's counsel, that
thou must utterly abhor.

1. His turning thee out of the way. 2. His labouring to render
the cross odious to thee. And, 3. 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; and
thine own consenting thereunto: 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, the gate
to which I sent thee; for strait is the gate that leadeth unto
life, and few there be that find it. 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; for thou art to prefer it before the treasures
of Egypt. Besides the King of glory hath told thee, that he that
will save his life shall lose it; and he that cometh 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. 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.