Part two, the first stage. By this time Christiana was got on her
way, and Mercy went along with her. So as they went, her
children being there also, Christiana began to discourse, and Mercy said Christiana,
I take this as an unexpected favor, that thou shouldst set forth out of
doors with me, to accompany me a little in the way. Mercy then
said young Mercy, for she was but young. If I thought it would
be to purpose to go with you, I would never go near the town
any more. Christiana. Well, Mercy, said Christiana, cast in thy
lot with me. I well know what will be the end of our pilgrimage.
My husband is where he would not but be. For all the gold
in the Spanish minds, Nor shalt thou be rejected, though thou goest but
upon my invitation. The King who hath sent for me and my children is
one that delighteth in Mercy. Besides, if thou wilt, I will hire
THEE, and thou shalt go along with me as my servant. Yet we
will have all things in common betwixt THEE and me. Only go along with
me, Mercy. But how shall I be ascertained that I also should be
entertained. Had I this hope but from one that can tell, I would
make no stick at all, but would go, being helped by him that
can help, though the way was never so tedious. Christiana, Well,
loving Mercy, I will tell THEE what thou shalt do. Go with me
to the wicked gate, and there I will further inquire for THEE. And
if there thou shalt not meet with encouragement, I will be a content that
thou return to thy place. I will also pay THEE for thy kindness which
thou ShoWest to me and my children in the accompanying of us, in the
way that thou dost. Mercy. Then will I go thither and will take
what shall follow. And the Lord grant that my lot may therefall, even
as the King of Heaven shall have his heart upon me. Christiana then was
glad at heart, not only that she had a companion, but also for
that she had prevailed upon this poor maid to fall in love with her own
salvation. So they went on together, and Mercy began to weep, then
said Christiana. Wherefore weepeth my sister, so Mercy, alas said she who
can but lament that shall but rightly consider what a state and condition my poor
relations are in that yet remain in our sinful town. And that which makes
my grief the more heavy, is because they have no instructor nor any to
tell them what is to come. Christiana, pity becomes pilgrims. And thou
dost weep for thy friends, as my good Christian did for me. When
he left me, he mourned, for that I would not heed nor regard
him. But his Lord and ours did gather up his tears and put them
into his bottle. And now both I and thou, and these my sweet
babes, are reaping the fruit and benefit of them. I hope, Mercy,
that these tears of thine will not be lost. For the truth hath
said that they that so in tears shall reap enjoy. And he that goeth
forth and weepeth bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing
his sheaves with him some one hundred and twenty six five and six. Then
said Mercy, let the most blessed be my guide, if it be his
blessed will unto his gate, into his fold, up to his holy hill.
And let him never suffer me to swerve or turn aside from his free
grace and holy ways, whate'er shall me betide, and let him gather them
of mine that I have left behind. Lord, make them pray they may
be Thine with all their heart and mind. Now, my old friend proceeded
and said, But when Christiana came to the slow of Despond, she began
to be at a stand. For said she, this is the place in
which my dear husband had liked to have been smothered with mud. She perceived
also that, notwithstanding the command of the King to make this place for pilgrim's
good, yet it was rather worse than formerly. So I ask if that
was true, Yes, said the old gentleman. Too true, for many
there be that pretend to be the King's laborers, and that say they are
for mending the King's highways, who bring dirt and dung instead of stones and
so ma instead of mending here. Christiana, therefore, with her boys,
did make us stand, but said, mercy, come, let us venture,
only let us be weary. Then they looked well to their steps and
made a shift to get stagging over. Yet Christiana had liked to have been
in, and that not once or twice. Now they had no sooner got
over, But they thought they heard words that said, unto them, blessed
is she that believeth, for there shall be a performance of those things which
were told her from the Lord Luke one forty five. Then they went on
again and said, Mercy to Christiana, had I as good ground to hope
for a loving reception at the wicket gate as you, I think no slow
of despond would discourage me, well said the other. You know your soul
and I know mine, And good friend, we shall all have enough evil
before we come to our journey's end. For can it be imagined that the
people who designed to attain such excellent glories as we do, and who are
so envied that happiness as we are, but that we shall meet with what
fears and snares, with what troubles and afflictions they can possibly assault us with
that hate us. And now mister Sagacity left me to dream out my dream
by myself. Wherefore methought I saw Christiana and Mercy and the boys go,
all of them up to the gate, to which when they were come,
they ptook themselves to a short debate about how they must manage their calling at
the gate, and who to be said unto him that did open to them.
So it was concluded, since Christiana was the eldest, that she should
not entrance, and that she should speak to him that did open for the
rest. So Christiana began to knock, as her poor husband did. She
knocked and knocked again, but instead of any that answered, they all thought
they heard as if a dog came barking upon them, a dog, and
a great one too, And this made the women and children afraid nor durst
they for a while to knock any more, for fear the mastiff should fly
upon them. Now therefore they were greatly tumbled up and down in their minds,
and knew not what to do. Knock, they durst, not for
fear of the dog. Go back, they durst not for fear the keeper
of that gate should aspy them as they so went, and should be offended
with them. At last, they thought of knocking again, and knocked more
vehemently than they did at first. Then said the keeper of the gate,
who is there? So the dog left off to bark, and he opened
unto them. Then Christiana made low obeisance and said, let not our lord
be offended with his handmaidens, for that we have knocked at his princely gate.
Then said the keeper, whence come ye? And what is it that
ye would have? Christiana answered, we are come from whence Christian did come,
and upon the same errand as he to wit to be, if it
shall please you, graciously admitted by this gate into the way that leads unto
the celestial city. And I answer, my lord in the next place,
that I am Christiana, once the wife of Christian, that now is gotten
above. With that, the keeper of the gate did marvel, saying,
what is she now become a pilgrim that but a while ago abhorred that life.
Then she bowed her head and said, yea, and so are these
my sweet babes. Also then he took her by the hand and led her
in, and said, also, suffer little children to come unto me.
And with that he shut up the gate. This done, he called to
a trumpeter that was above over the gate to entertain Christiana with shouting and the
sound of trumpet for joy. So he obeyed and sounded and filled the air
with his melodious notes. Now all this while poor Mercy did stand without trembling
and crying, for fear that she was rejected. But when Christiana had got
admittance for herself and her boys, then she began to make intercession for Mercy.
Christiana, and she said, my Lord, I have a companion that
stands yet without, that has come hither upon the same account as myself,
one that is much dejected in her mind, for that she comes as she
thinks, without sending, for whereas I was sent for by my husband's king
to come. Now Mercy began to be very impatient, and each minute was
as long to her as an hour. Wherefore she prevented Christiana from a fuller
interceding for her by knocking at the gate herself. And she knocked then so
loud that she made Christiana to start. Then said the keeper of the gate,
who is there? And Christiana said it is my friend. So he
opened the gate and looked out. But Mercy was fallen down without in a
swoon, for she fainted and was afraid that no gate should be open to
her. Then he took her by the hand and said, damsel, I
bid thee arise, Oh, sir, said she, I am faint.
There is scarce life left in me. But he answered that one once said
when my soul fainted within me, I remembered the Lord, and my prayer
came unto THEE into thy holy temple Jonah two seven. Fear not, but
stand upon thy feet and tell me wherefore thou art come. Mercy, I
am come for that unto which I was never invited, as my friend Christiana
was. Hers was from the King, and mine was but from her.
Wherefore I fear I presume keep. Did she desire THEE to come with her
to this place? Mercy? Yes, And as my Lord sees, I
am come. And if there is any grace and forgiveness of sins to spare,
I beseech that thy poor handmaid be a partaker thereof. Then he took
her again by the hand and led her gently in, and said, I
pray for all them that believe on me, by what meanssoever they come unto
me. Then said he to those that stood by, fetch something and give
it to Mercy to smell on thereby to stay her faintings. So they fetched
her a bundle of myrrh, and a while after she was revived, and
now were Christiana and two boys, and Mercy received of the Lord at the
head of the way and spoken kindly unto by him. Then said they yet
further unto him, we are sorry for our sins, and beg of our
Lord his pardon and further information what we must do. I grant pardon,
said he by word, and deed by word, in the promise of forgiveness,
by deed, in the way I obtained it. Take from the first
from my lips with a kiss, and the other as it shall be revealed.
Song of Solomon's one two John twenty twenty. Now I saw in my
dream that he spake many good words unto them, whereby they were greatly gladdened.
He also had them up to the top of the gate and showed them
by what deed they were saved, and told them withal that that sight they
would have again as they went along in their way to their comfort. So
he left them awhile in a summer parlor below, where they entered into talk
by themselves. And thus Christiana began, Oh, how glad am I that
we are got in hither mercy, So you well may, But I of
all have cause to leap for joy. Christiana, I thought one time,
as I stood at the gate, because I had knocked, and none did
answer that all our labor had been lost, especially when that ugly cur made
such a heavy barking against us. Mercy. But my worst fear was after
I saw that you were taking into his favor and that I was left behind.
Mind now thought I it is fulfilled which is written two women shall be
grinding at the mill. The one shall be taken and the other left Matthew,
twenty four forty one. I had much ado to forbear, crying out
undone, and afraid I was to knock any more. But when I looked
up to what was written over the gate, I took courage. I also
thought that I must either knock again or die. So I knocked, But
I cannot tell how, for my spirit now struggled between life and death.
Christiana, can you not tell how you knocked? I am sure your knocks
were so earnest that the very sound of them made me start. I thought
I never heard such knocking in all my life. I thought you would come
in by a violent hand, or take the kingdom by storm. Matthew eleven
twelve. Mercy alas to be in my case, who that so was could
but have done so? You saw that the door was shut upon me and
there was a most cruel dog thereabout, who I say that was so fainthearted,
as I would not have knocked with all they might. But pray,
what said my lord to my rudeness? Was he not angry with me?
Christiana? When he heard your lumbering noise? He gave a wonderful, innocent
smile. I believe what you did pleased him well, for he showed no
sign to the contrary. But I marvel in my heart why he keeps such
a dog. Had I known that before, I should not have had heart
enough to have ventured myself in this manner. But now we are in.
We are in, and I am glad with all my heart, Mercy.
I will ask, if you please, next time he comes down, why
he keeps such a filthy cur in his yard. I hope he will not
take it amiss. Do so, said the children, and persuade him to
hang him, for we are afraid he will bite us when we go.
Hence, so at last he came down to them again, and Mercy fell
to the ground on her face before him and worshiped, and said, let
my lord accept the sacrifice of praise which I now offer unto him with the
calves of my lips, said he unto her peace, be to thee stand
up. But she continued upon her face and said, righteous art thou,
o Lord, when I plead with thee, Yet let me talk with THEE
of thy judgments Jeremiah twelve one. Wherefore dost thou keep so cruel a dog
in thy yard, at the sight of which such women and children as we
are ready to fly from thy gait for fear? He answered, and said,
that dog has another owner. He also is kept close in another man's
ground. Only my pilgrims here his barking. He belongs to the castle which
you see there at a distance, but can come up to the walls of
this place. He has frighted many an honest pilgrim from worse to better by
the great voice of his roaring. Indeed, he that owneth him doth not
keep him out of any good will to me or mine, but with intent
to keep the pilgrims from coming to me, and that they may be afraid
to come and knock at this gate for entrance. Sometimes also he has broken
out and has worried some that I loved. But I take all that present
patiently. I also give my pilgrims timely help, so that they are not
delivered to his power to do with them what his doggish nature would prompt him
to do. But what my purchased one I trow, hadst thou known never
so much beforehand, thou wouldst not have been afraid of a dog. The
beggars that go from or to door will, rather than lose a supposed arms,
run the hazard of the bawling, barking, and biting two of a
dog. And shall a dog a dog in another man's yard, a dog
whose barking I turned to the profit of pilgrims keep any from coming to me.
I delivered them from the lions, and my darling from the power of
the dog Psalm twenty two, twenty one and twenty two. Mercy then said,
Mercy, I confess my ignorance. I spake what I understood, not
I acknowledge that thou doest all things well Christiana. Then Christiana began to talk
of their journey and to inquire after the way. So he fed them and
washed their feet, and set them in the way of his steps, according
as he had dealt with her husband before. End Part two. The first stage