42 THE PILGRIMS PROGRESS.

to take off these burdens. So I believed him, and turned out of that way into this, if
haply I might soon be 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 show 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 misery; thou hast begun to reject the counsel of the
Most High, and to draw back thy foot from the way of pee 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 believ-
ing.’* ‘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 show thee who it was that deluded thee, and who it was
also to whom he sent thee. That man that met thee is one Worldly Wiseman; and
rightly is he so called; partly because he savoreth only of 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 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 you must utterly abhor :

“1. His turning thee out of the way.

“2. His laboring to render the Cross odious to thee.

“3. And 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 ; yea, and thine own con-
senting thereto; 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 send thee; ‘for strait is the gate which 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.