THE GATE OF THE CELESTIAL CITY. 137

in. They looked in, therefore, and saw that within it was very dark and smoky; they
also thought that they heard there a rumbling noise, as of fire, and a cry of some tor-
mented, and that they smelt the scent of brimstone. Then said Christian, “ What
means this?” The shepherds told them, “This is a by-way to hell, a way that
hypocrites go in at: namely, such as sell their birthright, with Esau ; such as sell their
master, with Judas; such as blaspheme the Gospel, with Alexander ; and that lie and
dissemble, with Ananias and Sapphira his wife.”

Hore. Then said Hopeful to the shepherds, “I perceive that these had on then
even every one, a show of pilgrimage, as we have now; had they not?”

Suep. Yes, and held it a long time too.

Horr. How far might they go on in pilgrimage in their day, since they notwith-
standing were thus miserably cast away ?

Suep. Some farther, and some not so far as these mountains.

Then said the pilgrims one to another, “ We have need to cry to the Strong for
strength.”

Suep. Ay, and you will have need to use.it when you have it, too.

By this time the pilgrims had a desire to go forward, and the shepherds a desire
they should; so they walked together towards the end of the mountains. Then said
the shepherds one to another, “ Let us here show to the pilgrims the gate of the
Celestial City, if they have skill to look through our perspective glass.” The pilgrims
then lovingly accepted the motion; so they had them to the top of a high hill called
Clear, and gave them their glass to look.

Then they essayed to look; but the remembrance of that last thing that the shep-
herds had showed them, made their hands shake, by means of which impediment they
could not look steadily through the glass; yet they thought they saw something like
the gaie, and also some of the glory of the place. Thus they went away, and sang
this song:

“Thus by the shepherds secrets are revealed,
Which from all other men are kept concealed.
Come to the shepherds, then, if you would see
Things deep, things hid, and that mysterious be.”

When they were about to depart, one of the shepherds gave them a note of the
way. Another of them bid them beware of the Flatterer. ‘The third bid them take
heed that they slept not upon the Enchanted Ground. And the fourth bid them God
speed.

So I awoke from my dream.
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