7^ >^ y THE LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES SCENES FROM THE pilgrim's |Pragr^$s BY RICHARD BALL RUTTER # LONDON: TRUBNER & Co., LUDGATE HILL PRINTED BY JOHN BELLOWS, GLOUCESTER MDCCCLXXXU R45 O /H^ €fiti^tim anb pliable HE Lord Himfelf will wipe all tears away Once and for ever ;" "And with whom fhall be Our loving converfe through that cloudlefs day?" Alked Pliable ; faid Chriftian, "We fhall fee Seraphs, whofe every breath is melody, Whom but to look on is a dream of joy ; And, even richer bleffmg, there fhall we Regain the loft and loved, our firft employ To clofe the links which death could ftrain but not deflroy. " Holy and loving, all our forrows o'er. Beneath the beam of God's approving eye, In his known Prefence fafe for evermore, How fhall we wonder that we feared to die ! There the crowned Elders fit enthroned on high. There all the pure in heart behold their God ; Yea death is fwallowed up in victory, For each whofe martyred blood cried from the fod, Shall touch the fceptre there, leaving on earth the rod. B 00 b' 2 THE SLOUGH OF DESPOND " Some were confumed with fire, fome gave their breath Up to the cruel fea, for His dear fake Who gave them ftrength to fight the fear of death ; And the wild beaft was loofed his prey to make Of fome whofe dying filence mutely fpake ; But all are there, they fell afleep in clay, Enrobed in immortality to wake." Said Pliable, " While hearing all you fay Of heavenly joys, the charms of this world melt away." €i[|c ^longl) of 2Dejef|)oiili. "THE Slough thine eyes furveyed Cannot be mended, being the defcent Whereto the bitter tears of hope delayed. With awful fenfe of former trefpafs blent, Continually do run, finding no wholefome vent. THE SLOUGH OF DESPOND 3 " And therefore is the quickfand called Defpond, For, ever as each confcience wakes from fin, Doubts, fears, and difmal thoughts, too clofely conned, Throughout this gloomy fwamp come pouring in, Efcape from which none without Help can win ; Such is its caufe, and fo poor fouls are drowned In its dark quagmires ere they well begin Their journey, yet the King who owns the ground Right willingly would make the treacherous footing found. ** His labourers alfo have, under command Of His furveyors, daily been employed Thefe fixteen hundred years on this wet land, Which thus the old high way hath half deftroyed ; But its ftill hungering maw is never cloyed ; Though, to my knowledge, there have been," faid he, " Full twenty thoufand loads fhot down the void. Yea millions, fo to fpeak, of words which be Sound as the acorn's firm and time-defying tree, 4 THE SLOUGH OF DESPOND " And brought throughout the year from every part Of the King's realms, (and they who know, declare That if it could be filled by toil or art. The beft materials thefe for its repair ;) But notwithftanding this His royal care, 'Tis ftill the flough Defpond, and fuch for ever, Though bridged at times by mountain-moving prayer, Muft it remain, defpite all man's endeavour, For only Help from God paft guilt from grief can fever. " True, 'tis the Law-giver's imperial will That fteps of ftone fhould crofs the quaking flough, But at fuch times as it doth overfill With weeping weather, as it doth e'en now, What between clouded eye and dizzy brow. The few who fee them often flip afide. And truly, fink into the mire, as thou And I can witnefs, yet the fteps abide ; But once within the gate, no fuch falfe ooze fliall glide." E SHREW him for his coimfel ! well I wot. My worthy fellow, a more dangerous way And troublefome, in all the world is not, Than this one, fhown thee in an evil day. Which thou (halt find if thou his rule obey ; Thou haft, methinks, already tafted forrow. For I perceive that from Defpond's foul clay Thou haft been fain a mirv cloak to borrow ; But fmall is this day's grief to that of each to-morrow. " Hear me who am thy elder, yet again ! Thou art moft fure to meet with, ere the clofe Of this thy journey, wearinefs and pain. Hunger and peril, nakednefs and blows, Wild beafts, and fights more fell than fancy knows, Horrible darknefs, and to fum up all Of dreadful in one word, death, far from thofe Whofe love might turn his arrow in its fall ; And is not this a fate the boldeft heart to 'appal ? 6 WORLDLY WISEMAN " Thefe things, my friend, are certain to be true, Having been proved by many gone before ; And can fuch blind obedience then be due To that cold ftranger of thy heart and door ?" " Why Sir, this burden on my back, is more Grievous to bear," faid Chriftian, "than the things Which you have told, ay came they o'er and o'er. O Sun Divine ! that in her wanderings. My 'lightened foul might know the healing in Thy wings !" " Tell me how firft thy heavy burden came ?" Afked Worldly Wifeman then, and Chriftian faid, " By reading in this book ;" "I thought the fame," Cried the'other, " and, poor pilgrim, thou haft fped Even as one who rafhly dares to tread A mifty mountain path at day's decline, Who falls into an agony of dread Which fteals his judgment, (as it hath ftolen thine,) Making the haplefs wretch mad as the thrall of wine." OVED at the fight, the good EvangeHft [ground Caught his right hand and raifed him from the Saying the while, " The fm has yet to'exift. For which no ample pardon can be found By Love that knows nor obftacle nor bound ; Then be not faithlefs, but believe through all." Chriflian recovered ftrength at that glad found To bear, like Adam rifmg from his fall, The after-tafte of fm, the wormwood and the gall. Evangelift proceeded thus, " Do thou Give earneft heed to all that I fhall tell. Because I am about to (how thee now The guilt of him who caufed thee to rebel, And of that other fmooth-tongued infidel To whom he fent thee ; now the former's name Is Worldly Wifeman, and he earns it well. Partly for that, though he the charge difclaim, The doctrine which he loves from this world's wifdom came. 8 evangelist's second meeting (" So always to the town Morality He goes to church,) and partly it would feem, Becaufe he loves good works to deify, — To fave without a Saviour ; — in his fcheme Chrifl; is fuperfluous, and faith a dream ; And fince his worldly mind is biafd thus, My righteous ways are vile in his efteem, And his perverfions of them dangerous ; Now there are three main things thou fhould'ft be fedulous Moft thoroughly to hate in this man's lies." Poor Chriftian felt, alas, 'twas all too plain Each lie had found its echo in the man ! Full of fad thought, he trembling turned agaui To good Evangelift, and thus began, " What think you Sir, is there yet any plan By which I haply may regain the road Whence, like a light-heeled fool erewhile I ran ; Shall I not now be bound to this my load For ever, and be fent back to my old abode ? EVANGELIST S SECOND MEETING *' Alas that I gave heed to ill advice ! Can pardon yet be mine ?" Evangelift Thus anfwered, " Let thefe few laft words fuffice ; — Thy fin is great and twofold, having miffed The right way wilfully, and dared perfifl To keep the wrong ; yet he who guards the door, Goodwill by name, thy touch will not refifl ; But take good heed thou turn afide no more. Left God's re-kindled wrath burn hotter than before." Then did the man addrefs himfelf to trace His footfteps o'er, and rofe up grateful-hearted ; One fmile, one prayer, one fatherly embrace Evangelift beftowed, and then they parted ; So on the pilgrim hied, nor ever ftarted Out of the roadway, and all fpeech repreffed ; If travellers fpoke, like fome feared bird, he darted On, on, and up the hill, where funk to reft, The new-born mift lay foft upon its parent breaft. lO ,T laft Goodwill approached with key in hand To the'inner fide, and afked, what man drew nigh, And whence he came, and what was his demand ; Said Chriflian, "A poor burdened fmner I, Who from the city of Deftruction fly To the Mount Zion, feeking fo to be Saved from the wrath to come ; I would apply For entrance therefore, honored Sir, to thee, Since I perceive thy gate bars the one path for me," "Why truly," anfwered Chriftian, " I know not What had befallen me, if Evangelift Had but delayed his coming to the fpot, And failed to keep that melancholy tryft By God appointed, when He deigned to affift A wretch who never elfe had hither come ; Yes I, e'en I, unworthy fo to have miffed That death, inftead of lying cold and dumb, Stand counting to my Lord Iqve's yet uncounted fum. THE WICKET GATE AND GOODWILL II " And O, what favor is vouchfafed to me In being thus redeemed from wrath and fear!" " We anfwer all, however vile they be. Or have been ; all have fmned, but all are dear To God," replied Goodwill, "and therefore here Is none in any wife cafl harfhly out. Now through the clear and cloudlefs atmofphere, Perufe the living map thus ftretched about, [of doubt. And melt with prayer's warm breath all lingering mifts *' Look onward, let that path be well furveyed Which climbs towards heaven dire6lly from this gate ; By patriarchs, prophets, and apoftles made, With Chrift's good help, it lies as true and ftraight As fkill divine can meafure, therefore wait And view it well, for 'tis thine only way ;" Said Chriftian, " How do men difcriminate The good old path, from byways which betray The careful eye to rove, the cautious foot to flray ?" 12 THE WICKET GATE AND GOODWILL Anfwered Goodwill, " Though many ways abut On this, yet all are crooked ones and wide ; But the right way is flraight, as if 'twere cut With God's unfwerving ploughfhare ; 'tis befide At times moft narrow, be thefe marks thy guide." Now in my dream I faw that Chriftian prayed For help to loofe that grievous burden, tied Upon his back, where flill 'twas firmly laid. Waiting the potent touch of more than mortal aid. *^ ^ Jl. .A£. M. Jf. ;U, •?«• TP -Tt* 'TT W A^ •TT Cried the'other, " After travelling fmoothly o'er Some miles within the gate, thou drawefl near, (If all go well,) the hofpitable door Of the Interpreter, and do not fear To knock and wait until the mafter hear, For in his florehoufe joy and ufe are blended." Chriftian took leave of one made ever dear In but a few fhort hours, who then commended The pilgrim to God's care, and fo their meeting ended. 13 €1)0 ginterpreter'iEf I^ou^e AID Chriftian, "Gracious Sir, I here attend By order of the gatekeeper Goodwill, Who told me you would fweetly condefcend With fuch good things mine eye, heart, mind, to fill, As fhould not early die, but bloom in memory flill," "Come in," replied the Interpreter, "behold Thofe things of which thou fpeak'fl, and it fhall be To thine eternal profit ;" then he told His man to bring a light, and prefently He faid to Chriftian, " Up, and follow me !" And now he led him to an inner room, Where, when a panel opened, they could fee A folemn portrait gazing through the gloom ; And this the form of man that likenefs feemed to affume ; 14 THE INTERPRETERS HOUSE The raifed yet half-veiled eye looked glory fmitten, The bell of books lay open in his hand, Upon the lip the law of truth was written, Its back to the earth, the figure feemed to fland Pleading with men, and lo, a circling band, Like to a golden crown, o'er-hung the brow ! Then Chriftian faid, " Ah Sir, might I demand The hiftory of him we gaze on now. Before whofe feet my foul would almofl dare to bow !" The Interpreter replied, " Thou feefl a man, One of a thoufand ; who unites indeed, Father and mother, nurfe and guardian, In his own perfon, for the church's need ; His eye in heaven, the book he loves to read, The law of truth upon his opening lip, His felf-forgetting gefture, bent to plead With fmful men, all this rare workmanfhip, But faintly fhadows one whofe work effays to ftrip, THE INTERPRETER S HOUSE I5 *' Its film of darknefs from the natural eye ; And this world placed behind him, is to fhow How much he flights all pleafures born to die, For love of Him who furely will beflow Yon crown of glory fafhioned long ago, Though hung in heaven until its owner's death. Now this I fhowed thee firfl, that thou might'ft know, He who before us lives in all but breath. Is that one man of whom the one Ordainer faith, " That he is fully authorized to be Thy guide through every danger of the way ; And therefore hold him faft in memory, For fear of thofe who tempt the flock to flray. Wolves in fheeps' clothing, hungering for their prey." i6 ^a