The Parable of the Pilgrim, Parable · Chapter 18
CAP. XVIII.
Of the many enemies he was to expect, that would aſſault his Reſolution: Some from within, ſome from without. Of their ſubtilties and various arts to deceive.
HEre the Good man made a pauſe; the Other ſeeming as if he had a mind to interpoſe ſome doubt, or to make ſome obſervation upon what had been ſaid. But he modeſtly praying him to proceed, and telling him that he had no deſire to do any thing but only to hearken to his Inſtructions, which would ſooner tire the Giver then the Receiver; it was no long ſtop to his ſpeech which thus continued. I am ſo deſirous you ſhould think it is eaſier to underſtand then to follow the Chriſtian courſe which leads to Jeruſalem; that I would have you know there remains not much more to be added, then what relates to thoſe things which have been already ſpoken. But you having thus diſpoſed of your affairs and put your ſelf in ſuch good order as I have directed; it will be time to begin your journey in Gods Name thither. Only be ſure at your ſetting out, that you confirm the Vow you have made by ſetting to it the Seal of that Holy Sacrament of which I have now diſcourſed. It will be a very good Viaticum for you, and in the ſtrength of this Food you may travel many dayes: ſtill looking at Jeſus whom you beheld there ſo feelingly repreſented. And truly you will find there is great need of fortifying your ſelf very well, for I muſt let you know that at your firſt ſtepping out of doors, before you have gone many paces, you will be incountred with a World of enemies of ſeveral ſorts; that will beſet you round about and boldly aſſault your reſolution of going to Jeruſalem. We are told indeed as I have heard ſome relate out of Diodore of Sicily, that among the ancient Indians there were certain officers appointed on purpoſe to take care of Travellers and Strangers, and to ſee that no body did them any wrong. And if it chanced that any ſuch perſon did fall ſick they provided a Phyſitian for him, with all other things that the neceſſities of ſuch a condition did require. If he dyed they gave him a decent Burial, and if he had any money or goods about him they took care to have them reſtored to his heirs if they could be found. But now you will very much deceive your ſelf if you expect ſuch kind uſage from the world, or think to be preſerved in your travels from their injuries and affronts. There is not ſo much Chriſtianity left among them as will equal the vertue of thoſe Pagans. Men are more buſie in paſſing the ſentence of Damnation upon them, then in condemning themſelves for not excelling and outſtripping the Piety of Infidels. They take care for little elſe but to have it believed, that thoſe heathens ſhall not be ſaved notwithſtanding all their good works; and that they themſelves ſhall be ſaved notwithſtanding their barrenneſs of them. They will be ſo far from doing you any good, that they will not ſtick to do you harm. They who you would think ſhould be a guard to you, may prove the moſt dangerous enemies and take an opportunity to rifle you. There are many will be forward to offer you their ſervice, but it is becauſe they would willingly have an occaſion to betray you. They would be content no doubt to bury you, but it is becauſe they are glad that they ſee you dead. And yet you muſt not think that evil men will be your only or your greateſt oppoſers; for there are ſundry others as I told you that will be ready to joyn their forces with them, and ſuch as are of a more dangerous and malignant diſpoſition. There is never a thing you ſee in the world but it may prove an Adverſary and indeavour to hinder you in your journey: but there are many beſides more potent which you do not ſee that will back and ſecond them in their miſchievous deſign. Though they diſagree never ſo much among themſelves in other things, yet they will all combine together and conſpire in this, to uſe their utmoſt ſkill and indeavour to check your deſires, and break your purpoſes, or at leaſt to give you many diſcouragements that may ſtop you in your courſe and hinder your going forward to Jeruſalem. I have known many Pilgrims of great courage and undaunted Reſolution, and yet I could never hear of any whom more or fewer of theſe armed enemies had not the hardineſs to ſet upon: And ſome I have been acquainted with who were either forced or perſwaded by them to make a retreat after they were well advanced in their way thither. And therefore you muſt not think you ſhall be ſuch a priviledged Soul as to eſcape their aſſaults: ſince Heroical Vertue could never terrifie them from making a proof of its conſtancy and valour. And you muſt not think neither that they are without ſtratagems and ſubtil Arts to deceive thoſe whoſe ſtrength they cannot overmaſter. They will ſpare neither lyes, nor flatteries, nor bribes, nor fine entertainments (if they ſee that Violence is like to effect nothing) to corrupt your mind and induce you to change once more and return home again to thoſe injoyments which you have quit and left behind you. There is nothing ſo afflicts them as to ſee a Soul in love with Jeſus, and reſolutely bent to travel for to find him. This urges them to uſe their greateſt induſtry and wit to extinguiſh that good will, with the loſs of which they know your journey will ceaſe and come to nothing. Againſt theſe therefore you muſt be well provided, that when they come and make an impreſſion upon you; it may find ſuch a noble reſiſtance that it may fly back with ſhame in their own faces, and only ſet a mark of honour and token of Victory upon yours. And truly to expect and look for them, is half way to a conqueſt: their greateſt advantage lying in the ſecurity of a Soul which fears no danger. Which makes this Warning that I give you before hand the more neceſſary, becauſe it is a part of your Armour, and not only an Alarm to make you careful to be well appointed.
I believe you are deſirous to have ſome liſt of theſe Enemies; and therefore I think fit to let you know that you will find none more forward to ſet upon you, then ſome within your ſelf. The Fleſhly deſires I mean and the Worldly fears of your own naughty heart, who the more they have found you a friend to them heretofore, will now become the more peſtilent enemies and do you the greater miſchief. Theſe will be very unwilling that you ſhould do ſo much as Pray, or Meditate with any ſeriouſneſs of Jeſus and Jeruſalem; and much more oppoſite will they be to the Life of Sobriety and ſelf-denyal which they ſee you entring upon. If their conſent were firſt to be obtained, you ſhould not ſtir ſo much as one foot in this way wherein I have directed you. They would murmur and repine moſt ſadly; they would put a thouſand jealouſies in your mind, and remember you of as many ſervices which you owe them, without the performance of which they can never reſt contented. And therefore when you have made a little progreſs, and taſted ſome of the difficulties of your way; then is the opportunity of the Fleſh to ſet in ſtrongly with its reaſons, and to ſuggeſt to you that it is a courſe not to be indured. It cannot be expected that in ſo fit an occaſion it ſhould be ſilent, but that it ſhould intreat you of all Loves not to be ſo cruel as to proceed in your purpoſe and to deny it thoſe ſatisfactions which are not to be met withall in ſuch a diſmal rode. Sometimes it will cry out of the injuries that have been done it and complain of the violence that Temperance hath offered to its pleaſures, and the robberies which the poor have committed upon its goods, with other intolerable wrongs of the ſame nature: And ſometimes it will ſhriek and cry out for fear of the Danger and Hardſhips that are ſtill inſuing, and will be ſure, as it fancies, to make a total ſpoil of all its contentments. And though many of theſe piteous lamentations be neglected by you, yet it will not ceaſe; it is like, to follow you with them; and at ſome ſeaſons plainly to grapple with you and ſtruggle for the Victory. And ſince after ſome difficulties that are overcome, there may well be ſuppoſed others to be remaining that will try your conſtancy; theſe will be ſure to be repreſented to you in a very formidable ſhape and made to appear far bigger and vaſter then really they are. That ſo your fleſhly deſires may have the fairer pretence to wiſh you to conſult for your eaſe and ſafety both together, by returning back to the place from whence you came. Many evil Spirits likewiſe there is no doubt, will joyn themſelves to this party: and obſerving the beſt advantage that ſhall ariſe, they will uſe all the ſleights, and temptations, and power that they are Maſters of, to intice or draw your heart from the Love of Jeſus, and make you weary of proſecuting your purpoſe of going to him. But whatſoever any, or all of theſe ſhall ſay, and in whatſoever form they ſhall make either their addreſſes or aſſaults; believe not a word they ſpeak, or rather ſtop your ears as much as you can to all their chams. And be ſure at leaſt to betake your ſelf to that one ſecure Remedy which I told you of, anſwering thus unto them; I deſire nought but the Love of Jeſus, and to be with him in peace at Jeruſalem. This word will drive them all away, as having no hopes to find any room in thoſe ſouls that are full of ſuch deſires. And unleſs you ceaſe to ſay and think that, or you give it but a cold remembrance; they will let you go on in your way thither, without any further diſturbance from ſuch perſwaſions.
But yet when they ſee that they cannot be admitted at this door, they will try to enter in at another; or at leaſt they will endeavour to repreſs the forwardneſs of your courſe, and to make your way intricate and perplexed. For finding that you cannot be perſwaded to be in love with them, or any of their confederates, they will begin to throw ſcruples and fears into your mind, that you may bear an affection to ſome or other of them. When they cannot diſturb your Paſſions, they will be ſo ſubtil as to trouble your Fancy. And when they cannot perſwade you to break off your journey, they will labour to poſſeſs you with a conceit that you have not yet prepared your ſelf ſufficiently for it. They will often be ſtirring up ſuch thoughts as theſe in your mind; that you have not waſhed your ſelf clean enough by ſorrow and contrition for your ſins; that your conſcience hath not been thorowly ſearched, nor your faults duly confeſſed, nor your heart rightly humbled, and deeply afflicted: and therefore that it would be beſt for you to return again, at leaſt for ſo ſhort a ſpace till you may be better purged, and ſo the better provided for travel. With much ſpeciouſneſs, and very fair ſhews of faithful counſel will all this be repreſented: and they will make you believe, if they can, that you cannot pleaſe God better than by going back to the very place where you firſt began, in order to prepare your ſelf with more exactneſs for ſuch a long journey. But do not give any credit to a ſyllable of all this, nor think your ſelf obliged to ranſack your conſcience all over again, and to ſpend your time in I know not what penſiveneſs and tireſome humiliations. For theſe courſes may indanger to keep you alwaies at home; either becauſe you will never think that you know the bottom of your heart, or becauſe you will ſtill ſeem not to be ſorrowful and penitent enough, or becauſe theſe horrours will even affright you from Religion, and make you think (as I have known ſome do) that it is impoſſible to be ſaved. At leaſt theſe things will put you into uncouth and unknown wayes, and make others think that Piety is madneſs. They will hinder you alſo exceeding much, ſo that (if you go on at all, yet) you will travel very ſlowly, and be a moſt tedious time before you come at Jeſus. Say therefore to theſe ſcruples, when they buzz in your ears; I am nought, I have nought, &c. I have ſunk my ſelf as low as I can in my own eſteem, I have forſaken all, and carry nothing in my heart as he knows but only Jeſus and Jeruſalem, and therefore moleſt me not in my paſſage to them.
And if they ſhall ſtill proceed to tell you (upon the diſcovery of this Artifice to deceive you) that it is too great a boldneſs for ſuch a perſon as you, to think to ſee Jeſus and Jeruſalem: if they ſay that you are not worthy of his favour, nor ought to be ſo preſumptuous as to hope for it; anſwer them again in the very ſame words, I am nought, I have nought, &c. I know as well as you can tell me, that I am unworthy of any thing, and much more of his favour: but therefore it is that I deſire him, and am going to him, that I may have ſome worthineſs, by reſembling him.
I do not preſume upon my own deſerts, but upon his Love; nor am I pricked forward by my own deſires only, but by his invitations; nor was it my motion, but his own, which firſt put me upon this deſign of travelling to him. Nor ſhall you ever perſwade me to deſiſt in this enterprize, unleſs you can tell me from his own mouth, that he will do no good unto a ſinner (as I confeſs my ſelf to be) but I will continue to pray without ceaſing, and to labour perpetually that I may be righteous, like to himſelf; and ſo be accepted with him. I am not ſo fooliſh indeed as to imagine that he will receive me to himſelf at Jeruſalem, if I become no better than I am; but I ſtudy by his Grace (which I know he is not wont to deny) to be made ſo conformable to his deſires, that he will not think me unworthy to be there entertained by him.
And now if any old friend or acquaintance ſhould chance to croſs your way; and pittying that poor and deſolate condition wherein you ſeem to be, ſhould in civility invite you home to him, and pray you to accept of the kindneſs of their Country; or if he ſhould promiſe you ſome great pleaſures, and rare divertiſements to the fleſh, which are far more eligible in his opinion, than ſuch a miſerable Pilgrim's life as he ſees you lead; turn a deaf ear to him, and do not go along with him.
Nay, if he only ſtop you in your journey by vain, frivolous and impertinent diſcourſes, which, you think, detain you too long from accompliſhing your intentions; break looſe from him as ſoon as you fairly can, and ſay only this to him, Sir, I would fain be at Jeruſalem. And if he perſiſt to trouble you, and follow you with his importunities to turn aſide to his dwelling, or to let him have more of your company; invite him to go along with you, and tell him that then he ſhall enjoy as much as he pleaſes of it. And if to theſe Temptations there ſhould many others ſucceed from the proffers of Gifts, Honours and Preferments which will incommode you, and be a clog to you in your journey; regard them not, but ſtill bear in your minds the thoughts of what you ſhall have at Jeruſalem. Which is not meant as if I thought the Rich and the Honourable could not get thither as well as we; but only to preſerve you from the greedy humour of the world, who catch at all that preſents it ſelf, though they ſtart out of their way to get it; and turn into an hundred by-paths to poſſeſs and augment it.