Now I saw in my dream, that just as they had ended this talk they drew nigh to a very miry slough that was in the midst of the plain, and they being heedless did both fall suddenly into the bog. The name of the slough was Despond. Here therefore they wallowed for a time, being grievously bedaubed with the dirt: and Christian, because of the burden that was on his back, began to sink in the mire.

convert's attainments. The want of a due apprehension of eternal things is evidently the primary defect of all who oppose or neglect religion; but more maturity of judgment and experience are requisite to discover, that many professors are equally strangers to a realizing view of the powers and terrors of what is yet ' unseen.' The men represented by Pliable disregard these subjects: they inquire eagerly about the 'good things' to be enjoyed; but not in any due proportion about the way of salvation, the difficulties to be encountered, or the danger of coming short and new converts, being zealous, sanguine, and unsuspecting, are naturally led to enlarge on the descriptions of heavenly felicity given in scripture. These are generally figurative or negative; so that unregenerate persons, annexing carnal ideas to them, are greatly delighted; and, not being retarded by any distressing remorse and terror, nor feeling the opposition of corrupt nature, (which is gratified in some respects, though thwarted in others,) they are often more zealous, and seem to proceed faster in external duties than true converts. They take it for granted that all the privileges of the gospel belong to them; and, being very confident, zealous, and joyful, they often censure those who are really "fighting the good fight of faith," as deficient in zeal and alacrity.-There are also systems diligently propagated, which greatly encourage this delusion, excite a high flow of false affections, (especially of a mere selfish gratitude to a supposed benefactor for imaginary benefits,) till the event proves the whole to be like the Israelites at the Red Sea, who "believed the Lord's word, and sang his praise; but soon forgat "his works, and waited not for his counsel."

1 Ps. cvi. 12-24.

Then said Pliable, Ah! neighbour Christian, where are you now?

Truly, said Christian, I do not know.

At that Pliable began to be offended, and angrily said to his fellow, Is this the happiness you have told me all this while of? If we have such ill speed at our first setting out, what may we expect betwixt this and our journey's end? May I get out again with my life, you shall possess the brave country alone for me. And with that he gave a desperate struggle or two, and got out of the mire on that side of the slough which was next to his own house. So away he went, and Christian saw him no more.*

• The Slough of Despond represents those discouraging fears which often harass new converts. It is distinguished from the alarms which induced Christian to leave the city, and "flee "from the wrath to come:" for the anxious apprehensions of one who is diligently seeking salvation are very different from those which excited him to inquire after it. The latter are reasonable and useful, and arise from faith; but the former are groundless they result from remaining ignorance, inattention, and unbelief, and greatly retard the pilgrim. They must also be carefully distinguished from those doubts and discouragements which assault the established Christian: for these are generally the consequence of negligence or yielding to temptation: whereas new converts fall into their despondings, when most diligent according to the light they have received: and, if some conscientious persons seem to meet with this slough in every part of their pilgrimage, it arises from an immature judgment, erroneous sentiments, or peculiar temptations, When the diligent student of the scriptures obtains such an acquaintance with the perfect holiness of God, the spirituality of his law, the inexpressible evil of sin, and his own obligations and transgressions, as greatly exceeds the measure in which he

Wherefore Christian was left to tumble in the slough of Despond alone; but still he endea

discerns the free and full salvation of the gospel, his humiliation will of course verge nearer and nearer to despondency. This, however, is not essential to repentance, but arises from misapprehension; though few in proportion wholly escape it.— The mire of the slough represents that idea which desponding persons entertain of themselves and their situation, as altogether vile and loathsome; and their confessions and self-abasing complaints, which render them contemptible in the opinion of others. As every attempt to rescue themselves discovers to them more of the latent evil of their hearts, they seem to grow worse and worse; and, for want of a clear understanding of the gospel, they have no firm ground to tread on, and know neither where they are, nor what they must do. But how could pliable fall into this slough, seeing he had no such views of God or his law, of himself or of sin, as this condition seems to presuppose? To this it may be answered, that men can hardly associate with religious persons, and hear their discourse, confessions, and complaints, or become acquainted with any part of Scripture, without making some alarming and mortifying discoveries concerning themselves. These transient convictions taking place when they fancied they were about to become very good, and succeeding to great self-complacency, constitute a grievous disappointment; and they ascribe their uneasiness to the new doctrine they have heard. But, though Pliable fell into the slough, Christian' by reason of his burden' sunk the deepest; for the true believer's humiliation for sin tends greatly to increase his fear of wrath.-Superficial professors, expecting the promised happiness without trouble or suffering, are often very angry at those who were the means of leading them to think of religion; as if they had deceived them: and, being destitute of true faith, their only object is, at any rate to get rid of their uneasiness. This is a species of stonyground hearers abounding in every part of the church, who are offended and fall away, by means of a little inward disquietude, before any outward tribulation arises because of the word.

voured to struggle to that side of the slough that was still furthest from his own house, and next to the wicket-gate; the which he did, but could not get out, because of the burden that was upon his back. But I beheld in my dream that a man came to him whose name was Help, and asked him what he did there?

Sir, said Christian, I was bid go this way by a man called Evangelist, who directed me also to yonder gate, that I might escape the wrath to come and as I was going thither I fell in here.

HELP. But why did you not look for the steps? CHR. Fear followed me so hard that I fled the next way, and fell in.*

Then said he, Give me thy hand. So he gave him his hand, and he drew him out, and set him on sound ground, and let him go on his way.1

Ps. xl. 2; Is. xxxv. 3, 4.

Christian dreaded the doom of his city more than the slough. Many persons, under deep distress of conscience, are afraid of relief, lest it should prove delusive. Deliverance from wrath and the blessings of salvation appear to them so valuable, that all else is comparatively trivial. Desponding fears may connect with their religious diligence; but despair would be the consequence of a return to their former course of sin: if they perish, therefore, it shall be while earnestly struggling, under deep discouragement, after that salvation for which their souls even faint within them. Their own efforts indeed fail to extricate them: but in due time the Lord sends them assistance. -This is described by the allegorical person named Help, who may represent the instruments by which they receive encouragement; a service in which it is a privilege to be employed: or the Holy Spirit, the giver of hope and peace.-Fear is also

Then I stepped to him that plucked him out, and said, Sir, wherefore, since over this place is the way from the city of Destruction to yonder gate, is it, that this plat is not mended, that poor travellers might go thither with more security? And he said to me, this miry slough is such a place as cannot be mended. It is the descent whither the scum and filth that attend conviction of sin do continually run, and therefore it is called the slough of Despond: for still, as the sinner is awakened about his lost condition, there arise in his soul many fears, and doubts, and discouraging apprehensions, which all of them get together, and settle in this place. And this is the reason of the badness of this ground. It is not the pleasure of the King that this place should remain so bad. His labourers also have, by the directions of his Majesty's surveyors, been for above these sixteen hundred years employed about this patch of ground, if perhaps it might be mended: yea, and to my knowledge, said he, here have been swallowed up at least twenty thousand cartloads, yea millions of wholesome instructions, that have at all seasons been brought from all places of the King's dominions; (and they that can tell, say, that they are the best materials to make good ground of the place, if so be it might be mended;) but it is the slough of Despond still, and so will be, when they have done what they can. True

personified in the midst of the new convert's discourse on the joys of heaven, fears of wrath often cast him into despondency, while he so meditates on the terrors of the Lord as to overlook his precious promises.