BY JOHN BUNYAN.
NOW I saw in my dream, that thus they sat talking together until supper was ready. So when they had made ready, they sat down to meat. Now the table was furnished with fat things, and with wine that was well refined; and all their talk at the table was about the Lord of the hill; as, namely, about what he had done, and wherefore He did what He did, and why He had builded that house; and, by what they said, I perceived that He had been a great warrior, and had fought with and slain him that had the power of death; but not without great danger to Himself; which made me love Him the more.
For, as they said, and as I believe, said Christian, He did it with the loss of much blood. But that which put glory of grace into all He did, was, that he did it out of pure love to His country. And besides there were some of them of the household that said, they had seen and spoke with Him since He did die on the cross; and they have attested, that they had it from His own lips, that He is such a lover of poor pilgrims, that the like is not to be found from the east to the west.
They, moreover, gave an instance of what they affirmed, and that was, He had stripped Himself of His glory that He might do this for the poor; and that they heard Him say and affirm, that He would not dwell in the mountain of Zion alone. They said, moreover, that He had made many pilgrims princes, though by nature they were beggars born, and their original had been the dunghill.
Thus they discoursed together till late at night; and after they had committed themselves to their Lord for protection, they betook themselves to rest. The pilgrim they laid in a large upper chamber, whose window opened towards the sun-rising: the name of the chamber was Peace, where he slept till break of day, and then he awoke and sang—
“Where am I now? Is this the love and care
Of Jesus, for the men that pilgrims are
Thus to provide, that I should be forgiven,
And dwell already the next door to Heaven!”
So in the morning they all got up; and, after some more discourse, they told him that he should not depart till they had showed him the rarities of that place. And first they had him into the study, where they showed him records of the greatest antiquity; in which, as I remember my dream, they showed him, first, the pedigree of the Lord of the hill, that He was the Son of the Ancient of Days, and came by that eternal generation. Here also were more fully recorded the acts that He had done, and the names of many hundreds that He had taken into His service; and how He had placed them in such habitations, that could neither by length of days, nor decays of nature, be dissolved.
Then they read to him some of the worthy acts that some of His servants had done: as how they had subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, and turned to flight the armies of the aliens.
Then they read again in another part of the records of the house, where it was showed how willing their Lord was to receive into His favour any, even any, though they in time past had offered great affronts to His person and proceedings. Here also were several other histories of many other famous things, of all which Christian had a view: as of things both ancient and modern; together with prophecies and predictions of things that have their certain accomplishment, both to the dread and amazement of enemies, and the comfort and solace of pilgrims.
The next day they took him and had him into the armoury, where they showed him all manner of furniture which their Lord had provided for pilgrims, as sword, shield, helmet, breast-plate, all-prayer, and shoes that would not wear out. And there was here enough of this to harness out as many men, for the service of their Lord, as there be stars in the heaven for multitude.
They also showed him some of the engines, with which some of His servants had done wonderful things. They showed him Moses’s rod; the hammer and nail with which Jael slew Sisera; the pitchers, trumpets, and lamps, too, with which Gideon put to flight the armies of Midian. Then they showed him the ox’s goad, wherewith Shamgar slew six hundred men. They showed him also the jaw-bone with which Samson did such mighty feats: they showed him moreover the sling and stone with which David slew Goliath of Gath; and the sword also with which their Lord will kill the Man of Sin, in the day that He shall rise up to the prey. They showed him besides many excellent things, with which Christian was much delighted. This done, they went to their rest again.—“Pilgrim’s Progress.”