Ignorance. That is your faith but it is not mine: yet mine, I doubt not is as good as yours; though I have not my head filled with so many whims and fancies.
Christian. Give me leave to put in a word: you ought not to speak so slightly of this matter: for no man can know Jesus Christ, save he to whom the Father revealeth him: and that faith whereby the soul layeth hold on Christ, must be wrought by the exceeding greatness of his mighty power. Of this faith I perceive thou art wholly ignorant. Awake thou that sleepest. Know thyself. See thy own weakness. Fly to the Lord Jesus, and by his righteousness thou shalt be delivered from condemnation.
Ignorance. You walk so fast, I cannot keep pace with you; go on, I must stay awhile behind.
Do you think, said Hopeful, that such men as these have never any convictions of sin?
Christian. Without doubt they have, more or less, but they desperately stifle them.
Hopeful. Nay, why should they stifle them?
Christian. 1. Because they think these fears are wrought by the devil, which indeed are wrought of God. 2. They think also, they have no reason thus to fear, and therefore harden themselves in presumptuous confidence. 3. They see these fears would rob them of their beloved self-righteousness, and therefore resist them with all their might.
*Now I saw in my dream, that by this time they were got over the inchanted ground, and entering into the country of Beulah, the way lying directly over it. They were now far beyond the valley of the [♦]Shadow of Death, and also out of the reach of giant Despair; neither could they, from this place, so much as see Doubting-castle. In this country there is no darkness at all, the sun shining night and day; there are no storms or tempests, but the air is always calm and serene. Here the flowers all the year appear in the earth, throughout the perpetual spring: and they continually heard the singing of birds, and the voice of the turtle in the land. They were now within sight of the city they were going to; and met with several of the inhabitants of it. Yea, in this land their Lord himself commonly walked. It being on the borders of heaven. In this land also the contract between the bride and bridegroom was renewed: and as a bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so did their God rejoice over them. Here they had no want of corn or wine, but abundance of all things, being in a land that flowed with milk and honey. Mean time they heard voices out of the city, loud voices, saying, Say ye to the daughter of Zion, behold thy salvation cometh: and all the inhabitants of the country called them, the holy people, the redeemed of the Lord.
[♦] “Shadom” replaced with “Shadow”
As they walked in this land, they rejoiced evermore; yea, with joy unspeakable and full of glory. And drawing near to the city, they had a more perfect view thereof. It was built of pearls and precious stones, and the streets were paved with gold. So that Christian with desire fell sick; nor indeed was Hopeful much better. Insomuch that they were constrained to cry out, Feed me with apples, stay me with flagons; for I am sick of love.