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So he went to his room to pray for them, as well as to nurse his own grief. He would go, too, in the woods to read and think, and for some weeks he spent his time in this way.

    Now I saw in my dreams, that one day as he took his walk in the fields with his book in his hands, he gave a deep groan,---for he felt as if a cloud were on his soul, --and he burst out as he was apt to do and said, "Who will save me?"

 At last, a man, whose name was Evangelist, came up to him and said, "Why do you weep?" 
    He said, "Sir, I see by this book in my hand that I am to die, and that then God will judge me, and I dread this death."
EVANGELIST:   If this be your case, then why do you stand here still?
CHRISTIAN: I know not where to go.

Then Evangelist gave him a scroll with these words on it, "Flee from the wrath to come."

Evangelist held out his hand to point to a gate in a wide field and said, "Do you see The Wicket Gate?"
"Do you see that light?"

Keep that light in your eye, and go straight up to it. When you come up to the gate, you shall knock, and then it shall be told you what you are to do.

Then I saw in my dream that Christian- for that was his name-- set off to run. Now he had not gone far from his own door, when his wife and young ones, who saw him, gave a loud wail to beg him to come back; but the man put his hands in his ears, and ran on with a cry of "Life! Life!"

...and there were two, named Obstinate and Pliable, who set off to fetch him back by force.
Now, by this time, the man had gone a a good way off, but since his load was so great, they at last caught up with him.

Then said Christian, "Friends, why have you come?"

"To bid you to go back with us," they said.

Christian: "Be wise, good friends, and come with me."

"What! Leave our goods, and all our wealth and friends?"

Christian: I seek those joys that fade not, which are laid up in a place of bliss...

Now I saw in my dream, that when Obstinate had gone back, Christian and Pliable set off to cross the plain, and they spoke as they went:

Pliable: Come, friend Christian, tell me more of the things of which we go in search.
Christian: ... this book tells us of a world that has no bounds, and a life that has no end.

That there shall be no more cares nor grief; for the Lord that owns the place will wipe all tears from our eyes.

Then I saw in my dream that just as they had come to an end of this talk, they drew near to a slough that was in the midst of the plain, ad as they took no heed, they both fell in. The name of the slough was Despond. 

Then Pliable said to his friend, "Is this the bliss of which you have told me all this time? And with that he got out of the mire on;; that side of the slough which was next to his own house; then off he went, and Christian saw him no more.

So Christian was left to strive in the Slough of Despond as well as he could; yet his aim was to reach that side of the slough that was next to The Wicket Gate, which at last he did, but he could not get out for the load that was on his back; till I saw in my dream that a man came to him whose name was Help.

Help: Why did you not look for the steps? 
Give me your hand.

So he gave him his hand, and he drew him out, and set him on firm ground, and sent him on his way.

Help: This slough is the spot which runs the scum and filth that wait on sin...