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Ere long, Christian and Hopeful were both caught in a net, and knew not what to do; and with that the white robe fell off the black man's back.
Then they saw where they were. So there they sat down and wept.
Christian. -- Did not one of the four men who kept guard on their sheep tell us to take heed lest Flatterer should spread a net for out feet?
Hopeful. -- Those men, too, gave us a note of the way, but we have not read it, and so have not kept in the right path. Thus they lay in the net to weep and wail.
At last they saw a Bright One come up to them with a whip of fine cord in his hand, who said: What do you here? Whence come you?
They told him that their wish was to go to Zion, but that they had been led out of the way by a black man with a white cloak on, who, as he was bound for the same place, said he would show them the road.
Then said he: It is Flatterer, a false man, who has put on the garb of a Bright One for a time.
So he rent the net and let the men out. Then he bade them come with him, that he might set them on the right way once more. He said: Where were you last night?
Quoth they: With the men who kept watch of their sheep on The Delectable Mountains.
Then he said: But when you were at a stand why did you not read your note?
They told him they had not thought of it.
Now I saw in my dream that he bade them lie down, and whipt them sore, to teach them the good way in which they should walk; and he said: Those whom I love I serve thus.
So they gave him thanks for what he had taught them, and went on the right way up the hill with a song of joy.
At length they came to a land the air of which made men sleep, and here the lids of Hopeful's eyes dropped, and he said: Let us lie down here and take a nap.
Christian. -- By no means, lest if we sleep we wake no more.
Hopeful. -- Nay, friend Christian, sleep is sweet to the man who has spent the day in toil.
Christian. -- Do you not call to mind that one of the men who kept watch of the sheep bade us take care of The Enchanted Ground? He meant by that that we should take heed not to sleep; so let us not sleep, but watch.
Hopeful. -- I see I am in fault.
Christian. -- Now then, to keep sleep from our eyes I will ask you, as we go, to tell me how you came at first to do as you do now?
Hopeful. -- Do you mean how came I first to look to the good of my soul?
Christian. -- Yes.
Hopeful. -- For a long time the things that were seen and sold at Vanity Fair were a great joy to me.
Christian. -- What things do you speak of?
Hopeful. -- All the good of this life; such as lies, oaths, drink; in a word, love of self and all that tend to kill the soul. But I heard from you and Faithful that the end of these things is death.
Thus did they talk as they went on their way.
But I saw in my dream that by this time Christian and Hopeful had got through The Enchanted Ground and had come to the land of Beulah, where the air is sweet; and as their way lay through this land, they made no haste to quit it, for here they heard the birds sing all day long, and the sun shone day and night; the Vall...
Now were they in sight of Zion, and here some of the Bright Ones came to meet them. Here, too, they heard the voice of those who dwelt in Zion, and had a good view of this land of bliss, which was built of rare gems of all hues, and the streets were laid with gold. So that the rays of light which shone on Christian wer...
At length, step by step, they drew near to Zion, and saw that the gates were flung back.
A man stood in the way, to whom Christian and Hopeful said: Whose vines and crops are these?
He told them they were the king's and were put there to give joy to those who should go on the road. So he bade them eat what fruit they chose, and took them to see the king's walks; where they slept.
Now I saw in my dream that they spoke more in their sleep than they had done all the rest of the way, and I could but muse at this, but the man said: Why do you muse at it? The juice from the grapes of this vine is so sweet as to cause the lips of them that sleep to speak.
I then saw that when they woke, they would fain go up to Zion; but as I said, the sun threw off such bright rays from The Celestial City, which was built of pure gold, that they could not, as yet, look on it, save through a glass made for that end.
Now as they went, they met with two men in white robes, and the face of each shone bright as the light.
These men said: Whence come you? And when they had been told they said: You have but one thing more to do, which is a hard one, and then you are in Zion.
Christian and Hopeful did then beg of the two men to go with them; which they did. But, said they, It is by your own faith that you must gain it.
Now 'twixt them and the gate was a fierce stream which was broad and deep; it had no bridge, and the mere sight of it did so stun Christian and Hopeful that they could not move.
But the men who went with them said: You can not come to the gate but through this stream.
Is there no way but this one to the gate? said poor Christian.
Yes, quoth they, but there have been but two men, to wit, Enoch and Elijah who have trod that path since the world was made.
When Christian and Hopeful cast their eyes on the stream once more, they felt their hearts sink with fear, and gave a look this way and that in much dread of the waves. Yet through it lay the way to Zion. Is the stream all of one depth? said Christian. He was told that it was not, yet that in that there was no help, fo...
But Christian said: Ah, Hopeful, the pains of death have got hold of me; I shall not reach the land that I long for. And with that a cloud came on his sight, so that he could not see.
Hopeful had much to do to keep Christian's head out of the stream; nay, at times he had quite sunk, and then in a while he would rise up half dead.
Then said Hopeful: My friend, all this is sent to try if you will call to mind all that God has done for you, and live on Him in your heart.
At these words Hopeful saw that Christian was in deep thought; so he said to him: Be of good cheer, Christ will make thee whole.
Then Christian broke out with a loud voice: Oh, I see Him, and He speaks to me and says, When you pass through the deep streams, I will be with you.
And now they both got strength, and the stream was as still as a stone, so that Christian felt the bed of it with his feet, and he could walk through it. Thus they got to the right bank, where the two men in bright robes stood to wait for them, and their clothes were left in the stream.
Now you must bear in mind that Zion was on a steep hill, yet did Christian and Hopeful go up with ease and great speed, for they had these two men to lead them by the arms.
The hill stood in the sky, for the base of it was there. So in sweet talk they went up through the air. The Bright Ones told them of the bliss of the place, which they said was such as no tongues could tell, and that there they would see the Tree of Life, and eat of the fruit of it.
When you come there, said they, white robes will be put on you, and your talk from day to day shall be with the King for all time. There you shall not see such things as you saw on earth, to wit, care and want, and woe and death. You now go to be with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Christian and Hopeful. -- What must we do there?