"Gentlemen, whence came ye? and whither be ye going?" were the first questions Christian asked of the newcomers.
He had not long to wait for an answer, for they replied together, "We were born in the land of Vain-Glory and are going for praise to Mount Zion."
"Why came you not in at the gate which stands at the beginning of the way? Know you not that it is written, 'He that entereth not by the door but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber'?"
"You need not trouble yourself about us" was the rather ungracious reply. "To climb the wall is a very old custom, which has been practiced for more than a thousand years by many of our townsmen, and since we are in the way, we do not see that it can be of much consequence how we got in. You are in the way and so are we. What is the difference?"
"I walk," said Christian, "by the rule of my Master; you walk by the working of your own will, and if by the Lord of the way you are counted thieves already, how can you expect to be found true men at last? You came in without His direction, and I fear you may have to go out without His mercy."
To this they made but little answer, only telling Christian he had better look to himself and, glancing at the robe he wore, said to each other that they supposed it had been given to him by some of his neighbors to hide the disgrace of his rags.
"This coat or robe," Christian replied, "was given me, not, as you suppose, by my neighbors, but by the Lord of the place Himself. He clothed me with it when He took away my rags. To me it is a token of His loving-kindness, for I believe that when I reach the gate of the city to which I am going, He will remember that it was His own gift to me, a helpless, heavy-laden sinner."
After such plain speaking, at which Formality and his companion only laughed, Christian went on for a little way alone. Now and then he would take a brief rest and, opening his book, not only renew his strength, but find refreshment and comfort in reading some of the precious promises written for the instruction and encouragement of pilgrims.
Christian kept steadily on till he came to the foot of a hill, so steep that it looked almost impossible for him to climb it, so he stood for a few moments as if uncertain what to do. The way he was to take was straight and narrow, leading up the hill Difficulty, but at the foot of the hill a road branched off to the left. It was broad, and looked pleasant and easy. In some parts flowers grew by the wayside, but it was a downward road, and Christian remembered that he had been warned not to forsake the narrow way. So he took a deep drink of pure, clear water that he saw bubbling up from a spring at the foot of the hill and, feeling refreshed, began to climb the hill. At first he walked with a firm, brisk step, but as the ascent grew steeper his pace grew slower, till he could only climb by crawling on his hands and knees.
Stopping for a moment to take breath, he exclaimed, "Rightly was this hill called Difficulty, for it is a rough and toilsome piece of road, but since I have read in my book that it is through much tribulation that we must enter the kingdom of God, I have no need to be discouraged." So with fresh hope and courage our pilgrim went on until he was about halfway up the hill, where to his surprise and delight he came to a pleasant arbor, which had been made by the Lord of the place for the use of weary pilgrims. There he sat down to rest and took out his book to read, and after a time he fell asleep.
How long he slept he could not tell, but while he slept the book fell out of his hand. He did not know whether he was dreaming, or whether someone said to him, "Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise' (Prov. 6:66Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: (Proverbs 6:6))." He awoke with a start and, looking around, saw that it was only an hour until sunset and that evening shadows were already beginning to gather. "I must reach the top of the hill before night comes on," he said, and he got up and went on till he reached the top of the hill. Pausing for a moment to recover his breath, he met two men who told him their names were Timorous and Mistrust and who appeared to be retracing their steps.
Christian asked why they were running in such haste, but the wrong way? Timorous answered that they were going to Mount Zion and had even climbed the hill Difficulty, but the farther they went the greater dangers they met with. Mistrust added that only a little way from the top of the hill they had seen several lions, whether awake or asleep they could not tell, but they were afraid that if they tried to pass they might be torn in pieces.
"What," said Christian, "shall I do to be safe? If I return to the City of Destruction, I know that I must perish. There is nothing for me to do but to go forward. I will open my book and read." But to his great distress he found that he had lost it. Remembering how long he had slept in the arbor, he fell upon his knees to ask forgiveness from God for having been so foolish and careless.