Page:The Pilgrim's Progress, the Holy War, Grace Abounding Chunk1.djvu/60

This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.
56
The Pilgrim's Progress.

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 (Heb. ii. 14); but not without great danger to himself, which made me love him the more.

For, as they said, and as I believed, said Christian, he did it with the loss of much blood. But that which puts the 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 been 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 afiirm, that he Would not dwell in the mountains 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. (1 Sam. ii. 8. Ps. cxiii. 7.)

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 I am 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 shown him the rarities of that place. And first they