Page:The Pilgrim's Progress, the Holy War, Grace Abounding Chunk1.djvu/80

76 about a great many more things than here I relate: as, that it was a shame to sit whining and mourning under a sermon, and a shame to come sighing and groaning home; that it was a shame to ask my neighbour forgiveness for petty faults, or to make restitution where I have taken from any. He said also that religion made a man grow strange to the great, because of a few vices (which he called by finer names); and made him own and respect the base, because of the same religious fraternity: and is not this, said he, a shame?

Chr. And what did you say to him?

Faith. Say! I could not tell what to say at ﬁrst. Yea, he put me so to it, that my blood came up in my fade; even this Shame fetched it up, and had almost beat me quite off. But at last I began to consider, that that which is highly esteemed among men is had in abomination with God. (Luke xvi. 155.) And I thought again, this Shame tells me what men are; but he tells me nothing what God or the word of God is. And I thought, moreover, that at the day of doom we shall not he doomed to death or life according to the hectoring spirits of the world, but according to the Wisdom and law of the Highest. Therefore, thought I, what God says is best—is best, though all the men in the World are against it. Seeing, then, that God prefers his religion; seeing God prefers a tender conscience; seeing they that make themselves fools for the kingdom of heaven are wisest; and that the poor man that loveth Christ is richer than the greatest man in the world that hates him; Shame, depart, thou art an enemy to my salvation! shall I entertain thee: against my sovereign Lord? How then shall I look him in the face at his coming? Should I now be "ashamed of" his ways and servants, how can I expect the blessing (Mark viii. 38.). But, indeed, this Shame was a bold villain; I could scarcely shake him out of my company; yea, he would be haunting of me, and continually whispering me in the ear with some one or other of the infirmities that