Brother, said Christian, what shall we do? The life that
we now live is miserable. For my part I know not whether is best,
to live thus, or to die out of hand. "My soul chooseth strangling
rather than life", and the grave is more easy for me than this
dungeon. [Job 7:15] Shall we be ruled by the Giant?
{286} HOPE. Indeed, our present condition is dreadful, and death
would be far more welcome to me than thus for ever to abide;
but yet, let us consider, the Lord of the country to which we are
going hath said, Thou shalt do no murder: no, not to another man's
person; much more, then, are we forbidden to take his counsel to
kill ourselves. Besides, he that kills another, can but commit
murder upon his body; but for one to kill himself is to kill body
and soul at once. And, moreover, my brother, thou talkest of ease
in the grave; but hast thou forgotten the hell, for certain the
murderers go? "For no murderer hath eternal life," &c. And let
us consider, again, that all the law is not in the hand of Giant
Despair. Others, so far as I can understand, have been taken
by him, as well as we; and yet have escaped out of his hand. Who
knows, but the God that made the world may cause that Giant Despair
may die? or that, at some time or other, he may forget to lock
us in? or that he may, in a short time, have another of his fits
before us, and may lose the use of his limbs? and if ever that
should come to pass again, for my part, I am resolved to pluck
up the heart of a man, and to try my utmost to get from under his
hand.
Pages:
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180