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Obst. —Come, then, neighbor Pliable, let us turn again a nd go home without him: there is a company of these crazy headed coxcombs that when they t a ke a f a n cy by the end, are wiser in their own eyes than seven men that can render a reason. Pli. —Then said Pliable,; Do n 't revile; if . what good Christian says is true, the things he looks after are better than ours: my heart inclines to go with my neighbor. Obst. —What, more" fools"still! Be ruled by me, and go back; who knows whither such a brain-sick fellow will lead you? Go back, go back, and be wise. Chr. —Nay, but do thou come .with thy neighbor, Pliable; there are such things to be had which I spoke of, and many more glories besides. If you believe not me, read here in this book; and for the truth of what is expressed therein, behold, all is confirmed by t he blood of Him that made it. Pli.—Well, Neighbor Obstinate, said Pli- able, I begin to come to a point; I intend to go along w i th this good man, and to cast in my lot along with him; but, my good companion, do you know the way to this desired place? Chr. —I am directed by a man whose name is Evangelist, to speed me to a little gate t h at is before us, where we shall re- ceive instructions about the way. Pli.—Come then, good neighbor, let us be going. Then they went both together.'.' I t was not Christian's fault that Obstin- ate would not be persuaded, nor t h a t emo- tional, superficial Pliable beeame a back- slider.. Christian had his reward. in sorrew shalt thou eat of it, all the days of thy life." Noah and a small minority of the beasts of the earth were of the same school. L o t 's optimistic neighbors "mocked" at his gloomy view; and the prophets, which of them was not " a pessi- m i s t " ? Not Isaiah, crying, "All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof as the flower of the field: the grass withereth and the flower fadeth;" not Jeremiah, with his "Lamentations;" not Ezekiel, with his "face set against" Jerusalem, Ammon, Moab, Edom, Philistia, Tyre, Zidon and Babylon; not Daniel, with his "troublous times" and desolations "unto the end." And which of the apostles BIBLICAL The first " p e s s i m i s t" was PESSIMISM, the Lord, saying, "Cursed is the ground for thy sake;
3R I ST I AN fleeing f r om the City of Destruction is pur- sued and overtaken by two of his acquaintances. ' ' Then ¡ said the man (Christian), ' ' Neighbors, wherefore are ye come? They said, To persuade you to go back But, he said, t h at can by no
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means be: you dwell, said he, in the City of Destruction, the place also where I was born: I see it to be so; and dying there, sooner or later you will sink lower than t he grave into a place t h at burns with fire and brimstone: be content, good neighbors, and go along with me. Obst. —What, said Obstinate, and leave our friends and comforts behind us! Chr. —Yes, said Christian, because that ALL which you shall forsake is not worthy to b e compared with a little of that which I am seeking to enjoy; and if you will go along with me, and hold it, you shall f a re as I myself; for there, where I go, is enough and to spare. Obst. —What are the things you seek since you leave all the world to find them? Chr. —I seek an inheritance incorrupt- ible, undefiled, and t h at fadeth not- away; and it is laid up in heaven and* safe there, to be bestowed, at the time appointed, on them that seek it. Bead it so, if you will, in my book. Obst.— Tush, said Obstinate, away with your book: will you go baek with us or no? Chr.—No, not I, said t he other, because I have laid my hand to the plough. first optimist. " T h o u shalt not die, 1 " said- he. Eve became his discij.le and decided t h at t he deadly fruit, being pleasant to see, was wholesome food, f u ll of brains and divinity for humanity. No a h 's car- penters took an optimistic view of the weather and made capital of -the old fa- natic. The false prophets built with op- timistic mortar (Eze. 13), and their suc- cessors today say, " P e a c e, the conditions are « t a b l e" ( II Pet. 3:4). Nothing stirs the bile of these cheerful philosophers with their amiable view of the situation like questioning their assurance. The dissenteT is sure to get a Zedekian black eye (II Kings 22:24). BLIND Optimism and pessimism are OPTIMISM, modern terms, but old phil- osophies. Satan was the
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