d is not this, said
he, a shame?

{182} CHR. And what did you say to him?

FAITH. Say! I could not tell what to say at the first. Yea, he
put me so to it, that my blood came up in my face; 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 16:15] And I thought again,
this Shame tells me what men are; but it tells me nothing what God
or the Word of God is. And I thought, moreover, that at the day
of doom, we shall not be 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,
indeed 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 8:38] But,
indeed, this Shame was a bold villain; I could scarce 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 attend religion; but at last I told him it was but in vain to
attempt further in this business; for those things that he disdained,
in those did I see most glory; and so at last I got past this
importunate one. And when I had shaken him off, then I began to
sing--

The trials that those men do meet withal,
That are obedient to the heavenly call,
Are manifold, and suited to the flesh,
And come, and come, and come again afresh;
That now, or sometime else, we by them may
Be taken, overcome, and cast away.
Oh, let the pilgrims, let the pilgrims, then
Be vigilant, and quit themselves like men.

{183} CHR. I am glad, my brother, that thou didst withstand this
villain so bravely; for of all, as thou sayest, I think he has the
wrong name; for he is so bold as to follow us in the streets, and
to attempt to put us to shame before all men: that is, to make us
ashamed of that which is good; but if he was not him