“Set down my name, sir.”

And when this was done, Christian saw the strong man draw his sword and put an helmet on his head, and rush toward the door upon the armed men.  The armed men fought with great strength, but the man with the strong face was not at all discouraged, but fought most fiercely.  So after he had received and given many wounds to those that tried to keep him out, he cut his way through them all, and pressed forward into the palace.  Then there was a pleasant voice heard from those that walked upon the top of the palace, saying: 

  “Come in, come in;
  Eternal glory thou shalt win.”

So he went in and was clothed in such garments as they.

“Now,” said Christian, “let me go.”

And the Interpreter said, “Hast thou understood these things?”

“Yes,” said Christian, and he began to get ready to go on his journey.

Then said the Interpreter, “God be always with thee, good Christian, to guide thee in the way that leads to Mount Zion.”

Now I saw in my dream that the highway up which Christian was to go was fenced on either side with a wall.  Up this way therefore, did Christian run, but not without great difficulty, because of the load on his back.  He ran thus till he came to a steeper place, and upon that place stood a Cross, and a little below, a Sepulcher.  So I saw in my dream that just as Christian came up to the Cross his burden fell from off his back, and began to tumble till it came to the mouth of the Sepulcher, where it fell in and I saw it no more.  Then was Christian glad and happy, and he stood for a while to look and wonder, for it was surprising to him to see that the Cross should make him lose his burden.  Now as he stood looking, behold three Shining Ones came to him and greeted him.

The first said to him, “Thy sins be forgiven thee.”  The second took away all his rags and clothed him in new raiment.  The third set a mark on his forehead and gave him a roll with a seal on it, which he should give in at the Celestial Gate.  So they went their way.

Then Christian gave three leaps for joy and went on singing.  I saw then in my dream that as he walked he saw two men come tumbling over the wall into the narrow way.

“Gentlemen, where do you come from and whither do you go?” said Christian.

They told him, “We were born in a land called Vainglory, and we are going to Mount Zion.”

“Why came you not in at the gate?” said Christian.

They said that to go to the gate was too far, so they had taken a short cut and climbed over the wall.

“But,” said Christian, “will the Lord of the City to which we are going be pleased that you should come into the way over the wall?”

But the men said he need not trouble his head about that, for what they did had been done many times before.  It had been a custom for more than a thousand years.  And besides, said they, “If we get into the way, what does it matter how we get in?  You came in by the Wicket-gate, and are in the way, and we came tumbling over the wall and are in the way, so now we are all in the same condition.”