Three sleeping men

I saw then in my Dream that he went on thus, even until he came at a bottom, where he saw, a little out of the way,

three men fast asleep, with

fetters upon their heels. The name of the one was Simple,

another Sloth, and the third Presumption.

Christian then seeing them lie in this case, went to them, if peradventure he might awaken them, and cried, You are like them that sleep on the top of a mast, for the Dead Sea is under you, a gulf that hath no bottom. Awake therefore and come away; be willing also, and I will help you off with your Irons.

He also told them, "If he that goeth about like a roaring lion comes by, you will certainly become a prey to his teeth". With that they looked upon him, and began to reply in his sort: Simple said, "I see no danger"; Sloth said, "Yet a little more sleep"; and Presumption said, "Every fat must stand upon his own bottom". And so they lay down to sleep again and Christian went on his way.

Interpretation:

After getting the sin of burden and the burden for the cares of this life removed at the Cross and the Sepulchre, Christian now comes across three types of people, Simple, Sloth and Presumption. They are in fetters of the sin and of the Devil.

People belonging to these three categories go to their churches regularly.

People of the Simple do not see any danger from the sin and the Devil though they are with fetters. They just go to the church but do not believe in the hell or the heaven. People of the Sloth also attend their churches but are too lazy that they postpone things of eternal life. People of the Presumption also attend their churches but presume that they are on the right path though they have not accepted Jesus as their Saviour and are in fetters. All these three categories are blind to the fetters upon their heels. They are spiritually asleep. Even if an evangelist visits them with the gospel of Christ to deliver them from the fetters, they will not awaken from their slumber.

If there are our friends or relatives among anyone of this category, we need to pray for them so that they may get freed from these fetters. The evangelist concerned has to minister to them with much burden.

Next.....Two men stumbling upon the wall