- Christian leaves the Interpreter and hurries along the highway. This road is bordered on either side with a wall called Salvation and Christian is heavily burdened by the sack he continues to carry.
- As the highway ascends, Christian comes to a place with a cross and, below it, a sepulcher (or tomb). When Christian comes to the foot of the cross, the burden suddenly falls from his back and rolls away into the mouth of the tomb.
- Amazed, Christian understands that it is Christ's suffering that has given him rest and Christ's death that promises eternal life.
- Christian begins to cry at this realization and sees three angels or "Shining Ones" (P181). Together, these angels tell Christian that his sins are forgiven, change his rags for clean clothing, "set a mark on his forehead" (P181), and give him a sealed scroll.
- He is told to read the scroll along his way and that he will have to hand it over at the Celestial Gate he's headed for.
- Back on the road and singing on his way, Christian comes across three sleeping men "with fetters upon their heels" (P183). These are Simple, Sloth, and Presumption. While Christian tries to wake them up and unlock the chains, they prefer to stay asleep. This troubles Christian until he's distracted by two other men approaching.
- The two men are Formalist and Hypocrsiy. They begin to explain how they have been taking a shortcut over the Wall (the same one from before, called Salvation) that borders the road Christian's on.
- Christian asks them how they can get away with this when it's the Lord's will to begin and stay on the narrow road. They reply that they have a thousand-year-old custom that allows them to take short-cuts around what the Bible says to do. Christian rebukes Formalist and Hyocrisy, telling them that if they try to cheat the Lord on the way to salvation, he won't have mercy for them there.
- "By laws and ordinances you will not be saved," Christian says, "since you came not in by the door" (P195). The two men only laugh at Christian's remark and go their own way.