melancholic man, not fit to be discoursed with: and so, adieu.*

A GOOD RIDDANCE.

CHR. Then came up Christian, and said to his brother, I told you how it would happen; your words and his lusts could not agree. He had rather leave your company than reform his life; but he is gone, as I said let him go, the loss is no man's but his own. He has saved us the trouble of going from him; for he continuing (as I suppose he will do) as he is, he would have been but a blot in our company besides, the apostle says, "From such withdraw thyself."

FAITH. But I am glad we had this little discourse with him; it may happen that he will think of it again : however, I have dealt plainly with him, and so am clear of his blood if he perisheth.†

CHR. You did well to talk so plainly to him as you did; there is but little of this faithful dealing with men now-a-days, and that makes religion to stink so in the nostrils of many as it doth for they are these talkative fools, whose religion is only in word, and are debauched and vain in their conversation, that, being so much admitted into the fellowship of the godly, do puzzle the world, blemish Christianity, and grieve the sincere. I wish that all men would deal with such as you have done; then should they either be made more conform

* Where the heart is rotten, it will ward off conviction, turn from a faithful reprover, condemn him, and justify itself. Faithful dealing will not do for unfaithful souls. Mind not that, but be faithful to the truth.

+ Mind this. These are right principles to act from, and right ends to act to, in faithfully reproving, or aiming to convict our fellowsinners. Study and pursue these.

able to religion, or the company of saints would be too hot for them. Then did Faithful say

How Talkative at first lifts up his plumes!

How bravely doth he speak! How he presumes
To drive down all before him!

But so soon

As Faithful talks of heart-work, like the moon
That's past the full, into the wane he goes;

And so will all but he that heart-work knows.

Thus they went on, talking of what they had seen by the way, and so made that way easy which would otherwise, no doubt, have been tedious to them for now they went through a wilderness.*

Now, when they were got almost quite out of this wilderness, Faithful chanced to cast his eye back, and espied one coming after them, and he knew him. Oh! said Faithful to his brother, who comes yonder? Then Christian looked, and said, It is my good friend Evangelist. Ay, and my good friend too, said Faithful, for it was he that set me in the way to the Gate. Now was Evangelist come up unto them, and thus saluted them,

EVANGELIST OVER

TAKES THEM.

EVAN. Peace be with you, dearly beloved; and peace be to your helpers.

CHR. Welcome, welcome, my good Evangelist; the sight of thy countenance brings to my remembrance thy ancient kindness and

THEY ARE GLAD AT THE SIGHT OF HIM.

unwearied labours for my eternal good.

Spiritual observations and conferences on past experience, are very animating and enlivening to the soul. They very often change the wilderness of dejection into a garden of delights; and so beguile the weary steps of pilgrims through tedious paths. O Christians, look more to Christ, and talk more to each other of his love to you, and dealings with you, for soul humbling and Christ exalting.

FAITH. And a thousand times welcome, said good Faithful; thy company, O sweet Evangelist, how desirable is it to us poor pilgrims !*

EVAN. Then said Evangelist, How hath it fared with you, my friends, since the time of our last parting? What have you met with,† and how have you behaved yourselves?

Then Christian and Faithful told him of all things that had happened to them in the way; and how, and with what difficulty, they had arrived to that place.

TO THEM.

EVAN. Right glad am I, said Evangelist, not that you have met with trials, but that you HIS EXHORTATION have been victors, and for that you have, notwithstanding many weaknesses, continued in the way to this very day.

I say, right glad am I of this thing, and that for mine own sake and yours. I have sowed, and you have reaped; and the day is coming, when " both he that sowed and they that reaped shall rejoice together;" that is, if you hold out; "for in due time ye shall reap, ye faint not." The crown is before you, and it is an incorruptible one; so run, that you may obtain it." Some there be that set out for this crown, and after they have gone far for it, another comes in and takes it from them; "hold fast, therefore, that you have; let no

if

t John iv. 36. Gal. vi. 9.

* A sincere and cordial love for gospel ministers, under a sense of their being made instrumental to our souls' profit, is a sure and blessed sign of a pilgrim's spirit.

To inquire after soul-concerns and soul-experience and prosperity, should always be the business of faithful ministers of Christ: but is not this sadly neglected? O how often do ministers visit and depart without close, savoury, experimental converse with their people! Hence, both suffer present loss, and much harm in the consequence.

man take your crown."" You are not yet out of the gun-shot of the devil: "you have not resisted unto "blood, striving against sin:" let the kingdom be always before you, and believe steadfastly concerning the things that are invisible: let nothing that is on this side the other world get within you: and, above all, look well to your own hearts and to the lusts thereof, for they are" deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked." Set your faces like a flint; you have all power in heaven and earth on your side.*

CHR. Then Christian thanked him for his exhortation; but told him withal, that they

THEY DO THANK HIM FOR HIS EXHORTATIONS.

would have him speak further to them for their help the rest of the way; and the rather, for that they well knew that he was a prophet, and could tell them of things that might happen unto them, and also how they might resist and overcome them. which request Faithful also consented. So Evangelist began as followeth.

To

EVAN. My sons, you have heard in the words of the truth of the gospel, "that

HE PREDICTETH

WHAT

TROUBLES

THEY SHALL MEET
WITH IN VANITY
FAIR, AND ENCOU-
RAGETH THEM ΤΟ

STEADFASTNESS.

you must through many tribulations enter into the kingdom of heaven." And again, that "in every city bonds and afflictions abide you;" and therefore you cannot expect that you should go long on your pilgrimage without them, in some sort or other. You have found something of the truth of these testimonies upon you already, and more will immediately follow: for now, as you see, you are

u 1 Cor. ix. 24-27. Rev. iii. 11.

Here is a blessed word of encouragement, of warning, and of exhortation to be steadfast in faith, joyful in hope, watchful over our hearts, and to abound in the work of the Lord. All this is constantly necessary for pilgrims. Faithful ministers will give advice, and pilgrims will be thankful for such.

HE WHOSE LOT IT WILL BE THERE TO SUFFER, WILL HAVE THE BETTER OF HIS

almost out of this wilderness, and therefore you will soon come into a town that you will by and by see before you and in that town you will be hardly beset with enemies, who will strain hard but they will kill you and be you sure that one or both of you must seal the testimony, which you hold, with blood; but "be you faithful unto death, and the King will give you a crown of life." He that shall die there, although his death will be unnatural, and his pain, perhaps, great, he will yet have the better of his fellow, not only because he will be arrived at the Celestial City soonest, but because he will escape many miseries that the other will meet with in the rest of his journey. But when you are come to the town, and shall find fulfilled what I have here related, then remember your friend, and quit yourselves like men; and commit the keeping of your souls to your God in well-doing, as unto a faithful Creator."*

BROTHER.

Then I saw in my dream, that when they were got out of the wilderness, they presently saw a town before them, and the name of that town is Vanity; and at the town there is a fair kept, called Vanity Fair. It is kept all the year long it beareth the name of Vanity Fair, because the town where it is kept is lighter than vanity, and also because all that is there sold, or that cometh thither, is vanity. As is the saying of the wise, "All that cometh is vanity."

v Eccles. i. 2, 14. ii. 11, 17. xi. 8. Isa. xl. 17.

Wo unto them who fold their hands, and fall asleep in strong confidence. You see what hard work yet lay before these pilgrims. Let us ever remember, this is not our rest. We must be pressing forward, fighting the good fight of faith, labouring to enter into that rest which remaineth for the people of God: looking diligently, lest we fail of the grace of God, Heb. xii. 15.

R