Then I saw in my dream, that he commanded them to

THEY ARE WHIPPED, lie down; which when they did, he chas

AND SENT ON THEIR
WAY.

tised them sore, to

teach them the good and as he chastised

love, I rebuke and

way wherein they should walk them, he said, "As many as I chasten; be zealous, therefore, and repent.' This done, he bids them go on their way, and take good heed to the other directions of the Shepherds. So they thanked him for all his kindness, and went softly along the right way, singing

Come hither, you that walk along the way,
See how the pilgrims fare that go astray :
They catched are in an entangled net,

'Cause they good counsel lightly did forget:

'Tis true, they rescued were; but yet, you see,

They're scourg'd to boot: let this your caution be.

Now, after a while they perceived, afar off, one coming softly, and alone, all along the highway, to meet them. Then said Christian to his fellow, Yonder is a man. with his back towards Zion, and he is coming to

meet us.

THE ATHEIST MEETS THEM.

HOPE. I see him; let us take heed to ourselves now, lest he should prove a Flatterer also. So he drew nearer and nearer, and at last came up to them. His name was Atheist; and he asked them whither they were going?

CHR. We are going to Mount Zion.

HE LAUGHS AT THEM.

Then Atheist fell into a very great laughter. CHR. What is the meaning of your laughter? Aтн. I laugh to see what ignorant persons you are, to take upon you so tedious a journey; and yet are like to have nothing but your travel for your pains.

CHR. We have both ear and believe t

such a place to be found

Ara. Had not I

home, beli

come thus far to see. mining e should, had there been such a place a be found, for I have gone seek ther than you,) I am going back to refresh myself with the things for hopes of that which I now see s CHR. Then said Christian to Ha Is it true which this man hath sau HOPE. Take heed, he is one 12 ber what it cost us once alrea hearkening to such kind of fetlow, no Mount Zion? Did we at ex Mountains the gate of the

now to walk by faith"

siness

COURSE

I DROW

του

lest the man with the again.* You should

Then Christian began, and said, I will ask you a question: How came you to think at first of doing what you do now?

THEY BEGIN AT THE BEGINNING OF THEIR CONVERSION.

HOPE. Do you mean, how I came at first to look after the good of my soul?

CHR. Yes, that is my meaning.

HOPE. I continued a great while in the delight of those things which were seen and sold at our fair; things which I believe now would have, had I continued in them still, drowned me in perdition and destruction. CHR. What things were they?

HOPEFUL'S LIFE BEFORE CONVERSION.

HOPE. All the treasures and riches of the world. Also I delighted much in rioting, revelling, drinking, swearing, lying, uncleanness, sabbath-breaking, and what not, that tended to destroy the soul. But I found, at last, by hearing and considering of things that are divine, which indeed I heard of you, as also of beloved Faithful, that was put to death for his faith and good living in Vanity Fair, that "the end of these things is death;" and that "for these things' sake, the wrath of God cometh upon the children of disobedience."a

CHR. And did you presently fall under the power of this conviction ?

SHUTS HIS EYES A-
GAINST THE LIGHT.

HOPE. No; I was not willing presently to know the HOPEFUL AT FIRST evil of sin, nor the damnation that follows upon the commission of it; but endeavoured, when my mind at first began to be shaken with the word, to shut mine eyes against the light thereof. CHR. But what was the cause of your carrying of it

a Rom. vi. 21-23. Eph. v. 6.

spiritual edification from them; and there is little hope of being profitable to them: but be sure to be faithful to them, and prize the company of lively Christians.

thus to the first workings of God's blessed Spirit upon you?

REASONS OF HIS
RESISTING THE
LIGHT,

2. Sin was

HOPE. The causes were-1. I was ignorant that this was the work of God upon me. I never thought that by awakenings for sin, God at first begins the conversion of a sinner. yet very sweet to my flesh, and I was loath to leave it. 3. I could not tell how to part with mine old companions, their presence and actions were so desirable unto me. 4. The hours in which convictions were upon me, were such troublesome and such heart-affrighting hours, that I could not bear, no, not so much as the remembrance of them upon my heart.*

CHR. Then, as it seems, sometimes you got rid of your trouble?

HOPE. Yes, verily; but it would come into my mind again, and then I should be as bad, nay, worse than I was before.

CHR. Why, what was it that brought your sins to mind again?

HOPE. Many things; as,

* Here you see, as our Lord says, It is the Spirit that quickeneth, the flesh profiteth nothing," John vi. 63. The flesh, or our carnal nature, is so far from profiting in the work of conversion to Christ, that it is an enmity against him, and counteracts and opposes the Spirit's work in showing us our want of him, and bringing us to him. Man's nature and God's grace are two direct opposites. Nature opposes, but grace subdues nature, and brings it to submission and subjection. Are we truly convinced of sin, and converted to Christ? This is a certain and sure evidence of it,—we shall say from our hearts, Not unto us, not unto any yieldings and compliances of our nature, free-will, and power, but unto thy name, O Lord, be all the glory; for it is by the free, sovereign, efficacious grace we are what we are. Hence, see the ignorance, folly, and pride of those who exalt free-will and nature's power, &c. Verily they do not know themselves even as they are known.

WHEN HE HAD LOST HIS SENSE OF SIN, WHAT BROUGHT IT AGAIN.

1. If I did but meet a good man in the

streets; or,

2. If I have heard any read in the Bible; or,

3. If mine head did begin to ache; or,

4. If I were told that some of my neighbours were sick; or,

5. If I heard the bell toll for some that were dead; or, 6. If I thought of dying myself; or,

7. If I heard that sudden death happened to others; 8. But especially when I thought of myself, that I must quickly come to judgment.

CHR. And could you at any time, with ease, get off the guilt of sin, when by any of these ways it came upon you?

HOPE. No, not I; for then they got faster hold of my conscience and then, if I did but think of going back to sin, (though my mind was turned against it,) it would be double torment to me.

CHR. And how did you do then?

WHEN HE COULD
NO LONGER SHAKE

OFF HIS GUILT BY
SINFUL

COURSES,

THEN HE ENDEA

VOURS TO MEND.

HOPE. I thought I must endeavour to mend my life; or else, thought I, I am sure to be damned.

CHR. And did you endeavour to mend?

HOPE. Yes; and fled from not only my sins, but sinful company too, and betook me to religious duties, as praying, reading, weeping for sin, speaking truth to my neighbours, &c. These things did I, with many others, too much here to relate.

CHR. And did you think yourself well then?

HOPE. Yes, for a while; but at the last my trouble came tumbling upon me again, and that over the neck of all my reformations.

THEN HE THOUGHT HIMSELF WELL.

CHR. How came that about, since you were now reformed?