as now you have occasion to do. So all things work for good, and tend to make you more wary.*

CHR. Shall we go back again to my Lord, and confess our folly, and ask one?

REL. Your confession of your folly I will present him with to go back again, you need not, for in all places where you shall come, you shall find no want at all; for in every one of my Lord's lodgings, which he has prepared for the reception of his pilgrims, there is sufficient to furnish them against all attempts whatsoever. But, as I said, "he will be inquired of by them, to do it for them."" And 'tis a poor thing that is not worth asking for.

When he had thus said, he went back to his place, and the pilgrims went on their way.

MER. Then said Mercy, What a sudden blank is here! I made account that we had been past all danger, and that we should never

THE MISTAKE

OF MERCY.

see sorrow more.

CHRISTIANA'S
GUILT.

CHR. Thy innocency, my sister, said Christiana to Mercy, may excuse thee much; but as for me, my fault is so much the greater, for that I saw this danger before I came out of the doors, and yet did not provide for it when provision might have been had. I am much to be blamed.†

w Ezek. xxxvi. 37.

What loving, what precious reasoning is this! With what tender affection does our Lord reprove his dear people! See how kindly it works upon a pilgrim's soul. Poor Christiana was for going back to confess her folly, and make her request to her Lord. But she is forbidden, and encouraged and comforted to go on. O how does our Lord bear, and what pains does he take with us, poor awkward creatures, who are ever prone to act amiss! Let us ever think most lowly of ourselves, and most highly of him.

Here is the display of a truly christian spirit, in that open and ingenuous confession of her fault, taking all the blame upon herself,

MER. Then said Mercy, How knew you this before you came from home? Pray open to me this riddle.

CHRISTIANA'S

DREAM REPEATED.

CHR. Why, I will tell you.-Before I set foot out of doors, one night, as I lay in my bed, I had a dream about this: for methought I saw two men, as like these as ever any in the world could look, stand at my bed's feet, plotting how they might prevent my salvation. I will tell you their very words they said, ('twas when I was in my troubles,) What shall we do with this woman? for she cries out, waking and sleeping, for forgiveness. If she be suffered to go on as she begins, we shall lose her as we have lost her husband. This, you know, might have made me take heed, and have provided when provision might have been had.

MERCY MAKES GOOD USE OF THEIR NEGLECT OF DUTY.

MER. Well, said Mercy, as by this neglect we have an occasion ministered unto us to behold our own imperfections, so our Lord has taken occasion thereby to make manifest the riches of his grace; for he, as for he, as we see, has followed us with unasked kindness, and has delivered us from their hands that were stronger than we, of his mere good pleasure.*

Thus now, when they had talked away a little more time, they drew near to a house that stood in the way,

exaggerating it, and excusing Mercy. This is not natural to us; for we are all prone to self-justification, and self-vindication. This is the real mark of our high spirit. But the grace of Christ humbles the heart, and silences the tongue to self-justifying pleas. O for more of this precious grace!

Mark these phrases the riches of his grace, and his mere good pleasure. You cannot entertain too exalted ideas of these, nor speak too highly of them. While, on the other hand, you can never see too much, nor speak too much, of your own imperfections. Pilgrims

TALK IN THE IN-
TERPRETER'S HOUSE

ABOUT CHRISTIANA'S
GOING ON PILGRIM-
AGE.

which house was built for the relief of pilgrims, as you will find more fully related in the First Part of these records of the Pilgrim's Progress. So they drew on towards the house, (the house of the Interpreter ;) and when they came to the door, they heard a great talk in the house. Then they gave ear, and heard, as they thought, Christiana mentioned by name; for you must know that there went along, even before her, a talk of her and her children's going on pilgrimage. And this was the most pleasing to them, because they had heard that she was Christian's wife, that woman who was, some time ago, so unwilling to hear of going on pilgrimage. Thus, therefore, they stood still, and heard the good people within commending her, who they little thought stood at the door. At last Christiana knocked, as she had done at the gate before. Now, when she had knocked, there came to the door a young THE DOOR IS damsel, and opened the door, and looked, and behold, two women were there.

SHE

KNOCKS

AT THE DOOR,

OPENED TO THEM
BY INNOCENT.

DAM. Then said the damsel to them, With whom would you speak in this place?

CHR. Christiana answered, We understand that this is a privileged place for those that are become pilgrims, and we now at this door are such; wherefore we pray that we may be partakers of that for which we at this time are come; for the day, as thou seest, is very far spent, and we are loath to-night to go any further.

should be known by their language, as well as their walk. Those who talk highly of their own perfection, speak little, if at all, of the riches of God's grace, and the good pleasure of his will. But if they do, they talk so confusedly about them, that real pilgrims cannot understand them. Beware of the infection of the pride and self-righteous leaven of such.

DAM. Pray, what may I call your name, that I may tell it to my Lord within?

CHR. My name is Christiana; I was the wife of that pilgrim that some years ago did travel this way; and these be his four children. This maiden also is my companion, and is going on pilgrimage too.

JOY IN THE HOUSE OF THE INTERPRE

Then Innocent ran in, (for that was her name,) and said to those within, Can you think who is at the door? There is Christiana, and her children, and her companion, all waiting for entertainment here! Then they leaped for joy, and went and TER THAT CHRIStold their Master. So he came to the PILGRIM. door, and, looking upon her, he said, Art thou that Christiana whom Christian the good man left behind him, when he betook himself to a pilgrim's life?

ΤΙΑΝΑ IS TURNED

CHR. I am that woman, that was so hard-hearted as to slight my husband's troubles, and that left him to go on his journey alone; and these are his four children: but now I also am come, for I am convinced that no way is right but this.*

INTER. Then is fulfilled that which is written of the man that said to his son, "Go, work to-day in my vineyard and he said to his father, I will not; but afterwards repented, and went.'

x Matt. xxi. 28, 29.

Here see how the experience of true grace works in the heart: by keeping the subjects of it low in their own eyes, and cutting off all selfexaltings, "I am that hard-hearted woman," &c. This ever dwelt uppermost in Christiana's heart. O soul, if thou truly knowest thyself, thou wilt ever be sinking into nothing, yea, worse than nothing, because a sinner before the Lord, and confess thy vileness unto him, and acknowledge, if he had left thee to thyself, destruction must have been thy inevitable doom. And see how confident divine teaching makes us. Under its power and influence, we can say with Christiana, I am convinced that no way is right but this, even to be a pilgrim of the Lord, and sojourner upon the earth.

CHR. Then said Christiana, So be it: Amen. God make it a true saying upon me, and grant that I may be found at the last " of him in peace, without spot, and blameless!"

INTER. But why standest thou thus at the door? Come in, thou daughter of Abraham: we were talking of thee but now, for tidings have come to us before, how thou art become a pilgrim. Come, children, come in; come, maiden, come in! So he had them all into the house.

So, when they were within, they were bidden to sit down and rest them; the which when they had done, those that attended upon the pilgrims in the house came into the room to see them. And one smiled, and another smiled, and they all smiled, for joy that Christiana was become a pilgrim.

OLD SAINTS GLAD TO SEE THE YOUNG ONES WALK IN GOD'S WAYS.

They also looked upon the boys; they stroked them over their faces with the hand, in token of their kind reception of them: they also carried it lovingly to Mercy, and bid them all welcome into their Master's house.*

THE SIGNIFICANT

After a while, because supper was not ready, the Interpreter took them into his Significant Rooms, and showed them what Christian, Christiana's husband, had seen some time before. Here,

ROOMS.

Here is joy indeed, which strangers to the love of Christ intermeddle not with. Believer, did you never partake of this pleasing, this delightful sensation, on seeing other poor sinners like thyself called to know Jesus, and follow him? Surely this is the joy of heaven: and if thou hast this joy, thou hast the love that reigns in heaven. Glory to Jesus, I think I can truly say, I have this blessed evidence in my heart, that I know somewhat of this joy, arising from seeing poor lost sinners converted, not merely to an opinion, or to a party of Christians, but their hearts converted to Jesus, so as to love him and follow him. O for a spread and increase of this spirit, among Christians of all denominations!