Now the cook sent up to signify that supper was almost ready, and sent one to lay the cloth, and the trenchers, and to set the salt and bread in order.

SUPPER
READY.

Then said Matthew, The sight of this cloth, and of this forerunner of the supper, begetteth in me a greater appetite to my food than I had before.

GAIUS. So let all ministering doctrines to thee in this life beget in thee a greater desire to sit at the supper of the great King in his kingdom; for all preaching, books, and ordinances here, are but as the laying of the trenchers, and the setting of salt upon the board, when compared with the feast that our Lord will make for us when we come to his house.

WHAT IS TO BE GATHERED FROM LAYING OP THE BREAD WITH THE CLOTH AND TRENCHERS.

So supper came up. And first a heave-shoulder and a wave-breast were set on the table before them; to show that they must begin their meal with prayer and praise to God. The heave-shoulder David lifted up his heart to God with; and with the wave-breast, where his heart lay, he used to lean upon his harp when he played. These two dishes were very fresh and good, and they all ate heartily thereof.

The next they brought up was a bottle of wine, as red as blood. So Gaius said to them, Drink freely; this is the true juice of the vine, that makes glad the heart of God and man. So they drank and were merry."

The next was a dish of milk well crumbed: Gaius said, Let the boys have that, that they may

A DISH OF

MILK.

OF HONEY

AND SUTTER.

Then they brought up in course a dish of butter and honey. Then said Gaius, Eat freely of this, for this is good to cheer up and strengthen your judgments and understandings. This was our Lord's dish when he was a child: "Butter and honey shall he eat, that he may know how to refuse the evil, and choose the good."

A DISH OF
APPLES.

Then they brought them up a dish of apples, and they were very good-tasted fruit. Then said Matthew, May we eat apples, since they were such by and with which the serpent beguiled our first mother? Then said Gaius:

Apples were they with which we were beguiled,
Yet sin, not apples, hath our souls defiled:

Apples forbid, if ate, corrupt the blood;

To eat such, when commanded, does us good :
Drink of his flagons then, thou church, his dove,
And eat his apples, who art sick of love.

Then said Matthew, I made the scruple, because I a while since was sick with the eating of fruit.

GAIUS. Forbidden fruit will make you sick; but not what our Lord has tolerated.

A DISH OF
NUTS.

While they were thus talking, they were presented with another dish, and it was a dish of nuts. Then said some at the table, Nuts spoil tender teeth, especially the teeth of children: which when Gaius heard, he said:

Hard texts are nuts, (I will not call them cheaters,)
Whose shells do keep their kernels from the eaters;
Open then the shells, and you shall have the meat;
They here are brought for you to crack and eat.

Then were they very merry, and sat at the table a long time, talking of many things. Then said the old gentleman, My good landlord, while we are cracking your nuts, if you please, do you open this riddle :*

A man there was, though some did count him mad,
The more he cast away, the more he had.

A RIDDLE
PUT FORTH

BY OLD
HONEST,

Then they all gave good heed, wondering what good Gaius would say; so he sat still a while, and then thus replied:

He who bestows his goods upon the poor,

Shall have as much again, and ten times more.

Then said Joseph, I dare say, sir, I did not think you could have found it out.

GATUS OPENS IT

JOSEPH WONDERS.

Oh! said Gaius, I have been trained up in this way a great while: nothing teaches like experience. I have learned of my Lord to be kind, and have found by experience that I have gained thereby. There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty. There is that maketh himself rich, yet hath nothing: there is that maketh himself poor, yet hath great riches.“

Then Samuel whispered to Christiana, his mother, and said, Mother, this is a very good man's house; let us stay here a good while, and let my brother Matthew be married here to Mercy, before we go any further.†

d Prov. xi. 24. xiii. 7.

* Observe here, the feast of pilgrims was attended with mirth. Christians may, they ought, yea, they have the greatest reason, to be merry; but then it ought to be spiritual mirth, which springs from spiritual views and spiritual conversation. Let our speech be thus seasoned, and our feasts thus tempered, and we shall find more joy and gladness of heart in the Lord.

Here is a genuine discovery of a gracious heart; when it is delighted with spiritual company and conversation, and longs for its continuance. Is it so with you?

The which Gains, the host, over-hearing, said, With a very good will, my child.

MATTHEW AND MERCY MARRIED.

THE BOYS GO TO BED, THE REST SIT UP.

So they stayed there more than a month, and Mercy was given to Matthew to wife. While they stayed here, Mercy, as her custom was, would be making coats and garments to give to the poor, by which she brought a very good report upon pilgrims. But to return again to our story. After supper, the lads desired a bed, for they were weary with travelling. Then Gaius called, to show them their chamber; but said Mercy, I will have them to bed. So she had them to bed-and they slept well; but the rest sat up all night; for Gaius and they were such suitable company, that they could not tell how to part. Then after much talk of their Lord, themselves, and their journey, old Mr. Honest, he that put forth the riddle to Gaius, began to nod. Then said Great-heart, What, sir, you begin to be drowsy; come, rub up now, here is a riddle for you. Then said Mr. Honest, Let us hear it. Then said Mr. Greatheart:

OLD HONEST
NODS.

A RIDDLE.

*

He that would kill, must first be overcome:

Who live abroad would, first must die at home.

Ha! said Mr. Honest, it is a hard one; hard to expound, and harder to practise. But, come, landlord, said he, I will, if you please, leave my part to you; do you expound it, and I will hear what you say.

No, said Gaius, it was put to you, and 'tis expected you should answer it.

Then said the old gentleman :

* Mind this: When one pilgrim observes that a brother is inclined to be drowsy, it is his duty, and should be his practice, to endeavour to awaken, quicken, enliven, and stir up such by spiritual hints. O that this was more practised! Many blessings would be consequent upon it.

He first by grace must conquer'd be,
That sin would mortify:

Who that he lives would convince me,

Unto himself must die.*

THE RIDDLE
OPENED.

A QUESTION WORTH
THE MINDING.

It is right, said Gaius; good doctrine and experience teach this. For, first, until grace displays itself, and overcomes the soul with its glory, it is altogether without heart to oppose sin. Besides, if sin is Satan's cords, by which the soul lies bound, how should it make resistance before it is loosed from that infirmity? Secondly, Nor will any that knows either reason or grace, believe that such a man can be a living monument of grace, that is a slave to his own corruptions. And now it comes into my mind, I will tell you a story worth the hearing. There were two men that went on pilgrimage; the one began when he was young, the other when he was old. The young man had strong corruptions to grapple with; the old man's were weak with the decays of nature. The young man trod his steps as even as did the old one, and was every way as light as he. Who now, or which of them, had their graces shining clearest, since both seemed to be alike? HON. The young man's, doubtless. For that which heads it against the greatest opposition, gives best demonstration that it is strongest; especially when it also holdeth pace with that which meets not with half so much, as, to be sure, old age does not. Besides, I have observed that old men have

A COMPARISON.

A MISTAKE.

* O this dying to self, to self-righteous pride, vain confidence, the power of free-will, self-love, and self-complacency, is hard work to the old man; yea, it is both impracticable and impossible to him. It is only grace that can conquer and subdue him. And where grace reigns, this work is carried on day by day. For the old man, of sin and selfrighteousness, still lives in us.