CHRISTIANA'S REMARKS UPON IT. 65 handkerchief, and clad me in silver and gold. He put a chain upon my neck, and ear-rings in mine ears, and a beautiful crown upon my head'. Then he took me by the hand, and said, 'MERCY, come after me.' So he went up, and I followed, till we came at a golden gate. Then he knocked: and, when they within had opened, the man went in, and I followed him up to a throne, upon which one sat, and he said to me, Welcome, daughter.' The place looked bright and twinkling, like the stars, or rather like the sun, and I thought that I saw your husband there. So I awoke from my dream. But did I laugh? CHR. Laugh! ay, and well you might, to see yourself so well. For you must give me leave to tell you, that it was a good dream; and that as you have begun to find the first part true, so you shall find the second at last. "God speaks once, yea twice, yet man per"ceiveth it not; in a dream, in a vision of the night, "when deep sleep falleth upon men, in slumbering 66 upon the bed'." We need not, when a-bed, to lie awake to talk with God; he can visit us while we sleep, and cause us then to hear his voice. Our heart oft-times wakes when we sleep; and God can speak to that, either by words, by proverbs, by signs and similitudes, as well as if one was awake. MER. Well, I am glad of my dream, for I hope ere long, to see it fulfilled, to the making me laugh again. CHR. I think it is now high time to rise, and to know what we must do. i VA ER DREAM test I ever think of seeing his and I worshipping the Lord the And at now I believe I shall ! 300 = 700 bear a noise? Jan. 2. I celert, a noise of music, for mea Maic in the house, music in The last in max is in heaven, for joy that we The me skei wile, and then betook themSo in the morning when they were mad Eumaa aid to MERCY, What was maner that you Ad laugh in your sleep to night? 1 Sol was, and a sweet dream it was; but are CAL Ts, pou Ingled beartily; but pr'ythee, Jinor, tal me ty dream. Min. I was a dreaming that I sat all alone in a Shay pa hnd was bemoaning of the hardness of Now I had not sat there long, but meHưng many were gathered about me to see me, and to bear what it was that I said. So they hearkened, and I went on bemoaning the hardness of my heart. Ats, some of them laughed at me, some called me fool in Poume began to thrust me about. With locked up, and saw one coming e. So he came directly to me, what aileth thee?' Now when e my complaint, he said, Peace also wiped mine eyes with his that it was a good c to find the firme K at last. “ upor ce so postal fod the second “God speaks once, yes twice, yet man per * ceiveth it not; in a dream, in a vision of the night, "when deep sleep fileth upon men, in slumbering the bed.” We need not, when a-bed, to lie awake to talk with God; he can visit us while we sleep, and cause us then to hear his voice. Our heart oft-times wakes when we sleep; and God can speak to that, either by words, by proverbs, by signs and similitudes, as well as if one was awake. MER. Well, I am glad of my dream, for I hope ere long, to see it fulfilled, to the making me laugh again. HR. I think it is now high time to rise, and is GOD, as d? If into a d by the nt, that OD; and pull him or man? ace, and s of his * Ezek, avi 8-13. ↑ Job, xxxiii. 14-16 66 PRUDENCE CATECHISES JAMES. MER. Pray, if they advise us to stay awhile, let us willingly accept of the proffer. I am the willinger to stay a while here, to grow better acquainted with these maids; methinks PRUDENCE, PIETY, and CHARITY have very comely and sober countenances. CHR. We shall see what they will do. So when they were up and ready, they came down, and they asked one another of their rest, and if it was comfortable or not. Very good, said MERCY; it was one of the best night's lodgings that ever I had in my life. Then said PRUDENCE and PIETY, if you will be persuaded to stay here a while, you shall have what the house will afford. Ay, and that with a very good will, said CHARITY. So they consented, and staid there about a month or above, and became very profitable one to another. And, because PRUDENCE Would see how CHRISTIANA had brought up her children, she asked leave of her to catechise them: so she gave her free consent. Then she began with the youngest, whose naine was JAMES. And she said, 'Come, JAMES, canst thou tell me who made thee?' JAM. GOD the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost. PRUD. Good boy. And canst thou tell who saved thee? JAM. GOD the Father, GoD the Son, and GOD the Holy Ghost. PRUD. Good boy still. But how doth God the Father save thee? HER QUESTIONS TO JOSEPH, WITH HIS ANSWERS. 67 JAM. By his grace. PRUD. How doth God the Son save thee? JAM. By his righteousness, and blood, and death, and life. PRUD. And how doth God the Holy Ghost save thee? JAM. By his illumination, by his renovation, and by his preservation. Then said PRUDENCE to CHRISTIANA, You are to be commended for thus bringing up your children. I suppose I need not ask the rest these questions, since the youngest of them can answer them so well. I will therefore now apply myself to the next youngest. Then she said, Come, JOSEPH, (for his name was JOSEPH,) will you let me catechise you? Jos. With all my heart. PRUD. What is man? Jos. A reasonable creature, made so by GoD, as my brother said. PRUD. What is supposed by this word, saved? Jos. That man by sin has brought himself into a state of captivity and misery. PRUD. What is supposed by his being saved by the Trinity? Jos. That sin is so great and mighty a tyrant, that none can pull us out of its clutches, but GoD; and that God is so good and loving to man, as to pull him indeed out of this ntiserable state. PRUD. What is God's design in saving poor man? Jos. The glorifying of his name, of his grace, and justice, &c; and the everlasting happiness of his creature. |