The end of the world is compared to our har- | vest; and you know men at harvest regard nothing but fruit. Not that anything can be accepted that is not of faith; but I speak this to show you how insignificant the profession of Talkative will be at that day.

Faithful. This brings to my mind that of Moses, by which he described the beast that is clean, (Lev. xi; Deut. xiv.)-he is such an one that parteth the hoof and cheweth the cud; not that parteth the hoof only, or that cheweth the cud only. The hare cheweth the cud, but yet is unclean, because he parteth not the hoof. And this truly resembleth Talkative; he cheweth the cud, he seeketh knowledge! he cheweth upon the word; but he divideth not the hoof, but he parteth not with the way of sinners; but, as the hare, he retaineth the foot of a dog or bear, and therefore he is unclean.

Christian. You have spoken, for aught I know, the true Gospel sense of those texts. And I will add another thing: Paul calleth some men, yea, and those great talkers too, "sounding brass and tinkling cymbals;" that is, as he expounds them in another place, "things without life, giving sound." 1 Cor. xiii. 1, 3. "Things without life;" that is, without the true faith and grace of the Gospel; and consequently things that shall never be placed in the kingdom of heaven among those that are the children of life, though their sound, by their talk, be as it were the tongue or voice of an angel.

Faithful. Well, I was not so fond of his company at first, but am as sick of it now. What shall we do to be rid of him?

Christian. Take my advice, and do as I bid you, and you shall find that he will soon be sick of your company too, except God shall touch his heart and turn it.

Faithful. What would you have me to do? Christian. Why, go to him, and enter into some serious discourse about the power of religion; and ask him plainly, when he has approved of it, (for that he will,) whether this thing be set up in his heart, house, or conversation? *

Then Faithful stepped forward again, and said to Talkative, Come, what cheer? how is it now?

faith without works is dead, and a dead faith never begets living hope upon a risen Saviour; nor will it avail, when he shall appear as the Judge.

*Without this, all is empty notion, mere sound, and unavailing profession. Men only take up fancy for faith; the form of godliness, instead of the power:

Talkative. Thank you, well; I thought we should have had a great deal of talk by this time.

Faithful. Well, if you will, we will fall to it now; and since you left it with me to state the question, let it be this: How doth the sav ing grace of God discover itself when it is in the heart of man?

Talkative. I perceive, then, that our talk must be about the power of things: well, it is a very good question, and I shall be willing to answer you; and take my answer in brief thus:first, where the grace of God is in the heart, it causeth there a great outcry against sin. Secondly—

Faithful. Nay, hold, let us consider of one at once; I think you should rather say, It shows itself by inclining the soul to abhor its sin.

Talkative. Why, what difference is there between crying out against, and abhorring of, sin?

Faithful. Oh! a great deal. A man may cry out against sin, of policy, but he cannot abhor it but by virtue of a godly antipathy against it: I have heard many cry out against sin in the pulpit, who yet can abide it well enough in the heart, house, and conversation. Joseph's mistress cried with a loud voice, as if she had been very holy; but she would willingly, notwithstanding that, have committed uncleanness with him. Gen. xxxix. 11, 15. Some cry out against sin, even as the mother cries out against her child in her lap, when she calleth it slut, and naughty girl, and then falls to hugging and kissing it.

Talkative. You lie at the catch, I perceive. Faithful. No, not I; I am only for setting things right. But what is the second thing whereby you will prove a discovery of a work of grace in the heart?

Talkative. Great knowledge of Gospel mysteries.

Faithful. This sign should have been first; but, first or last, it is also false; for knowledge, great knowledge, may be obtained in the mys teries of the gospel, and yet no work of grace in the soul. 1 Cor. xiii. Yea, if a man have all knowledge, he may yet be nothing, and so, consequently be no child of God. When

and the old nature is dressed up in the specious appearance of new pretensions. True faith will ever show itself by its fruits; a real conversion, by the life and conversation. Be not deceived: God is not mocked with the tongue, if the heart is not right towards him in love and obedience.

Christ said, "Do ye know all these things?" and the disciples had answered, Yes,-he added, "Blessed are ye if ye do them." He doth not lay the blessing in the knowing of them, but in the doing of them. For there is a knowledge that is not attended with doing: "he that knoweth his master's will, and doeth it not." A man may know like an angel, and yet be no Christian: therefore your sign of it is not true. Indeed, to know, is a thing that pleaseth talkers and boasters; but to do, is that which pleaseth God. Not that the heart can be good without knowledge; for without that the heart is naught. There are therefore two sorts of knowledge: knowledge that resteth in the bare speculation of things, and knowledge that is accompanied with the grace of faith and love, which puts a man upon doing even the will of God from the heart: the first of these will serve the talker; but without the other, the true Christian is not content: "Give me understanding, and I shall keep thy law; yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart." Ps. cxix. 34.

xxxviii. 18; Jer. xxxi. 19; Matt. v. 6; Acts iv. 12; Gal. i. 15, 16; Rev. xxi. 6. Now according to the strength or weakness of his faith in his Saviour, so is his joy and peace, so is his love to holiness, so are his desires to know him more, and also to serve him in this world. But though, I say, it discovereth itself thus unto him, yet it is but seldom that he is able to conclude that this is a work of grace: because his corruptions now, and his abused reason, make his mind to misjudge in this matter: therefore in him that hath his work, there is required a very sound judgment, before he can with steadiness conclude that this is a work of grace.

To others it is thus discovered:-1. By an experimental confession of his faith in Christ. 2. By a life answerable to that confession; to wit, a life of holiness, heart-holiness: familyholiness, (if he hath a family,) and by conversation-holiness in the world; which in the general teacheth him inwardly to abhor his sin, and himself for that in secret; to suppress it in his family, and to promote holiness in the world: not by talk only, as an hypocrite or talkative person may do, but by a practical subjection in faith and love to the power of the word. Ps. 1. 23; Ezek. xx. 43; Matt. v. 8; John xiv. 15; Rom. x. 9, 10; Phil. iii. 17, 20. And now, sir, as to this brief description of the work of grace, and also the discovery of it,

Talkative. You may use your liberty. Faithful. A work of grace in the soul discovereth itself either to him that hath it, or to standers by.

To him that hath it, thus: it gives him conviction of sin, especially of the defilement of his nature, and the sin of unbelief for the sake of which he is sure to be damned, if he findeth not mercy at God's hand, by faith in Jesus Christ. Mark xvi. 16; John xvi. 8, 9; Rom. vii. 24. This sight and sense of things worketh in him sorrow and shame for sin; he findeth, moreover, revealed in him the Saviour of the world, and the absolute necessity of closing with him for life; at the which he findeth hungerings and thirstings after him; to which hungerings, &c., the promise is made. Ps.

This, and this only, is what will evidence that we are real disciples of Christ, honour his name and his truths, and recommend his religion in the world. Without this power of godliness, we have only a name to live, while we are dead to the power of the Gospel. Examine yourself: look to your ways.

then give me leave to propound to you a Second question.

Talkative. Nay, my part is not now to object, but to hear: let me therefore have your second question.

Faithful. It is this: Do you experience this first part of the description of it; and doth your life and conversation testify the same? or standeth your religion in word or tongue, and not in deed and truth? Pray, if you incline to answer me in this, say no more than you know the God above will say Amen to; and also nothing but what your conscience can justify you in: "for not he who commendeth himself is approved, but whom the Lord commendeth." Besides, to say I am thus and thus, when my conversation and all my neighbours tell me I lie, is great wickedness.†

Then Talkative at first began to blush; but recovering himself, thus he replied: You come

† Blessed, faithful dealing! Oh that it was more practised in the world and in the church! How then would vain talkers be detected in the one, and driven out of the other!

now to experience, to conscience, and God; and to appeal to him for justification of what is spoken: this kind of discourse I did not expect; nor am I disposed to give an answer to such questions; because I count not myself bound thereto, unless you take upon you to be a catechiser: and though you should so do, yet I may refuse to make you my judge. But I pray, will you tell me why you ask me such questions?*

Faithful. Because I saw you forward to talk, and because I knew not that you had aught else but notion. Besides, to tell you all the truth, I have heard of you, that you are a man whose religion lies in talk, and that your conversation gives this your profession the lie. They say you are a spot among Christians; and that religion fareth the worse for your ungodly conversation; that some already have stumbled at your wicked ways, and that more are in danger of being destroyed thereby; your religion, and an ale-house, and covetousness, and uncleanness, and swearing, and lying, and vain company-keeping, &c., will stand together. The proverb is true of you, which is said of a harlot, to wit, that "she is a shame to all women;" so you are a shame to all professors.

Talkative. Since you are ready to take up reports, and to judge so rashly as you do, I cannot but conclude you are some peevish or melancholic man, not fit to be discoursed with: and so adieu.†

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

Heart-searching, soul-examining, and close questioning of the conduct of life, will not do with talkative professors. Ring a peal on the doctrines of grace, and many will chime in with you; but speak closely how grace operates upon the heart, and influences the life to follow Christ in self-denying obedience, they cannot bear it: they are offended with you, and will turn away from you, and call you legal.

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 un

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 your company: besides, the apostle says, "From such withdraw thyself."

Faithful. 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.‡

Christian. 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 there are these talkative fools, whose religion is only in words, 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 be either made more comformable to religion, or the company of saints would be too hot for them. Then did Faithful say

his plumes! How he presumes But so soon

"How Talkative at first lifts up
How bravely doth he speak!
To drive down all before him!
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.||

faithful souls. Mind not that, but be faithful to the truth.

Mind this. These are right principles to act from, and right ends to have in view, in faithful reproving, or aiming to convict our fellow-sinners. Study and pursue these.

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

saluted them:

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

Christian. Welcome, welcome, my good Evangelist, the sight of thy countenance brings to my remembrance thy ancient kindness and unwearied labours for my eternal good.

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

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.

Right glad am I, said Evangelist, not that you have met with trials, but that you 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 my 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, if you faint not." John iv. 36; Gal. vi. 9. The crown is before you, and it is an uncorruptible one; so run that you may obtain it." Some there be that set out

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

To inquire after the concerns and prosperity of the soul, should always be the business of faithful ministers of Christ; but is not this sadly neglected? Oh how often do ministers visit and depart, without close ex

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 man take your crown," (1 Cor. iv. 24, 27; Rev. iii. 1:) you are not yet out of the gunshot of the devil: "you have not resisted unto blood, striving against sin:" let the kingdom be always before you, and believe steadfastly concerning 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.‡

Then Christian thanked him for his exhortation; but told him withal, that they 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 how they might resist and overcome them. To which request Faithful also consented. So Evangelist began as followeth :.

My sons, you have heard in the words of the truth of the Gospel, that "you must through many tribulations enter into the kingdom of heaven." And again, that "in every city, bonds and afflictions abide on 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 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

perimental converse with their people! Hence both suffer present loss, and much harm is the consequence.

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.

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 pains 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."*

Then I saw in my dream, that when they were got out of the wilderness, they presently saw a town before them; the name of that town is Vanity; and at that 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." Eccles. i. 2, 14; ii. 17; xi. 8; Isa. xl. 17.

This fair is no new-erected business, but a thing of ancient standing: I will show you the original of it.

Almost five thousand years agone, there were pilgrims 'walking to the Celestial City, as these two honest persons are: and Beelzebub, Apollyon, and Legion, with their companions, perceiving, by the path that the pilgrims made, that their way to their city lay through this town of Vanity, they contrived here to set up a fair; a fair, wherein should be sold all sorts of vanity; and that it should last all the year long: therefore, at this fair, are all such merchandise sold, as houses, lands, trades, places, honours, preferments, titles, countries, kingdoms, lusts, pleasures; and delights of all sorts, as whores, bawds, wives, husbands, chil

Woe unto them that 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. 5.

A just description of this wicked world. How many, though they profess to be pilgrims, have never yet set one foot out of this fair, but live in it all the year round! They walk according to the course of this world. Eph. ii. 2. For he god of this world hath blinded their mind. 1 Cor. iv. 4. You cannot be a

dren, masters, servants, lives, blood, bodies, souls, silver, gold, pearls, precious stones, and what not!

And moreover, at this fair there is at all times to be seen jugglings, cheats, games, plays, fools, apes, knaves and rogues, and that of every kind.

Here are to be seen too, and that for nothing, thefts, murders, adulteries, false-swearers, and that of a blood-red colour. †

And as in other fairs of less moment, there are several rows and streets under their proper names, where such wares are vended, so here likewise you have the proper places, rows, streets, (viz. countries and kingdoms,) where the wares of this fair are soonest to be found. Here is the Britain row, the French row, the Italian row, the Spanish row, the German row, where several sorts of vanities are to be sold. But as in other fairs some one commodity is as the chief of all the fair, so the ware of Rome and her merchandise is greatly promoted in this fair: only our English nation, with some others, have taken a dislike thereat.‡

Now, as I said, the way to the Celestial City lies just through the town where this lusty fair is kept: and he that will go to the city, and yet not go through this town "must needs go out of the world." The Prince of princes himself, when here, went through this town to his own country, and that upon a fair day too: yea, and as I think, it was Beelzebub, the chief lord of this fair, that invited him to buy of his vanities; yea, would have made him lord of the fair, would he but have done him reverence as he went through the town: yea, because he was such a person of honour, Beelzebub had him from street to street, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a little time, that he might, if possible, allure that Blessed One to cheapen and buy some of his vanities; but he had no mind to the merchandise, and therefore left the town without laying out so

pilgrim, if you are not delivered from this world and its vanities; for if you love the world, if it has your supreme affections, the love of God is not in you. 1 John ii. 15. You have not one grain of faith in Jesus.

The doctrine of the Church of Rome. It is much to be wished, that the vile presumption of man's bartering with God, and purchasing a title to heaven, by his performing terms and conditions of salvation, meriting heaven by his good works, and procuring justification by his own obedience, to the exalting his pride, and the debasing the work and glory of Christ, was totally rejected by us. But alas! these proud; unscriptural notions too much prevail