think of such men? have they at no time, think you, convictions of sin, and so consequently fear that their state is dangerous? Hopeful. Nay, do you answer the question yourself, for you are the elder man.

Christian. Then I say, sometimes (as I think) they may; but they, being naturally ignorant, understand not that such convictions tend to their good; and therefore they do desperately seek to stifle them, and presumptuously continue to flatter themselves in the way of their own hearts.

Hopeful. I do believe, as you say, that fear tends much to men's good, and to make them right at their beginning to go on pilgrimage.

Christian. Without all doubt it doth, if it be right: for so says the word, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." Job xxviii. Ps. cxi. 10; Prov. i. 7; ix. 10.

28; Hopeful. How will you describe right fear? Christian. True or right fear is discovered by three things: 1. By its rise: it is caused by saving convictions for sin. 2. It driveth the soul to lay fast hold of Christ for salvation. 3. It begetteth and continueth in the soul a great reverence of God, his word and ways; keeping it tender, and making it afraid to turn from them to the right hand or the left; to any thing that may dishonour God, break its peace, grieve the Spirit, or cause the enemy to speak reproachfully.

Hopeful. Well said; I believe you have said the truth. Are we now almost got past the Enchanted Ground?

Christian. Why? art thou weary of this discourse?

Hopeful. No, verily, but that I would know where we are.

Christian. We have not now above two miles further to go thereon. But let us return to our matter: Now the ignorant know not that such convictions, that tend to put them in fear, are for their good, and therefore they seek to stifle them.

Hopeful. How do they seek to stifle them?

Pitiful old self- holiness. Mind this phrase. Far was it from the heart of good Mr. Bunyan to decry real holiness. I suppose he was never charged with it; if he was, it must be by such who strive to exalt their own holiness more than Christ's righteousness; if so, it is pitiful indeed. It is nothing but self-holiness, or the holiness of the old man of sin: for true holiness springs from the belief of, and love to, the truth. All besides this only tends to self-confidence and self-applause.

It is profitable to call to mind one's own ignorance and natural depravity when in our unrenewed

Christian. 1. They think that those fears are wrought by the devil, (though indeed they are wrought by God;) and thinking so, they resist them, as things that directly tend to their overthrow. 2. They also think that these fears tend to the spoiling of their faith; when, alas for them, poor men that they are! they have none at all, and therefore they harden their hearts against them. 3. They presume they ought not to fear, and therefore in despite of them wax presumptuously confident. 4. They see that those fears tend to take away from them their pitiful old self-holiness,* and therefore they resist them with all their might.

Hopeful. I know something of this myself: before I knew myself it was so with me.†

Christian. Well, we will leave at this time our neighbour Ignorance by himself, and fall upon another profitable question.

Hopeful. With all my heart: but you shall still begin.

Christian. Well, then, did you know about ten years ago, one Temporary, in your parts, who was a forward man in religion then?

Hopeful. Know him! yes; he dwelt in Graceless, a town about two miles off of Honesty, and he dwelt next door to one Turnback.

Christian. Right! he dwelt under the same roof with him. Well, that man was much awakened once; I believe that then he had some sight of his sins, and of the wages that were due thereto.

Hopeful. I am of your mind, for (my house not being above three miles from him) he would ofttimes come to me, and that with many tears. Truly I pitied the man, and was not altogether without hope of him; but one may see it is not every one that cries, Lord, Lord.

Christian. He told me once, that he was resolved to go on a pilgrimage, as we go now; but all of a sudden he grew acquainted with one Saveself, and then he became a stranger to me.

estate, to excite humility of heart, and thankfulness to God, who made us to differ, and to excite pity towards those who are walking in nature's pride, selfrighteousness, and self-confidence.

Hopeful. Now, since we are talking about him, let us a little inquire into the reason of the sudden backsliding of him and some others.

Christian. It may be very profitable; but do you begin.

ment four reasons for it:

1. Though the consciences of such men are awakened, yet their minds are not changed: therefore, when the power of guilt weareth away, that which provoketh them to be religious ceaseth: wherefore they naturally return to their old course again; even as we see the dog that is sick of what he has eaten, so long as his sickness prevails he vomits and casts up all: not that he doeth this of free mind, (if we must say a dog hath a mind,) but because it troubleth his stomach; but now, when his sickness is over, and so his stomach eased, his desires being not at all alienated from his vomit, he turns him about, and licks up all; and so is it true which is written, “The dog is turned to his own vomit again." 2 Pet. ii. 22. Thus, I say, being hot for heaven, by virtue only of the sense and fear of the torments of hell, as their sense of hell and fear of damnation chills and cools, so their desires for heaven and salvation cool also. So then it comes to pass, that when their guilt and fear is gone, their desires for heaven and happiness die, and they return to their course again.*

2. Another reason is, they have slavish fears that do overmaster them: I speak now of the fears that they have of men; "for the fear of man bringeth a snare." Prov. xxix. 25. So then, though they seem to be hot for heaven so long as the flames of hell are about their ears, yet, when that terror is a little over, they betake themselves to second thoughts, namely, that it is good to be wise, and not to run (for they know not what) the hazard of losing all, or at least of bringing themselves into unavoidable and unnecessary troubles: and so they fall in with the world again.

3. The shame that attends religion lies also as a block in their way: they are proud and haughty, and religion in their eye is low and contemptible: therefore when they have lost their sense of hell and wrath to come, they return again to their former course.

4. Guilt, and to meditate terror, are griev

A true description of the state of too many professors. Here see the reason why so many saints, as they are called, fill away.

† See how gradually, step by step, apostates go back.

their awakenings about the terrors and wrath of God, they harden their hearts gladly, and choose such ways as will harden them more and more.

Christian. You are pretty near the business; for the bottom of all is, for want of a change in their mind and will. And therefore they are but like the felon that standeth before the judge; he quakes and trembles, and seems to repent most heartily: but the bottom of all is, the fear of the halter; not that he hath any detestation of the offence; as is evident, because, let but this man have his liberty, and he will be a thief, and so a rogue still; whereas, if his mind was changed he would be otherwise. Hopeful. Now I have showed you the reasons of their going back, do you show me the manner thereof.

Christian. So I will willingly. They draw off their thoughts, all that they may, from the remembrance of God, death, and judgment to come: then they cast off by degrees private duties, as closet-prayer, curbing their lusts, watching, sorrow for sin, &c.;-then they shun the company of lively and warm Christians;after that they grow cold to public duty; as hearing, reading, godly conference, and the like; then they begin to pick holes, as we say, in the coats of some of the godly, and that devilishly, that they may have a seeming colour to throw religion (for the sake of some infirmities they have spied in them) behind their back;-then they begin to adhere to, and associate themselves with carnal, loose, and wanton men;-then they give way to carnal and wanton discourses in secret; and glad are they if they can see such things in any that are counted honest, that they may the more boldly do it through their example; after this, they begin to play with little sins openly: and then, being hardened, they show themselves as they are. Thus being launched again into the gulf of misery, unless a miracle of grace prevent it, they everlastingly perish in their own deceivings.†

It begins in the unbelief of the heart, and ends in open sins in the life. Why is the love of this world so forbidden? why is covetousness called idolatry? Because whatever draws away the heart from God

Now I saw in my dream, that by this time the pilgrims were got over the Enchanted Ground, and entering into the country of Beulah, (Sol. Song ii. 10, 12; Isa. lxii. 4, 12,) whose air was very sweet and pleasant: the way lying directly through it, they solaced themselves there for a season. Yea, here they heard continually the singing of birds, and saw every day the flowers appear in the earth, and heard the voice of the turtle in the land. In this country the sun shineth night and day: wherefore this was beyond the Valley of the Shadow of Death, and also out of the reach of Giant Despair; neither could they from this place so much as see Doubting Castle.* Here they were within sight of the city they were going to: also here met them some of the inhabitants thereof: for in this land the shining ones commonly walked, because it was upon the borders of heaven. In this land also the contract between the bride and the bridegroom was renewed: yea, here, "as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so did their God rejoice over them." Here they had no want of corn and wine; for in the place they met with abundance of what they had sought for in all their pilgrimage. Here they heard voices from out of the city, loud voices, saying, “Say ye to the daughter of Zion, Behold, thy Salvation cometh! Behold, his reward is with him!" Here all the inhabitants of the country called them, "The holy people, the Redeemed of the Lord, sought out," &c.

Now, as they walked in this land, they had more rejoicing than in parts more remote from the kingdom to which they were bound; and

and prevents enjoying close fellowship with him, naturally tends to apostacy from him. Look well to your hearts and affections. Daily learn to obey that command, "Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life." Prov. iv. 23. If you neglect to watch, you will be sure to smart under the sense of sin on earth or its curse in hell. "See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time because the days are evil." Eph. v. 15.

Oh what a blessed state! what a glorious frame of the soul is this! Job speaks of it as the candle of the Lord shining upon his head. Ch. xxix. 3. The eburch, in a rapture cries out, "Sing, O heavens, and

drawing near to the city they had yet a more perfect view thereof. It was builded of pearls and precious stones, also the streets thereof were paved with gold; so that, by reason of the natural glory of the city, and the reflection of the sun-beams upon it, Christian with desire fell sick. Hopeful also had a fit or two of the same disease: wherefore here they lay by it a while, crying out, because of their pangs, “If you see my beloved, tell him that I am sick of love.†"

But, being a little strengthened, and better able to bear their sickness, they walked on their way, and came yet nearer and nearer, where were orchards, vineyards and gardens, and their gates opened into the highway. Now, as they came up to these places, behold the gardener stood in the way; to whom the pilgrims said, "Whose goodly vineyards and gardens are these?" He answered, "They are the King's, and are planted here for his own delight, and also for the solace of pilgrims." So the gardener had them into the vineyards, and bid them refresh themselves with the dainties, (Deut. xxiii. 24:) he also showed them there the King's walks and arbours, where he delighted to be and here they tarried and slept.

Now I beheld in my dream, that they talked more in their sleep at this time than ever they did in all their journey: and, being in a muse thereabout, the gardener said even to me, "Wherefore musest thou at the matter? It is the nature of the grapes of these vineyards, to go down so sweetly as to cause the lips of them that are asleep to speak."

So I saw that when they awoke, they ad

be joyful, O carth; break forth into singing, O moun tains, for the Lord hath comforted his people." Isa. xxix. 13. Paul calls this "the fulness of the blessing of the Gospel of peace." Rom. xv. 29. Oh rest not short of enjoying the full blaze of Gospel peace and spiritual joy.

See what it is to long for the full fruition of Jesus in glory. Some have been so overpowered hereby. that their earthen vessels were ready to burst: their frail bodies have been so overcome, that they have cried, Lord, hold thine hand, I faint, I sink, I die, with a full sense of thy precious, precious love. Covet earn estly this best gift, Love, Lord, she'd it more abund antly abroad in these cold hearts of ours!