Christian and Hopeful meet Demas,

when they shall be rebuked by the flames of a devouring fire ?"

Then Christian and Hopeful outwent them again, and went till they came to a delicate plain, called Ease, where they went with much content; but that plain was narrow, so that they quickly got over it." Now at the farther side of that plain was a little hill, called Lucre, and in that hill a silver-mine, which some of them that had formerly gone that way, because of the rarity of it, had turned aside to see; but going too near the brink of the pit, the ground, being deceitful under them, broke, and they were slain : some also had been maimed there, and could not, to their dying day, be their own men again."

Then I saw in my dream, that a little off the road, over against the silver-mine, stood Demas (gentlemanlike) to call passengers to come and see; who said to Christian and his fellow, "Ho! turn aside hither, and I will show you a thing."

CHR. What thing is so deserving as to turn us out of the way?

The christian who rejoices in hope, and is patient in tribulation, is able to expose the sophistry of worldly-minded professors; and the reply of Christian, though plain and unceremonious, contained "sound speech that could not be condemned;" so that they that were of the contrary part were ashamed, and had nothing to say in reply. The word of God condemns all covetous persons professing religion, as hypocrites and unbelievers; declaring them to be unfit for the fellowship of genuine christians here, and exposed to eternal destruction hereafter. Eph. v. 5. 1 Cor. vi. 10. Col. iii. 5.

The ease that pilgrims have is little in this life.

"Ease is very pleasant and agreeable; but if christians at any time enjoy it, there are so many sources of affliction to them while in the present world, (for "without are fightings, and within are fears,") that they quickly lose it. When the world smiles, and outward prosperity is experienced, let christians be on their guard, lest they be tempted to think affluence essential to their happiness. There have been many awful examples of those "that would be rich, falling into a temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perditior," Tini. vi. 9.

and happily escape his Snares.

DEMAS. Here is a silver-mine, and some are digging in it for treasure; if you will come, with a little pains you may richly provide for yourselves."

HOPE. Then said Hopeful, Let us go see.

CHR. Not I, said Christian; I have heard of this place before now, and how many have there been slain and besides, that treasure is a snare to those that seek it; for it hindereth them in their pilgrimage.

Then Christian called to Demas, saying, "Is not the place dangerous? Hath it not hindered many in their pilgrimage?" (Hosea iv. 18.)

DEMAS. Not very dangerous, except to those that are careless; but withal, he blushed as he spake. CHR. Then said Christian to Hopeful, Let us not stir a step, but still keep on our way.

HOPE. I will warrant you, when By-ends comes up, if he have the same invitation as we, he will turn in thither to see.

CHR. No doubt thereof, for his principles lead him that way, and a hundred to one but he dies there. DEMAS. Then Demas called again, saying, But will you not come over and see?

CHR. Then Christian roundly answered, saying, Demas, Thou art an enemy to the right ways of the Lord of this way, and hast been already condemned for thy own turning aside, by one of his Majesty's judges; (2 Tim. iv. 10.) and why seekest thou to

The "hill Lucre," in which the "silver mine" had been, was "a little off the road." This intimates, that christians cannot set their hearts upon riches, without going out of the path of duty. Demas, who forsook Paul, "having loved this present world,' (2 Tim. iv. 10.) is represented as the fine gentleman, using all the influence of gentility to lead christians to depart from the simplicity of Christ, and to imbibe the spirit of the world. Rich professors that are carried away with the follies of the fashionable world, very often become snares to christians who fill inferior stations in society nor are there proofs wanting of gentility leading to extravagance in dress, or furniture, or house-keeping, until an increased expenditure has led to the contraction of debts which could not be discharged, and these have led on to bankruptcy, imprisonment Doverty, and ruin.

The Reflections of the Pilgrims

bring us into the like condemnation? Besides, if we at all turn aside, our Lord the King will certainly hear thereof, and will there put us to shame, where we would stand with boldness before him.

Demas cried again, that he also was one of their fraternity; and that if they would tarry a little, he also himself would walk with them.

CHR. Then said Christian, What is thy name? Is it not the same by the which I have called thee? DEMAS. Yes, my name is Demas; I am the son of Abraham.

CHR. I know you; Gehazi was your great grandfather, and Judas your father, and you have trod in their steps; it is but a devilish prank that thou usest ; thy father was hanged for a traitor, and thou deservest no better reward. (2 Kings v. 20-27. Matt. xxvi. 14, 15. xxvii. 3—5.) Assure thyself, that when we come to the King, we will tell him of this thy behaviour. Thus they went their way.

By this time By-ends and his companions were come again within sight, and they at the first beck went over to Demas. Now, whether they fell into the pit by looking over the brink thereof, or whether they went down to dig, or whether they were smothered in the bottom by the damps that commonly arise, of these things I am not certain; but this I observed, that they never were seen again in the way Then sang Christian:

By-ends and silver Demas both agree;

One calls, the other runs, that he may be
A sharer in his lucre: so these do

Take up in this world, and no farther go.P

> Under the influence of temptation, even a hopeful christian may wish to obtain wealth; but his principles set him right again, because he knows how many professors have been injured and bindered by worldly prosperity: and even they who have succeeded in getting silver, cannot say without confusion, that the way is not dangerous. The christian who would avoid such snares, will do well to recollect, that the apostle has denounced Demas as an apostate, and has declared that "a covetous man has no inheritance in

on their happy Escape.

Now I saw, that just on the other side of this plain, the pilgrims came to a place where stood an old monument hard by the highway-side, at the sight of which they were both concerned, because of the strangeness of the form thereof; for it seemed to them as if it had been a woman transformed into the shape of a pillar. Here therefore they stood looking, and looking upon it, but could not for a time tell what they should make thereof. At last Hopeful espied written upon the head thereof a writing in an unusual hand; but he being no scholar, called to Christian (for he was learned) to see if he could pick out the meaning so he came, and after a little laying of the letters together, he found the same to be this, “Remember Lot's wife." So he read it to his fellow; after which they both concluded, that that was the pillar of salt into which Lot's wife was turned, for looking back with a covetous heart, when she was going from Sodom for safety. (Gen. xix. 26.) Which sudden and amazing sight gave them occasion for this discourse.

CHR. Ah, my brother! this is a seasonable sight; it comes opportunely to us after the invitation which Demas gave us to come over to view the hill Lucre; and had we gone over, as he desired us, and as thou wast inclined to do, my brother, we had, for aught I know, been made like this woman, a spectacle for those that shall come after, to behold.

HOPE. I am sorry that I was so foolish, and am made to wonder that I am not now as Lot's wife; for wherein was the difference between her sin and mine? She only looked back, and I had a desire to go see:

the kingdom of Christ and of God," Eph. v. 5. While those christians who are contented with such things as they have, pursue their journey safely, selfish and worldly-minded professors are easily drawn into temptations; and while perhaps they gain the world they give up religion, and, it is to be feared, lose their souls.

The Reflections of the Pilgrims on their happy Escape.

let grace be adored; and let me be ashamed, that ever such a thing should be in my heart.

CHR. Let us take notice of what we see here, for our help for time to come. This woman escaped one judgment, for she fell not by the destruction of Sodom; yet she was destroyed by another, as we see ; she was turned into a pillar of salt.

HOPE. True, and she may be to us both caution and example; caution, that we should shun her sin; and a sign of what judgment will overtake such as shall not be prevented by this caution: so Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, with the two hundred and fifty men that perished in their sin, did also become a sign or example to beware. (Num. xxvi. 9, 10.) But above all, I muse at one thing, to wit, how Demas and his fellows can stand so confidently yonder to look for that treasure, which this woman only for looking towards, (for we read not that she stepped one foot out of the way,) was turned into a pillar of salt; especially since the judgment which overtook her did make her an example, within sight of where they are; for they cannot choose but see her, did they but lift up their eyes.

CHR. It is a thing to be wondered at, and it argueth that their hearts are grown desperate in the case; and I cannot tell whom to compare them to so fitly, as to them that pick pockets in the presence of the judge, or that will cut purses under the gallows. It is said of the men of Sodom, that they were sinners exceedingly, because they were sinners "before the Lord," that is, in his eye-sight, and notwithstanding the kindnesses that he had showed them; for the land of Sodom was now like the garden of Eden heretofore. (Gen. xiii. 10-13.) This therefore provoked him the more to jealousy, and made their plague as hot as the fire of the Lord out of heaven could make it. And it is most rationally to be concluded, that such, even such as these are, as shall sin in the sight,