Entertainment of Christian

name. So he said, "It is Christian; and I have so much the more a desire to lodge here to-night, because, by what I perceive, this place was built by the Lord of the hill for the relief and security of pilgrims." So she smiled, but the water stood in her eyes; and after a little pause she said, "I will call forth two or three more of the family." So she ran to the door, and called out Prudence, Piety, and Charity, who after a little more discourse with him, had him into the family; and many of them meeting him at the threshhold of the house, said, " Come in, thou blessed of the Lord; this house was built by the Lord of the hill, on purpose to entertain such pilgrims in." Then he bowed his head, and followed them into the house. So when he was come in and had sat down, they gave him something to drink, and consented together that until supper was ready, some of them should have some particular discourse with Christian, for the better improvement of time; and they appointed Piety, and Prudence, and Charity, to discourse with him; and thus they began".

u The admission of a person into communion with the saints requires great" discretion," and the exercise of "prudence, piety, and charity." The questions proposed by Discretion called forth from Christian the profession of repentance towards God, and of faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ. The answers of Christian filled the eyes of Discretion with tears of joy. She called forth "two or three more of the family, named Prudence, Piety, and Charity," who, after a little more discourse with him, had him into the family, whose joy at seeing him is denoted by their saying, "Come in, thou blessed of the Lord." For the information of persons who are unacquainted with the discipline of a congregational church, it may be necessary to observe, that after a candidate for Communion amongst evangelical Dissenters has been conversed with and approved of by the pastor, who is here intended by the Porter, (See Mark xiii. 34. "For the Son of man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the PORTER to WATCH,") it is usual for him to refer the candidate to other persons in the church who are distinguished for "discretion, prudence, piety, and charity;" by whom, if they approve of him, he is intro

at the House Beautiful,

PIETY. Come, good Christian, since we have been so loving to you as to receive you into our house this night, let us, if perhaps we may better ourselves thereby, talk with you of all things that have happened to you in your pilgrimage.

CHR. With a very good will; and I am glad that you are so well disposed.

PIETY. What moved you at first to betake yourself to a pilgrim's life?

CHR. I was driven out of my native country by a dreadful sound that was in my ears; to wit, that unavoidable destruction did attend me, if I abode in that place where I was.

PIETY. But how did it happen that you came out of your country this way?

duced to the members of the church at a church-meeting, when the pastor desires him to give an account of his christian experience, that is to say, how he was brought from the ways of sin into the ways of God, and made acquainted with the Lord Jesus Christ, so as to love him supremely, and to wish to serve him to the end of his life.

It is highly proper that persons, especially on such an occasion, should remember all the way the Lord their God has led them; because this will tend to increase humiliation, gratitude, faith, and hope. It is prudent to ascertain what knowledge the person has of his own heart; whether sin is his burden; whether the workings of sin are subdued by faith in the blood of Christ; whether holiness is the object at which he aims; and whether he warns others, and especially his near relations, earnestly entreating them to escape from the wrath to come.

These dialogues very much resemble the relations of experiences (as they are called) in those churches, into which written experiences have not been introduced;-a practice which the editor is desirous of guarding churches against; because, though it may be difficult for some persons, especially some females, to relate verbally their experience, he is persuaded, however feebly they may express themselves, it will be most satisfactory to those who are already members, and who are to judge of their suitableness for church fellowship, and also, unless he has greatly mistaken the subject, it will be most likely to excite and cherish those feelings of mutual affection, which tend greatly to produce and promote the communion of saints.

Christian gives an account of his Journey.

CHR. It was as God would have it: for when I was under the fear of destruction, I did not know whither to go; but by chance there came a man, even to me, as I was trembling and weeping, whose name is Evangelist, and he directed me to the Wicket-Gate, which else I should never have found, and so set me into the way that hath led me directly to this house. PIETY. But did you not come by the house of the Interpreter?

CHR. Yes, and did see things there, the remembrance of which will stick by me as long as I live; especially three things; to wit, how Christ, in despite of Satan, maintains his work of grace in the heart; how the man had sinned himself quite out of hope of God's mercy; and also of the dream of him that thought in his sleep the day of judgment was come.

PIETY. Why, did you hear him tell his dream?

CHR. Yes, and a dreadful one it was, I thought; it made my heart ache as he was telling it; but yet I am glad I heard it.

PIETY. Was this all you saw at the house of the Interpreter ?

CHR. No; he took me, and had me where he showed me a stately palace, and how the people were clad in gold that were in it: and how there came a venturous man, and cut his way through the armed men that stood in the door-way to keep him out; and how he was bid to come in, and win eternal glory. Methought those things did ravish my heart: I would have staid at that good man's house a twelvemonth, but that I knew I had further to go.

PIETY. And what saw you else in the way?

CHR. Saw? Why, I went but a little further, and I saw one, as I thought in my mind, hang bleeding upon a tree; and the very sight of him made my burden fall off my back; for I groaned under a very heavy burden, but then it fell down from off me.

Christian gives an Account of his Journey.

It was a strange thing to me, for I never saw such a thing before: yea, and while I stood looking up, (for then I could not forbear looking,) three Shiaing Ones came to me: one of them testified that my sins were forgiven me; another stripped me of my rags, and gave me this embroidered coat which you see; and the third set the mark which you see in my forehead, and gave me this sealed roll; (and with that he plucked t out of his bosom.)

PI. But you saw more than this, did you not?

CHR. The things that I have told you were the best; yet some other matters I saw; as namely, I saw three men, Simple, Sloth, and Presumption, lie asleep, a little out of the way as I came, with irons upon their heels; but do you think I could awake them? I also saw Formality and Hypocrisy come tumbling over the wall, to go, as they pretended, to Zion; but they were quickly lost; even as I myself did tell them, but they would not believe. But, above all, I found it hard work to get up this hill, and as hard to come by the lions' mouths and truly, if it had not been for the good man the Porter, that stands at the gate, I do not know but that, after all, I might have gone back again; but now, I thank God, I am here; and I thank you for receiving me.

Then Prudence thought good to ask him a few questions, and desired his answer to them.

PR. Do you not think sometimes of the country from whence you came?

CHR. Yes, but with much shame and detestation: for truly, if I had been mindful of that country from whence I came out, I might have had opportunity to have returned; but now I desire a better country, that is, a heavenly. (Heb. xi. 15, 16.)

PR. Do you not yet bear away with you some of the things that then you were conversant withal?

CHR. Yes, but greatly against my will; especially my inward and carnal cogitations, with which all my countrymen, as well as myself, were delighted. But

Christian gives an Account of his Journey.

now all those things are my grief; and might I but choose my own things, I would choose never to think of those things more: but when I would do that which is best, that which is worst is present with me. (Rom vii. 15-21.)

PR. Do you not find sometimes as if those things were vanquished, which at other times are your perplexity?

CHR. Yes, but that is but seldom; but they are to me golden hours in which such things happen to me. PR. Can you remember by what means you find your annoyances at times as if they were vanquished?

CHR. Yes; when I think of what I saw at the cross, that will do it; and when I look upon my embroidered coat, that will do it; and when I look into the roll that I carry in my bosom, that will do it; and when my thoughts wax warm about whither I am going,

that will do it.

PR. And what is it that makes you so desirous to go to mount Zion?

CHR. Why, there I hope to see him alive that did hang dead on the cross; and there I hope to be rid of all those things in me that to this day are an annoyance to me: there they say there is no death; (Isa. xxv. 8. Rev. xxi. 4.) and there I shall dwell with such company as I like best. For, to tell you the truth, I love him because I was by him eased of my burden; and I am weary of my inward sickness. I would fain be where I shall die no inore, and with the company that shall continually cry, Holy, holy, holy.

Then said Charity to Christian, "Have you a family? are you a married man?"

CHR. I have a wife and four small children. CHAR. And why did you not bring them along with you?

CHR. Then Christian wept, and said, Oh, how willingly would I have done it! but they were all of them utterly averse to my going on pilgrimage.