Christian gives an Account of his Journey.

CHAR. But you should have talked to them, and have endeavoured to show them the danger of being left behind.

CHR. So I did; and told them also what God had shown to me of the destruction of our city; but I seemed to them as one that mocked, and they be lieved me not. (Gen. xix. 14.)

CHAR. And did you pray to God that he would bless your counsel to them?

CHR. Yes, and that with much affection; for you must think that my wife and poor children were very dear unto me.

CHAR. But did you tell thein of your own sorrow, and fear of destruction? for I suppose that destruction was visible enough to you.

CHR. Yes, over, and over, and over. They might also see my fears in my countenance, in my tears, and also in my trembling under the apprehension of the judgment that did hang over our heads; but all was not sufficient to prevail with them to come with me. CHAR. But what could they say for themselves why they came not?

CHR. Why, my wife was afraid of losing this world; and my children were given to the foolish delights of youth; so, what by one thing, and what by another, they left me to wander in this manner alone.

CHAR. But did you not with your vain life damp all that you by words used by way of persuasion to bring them away with you?

CHR. Indeed I cannot commend my life, for I am conscious to myself of many failings therein: I know also, that a man by his conversation may soon overthrow what by argument or persuasion he doth labour to fasten upon others for their good. Yet this I can say, I was very wary of giving them occasion, by any unseemly action, to make them averse to going on pilgrimage. Yea, for this very thing, they would tell me I was too precise, and that I denied myself of things

Christian rests at the House Beautiful.

(for their sakes) in which they saw no evil. Nay, I think I may say, that if what they saw in me did hinder them, it was my great tenderness as to sinning against God, or doing any wrong to my neighbour.

CHAR. Indeed Cain hated his brother, (1 John iii. 12.) because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous; and if thy wife and children have been offended with thee for this, they thereby show themselves to be implacable to good, and thou hast delivered thy soul from their blood. (Ezek. iii. 19.)

Now I saw in my dream, that thus they sat talking together until supper was ready. So when they had made ready, they sat down to meat. Now the table was furnished with fat things, and with wine that was well refined; and all their talk at the table was about the Lord of the hill; as, namely, about what he had done, and wherefore he did what he did, and why he had built that house; and by what they said, I pereived that he had been a great warrior, and had ught with and slain him that had the power of ath; (Heb. ii. 14, 15.) but not without great danger to himself, which made me love him the more.

For, as they said, and as I believe, said Christian, he did it with the loss of much blood. But that which put glory of grace in all he did, was, that he did it out of pure love to his country. And besides, there were some of them of the household who said, that they had been and spoke with him since he did die on the cross; and they have attested, that they had it from his own lips, that he is such a lover of poor pilgrims, that the like is not to be found from the east to the west. They, moreover, gave an instance of what they affirmed; and that was, he had stripped himself of his glory that he might do this for the poor; and they had heard him say and affirm, that he would not dwell in the mountain of Zion alone. They said, moreover, that he had made many pilgrims princes, though by nature they were beggars born, and their

Christian rests at the House Beautiful.

original had been the dunghill. (1 Sam. ii. 8. Psalm cxiii. 7.)

Thus they discoursed together till late at night; and after they had committed themselves to their Lord for protection, they betook themselves to rest. The pilgrim they laid in a large upper chamber, whose window opened towards the sun-rising: the name of the chamber was Peace, where he slept till break of day, and then he awoke and sang,

Where am I now? Is this the love and care
Of Jesus, for the men that pilgrims are,
Thus to provide that I should be forgiven,
And dwell already the next door to heaven?

a This account of the commemoration of the Lord's supper is very expressive, and the manner of its administration among evengelical dissenters is accurately described. At such a season "all the talk is about the Lord of the hill;" for they "do it in remembrance of him, and thus shew the Lord's death till he come," 1 Cor. xi. 24-26. The subjects for contemplation which the emblems of bread and wine present to the serious christian are beautifully introduced. The person, and the work of Christ; why he suffered, and for what purpose he established his church in the world; the great events brought about by his death, even by the shedding of his blood; the love and grace thereby manifested towards his people, his resurrection also from the dead, and his ascension into glory; his gracious declaration, "Because I live, ye shall live also ;" and in addition to all this, the mercy displayed towards those who are called out of darkness into marvellous light all these topics are adapted to fill the souls of humble believers with unspeakable delight. Thousands, and tens of thousands, have sung with rapture at the Lord's table, in the language of the devout Nonconformist,

"Why was I made to hear thy voice,

And enter while there's room,

When thousands make a wretched choice,
And rather starve than come?

'Twas the same love which spread the feast,
That sweetly forced us in ;

Else we had still refused to taste,
And perish'd in our sin."-Watts.

b The public services of religion are followed by the devotional exercises of the family. No christian family will think of retiring to rest until they have first committed themselves to the Lord for protection. The christian who has obeyed his Lord's directions, and from love to him has kept his commandments, may sleep in "peace," and awake with his heart filled with grateful praise. The feelings of such a heart can only be known by those who have experienced "the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, keeping their hearts and minds through Christ Jesus," Phil. iv. 7 So true is the declaration of the psalmist, "Great peace have they

Christian is shewn the

So in the morning they all got up; and, after some more discourse, they told him that he should not depart till they had showed him the rarities of the place. And first they had him into the study, where they showed him records of the greatest antiquity; in which, as I remember my dream, they showed him first the pedigree of the Lord of the hill, that he was the Son of the Ancient of days, and came by eternal generation. Here also were more fully recorded the acts that he had done, and the names of many hundreds whom he had taken into his service; and how he had placed them in such habitations, as could neither by length of days, nor decays of nature, be dissolved.

Then they read to him some of the worthy acts that some of his servants had done; how they had sub

that love thy law, and nothing shall offend them," Psa. cxix. 165. and that of Solomon, "The ways of wisdom are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace,” Prov. iii. 17.

The attentive reader will perceive, that to this stage of the Pilgrim's, Progress when Christian is to be considered as a visible saint, brought into connexion with a christian church, no intimation has been given by Mr. Bunyan (though both himself and Mr. Gifford his pastor were Baptists) of baptism being a christian duty. To account for this it must be recollected, that this description is drawn according to the constitution of the church at Bedford; the leading principle of which was, the reception of all those to communion with them, "whose profession of faith was attended with holiness of life." As they did not consider baptism, by immersion, upon a personal profession of faith, as an essential requisite for communion at the Lord's table, many pædobaptists belonged to the church. Mr. Bunyan, however, was baptized by Mr. Gifford before he was admitted into it, though he has not in this place made any allusion to that event.

This part does not require any explanation. The reader will at once perceive, that by these "rarities" are denoted the wonderful things which are recorded in the Scriptures. Some of these relate to the person and work of Christ; some, to the effects which faith in him has produced, in every age of the world, on the minds of his servants; and others, to the prophecies, both those which have been already accomplished, and those which still remain to be accomplished, especially the final triumph of the gospel in the destruction of Antichrist, &c. &c.

Rarities of the House Beautiful.

dued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, and turned to flight the armies of the aliens. Heb. xi. 33, 34.

Then they read again in another part of the records of the house, where it was showed how willing their Lord was to receive into his favour any, even any, though they in time past had offered great affronts to his person and proceedings. Here also were several other histories of many other famous things, of all which Christian had a view: as of things both ancient and modern; together with prophecies and predictions of things that have their certain accomplishment, both to the dread and amazement of enemies, and the comfort and solace of pilgrims.

The next day they took him, and had him into the armoury, where they showed him all manner of farni ture which their Lord had provided for pilgrims, as sword, shield, helmet, breast-plate, all-prayer, and shoes that would not wear out. And there was here enough of this to harness out as many men for the service of their Lord, as there are stars in the heaven for multitude.

They also showed him some of the engines with which some of his servants had done wonderful things. They showed him Moses' rod; the hammer and nail with which Jael slew Sisera; the pitchers, trumpets, and lamps too, with which Gideon put to flight the armies of Midian. Then they showed him the ox's goad, wherewith Shamgar slew six hundred men. They showed him also the jaw-bone with which Samson did such mighty feats. They showed him moreover the sling and stone with which David slew Goliath of Gath, and the sword with which their Lord will kill the man of sin, in the day that he shall rise up to the prey. They showed him besides many excellent