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It is good alfo that we defire of the King a convoy, yea, that he will go with us himself. This made David rejoice when in the valley of the fhadow of death; and Mofes was rather for dying where he stood, than to go one step without his God. O my brother, if he will but go along with us, what need we be afraid of ten thousands, that fhall fet themselves against us, but without him the proud helpers fall under the flain, Ifa. x. 4. Exod. xxxiii. 15. Pfalm iii. 5, 6, 7, 8. and xxvii. 1, 2, 3.

I, for my part, have been in the fray before now, and though (thro' the goodness of him that is best) I am as you fee alive; yet I cannot böaft of my manhood. Glad fhall I be if I meet with no more fuch brunts, tho' I fear we are not got beyond all danger. However, fince the lion and the bear have not as yet devoured me, I hope God will alfo deliver us from the next uncircumcifed Philistine. Then fang Chriftian:

Poor Little-Faith! baft been among the thieves?
Waft robb'd? Remember this whofo believes,
And get more faith; then fhall you victors be
Over ten thousand, elfe fcarce over three.

So they went on, and Ignorance followed. They

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went then till they came at a place where they faw a way put itself into their way, and feemed withal to to lie as ftrait as the way which they should go; and here they knew not which of the two to take, for --both feemed ftrait before them; therefore here they ftood ftill to confider. And as they were thinking

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Every day's experience affords awful proof of the ignorance, ftupidity, and forgetfulness of the heart of man, Ever prone to wander from God, and turn to forbidden paths. Covenant engagements, privileges, mercies and enjoyments, are fre

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about the way, behold a man black of flesh, but covered with a very light robe, came to them, and afked them why they ftood there? They answered, They were going to the cœleftial city, but knew not which of these ways to take. Follow me, faid the man, it is thither that I am going. So they followed him in the way that but now came into the road, which by degrees turned, and turned them fo from the city, that they defired to go to, that in a little time their faces were turned away from it; yet they followed him. But, by-and by, before they were aware, he led them both within the compass of a net, in which they were both fo entangled, that they knew not what to do; and with that the white robe fell off the black man's back: then they faw where they were. Wherefore there they lay crying fome time, for they could not get themselves out.

Chr. Then faid Chriftian to his fellow, Now do I see myself in an error. Did not the Shepherds bid us beware of the Flatterers? As is the faying of the wise man, fo we have found it this day: A man that flattereth his neighbour, Spreadeth a net for his feet, Prov. xxix. 5.

Hope. They alfo gave us a note of directions about the way, for our more certain finding thereof; but therein we have also forgotten to read, and have not kept ourselves from the paths of the destroyer. Here David was wifer than we; for faith he, Concerning the works of men, by the word of thy lips, I bave kept me from the paths of the deftroyer, Pfalm xvii. 4. Thus they lay bewailing themselves in the

net.

quently flighted and contemned, by a perverseness of heart in attending to the fyren's fong of deceit. No fooner efcaped one danger, or refcued from one evil into which they have been brought by their own folly, than they immediately fall into another. Hence the wisdom of a kind Father, who chastises in mercy. Such is the nature of the cafe before us. Chriftian

and

net. At last they espied a fhining one coming toward them, with a whip of small cord in his hand. When he was come to the place where they were, he afked them, Whence they came, and what they did there? They told him, that they were poor pilgrims going to Sion, but were led out of their way by a black man, clothed in white; who bid us, faid they, follow him, for he was going thither too. Then faid he with the whip, it is the Flatterer, a falfe apostle, that hath transformed himself into an angel of light, Prov. xxix. 5. Dan. xi. 21. 2 Cor. xi. 13, 14. So he rent the net, and let the men out. Then faid he to them, Follow me, that I may fet you in your way again; fo he led them back to the way, which they had left to follow the Flatterer. Then he asked them, faying, Where did you lie the last night? They said, With the Shepherds upon the Delectable Mountains. He asked them then, If they had not a note of directions for the way? They answered, Yes. But did you, said he, when you were at a stand, pluck out and read your note? They answered, No. He afked them, Why? They faid, they forgot. He asked moreover, if the Shepherds did not bid them beware of the Flatterer? They anfwered, Yes; but we did not imagine, faid they, that this fine spoken man had been he.

Then I faw in my dream, that he commanded them to lie down; which when they did, he chastised them fore, to teach them the good way wherein they should walk. Deut. xxv. 2. 2 Chron. vi. 27. And Ꮓ

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and Hopeful were forgetful of the neceffary inftructions they had received, and therefore a fining one meets with them, and corrects them for their folly. By all which is plainly intimated to us, the true ftate of the heart of man, even of believers, and of the neceffity of an heavenly Father's correcting hand, to bring them to a sense of their rebellion, and forgetfulness of God.

as he chastised them, he said, As many as I love I rebuke and chaften; be zealous therefore and repent, Rev. iii. 19. This done, he bid them go on their way, and take good heed to the other directions of the Shepherds. So they thanked him for all his kindness, and went foftly along the right way finging:

Come hither, you that walk along the way,
See how the Pilgrims fare, that go aftray:
They catched are in an intangled net,
'Caufe they good counfel lightly did forget.
'Tis true, they rescued were, but yet you see
They're fcourg'd to boot: Let this your caution be.

Now, after a while, they perceived afar off, one coming softly, and alone, all along the highway to meet them. Then faid Chriftian to his fellow, Yonder is a man with his back towards Zion, and he is coming to meet us.

f

Hope. I fee him; let us take heed to ourselves now, left he should prove a Flatterer alfo. So he drew nearer and nearer, and at last came up to them. His name was Atheist, and he afked them whither they were going?

Chr. We are going to Mount Zion.

Then Atheist fell into a very great laughter. Chr. What is the meaning of your laughter? Ath. I laugh to fee what ignorant persons you are to take upon you fo tedious a journey and yet are like to have nothing but your travel for your pains. Chr. Why man? do you think we shall not be received?

Ath.

f The Atheist, and in short the unconverted finner of every clafs, is both a stranger and an enemy to the gospel of the grace of God, and therefore no wonder it is defpifed: but of fuch the Chriftian is warned to beware.

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Ath. Received! There is no fuch place as you dream of in all this world.

Chr. But there is in the world to come.

Ath. When I was at home in mine own country, I heard as you now affirm, and from that hearing went out to fee, and have been seeking this city thefe twenty years, but find no more of it, than I did the first day I fet out. Eccl. x. 15.

Chr. We have both heard, and believe that there is fuch a place to be found.

Ath. Had not I, when at home, believed, I had not come thus far to feek; but finding none, (and yet I should, had there been fuch a place to be found, for I have gone to feek it farther than you) I am going back again, and will seek to refresh myself with the things that I then paft away, for hopes of that which I now fee is not.

Chr. Then faid Chriftian to Hopeful, his companion, Is it true which this man hath faid?

Hope. Take heed, he is one of the Flatterers; remember what it hath coft us once already, for our hearkning to fuch kind of fellows. What! no mount Zion? Did we not fee from the Delectable Mountains, the gate of the city? Alfo, are we not now to walk by faith? 2 Cor. v. 7. Let us go on, faid Hopeful, left the man with the whip overtake us again.

You should have taught me that leffon, which I will round you in the ears withal: Ceafe, my fon, to bear the inftruction that caufeth to err from the words of knowledge, Prov. xix. 27. I fay, my brother, ceafe to hear him, and let us believe to the faving of the foul. Heb. x. 39.

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The Chriftian is too apt to flumber, even when he needs to be moft awake and watchful: happy for him, that his dear divine Lord never flumbers ner fleeps. The alluring, enchant

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