than I, because he dwelt thereabout; fo we looked and looked, till at laft we difcerned the mouth of his cave; then were we glad, and plucked up our fpirits. We approached his den, and lo, when we came there, he had dragged, by mere force, into his net, this poor man Mr. Feeble-mind, and was about to make an end of him. But when he faw us, fuppofing, as we thought, that he had another prey, he left the poor man in his house, and came out. So we fell to it full fore, and he laid about him most luftily; but, in the conclusion, he was brought down to the ground, and his head cut off, and fet up by the way-fide, for a terror to fuch as fhould hereafter practife fuch ungodlinefs. That I tell you the truth, here is the man himself to affirm it, who was taken as a lamb out of the mouth of the lion.

Feebl. I found this true, to my coft and comfort: to my coft, when he threatened to pick my bones every moment; and to my comfort, when I faw Mr. Great-heart and his friends, with their weapons, approach fo near for my deliverance.

Holy-man. There are two things which they have need to be poffeffed with who go on pilgrimage, courage, and an unfpotted life. If they have not courage they can never hold on their way; and if their lives be loose, they will make the very name of a pilgrim ftink.

Love-faint. I hope this caution is not needful among you. But truly there are many who go upon

the road, who rather declare themselves ftrangers to pilgrimage, than ftrangers and pilgrims in the earth.

Dare-not-lie. It is true, they neither have the pilgrim's weed, nor the pilgrim's courage; they go not uprightly, but all awry with their feet; one shoe goeth inward, another outward, and their hofe out behind; here a rag, and there a rent, to the dif paragement of their Lord.

Penitent. These things they ought to be troubled for; nor are the pilgrims like to have that grace and favour fhewn them and their pilgrim's progress which they defire, until the way is cleared of fuch fpots and blemishes.

Thus they fat talking, and fo fpent their time until fupper was fet upon the table, to which they went, and refreshed their weary bodies; and afterwards they went to reft.

i The misconduct of profeffors opens the mouths of the profane, and gives them occafion to blafpheme and speak reproachfully of religion itself and of religious characters indifcriminately. There is no doubt but a real believer in the Lord Jefus Chrift may be permitted to fall into great and notorious fins; but in general it will be found, that no men bring greater reproach to the Christian name and character than those who have made the highest pretenfions to extraordinary piety, holinefs, and fanctity. The man who is taught of God knows the depravity and deceitfulness of his own heart; and this he will confefs before God and man. Depend upon it, the man is an hypocrite who pretends to that goodnefs and power which no man ever had, or ever will have, in this life.

They

They ftaid in the fair a great while, at the house of Mr. Mnafon, who, in procefs of time, gave his daughter Grace unto Samuel, Chriftiana's fon, to wife, and his daughter Martha to Jofeph.

It was, I fay, a long time that they ftaid here (for it was not now as in former times). Wherefore the pilgrims grew acquainted with many of the good people of the town, and did them what fervice they could. Mercy, as fhe was wont, laboured much for the poor, wherefore their bellies and backs bleffed her, and fhe was there an ornament to her profeffion. And, to fay the truth for Grace, Phebe, and Martha, they were all of a very good nature, and did much good in their places. They were also all of them very fruitful; fo that Christian's name, as was faid before, was like to live in the world.

While they lay here, there came a monfter out of the woods, and flew many of the people of the town. It would alfo carry away their children, and teach them to fuck its whelps. Now no man in the town durft fo much as face this monster; but all men fled when they heard the noise of his coming.

* The monster here alluded to reprefents the body of Antichrift, which, though many, is yet one body; and includes all falfe, legal, hypocritical teachers and preachers of every denomination, who have a form of godliness, but are without the power.

The monster was like unto no one beaft upon the earth its body was like a dragon, and it had feven heads and ten horns. It made great havock among children, and yet was governed by a woman. This monster propounded conditions to men; and fuch men as loved their lives more than their fouls accepted of thofe conditions.

Now Mr. Great-heart, together with those who came to vifit the pilgrims at Mr. Mnafon's house, entered into a covenant to go and engage this beaft, if perhaps they might deliver the people of this town from the paws and mouth of this fo devouring a ferpent.

Then did Mr. Great-heart, Mr. Contrite, Mr. Holy-man, Mr. Dare-not-lie, and Mr. Penitent, with their weapons, go forth to meet him. The monster at first was very rampant, and looked upon these enemies with great difdain; but they so belaboured him, being sturdy men at arms, that they 'made him retreat: and then they came home to Mr. Mnafon's house again.

The monster, you must know, had his certain feafons to come out in, and to make his attempts upon the children of the people of the town: at these feafons did these valiant worthies watch him, and they did continually affault him; infomuch, that in process of time he became not only wounded, but lame; nor could he make the havock among the townfmen's children as formerly he had done: and

it

it is verily believed by fome, that this beaft will certainly die of the wounds he has received.

This made Mr. Great-heart and his fellows of

great fame in this town; fo that many of the people who wanted their tafte and experience, yet had a reverend efteem and refpect for them. Upon this account therefore it was that thefe pilgrims got not much hurt here. True, there were fome of the bafer fort, who could fee no more than a mole, nor understand any more than a beast, who had no reverence for these men, nor took they notice of their valour and adventures.

The time drew near that the pilgrims must go on their way, wherefore they prepared for their journey. They fent for their friends, they conferred with them, they had a certain time fet apart that they might commit each other to the protection of their Prince. There were fome who brought them of fuch things as they had, that were fit for the weak and the ftrong, for the women and the men, and fo laded them with fuch things as were neceffary, Acts xviii. 10. Thus they fet forwards on their way, and their friends accompanied them as far as was convenient, and again they committed each other to the protection of their King, and fo departed.

They who were of the pilgrim's company went on, and Mr. Great-heart went before them; and as the women and children were weakly, they were forced to go as these could bear; by this means Mr. Ready

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