encounter much mist and darkness, with mire underfoot, and a forest of briers and thorns entangling and painful. What made this the more dangerous was, the alluring and refreshing arbors, green, soft, and beautifully wrought, where the very weariness of the Pilgrims did urge them to rest and sleep, though they might never again wake in this world. It has been thought that here are delineated the circumstances and temptations of those Pilgrims who are deeply engaged in business, and perhaps became wealthy, and are ensnared by advantageous offices, schemes, and worldly connections, so that they are overwhelmed by the cares of life, the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things. The arbors that are prepared for them by worldly prosperity, they are very apt to slumber in, to the great detriment if not ruin of their souls. Amidst the thorns becomes unfruitful,

and briers the word of God and in the Arbor it will not take root. If real Christians are in this condition, and view their situation aright, they will be as much troubled as the Pilgrims were on this Enchanted Ground, and will find it full of mire, perplexity and vexation of spirit. But if worldly prosperity be hailed by them for enjoyment, as an arbor to sleep in, instead of being watched against as a snare, and employed for usefulness, then they are sleepers on the Enchanted Ground, nor can any tell if ever they will awake.

In the midst of their mist and darkness the Pilgrims came to a place where a man is apt to lose his way. So Mr. Great-heart struck a light

and examined his map; and well was it for them that he did so, for just at that point, a little before them, and that at the end of the cleanest way too, there was a deep pit, none knows how deep, full of mud and mire, made there on purpose to destroy the pilgrims in. But Mr. Great-heart, by narrowly consulting his map, with the light that was lighted, by taking heed to God's Word, with earnest prayer for the teachings of the Holy Spirit, discovered at once what was the right way, and so they were saved from this danger.

So is the Word of God a lamp unto our feet, and a light unto our paths, if we will walk thereby. And it becomes us diligently to pray with the Psalmist, Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law. The Word of God is a precious, heavenly map, in which we have not only the right way, the way of salvation, clearly laid down, as a path that shineth more and more unto the perfect day, but also the cross-paths and the by-paths, which Satan and wicked men, and deceivers, have traced along this pilgrimage, and which they have sometimes made to look so much like the right way, that the Pilgrims may easily be deceived, if they do not closely study this map, seeking at the same time the guidance of the Holy Spirit. In a place of darkness especially, like this Enchanted Ground, they must take heed to the Word of God, as to a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day-star arise in their hearts. The watchful Pilgrims did thus with Mr. Great-heart, and besides, they cried unto him that loveth Pilgrims, that he would enlighten their darkness, and

so a wind speedily arose that drove away the fog, and the air became more clear.

This was one of those blessed "gales of the Spirit," that do breathe upon the Pilgrims in answer to prayer; and then, in what a sweet, clear atmosphere they travel on, in a pure air, in the light of heaven, with all the prospect distinct and fresh around them! Ah, it is not the Word of God alone, that we need, but the Spirit of God to go with it; and his precious influences and teachings will surely be granted to all who humbly seek for them. There is much meaning in these incidents, especially in that point, that it was the way which seemed to be the cleanest, that led in the end to a pit of mud and mire.

This reminds us of the way of the Flatterer, whom the Pilgrims, in the First Part, met with, and by whom their faces were turned away from the Celestial City, while they seemed to themselves to be going directly towards it. Can any thing be more plainly indicated by this than that pretence to sinless perfection, by which so many have been flattered and allured, and which in so many cases has led directly, in the end, to the deepest pollution. What seems the cleanest path leads to the pit; it leads Pilgrims thither by pride, self-righteousness, and the pretence of a holiness superior to God's law, and releasing them from its obligations. It is not the way of Christ's righteousness, nor of reliance upon him; and so, though it may seem at first to be a morality and sanctification of the highest tone, it ends in licentiousness. The men that devised this path, and that lead un

wary souls in it, are described by Peter. "For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them, who live in error. While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption, for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage."

It was amidst this Enchanted Ground that good Mr. Standfast, whom the Pilgrims there found upon his knees, was so hard beset and enticed by Madam Bubble; and indeed it is by her sorceries that the ground itself is enchanted. Madam Bubble is the world with its allurements and vanities; and whosoever, as Mr. Great-heart said, do lay their eyes upon her beauty are counted the enemies of God; for God hath said that the friendship of the world is enmity against God; and he hath said farthermore, Love not the world, nor the things of the world; if any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. So Mr. Standfast did well to betake him to his knees, praying to him that could help him. So if all Pilgrims, when worldly proposals and enticements allure them, and they feel the love of the world tempting them and gaining on them, would thus go to more earnest prayer, and be made more vigilant against temptations, Madam Bubble would not gain so many victories.

Set your affections on things above, and not on things on the earth. The spirit of the Pilgrim's Progress is every where in admirable accordance with this divine injunction. There is an incident

recorded of Christiana's boys, which very beautifully inculcates an instructive lesson on this subject, and shows Bunyan's opinion as to the manner in which Christian parents should educate their children in regard to the pleasures of the world. There was, on the other side of the wall that fenced in the way of salvation, a garden, with fruit trees that shot their branches over the wall; and the fruit being very mellow and tempting, and hanging down into the way, would often allure passengers to pluck and eat. The boys did this, as boys are apt to do, and as older boys had done before them; and, though their careful mother did chide them for so doing, still they went on.

Now this was Beelzebub's orchard, and the fruit was his fruit; but Christiana at the time only knew that, being out of the way of salvation, it was none of theirs; for had she known to whom it belonged, she would have been ready to die with fear. The fruit produced a serious illness in the boys, a good while after, which illness did not show itself indeed, till they had left the house of the Interpreter, and gone over the Hill Difficulty, and dwelt some time in the House Beautiful; and then Matthew, the eldest boy, who had eaten the fruit against the advice of his mother, fell grievously sick.

Now when Christiana learned from the Physician that it was Beelzebub's fruit that Matthew had eaten, she was sore afraid, and wept bitterly over her own carelessness, as well as her boy's naughtiness. And ever will the Christian mother have to bewail in her children the mistakes into which, through carelessness and want of prayer, she may have