Chr. "Tis a wonder; but they got not that, though they missed it not through any good HE KEPT NOT HIS cunning of his; for he, being dismay- BEST THINGS by ed with their coming upon him, had HIS OWN CUNNING. neither power nor skill to hide any thing; so it was more by good providence than by his endeavour that they missed of that good thing."

Hope. But it must needs be a comfort to him that they got not this jewel from him.

Chr. It might have been great comfort to him, had he used it as he should; but they that told me the story said, that he made but little use of it all the rest of the way; and that because of the dismay that he had in the taking away of his money. Indeed, he forgot it a great part of the rest of his journey; and besides, when at any time it came into his mind, and he began to be comforted therewith, then would fresh thoughts of his loss come again upon him, and these thoughts would swallow up all.

Hope. Alas, poor man! This could not but be a great grief to him.

HE IS PITIED

BY BOTH.

Chr. Grief! Ay, a grief indeed. Would it not have been so to any of us, had we been used as he, to be robbed and wounded too, and that in a strange place, as he was? 'Tis a wonder he did not die with grief, poor heart! I was told that he scattered almost all the rest of the way with nothing but doleful and bitter complaints; telling also to all that overtook him, or that he overtook in the way as he went, where he was robbed, and how; who they were that did it, and what he had lost; how he was wounded, and that he hardly escaped with life.

62 Tim. i. 14. 2 Pet. ii. 9.

Hope. But 'tis a wonder that his necessity did not put him upon selling or pawning some of his jewels, that he might have wherewithal to relieve himself in

his journey.

CHRISTIAN SNIBBETH

HIS FELLOW FOR UN-
ADVISEDLY SPEAKING.

Chr. Thou talkest like one upon whose head is the shell to this day for what should he pawn

:

very

them? or to whom should he sell them? In all that country where he was robbed, his jewels were not accounted of; nor did he want that relief which could from thence be administered to him. Besides, had his jewels been missing at the Gate of the Celestial City, he had (and that he knew well enough) been excluded from an inheritance there; and that would have been worse to him than the appearance and villany of ten thousand thieves.

Hope. Why art thou so tart, my brother? Esau sold his birthright, and that for a mess of pottage,7 and that birthright was his greatest jewel; and if he, why might not Little-faith do so too?

A DISCOURSE
ABOUT ESAU

FAITH.

Chr. Esau did sell his birthright indeed, and so do many besides, and, by so AND LITTLE- doing, exclude themselves from the chief blessing, as also that caitiff did; but you must put a difference between Esau and Little-faith, and also betwixt their estates. Esau's birthright was typical, but Little-faith's jewels were not so. Esau's ESAU WAS RULED belly was his god; but Little-faith's belly was not so. Esau's want lay in

BY HIS LUSTS.

his fleshly appetite; Little-faith's did not so. Besides, Esau could see no farther than to the fulfilling of his

7 Heb. xii. 16.

LITTLE-FAITH COULD

lusts; "for I am at the point to die," said he, " and what good will this birthright do me?"8 But Littlefaith, though it was his lot to have but a little faith, was by his little faith kept from such extravagances, and made to see and prize his jewels more than to sell them, as Esau did his birthright. You read not any where that Esau had faith, no, not ESAU NEVER so much as a little; therefore no marvel, HAD FAITH. where the flesh only bears sway, (as it will in that man where no faith is to resist,) if he sells his birthright, and his soul, and all, and that to the Devil of Hell; for it is with such as it is with the ass, "who, in her occasion cannot be turned away." When their minds are set upon their lusts, they will have them, whatever they cost. But Little-faith was of another temper: his mind was on things divine; his livelihood was upon things that were spiritual, and from above; therefore to what end should he that is of such a temper sell his jewels, (had there been any that would have bought them,) to fill his mind with empty things? Will a man give a penny to fill his belly with hay? or can you persuade the turtle-dove to live upon carrion, BETWEEN THE like the crow? Though faithless ones can, for carnal lusts, pawn, or mortgage, or sell what they have, and themselves outright to boot; yet they that have faith, saving faith, though but a little of it, cannot do so. Here, therefore, my brother, is thy mistake.

NOT LIVE UPON ESAU'S
POTTAGE.

A COMPARISON

TURTLE-DOVE

AND THE CROW.

Hope. I acknowledge it, but yet your severe reflection had almost made me angry.

Chr. Why, I did but compare thee to some of the birds that are of the brisker sort, who will run to and fro in untrodden paths, with the shell upon their heads: but pass by that, and consider the matter under debate, and all shall be well betwixt thee and

me.

HOPEFUL

SWAGGERS.

Hope. But, Christian, these three fellows,

I am persuaded in my heart, are but a company of cowards; would they have run else, think you, as they did, at the noise of one that was coming on the road? Why did not Little-faith pluck up a greater heart? He might, methinks, have stood one brush with them, and have yielded when there had been no remedy.

NO GREAT HEART FOR

BUT LITTLE FAITH.

Chr. That they are cowards

GOD WHERE THERE IS many have said, but few have found it so in the time of trial. As for a great heart, Little-faith had none; and I perceive by thee, my brother, hadst thou been the man concerned, thou art but for a brush, and then to yield. And, verily, since this is the COURAGE WHEN height of thy stomach, now they are at a distance from us, should they appear to thee as they did to him, they might put thee to second thoughts.

WE HAVE MORE

WE ARE OUT,
THAN WHEN WE
ARE IN.

But consider, again, they are but journeymen thieves; they serve under the King of the Bottomless Pit, who, if need be, will come in to their aid himself, and his voice is "as the roaring of a Lion." I myself have been engaged as this Little-faith was, and I found it a terrible thing. These three villains set upon me, and I beginning

CHRISTIAN TELLS

HIS OWN EXPERI

ENCE IN THIS CASE. like a Christian to resist, they gave

but

a call, and in came their master: I would (as the saying is) have given my life for a penny; but that, as God would have it, I was clothed with armour of proof. Ay, and yet, though I was so harnessed, I found it hard work to quit myself like a Man; no man can tell what in that combat attends us, but he that hath been in the battle himself.

Hope. Well, but they ran, you see, when they did but suppose that one Great-grace was in the way.

CHAMPION.

Chr. True, they have often fled, both they and their master, when Great-grace hath but appeared; and no marvel, for he is the King's Champion: THE KING'S but I trow you will put some difference between Little-faith and the King's Champion! All the King's subjects are not his champions, nor can they, when tried, do such feats of war as he. Is it meet to think that a little child should handle Goliah as David did? or that there should be the strength of an ox in a wren? Some are strong, some are weak; some have great faith, some have little this man was one of the weak, and therefore he went to the wall.

Hope. I would it had been Great-grace, for their sakes.

Chr. If it had been he, he might have had his hands full: for I must tell you, that though Great-grace is excellent good at his weapons, and has, and can, so long as he keeps them at sword's point, do well enough with them, yet if they get within him, even Faintheart, Mistrust, or the other, it shall go hard but they will throw up his heels. And when a man is down, you know, what can he do?

Whoso looks well upon Great-grace's face will sce those scars and cuts there that shall easily give de