monstration of what I say. Yea, once I heard that he should say, (and that when he was in the combat,) We despaired even of life. How did these sturdy rogues and their fellows make David groan, mourn, and roar! Yea, Mordecai and Hezekiah too, though champions in their days, were forced to bestir them, when by these assaulted; and yet, notwithstanding, they had their coats soundly brushed by them. Peter, upon a time, would go try what he could do; but, though some do say of him that he is the prince of the apostles, they handled him so, that they made him at last afraid of a sorry girl.

Besides, their King is at their whistle; he is never out of hearing; and, if at any time they be put to the worst, he, if possible, comes in to help them: And or LEVIATHAN'S him it is said, "The sword of him that STURDINESS. layeth at him cannot hold; the spear, the dart, nor the habergeon. He esteemeth iron as straw, and brass as rotten wood. The arrow cannot make him fly: sling-stones are turned with him into stubble: darts are counted as stubble: he laugheth at the shaking of a spear." What can a man do in this case? It is true, if a man could at every turn have Job's horse, and had skill and courage to ride him, he might do notable things: For "his neck is clothed with thunder; he will not be afraid as the grasshopper; the glory of his nostrils is terrible; he paweth in the valley, rejoiceth in his strength, and goeth out to meet the armed men. He mocketh at fear, and is not affrighted, neither turneth back from the sword. The quiver rattleth against him, the glittering spear and

THE EXCELLENT
METTLE THAT IS
IN JOB'S HORSE.

1 Job, xli. 26-29.

the shield. He swalloweth the ground with fierceness and rage, neither believeth he that it is the sound of the trumpet. He saith among the trumpets, "Ha, ha! and he smelleth the battle afar off, the thundering of the captains, and the shouting."2

But for such footmen as thee and I are, let us never desire to meet with an enemy, nor vaunt as if we could do better, when we hear of others that have been foiled; nor be tickled at the thoughts of our own manhood; for such commonly come by the worst when tried. Witness Peter, of whom I made mention before; he would swagger, ay, he would; he would, as his vain mind prompted him to say, do better and stand more for his Master than all men; but who so foiled and run down by these villains as he!

When, therefore, we hear that such robberies are done on the King's highway, two things become us to do; 1. To go out harnessed, and to be sure to take a shield with us; for it was for want of that, that he who laid so lustily at Leviathan could not make him yield. For indeed, if that be wanting, he fears us not at all. Therefore he that had skill hath said, "Above all, take the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked."3

HAVE A CONVOY.

2. It is good also that we desire of 'TIS GOOD TO the King a convoy, yea, that he will go with us himself. This made David rejoice when in the Valley of the Shadow of Death: and Moses 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 thou2 Job, xxxix. 19, 20. 3 Eph. vi. 16.

4 Exod. xxxiii. 15.

sands that shall set themselves against us!5 but, without him, the proud helpers fall under the slain."

I, for my part, have been in the fray before now, and though (through the goodness of Him that is best) I am, as you see, alive, yet I cannot boast of my manhood. Glad shall I be if I meet with no more such brunts; though I fear we are not got beyond all danger. However, since the Lion and the Bear have not as yet devoured me, I hope God will also deliver us from the next uncircumcised Philistine. Then sang Christian:

A WAY.

Poor Little-faith! hast been among the thieves?
Wast robb'd? Remember this, whoso believes ;
And get more faith; then shall you victors be
Over ten thousand, else scarce over three.

So they went on, and Ignorance followed. They A WAY AND Went, then, till they came at a place where they saw a way put itself into their way, and seemed withal to lie as straight as the way which they should go; and here they knew not which of the two to take, for both seemed straight before them; therefore here they stood still to consider: And as they were thinking about the way, behold, a Man, THE FLATTERER black of flesh, but covered with a very light robe, came to them, and asked them why they stood there? They answered, they were going to the Celestial City, but knew not which of these ways to take. Follow me, said 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 so from the City 6 Isaiah, x. 4.

FINDS THEM.

5 Psalm iii. 6.

CHRISTIAN AND HIS

Fellow deluded.

But, by and

THEY ARE TAKEN

IN A NET.

that they desired to go to, that in little time their faces were turned away from it; yet they followed him. by, before they were aware, he led them both within the compass of a net, in which they were both so entangled that they knew not what to do; and with that the white robe fell off the Black Man's back; then they saw where they were. Wherefore there they lay some time, for they could not get themselves out.

Then said Christian to his fellow, Now do I see myself in an error. Did

not the Shepherds bid us beware of the

THEY BEWAIL

THEIR CONDI

TION.

Flatterer? As is the saying of the wise man, so we have found it this day, "A man that flattereth his neighbour spreadeth a net for his feet."7

A SHINING ONE

WITH A WHIP
IN HIS HAND.

Hope. They also 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 wiser than we: for, saith he, "Concerning the works of men, by the word of thy lips, I have kept me from the paths of the Destroyer." Thus they lay bewailing themselves in the net. At last they espied a Shining One coming toCOMES TO THEM Wards them, with a whip of small cords in his hand. When he was come to the place where they were, he asked them, Whence they came, and what they did there? They told him, that they were poor Pilgrims going to Zion, but were led out of their way by a Black Man, clothed in white, who bid us, said they, follow him, for he was going thither too. Then said he with the whip, It is Flatterer, a false apostle, that hath transformed himself into an angel of light: so he rent the net, and let the men out. Then said he to them, Follow me, that I may set you in your way again; so he led them back to the way they had left to follow the Flatterer. Then he asked them, saying, 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 not, said he, when you were at a stand, pluck out and read your note? They answered, No. He asked them, Why? They said, they forgot. He asked, moreover,

THEY ARE EXA-
MINED, AND
CONVICTED OF
FORGETFULNESS.