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Then he took her by the hand, and said, Damsel, I bid thee arise.

O Sir, said she, I am faint; there is scarce life left in me. But he answered, that one once said, "When my soul fainted within me, I remembered the Lord; and my prayer came unto thee, into thy holy temple."3 Fear not, but stand upon thy feet, and tell me wherefore thou art come.

Mercy. I am come for that unto which I was never invited, as my friend Christiana was. Her's was from the King, and mine was but from her. Wherefore I fear I presume.

Keeper. Did she desire thee to come with her to this place?

Mercy. Yes; and, as my Lord sees, I am come. And if there is any grace and forgiveness of sins to

3 Jonah ii. 7.

spare, I beseech that thy poor handmaid may be a partaker thereof.

Then he took her again by the hand, MARK THIS. and led her gently in, and said, I pray for all them that believe in me, by what means soever they come unto me. Then said he to those that stood by, Fetch something, and give it to Mercy to smell on, thereby to stay her faintings; so they fetched her a bundle of Myrrh. And a while after she was revived.

And now were Christiana, and her boys, and Mercy, received of the Lord at the head of the Way, and spoke kindly unto by him. Then said they yet further unto him, We are sorry for our sins, and beg of our Lord his pardon, and further information what we must do.

I grant pardon, said he, by Word and Deed: by Word, in the promise of forgiveness; by Deed, in the way I obtained it. Take the first from my lips with a kiss, and the other as it shall be revealed.4

SEEN AFAR off.

Now I saw in my dream that he spake many good words unto them, whereby they were greatly gladded. CHRIST CRUCIFIED He also had them up to the top of the Gate, and showed them by what Deed they were saved; and told them withal, that that sight they would have again as they went along the way, to their comfort.

So he left them a while in a summer parlour below, where they entered into talk by themselves. And thus Christiana began: O Lord! how glad am I that we are got in hither!

TALK BETWEEN

THE CHRISTIANS.

4 Song i. 2. John xx. 20.

Mercy. So

you to leap for joy.

well may;

but I, of all, have cause

Chr. I thought one time, as I stood at the Gate, (because I had knocked, and none did answer,) that all our labour had been lost; especially when that ugly Cur made such a heavy barking against us.

Mercy. But my worst fear was, after I saw that you was taken into his favour, and that I was left behind: now, thought I, it is fulfilled which is written, "Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left."5 I had much ado to forbear crying out, "Undone !" And afraid I was to knock any more; but when I looked up to what was written over the Gate, I took courage. I also thought that I must either knock again, or die: so I knocked, but I cannot tell how; for my spirit now struggled between life and death.

Chr. Can you not tell how you knocked? I am sure your knocks were so earnest, that the very sound of them made

CHRISTIANA

THINKS HER
COMPANION

PRAYS BET

SHE.

me start. I thought I never heard such TER THAN knocking in all my life; I thought you would a come in by a violent hand, or a took the Kingdom by storm.

6

Mercy. Alas! to be in my case, who that so was could but have done so? You saw that the door was shut upon me, and that there was a most cruel Dog thereabout. Who, I say, that was so faint-hearted as I, would not have knocked with all their might? But pray, what said my Lord to my rudeness? Was he not angry with me?

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CHRIST PLEASED

WITH LOUD AND

RESTLESS PRAYER.

Chr. When he heard your lumbering noise, he gave a wonderful innocent smile: I believe what you did

pleased him well; for he shewed no sign to the con

IF THE SOUL AT FIRST DID
KNOW ALL IT SHOULD MEET

trary. But I marvel in my

heart why he keeps such a

WITH IN ITS JOURNEY TO Dog; had I known that

HEAVEN, IT WOULD HARD

LY EVER SET OUT.

afore, I should not have had heart enough to have ventured

myself in this manner. But now we are in, we are in; and I am glad with all my heart.

Mercy. I will ask, if you please, next time he comes down, why he keeps such a filthy Cur in his yard; I hope he will not take it amiss.

THE CHILDREN
ARE AFRAID OF
THE DOG.

Do so, said the children, and per, suade him to hang him; for we are

afraid he will bite us when we go hence.

So at last he came down to them again, and Mercy fell to the ground on her face before him, and worshipped, and said, Let my Lord accept the sacrifice of praise which I now offer unto him with the calves of my lips.

So he said unto her, " Peace be to thee; stand up." But she continued upon her face, and said, "Righteous art thou, O Lord, when I plead with thee; yet let me talk with thee of thy judgements." Wherefore dost thou keep so cruel a Dog in thy yard, at the sight of which, such women and children as we are ready to fly from thy

MERCY EXPOS-
TULATES ABOUT
THE DOG.

gate for fear?

DEVIL.

He answered and said, that Dog has another 7 Jer. xii. 1, 2.

owner; he also is kept close in another Man's ground; only my Pilgrims hear his barking. He belongs to the Castle which you see there at a distance, but can come up to the walls of this place. He has frighted many an honest Pilgrim from worse to better by the great voice of his roaring. Indeed, he that owneth him doth not keep him out of any good-will to me or mine; but with intent to keep the Pilgrims from coming to me, and that they may be afraid to come and knock at this Gate for entrance. Sometimes also he has broken out, and has worried some that I loved; but I take all at present patiently. I also give my Pilgrims timely help, so that they are not delivered to his power, to do with them what his doggish nature would prompt him to. But what, my purchased one! I trow, hadst thou known never so much beforehand, thou wouldest not have been afraid of a Dog? The beggars that go from door to door will, rather than lose a supposed alms, run the hazard of the bawling, barking, and biting too, of a dog; and shall a Dog, a Dog in another man's yard, a Dog whose barking I turn to the profit of Pilgrims, keep any from coming to me? I deliver them from the Lions, and my darling from the power of the Dog.

Then said Mercy, I confess my ignorance; I spake what I understood not; I acknowledge that thou dost all things well.

A CHECK TO THE
CARNAL FEAR OF

PILGRIMS.

THE pilgrims.

CHRISTIANS WHEN
WISE ENOUGH AC-

QUIESCE IN THE
WISDOM OF THEIR
LORD.

Then Christiana began to talk of their journey, and to inquire after the Way. So he fed them, and washed their feet, and set them in the Way of his Steps, ác

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