Gaius entertains the Pilgrims. I might be the mother of the Saviour of the world. will say again, that when the Saviour was come, women rejoiced in him, before either man or angel'. I read not, ever man did give unto Christ so much as one groat: but the women followed him, and ministered to him of their substance. It was a woman that washed his feet with tears, and a woman that anointed his body to the burial. They were women that wept, when he was going to the cross; and women that followed him from the cross, and that sat by his sepulchre, when he was buried. They were women that were first with him at his resurrection morn; and women that brought tidings first to his disciples, that he was risen from the dead'. Women therefore are highly favoured, and shew by these things, that they are sharers with us in the grace of life. Now the cook sent up to signify that supper was almost ready; and sent one to lay the cloth, and the trenchers, and to set the salt and bread in order. Then said Matthew, The sight of this cloth, and of this forerunner of the supper, begetteth in me a greater appetite to my food than I had before. GAIUS. So let all ministering doctrines to thee, in this life, beget in thee a greater desire to sit at the supper of the great King in his kingdom; for all preaching, books, and ordinances here, are but as the laying of the trenchers, and as setting of salt upon the board, when compared with the feast that our Lord will make us when we come to his house. So supper came up; and first a heave-shoulder and a wave-breast were set on the table before them; to shew, that they must begin the meal with prayer and praise to God". The heave-shoulder, David Luke ii. Luke vii 37-50; viii. 2, 3; xxiii. 27; xxiv. 22, 23. John ii. 3; xi. 2. Matt. xxvii. 55, 56–61. " Lev. vii. 32-34; x. 14, 15. Psa. xxv. 1. Heb. xiii. 15. Gaius entertains the Pilgrims. lifted his heart up to God with; and with the wavebreast where his heart lay, with that he used to lean upon his harp when he played. These two dishes were very fresh and good, and they all ate heartily thereof. The next they brought up was a bottle of wine, as red as blood. So Gaius said to them, Drink freely, this is the true juice of the vine, that makes glad the heart of God and man. So they drank, and were merry *. The next was a dish of milk well crumbled; but Gaius said, Let the boys. have that, that they may grow thereby. Then they brought up in course a dish of butter and honey. Then said Gaius, Eat freely of this, for this is good to cheer up and strengthen your judgments and understandings. This was our Lord's dish when he was a child: "Butter and honey shall he eat, that he may know to refuse the evil, and choose the good"." Then they brought him up a dish of apples, and they were a very good tasted fruit. Then said Matthew," May we eat apples, since they were such by and with which the serpent beguiled our first mother?" Then said Gaius, Apples were they with which we were beguil'd; Apples forbid, if eat, corrupt the blood; To eat such, when commanded, does us good: Drink of his flagons, then, thou church, his dove, 1 Then said Matthew, I made the scruple, because, a while since, I was sick with eating of fruit. * Deut. xxxii. 14. Judg. ix. 13. John. xv. 5. 1 Pet. ii. 1, 2, Isa. vii, 15. Gaius entertains the Pilgrims. GAIUS. Forbidden fruit will make you sick, but not what our Lord has tolerated. While they were thus talking, they were presented with another dish, and it was a dish of nuts2. Then said some at the table, "Nuts spoil tender teeth, especially the teeth of the children."' Which when Gaius heard, he said, "Hard texts are nuts (I will not call them cheaters) Then they were very merry, and sat at the table a long time, talking of many things. Then said the old gentleman, My good lanlord, while ye are cracking your nuts, if you please, do you open this riddle 8: [A Riddle put forth by old Honest.] "A man there was (though some did count him mad) Then they all gave good heed, wondering what good Gaius would say: so he sat still a while, and then thus replied: "He who thus bestows his goods upon the poor, Then said Joseph, I must say, Sir, I did not think you could have found it out. Oh! said Gaius, I have been trained up in this way 8 Observe here, the feast of pilgrims was attended with mirth. Christians may, they ought, yea, they have the greatest reason, to be merry; but then it ought to be spiritual mirth, which springs from spiritual views and spiritual conversation. Let our speech be thus seasoned, and our feasts thus tempered, and we shall find more joy and gladness of heart in the Lord. Gaius entertains the Pilgrims. a great while; nothing teaches like experience; I have learned of my Lord to be kind; and have found by experience, that I have gained thereby. "There is that scattereth, yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty:"-"There is that maketh himself rich, yet hath nothing: there is that maketh himself poor, yet hath great riches.' Then Samuel whispered to Christiana, his mother, and said, Mother, this is a very good man's house; let us stay here a good while, and let my brother Matthew be married here to Mercy, before we go any further. The which Gaius the host overhearing, said, With a very good will, my child. So they staid here more than a month; and Mercy was given to Matthew to wife. While they staid here, Mercy, as her custom was, would be making coats and garments to give to the poor, by which she brought up a very good report upon pilgrims. But to return again to our story. After supper, the lads desired a bed, for they were weary with travelling: then Gaius called to shew them their chamber; but, said Mercy, I will have them to bed. So she had them to bed, and they slept well: but the rest sat up all night; for Gaius and they were such suitable company, that they could not tell how to part. Then after much talk of their Lord, themselves, and their journey, old Mr. Honest (he_that put forth the riddle to Gaius) began to nod. Then said Great-Heart, What, Sir, you begin to be drowsy! 9 Here is a genuine discovery of a gracious heart, when it is delighted with spiritual company and conversation, and longs for its continuance. Is it so with you? Prov. xi. 24; xiii. 7. Gaius entertains the Pilgrims. Come, rub up, now here is a riddle for you'. Then said Mr. Honest, Let us hear it. Then said Mr. Great-Heart, [A Riddle.] "He that will kill, must first be overcome! Who live abroad would, first must die at home." Ha! said Mr. Honest, it is a hard one, hard to expound, and harder to practise. But come landlord, said he, I will, if you please, leave my part to you; do you expound it, and I will hear what you say. No, said Gaius, it was put to you, and it is expected you should answer it. Then said the old gentleman, "He first by grace must conquered be, That sin would mortify: Who, that he lives, would convince me, Unto himself must dies. It is right, said Gaius; good doctrine and experience teaches this. For, until grace displays itself, and overcomes the soul with its glory, it is altogether without heart to oppose sin; besides, if sin is Satan's cords, by which the soul lies bound, how should it make resistance, before it is loosed from that infirmity. Nor will any, that knows either reason or grace, Mind this: when one pilgrim observes that a brother is inclined to be drowsy, it is his duty, and should be his practice, to endeavour to awaken, quicken, enliven, and stir up such, by spiritual hints. Oh, that this were more practised! Many blessings would be consequent upon it. Oh, this dying to self, to self-righteous pride, vain confidence, the power of self-will, self-love, and self-complacency, it is hard work to the old man; yea, it is both impracticable and impossible to him. It is only grace that can conquer and subdue him. And where grace reigns, this work is carried on gloriously. The old man of sin is crucified, that grace may reign through righteousness unto eternal life. |