Christian gives an account of his Journey.

PIETY. But how did it happen that you came out of your country this way?

CHR. It was as God would have it: for when I was under the fear of destruction, I did not know whither to go; but by chance there came a man, even to me, as I was trembling and weeping, whose name is Evangelist, and he directed me to the Wicket-Gate, which else I should never have found, and so set me into the way that hath led me directly to this house. PIETY. But did you not come by the house of the Interpreter?

CHR. Yes, and did see things there, the remembrance of which will stick by me as long as I live; especially three things; to wit, how Christ, in despite of Satan, maintains his work of grace in the heart; how the man had sinned himself quite out of hope of God's mercy; and also of the dream of him that thought in his sleep the day of judgment was come. PIETY. Why, did you hear him tell his dream?

CHR. Yes, and a dreadful one it was, I thought; it made my heart ache as he was telling it; but yet I am glad I heard it.

PIETY. Was this all you saw at the house of the Interpreter?

CHR. No; he took me, and had me where he showed me a stately palace, and how the people were clad in gold that were in it: and how there came a venturous man, and cut his way through the armed men that stood in the door-way to keep him out; and how he was bid to come in, and win eternal glory. Methought those things did ravish my heart: I would have staid at that good man's house a twelvemonth, but that I knew I had further to go.

PIETY. And what saw you else in the way

CHR. Saw? Why, I went but a little further, and I saw one, as I thought in my mind, hang bleeding upon a tree; and the very sight of him made my burden fall off my back; for I groaned under a very heavy burden, but then it fell down from off me.

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Christian gives an Account of his Journey.

It was a strange thing to me, for I never saw such a thing before: yea, and while I stood looking up (for then I could not forbear looking) three shining ones came to me: one of them testified that my sins were forgiven me; another stripped me of my rags, and gave me this embroidered coat which you see; and the third set the mark which you see in my forehead, and gave me this sealed roll; (and with that he plucked it out of his bosom.)

PI. But you saw more than this, did you not?

CHR. The things that I have told you were the best; yet some other matters I saw; as, namely, I saw three men, Simple, Sloth, and Presumption, lie asleep a little out of the way as I came, with irons upon their heels; but, do you think, I could not awake them! o saw Formality and Hypocrisy come tumbling over the wall, to go, as they pretended, to Zion; but they were quickly lost; even as I myself did tell them, but they would not believe. But, above all, I found it hard work to get up this hill, and as hard to come by the lions' mouths; and truly, if it had not been for the good man, the Porter, that stands at the gate, I do not know but that, after all, I might have gone back again: but now, I thank God, I am here; and I thank you for receiving me.

Then Prudence thought good to ask him a few questions, and desired his answer to them.

PR. Do you not think sometimes of the country from whence you came?

CHR. Yes, but with much shame and detestation : truly if I had been mindful of that country from

9 A blessed scriptural experience of what the Lord had done for his soul: quite necessary for every one who desires to be admitted into the church of Christ. For want of this, many who are joined to a Christian society prove to be of no profit to other souls, and get no good to their own.

Christian gives an Account of his Journey.

whence I came out, I might have had opportunity to have returned; but now I desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one".

PR. Do you not yet bear away with you some of the things that you were then conversant withal'?

CHR. Yes, but greatly against my will; especially my inward and carnal cogitations, with which all my countrymen, as well as myself, were delighted: but now all those things are my grief; and might I but choose mine own things, I would choose never to think of those things more: but when I would be a doing of that which is best, that which is worst is with me'.

PR. Do you not find sometimes as if those things were vanquished, which at other times are your perplexity?

CHR. Yes, but that is but seldom; but they are to me golden hours in which such things happen to

me.

PR. Can you remember by what means you find your annoyances at times as if they were vanquished?

CHR. Yes when I think of what I saw at the cross, that will do it; and when I look upon my embroidered coat, that will do it; and when I look into the roll that I carry in my bosom, that will do it; and when my thoughts wax warm about whither I am going, that will do it".

' Prudence must be joined to piety. Christian prudence should be visible in every step of the Christian: for, says Solomon, " I wisdom dwell with prudence," Prov. viii. 12. And "the wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way," Prov. xiv. 8. His path is peace. and his end salvation.

2 A remembrance of the mercy of God in our justification by faith in Christ, an evidence of our acceptance through the Beloved, and a lively hope of holiness and heaven, will strongly excite to courage in fighting the good fight of faith, in order to secure eternal life.

Christian gives an Account of his Journey.

PR. And what is it that makes you so desirous to go to Mount Zion?

CHR. Why, there I hope to see Him alive that did hang dead on the cross: and there I hope to be rid of all those things that to this day are in me an annoyance to me: there they say there is no death; and there I shall dwell with such company as I like best. For, to tell you the truth, I love him because I was by him eased of my burden; and I am weary of my inward sickness. I would fain be where I shall die no more, and with the company that shall continually cry, "Holy, holy, holy"."

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Then said Charity to Christian, Have you a family? are you a married man ?

CHR. I have a wife and four small children.

CHAR. And why did you not bring them along with you?

CHR. Then Christian wept, and said, Oh! how willingly would I have done it! but they were all of them utterly averse to my going on pilgrimage+.

CHAR. But you should have talked to them, and have endeavoured to have shewn them the danger of being left behind.

CHR. So I did; and told them also what God had shewed to me of the destruction of our city; but I seemed to them as one that mocked, and they believed me not".

3 A sight of Christ, by faith, begets a longing of soul to see him in glory. A sense of his pardoning love makes us long to be with him; a desire of being perfectly freed from the very being of sin ever accompanies a true and lively faith in him, and manifests that we profess a most holy faith, Jude 20.

4 So the spirit of a Christian manifests itself in love to those of his own house, by earnestly wishing, striving, and praying, if by any means he can prevail on them to flee from destruction, and come to Jesus for salvation.

Isa xxv. 8. Rev. 21. 4.

Gen. xix. 4.

Christian gives an Account of his Journey.

CHAR. And did you pray to God that he would bless your counsel to them?

CHR. Yes, and that with much affection; for you must think that my wife and poor children were very dear unto me.

CHAR. But did you tell them of your own sorrow, and fear of destruction? for I suppose that destruction was visible enough to you.

CHR. Yes, over, and over, and over. They might also see my fears in my countenance, in my tears, and also in my trembling under the apprehension of the judgments that did hang over our heads; but all was not sufficient to prevail with them to come with

me.

CHAR. But what could they say for themselves why they came not?

CHR. Why, my wife was afraid of losing this world; and my children were given to the foolish delights of youth: so, what by one thing, and what by another, they left me to wander in this manner alone.

CHAR. But did you not with your vain life damp all that you by words used by way of persuasion to bring them away with you?

CHR. Indeed I cannot commend my life, for I am conscious to myself of many failings therein. I know also, that a man by his conversation may soon overthrow what by argument or persuasion he doth labour to fasten upon others for their good. Yet this I can say, I was very wary of giving them occasion, by an unseemly action, to make them averse to going on pilgrimage. Yea, for this very thing, they would tell me I was too precise; and that I denied myself of things for their sakes, in which they saw

5 O soul, consider this deeply: it is the life of a Christian that carries more conviction and persuasion than his words.