They knock at the Gate.---Alarmed by a dog.

TIANA was the eldest that she should knock for entrance, and that she should speak to him that did open for the rest. So CHRISTIANA began to knock, and, as her poor husband did, she knocked and knocked again.* But instead of any that answered, they all thought that they heard as if a dog came barking upon them; a dog, and a great one too; and this made the women and children afraid. Nor durst they for a while to knock any more, for fear the mastiff should fly upon them. Now therefore they were greatly tumbled up and down in their minds, and knew not what to do: knock they durst not for fear of the dog; go back they durst not for fear of the keeper of that Gate should espy them as so they went, and be offended with them; at last they thought of knocking again, and knocking more vehemently than they did at first. Then said the Keeper of the Gate, Who is 'there?' So the dog left off to bark, and he opened upon them.

Then CHRISTIANA made low obeisance, and said, Let not our LORD be offended with his 'handmaidens, for that we have knocked at his princely Gate.' Then said the Keeper, Whence 'come ye? and what is it that you would have?'

CHRISTIANA answered, We are come, from whence CHRISTIAN did come, and upon the same errand as he; to wit, to be, if it shall please you, graciously admitted, by this Gate, into the way * Part 1. p. 27. LI

(9.)

MERCY Without.

'that leads unto the celestial City.

And I answer,

my LORD, in the next place, that I am CHRISTI ANA, once the wife of CHRISTIAN, that now is gotten above.'

With that the Keeper of the Gate did marvel, saying, What is she now become a Pilgrim, that

but a while ago abhorred that life?' Then she bowed her head, and said, ' Yea; and so are these 'my sweet babes also.'

Then he took her by the hand and led her in, and said also, "Suffer the little children to come "unto me;" and with that he shut up the Gate. This done he called to a trumpeter that was above, over the Gate, to entertain CHRISTIANA with shouting and sound of trumpet, for joy. So he obeyed and sounded, and filled the air with his melodious notes.

Now all this while poor MERCY did stand without, trembling and crying for fear that she was re jected. But when CHRISTIANA had gotten admittance for herself and her boys, then she began to make intercession for MERCY.

And she said, My LORD, I have a companion of mine that stands yet without, that is come ' hither upon the same account as myself: one that ' is much dejected in her mind, for that she comes,

as she thinks, without sending for: whereas I was • sent to by my husband's KING to come.'

Now MERCY began to be very impatient, and cach minute was as long to her as an hour; where

MERCY received in at the Gate.

fore she prevented CHRISTIANA from a fuller interceding for her, by knocking at the Gate herself. And she knocked then so loud, that she made CHRISTIANA to start. Then said the Keeper of the Gate, Who is there?' And CHRISTIANA said, 'It is my friend??

So he opened the Gate, and looked out, but MERCY was fallen down without in a swoon, for she fainted, and was afraid that no Gate would be opened to her.

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

"Dam

'O Sir,' said she, 'I am faint; there is scarce ' life left in me.' But he answered, that one said, "When my soul fainted within me, I remembered "the LORD and my prayer came unto thee, into thy holy temple." Jonah ii. 7. Fear not, but 'stand upon thy feet, and tell me wherefore thou 'art come.'

MER. 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 presume.

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

MER. Yes; and, as my LORD sees, I am come; and, if there is any grace and forgiveness of sins to spare, I beseech that thy poor handmaid may taker thereof.

be par

Then he took her again by the hand, and led her

GOODWILL Comforts the Pilgrims.

gently in, and said, 'I pray for all them that believe

on me, by what means soever they come unto me.' Then said he to those that stood by, Fetch some

thing, and give it MERCY to sinell on, thereby to stay her faintings.' So they fetched her a bundle of myrrh. A while after she was revived.

And now was 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 fur'ther 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.'* Now I saw in my dream, that he spake many good words unto them whereby they were greatly gladded. He also had them up to the top of the Gate, and shewed them by what deed they were saved; and told them withal, that that sight they would have again as they went along in the way to their comfort.

So he left them awhile in a summer-parlour below, where they entered into talk by themselves; and

Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth for thy love is better than wine. Sol. Song i. 2. Then the same day at evening, being the first of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus, and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. John xx. 19.

MERCY relates her fears.

thus CHRISTIANA began: O Lord, how glad am 'I that we are got in hither!'

MER. SO you well may: but I of all have cause to leap for joy.

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 at us.

MER. 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." Matt. xxiv. 41. 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 made me start: I thought I never heard such knocking in all my life: I thought you would come in by a violent hand, or take the kingdom by storm.†

* Part I. p. 27.

And from the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force. Matt. xi. 12.