HONESTY's behaviour to the Piigrims.

for he knows all things that are done on the earth : but I have often wondered that any should come from your place, for your Town is worse than is the City of DESTRUCTION itself.

HON. Yes, we lie more off from the sun, and so are more cold and senseless; but was a man in a mountain of ice, yet if the Sun of Righteousness will arise upon him, his frozen heart shall feel a thaw. And thus it has been with me.

GR.-H. I believe it, father HONESTY, I believe it; for I know the thing is true.

Then the old gentleman saluted all the Pilgrims with a holy kiss of charity; and asked them of their names, and how they had fared since they had set out on their pilgrimage.

6

Then said CHRISTIANA, my name I suppose you have heard of; good CHRISTIAN was my hus'band, and these four were his children.'--But can you think how the old gentleman was taken, when she told him who she was! He skipped, he smiled, and blessed them with a thousand good wishes; saying, 'I have heard much of your husband, and ' of his travels and wars, which he underwent in his days. Be it spoken to your comfort, the name of your husband rings all over these parts of the 'world; his faith, his courage, his enduring, and 'his sincerity under all, has made his name famous.' -Then he turned him to the boys, and asked of them their names, which they told him. And then said he unto them, MATTHEW, be thou like MAT(12.)

Y y

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Mr. FEARING.

'THEW the publican, not in vice but in virtue. 'SAMUEL,' siath he, be thou like SAMUEL the pro

phet, a man of faith and prayer. JOSEPH,' saith he, 'be thou like JOSEPH in POTIPHAR's house, ' chaste, and one that flees from temptation. And 'JAMES, be thou like JAMES the Just, and like 'JAMES the brother of our Lord.' Then they told him of MERCY, and how she had left her Town and her kindred to come along with CHRISTIANA and with her sons. At that the old honest man said, 'MERCY is thy name: by mercy shalt thou be sus'tained, and carried through all those difficulties that shalt assault thee in thy way, till thou shalt

come thither, where thou shalt look the fountain ' of mercy in the face with comfort.'

All this while the Guide, Mr. GREAT-HEART, was very well pleased, and smiled upon his compa

nions.

Now, as they walked together, the Guide asked the old gentleman If he did not know one Mr. 'FEARING, that came on pilgrimage out of his parts.'

'Yes, very well,' said he. He was a man that 'had the root of the matter in him; but he was one ' of the most troublesome Pilgrims that I ever met ' with in all my days.'

GR.-H. I perceive you knew him; for you have given a very right character of him.

HON. Knew him! I was a great companion of his I was with him most an end when he first be

His behaviour at first setting out.

gan to think of what would come upon us hereafter I was with him.

GR.-H. I was his Guide from his Master's house to the Gate of the celestial City.

HON. Then you knew him to be a troublesome

one.

GR.-H. I did so; but I could very well bear it; for men of my calling are oftentimes instructed with the conduct of such as he was.

HON. Well then, pray let us hear a little of him, and how he managed himself under your conduct.

GR.-H. Why, he was always afraid that he should come short whither he had a desire to go. Every thing frighted him that he heard any body speak of, that had but the least appearance of opposition in it. I hear that he lay roaring in the Slough of DESPOND, for above a month together; nor durst he for all he saw several go over before him, venture, though they many of them offered to lend him their hand! He would not go back again neither; The celestial City! he said, he should die if he came not to it; and yet was dejected at every difficulty, and stumbled at every straw that any body cast in his way.-Well, after he had lain in the Slough of DESPOND a great while, as I have told you, one sun-shine morning, I dont know how, he ventured, and so got over: but when he was over he would scarce believe it. He had I think a slough of despond in his mind; a slough that he carried every where with him, or else he could never have been as

His behaviour at the Gate.

he was. So he came up to the Gate (you know what 1 mean,) that stands at the head of the way; and there also he stood a good while, before he would venture to knock. When the gate was opened, he would give back, and give place to others, and say, that he was not worthy for all he got before some to the Gate, yet many of them went in before him. There the poor man would stand shaking and shrinking; I dare say it would have pitied one's heart to have seen him nor would he go back again. At last he took the hammer that hanged at the Gate in his hand, and gave a small rap or two; then one opened to him, but he shrunk back as before. He that opened, stepped out after him, and said, 'Thou 'trembling one, what wantest thou?' With that he fell down to the ground. He that spake to him wondered to see him so faint. He said to him, Peace 'to thee; up, for I have set open the door to thee. come in, for thou art blessed.' With that he got up, and went in trembling; and when that he was in, he was ashamed to shew his face. Well, after he had been entertained there awhile, (as you know how the manner is,) he was bid go on his way, and also told the way he should take. So he went till he came to our house: but as he behaved himself at the Gate, so he did at my master the INTERPRETER's door. He lay thereabout in the cold a good while, before he would adventure to call; yet he would not go back: and the nights were long and cold then. Nay he had a note of necessity in his

At the house of the INTERP VETER.

bosom to my master, to receive him, and grant him the comfort of his house, and also to allow him a stout and valiant Conductor, because he was himself so chicken-hearted a man; and yet for all that he was afraid to call at the door. So he lay up and down hereabouts, till, poor man! he was almost starved: yea, so great was his dejection, that, though he saw several others for knocking got in, yet he was afraid to venture. At last, I think, I looked out of the window, and, perceiving a man to be up and down about the door, I went out to him and asked him what he was; but, poor man! the water stood in his eyes: so I perceived what he wanted. I went therefore in, and told it in the house, and we shewed the things to our LORD: So he sent me out again to entreat him to come in; but I dare say I had hard work to do it. At last he came in; and, I will say that for my LORD, he carried it wonderfully loving to him. There were but a few good bits at the table, but some of it was laidupon his trencher. Then he presented the note; and my LORD looked thereon, and said his desire should be granted. So when he had been there a good while, he seemed to get some heart, and to be a little more comforted. For my Master you inust know, is one of very tender bowels, especially to them that are afraid: wherefore he carried it so towards him, as might most tend to his encouragement. Well when he had a sight of the things or the place, and was ready to take his journey to go to