What CHRISTIAN saw at the INTERPUKTER'S.

set me on the way that hath led me directly to this house.

PI. But did not you come by the house of the INTERPRETER?

CHR. Yes, and did see such 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 sinned himself quite out of the hopes of God's mercy; and also the dream of him that thought in his sleep that the day of Judg

ment was come.

Pr. Why? did you hear him tell his dream.

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

PI. Was this all you saw at the house of the INTERPRETER?

CHR. No, he took me and had me where he shewed 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 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.

PI. And what saw you else in the way?

CHR. Saw! Why, I went but a little further, and

Their conversation continued

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 heavy burden, but then it fell down from off me. 'Twas 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 stript me of my rags, and gave me this broidered 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, aud PRESUMPTION, lie asleep, a little out of the way as I came, with irons upon their heels; but do you think I could awake them! I also saw FORMALIST 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; aud 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 of me.

Discourse with PRUDENCE.

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 whence I came out, I might have had opportunity to have returned; but now I desire a better country, that is an heavenly." Heb. ix. 16.

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

Рк.

PR. Can you remember by what means you find

* For I know that in me (that is, my flesh) dwelleth no good thing for to will is present with me, but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not· out the evil which I would not that I do. Rom. vii. 18, 19

PRUDENCE and CHARITY talk to him.

your annoyances at times as if they were vanquished?

CHR. Yes: when I think what I saw at the cross, that will do it; and when I look upon my broidered coat, that will do it; also 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.

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 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."

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 not you bring them along with you?

He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the LORD hath spoken it. Isa. xxv. 8. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes, there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. Rev. xxi. 4.

CHRISTIAN would gladly have brought his family with him.

Then CHRISTIAN wept, and said, Oh! how wil lingly would I have done it! but they were 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.*

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.

They

CHR. Yes, over, and over, and over. might also see my fears in my countenance, in my tears, and also my trembling under the apprehension of the judgment 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

And Lot went out, and spake unto his sons-in-law, which married his daughters, and said, Up, get ye out of this place; for the LORD will destroy this city. But he seemed as one that mocked unto his sons-in-law. Gen. xix. 14.