shepherds. So they thanked him for all his kindness, and went softly along the right way, singing Come hither, you that walk along the way, 'Tis true, they rescued were, but yet, you see, They're scourged to boot: let this your caution be. Now after a while they perceived afar off one coming softly and alone, all along the highway, to meet them. Then said Christian to his fellow, Yonder is a man with his back towards Zion, and he is coming to meet us. HOPE. I see him: let us take heed to ourselves now, lest he should prove a Flatterer also. So he drew nearer, and at last came up to them. His name was Atheist; and he asked them whither they were going? CHR. We are going to Mount Zion. Then Atheist fell into a very great laughter. CHR. What is the meaning of your laughter? ATH. I laugh to see what ignorant persons you are, to take upon you so tedious a journey; and yet are like to have nothing but your travel for your pains. CHR. Why, man? do you think we shall not be received? ATH. Received! there is not such a place as you dream of in all this world. CHR. But there is in the world to come. ATH. When I was at home in mine own country, I heard as you Eccl. 10. 15. Jer. 17. now affirm, and from that hearing went out to see, and have been seeking this city these twenty years, but find no more of it than I did the first day I set out. 15. CHR. We have both heard and believe that there is such a place to be found. ATH. Had not I when at home believed, I had not come thus far while another laughs to scorn the hope of the | because he sees not the substance of its propilgrimage. ATHEIST would fain laugh down the evidence of faith, because he has not seen the better land with his bodily eyes. His only argument is ridicule; his only evidence is sight. He believes no future harvests, because he sees not the golden sheaves in the seed-time. He receives not the bank-note, mise. But “faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen,” Heb. xi. 1. And this faith-trusting, believing, farseeing faith-sustains the Pilgrims. "Did we not see from the Delectable Mountains the gate of the City?" Yes, with the quickened eye of Faith they had spiritually seen the land The Meeting with Atheist. to seek; but finding none (and yet I should, had there been such a place to be found, for I have gone to seek it farther than you), I am going back again, and will seek to refresh myself with the things that I then cast away for hopes of that which I now see is not. Then said Christian to Hopeful his companion, Is it true which this man hath said? 2 Cor. 5. 7. HOPE. Take heed, he is one of the Flatterers: remember what it hath cost us once already for hearkening to such kind of fellows. What! no Mount Zion! Did we not see from the Delectable Mountains the gate of the city? Also, are we not now to walk by faith? Let us go on, lest the man with the whip overtake us again. You should have taught me that lesson which I will round you in the ears withal: "Cease, my son, to hear the instruction that causeth to err from the words of knowledge:" I say, Prov. 19. 27. Heb. my brother, cease to hear him, and let us "believe to the saving of the soul." 10. 39. CHR. My brother, I did not put the question to thee for that I doubted of the truth of our belief myself, but to prove thee, and to fetch from thee a proof of the honesty of thy heart. As for this man, I know that he is blinded by "the god of this world." Let thee and me go on, knowing that we have belief of the truth, and 1 John 2. 21. HOPE. Now do I "rejoice in hope of the glory of God." So they turned away from the man, and he, laughing at them, went his way. I then saw in my dream, that they went on until they came into a certain country whose air naturally tended to make one drowsy, if he came a stranger into it. And here Hopeful began to be very dull and heavy to sleep wherefore he said unto Christian, I do now begin to grow so drowsy that I can scarcely hold open mine eyes; let us lie down here, and take one nap. afar off. This is the privilege of God's own | City ? " Thus true experimental faith can answer the objections of unbelievers. It is the inner testimony, the witness of the heart. This answer was not designed to convince ATHEIST, but to strengthen their own consistency, and to assist them to "beware of the flatterer." Such is the value of these blessed views revealed by faith: they communicate present joy, and inspire future confidence. One such vision of the otherwise Unseen is calcuThis evidence of their faith cannot be over-lated to dispel a thousand doubts of unbelief. thrown — “Did we not see the gate of the If it be not an answer to the world, it is a By no means, said the other, lest sleeping we never awake more. HOPE. Why, my brother? sleep is sweet to the labouring man: we may be refreshed if we take a nap. CHR. Do not you remember that one of the shepherds bid us beware of the Enchanted Ground? He meant by that, that we should beware I Thess. 5. 6. of sleeping. "Wherefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober." HOPE. I acknowledge myself in a fault; and, had I been here alone, I had by sleeping run the danger of death. I see it is true that the wise man saith, "Two are better than one." Hitherto hath thy company been my mercy; and thou shalt "have a good reward for thy labour." Eccl. 4. 9. Now then, said Christian, to prevent drowsiness in this place, let us fall into good discourse. With all my heart, said the other. CHR. Where shall we begin? HOPE. Where God began with us; but do you begin, if you please. When saints do sleepy grow, let them come hither, sufficient answer to one's own soul, sustaining the spirit of faith, and hope, and confidence in God. Oh, for such faith as Moses had! "for he endured, as seeing Him who is invisible." men careless and "at ease in Sion." How often have men fallen from the consistency of the Christian walk, when visited with the sunshine of temporal success! "Give me not riches," said one of old, "lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the Lord?" Prov. xxx. 8, 9. The Enchanted Ground.-The third caution of the Shepherds is now brought to mind "to take heed that they slept not on the Enchanted Ground." The Pilgrims have now entered on that region of country, and they feel the spirit of slumber steal softly over them, and their eyes are heavy with sleep. CHRISTIAN exhorts his comrade to be wakeful and vigilant. The Enchanted Ground means-politically -the mitigation of penalties and persecutions; when ease and liberty are enjoyed, and the Church has rest from strife. This is a season fraught with danger; lest a spirit of soft and luxurious ease should take the place of former vigilance and watchfulness. Spiritually (and here is its real significance), the Enchanted Ground is meant to indicate such seasons of worldly prosperity as tend to render Christian hath led us. Such is the position of our Pilgrims at this stage of their journey. They are represented as tarrying for a time in a land of luxury and ease. They need to "watch and be sober." The whole tendency of such a season is in the direction of sloth, and slumber, and forgetfulness of God. To resist this temptation, they resort to the blessed expedient of Christian communion, and fellowship of saints. Soft indulgence tends to blunt the keen edge of Christian experience; but, in Christian communion, "iron sharpeneth iron." It is highly profitable to the soul's health to review the past, to remember the days of old, and to call to remembrance the way in which the Lord |