Then they seemed all to be glad; but the water stood in their eyes: yet they looked upon one another, and also bowed before the Interpreter.

He had them then into another room, where were a hen and chickens, and bid them observe a while. So one of the chickens went to the trough to drink, and every time she drank she lifted up her head and her eyes towards heaven. See, said he, what this little chick doth, and learn of her to acknowledge whence your mercies come, by receiving them with looking up.-Yet again, said he, observe and look so they gave heed, and perceived that the hen did walk in a fourfold method towards her chickens. 1. She had a common call, and that she hath all day long. 2. She had a special call, and that 3. She had a brooding note.

Matt 23. 37.

she had but sometimes.

And, 4. She had an outcry.

Now, said he, compare this hen to your King, and these chickens to his obedient ones. For, answerable to her, he himself hath his methods which he walketh in towards his people: by his common call he gives nothing; by his special call he always has something to give : he has also a brooding voice for them that are under his wing; and he has an outcry, to give the alarm when he seeth the enemy come. I choose, my darlings, to lead you into the room where such things are, because you are women, and they are easy for you.

And, sir, said Christiana, pray let us see some more. So he had them into the slaughter-house, where was the butcher killing a sheep: and behold the sheep was quiet, and took her death patiently. Then said the Interpreter, You must learn of this sheep to suffer, and to put up with wrongs without murmurings and complaints. Behold how quietly she takes her death, and, without objecting, she suffereth her skin to be pulled over her ears. Your King doth call you his sheep. After this he led them into his garden, where was great variety of flowers and he said, Do you see all these? So Christiana said, Yes. Then said he again, Behold the flowers are diverse in stature, in

The hen and chickens.-This is an emblem that has been honoured by the Master's own selection, in his Divine instructions to his people (Matt. xxiii. 37). The great point of the illustration here is in the allusion to the fourfold “call:”—(1) the "common call" universal offer of the Gospel; (2) the "special call"- the moving influence of the Spirit; (3) the "brooding note "—the love and care of

Jesus; and (4) the "outcry "-the alarm or admonition by which, in seasons of danger, we are recalled to the side of Jesus.

Let us see some more.-The Sheep led to the slaughter, and so patiently suffering its death, is an emblem of that patience under sufferings which it becomes all true children of God to exemplify, and of which Jesus was himself the great Exemplar

Interpreter Discourses with the Pilgrims.

quality, and colour, and smell, and virtue; and some are better than others also, where the gardener hath set them, there they stand, and quarrel not with one another.

Again he had them into his field, which he had sown with wheat and corn: but, when they beheld, the tops of all were cut off, only the straw remained. He said again, this ground was dunged, and ploughed, and sowed; but what shall we do with the crop? Then said Christiana, Burn some, and make muck of the rest. Then said the Interpreter again, Fruit, you see, is that thing you look for, and for want of that you condemn it to the fire, and to be trodden under foot of men beware, that in this you condemn not yourselves.

Then, as they were coming in from abroad, they espied a little robin with a great spider in his mouth so the Interpreter said, Look here. So they looked, and Mercy wondered; but Christiana said, What a disparagement is it to such a pretty little bird as the robin-redbreast is! he being also a bird above many, that loveth to maintain a kind of sociableness with men. I had thought they had lived upon crumbs of bread, or upon other such harmless matter: I like him worse than I did.

The Interpreter then replied, This robin is an emblem very apt to set forth some professors by; for to sight they are, as this robin, pretty of note, colour, and carriage: they seem also to have a very great love for professors that are sincere; and, above all others, to desire to associate with them, and to be in their company, as if they could live upon the good man's crumbs. They pretend, also, that therefore it is that they frequent the house of the godly, and the appointments of the Lord: but, when they are by themselves, as the robin, they can catch and gobble up spiders, they can change their diet, drink iniquity, and swallow down sin like water.

So when they were come again into the house, because supper was as yet not ready, Christiana again desired that the Interpreter would either show or tell of some other things that are profitable.

The Garden of flowers is designed to teach us the importance of discharging well the duty of our station and calling; as members of one body, in which all the members have not, indeed, the same office, but each is honourable and honoured in the fulfilment of his own vocation.

The Corn field, rendering back only straw and stubble as the fruit of the seed-time, represents the unfruitful recipient of God's grace

and favour. What saith the Master?--" Cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground?"

The Robin, with the spider in its mouth, is an emblem of the professor who makes a fair show of religion, and yet is dependent on his carnal appetites. This lovely-feathered bird, looking so innocent and fair, is yet degraded in its grovelling tastes. It may soar aloft toward heaven, and sing its joyous song; but its food and nourishment are of the earth, earthy.

Then the Interpreter began, and said :

The fatter the sow is, the more she desires the mire; the fatter the ox is, the more gamesomely he goes to the slaughter; and the more healthy the lustful man is, the more prone he is unto evil.

There is a desire in women to go neat and fine, and it is a comely thing to be adorned with that which in God's sight is of great price.

It is easier watching a night or two, than to sit up a whole year together: so it is easier for one to begin to profess well, than to hold out as he should to the end.

Every shipmaster, when in a storm, will willingly cast that overboard which is of the smallest value in the vessel: but who will throw the best out first? None but he that feareth not God.

One leak will sink a ship; and one sin will destroy a sinner.

He that forgets his friend is ungrateful unto him; but he that forgets his Saviour is unmerciful to himself.

He that lives in sin, and looks for happiness hereafter, is like him that soweth cockle, and thinks to fill his barn with wheat or barley.

If a man would live well, let him fetch his last day to him, and make it always his company-keeper.

Whispering and change of thoughts prove that sin is in the world. If the world, which God sets light by, is counted a thing of that worth with men; what is heaven, that God commendeth?

If the life that is attended with so many troubles, is so loth to be let go by us, what is the life above?

Everybody will cry up the goodness of men; but who is there that is, as he should be, affected with the goodness of God.

We seldom sit down to meat, but we eat and leave: so there is in Jesus Christ more merit and righteousness than the whole world has need of.

When the Interpreter had done, he takes them out into his garden again, and had them to a tree, whose inside was all rotten and gone, and yet it grew and had leaves. Then said Mercy, What means this? This tree, said he, whose outside is fair, and whose inside is rotten, is that to which many may be compared that are in the garden of God, who with their mouths speak high in behalf of God, but in deed will do nothing for him; whose leaves are fair, but their heart good for nothing but to be tinder for the devil's tinder-box.

Now supper was ready, the table spread, and all things set on the board; so they sat down and did eat, when one had given thanks. And the Interpreter did usually entertain those that lodged with him

34

churl I had carried it to him as to that. So guilt took hold of my mind, and would have drawn me into the pond; but that opportunely I had a dream of the well-being of my husband, and a letter sent me by the King of that country where my husband dwells, to come to him. The dream and the letter together so wrought upon my mind, that they forced me to this way.

INTER. But met you with no opposition before you set out of doors? CHR. Yes, a neighbour of mine, one Mrs. Timorous (she was akin to him that would have persuaded my husband to go back, for fear of the lions), she also befooled me for, as she called it, my intended desperate adventure: she also urged what she could to dishearten me from it; the hardships and troubles that my husband met with in the way but all this I got over pretty well. But a dream that I had of two ill-looking ones, that I thought did plot how to make me miscarry in my journey, that hath troubled me much; yea, it still runs in my mind and makes me afraid of every one that I meet, lest they should meet me to do me a mischief, and to turn me out of my way. Yea, I may tell my Lord, though I would not everybody know of it, that, between this and the gate by which we got into the way, we were both so sorely assaulted that we were made to cry out Murder! and the two that made this assault upon us were like the two that I saw in my dream.

Then said the Interpreter, Thy beginning is good, thy latter end shall greatly increase. So he addressed him to Mercy, and said unto her, And what moved thee to come hither, sweetheart?

Then Mercy blushed and trembled, and for awhile continued silent. Then said he, Be not afraid; only believe, and speak thy mind. Then she began, and said, Truly, sir, my want of experience is that which makes me covet to be in silence, and that also that fills me with fears of coming short at last. I cannot tell of visions and dreams as my friend Christiana can; nor know I what it is to mourn for my refusing of the counsel of those that were good relations.

INTER. What was it then, dear heart, that hath prevailed with thee to do as thou hast done?

MER. Why, when our friend here was packing up to be gone from our town, I and another went accidentally to see her. So we knocked at the door, and went in. When we were within, and seeing what she was doing, we asked her what was her meaning? She said she was sent for to go to her husband; and then she up and told us how she had seen him in a dream, dwelling in a curious place among immortals wearing a crown, playing upon a harp, eating and drinking at his