Twenty Years building the Ark for the faving his Hoofhold, and all Kinds of living Creatures.. There was alfo the Reprefentation of Abraham who wheh he was called, obeyed God, to go out into a Place, which he fhould afterwards receive for Inheritance, and he went out, not knowing whither he went. There was alfo reprefented, how by Faith he abode in the Land of Promife, as in a frange Country, as one that dwelt in Tents with faas and Jacob, Heirs with him of the fame, Promife: For they looked for a City having Foundation, whofe Builder and Maker is God. All thefe Men lived in Faith, belicving the Promifes, and receiving them thankfully, confeffing they were Pilgrims and Strangers on Earth; for they that fay fuch Things, declare plainly, that they feek another Country. For if they had been mindful of their own Country from whence they came out, they had Leifure to have returned: But they defired a better, that is, an Heavenly one; wherefore God is not afhamed to be called their God, and hath prepared for them a City.

I

Now, as Tender confcience was greatly plea fed, and much comforted with the Sight and Confideration of thefe Things; for he looked farther, and there he faw the Reprefentation of Abraham offering up Ifaac (to whom it was faid, In Ifaac ball thy Seed be called) and of Ifaac bleffing Jacob and Efau ; and of Jacob bleffing his Sons, the Twelve Patriarchs. Then he looked on that Side of the Room which w s oppofite to the Entrance of the Cave, and there was reprefented in Alabafter-work, how Mofes

when he came Age, refufed to be call'd the Son of Pharaoh's Daughter; chufing rather to fuffer Adverfity with the People of God, than to enjoy the Pleasures of Sin for a Seafon : And how he forfook Egypt, not fearing the King's Wrath, but regarding him that is invifible: And how he led the People of Ifrael thro' the Red-Sea as on dry Land, which the Egpytans attempting to do, were all drowned. And how the Walls of Jericho fell down at the Sound of their Rams Horns.. Many ore Things were there reprefented, as the famous Acts of Joshua, Gideon, Baruc, Sampfen, and Jephtha, alfo of David, Samuel, and the Prophets; who through Faith fubdued Kingdoms, wrought Righteoufnefs, obtained the Promises, ftopped the Mouths of Lions, quenched the Violence of Fire, efcaped the Edge of the Sword; of weak were made ftrong, waxed valiant in Battle, turn'd to Fight the Armies of Aliens, And of others who had been tried by cruel Mockings and Scourgings, by Bonds and Imprisonments, who were ftoned and hewn afunder, tempted and flain, wandring up and down in Sheeps-skins and Goatskins, being deftituted, afflicted, tormented, whom the World was not worthy of; they wander'd in Wilderneffes and Mountains, in Dens and Caves of the Earth; and thefe all thro' Faith, having ob tained a good Report, and received the Promifes.

The whole Room were they fat was adorned round with fuch Kind of Figures as thefe; which Tender-confcience view'd with a great deal of Delight and he took Courage from thefe glorious Patterns: His Spirit which before languished, now

began

1

began to revive and flourish within him, fo that
he burst out a Singing in this Manner :
Ab, puny Soul! faint-hearted Mind I
Weak as the Chaff before the Wind!
Long have I waver'd to and fro;
But forward now I'll boldly go:
Since me fuch noble Patterns move,
I'il mount the Hill on Wings of Love ;
Methinks my Heart within me burns,
And, all inflam'd, to God-ward turns
What tho' in the Seraphic Fire,
My ravish'd Spirit fhould expire;
Yet Phoenix like, it will revive,
And in immortal Glory live.

Then Good-refolution feeing Tender-conscience mightily refreshed with the Things he had feen, told him, That he had yet greater Things than thefe to fhew him, fuch as would even ravifh his Soul with Joy to behold. So he had him out of that Room, by a long Entry or Paffage cut out of the Rock, and full of Sky-lights that were let in at the Top, and brought him to another Cave, whère. dwelt a Man named Contemplation: The Man fat ftill in a Chair of pure Diamond, mufing and filent, neither faid they any thing to him, or he to them; but just as he law them enter, he drew back a Curtain which hung before the farther Part of the Room, and veiled half the Room; io that when any one came in firft, he could not fee what. was in the farther Part of the Room. But fo foon as the Man Contemplation had, with a String, which be held in his Hand, drawn back the Curtain, what a goodly and glorious Sight was there! How

dazling

Cazzling were the Things that there prefented themselves! For that Part of the Room was fo. contrived, that by letting in a certain Sky-light from the Roof of the Cave, your Eyes were immediately furprized with a Thousand Splendors, that Part of the Cave being all an intire Rock of Diamond, yet fo artificially polished, that by the Reflexion of the Sun-beams, it reprefented to you a moft glorious City, whofe Streets were paved with pure Gold, and the Walls of precious Stones, the Inhabitants walking up and down in long Robes, and glittering like the Stars. Alfo it reprefented the King of that Place, fitting on a Throne of Glory, a fiery Stream iffuing from before him, where Thousands of Thoufands miniftred unto him, and Ten Thoufand Times: Ten Thoufand ftood before him, whofe Faces were like the Lightning, their Eyes like Lamps of Fire, and their Arms and their Feet like to the polifhed Brass; in fhort, the whole Appearance was full of Luftre and Magnificence.

Tender confeierce was aftonished above measure at the Sight of thefe glorious Things, and ravished with an inexpreffible Delight, infomuch that he wifhed to live and die in that Place; for he had never yet feen fuch a goodly Sight before in all his Life. He continued gazing on the lovely Ob ject, neither could he take his Eyes off from look ing, till fuch Time as Good-Refolution drew the Curtain again, and to veiled them from his Sight, for he was afraid, left by too long gazing on to much Brightnefs, his Eyes might receive fome Da mage; remembring the Saying of the Wife Man,

He

He that gazeth upon Majefty, fhall be oppreffed with Glory. So he had him back again thro' the Paffage that led to his own Cave, and when they were come into the Cave, he defi'd Tender-conscience to fit down and meditate on what he had feen; fo Tender confcience fat down to meditate, while Good Refolution got ready a fmall Collation of Fruits, of Herbs, and of Wine, to refresh him, and make him more vigorous and active in going up the reft of the Hill. Oh Sir, faid Fender confcience, trou ble not yourself for me, nor take any Care about Meat and Drink; for what I have feen fince my coming into this Place, is both Meat and Drink to me: I feel myf-li ftrengthened by it, and my Spirits enliven'd, fo that methinks I could even fly up the reft of the Hill. Then Good-refolution made amfwer, If the bare Sight of thefe glorious Things has wrought fuch a wonderful Effect upon you, how much greater Influence may be expected from the mature Confideration and Application of tire? If the bare View of the Landscape be fo pleafant, how much more delightful will it be to think, that the City there represented, is the Place whi ther you are going; and that you fhall live there for ever, and be cloath'd and crown'd with Robes and Crowns of endlefs Glory? But I muft warn you of one Thing that will happen to you a little after your Departure from this Place, as it does ufually happen to all Pilgrims who have feen the glorious Things of this Cave: For left they fhould be exalted above measure, thro' the Abundance of Revelations, there is generally given unto them a Thorn in the Fkih, a Minifter of Satan, to buffet

them,