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pany of these crazy-headed coxcombs, that when they take a fancy by the end, are wifer in their own eyes than feven men that can render a reason.

Pli. Then faid Pliable, Don't revile; if what the good Chriftian fays is true, the things he looks after are better than ours; my heart inclines to go with my neighbour.

Obft. What! more fools ftill? Be ruled by me, and go back; who knows whither fuch a brain-fick fellow will lead you? Go back, go back and be wife.

Chr. Nay, but do thou come with thy neighbour Pliable; there are fuch things to be had which I spoke of, and many more glories befides; if you believe not me, read here in this book, and for the truth of what is exprefs'd therein, behold all is confirmed by the blood of him that made it, Heb. ix. 17---21.

Pli. Well, neighbour Obftinate, (faith Pliable) I begin to come to a point; I intend to go along with this good man, and to caft in my lot with him: but, my good companion, do you know the way to this defired place?

Chr. I am directed by a man whofe name is Evangelift, to speed me to a little gate that is before us, where we shall receive inftructions about the way. Pli. Come then, good neighbour, let us be going. Then they went both together.

Obft. And I will go back to my place, faid Obftinate: I will be no companion of fuch mifled fantaftical fellows.

Now

Obftinate now leaves Chriftian and Pliable, for the very fame reafons, that every natural man rejects not only Chrift, but all his dear defpifed followers. They frequently, alas, affect to treat those with contempt, whom they fecretly wish to honour. But as it was in the beginning, that they, who were born af

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Now I faw in my dream, that when Obftinate was going back, Chriftian and Pliable went talking over the plain; and thus they began their discourse.

Chr. Come, neighbour Pliable, how do you do? I am glad you are perfuaded to go along with me; had even Obftinate himself, but felt what I have felt of the powers and terrors of what is yet unfeen, he would not thus lightly have given us the back.

Pli. Come, neighbour Chriftian, fince there are none but us two here, tell me now farther, what the things are? and how to be enjoyed, whither we are going?

Chr. I can better conceive of them with my mind, than speak of them with my tongue: but yet, fince you are defirous to know, I will read of them in my book.

Pli. And do you think that the words of your book are certainly true

Chr. Yes verily, for it was made by him that cannot lie. Titus i. 2.

Pli. Well faid, what things are they?

Chr. There is an endless kingdom to be inhabited, and everlasting life to be given us, that we may in..C. habit

ter the flesh, perfecuted them who were born after the Spirit, even fo it is now, Gal. iv. 29. Chriftian and Pliable now engage in a converfation truly interefting. Chriftian speaks as one who well knew the gall and wormwood of a natural state (Lam. iii. 19.), and who had powerfully felt the terrors of the Lord in his confcience: but he was not left to abfolute defpair (though we shall prefently behold him diftreffed) for we find him fpeaking of the bleffednefs of divine things, as far furpaffing the conceptions of fhort-fighted mortals. His heart is full of them, nor is he able to declare one ten thousandth part of all the grace and glory that shall be hereafter revealed. He has, nevertheless, an experimental fenfe of the bleflings of the gofpel of peace upon his heart, and can therefore speak of them, as becometh the oracles of God to be spoken and heard. Not only the unfearchable riches of Chrift, as manifested in

time,

habit that kingdom for ever. Ifa. xlv. 17. John x. 27. 28. 29. A.

Pli. Well faid, and what elfe?':

Chr. There are crowns of glory to be given us; and garments that will make us fhine like the fun in the firmament of heaven. 2. Tim. iv. 8. Rev. xxii. 5. Matt. xiii. 43•

Pli. This is very pleafant, and what elfe?:

5. Chr. There fhall be no more crying, nor forrow; for he that is owner of the place will wipe away all tears from our eyes. Ifa xv. 8. Rev. vii. 16, 17. and xxi. 4.

Pli. And what company fhall we have there?

Chr. There we shall be with feraphims and cherú. bims, creatures that will dazzle your eyes to look on them: (Ifa. vi. 2. 1 Thef. iv. 16, 17. Rev. v. 11.) there alfo you fhall meet with thousands and ten thousands that have gone before us to that place; none of them are hurtful, but loving and holy, every one walking in the fight of God, and standing in his presence with acceptance for ever.⠀⠀ In a word, there we shall fee the elders with their golden crowns: (Rev. iv. 4) there we fhall fee the holy virgins with their golden harps: (Rev. xiv. 1---5.) there we fhall fee men, that by the world were cut in pieces, burnt in flames, eaten of beafts, drowned in the feas,

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time, but the ineffable glories of eternity are made the favou rite topic of his converfation. His defcription of heaven's blissful employment is grand and animating. Grand, as to the tranfcendant glories it exhibts; and animating to the believer, as his uncontrovertible inheritance among the faints in light. Happy and bleffed thought this to the believer. The troubles, trials, and temptations; the loffes, difappointments, and croffes he meets with here, will then be no more. Then fhall be fulfilled, in the fublimeft fenfe, that confolatory paffage, The tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God, Rev. xxi. 3. The believer then

feas, for the love that they bore to the Lord of the place; all well, and cloathed with immortality, as with a garment. John xii. 25. 2 Cor. v. 2, 3, 4.

Pli. The hearing of this is enough to ravish one's heart: but are these things to be enjoy'd? How fhall we get to be sharers thereof?

Chr. The Lord the governor of the country, hath recorded that in this book; the fubftance of which is, if we be truly willing to have it, he will beftow it upon us freely. Ifa. lv. 12. John vii 37. and vi. 37. Rev. xxi. 6. and xxii. 17.

Pli. Well, my good companion, glad am I to hear of these things; come on, let us mend our pace.

Chr. I cannot go fo faft as I would, by reafon of this burden that is on my back.

Now I faw in my dream, that juft as they had ended this talk, they drew nigh to a very miry flough that was in the midst of the plain, and they being heedlefs, did both fall fuddenly into the bog. The

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will hunger no more, neither thirst any more. He will be bleffed with the prefence of the Lamb, who will feed him, and lead him unto living fountains of water; and God, even his God, fhall wipe away all tears from his eyes, Rev. vii, 16, 17. ch. xxi. 4. Raised from earth to heaven, he will join the cherubic and feraphic hofts, and with angels and arch-angels, and all the blissful inhabitants above, he will rejoice to re-echo forth the praises of his redeeming God. With this delightfully pleafing theme, the heart of Pliable is even ravished; he is earneft to know by what means he may attain to this ftate of confummate bleffednefs, and Chriftian is equally earnest to inform him. The only way, the fure method, is fully implied, if not abfolutely expreffed, in a very short, but truly pertinent manner. Every perfon, a-thirit for Chrift, is invited to. come and take of the waters of life freely.

It is the language of fcripture, That through manifold temptations believers are brought to inherit the kingdom: and remarkably is the truth of this affertion verified in the paffage before us. Severe and adverse trials are the atten

dants

name of the flough was Defpond. Here therefore they wallow'd for a time, being grievously bedaubed with dirt; and Chriftian, because of the burden that was on his back, began to fink in the mire.

Pli. Then faid Pliable, Ah! neighbour Christian, where are you now?

Chr. Truly, faid Chriftian, I do not know.

Pli. At this Pliable began to be offended, and angrily faid to his fellow, Is this the happiness you have told me all this while of? If we have fuch ill speed at our first setting out, what may we expect betwixt this and our journey's end? May I get out again with my life, you shall poffefs the brave country alone for me. And with that he gave a defperate struggle or two, and got out of the mire on that fide of the flough which was next his own house; fo away he went, and Chriftian faw him no more.

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dants of every child of God; but the manner how, and the time when, is exceedingly various. God never afflicts his people, but for very just reasons; and if they are involved in diftreffes, or wounded through spiritual desertions, it is entirely owing to themselves, as the first moving caufe. This was the cafe with Chriftian and Pliable; they were heedlefs, and therefore fell into the miry flough. By this miry flough, the be liever may understand all the difficulties and dangers; all the fore trials and temptations he may meet with from his three grand enemies, the world, the flesh, and the devil. Fall by which he will, he is fure to be wounded, and grievously be daubed; and in this cafe, few are found to adminifter any comfort to him. Pliable knew little of the chriftian warfare; he was a stranger to the various conflicts the believer is fubject to, and therefore no wonder that he manifefts his ignorance and his folly, in his unkind language to Chriftian. Pli able, like many of the profeffors of our own day, feemingly run well for a season, and bid fair for the kingdom: but anon, when temptation befets them when perfecution follows clofe at their heels, and sudden distress overtakes them, they prefently fall. Pliable feemed well-enough pleafed, whilft he had a fhining profpect of heavenly blifs before him; but one intervening cloud changes the fcene. But faithlefs and unbe

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