fer it before the treasures of Egypt, Heb. xi. 25, 26. Besides, the King of Glory hath told thee, that be that will fave his life fhall lofe it, Mark viii. 35. John xii. 25. Matt. x. 39. And, he that comes after bim, and hates not his father and mother, and wife and children, and brethren and fifters; yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my difciple, Luke xiv. 26. I fay therefore, for a man to labour to perfuade thee that that shall be thy death, without which, the truth hath said, thou canst not have eternal life; this doctrine thou must abhor.

Thirdly, Thou must hate his fetting of thy feet in the way that leadeth to the ministration of death. And for this thou must confider to whom he fent thee, and also how unable that perfon was to deliver thee from thy burden.

He to whom thou was fent for ease, being by name Legality, (Gal. iv. 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27.) is the fon of the Bond-woman which now is, and is in bondage with her children, and is in a mystery this mount Sinai, which thou haft feared will fall on thy head. Now if the with her children are in bondage, how can't thou expect by them to be made free? This Legality therefore is not able to fet thee free from thy burden. No man was as yet ever rid of his burden by him; no, nor ever is like to be: Ye cannot be justified by the works of the law; for by the deeds of the law no man living can be rid of

his

the believer's affections from Jefus, and render the cross odious and difagreeable to him, is an enemy to his foul. No crofs-no crown, is the believer's motto. If he will live godly in Chrift Jefus, he must suffer perfecution. Whatever doctrine is propofed to him, of a contrary nature to this, is a delufion of the devil; it is the ministration of death to his foul; and whilst he is fubject to the bond-woman, he appears only as an object of condemnation. He is deceiving his own foul,

by

his burden. Therefore Mr. Worldly Wifeman is a liar, and Mr. Legality is a cheat; as for his fon Civility, notwithstanding his fimpering looks, he is but a hypocrite, and cannot help thee. Believe me, there is nothing in all this noife, that thou haft heard of these fottifh men, but a defign to beguile thee of thy falvation, by turning thee from the way in which I had fet thee. After this Evangelift called aloud to the heavens for confirmation of what he had faid; and with that there came words and fire out of the mountain under which poor Chriftian ftood, that made the hair of his flesh stand up. words were thus pronounced: As many as are of the works of the law are under the curfe: for it is written, Curfed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them, Gal. iii. 10.

The

Now Chriftian looked for nothing but death, and began to cry out lamentably; even curfing the time in which he met with Mr. Worldly Wiseman; still calling himself a thousand fools for hearkening to his counsel he alfo was greatly ashamed to think that this gentleman's arguments, flowing only from the flesh, should have the prevalency with him, to cause him to forfake the right way. This done, he applied himself again to Evangelift, in words and fenfe as follows:

by feeking for juftification by the deeds of the law, whofe tremendous fentence, as a tranfgreffor, hangs over his head. In this fituation Chriftian is alarmed, when Evangelift brings the point home to him. Death, in all its tremendous terrors, is prefented to his view; and he is afhamed to think by what means he was brought to fear its curfe. The remembrance of his exceeding great folly in liftening to carnal reason, pierces his very foul, and his forrow is increased by the painful reflection of having been led aftray.

Chr. Sir, What think you? is there any hope? May I now go back, and go up to the Wicket-gate? Shall I not be abandoned for this, and fent back from thence ashamed? I am forry I have hearkened to this man's counfel; but may my fin be forgiven?

Evan. Then faid Evangelift to him, Thy fin is very great, for by it thou haft committed two evils; thou haft forfaken the way that is good, to tread in forbidden paths; yet will the man at the gate receive thee, for he has good-will for men; only, faid he, take heed that thou turn not afide again, left thou perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little, Pfal. ii. 12. Then did Chriftian addrefs himself to go back; and Evangelift, after he had kiffed him, gave him one fmile, and bid him God

speed:

"Whenever the chriftian is brought to a fenfe of guilt, in confequence of his having backflided from God, he is generally moft grievoufly afflicted in his foul, left the Lord fhould for ever reject him. He is ready to conclude, as Chriftian does in the paffage before us, that for his iniquities he shall for ever be abandoned of God. The royal Pfalmift was well acquainted with this. He once began to think the mercy of God was clean gone for ever, that God had forgotten to be gracious, and would be favourable no more; but the manifeft proofs he afterwards had of the wisdom, power and grace of God, led him to entertain far different thoughts of his goodness. When he went into the fanctuary of God,-had proper views and conceptions of the Lord's dealings towards him, he understood the end of all these things. And until the believer is humbled for backflidings, and has a proper view of things, not unlike to thofe of David, he will not, he cannot understand God's chastifing vifitations. This appears evident, not only from fcripture, but from what Evangelift fays to Chriftian on the fubject. He ftrikes at the root, and endeavours to make him fenfible of the first moving procuring caufe of all his diftreffes-Sin. Chriftian's tranfgreffion was parallel to the fins of God's fpiritual Ifrael in the prophet Jeremiah's time. My people, faith God, have committed two evils; they have forfaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cifterns, broken cifterns that can hold no water, Jer. ii. 13. Chriftian had forfaken the true and living way

fpeed: fo he went on with hafte, neither spake he to any man by the way; nor if any asked him, would he vouchsafe them an answer. He went like one that was all the while treading on forbidden ground, and could by no means think himself safe, till again he was got into the way which he left to follow Mr. Worldly Wifeman's counfel: fo, in procefs of time, Chriftian got up to the gate. Now, over the gate there was written, Knock, and it shall be opened unto

you,

which leads to Chrift, and, in awful contempt of that way, had turned afide to tread in forbidden paths, and thereby brought his foul into bondage. But nevertheless, Evangelift encourages him to proceed on his way, and affures him of admiffion into the defired haven, from the kindness and compaffion of the good Samaritan, who is filled with good-will towards men. This pleafing thought animates Chriftian's heart; he proceeds with hafte, and his carriage and conduct in the way deferve our particular notice. Every circumftance, indeed, attending him from his first setting out, is a striking admonition to the chriftian. His various trials, are so many ufeful leffons to him, if fuitably applied; they all tend to fhew him more of the value of Jefus, and the neceffity of holinefs. The chriftian is in nothing more liable to be hurt, nor fubject to greater dangers, than from the pollutions and guilt of the world. To efcape thefe, therefore, requires much grace; and none fo ftrong, but feel their want of more. A carnal compliance with the world, is not only inconfiftent with the chriftian's profeffion, but highly injurious to his foul; though it must be acknowledged, that whilft he lives in the world, he cannot be entirely free from connections with those it would otherwise be his intereft to avoid; but it is neverthelefs indifpenfibly neceffary, as well for the honour of the christian character, as for the inward peace of the believer's mind, that he leans as little as poffible to the world. The christian name and character would appear far more respectable, did the profeffors of the gospel determine more steadily, in the strength of grace, to look forward with an unwavering mind, to the heavenly gate which admits to glory. It is in this manner that our pilgrim preffes forward, and will not vouchsafe an answer to thofe who would divert him from his pursuit. At length he arrives at the gate, and knocks for admiflion, agreeable to our Lord's advice, Knock, and it shall be opened unto you, Matt. vii. 8. And indeed, he appears a pro

per

you, Matt. vii. 8. He knocked therefore more than once or twice, faying,

May I now enter here? Will be within
Open to forry me, though I have been
An undeferving rebel? Then fhall I

Not fail to fing his lafting praife on high.

At laft there came a grave perfon to the gate, named Goodwill, who afked, Who was there? and whence he came, and what he would have?

Chr. Here is a poor burdened finner. I come from the city of Destruction, but am going to mount Zion, that I may be delivered from the wrath to come: I would therefore, Sir, fince I am informed that by this gate is the way thither, know if you are willing to let me in.

Good. I am willing with all my heart, said he; and with that he opened the gate.

So when Chriftian was ftepping in, the other gave him a pull then said Christian, What means that? The other told him, A little distance from this gate, there is erected a strong caftle, of which Beelzebub is the captain; from thence both he, and them that are with him, fhoot arrows at thofe that come up to the gate, if haply they may die before they can enter in. Then faid Chriftian, I rejoice and tremble.

So

per fubject of admiffion. He comes to Jefus as a burdened finner, and none fo able, fo willing to relieve him. The arms of Chrift will ever be expanded wide to receive every poor findiftreffed foul who comes unto God thro' him. Whosoever cometh, will be made to partake of the water of life freely; without money, and without price, Jefus, by his Spirit, will draw them unto himself, and feal them heirs of the kingdom, left Satan's enmity fhould deftroy them, and his barbed arrows ftick deep in their fouls. It is this which caufes a trembling, mixed with joy, and occafions every believer, as it did Chriftian, to go to Chrift with a mixture of hope and fear.

But