not got rid thereof, nor could he by any means get it off without help.

He told him, as to thy burden, be content to bear * There is it, until thou comeft to the place of * deno deliverance liverance; for there it will fall from thy from the guilt back of itself.

and burden of

fin, but by the

Then Chriftian began to gird up his death & blood loins, and to addrefs himself to his of Chrift. journey. So the other told him, that by that he was gone fome distance from the gate, he would come to the house of the Interpreter, at whose door he should knock, and he would fhew him excellent things. Then Chriftian took his leave of his friend, and he again bid him God-speed.

Then he went on till he came at the house of the Interpreter, where he knocked over and over; at last one came to the door, and afked, Who was there?

Chr. Sir, here is a traveller, who was bid by an acquaintance of the good man of this house, to call here for my profit; I would therefore speak with the mafter of the house: fo he call'd for the mafter of the house; who after a little time came to Chriftian, and asked him, what he would have? Sir, faid Chriftian, I am a man that am come from the city of Destruction, and am going to the mount Zion; and I was told by the man that stands at the gate, at the head of this way, that if I called here, you would fhew me excellent things, fuch as would be an help to me in my journey.

"Interpreter. Then faid the Interpreter, Come in; I will fhew thee that which will be profitable to thee. So he commanded his man to light the candle, and

bid

n There is not a day, perhaps, but the believer is more and more convinced, that while he remains in the body, he fees through a glass darkly, and that he will never fully compre

hend,

bid Chriftian follow him: fo he had him into a private room, and bid his man open a door; the which when he had done, Chriftian faw the picture of a very grave person hang up against the wall, and this was the fashion of it, It had eyes lifted up to heaven, the best of books in its hand, the law of truth was written on its lips, the world was behind its back; it ftood as if it pleaded with men, and a crown of gold did hang over its head.

Chr. Then faid Chriftian, What meaneth this?

Int. The man whofe picture this is, is one of a thousand; he can beget children, travail in birth with children, and nurse them himself when they are born. (1 Cor. iv. 15. Gal. iv. 19.) And whereas thou feeft him with his eyes lifted up to heaven, the best of books in his hand, and the law of truth written on his lips; it is to fhew thee, that his work is to know, and unfold dark things to finners; F 2

even

hend, never properly understand, the end of providential dealings, till he gets to glory. The wisdom of God lies in the great deep, and believers themselves are much in the dark concerning it. At moft, they understand but very little, in this imperfect ftate, of the ways and works of God, in his dealings with the fons of men. It is indeed undeniable, that without a divine illumination, all the fons of Adam are utterly in the dark respecting spiritual things. They are naturally blind to the lovelinefs of Jefus, and the ineffable beauties and glories of his gofpel. Nor have they clear perceptions, even when called by grace. The neceffity and importance of infpiration is therefore fully manifeft; nor can it be perverted, without the most grofs infult on the divine veracity of God, and the understandings of men. It is the promise of God, to fend forth the Spirit of Truth, in order to guide his people into all truth; and agreeable to this bleffed promife, Chriftian meets with divine light and inftruction. Many of the great and deep things of God are laid open, and beautifully explained to him. Various indeed, are the acceptations in which the picture may be received; but it appears to me, most naturally and obviously to refer to an apoítle, a minifter, or paftor of God; one whofe peculiar office and bufinefs it is,

through

Part I. even as alfo thou feeft him ftand as if he pleaded with mer: and whereas thou feeft the world as caft behind him, and that a crown hangs over his head; that is to fhew thee, that flighting and defpifing the things that are prefent, for the love that he hath to his master's fervice, he is fure in the world that comes next, to have glory for his reward. Now, faid the Interpreter, I have fhewed thee this picture firft, because the man whofe picture this is, is the only man whom the Lord of the place, whither thou art going, hath authorized to be thy guide in all difficult places thou mayft meet with in the way: wherefore, take good heed to what I have fhewed thee, and bear well in thy mind what thou haft feen; left in thy journey thou meet with fome that pretend to lead thee right, but their way goes down to death.

Then he took him by the hand, and led him into a very large parlour, that was full of duft, because

never

through the affiftance of the divine Spirit, to open and unfold the facred myfteries of the gofpel: and I am the rather confirmed in this opinion, from the evident allufion it bears to the heart-feeling language of the apostle, when he fays, My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Chrift be formed in you, Gal. iv. 19. And again: For in Chrift Jefus I have begotten you through the gospel, 1 Cor. iv. 15. Confidered in this view (which, I prefume, is perfectly natural) the reprefentation is exceedingly grand, and fuited particularly to ftrike the mind. It is defcriptive of the fincerity and impaffioned ardour of a minister's heart. It is declarative of his zeal for the cause of God, and the fervency of his love to the dear immortal fouls committed to his care, than which nothing can be of greater importance to him in the difcharge of his miniftry. Nor is it lefs declarative of the wisdom and goodness of God, in raifing up paftors after his own heart, and enabling them fpiritually to feed the church of God. They are fpoken of in fcripture as guides to the blind; lights to them who fit in darkness; and in this view are they evidently alluded to, in the paffage before us. "But there is yet another allufion, which ftrikes the mind with ftill greater awe. By the reprefentation of a parlour, filled with duft, we have

the

never swept; the which after he had reviewed a little while, the Interpreter called for a man to fweep. Now, when he began to fweep, the duft began fo abundantly to fly about, that Chriftian had almost therewith been choaked. Then faid the Interpreter, to a damfel that stood by, Bring hither the water, and fprinkle the room : the which when fhe had done, it was fwept and cleansed with pleasure.

Chr. Then faid Chriftian, What means this?

Int. The Interpreter answered, This parlour is the heart of a man that was never fanctified by the fweet grace of the Gofpel: the dust is his original fin, and inward corruptions, that have defiled the whole man, He that began to fweep at firft, is the Law; but she that brought water, and did sprinkle it, is the Gospel, Now whereas thou fawest that as foon as the first began to fweep, the duft did fo fly about, that the room by him could not be cleanfed, but that thou waft almost choaked therewith; this is to fhew thee, that the law, instead of cleansing the heart (by its working) from fin, doth revive, put strength into, and increase it in the foul, even as it doth discover and forbid it, for it doth not give power to fubdue it. Rom. vii. 6. 1 Cor. xv. 56. Rom. v. 20.

Again, as thou faweft the damfel fprinkle the room with water, upon which it was cleanfed with pleafure; this is to fhew thee, that when the gospel comes in the sweet and precious influences thereof to the heart, then, I fay, even as thou faweft the

damfel

the picture of a man in his naturally loft and perishing condition, with a heart defiled by the moft horrid impurities, and polluted with the most tremendous guilt: and in this cafe, the finner lies like the poor wounded man in the gofpel, who fell among thieves. The law is of no avail to purify the heart, and deliver from the power of fin. To convince and condemn, is all the law can do. The good Samaritan, by the

power,

damfel lay the duft by fprinkling the floor with water, fo is fin vanquished and fubdued, and the foul made clean, through the faith of it, and confequently fit for the King of glory to inhabit. John xv. 3. Ephef. v. 26. Acts xv. 9. Rom. xvi. 25. 26. John XV. 13.

I faw moreover in my dream, that the Interpreter took him by the hand, and had him into a little room, where fat two little children, each one in his chair. The name of the eldeft was Paffion, and the name of the other Patience. Paffion feemed to be much discontented, but Patience was very quiet. Then Chriftian afked, What is the reafon of the difcontent of Paffion? The Interpreter answered, The governor of them would have him stay for his best things till the beginning of the next year, but he will have all now; but Patience is willing to wait.

Then I faw that one came to Paffion, and brought him a bag of treasure, and poured it down at his feet, the which he took up and rejoiced therein, and withal laughed Patience to fcorn. But I beheld but a while, and he had lavished all away, and had nothing left but rags.

Chr. Then faid Chriftian to the Interpreter, Expound this matter more fully to me.

Inter.

power, efficacy, and grace of the gofpel, can alone effect this; and when once the peace-fpeaking blood of Immanuel is applied to the wounded, fin-burdened confcience, fin is fubdued and vanquished; the heart purified, and, by an appropriating faith in Jefus, the finner is made meet for the kingdom of

God.

The believer thus renewed by grace, is farther inftructed in the ways of God. The contrariety of tempers, inclinations and purfuits of a natural man, to thofe of one renewed by grace, is fet forth under the lively figures of Pasion and Patience. The natural man, guided by paffion, is zealously attached to prefent fenfual gratifications, whilft the believer

waiteth

.