Chr. My honoured and well-beloved brother Faithful, I am glad that I have overtaken you; and that God has fo tempered our fpirits, that we can walk as companions in this so pleasant a path.

Faith. I had thought, dear friend, to have had your company quite from our town, but you did get the ftart of me: wherefore I was forced to come thus much of the way alone.

Chr. How long did you ftay in the city of Destruction, before you fet out after me on your pilgri mage?

Faith. Till I could ftay no longer; for there was great talk presently after you were gone out, that our city would, in a fhort time, with fire from heaven, be burned down to the ground.

Chr. What! did your neighbours talk fo?

Faith. Yes, 'twas for a while in every body's mouth.

Chr. What! and did no more of them but you come out to escape the danger?

Faith. Though there was, as I said, a great talk thereabout, yet I do not think they did firmly believe it. For in the heat of the discourse, I heard fome of them deridingly speak of you and of your desperate journey (for fo they called this your pilgrimage :) But I did believe, and do still, that the end of our city will be with fire and brimftone from above: and therefore I have made my escape.

Chr. Did you hear no talk of neighbour Pliable? Faith. Yes, Chriftian, I heard that he followed you till he came to the flough of Despond; where, as fome faid,

greets his brother Faithful on their happy meeting, and entering into converfation, they each recount the particular dealings of God with them, from their first setting out, to the prefent time; and in which they refer to the particular circumitance of Pliable's turning back. In this man we have a lively

faid, he fell in: but he would not be known to have fo done; but I am fure he was foundly bedaubed with that kind of dirt.

Chr. And what said the neighbours to him?

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Faith. He hath, fince his going back, been had greatly in derifion, and that among all forts of ple; fome do mock and despise him, and scarce will any fet him on work. He is now seven times worfe than if he had never gone out of the city.

Chr. But why should they be fo fet against him, fince they also despise the way that he forfook?

Faith. O, they fay, Hang him; he is a turn-coat! he was not true to his profeffion; I think God has ftirred up even his enemies to hiss at him, and make him a proverb, because he hath forfaken the way. Jer. xxix. 18, 19.

Chr. Had you no talk with him before out?

you came

Faith. I met him once in the streets, but he leered away on the other fide, as one ashamed of what he had done: fo I fpake not to him.

Chr. Well, at my first setting out I had hopes of that man, but now I fear he will perish in the overthrow of the city. For it has happened to him according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his vomit again; and the fow that was washed, to her wallowing in the mire, 2 Pet. ii. 22.

Faith. They are my fears of him too; but who can hinder that which will be?

Chr. Well, neighbour Faithful (faid Chriftian) let us leave him, and talk of things that more immediately

picture of too many in our own day, who if they could square the gofpel to their own unfanctified defires, and enjoy the favour of God in connection with the friendship of the world, would be flaming and zealous profeffors. But the faithful only, hold out unto the end. The example and experience of our pilgrim, is a

con

ately concern ourselves. Tell me now what you have met with in the way as you came: for I know you have met with some things, or else it may be writ for a wonder.

Faith. I efcaped the flough that I perceived you fell into, and got up to the gate without that danger; only I met with one whofe name was Wanton, that had like to have done me a mischief.

Chr. 'Twas well you escaped her net: Jofeph was hard put to it by her, and he escaped her as you did; but it had like to have cost him his life, Gen. Xxxix. 11, 12, 13. But what did she do to you?

Faith. You cannot think (but that you know fomething) what a flattering tongue fhe had; the lay at me hard to turn afide with her, promising me all manner of content.

Chr. Nay, fhe did not promise you the content of a good confcience.

Faith. You know what I mean, all carnal and fleshly content.

Chr. Thank God you have efcaped her; The abhorred of the Lord fhall fall into her ditch, Prov. xxii. 14.

Faith. Nay, I know not whether I did wholly escape her or no.

Chr. Why, I trow, you did not confent to her defire?

Faith. No, not to defile myself, for I remembered an old writing that I had seen, which faid, Her Steps take bold on bell, Prov. v. 5. So I fhut mine eyes,

confirmation of this. The enemy tempts by every object, and by every pleasure, that is fuited to gratify the wretched heart of man; nor can the finner discover their awful tendency and effects, till his mind is fpiritually illuminated by the Spirit of God. Faithful was near being drawn afide; he had large of

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Part I. because I would not be bewitched with her looks (Job xxxi. 1.): Then the railed on me, and I went my way.

Chr. Did you meet with no other affault as you came ?

Faith. When I came to the foot of the hill call'd Difficulty, I met with a very aged man, who afked me what I was? and whither bound? I told him, I was a pilgrim, going to the cœleftial city. Then faid the old man, thou lookeft like an honeft fellow; wilt thou be content to dwell with me, for the wages that I fhall give thee? Then I asked him his name, and where he dwelt? He faid his name was Adam the First, and that he dwelt in the town of Deceit. I asked him then, what was his work? and what the wages that he would give? He told me, that his work was many delights; and his wages, that I fhould be his heir at laft. I farther asked him, what house he kept, and what other servants he had? So he told me, that his house was maintained with all the dainties in the world; and that his fervants were thofe of his own begetting. Then I afked, how many children he had? He faid, he had but three daughters, The luft of the flesh, The luft of the eyes, and The pride of life; (1 John ii. 16.) and that I should marry one of them, if I would. Then I asked, how long time he would have me live with him? And he told me, as long as he lived himself. Chr. Well, and what conclufion came the old man and you to at last?

Faith. Why, at first I found myself somewhat inclinable

fers made him of ease, intereft, pleasure, and a kingdom at the laft. Thus fatan allures and deceives the foolish hearts of the fons of men and thus too, he often tempts and diftreffes the believer, who is in bondage, till the Lord gives

clinable to go with the man, for I thought he spake very fair; but looking in his forehead, as I talked with him, I faw there written, Put off the old man with his deeds.

Chr. And how then?

Faith. Then it came burning hot into my mind, whatever he said, and however he flattered, when he got me home to his houfe, he would fell me for a flave. So I bid him forbear to talk, for I would not come near the door of his house. Then he reviled me, and told me, that he would send such a one after me, that should make my way bitter to my foul. So I turned to go away from him; but just as I turned myself to go thence, I felt him take hold of my flesh, and give me fuch a deadly twitch back, that I thought he had pulled part of me after himself: this made me cry, O wretched man! Rom. vii. 24. So I went on my way up the hill.

Now when I had got above half way up, I looked behind me, and faw one coming after me, fwift as. the wind; fo he overtook me just about the place where the settle stands,

Chr. Juft there (said Chriftian) did I fit down to reft me; but being overcome with fleep, I there lost this roll out of my bofom.

Faith. But, good brother, hear me out fo foon as the man overtook me, he was but a word and a blow, for down he knock'd me, and laid me for dead. But when I was a little come to myself again, I asked him, Wherefore he ferved me fo? He faid, Because of my secret inclining to Adam, the First: And with

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him by faith to fee the mark of the beaft on his foreheadThat it is the luft of the flesh, the luft of the eyes, and the pride of life; and that whoever loveth thefe, the love of the Father is not in him. Satan often gains an advantage over the Chriftian, as he did over Faithful, but the Lord Jefus Chrift, the pro