1 Pet.14 Ch. I feek an Inheritance Incorruptib undefiled, and that fadeth not away; and + Heb.11. is laid up in Heaven + and fate there to bestowed, at the time appointed, on the that diligently feek it. Read it fo, if y will, in my Book. Obft. Tush, faid Obftinate, away with you Book; will you go back with us, or no? Ch. No, not I, faid the other; because I have laid mine Hand to the * Plow. Obft. Come then, Neighbour Pliable, 1 us turn again and go home without him There is a Company of thefe crazy heade Coxcombs that when they take a Fancy b the end, are wifer in their own Eyes tha feven Men that can render a Reafon. Pli. Then faid Pliable, Don't revile ; what the good Chriftian fays is true, th Things he looks after are better than ours my Heart inclines to go with my Neighbour. Obft. What more Fools ftill? Be ruled b me, go back; who knows whither fuch Brain-fick Fellow will lead you? Go back, back, and be wife. rea † Chrifti. Ch. Nay, But do thou come with th an and Neighbour Pliable; there are fuch Thing Obalinate to be had which I fpcke of and many mor pull for Glories befides; if you believe not me, Pliable's here in this Book, and for the Truth o Soul. what is expreis'd therein, behold all is confirm + Heb. 9. ed by the + Blood of him that made it. 17,18,19, Pl. Well, Neighbour Obftinate, (fait 20, 215 Pliable) I begin to come to a point: Fin * Pliable tend to go along with this good Man, an contented to caft in my Lot with him; but, my goo to go with Companion, do you know the Way to th Chriftian, defired Place? Ch. I am directed by a Man whofe Name Evangelift, to fpeed to a little Gate that is before us, where we shall receive Instructions. about the way. Pli. Come then good Neighbour, let us be going; then they went both together. Obfti Obft. And I will go back to my place faid Obftinate, I will be no Companion of fuch mis nate gors led, fantaftical Fellows. railing Now I faw in my Dream that when Ob- back ftinate was going back, Chriftian and Phable Talk bewent talking over the Plain; and thus they teen began their Difcourfe. Chriftian Cb. Come, Neighbour Pliable, how do you and Plia do; I am glad you are perfuaded to go along ble. 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 given us the back Fli. Come Neighbour Christian, fince there are none but us two here, tell me now further what the Things are, and how to be enjoyed whither we are going... God's Ch. I can *better conceive of them with my Mind, than fpeak of them with my Tongue things unBut yet fince you are defirous to know, I will peakable. read of them in my Book. Pli. And do you think that the Words of your Book are certainly true ? -"Ch. Yes verily, for it was made by him +that cannot lie. Phi. Well Jaid, what things are they? + Tit. 1,2 If. 45, 27, eb. There is an endlefs Kingdom to be Jo, 10.17. inhabited, and everlasting Life to be given 27, 29. us, that we may inhabit the Kingdom för ever. Pl, Well faid, and what else? Ch. + 2 Tim. 4. 8. Ch. There are Crowns of Glory to be given us; t and Garments that will make Rev.22.4. us fhine like the Sun in the Firmament of Matt. 13. Heaven. Pli. This is very pleasant, and what else? *Ifa.1.58. Ch. There fhall be no more crying nor Rev.7.16. Sorrow; for he that is Owner of the Place 17, ch. 21 will wipe away all Tears from our Eyes. 4. Pli. And what Company shall we have there? Ch. There we fhall be with Seraphims, + Ifa. 6.2. + and Cherubims, Creatures that will dazzle 1 Thef. 4. your Eyes to look on them. There alío you 1.6. 17. fhall meet with thousands and ten thousands Rev.5.11. that have gone before us to that Place; none of them are hurtful, but loving and holy; every one walking in the Sight of God, and ftanding in the Prefence with Acceptance for ever: In a Word there we fhall fee the *Rev.4 1.4.5. * Elders with their Golden Crowns: There +Ch. 14. we fhall fee + Holy Virgins with their Gol1,2,3,4.5 den Harps. There we shall fee * Men that *Joh. 12. by the World were cut in Pieces, burnt in 25. +2Cor. 2, 3, 5' Flames, eaten of Beafts, drowned in the Seas, for the Love that they bare to the Lord Lord of the Place; all well and cloathed with 5.+Immortality, as with a Garment. Pli. The hearing of this is enough to ravish one's Heart; but are thefe Things to be enjoyed? how shall we get to be Sharers thereof.? Ch. The Lord the Governour of the Coun Ifa. 55. try, hath recorded that + in this Book, the Subftance of which is, if we be truly willing to have it, he will beftow it upon us freely. 12, Joh. 7.37. ch. 6. 37. Pl. Well, my good Companion glad am I to hear Rev. 21.6. thefe things: Come on, and let us mend our pace. ch. 22, 17. Ch. I cannot go fo faft as I would by reafon, of this Burden that is on my Back, Now a very * * The Now I fay in my Dream, that just as they had ended this Talk, they drew nigh to Miry Slough that was in the Midft of the Plain, and they being heedlefs did Slough of. both fall fuddenly into the Bog. The Name Defpond. of the Slough was Defpond. Here therefore they wallow'd for a time, being grievously bedaubed with Dirt; and Chriftian because of the Burthen 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. Pl. At this Pliable began to be offended, and angrily faid to his Fellow, Is this the Happiness you have told me all this while? If we have fuch ill fpeed at our first setting out, what may we expect 'twixt this and our Journey's End? + Nay if I get out again with † It is not my Life you shall poffefs the brave Country alone enough to for me. And with that he gave a defperate be Pliable Struggle or two, and got out of the Mire, on that Side of the Slough which which was next to his own Houfe; fo away he went, and Chriftian faw him no more. Wheefore Chriftian was left to tumble in the Slough of Defpond alone; but ftill he endeavour'd to ftruggle to that fide of the Slough that was fartheft * from his own Houfe, Chriftiand the next to the Wicket-Gate; the which an in trou he did, but could not get out becaufe of the ble feeks Barthen that was upon his Back: But I Still to get beheld in my Dream, that a Man came to further him, whofe Name was Help, and asked him, from his What he did there? own Houfe Ch. Sir, faid Chriflian, I was bid to go this Way by a Man called Evangelift, who directed *The Promifes + Help lifts him out * Pf. 40.4 directed alfo to yonder Gate that I might escape the Wrath to come, And as I was going thither, I fell in here. Help, Then, faid he, give me thy Hand; fo he gave me his Hand, and drew him out, and fet him upon found Ground, and bid him go his Way. Then I ftepped to him that plucked him out, and faid, Sir, wherefore fince over this place is the way from the City of Destruction to yonder Gate, is it that this Plat is not mended, that poor Travellers might go thither with more Security? And he said unto me, This miry Slough is fuch a place as cannot be mended. It is the Defcent whither the What Scum and Filth that attends Conviction * for makes the Sin, doth continually run, and therefore it Slough of was called the Slough of Defpond; for still as Defpond. the Sinner is awakened about his loft Con dition, there arifeth in his Soul many Fears and Doubts, and difcouraging Apprehenfi ons, which all of them get together and fet tle in this Place: And this is the Reafon of the Badness of the Ground. It is not the + Pleafure of the King that this + Ifa. 35 Place fhould remain fo bad; his Labourers 32 4.3 alfo, have by the Directions of his Majesty's Surveyors, been for above thefe fixteen hun dred Years employ'd about this Path of Ground, if perhaps it might have been mend ed: Yea, and to my Knowledge, faid be, here have been fwallowed up at least Twenty Thoufand Cart-loads; yea, Millions of wholefome Instructions, that have at all Sea fons |