they are.

Then faid the guide, My name is Greatheart; I am the guide of these pilgrims, who are going to the celestial country.

Hon. I cry you mercy; I feared that you had been of the company of those who some time ago robbed Little-faith of his money; but, now I look better about me, I perceive you are honester people.

Great-heart. Why? what would you have done, or how could you have helped yourself, if we had been of that company?

Hon. Done! why, I would have fought as long as breath had been in me; and had I so done, I am fure you could never have given me the worst on't, for a Chriftian can never be overcome, unless he should yield of himself.

Great-heart. Well faid, Father Honeft: by this I know that thou art a cock of the right kind; thou haft faid the truth.

Hon. And by this alfo I know that thou knowest what true pilgrimage is, for all others do think that we are the fooneft overcome of any.

Great-heart. Well, now we are happily met, pray let me crave your name, and the name of the place you came from?

Hon. My name I cannot tell; but I came from the town of Stupidity; which lieth about four degrees beyond the city of Deftruction.

Great-heart. Oh! are you that countryman? Then I deem I have half a guefs who you are; your

name

name is old Honefty; is it not? The old gentleman blushed, and faid, Not Honefty in the abftract P, but Honesty is my name; and I wish that my nature may agree to what I am called.

Hon. But, Sir, how could you guefs that I was fuch a man, fince I came from fuch a place?

Great-heart. I had heard of you before by my Master; for he knows all things which are done on the earth. But I have often wondered that any fhould come from your place, for your town is worse than the city of Destruction itself.

Hon. Yea, we lie more off from the fun, and fo are more cold and fenfelefs; but was a man in a mountain of ice, yet if the Sun of Righteousness should arise upon him, his frozen heart would feel a thaw; and thus it has been with me.

Great-heart. I believe it, father Honefty, I believe it; for I know the thing is true.

Then the old gentleman faluted all the pilgrims with a holy kiss of charity, and asked them their names, and how they had fared since they set out on their pilgrimage.

P Strictly speaking, there is none good fave one; that is, pofitively good yet every believer, by virtue of his relationship to Christ, and connection with him as having received his Spirit,

is a good man. Thus Barnabas was a good man, as being full of faith and the Holy Ghoft. And no doubt, as being led and influenced by that Spirit, he is an honeft man in his dealings and concerns with others who, upon principle, is anxious to fhew forth, by an upright and unblameable converfation, his profeffed fubjection to Christ.

Then faid Chriftiana, I fuppofe you have heard of my name; good Chriftian was my husband, and thefe four were his children. But can you think how was the old gentleman taken when she told him who she was! He skipped, he fmiled, and bleffed them with a thousand good wishes, faying, I have heard much of your husband, and of his travels and wars, and of what he underwent in his days. Be it fpoken to your comfort, the name of your husband rings all over these parts; his faith, his his faith, his courage, his enduring, and his fincerity under all, have made his name famous. Then he turned to the boys, and asked them their names, which they told him. Then faid he unto them; Matthew, be thou like Matthew the publican, not in vice, but in virtue, Samuel, faith he, be thou like Samuel the prophet, a man of faith and prayer. Jofeph, faith he, be thou like Jofeph in Potiphar's house, chafte, and one who flies from temptation. James, be thou like James the Juft, and like James the brother of our Lord. Then they told him of Mercy, and how fhe had left her town and her kindred to come along with

At that the old

Christiana, and with her fons. honeft man faid, Mercy is thy name; by mercy fhalt thou be fuftained, and carried through all those difficulties which fhall affault thee in thy way, till thou fhalt come thither, where thou fhalt look the Fountain of mercy in the face with comfort.

All this while the guide, Mr. Great-heart, was very well pleased, and smiled upon his companion.

Now,

Now, as they walked together, the guide asked the old gentleman, If he did not know one Mr. Fearing, who came on pilgrimage out of his parts.

Hon. Yes, very well, faid he. He was a man who had the root of the matter in him, but he was one of the most troublesome pilgrims that I ever met with in all my days.

Great-heart. I perceive you knew him, for you have given a very right character of him.

Hon. Knew him! I was a great companion of his; I was with him moft an end; when he first began to think upon what would come upon us hereafter, I

was with him.

Great-heart. I was his guide from my Master's houfe to the gate of the celeftial city..

Hon. Then you know him to be a troublesome

one.

Great-heart. I did fo; but I could very well bear it for men of my calling are oftentimes intrusted with the conduct of fuch as he was.

Hon. Well then, pray let us hear a little of him, and how he managed himself under your conduct.

Great-heart. Why, he was always afraid that he should come short of the place whither he had a defire to go. Every thing frightened him that he heard any body speak of, if it had but the least appearance of oppofition in it. I heard that he lay roaring at the Slough of Defpond for above a month together; nor durft he venture, for all he saw several go over

before

before him, and though many of them offered to lend him their hands. Neither would he go back 9. Oh, the celestial city! was his cry; he should die, he faid, if he came not to it; yet he was dejected at every difficulty, and ftumbled at every ftraw which any body caft in his way. Well, after he had lain at the Slough of Despond a great while, as I have told you, one fun-fhiny morning, I do not know how, but he ventured, and fo got over; but when he was over, he would fcarce believe it. (He had, I think, a Slough of Defpond in his mind, a flough which he carried every where with him, or else he could never have been as he was.) He then came up to the gate; you know where I mean; which stands at the head of this way, and there also he ftood a good while before he would venture to knock. When the gate was opened, he would draw back and give place to others, and fay, that he was not worthy. For all he got before fome to the gate, yet many of them went in before him.

¶ Perfeverance only can prove who has and who has not received the grace of God in truth. Many may seem to run well for a time, but afterwards they fall away. Our Lord fays, "If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples in"deed."

We cannot but admire the variety of experiences introduced into the pilgrim's progrefs. Many have died remarkably happy in the Lord, who, till very near their last moments, have been in bondage through fear of death. We may be fure of this, that wherever the Lord has begun a work he will carry it on to the great decifive day.

There