But I perceive this is not the thing; if I understand you right, your meaning is, that he was of opinion, that it was allowable fo to be.

Hon. Ay, ay, fo I mean, and fo he believed and practised.

fo?

Great-beart. But what grounds had he for faying

Hon. Why, he faid he had the Scripture for his

warrant.

Great-beart. Prithee, Mr. Honest, present uș with a few particulars.

Hon. So I will. He faid, to have to do with other men's wives had been practifed by David, God's beloved; therefore he might do it. He faid, to have more women than one, was a thing which Solomon practifed; therefore he might do it. He faid, that Sarah and the godly midwives of Egypt lied, and fo did Rahab; therefore he might do it. He faid, that the difciples went, at the bidding of their mafter, and took away the owner's afs; therefore he might do fo too. He faid, that Jacob got the inheritance of his father in a way of guile and diffimulation; therefore he might do fo too.

and pray," he means it in an oppofite fenfe from what is understood by many; he means by watching and praying to reprove a felf-confident and self-sufficient spirit, and to inculcate a deep and abiding fenfe of our own weakness and depravity. This is to watch, namely, to obferve the workings of pride and legality in our own hearts, and pray against them.

Great-beart. Highly base, indeed! Are you furẹ he was of this opinion?

Hon. I have heard him plead for it, bring fcripture for it, and bring arguments for it, &c.

Great-heart. An opinion which is not fit to be received with any allowance in the world.

Hon. You must understand me rightly: he did not say that any man might do this; but that those who had the virtues of those who did fuch things, might alfo do the fame.

Great-heart. What more falfe than fuch a conclufion? This is as much as to fay, that because good men heretofore have finned of infirmity, therefore he had allowance to do fo of a prefumptuous mind or becaufe a child, by the blaft of the wind, or for that it ftumbled at a ftone, fell down and defiled itself in mire, therefore he might wilfully lie down and wallow like a boar therein. Who could have thought that any one could so far have been blinded by the power of luft? But what is written must be true: "They ftumble at the word,

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being difobedient, whereunto alfo they were ap"pointed." I Pet. ii. 8.

His fuppofing that fuch may have the godly men's virtues, who addict themselves to their vices, is also a delufion as strong as the other. It is juft as if the

y Are there inftances of fuch characters in the world as this which is here described? There are. What fhall we fay to thefe things Lord, keep me,

dogs

dogs fhould fay, I have, or may have, the qualities of the child, because I lick up its ftinking excrements. To eat up the fin of God's people, Hof. iv. 8, is no fign of one poffeffed with their virtues. Nor can I believe, that one who is of this opinion, can at prefent have faith and love. But I know you have made fome ftrong objections against him; prithee, what can he fay for himself?

Hon. Why, he fays, to do this by way of opinion, seems abundantly more honeft than to do it, and yet hold contrary to it in opinion.

Great-heart. A very wicked anfwer; for though to let loose the bridle to lufts, while our opinions are against fuch things, is bad; yet, to fin, and plead a toleration fo to do, is worfe; the one ftumbles beholders accidentally, the other pleads them into the fnare.

Hon. There are many of this man's mind, who have not this man's mouth, and this makes going on pilgrimage of fo little esteem as it is.

Great-heart. You have said the truth, and it is to be lamented: but he that feareth the King of paradife fhall come out from them all.

Chrift. There are strange opinions in the world I know one who faid, it was time enough to repent when we come to die.

Great-heart. Such are not over wife. That man will be loth, who might have a week to run twenty miles in his life, to defer his journey to the last hour of that week.

Hon. You fay right; yet the generality of them who count themselves pilgrims do indeed act thus. I am, as you fee, an old man, and have been a traveller in this road many a day; I have taken notice of many things; I have feen fome who have fet out as if they would drive all the world before them, who nevertheless in a few days have died as they in the wilderness, without getting fight of the promised land. I have feen fome who have promised nothing at their first setting out to be pilgrims, and who, one would have thought, could not have lived a day, who have yet proved very good pilgrims. I have seen some run haftily forward, who have, after a little time, run as faft back again. I have seen some who have spoken very well of a pilgrim's life at first, who, after a while, have spoken as much against it. I have heard fome, who, when they first set out for paradife, fay pofitively, that there is fuch a place, who, when they have been almoft there, have come back again, and faid there is not. I have heard fome vaunt, what they would do, in case they should be oppofed; who, even at a falfe alarm, have fled, and left faith, the pilgrim's way, and all.

Now, as they were thus in their way, there came one running to meet them, and faid, Gentlemen, and you of the weaker fort, if you love life, fhift for yourselves, for the robbers are before you. Then faid Mr. Great-heart, They be the three who fet upon Little Faith heretofore. Well, we are ready for them. As they went on their way, they looked,

at

at every turning, when they fhould meet with the villains: but whether they had heard of Mr. Greatheart, or whether they had fome other game, they came not up to the pilgrims,

Chriftiana then wished for an inn for herself and her children, because they were weary. Then faid Mr. Honest, There is one a little before us, where a very honourable difciple, one Gaius, dwells. So they all concluded to turn in thither, Rom. xv. 23; and the rather, because the old gentleman gave so good a report of him. When they came to the door, they went in, not knocking, for folks are not used to knock at the door of an inn. Then they called for the mafter of the house, who came to them: and they asked him if they might lie there that night?

Gaius. Yes, Gentlemen, if you be true men, for my house is for none but pilgrims.

Then was Chriftiana, Mercy, and the boys, the more glad, because the innkeeper was a lover of pilgrims. They called for rooms, and he fhewed them one for Christiana and her children, and Mercy, and another for Mr. Great-heart and the old gentleman.

Then faid Mr. Great-heart, Good Gaius, what haft thou for supper? for these pilgrims have come far to-day, and are weary.

It is late, faid Gaius, fo we cannot conveniently go out to feek food; but fuch as we have you shall be welcome to, if that will content you.

Great