FAITHFUL OVERCOMES SHAME.

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selves fools for the kingdom of heaven are wisest, and that the poor man that loveth Christ is richer than the greatest man in the world that hates him; Shame, depart! thou art an enemy to my salvation. Shall I entertain thee against my sovereign Lord? how, then, shall I look Him in the face at his coming? (Mark viii. 38.) Should I now be ashamed of His ways and servants, how can expect the blessing? But, indeed, this Shame was a bold villain; I could scarce shake him out of my company; yea, he would be haunting of me, and continually whispering me in the ear with some one or other of the infirmities that attend religion. But at last I told him, it was but in vain to attempt further in this busi for those things that he disdained, in those did I see most glory and so, at last, I got past this importunate one. And, when I had shaken him off, then I began to sing:

ness;

CHR. I am glad, my brother, that thou didst withstand this villain so bravely: for of all, as thou sayest, I think he has the wrong name; for he is so bold as to follow us in the streets, and to attempt to put us to shame before all men; that is, to make us ashamed of that which is good. But, if he was not himself audacious, he would never attempt to do as he does. But let us still resist him; for, notwithstanding all his bravados, he promoteth the fool, and none else. The wise shall inherit glory," said Solomon; "but shame shall be the promotion of fools." (Prov. iii. 35.)

FAITH. I think we must cry to Him for help against Shame, that would have us to be valiant for truth upon the earth.

CHR. You say true; but did you meet nobody else in that valley?

FAITH. No, not I; for I had sunshine all the rest of the way through that, and also through the Valley of the Shadow of Death.

CHR. It was well for you; I am sure it fared far otherwise with me. I had for a long season, as soon almost as I entered into that valley, a dreadful combat with that foul fiend Apollyon; yea, I thought verily he would have killed me, especially when he got me down, and crushed me under him, as if he would have crushed me to pieces. For, as he threw me, my sword flew out of my hand: nay, he told me, he was sure of me: but I cried to God, and he heard me, and delivered me out of all my troubles. Then I entered into the Valley of the Shadow of Death, and had no light for

almost half the way through it. I thought I should have been killed there over and over: but, at last, day brake, and the sun arose, and I went through that which was behind with far more ease and quiet.

Moreover, I saw in my dream, that, as they went on, Faithful, as he chanced to look on one side, saw a man whose name is Talkative, walking at a distance beside them; for in this place there was room enough for them all to walk. He was a tall man, and something more comely at a distance than at hand. To this man Faithful addressed himself in this manner. FAITH. Friend, whither away? Are you going to the heavenly. country?

TALK. I am going to that same place.

FAITII. That is well; then I hope we may have your good company.

TALK. With a very good will, will I be your companion.

FAITH. Come on, then, and let us go together, and let us spend our time in discoursing of things that are profitable.

other; any

TALK. To talk of things that are good, to me is very acceptable, with you, or with and I am glad that I have met with those that incline to so good a work; for, to speak the truth, there are but few who care thus to spend their time as they are in their travels, but choose much rather to be speaking of things to no profit; and this has been a trouble to me.

FAITH. That is, indeed, a thing to be lamented; for what things so worthy of the use of the tongue and mouth of men on earth, as are the things of the God of heaven?

TALK. I like you wonderful well, for your saying is full of con viction; and I will add, What thing is so pleasant, and what so profitable, as to talk of the things of God? What things so pleasant? that is, if a man hath any delight in things that are wonderful. For instance, if a man doth delight to talk of the history or the mystery of things; or if a man doth love to talk of miracles, wonders, or signs, where shall he find things recorded so delightful, and so sweetly penned, as in the Holy Scripture?

FAITH. That's true; but to be profited by such things in our talk should be that which we design.

TALK. That is it that I said; for to talk of such things is most profitable; for, by so doing, a man may get knowledge of many things; as of the vanity of earthly things, and the benefit of things above. Thus in general; but more particularly, by this a man may learn the necessity of the new birth, the insufficiency of our works, the need of Christ's righteousness, etc. Besides, by this, a man may learn what it is to repent, to believe, to pray, to suffer, or the like; by this, also, a man may learn what are the great pronises and consolations of the Gospel, to his own comfort. Further, by this a man may learn to refute false opinions, to vindicate the truth, and also to instruct the ignorant.

TALKATIVE UNMASKED BY CHRISTIAN.

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FAITH. All this is true; and glad am I to hear these things

from you.

TALK. Alas! the want of this is the cause that so few understand the need of faith, and the necessity of a work of grace in their soul, in order to eternal life; but ignorantly live in the works of the law, by which a man can by no means obtain the kingdom of heaven.

FAITH. But, by your leave, heavenly knowledge of these is the gift of God; no man attaineth to them by human industry, or only by the talk of them.

TALK. All that I know very well, for a man can receive nothing except it be given him from heaven; all is of grace, not of works. I could give you a hundred Scriptures for the confirmation of this.

O brave Talkative!

FAITH. "Well, then," said Faithful, "what is that one thing that we shall at this time found our discourse upon?"

O brave Talkative!

TALK. What you will. I will talk of things heavenly, or things earthly; things moral, or things evangelical; things sacred, or things profane; things past, or things to come; things foreign, or things at home; things more essential, or things circumstantial; provided that all be done to our profit.

FAITH. Now did Faithful begin to wonder; and, stepping to Christian (for he walked all this while by himself), he said to him, but softly, "What a brave companion have we got! Surely this man will make a very excellent pilgrim."

CHR. At this Christian modestly smiled, and said, "This man with whom you are so taken will beguile with this tongue of his twenty of them that know him not.'

FAITH. Do you know him then?

CHR. Know him? Yes, better than he knows himself.
FAITU. Pray, what is he?

I

CHR. His name is Talkative; he dwelleth in our town. wonder that you should be a stranger to him; only I consider that our town is large.

FAITH Whose son is he? And whereabout doth he dwell? CHR. He is the son of one Say-well. He dwelt in Prating Row, and he is known to all that are acquainted with him by the name of Talkative, of Prating Row; and, notwithstanding his fine tongue, he is but a sorry fellow.

FAITH. Well, he seems to be a very pretty man.

CHR. That is, to them that have not a thorough acquaintance with him, for he is best abroad; near home he is ugly enough. Your saying that he is a pretty man, brings to my mind what I have observed in the work of the painter, whose pictures show best at a distance, but very near more unpleasing.

FAITH. But Iam ready to think you do but jest, because you smiled.

CHR. God forbid that I should jest (though I smiled) in this matter, or that I should accuse any falsely. I will give you a further discovery of him. This man is for any company, and for any talk. As he talketh now with you, so will he talk when he is on the ale-bench; and the more drink he hath in his crown, the more of these things he hath in his mouth. Religion hath no place in his heart, or house, or conversation; all he hath lieth in his tongue, and his religion is to make a noise therewith.

FAITH. Say you so? Then am I in this man greatly deceived. CHR. Deceived! you may be sure of it. Remember the proverb, "They say, and do not;" but the kingdom of God is not in

word, but in power. (Matt. xxiii. 3; 1 Cor. iv. 20.) He talketh of prayer, of repentance, of faith, and of the new birth; but he knows but only to talk of them. I have been in his family, and have observed him both at home and abroad: and I know what I say of him is the truth. His house is as empty of religion as the white of an egg is of savour. There is there neither prayer, nor sign of repentance for sin; yea, the brute, in his kind, serves God far better than he. He is the very stain, reproach, and shame of religion to all that know him. (Rom. ii. 24, 25.) It can hardly have a good word in all that end of the town where he dwells, through him. Thus say the common people that know him: "A saint abroad, and a devil at home." His poor family finds it so;