sure; if you will come, with a little pains you may richly provide for yourselves.

HOPE. Then said Hopeful, "Let us go see.",

CHR. "Not I," said Christian; "I have heard of this place before now, and how many have there been slain; and besides, that treasure is a snare to those that seek it, for it hindereth them in their pilgrimage."

CHRIS. Then Christian called to Demas, saying, "Is not the place dangerous? Hath it not hindered many in their pilgrimage ?” (Hosea iv. 16-19; xii. 8.)

DEMAS. "Not very dangerous, except to those that are careless;" but withal, he blushed as he spake.

CHR. Then said Christian to Hopeful, "Let us not stir a step, but still keep on our way."

HOPE. I will warrant you, when By-ends comes up, if he hath the same invitation as we, he will turn in thither to see.

CHR. No doubt thereof; for his principles lead him that way, and a hundred to one but he dies there.

DEMAS. Then Demas called again, saying, "But will you not come over and see?"

art an

CHR. Then Christian roundly answered, saying, "Demas, thou enemy to the right ways of the Lord of this way, and hast been already condemned for thine own turning aside, by one of his Majesty's judges (2 Tim. iv. 10); and why seekest thou to bring us into the like condemnation? Besides, if we at all turn aside, our Lord the King will certainly hear thereof, and will there put us to shame, where we would stand with boldness before him." Demas cried again, that he also was one of their fraternity, and that, if they would tarry a little, he also himself would walk with CHR. Then said Christian, "What is thy name? Is it not the by the which I have called thee ?"

them.

same

CHR. "I know you: Gehazi was your great-grandfather, and DEMAS. Yes, my name is Demas: I am the son of Abraham. Judas your father, and you have trod in their steps: it is but a

devilish

traitor, and thou deservest no better reward. (2 Kings v. 20-27; prank that thou usest; thy father was hanged for a Matt. xxvi. 14, 15; xxvii. 1-5.) Assure thyself, that, when we come to the King, we will tell him of this thy behaviour." Thus they went their way. within sight, and they at the first beck went over to Demas. Now, By this time, By-ends and his companions were come again

whether

they

fell into the pit by looking over the brink thereof, or

in the bottom by the damps that commonly arise, of these things I whether they went down to dig, or whether they were smothered am not certain; but this I observed, that they never were seen way. Then sang Christian :

again in the

"By-ends and silver Demas both agree;
One calls, the other runs, that he may be
A sharer in his lucre; so these two

Take up in this world, and no farther go."

Now, I saw, that, just on the other side of this plain, the pilgrims came to a place where stood an old monument hard by the highway-side; at the sight of which, they were both concerned, because of the strangeness of the form thereof; for it seemed to them as if it had been a woman transformed into the shape of a pillar. Here, therefore, they stood looking and looking upon it, but could not for a time tell what they should make thereof. At last Hopeful espied written above, upon the head thereof, a writing in an unusual hand; but he, being no scholar, called to Christian (for he was learned), to see if he could pick out the meaning: so he came, and after a little laying of letters together, he found the same to be this, "Remember Lot's wife." So he read it to his fellow; after which, they both concluded, that that was the pillar of salt into which Lot's wife was turned, for her looking back with a covetous heart, when she was going from Sodom. (Gen. xix. 26.) Which sudden and amazing sight gave them occasion for this dis

course.

CHR. Ah, my brother! this is a seasonable_sight. It came opportunely to us after the invitation which Demas gave us to come over to view the hill Lucre; and, had we gone over, as he desired us, and as thou wast inclining to do, my brother, we had, for aught I know, been made ourselves a spectacle for those that shall come after, to behold.

HOPE. I am sorry that I was so foolish, and am made to wonder that I am not now as Lot's wife; for wherein was the difference betwixt her sin and mine? She only looked back, and I had a desire to go see. Let grace be adored; and let me be ashamed that ever such a thing should be in mine heart.

CHR. Let us take notice of what we see here, for our help for time to come. This woman escaped one judgment, for she fell not by the destruction of Sodom; yet she was destroyed by another, as we see; she is turned into a pillar of salt.

HOPE. True, and she may be to us both caution and example; caution, that we should shun her sin, or a sign of what judgment will overtake such as shall not be prevented by this caution; so Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, with the two hundred and fifty men that perished in their sin, did also become a sign or example to others to beware. (Numb. xvi. 31, 32; xxvi. 9, 10.) But, above all, I muse at one thing; to wit, how Demas and his fellows can stand so confidently yonder to look for that treasure, which this woman, for looking behind her after (for we read not that she stepped one foot out of the way), was turned into a pillar of salt; especially sine the judgment which overtook her did but make her

an example within sight of where they are: for they cannot choose her, did they but lift up their eyes. CHR. It is a thing to be wondered at, and it argueth that their

but see

compare them to so fitly, as to them that pick pockets in the presence of the judge, or that will cut purses under the gallows. It is said of the men of Sodom, that they were sinners exceedingly, they were sinners "before the Lord," that is, in his eye

because

sight, and notwithstanding the kindnesses that He had showed heretofore. (Gen. xiii. 10-13.) This, therefore, provoked him the

more to jealousy, and made their plague as hot as the fire of the Lord out of heaven could make it. And it is most rationally to be concluded, that such, even such as these are, that shall sin in the sight, yea, and that too in despite, of such examples that are set continually before them to caution them to the contrary, must be partakers of severest judgments.

HOPE. Doubtless thou hast said the truth; but what a mercy is it that neither thou, but especially I, am not made myself this example! This ministereth occasion to us to thank God, to fear before Him, and always to remember Lot's wife.

I saw, then, that they went on their way to a pleasant river, which David the King called "the river of God;" but John, “the river of the water of life." (Psa. Ixv. 9; Rev. xxii. 1; Ezek. xlvii. 1-9). Now their way lay just upon the bank of this river: here, therefore, Christian and his companion walked with great delight; they drank also of the water of the river, which was pleasant and enlivening to their weary spirits. Besides, on the banks of this river on either side, were green trees that bore all manner of fruit; and the leaves they ate to prevent surfeits, and other diseases that are incident to those that heat their blood by travels. On either side of the river was also a meadow, curiously beautified with lilies, and it was green all the year long, In this meadow they lay down and slept, for here they might lie down safely. (Psa. xxiii. 2; Isa. xiv. 30.) When they awoke, they gathered again of the fruit of the trees, and drank again of the water of the river, and they lay down again to sleep. This they did several days and nights. Then they sang:

"Behold ye, how these crystal streams do glide,
To comfort pilgrims by the highway-side:
The meadows green, besides their fragrant smell,
Yield dainties for them; and he who can tell

What pleasant fruit, yea, leaves, these trees do yield,
Will soon sell all, that he may buy this field."

So, when they were disposed to go on (for they were not as yet at their journey's end), they ate, and drank, and departed.

the

Now, I beheld in my dream that they had not journeyed far, but the river and the way for a time parted, at which they were not a little sorry; yet they durst not go out of the way. Now way from the river was rough, and their feet tender by reason of their travels: so the souls of the pilgrims were much discouraged because of the way. (Numb. xxi. 4.) Wherefore, as still they went on, they wished for a better way. Now, a little before them, there was on the left hand of the road a meadow, and a stile to go over into it, and that meadow is called Bypath meadow. Then said Christian to his fellow, "If this meadow lieth along by our wayside, let's go over it." Then he went to the stile to see; and behold, a path lay along by the way on the other side

One temptation makes way for another.

FATE OF VAIN-CONFIDENCE.

95

of the fence. "It is according to my wish," said Christian; "here is the easiest going; come, good Hopeful, and let us go over."

HOPE. But, how if this path should lead us out of the way? CHR. "That is not likely," said the other. "Look, doth it not go along by the way-side ?" So Hopeful, being persuaded by his fellow, went after him over the stile. When they were gone over, and may lead weak ones were got into the path, they found it very easy

Strong Christians

out of the way.

to their feet; and withal, they, looking before them, espied a man walking as they did, and his name was Vain-Confidence: so

See what it is too suddenly to fall in with strangers.

they called after him, and asked him whither that way led. He said, "To the Celestial Gate." "Look," said Christian, "did I not tell you so? by this you may see we are right." So they followed, and went before them. But, behold, the night came on, and it grew very dark; so that they that were behind lost sight of him that went before.

He therefore that went before (Vain-Confidence by name), not seeing the way before him, fell into a deep pit, which was on purpose there made by the prince of those grounds to catch vain-glorious

A pit to catch the

vain-glorious in.