"Next morning, when she was up, and had prayed to God, and talked with her children a while, one knocked hard at the door; to whom she spake out, saying, 'If thou comest in God's name, come in.' So he said, 'Amen;' and opened the door, and saluted her with, ‘Peace be to this house!' The which, when he had done, he said, 'Christiana, knowest thou wherefore I am come?' Then she blushed and trembled; also her heart began to wax warm with desires to know from whence he came, and what was his errand to her. So he said unto her, 'My name is Secret : I dwell with those that are on high. It is talked of where I dwell, as if thou hadst a desire to go thither: also there is a report that thou art aware of the evil thou hast formerly done to thy husband, in hardening thy heart against his way, and in keeping of these babes in their ignorance. Christiana, the Merciful One hath sent me to tell thee, that he is a God ready to forgive, and that he taketh delight to multiply the pardon of offences. He also would have thee to know, that he inviteth thee to come into his presence, to his table, and that he will feed thee with the fat of his house, and with the heritage of Jacob thy father.

Convictions seconded by tidings of God's readiness to pardon.

"There is Christian, thy husband that was, with legions more, his companions, ever beholding that face that doth minister life to beholders and they will all be glad when they shall hear the sound of thy feet step over thy father's threshold.'

:

"Christiana at this was greatly abashed in herself, and bowed her head to the ground. This visitor proceeded, and said, Christiana, here is also a letter for thee, which I have brought from thy husband's King' so she took it, and opened it; but it smelt after the manner of the best perfume. (Cant. i. 3.) Also it was written in letters of gold. The contents of the letter were these, 'That the King would have her to do as Christian her husband; for that was the way to come to his City, and to dwell in his presence with joy for ever." At this the good woman was quite overcome; so she cried out to her visitor, Sir, will you carry me and my children with you, that we also may go and worship this King?'

"Then said the visitor, Christiana, the bitter is before the sweet. Thou must through troubles, as did he that went before thee, enter the Celestial City. Wherefore I advise thee to do as did Christian thy husband: go to the Wicket-gate yonder over the plain, for that stands in the head of the way up which you must go; and I wish thee all good speed. Also I advise that thou put this letter in thy bosom, that thou read therein to thyself, and to thy children, until you have got it by rote of heart; for it is one of the songs that thou must sing while thou art in this house of thy pilgrimage. (Psa. cxix. 54.) Also this thou must deliver in at the farther gate.'

Now, I saw in my dream, that this old gentleman, as he told me the story, did himself seem to be greatly affected therewith. He

moreover proceeded, and said: "So Christiana called her sons together, and began thus to address herself unto them: My sons, I have, as you may perceive, been of late under much exercise in my soul about the death of your father: not for that I doubt at all of his happiness; for I am satisfied now that he is well. I have also been much affected with the thoughts of mine own state and yours, which I verily believe is by nature miserable. My carriages also to your father in his distress is a great load to my conscience, for I hardened both mine own heart and yours against him, and refused to go with him on pilgrimage.

"The thoughts of these things would now kill me outright, but that for a dream which I had last night, and but that for the en

couragement that this stranger has given me this morning. Come, my children, let us pack up and be gone to the gate that leads to the celestial country, that we may see your father, and be with him and his companions in peace, according to the laws of that land.'

Then did her children burst out into tears, for joy that the heart of their mother was so inclined. So their visitor bid them farewell: and they began to prepare to set out for their journey.

"But, while they were thus about to be gone, two of the women that were Christiana's neighbours, came up to the house, and knocked at the door. To whom she said as before, 'If you come in God's name, come in.' At this the women were stunned; for this kind of language they used not to hear, or to perceive to drop from the lips of Christiana. Yet they came in: but behold, they found the good woman preparing to be gone from her house.

"So they began, and said, 'Neighbour, pray what is your meaning by this?'

"Christiana answered, and said to the eldest of them, whose name was Mrs. Timorous, 'I am preparing for a journey.'

This Timorous was daughter to him that met Christian upon the Hill Difficulty, and would have had him go back for fear of the lions.

"TIM. For what journey, I pray you?

CHR. Even to go after my good husband. And, with that, she fell a weeping.

"TIM. I hope not so, good neighbour; pray, for your poor children's sake, do not so unwomanly cast away yourself.

"CHR. Nay, my children shall go with me; not one of them is willing to stay behind.

"TIM. I wonder in my very heart, what or who has brought you into this mind!

"CHR. Oh, neighbour! knew you but as much as I do, I doubt not but that you would go with me.

"TIM. Prithee,what new knowledge hast thou got that so worketh off thy mind from thy friends, and that tempteth thee to go nobody knows where ?

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CHR. Then Christiana replied, 'I have been sorely afflicted since my husband's departure from me; but specially since he Death. went over the River. But that which troubleth me most is, my churlish carriages to him when he was under his distress. Besides, I am now as he was then nothing will serve me but going on pilgrimage. I was a dreaming last night that I saw him. Oh, that my soul was with him! He dwelleth in the presence of the King of the country; he sits and eats with him at his table; he has become a companion of immortals, and has a house now given him to dwell in, to which the best palaces on earth, if compared, seem to me but as a dunghill. (2 Cor. v. 1-4.) The Prince of the place has also sent for me, with promises of entertainment, if I

shall come to him: his messenger was here even now, and has brought me a letter, which invites me to come.' And, with that, she plucked out the letter, and read it, and said to them, ' What now will you say to this ?"

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TIM. Oh, the madness that hath possessed thee and thy husband, to run yourselves upon such difficulties! You have heard, I am sure, what your husband did meet with, even in a manner at the first step that he took on his way, as our neighbour Obstinate can yet testify, for he went along with him: yea, and Pliable too, until they, like wise men, were afraid to go any farther. We also heard, over and above, how he met with the lions, Apollyon, the Shadow of Death, and many other things. Nor is the danger he met with at Vanity Fair to be forgotten by thee. For, if he, though a man, was so hard put to it, what canst thou, being but a poor woman, do? Consider also, that these four sweet babes are thy children, thy flesh and thy bones. Wherefore, though thou shouldest be so rash as to cast away thyself, yet, for the sake of the fruit of thy body, keep thou at home.

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The reasonings of the flesh.

But Christiana said unto her, 'Tempt me not, my neighbour.

M

I have now a price put into my hands to get gain; and I should be a fool of the greatest size if I should have no heart to strike in with the opportunity. And, for that you tell me of all these troubles which I am like to meet with in the way, they are so far off from being to me a discouragement, that they show I am in the right. The bitter must come before the sweet, and that also will make the Wherefore, since you came not to my house in God's name, as I said, I pray you to be gone, and not to disquiet me further.'

A pertinent reply to fleshly reasonings.

sweet the sweeter.

"Then Timorous reviled her, and said to her fellow, 'Come, neighbour Mercy, let us leave her in her own hands, since she scorns our counsel and company.' But Mercy was at a stand, and could not so readily comply with her neighbour; and that for a twofold reason. 1. Her bowels yearned over Christiana. So she said within herself, If my neighbour will needs be gone, I will go a little way with her, and help her.' 2. Her bowels yearned over her own soul; for what Christiana had said, had taken hold upon her mind. Wherefore she said within herself again, I will yet have more talk with this Christiana; and, if I find truth and life in what she shall say, myself, with my heart, shall go with her.' Wherefore Mercy began thus to reply to her neighbour Timorous :

MER. Neighbour, I did indeed come with you to see Christiana this morning; and, since she is, as you see, taking her last farewell of her country, I think to walk this sunshiny morning a little with her to help her on her way.' But she told her not of the second reason, but kept it to herself.

“TIм. Well, I see you have a mind to go a fooling too; but take heed in time, and be wise. While we are out of danger, we are out; but, when we are in, we are in.

"So Mrs. Timorous returned to her house, and Christiana betook herself to her journey. But, when Timorous was got home to her house, she sends for some of her neigbours; to wit, Mrs. Bat'seyes, Mrs. Inconsiderate, Mrs. Light-mind, and Mrs. Knownothing. So, when they were come to her house, she falls to telling of the story of Christiana, and of her intended journey. And thus she began her tale:

"TIM. Neighbours, having had little to do this morning, I went to give Christiana a visit; and, when I came at the door, I knocked, as you know it is our custom and she answered, 'If you come in God's name, come in.' So in I went, thinking all was well; but, when I came in, I found her preparing herself to depart the town, she and also her children. So I asked her, what was her meaning by that. And she told me in short that she was now of a mind to go on pilgrimage, as did her husband. She told me also a dream that she had, and how the King of the country where her husband was had sent her an inviting letter to come thither.