version.

6

6

shuts his eyes against the

But do you

Reasons of his

note.

Chr. Do you not remember that one of the ing, swearing, lying, uncleanness, Sabbath-breakShepherds bid us beware of the Enchanted Ground ? ing, and what not, that tended to

Hopeful's life He meant by that, that we should beware of sleep- destroy the soul. But I found at last, before coning; • Therefore let us not sleep, as do others, but by hearing and considering of things

, let us watch and be sober.'? 1 Th. v.6.

that are Divine, which indeed I heard of you, as HOPE. I acknowledge myself in a fault; and also of beloved Faithful, that was put to death for He is thankful.

had I been here alone, I had by sleep his faith and good living in Vanity Fair, that 'the

ing run the danger of death. I see it end of these things is death.' Ro. vi. 21–23. And that is true that the wise man saith, Two are better for these things' sake, .cometh the wrath of God than one.' Hitherto hath thy company been my upon the children of disobedience.' Ep. V. 6. mercy, and thou shalt have a good reward for thy Chr. And did you presently fall under the power labour. Ec. iv. 9.

of this conviction ? To prevent Chr. Now then, said Christian, to Hope. No, I was not willing presently to know drowsiness, they fall to

prevent drowsiness in this place, let the evil of sin, nor the damnation that Hopeful at first good discourse. us fall into good discourse,

follows

upon

the commission of it; but Good discourse

Hope. With all my heart, said the endeavoured, when my mind at first light. prevents drowsiness. other.

began to be shaken with the Word, to shut mine Chr. Where shall we begin?

eyes against the light thereof. HOPE. Where God began with us.

Chr. But what was the cause of your carrying begin, if you please.

of it thus to the first workings of God's blessed CHR. I will sing you first this song:

Spirit upon you ?

HOPE. The causes were, 1. I was ignorant that When saints do sleepy grow, let them come

this was the work of God upon me. I hither,

And hear how these two pilgrims talk together: never thought that by awakenings for resisting of the The Dreamers'

light.
Yea, let them learn of them, in any wise, sin, God at first begins the conver-
Thus to keep ope their drowsy slumb’ring eyes. sion of a sinner. 2. Sin was yet very sweet to
Saints' fellowship, if it be manag'd well, my flesh, and I was loath to leave it. 3. I could
Keeps them awake, and that in spite of hell.

not tell how to part with mine old companions, Chr. Then Christian began, and said, I will ask their presence and actions were so desirable unto They begin at you a question.

How came you to

4. The hours in which convictions were upon the che income think at first of so doing as you do me, were such troublesome and such heart-affright.

ing hours, that I could not bear, no not so much Hope. Do you mean, how came I at first to look as the remembrance of them upon my

heart.3 after the good of my soul ?

Chr. Then, as it seems, sometimes you got rid CHR. Yes, that is my meaning.

of your trouble? HOPE. I continued a great while in the delight HOPE. Yes, verily, but it would come into my of those things which were seen and sold at our mind again, and then I should be as bad, nay, fair; things which, I believe

now,

would have, had worse than I was before. I continued in them still, drowned me in perdition CHR. Why, wbat was it that brought your sins and destruction.

to mind again? Chr. What things were they?

Hope. Many things; as,
Hope. All the treasures and riches of the world. 1. If I did but meet a good man in
Also I delighted much in rioting, revelling, drink the streets; or,

2. If I have heard any read in the brought in the enchanted air of this world, usually begins with one of Bible; or,

again. these short naps.—(Cheever.)

· The Enchanted Ground may represent worldly prosperity ; * Here you see, as our Lord says, “It is the Spirit who agreeable dispensations succeeding long-continued difficulties. quickeneth, the flesh profiteth nothing.' Jn. vi. 63. Our car. This powerfully tends to produce a lethargic frame of mind : nal nature is so far from profiting in the work of conversion the man attends to religious duties more from habit, than from to Christ, that it is at enmity against him, and opposes the delight in the service of God. No situation requires so much Spirit's work in showing us our want of him, and bringing us watchfulness. Other experiences resemble storms, which keep to him. Man's nature and God's grace are two direct oppoa man awake; this is a treacherous calm, which lulls him to sites. Nature opposes, but grace subdues nature, and brings sleep.—(Scott.)

it to submission and subjection. Are we truly convinced of 20 Christian, beware of sleeping on this enchanted ground! sin, and converted to Christ? This is a certain and sure eviWhen all things go easy, smooth, and well, we are prone to dence of it, we shall say from our hearts, Not unto us, nor grow drowsy in soul. How many are the calls in the Word unto any yieldings and compliances of our nature, free-will, against spiritual slumber! and yet how many professors, and power, but unto thy name, O Lord, be all the glory, For through the enchanting air of this world, are fallen into the it is by thy free, sovereign, efficacious grace, we are what we deep sleep of formality! Be warned by them to cry to thy are. Hence, see the ignorance, folly, and pride of those who Lord to keep thee awake to rightcousness, and vigorous in the exalt free-will, and nature's power, &c. Verily they do not ways of thy Lord.-(Mason.)

know themselves, even as they are known.-(Mason.) VOL. 111.

20

me.

of their version.

now?

When he had

lost his sense of sin, what

tius

a

duties troubled him.

sinful courses, then he elldearours to

3. If mine head did begin to ache; or,

in the book uncrossed, for that the shopkeeper may 4. If I were told that some of my neighbours sue him, and cast him into prison till he shall pay wero sick; or,

the debt. õ. If I heard the bell toll for some that were Chr. Well, and how did you apply this to dead; or,

yourself? 6. If I thought of dying myself; or,

Hope. Why, I thought thus with myself: I 7. If I heard that sudden death happened to have, by my sins, run a great way into God's others;

book, and that my now reforming will not pay off 8. But especially, when I thought of myself, that score; therefore I should think still, under that I must quickly come to judginent.

all my present amendments, But how shall I bo Chr. And could you at any time, with ease, get freed from that damnation that I have brought off the guilt of sin, when, by any of these ways, it myself in danger of, by my former transgrescame upon you 1 ?

sions ? HOFE. No, not I, for then they got faster hold Chr. A very good application; but, pray, go on, of my conscience; and then, if I did but think of Hofe. Another thing that hath troubled me, going back to sin (though my mind was turned even since my late amendments, is, that if I look against it), it would be double torment to me. narrowly into the best of what I do His espying bad CHR. And how did do then ? you now, I still see sin, new sin, mixing best

things in his Hope, I thought I must endeavour to mend my itself with the best of that I do; so When be could life; for else, thought I, I am sure to that now I am forced to conclude, that notwithnolonger shake be damned.

standing my former fond conceits of myself and off his guilt by

Chr. And did you endeavour to duties, I have committed sin enough in one duty mend ?

to send me to hell,” though my former life had mend.

Hope, Yes; and fled from not only been faultless.3 my sins, but sinful company too; and betook me CHR. And what did

you

do then ? to religious duties, as prayer, reading, weeping for Hope. Do! I could not tell what to do, until I sin, speaking trnth to my neighbours, &c. These brake my mind to Faithful, for he and

This made him things did I, with many others, too much here to I were well acquainted. And he told relate.

me, that unless I could obtain the Faithful, Chr. And did you think yourself well then ? righteousness of a man that never had the way to be

Hope. Yes, for a while; but, at the last, my sinned, neither mine own, nor all the
Then he thought trouble came tumbling upon me again, righteousness of the world, could save me.

and that over the neck of all my re- Chr. And did you tl.ink he spake true ? formations.

HOPE. Had he told me so when I was pleased Cur. How came that about, since you were now and satisfied with mine own amendment, I had reformed ?

called him fool for his pains; but now, since I see Hope. There were several things brought it upon mine own infirmity, and the sin that cleaves to my Reformation at me, especially such sayings as these : best performance, I have been forced to be of his last could not All our righteousnesses are as filthy opinion. help, and why.

rags.' Is. Ixiv. 6. •By the works of the Chr. But did you think, when at first he suglaw shall no flesh be justified.' Ga. ii. 16. When ye gested it to you, that there was such a man to be shall have done all those things, say, We are un found, of whom it might justly be said, that he profitable,' Lu. xvii. 10; with many more such like. never committed sin ? From whence I began to reason with myself thus: If all my righteousnesses are filthy rags; if, by In modern editions, this has been altered to sin enough the deeds of the law, no man can be justified; and in one day. But in any period of tiine, selecting that duty if, when we have done All, we are yet unprofitable, has been a mixture of sin. For there is not a day, nor a

in the discharge of which we have felt the most pure, there then it is but a folly to think of heaven by the law. duty; not a day that thou livest, nor a duty that thou dost, His being I further thought thus: If a man runs

but will need that mercy should come after to take away thy debitor troubled a hundred pounds into the shopkeeper's are solemn and humbling reflections. — (Ed.) by

iniquity.'—(Bunyan's Saints' Privilege, vol. i. p. 679.) These debt, and after that shall pay for all 3 Thus, you see, in conversion, the Lord does not act upon that he shall fetch; yet, if this old debt stands still us as though we were mere machines. No, we have under

standing; he enlightens it. Then we come to a sound mind; · Not the evil of sin in the sight of God, but the remorse we think right, and reason justly. We have wills; what the and fear of wrath, with which the convinced sinner is oppressed, understanding judges best, the will approves, and then the and from which he, at times, seeks relief by means which ex. affections follow after; and thus we choose Christ for our ceedingly increase his actual guilt. Nothing but a free par- Saviour, and glory only in his righteousness and salvation. don, by faith in the atoning sacrifice of Christ, can take away When the heavenly light of truth makes manifest what we are, guilt; but the uneasiness of a man's conscience may be for a and the danger we are in, then we rationally flee from the tiine removed by various expedients.—(Scott.)

break his mind
to
who told him

sared.

himself well.

6

6

6

a

him.

1

sent.

vii. 89. He, iv. 16.

Te prays.

suved.

He durst not leave off prar

Ilope. I must confess the words at first sounded thou art willing to bestow him upun such a poor At which he strangely, but after a little more talk sinner as I am (and I am a sinner indeed), Lord, started at pre- and company with him, I had full con- take therefore this opportunity, and magnify thy viction about it.

grace in the salvation of my soul, through thy CHR. And did you ask him what inan this was, Son Jesus Christ. Amen. Ex. xxv. 22. Le. xvi. 2. Nu and how you must be justified by him ? Ilope. Yes, and he told me it was the Lord CHR. And did

you do as you were bidden ? Jesus, that dwelleth on the right hand of the Hope. Yes; over, and over, and Most Iligh. And thus, said he, you must be jus- over. tified by him, even by trusting to what he hath Chr. And did the Father reveal his Son to you? done by himself in the days of his flesh, and suf- HOPE. Not at the first, nor second, nor third, fered when he did hang on the tree. I asked him nor fourth, nor fifth; no, nor at the sixth time A more particu- further, how that man's righteousness neither. bour discovery of could be of that efficacy to justify

Chr. What did ile way to be

you

do then? another before God? And he told me Hope. What! why I could not tell what to do. he was the mighty God, and did what he did, and Chr. Had you not thoughts of learing off died the death also, not for himself, but for me; praying ? to whom his doings, and the worthiness of them, Hope. Yes, an hundred times twice He thought to

leave off praying. should be imputed, if I believed on him. He. I. No. iv. told. COL i. 1 Pe. i.

Chr. And whet was the reason you did not ? Chr. And what did you do then?

HOPE. I believed that that was true which had Ilope. I made my objections against my believ- been told me, to wit, that without the Ile doubts of ing, for that I thought he was not righteousness of this Christ, all the

ing, and why. acceptation. willing to save me.

world could not save me; and thereChr. And what said Faithful to you then? fore, thought I with myself, if I leave off I die,

Hope. He bid me go to him and see. Then I and I can but die at the throne of grace. And said it was presumption; but he said, No, for 1 withal, this came into my mind, “Though it tarry, was invited to come. Mat. xi. 28. Then he gave me wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not a book of Jesus, his inditing, to encourage me the tarry.' Ha ii. 8. So I continued praying until the He is better more freely to come; and he said, Father showed me his Son.? instructed.

concerning that book, that every jot Chr. And how was he revealed unto you? and tittle thereof stood firmer than heaven and HOPE. I did not see him with my bodily eyes, earth. Mat. xxiv. 35. Then I asked him, What I must but with the eyes of my understanddo when I came; and he told me, I must entreat ing, Ep. 1. 18, 19; and thus it was: One ed to him, and upon my knees, with all my heart and soul, the day I was very sad, I think sadder Father to reveal him to me. Ps. xcv. 6. Dan. vi. 10. Je. than at any one time in my life, and this sadness xxix. 12, 13. Then I asked him further, how I must was through a fresh sight of the greatness and make my supplication to him ? And he said, Go, vileness of my sins. And as I was then looking and thou shalt find him upon a mercy-seat, where for nothing but hell, and the everlasting damnahe sits all the year long, to give pardon and for- tion of my soul, suddenly, as I thought, I saw the giveness to them that come. I told him that I Lord Jesus look down from heaven upon me, and knew not what to say when I came. And he bid saying, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and

me say to this effect, God be mer- thou shalt be saved.' Ac. xvi. 31. He is bid to pray.

ciful to me a sinner, and make me to But I replied, Lord, I am a great, a very great know and believe in Jesus Christ; for I see, that sinner. And he answered, “My grace is sufficient if his righteousness had not been, or I have not for thee.'3 2 Co. xii. 9. Then I said, But, Lord, faith in that righteousness, I am utterly cast away. what is believing? And then I saw from that Lord, I have heard that thou art a merciful God, and hast ordained that thy Son Jesus Christ should

3 The true nature of faith is to believe and rest upon the be the Saviour of the world; and moreover, that which is the gift of God leads the soul to wait upon and cry

Word of truth, and wait for the promised comfort. That faith

to God, and not to rest till it has some blessed testimony Pray mind this. The grand object of a sensible sinner is from God of interest in the love and favour of God in Christ righteousness. He has it not in himself; this he knows. Jesus. But o how many professors rest short of this lWhere is it to be found ? In Christ only. This is a revealed (Mason.) truth; and without faith in this, every sinner must be lost. As I thought my case most sad and fearful, these words Consider, it is at the peril of your soul that you reject the did with great power suddenly break in upon me, “My grace righteousness of Christ ; and do not believe that God imput- is sufficient for thee,' three times together. 01 methought eth it without works for the justification of the ungodly. o every word was a mighty word for me; as my, and grace, and ye stout-hearted, self-righteous sinners, ye who are far from sufficient, and for thee; they were then, and sometimes are righteousness, know this and tremble !-(Mason.)

Christ is reveal.

how.

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1

1

3