Potion prepared.

The Latin I borrow.

purpose;

it was

a purge, but it was too weak; it was said, it was made of the blood of a goat, the ashes of a heifer, and with some of the juice of hyssop, &c. Heb. x. 14. When Mr. Skill had seen that that purge was too weak, he made him one to the made ex carne et sanguine Christi. John vi. 54-57; Heb. ix. 14. (You know physicians give strange medicines to their patients.) And it was made up into pills, with a promise or two, and a proportionable quantity of salt. Mark ix. 49. Now he was to take them three at a time fasting, in half a quarter of a pint of the tears of repentance. When this The boy loath to potion was prepared, and brought to the boy, he was loath to take it, though torn with the gripes as if he should be pulled in pieces. Come, come, said the physician, you must take it. It goes against my stomach, said the boy. Zech. xii. 10. I must have you take it, said his mother. I shall vomit it up again, said the boy. Pray, Sir, said Christiana, to Mr. Skill, how does it taste? It has no ill taste, said the doctor; and with that she touched one of the

take the physic.

The mother tastes it, and persuades him,

pills with the tip of her tongue. Oh, Matthew, said she, this potion is sweeter than honey. If thou lovest thy mother, if thou lovest thy brothers, if thou lovest Mercy, if thou lovest thy life, take it. So with much ado, after a short prayer for the blessing of God upon it, he took it, and it wrought kindly with him. It caused him to purge, it caused him to sleep and rest quietly; it put him into a fine heat and breathing sweat, and did quite rid him of his gripes. So in little time he got up, and in the hand of his walked about with a staff, and would go from room to room, and talk with Prudence, Piety, and Charity, of his distemper, and how he was healed.

A word of God

faith.

So when the boy was healed, Christiana asked Mr. Skill,

• Mr. Bunyan's modesty is admirable; he quotes Latin, but is careful to tell us, "The Latin I borrow." The English is, " Of the flesh and of the blood of Christ." This is the only potion for sin-sick souls.

How correctly are the effects of an indulgence in sin described. Sin and sorrow are inseparable. "If a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness."

saying, Sir, what will content you for your pains and care to, and of my child? And he said, You must pay the Master of the College of Physicians, according to rules made in that case and provided. Heb. xiii. 11-16.

CHRIS. But, Sir, said she, what is this pill good for else? SKILL. It is an universal pill; it is good against all the diseases that Pilgrims are incident to; and when

it is well prepared, it will keep good, time out of mind.

This pill an uni ̧ versal remedy.

CHRIS. Pray, Sir, make me up twelve boxes of them; for if I can get these, I will never take other physic.

SKILL. These pills are good to prevent diseases, as well as to cure when one is sick. Yea, I dare say it, and stand to it, that if a man will but use this physic as he should, it will make him live for ever. John vi. 50. But, good Christiana, thou must give these pills no other way but as I have prescribed; for, if you do, they will do no good." So he gave unto Christiana physic for herself, and her boys, and for Mercy; and bid Matthew take heed how he eat any more green plums, and kissed them, and went his

way.

In a glass of the tears of repentance.

It was told you before, that Prudence bid the boys, that if at any time they would, they should ask her some questions that might be profitable, and she would say something to them.

MATT. Then Matthew, who had been sick, asked her, Why, for the most part, physic should be bitter to our

palates ?

Of physic.

PRUD. To show how unwelcome the Word of God, and the effects thereof, are to a carnal heart.

MATT. Why does physic, if it does good, Of the effects of purge, and cause that we vomit ?

physic.

PRUD. To show that the Word, when it works effectually, cleanseth the heart and mind. For look, what the one doth to

the body, the other doth to the soul."

This advice should be carefully noted. Numbers presume on forgiveness, when they are destitute of genuine repentance, and give no evidence of sanctification.

• Bunyan's bill of his Master's water of life:-"As men, in their bills, do give an account of the persons cured, and the diseases removed, so could I give you

MATT. What should we learn by seeing the flame of our fire of fire and of the go upwards? and by seeing the beams and sweet influences of the sun strike downwards ?

sun.

PRUD. By the going up of the fire we are taught to ascend to heaven by fervent and hot desires; and by the sun's sending his heat, beams, and sweet influences downwards, we are taught that the Saviour of the world, though high, reacheth down with his grace and love to us below.

Of the clouds.

MATT. Where have the clouds their water?
PRUD. Out of the sea.

MATT. What may we learn from that?

PRUD. That ministers should fetch their doctrine from God. MATT. Why do they empty themselves upon the earth? PRUD. To show that ministers should give out what they know of God to the world.

Of the rainbow.

MATT. Why is the rainbow caused by the sun ?

PRUD. To show that the covenant of God's grace is confirmed to us in Christ.

MATT. Why do the springs come from the sea to us, through the earth?

PRUD. To show that the grace of God comes to us through the body of Christ.

MATT. Why do some of the springs rise out Of the springs. of the tops of high hills?

PRUD. To show that the spirit of grace shall spring up in some that are great and mighty, as well as in many that are poor

and low.

Of the candle.

MATT. Why doth the fire fasten upon the candlewick ?

PRUD. To show that unless grace doth kindle upon the heart there will be no true light of life in us.

account of numberless numbers that have not only been made to live, but to live for ever, by drinking this pure water of life. No disease comes amiss to it. It cures blindness, deafness, dumbness, deadness. This right holy water (all other is counterfeit) will drive away evil spirits. It will make you have a white soul, and that is better than a white skin." [41] Whoever offers to purify the heart, and heal a wounded conscience, by any other means, is a deceiver and a souldestroyer.

MATT. Why is the wick and tallow, and all, spent to maintain the light of the candle?

PRUD. To show that body and soul, and all, should be at the service of, and spend themselves to maintain, in good condition, that grace of God that is in us.

MATT. Why doth the pelican pierce her own Of the pelican.

breast with her bill?

PRUD. To nourish her young ones with her blood, and thereby to show that Christ the blessed so loveth his young, as to save them from death by his blood.

MATT. What may one learn by hearing the cock crow?

ance.

his people,

Of the cock.

PRUD. Learn to remember Peter's sin, and Peter's repentThe cock's crowing shows also that day is coming on; let then the crowing of the cock put thee in mind of that last and terrible day of judgment.

The weak may

Now, about this time, their month was out; wherefore they signified to those of the house that it was convenient for them to up and be going. Then said Joseph to his mother, It is convenient that you forget not to send to the house of Mr. Interpreter, to pray him to grant that Mr. Great-heart should be sent unto us, that he may sometimes call the be our conductor the rest of our way. Good strong to prayers. boy, said she, I had almost forgot. So she drew up a petition, and prayed Mr. Watchful, the Porter, to send it by some fit man, to her good friend Mr. Interpreter; who, when it was come, and he had seen the contents of the petition, said to the messenger, Go tell them that I will send him.

When the family, where Christiana was, saw that they had a purpose to go forward, they called the whole house They provide to be together, to give thanks to their King for send- gone on their way. ing of them such profitable guests as these. Which done, they said to Christiana, And shall we not show thee something, according as our custom is to do to pilgrims, on which thou mayest meditate when thou art upon the way? So they took Christiana, her children, and Mercy, into the closet, and showed them one of the apples that Eve did eat of, and that she also did give to her husband, and that

Eve's apple.

U

A sight of sin is amazing.

for the eating of which they both were turned out of Paradise, and asked her what she thought that was? Then Christiana said, It is food or poison, I know not which. So they opened the matter to her, and she held up her hands and wondered. Gen. iii. 6; Rom. vii. 24.

Jacob's ladder.

Then they had her to a place, and showed her Jacob's ladder. Now at that time there were some angels ascending upon it. So Christiana looked, and looked, to see the angels go up; and so did the rest of the company. Then they were going into another place, to show them something else; but James said to his mother, Pray bid A sight of Christ is them stay here a little longer, for this is a taking. curious sight. So they turned again, and stood feeding their eyes with this so pleasant a prospect. Gen. xxviii. 12; John i. 51. After this, they had them into a place where did hang up a golden anchor, so they bid Christiana take it down; for, said they, you shall have it with you, for it is of absolute necessity that you should, that you may lay hold of that within the veil, and stand stedfast, in case you should meet with turbulent weather; so they were glad thereof. Heb. vi. 19. Then they took them, and had them of Abraham offer to the mount upon which Abraham our father had offered up Isaac his son, and showed them the altar, the wood, the fire, and the knife, for they remain to be seen to this very day. Gen. xxii. 9. When they had seen

Golden anchor.

ing up Isaac.

"How much is contained in that answer of Christiana as to the origin of evil"It is food or poison, I know not which!" To believers, it will be their elevation to a degree of bliss that they would never have otherwise enjoyed; to the faithless, it will be poison of the deadliest kind. Here is no attempt to explain the origin of evil in our world; a subject far beyond all our powers of investigation. "Eve expected some sweet and pleasant sight that might tickle and delight her deluded fancy; but behold, sin and the wrath of God appears, to the shaking of their hearts." [45] "Even as sin reigned unto death so might grace reign unto eternal life." Rom. v.

The ministration of angels is an animating theme to believers, and is well adapted to promote their confidence in the care and protection of God. Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?" Heb. i. 14.

When Bunyan had preached one of his powerful sermons in London, a hearer offered to take his son apprentice without premium. "Nay," said