Talkative leaves him.

pray will you tell me why you ask me such questions? (i)

Faith. Because I saw you forward to talk, and because I knew not that you had aught else but notion. Besides, to tell you all the truth, I have heard of you, that you are a man whose religion lies in talk, and that your conversation gives this your profession the lie. They say you are a sport among christians: and that religion fareth the worse for your ungodly conversation; that some already have stumbled at your wicked ways, and that more are in danger of being destroyed thereby; your religion and an ale-house, and covetousness, and uncleanness, and swearing, and lying, and vain company keeping, &c. will stand together. The proverb is true of you, which is said of a whore, to wit, that she is a shame to all women, so are you a shame to all professors.

Talk. Since you are ready to take up report, and to judge so rashly as you do, I cannot but conclude, you are some peevish or melancholy man, not fit to be discoursed with: so adieu. (k)

Chr. Then came up Christian, and said to his brother, I told you how it would happen; your words and his lusts could not agree. He had rather leave your company than reform his life; but he is gone, as I said: let him go, the loss is no man's

(i) Heart-searching, soul-examining, and close questioning, of the conduct of life, will not do with talking professors. Ring a peal on the doctrines of grace, and many will chime in with you; but speak closely how grace operates upon the heart, and influences the life to follow Christ in self-denying obedience, they cannot bear it they are offended with you, and will turn away from you, and call you LEGAL.

(k) Where the heart is rotten, it will ward off conviction, turn from a faithful reprover, condemn him, and justify itself. Faithful dealings, will not du for unfaithful souls. Mind not that, but be faithful to the truth.

Christian and Faithful pursue their journey.

but his own: he saved us the trouble of going from him; for he continuing (as I suppose he will do) as he is, he would have been but a blot in our company; besides, the apostle says, "From such withdraw thyself."

Faith. But I am glad we had this little discourse with him it may happen that he will think of it again: however, I have dealt plainly with him, and so am clear of his blood, if he perisheth. (1)

Chr. You did well to talk so plainly to him, as you did; there is but little of this faithful dealing with men now-a-days, and that makes religion to stink so in the nostrils of many as it doth: for they are these talkative fools, whose religion is only in the word, and are debauched and vain in their conversation, that (being so much admitted into the fellowship of the godly) do puzzle the world, blemish Christianity, and grieve the sincere. wish that all men would deal with such as you have done, then should they either be made more conformable to religion, or the company of saints would be too hot for them. Then did Faithful say,

"How Talkative at first lifts up his plumes!

"How bravely doth he speak! How he presumes
"To drive down all before him! But so soon
"As Faithful talks of heart-work, like the moon
"That's past the full, into the wane he goes:
"And so will all, but he that heart-work knows."

I

Thus they went on talking of what they had seen by the way, and so made that way easy, which would otherwise, no doubt, have been tedious to them, for they went through a wilderness. (m)

(1) Mind this; These are right principles to act from, and right ends to act to, in faithful reproving, or aiming to convict our fellow sinners. Study and pursue these.

(m) Spiritual observations and conferences on past experience,

Evangelist overtakes the Pilgrims.

Now when they were got almost quite out of this wilderness, Faithful chanced to cast his eye back, and espied one coming after them, and he knew him. Oh! said Faithful to his brother, Who comes yonder? Then Christian looked, and said, It is my good friend Evangelist. Ay, and my good friend, too, said Faithful, for it was he that set me in the way to the gate. Now was Evangelist come unto them, and thus saluted them:

Eran. Peace be with you, dearly beloved; and peace be your helper.

Chr. Welcome, welcome, my good Evangelist; the sight of thy countenance brings to my remembrance thy ancient kindness and unwearied labours for my eternal good.

Faith. And a thousand times welcome, said good Faithful; thy company, O sweet Evangelist, how desirable is it to us poor pilgrims! (n)

Evan. Then said Evangelist, how hath it fared with you, my friends, since the time of our last parting? What have you met with, and how have you behaved yourselves? (0)

Then Christian and Faithful told him all things that had happened to them in the way; and how

are very profiting and enlivening to the soul. They very often change the wilderness of dejection into a garden of delights; and so beguile the weary steps of pilgrims through tedious paths. O christians, look more to Christ, and talk more to each other of his love to you, and dealings with you, for soul-humbling and Christ-exalting.

(n) A sincere and cordial love for gospel ministers, under a sense of their being made instrumental to our soul's profit, is a sure and blessed sign of a pilgrim's spirit.

(0) To enquire after soul-concerns and soul-experiences, and prosperity, should always be the business of faithful ministers of Christ; but is not this sadly neglected? O how often do ministers visit and depart without close, savory, experimental converse with their people. Hence both suffer present loss, and much harm in the con

sequence.

Evangelist comforts the Pilgrims.

with what difficulty they had arrived at that place. Evan. Right glad am I, said Evangelist; not that you have met with trials, but that you have been victors: and for that you have, notwithstanding many weaknesses, continued in the way to this very day.

I say, right glad am I of this thing, and that for my own sake and yours; I have sowed, and you have reaped ; and the day is coming, when both he that sowed, and they that reaped, shall rejoice together;* that is, if you hold out; for in due time ye shall reap if ye faint not. The crown is before you, and it is an incorruptible one; † so run, that you may obtain it. Some there be that set out for this crown, and after they have gone far for it, another comes in and takes it from them; hold fast, therefore that you have, let no man take your crown; you are not yet out of the gun-shot of the devil; you have not resisted unto blood, striving against sin; let the kingdom be always before you, and believe steadfastly concerning things that are invisible; let nothing that is on this side the other world get within you; and above all, look well to your own hearts, and to the lusts thereof; for they are deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; set your faces like a flint; you have all power in heaven and earth on your side. (p)

Chr. Then Christian thanked him for his exhortation: but told him withal, that they would have

* John iv. 36. Gal. vi. 9. 1 Cor. ix. 24-27.

Rev. iv. 11.

(p) Here is a blessed word of encouragement, of warning, and of exhortation to be steadfast in faith, joyful in hope, watching over our hearts, and to abound in the work of the Lord. All this is constantly necessary for pilgrims. Faithful ministers will give advice, and pilgrims will be thankful for such.

Evangelist still continues to exhort the Pilgrims.

him speak farther to them for their help the rest of the way; and the rather, for that they well knew that he was a prophet, and could tell them of things that might happen unto them, and how they might resist and overcome them. To which request Faithful also consented. So Evangelist began as followeth :

Evan. My sons, you have heard in the words of the truth of the gospel, that you must through many tribulations enter into the kingdon of heaven. And again, That in every city, bonds and afflictions abide you and therefore you cannot expect that you should go long on your pilgrimage without them, in some sort or other; you have found something of the truth of these testimonies upon you already, and more will immediately follow; for now, as you see, you are almost out of this wilderness, and therefore you will soon come into a town that you will by-and-by see before you; and in that town you will be hard beset with enemies, who will strain hard but they will kill you; and be you sure that one or both of you must seal the testimony which you hold with blood: but be you faithful unto death, and the king will give you a crown of life. He that shall die there, although his death will be unnatural, and his pains perhaps great, he will yet have the better of his fellow, not only because he will be arrived at the Celestial City soonest, but because he will escape many miseries that the other will meet with in the rest of his journey. But when you are come to the town and shall find fulfilled what I have here related, then remember your friend, and quit yourselves like men, and commit the keeping of your souls to your God in well doing, as unto faithful Creator. (q)

(q) Woe unto them that fold their hands, and fall asleep in strong confidence. You see what hard work yet lay before these pilgrims.