They are welcomed to the house.

left him to go on his journey alone, and these are his four children; but now I also am come, for I am convinced that no way is right but this. (k)

Inter. Then is fulfilled that which is written of the man that said to his son, Go, work to day in my vineyard and he said to his father, I will not; but afterwards repented and went.

Christ. Then said Christiana, So be it, Amen.God make it a true saying upon me, and grant that I may be found at the last of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.

Inter. But why standest thou at the door? Come in, thou daughter of Abraham: we were talking of thee but now, for tidings have come to us before, how thou art become a pilgrim. Come, children, come in; come, maiden, come: so he had them all into the house.

So when they were within, they were bidden to sit down and rest them; the which when they had done, those that attended upon the pilgrims in the house, came into the room to see them: And one smiled, and another smiled, and another smiled, and they all smiled, for joy that Christiana was become a pilgrim: they also looked upon the boys;

* Matt. xxi. 29.

(k) Here see how the experience of true grace works in the heart: by keeping the subjects of it low in their own eyes, and cutting off all self-exaltings. "I am that hard hearted woman," &c. This ever dwelt uppermost in Christiana's heart. Oh! soul, if thou truly knowest thyself, thou wilt ever be sinking into nothing, yea, worse than nothing, because a sinner before the Lord, and confess thy vileness unto him, and acknowledge, if he had left thee to thyself, destruction must have been thy inevitable doom. And see how confident divine teaching makes us. Under its power and influence, we can say with Christiana, I am convinced that no way is right but his, even to be a pilgrim of the Lord, and sojourner upon the earth.

They are shewn the curiosities.

they stroked them over their faces with their hands, in token of their kind reception of them: they also carried it lovingly to Mercy, and bid them all welcome into their master's house. (1)

After awhile, because supper was not ready, the Interpreter took them into his Significant Rooms, and shewed them what Christian, Christiana's husband, had seen sometime before. Here, therefore, they saw the man in the cage, the man and his dream, the man that cut his way through his enemies, and the picture of the biggest of all, together with the rest of those things that were then so profitable to Christian.

This done, and after those things had been somewhat digested by Christiana and her company, the Interpreter takes them apart again, and has them first into a room where was a man that could look no way but downwards, with a muck-rake in his hand there stood also one over his head, with a celestial crown in his hand, and proffered him that crown for his muck-rake; but the man did neither look up nor regard, but rake to himself the straws, the small sticks, and the dust of the floor.

Then said Christiana, I persuade myself, that I know somewhat the meaning of this; for this is the figure of a man in this world; is it not, good sir?

(1) Here is joy indeed, which strangers to the love of Christ intermeddle not with. Believer, did you never partake of this pleasing, this delightful sensation, on seeing other poor sinners like thy self call to know Jesus, and follow him? Surely this is the joy of Heaven; and if thou hast this joy, thou hast the love that reigns in Heaven. Glory to Jesus, I think, I can truly say, I have this blessed evidence in my heart, that I know somewhat of this joy, arising from seeing poor lost sinners converted, not merely to an opinion, or to a party of Christians, but their hearts converted to Jesus, so as to love him, and follow him. O for a spread and increase of this spirit among Christians of all denominations.

They are shewn the curiosities.

Inter. Thou hast said right, said he, and his muck-rake doth shew his carnal mind. And whereas thou seest him rather give heed to take up straws and sticks, and the dust of the floor, then do what be says that calls to him from above with the celestial crown in his hand; it is to shew, that Heaven is but as a fable to some, and that things here are counted the only things substantial. Now, whereas, it was also shewed thee, that the man could look no way but downwards, it is to let thee kuow, that earthly things, when they are with power upon men's minds, quite carry their hearts from God.

Christ. Then said Christiana, Oh! deliver me from the muck-rake.

Inter. That prayer, said the Interpreter, has lain by till it is almost rusty: Give me not riches is scarce the prayer, of one in ten thousand. Straws and sticks, and dust, with most are the great things now looked for.

With that Mercy and Christiana wept, and said, It is, alas! too true. (m)

When the Interpreter had shewed them this, he had them into the very best room of the house (a very brave room it was); so he bid them look round about, and see if they could find any thing profitable there. Then they looked round and round; for there was nothing to be seen but a very great spider on the wall; and that they overlooked.

(m) Reader, didst thou, like these pious pilgrims, never shed' a tear for thy base and disingenuous conduct towards thy Lord, in preferring the sticks and straws of this world, to the unsearchable riches of Christ, and the salvation of thy immortal soul? O this is natural to us all! and though made wise unto salvation, yet this folly cleaves to our old nature still. Let the thought humble us, and make us weep before the Lord.

The Spider on the wall.

Mercy. Then said Mercy, Sir, I see nothing: but Christiana held her peace.

Inter. But, said the Interpreter, look again: she therefore looked again, and said, Here is not any thing but an ugly spider, who hangs by his hands upon the wall. Then, said he, is there but one spider in all this spacious room? Then the water stood in Christiana's eyes, for she was a woman of quick apprehension; and she said, Yea, Lord, there is more here than one: Yea, and spiders whose venom is far more destructive than that which is in her. The Interpreter then looked pleasantly on her, and said, Thou hast said the truth. This made Mercy blush, and her boys to cover their faces: for they all began more to understand the riddle. (n)

Then said the Interpreter again, "The spider taketh hold with her hands, (as you see) and is in king's palaces And wherefore is this recorded, but to shew you, that, how full of the venom of sin soever you be, yet you may, by the hand of faith, lay hold of, and dwell in the best room that belongs to the King's house above? (0)

(n) There was not one dreaming perfectionist among them. No; they all knew the venom of sin which was in their fallen nature. This made them cover their faces with shame, and sink into deep humility of heart. Every true Interpreter of God's word, yea, the blessed Interpreter of God's heart, JESUS, will look pleasantly upon such who confess the truth; while he beholds the proud self-righteous sinner afar off.

(0) Here is the mystery of God's grace, the mystery of precious faith; that, however hateful sin is in the sight of a holy God, however full of sin the sinner is, yet he can love the sinner as much as he loaths his sin. Why? because he views his elect sinners, in Christ, the Son of his love, by whom a perfect atonement is made for sin; his precious blood cleanses their souls from sin,and presents them without spot of sin before God This, faith apprehends; and then the soul dwells in the best room indeed, even in the very heart of God in Christ. The Lord increase our faith in this precious.

The Hen and Chickens.

Christ. I thought, said Christiana, of something of this; but could not imagine it at all I thought, that we were like spiders, and that we looked like ugly creatures, in what fine rooms soever we were; but that by this spider, this venomous and illfavoured creature, we were to learn how to act faith, that she worketh with her hands, and, as I see, dwells in the best room in the house. God has made nothing in vain. Then they seemed all to be glad; but the water stood in their eyes; yet they looked one upon another, and also bowed before the Interpreter.

So

He had them in another room, where was a hen and chickens, and bid them observe awhile. one of the chickens went to the trough to drink, and every time she drank, she lifted up her head and her eyes towards Heaven. See, said he, what this little chick doth, and learn of her to acknowledge whence your mercies come, by receiving them with looking up. Yet again said he, observe and look; so they gave heed, and perceived that the ben did walk in a fourfold method towards her chickens.

1. She had a common call, and that she hath all the day long.

2. She had a special call, and that she hath but sometimes.

3. She hath a brooding-note. And

4. She hath an outcry.*

Now, said he, compare this hen to our King, and

Matt. xxiii. 7.

truth, that we may the more love and glorify the God of grace and truth! O let not our venom of sin deject us, while there is the blood of Christ to cleanse us! O for stronger love to Christ, and greater hatred to sin! Both spring from believing.