He is entertained by the two Matrons. the object of their scorn and derision, as you see experimented in the House of Mirth this evening. sur Youngest Matron. And what is more prising is, that these very persons pretend to be honourers of the cross and disciples of Jesus Christ; their house is built as near the cross outwardly as our's is; and yet at the same time they are enemies to those who tread in the steps of him who suffered that ignominious death for our sakes. Aye, said Tender-conscience, the three young men told me they were going towards the Heavenly City as well as I, and if I would repose myself in the house of Mirth this night, they would bear me company on the morrow but as soon as they perceived I would lodge in the House of Mourning, they turned their compliments into scoffs, their pretended civility into real rudeness, and their feigned pious purposes into open profaneness; railing at you and your house, and all your guests; deriding and laughing at me for a fool and madman, like those Greeks to whom the cross of Christ was foolishness; and all that bore any affection to it were esteemed as the offscouring of all things. Such was my entertainment among them; for whereas before they were merry in the house, singing, dancing, and playing on instruments of music; so soon as the three young men gave intimation to them of my design, they forsook their melody, and came running out of the house to mock and deride me, ranting and roaring, and raising great laughter, while I sat weeping by the cross. Eldest Matron. It is worth one's observation, to see by what degrees men arrive at that ridiculous vanity, as well as notorious impiety. First, they let loose the reins of their wanton humour in trivial and small matters, delighting in nothing so much as a jest or droll in ordinary conversation; thus having Their profitable discourse. habituated and used themselves to a jocular vein, they can hardly forbear to play the wag with things of the more serious importance, as the affairs of justice and the public state; then being as it were steeled and hardened in this wanton humour, they at last fall to mocking and jesting at the most holy and religious things, verifying the saying of the wise man, "He who contemns little things, shall fall by little and little." Certainly vain mirth and excessive laughter, do but raise a dust in the eyes of the soul, and interrupt her more serene and steady prospect of better things; and the more innocent jests may be reckoned like mushrooms, which, when well ordered and spiced, may indeed do no harm, but which can do no good. Whatsoever habit the soul gets, it is hard to remove it; and the habit of excessive laughter is most difficult to be overcome, because it is a faculty essential to our nature to laugh; and he that gives way to it, and to common jesting, betrays his mind to an unmanly lightness, and an habitual vanity, which afterwards he will find difficult to root out. And therefore, seasonable was the advice of the Apostle Paul, when he counselled the Ephesians, Eph. v. 4. "to avoid foolish talking and jesting;" and the Thessalonians, 1 Thess. v. 22. "to abstain from all appearance of evil." Now what was said to them, no doubt was written for our instruction: and all Christians are obliged to observe their sage counsels in this as well as other matters, and not to pick and choose what counsels we please to obey, as if we would compound with God for quarter or half-performance of his will. And though this prohibition of vain jests and foolish mirth seems to be of small moment with some, yet it is good to observe every tittle of the word of God with great reverence and you have done the part of a wise man in forsaking the Their profitable discourse. House of Mirth, and coming to the House of Mourning; for they think this life to be but a pastime or market for gain, Isa. v. 12, 13. They drink wine in bowls; the harp and the viol, and the timbrel and pipe, are in their feasts; but they regard not the work of the Lord, neither consider the operation of his hands: therefore hell hath enlarged herself, and opened her mouth without measure, and their glory, and their multitude, and their pomp, and he that rejoiceth among them, shall de scend into it. Youngest Matron. Neither is it less worthy of remark, by what artifices and misrepresentations the people belonging to the House of Mirth do endeavour to affrighten travellers from coming to our house, bringing an ill name upon it, and telling them we were sad melancholy folks, nothing to be heard here but sighing, lamenting and groaning; and that many poor travellers have been driven to despair in this place, and made way with themselves, Whereas there is nothing of this true; for our sorrow is not worldly sorrow, which bringeth death, but mourning and repentance unto life, which needeth not to be repented of. In our sighing we rejoice, and in our tears we smile, as it is written, "They that sow in tears shall reap in joy ;" and the deepest of our groans are but forerunners of the soul's triumph over sin and death; and there is so near a neighbourhood between this kind of grief and the most exalted pleasure, that it is hard to distinguish between the one and the other. While our eyes rain tears, and the clouds that cause them are scattered from our hearts; and that very tempest of sighs and groans which threatens to rend our breasts in pieces, doth but sweep and cleanse the air of our souls, and to render it more calm and serene than it was before; thus springeth light from dark Tender-conscience is protected by the shining ones And so ness, peace from war, and life from death. far is the house from leading any into despair, or to be the occasion of any destroying themselves, that, on the contrary, many that have come from the House of Mirth in that condition, when their means were spent in rioting and vain mirth, have desired harbour with us, and in a little time have recovered their judgment, reason, and sense again, and have gone away full of comfort and satisfaction. Now by this time it grew too late, and they broke up company, causing one of the household to shew Tender-conscience to his lodgings, having wished him a good repose: he returning them hearty thanks for their good counsel and edifying discourse, took his leave for that evening, and went to rest. In the morning he rose up early, and prepared for his journey, being extremely pleased with the entertainment he found in this place, so that he burst out a singing in his chamber "Blessed be God, who travellers doth guide, And with his wings from dangers them doth hide. They laugh'd, I wept: they mock'd while I did wail; Now whilst he was singing these last words, he heard a very great noise without; and looking out of the window, he saw several of those that belonged to the House of Mirth, who had beset the House of Mourning, and demanded to have the man delivered to them that came in there the last night. This put Tender-conscience into no small fright, so that he fell to prayer; and behold, three shining ones ap We should ask the protection and guidance of God in cases of difficulty. peared to him, and bid him be of good cheer, for they would deliver him out of his enemies' hands. Then one of them breathed on him, saying, “ Be thou changed;" and he was immediately transformed and became a new creature; and his face, which before looked meagre and pale, now became ruddy and shining, his eyes sparkling like diamonds; so that those who had seen him before could not know him. Then the second presented him with a change of raiment, clothing him with a white robe; whereas before he was in a crimson-coloured garment. The third also set a mark in his forehead, giving him such a roll, with a seal upon it, as Christian had given to him, so the three shining ones pronounced a blessing on him, and bid him go away in peace, for that no evil should befal him. Then Tender-conscience acquainted the matrons what had happened to him: and, taking his leave of them, went boldly out with his crutch in his hand, and passed through the midst of the liers in wait, and no man knew him, or had power to say, Who art thou? But he departed from them in peace, as the shining ones had fortold him. Then I saw in my dream that Tender-conscience walked a great pace, till he was out of sight of the house, and of the liers in wait; for he had still some dread remaining upon him, which spurred him on to hasten out of their reach. Thus he walked on till he came to the foot of the hill Difficulty; and having drank nothing that day, he stooped down and drank of the spring that ran by the bottom of the hill. Then he sat down awhile, and considered which way to go, for there were three paths, one right up the hill, and the other two went round by the bottom of the hill on the right hand, and to the left. The path which went straight up the hill was very steep and cragged, |