They overtake Spiritual-man.

the Valley of Destruction, and how kindly he was entertained by the way at some good houses.

Seek-truth. Well, if you are all agreed, come fol、 low me, and I will bring you to the man that is now on his pilgrimage to Sion; he stands not far off from our cave's mouth, hard by the pillar of History. So they all followed him with one consent, and went out of the cave, where they found Tender-conscience waiting for their appearance; then they went up to him, and saluted him one by one, and, after some questions passed on both sides, they all set forward together.

Now I saw in my dream, that as they were going up a piece of rising ground, they saw before them a man walking an even moderate pace, and made haste to overtake him, for by his gait they guessed he was no ordinary man; as certain wise men observed, "By a man's gait you may know what he is." So when they came up to him, they saluted him courteously, and he returned their salutation with an air that discovered the tranquility and peace of his soul.

Then Tender-conscience said to him, Sir, if a stranger may take the liberty to ask you a question, I intreat you to tell me whether your name be not Spiritual-man, for I think I have seen you before, and was told that you were called by that name?

Yes, said Spiritual-man, I am the same you take me for; and though your knowledge of me be but as yet imperfect, yet I very well know you and all your company, and am glad to see you so far on your journey towards the Heavenly City, whither we are all going.

Tender. I do not wonder that you know me, and my fellow travellers here with me, for I have heard a very learned and holy man, one Paul the apostle,

They enter a wilderness.

say, That you know all things, and judge all things, I Cor. ii. 15. and therefore I am very glad that we are so happy as to overtake you on the road; I hope we shall have your good company to our journey's end.

Spiritual-man. With a very good will; for it is my delight to keep company with those who set their faces Sion-ward, and are going thither, as I perceive you are at this time. But I spy a young man in your company, who, I doubt, will not be able to go through this tedious journey, but will either faint by the way, or turn aside with the Flatterer, or take up his abode at Vanity-fair. Then turning aside to Yielding, he said unto him, Young man, you are the man I mean; do you think you shall be able to hold out to the Heavenly Jerusalem?

Yielding. I make no doubt of it, Sir, for I find myself in good health, and as able to foot it as any of the company.

Then they went on together till they came to a great wilderness, where were several paths leading divers ways; so that had it not been for Spiritualman (who alone knew the right way) they had wandered no doubt into some dangerous path or other, and either been devoured by wild beasts, or taken prisoners by some cruel giants, whose castles stood in the remote corners of this wilderness.

This made them all shew a great deal of respect and obedience to Spiritual-man, and esteem him as their guide and patron; so they went along toge ther till they came to a place where was an altar built, and there was incense burnt thereon, and the smell of the incense was very fragrant, refreshing the spirits of the pilgrims. Then Spiritual-man spake to this effect: My brethren, you must know, that this wilderness is much haunted with wild

The benefit of prayer.

beasts, as also by thieves and murderers, spirits, and hobgoblins, which oftentimes assault poor pilgrims in the night-time, and sometimes by day; now, had we taken any other path, we had been in danger of falling into their clutches; but now I hope there is no danger, if you will follow my counsel.

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Tender. We will readily obey thee in all things, for we see that thou art a man of God, and hast the mind of Christ: tell us therefore what we should do to be safe from the dangers that threaten us in this place.

Spiritual-man. You see this altar of incense here perpetually smoking, and sending up clouds of sweet-smelling savour to heaven. Now the smoke of this incense keeps off all spirits and hobgoblins, and the fire upon the altar keeps off all wild beasts. If then you would be free from the danger of the wild beasts, let every man take a coal from the altar, and carry it along with him; and if he would likewise be free from the spirits and hobgoblins, let him take the incense that is in the treasury of the altar, and carry it along with him, and as he travels through the wilderness, let him often kindle a fire with a coal from the altar, and burn incense thereon, so shall he be protected from all evil. Let him awaken the spirit of prayer, and kindle true devotion in himself by making good use of the grace of God; for the heart of a devout man, and one that fears God, is an altar of incense, always sending holy ejaculations, which are a sweet savour or perfume before God: such a man attracts the Divine blessing and protection.

Tender. But how shall a man pray? In form, or without? With words, or in silence?

Spiritual-man. That you may be the better satisfied in this point, you ought to consider, that prayer

Spiritual worship alone acceptable to God.

is the soul's discourse or conversation with God. Now seeing that God knoweth all things, and discerneth the secret thoughts of our hearts, it is a thing indifferent in private prayer, whether we use words or no; for the soul may discourse or converse with God as well in silence as with words, nay, better sometimes, because silence preserves her attention, and prevents wandering thoughts: whereas, when the soul is occupied in verbal prayer, it often proves little better than lip service; as God complained of old. "This people serve.me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me;" but however, this silent or mental prayer is a gift which all men are not capable of. Some have not that recollection of spirit, that composedness of mind, as to pray in this manner, and it is convenient that such men should use words: but whether they use a set form or no in private, is not material, only let me give this seasonable caution, that those who use extemporary prayer be careful of committing any indecency, by uttering improper expressions, vain repetitions, or using too many words, which must needs be offensive to the Divine Majesty, who knows our necessities before we declare them, and only requires an humble and fervent application of our hearts to him for what we stand in need of. All the fine words in the world without this, all the rhetorical flourishes, the elegant cadences, and the softest periods, without this, are but as sounding brass and a tinkling cymbal in the ears of God: and therefore good was the advice of Solomon: "When thou comest into the house of God, let thy words be few, and be more ready to hear than to offer the sacrifice of fools;" intimating thereby, that multiplicity of words in prayer is but the saerifice of fools; and a greater man than Solomon hath said, "When ye pray, use not vain repetitions,

The necessity of prayer further enforced.

as the heathen do; for they think they shall be heard for their much speaking: be ye not therefore like unto them, for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of before ye ask him," Matt. vi. 7. 8 And therefore the form of prayer which Christ here prescribed them as a pattern, was very short, but comprehensive, including in less than an hundred words all the several parts of prayer, as thanksgiving, petition, oblation, intercession, &c. And this, no doubt, he prescribed as a pattern to others, that all who call upon God may do it in reverence and godly modesty, using but few words, and those pithy, significant, comprehensive, and full, proper and becoming the Majesty we address

ourselves unto.

Tender. You have given me great satisfaction as to this matter, which has often disturbed my mind, and kept me at too remote a distance from God, not knowing certainly how to pray acceptably; but now I am convinced that God requires chiefly the heart; for it is but reason that he who is a spirit, and the purest of all spirits, should be served in spirit and in truth; which cannot be done where the heart goes not along with the lips; and if it does, then it matters not whether it be in a set form of words or no; the fervency and attention of the mind, the regularity of the actions, and the lawfulness of our petitions, being the chief things regarded by the sovereign Majesty of heaven.

Seek-truth. How happy am I that I fell into such good company! I have been long a searching and inquiring into the nature and obligations of Christian duties, and particularly this of prayer, which puzzles a great many good well meaning people; but I never met with so much comfort and satisfaction as now I have found in your discourse.

Weary-o'-the-world. I approve of what has been