The Spider upon the Wall.

in all this spacious room? Then the water stood in Christiana's eyes, for she was a woman quick of apprehension and she said, "Yea, Lord, there are 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 the boys to cover their faces; for they all began now to understand the riddle.

Then said the Interpreter again, "The spider taketh hold with her hands, as you see, and is in king's palaces." Prov. xxx. 28. And wherefore is this recorded, but to show 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?

CHR. I thought, said Christiana, of something of this; but I could not imagine it 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 ill-favoured creature, we were to learn how to act faith, that came not into my thoughts; even as 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.9

To spiritualize passages of Scripture which should be understood literally, may be an evidence of the mind's being imbued with evangelical truth; but it affords no proof of a sound discriminating judgment. A minister of this class once considered Absalom hanging upon the oak as a type of Christ crucified, when he ought rather to have described the terrible end of an ungodly man, and a disobedient son. In the latter case though silly people might not have admired him as wonderfully clever, sensible bearers would not have been grieved at such consummate folly. Mr. Bunyan may perhaps be excused, upon the ground of his good intention, and of his belief that "things borrowed from similes would stick faster in the heart and head" of the reader, for allegorizing "a suider in a palace," and for showing from it the unremoved cor

The Heu and Chickens.

He had them then into another room, where were a ten and chickens, and bid them observe a while. So ne 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 doeth, 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 chat the hen did walk in a fourfold method towards her chickens: 1. She had a common call, and that she had all the day long. 2. She had a special call, and that she had but sometimes. 3. She had a brooding note. (Matt. xxiii. 37.) And, 4. She had an outcry.

"Now," said he, "compare this hen to your King, and these chickens to his obedient ones; for answerable to her, himself has his methods which he walketh in towards his people. By his common call, he gives nothing; by his special call, he always has something to give; he has also a brooding voice, for them that are under his wing; and he has an outcry, to give the alarm when he seeth the enemy come. I chose, my darlings, to lead you into the room where such things are, because you are women, and they are easy for you."

ruption of the human heart even in Christians, and that they must constantly lay hold of the righteousness of Christ by faith in order to salvation; but is it not wiser to deduce these affecting and animating truths from those Scriptures which were designed by the inspired writers to inculcate them?-Christians will rejoice that they are "justified by faith without the deeds of the law;" while "the sin that dwelleth in them," will lead them to say, "Who shall deliver us from the body of this death?" Rom. vii. 24.

r It greatly conduces to the happiness of Christians, that they should clearly understand the manner in which men, according to their different characters, are addressed by the gospel. The gospel or the good news of salvation to sinners through the redemption of Christ, consists of invitations, promises, and warnings. Its invitations are general, and are common to all, encouraging every one who comes under its sound to " repent and believe the gospel," that he may obtain eternal life. "Come unto me," says the Saa 12 2 P

The Flower-Garden.

CHR. Sir, said Christiana, pray let us see some more. So he had them into the slaughter-house, where was a butcher killing a sheep; and behold, the sheep was quiet, and took her death patiently. Then said the Interpreter, You must learn of this sheep to suffer, and to put up with wrongs without murmurings and complaints. Behold how quietly she takes her death, and, without objecting, suffereth her skin to be pulled over her ears. Your King doth call you his sheep.

After this, he led them into his garden, where was great variety of flowers; and he said, "Do you see all these?" So Christiana said, "Yes." Then said he again, "Behold, the flowers are diverse in stature,

viour, "all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart; and ye shall find rest unto your souls: for my yoke is easy, and my burden is light," Matt. xi. 28-30. When the invitations of the gospel are cordially received, the "special call," or the effectual influence of the Holy Spirit, attends the word, by which men are made willing in the day of God's power; according to our Lord's declaration, "All that the Father giveth me shall come unto me; and him that cometh I will in no wise cast out," John vi. 37.—The promises of the gospel belong to them who have believed through grace, and who have taken refuge under the shadow of the Saviour's "wings," "that by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us," Heb. vi. 18.-Its warnings are alarming to them who, though favoured with the gospel, have neglected the great salvation; and who will not come unto him that they may have life, John v. 40.

Note, 1. These sentiments may be easily understood, even by them who are weak in the faith, through the enlightening influence of the Holy Spirit. 2. The solemn and affectionate expostulations of our Lord with Jerusalem should be seriously considered by all who sit under the gospel. See John xxiii. 37.

* Meditation upon the sufferings of Christ is the most effectual means for supporting afflicted believers under persecutions, and for preventing their resentment of injuries. "Because" (says the apostle) "Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that Je should follow his steps; who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth : who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not." &c. 1 Pet, ii. 21-25.

The Cora-Field.

in quality, and colour, and smell, and virtue; and some are better than others; also where the gardener hath set them, there they stand, and quarrel not one with another."

Again, he had them into his field, which he had sown with wheat and corn: but when they beheld that the tops of all were cut off, and that only the straw remained, he said again, "This ground was dunged, and ploughed, and sowed, but what shall we do with the crop?" Then said Christiana, "Burn some, and make muck of the rest." Then said the Interpreter again, "Fruit, you see, is that thing you look for; and for want of that you condemn it to the fire, and to be trodden under foot of men: beware that in this you condemn not yourselves." "

A little spot inclosed by grace
Out of the world's wide wilderness."

"Sion's a garden wall'd around, Chosen, and made peculiar ground; There is a wonderful variety in the character of those who compose this garden, with respect to their capacities, dispositions, talents, exertions, and usefulness. Some are more valuable, and more distinguished than others; but all should endeavour to fill the stations in which they are placed, "with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace," Eph. iv. 2, 3. "All these worketh that one and the self-same Spirit, dividing to all men severally as he will," 1 Cor. xii. 11.

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"

This is a picture of the fruitless professor; and it well agrees with the following description of the same character in the word of God. "As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also," James ii. 26. Every one," said our Lord, "that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, who built his house upon the sand : and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house, and it fell; and great was the fall of it,' Matt. vii. 26, 27. "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh, shall of the flesh reap corruption: but he that soweth to the Spirit, shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting," Gal. vi. 7, 8. "Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost its savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men," Matt. v. 13. "If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned," John xv. 6. It is expected that Christians should improve in spiritual understanding,

The Robin.

Then, as they were coming in from abroad, they espied a robin with a great spider in his mouth. So the Interpreter said, "Look here." Then they looked, and Mercy wondered: but Christiana said, "What a disparagement this is to such a little pretty bird as the robin-redbreast, he being also a bird above many, that loveth to maintain a kind of sociableness with .nen! I thought they lived upon crumbs of bread, or upon other such harmless matter; I like him worse than I did."

The Interpreter then replied, "This robin is an emblem, very apt to set forth some professors by; for to sight they are, as this robin, pretty of note, colour, and carriage. They seem also to have a very great love for professors that are sincere; and, above all others, to desire to associate with them, and to be in their company, as if they could live upon the good man's crumbs. They pretend also, that therefore it is that they frequent the house of the godly, and the appointments of the Lord: but when they are by themselves, as the robin, they can catch and gobble up spiders; they can change their diet, and drink and swallow down sin like water."

So when they were come again into the house, be

by the means of grace with which they are favoured. False professors are barren and unfruitful. Real Christians are convinced of the necessity of bringing forth fruit unto God, and ought to reprove fruitless hearers of the gospel, taking heed that their reproofs do not recoil upon themselves.

* "What (says Dr. Witherspoon) can be more abominable than the worship of such persons as live in the habitual indulgence of sin? what more provoking to God? what more presumptuous in the sinner? And who can sufficiently wonder at the blindness of all of this character; that their very access to God, which should increase their abhorrence of sin, should, notwithstanding, set them at ease in the commission of it? Will he bear more in you, think you, than in others? He will bear less. He will visit you sooner in his providence, and he will punish you heavier to all eternity. Things are quite opposite to what you suppose: instead of your duties rendering your sins pardonable, your sins render your duties insupportable.' Practical Discourses, Serm. xiii.