They agree to go forth against the Monster.

was there an ornament to her profession. And, to say the truth of Grace, Phebe, and Martha, they were all of a very good nature, and did much good in their places. They were also all of them very fruitful; so that Christian's name, as was said before, was like to live in the world.

While they continued here, there came a monster out of the woods, and slew many of the people of the town. It would also carry away their children, and teach them to suck its whelps. Now no man in the town durst so much as face this monster; but all men fled when they heard of the noise of its coming.

The monster was like unto no one beast upon the earth. Its body was like a dragon, and it had seven heads and ten horns. It inade great havock of children, and yet it was governed by a woman. (Rev. xvii. 3.) This monster propounded conditions to men ; and such men as loved their lives more than their souls, accepted of those conditions.

Now Mr. Great-heart, and they who came to visit the pilgrims at Mr. Mnason's house, entered into a covenant to go and engage this beast, if perhaps they might deliver the people of the town from the paws and mouth of this so devouring a serpent.

r When Christians support their character, they are indeed the salt of the earth, and are beneficial to all with whom they are con nected. If pious young females, who have ability and opportunity. seek to benefit the poor and destitute, by feeding the hungry, and clothing the naked, they will be blessings to the town or village in which they reside. When the ear," says Job, "heard me, then it blessed me and when the eye saw me, it gave witness to me; because I delivered the poor that cried, and the fatherless, and him that had none to help him. The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me, and I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy," Job xxix. 11-13. The expression of kindness and affection towards poor people is the most likely method to increase and build up the church of Christ. It conquers the prejudices of worldly people, secures their confidence, and brings them under the preaching of the gospel. They rationally conclude, that they cannot be bad people who do so much good; and that it must be "a good tree which produces good fruit." 3 F

a 16

Mr. Great-heart and his friends eucounter the Monster.

Then did Mr. Great-heart, Mr. Contrite, Mr. Holyman, Mr. Dare-not-lie, and Mr. Penitent, with their weapons, go forth to meet him. Now the monster at first was very rampant, and looked upon these enemies with great disdain; but they so belaboured him, being sturdy men at arms, that they made him make a retreat so they came home to Mr. Mnason's house again.

The monster, you must know, had his certain sea sons to come out in, and to make his attempts upon the children of the people of the town. These seasons did these valiant worthies watch him in, and they did continually assault him; insomuch that in process of time he became not only wounded, but lame. Also he has not made the havock of the townsmen's children which formerly he did: and it is verily believed by some, that this beast will die of his wounds.

This therefore made Mr. Great-heart and his fellows of great fame in this town; so that many of the people that wanted their taste of things, yet had a reverent esteem and respect for them. Upon this account therefore it was, that the pilgrims got not much burt here. True, there were some of the baser sort, that could see no more than a mole, nor understand more than a beast, who had no reverence for these men, and took no notice of their valour and adven

tures.*

The relief granted to nonconformists by the political measures of Charles. II. in the year 1672, was the occasion of the Roman Catholics exerting themselves to propagate their principles; and it is very probable that at such a period, when infidelity was so prevalent, popery gained many proselytes. It was now, while the episcopalian ministers seemed as it were afraid to attack popery, that some of the ejected ministers boldly stepped forward, and preached a course of sermons at Mr. Vincent's meeting-house in Southwark. These were afterwards published, under the title of "The Morning Exercise against Popery or the principal Errors of the Church of Rome detected and confuted, in a Morning Lecture preached lately in Southwark, by several ministers of the Gospel in and near London: 1675." When the reader is informed that these ministers were Drs. Annesley, Manton, Owen, and Wilkinson,

The Pilgrims depart from the Town of Vanity.

Well, the time grew on that the pilgrims must gu on their way; wherefore they prepared for their ourney. They sent for their friends; they conferred with them; and they had some time set apart for committing each other to the protection of their Prince. There were again that brought them of such things as they had, which were fit for the weak and the strong, for the women and the men, and so laded them with such things as were necessary. (Acts xxviii. 10.) Then they set forward on their way; and their friends accompany them as far as was convenient, they again committed each other to the protection of their King, and departed.'

They therefore that were of the pilgrims' company went on, and Mr. Great-heart went before them. Now the women and children being weakly, they

"

and Messrs. Baxter, Claxton, Doolittle, Fairclough, Fowler, Hurst, Jenkyn, Lawrence, Lee, Lye, Mayo, Needler, Pool, Steel, Sylveser, Veal, Vinke, Vincent (Nathaniel), Vincent (Thomas), Wads worth, and West, he will perceive the propriety of our author's designating them by the names of "Great-heart," " 'Dare-not-lie," Holy-man," and "Penitent ;" and he will also conclude, that 'being sturdy men at their arms, they belaboured the monster much. These labours procured from some of the enemies of re-` ligion respect for the oppressed nonconformists: but there were others" of the baser sort," who were not to be conciliated even by services in the common protestant cause, however eminent and useful such services were. The following is the conclusion of the sermon preached by Dr. Owen, on the Authority of the Scriptures. "I durst venture a hundred souls if I had them, and a hundred heavens if there were so many, upon the truth and divine authority of this word; and should not stick, not only to give the lie to the most profound, and most resolute, and invincible, and irrefragable, and angelical, and seraphical doctors, nay and infallible popes, and rouncils too, but even to say anathema to angels themselves and seraphims, if they should tell me the scriptures were not the word of God."

'When christian friends are compelled to part, to prove their mutual attachment, they who remain accompany those who are about to leave them as far as they possibly can; and after they dave given every pledge of their friendship, they commit each other the protection of their heavenly Father. The scene alluded to is that of Paul's parting with his friends at Ephesus.

"For a season call'd to part,

Let ns now ourselves commend

To the gracious eye and heart
Of our ever gracions Friend."

The Pilgrims pass the Hill Lucre,

were forced to go as they could bear; by which means Mr. Ready-to-halt and Mr. Feeble-mind had more to sympathize with their condition.

When they were gone from the townsmen, and their friends had bid them farewell, they quickly came to the place where Faithful was put to death. There therefore they made a stand, and thanked Him whe had enabled him to bear his cross so well; and the rather, because they now found that they had a benefit by such courageous sufferings as his were."

They went on after this a good way further, talking of Christian and Faithful, and how Hopeful joined himself to Christian after that Faithful was dead.

Now they were come up to the hill Lucre, where the silver-mine was which took Demas off from his pilgrimage, and into which, as some think, By-ends fell and perished; wherefore they considered that. But when they were come to the old monument that stood over against the hill Lucre, to wit, to the pillar of salt, that stood also within view of Sodom and its stinking lake, they marvelled, as did Christian before, that men of that knowledge and ripeness of wit which they possessed should be so blind as to turn aside here. Only they considered again, that nature is not affected with the harms which others have met with, especially if the thing upon which they look has an attracting virtue upon the foolish eye.*

"Protestant Dissenters in England are greatly indebted, both for their civil and religious privileges, to the courage which their forefathers manifested in defending their principles, and the patience which they expressed in hearing the unjust and cruel sufferings to which their sentiments exposed them. Tyrants and persecutors were at length compelled to give up in despair their attempts to forge chains and fetters for the consciences of men, and civil and religious liberty gloriously triumphed. It is a remarkable acknowledgen.ent of the historian Hume, if his deistical and political principles are considered, where speaking of the Puritans, he says, "By whom the precious spark of liberty was kindled and preserved, and to whom the English owe all the blessings of their excellent constitution."

* Extensive religious knowledge, and a well-informed understanding, will be insufficient to preserve unconverted men from bý

and arrive within sight of the Delectable Mountains.

I saw now that they went on till they came to the river that was on this side of the Delectable Mountains ;-to the river where the fine trees grow on both sides, whose leaves, if taken inwardly, are good against surfeits: and where the meadows are green all the year long; in which they might lie down safely. (Psalm xxiii. 2.)

By this river side, in the meadow, there were cotes and folds for sheep, and a house built for the nourishing and bringing up of the lambs, the babes of those women that go on pilgrimage. (Heb. v. 2. Isa. xl. 11.) Also there was here one that was intrusted with them, who could have compassion; who could gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that were with young. Now to the care of this man Christiana admonished ber four daughters to commit their little ones, that by these waters they might be housed, harboured, succoured, and nourished, and that none of them might be lacking in time to come. This man, if any of them shall be driven away or lost, will bring them again; he will also bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick. (Jer. xxiii. 4. Ezek. xxxiv. 11-16.) Here they will never want meat, drink, or clothing; here too they will be kept from thieves and robbers; for this man will die before one of those committed to his trust shall be lost. Besides, here they shall be sure to have good nurture and admonition, and shall be taught to walk in right paths, and that you know is a favour of no small account. Also here, as you see, are delicate waters, pleasant meadows, dainty flowers, variety of trees, and such as bear wholesome fruit;-fruit, not like that which Matthew

ing carried away by the "love of money, which is the root of all evil." One would think that, the misery into which so many have fallen, through an inordinate desire of worldly gain, would deter others from imitating their conduct; yet covetousness is still manifested by those who affect to despise it in others, even in the same way. This their way is their folly; yet their posterity approve their sayings," Psal. xlix. 13.