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Conversation of the Pilgrims and Standfast,

to the Celestial City." So the man stopped, and they came up to him. But as soon as Mr. Honest saw him, he said, "I know this man." Then said Mr. Valiantfor-truth, "Prithee, who is it?" "It is one," answered he, "that comes from whereabouts I dwelt. His name is Standfast; he is certainly a right good pilgrim."

So they came up one to another. And presently Standfast said to old Honest, "Ho, father Honest, are you there?" "Ay," said he, "that I am, as sure as you are there." Right glad am I," said Mr. Standfast, "that I have found you on this road." "And as

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glad am I," said the other, "that I espied you upon your knees." Then Mr. Standfast blushed; and said, "But why, did you see me?" "Yes, that I did," answered the other, "and with my heart was glad at the sight." " Why, what did you think?" said Stand fast. "Think?" said old Honest; "what should I think? I thought we had an honest man upon the road, and therefore should have his company by and by." "If you thought not amiss," replied Mr. Stand fast, how happy am I! But if I be not as I should, I alone must bear it." "That is true," said the other; "but your fear doth further confirm me, that things are right betwixt the Prince of pilgrims and your soul. For, he saith, 'Happy is the man that feareth always,'" Prov. xxviii. 14.

VALIANT. Well but, brother, I pray thee tell us, what was it that was the cause of thy being upon thy knees even now? was it for some obligations laid by special mercies upon thee, or how?

STAND. Why, we are, as you see, upon the Enchanted Ground; and as I was coming along, I was musing with myself of what a dangerous nature the road in this place is, and how many that have come even thus far on pilgrimage, have here been stopped, and been destroyed. I thought also of the manner of death with which this place destroyeth men. They who die here, die of no violent distemper: the death

Conversation of the Pilgrims and Standfast.

which such die, is not grievous to them. For he that goeth away in a sleep, begins that journey with desire and pleasure. Yea, such acquiesce in the will of that disease.

HON. Then Mr. Honest interrupting him, said, Did you see the two men asleep in the arbour?

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STAND. Ay, ay, I saw Heedless and Too-bold there; and for aught I know, there they will lie till they rot, Prov. x. 7. But let me go on with my tale. As I was thus musing, as I said, there was one in very pleasant attire, but old, who presented herself unto me, and offered me three things, to wit, her body, her purse, and her bed. Now the truth is, I was both weary and sleepy: I am also as poor as an owlet, and that perhaps the witch knew well; I repulsed her once and twice, but she put by iny repulses, and smiled. Then I began to be angry; but she regarded that not at all. Then she made offers again, and said, if I would be ruled by her, she would make me great and happy; for, said she, I am the mistress of the world, and men are made happy by me. Then I asked her name, and she told me it was Madam Bubble. This set me further from her; but she still followed me with enticements. Then I betook me, as you see, to my knees, and with hands lifted up, and cries, I prayed to him that had said he would help. So just as you came up, the gentlewoman went her way. Then I continued to give thanks for this great deliverance; for I verily believe she intended no good, but rather sought to put a stop to me in my journey.

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An owlet, or owl, is scarcely any thing besides feathers. e This vain world.

"My soul, what's lighter than a feather? Wind.—

"Than wind? the fire.-And what than fire? The mind. "What's lighter than the mind? A thought.-Than thought This bubble world.-What than this buble Nought."

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QUARLES

Conversation of the Pilgrims and Standfast

HON. Without doubt her designs were bad. But stay, now you talk of her, methinks I either have seen her, or have read some story of her.

STAND. Perhaps you have done both.

HON. Madam Bubble! Is she not a tall, comely dame, something of a swarthy complexion ?

STAND. Right, you hit it; she is just such a one. HON. Doth she not speak very smoothly, and give you a smile at the end of every sentence?

STAND. You fall right upon it again, for these are her very actions.

HON. Doth she not wear a great purse by her side, and is not her hand often in it, fingering her money, as if that were her heart's delight?

STAND. 'Tis just so; had she stood by all this while, you could not more amply have set her forth before me, nor have better described her features.

HON. Then he that drew her picture was a good limner, and he that wrote of her said the truth.

GREAT. This woman is a witch, and it is by virtue of her sorceries that this ground is enchanted. Whoever doth lay his head down in her lap, had as good lay it down upon the block over which the axe doth hang; and whoever fixes his eyes upon her beauty, is counted the enemy of God. She it is that maintaineth in their splendour all those that are the enemies of pilgrims, Jam. iv. 4. Yea, it is she that hath brought off many a man from a pilgrim's life. She is a great gossip; she is always, both she and her daughters, at one pilgrim's heels or another, now condemning, and then preferring the excellencies of this life. She is a bold and impudent slut: she will talk with any man. She always laugheth poor pilgrims to scorn, but highly commends the rich If there be one cunning to get money in a place, she will speak well of him from house to house. She

& The world

respecting Madam Bubble and her Allurements.

loveth banqueting and feasting mainly well; she is always at one full table or another. She has given it out at some places that she is a goddess, and therefore some do worship her. She has her time, and open places of cheating; and she will say and avow it, that none can show a good comparable to hers. She promiseth to dwell with children's children, if they will but love and make much of her. She will cast out of her purse gold like dust, in some places, and to some persons. She loves to be sought after and spoken well of, and to lie in the bosoms of men. She is never weary of commending her commodities, and she loves them most that think best of her. She will promise crowns and kingdoms, if they will but take her advice; yet many bath she brought to the halter, and ten thousand times more to hell.

STAND. Oh! said Standfast, what a mercy it is that I did resist her; for whither might she not have drawn me!

GREAT. Whither? nay, none out God knows. But in general, to be sure she would have drawn thee into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition, 1 Tim. vi. 9. It was she that set Absalom against his father, and Jeroboam against his master. It was she that persuaded Judas to sell his Lord; and that prevailed with Demas to forsake the godly pilgrim's life. None can tell of the mischief that she doeth. She makes variance betwixt rulers and subjects, betwixt parents and children, betwixt neighbour and neighbour, betwixt a man and his wife, between a man and himself, and betwixt the flesh and the spirit. Wherefore, good Master Standfast, be as your name is, and when you have done all, stand."

The design of our author is to shew, how believers obtain the victory over the world. "Whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world; and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the son of God" 1 John v.

The Pilgrims break out into Singing.

At this discourse there was among the pilgrims a mixture of joy and trembling; but at length they brake out and sang:

"What danger is the pilgrim in!

How many are his foes?

How many ways are there to sin,
No living mortal knows.

4, 5. For this purpose he has selected a very poor man, much afflicted and distressed, assaulted by the world's chief temptations," the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life," (1 John ii. 16.) en.bodied and concentrated in the person of a comely, fascinating, lewd, enticing, alluring woman, bewitching persons with her sorceries, despising the poor, commending the rich, and promising riches, honours, and pleasures to them who submit to her desires, and to their children, and children's children after them. The only way in which a christian can effectually resist the fallacious promises of the world, is to betake himself to his knees, and to cry mightily to him who hath overcome the world, and who hath promised to give strength equal to the day, to all who pray to him. Being renewed in the spirit of their minds, believers "press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus, and desire not to be conformed to this world, either in its spirit, its maxims, its pursuits, or its pleasures. It is well when believers are aware of the snares to which they are exposed from the temptations of the world, and of the danger there is lest they should fall asleep in security, and go out of life with insensibility. To be preserved from sensual lusts, from a desire for worldly honours, and from "the love of money which is the root of all evil," is an infinite mercy. These inordinate and wicked desires have brought many to the halter, and ten thousand times more to hell. They have been the cause of all the destructions and dissensions in the world, of all the rebellion in kingdoms, and of all the apostasies in the church. Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ influences christians to receive his commands, to believe his promises, to imitate his example, and to pray for the promised aid of the Holy Spirit. It is this principle which leads them to exclaim with the apostle, "God forbid that should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world," Gal. vi. 14. There is cause for abundant thankfulness, when christians in very trying circumstances of affliction and temptation are enabled to "stand fast" in the evil day. But they should ever recollect, that they are not yet out of the reach of the malice and fraud of their spiritual enemies; therefore, "after they have done - all," let them "stand," Eph. vi. 13

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