Chr. But how do you think to get in at the gate? for you may find fome difficulty there. Ignor. As other good people do, faid he. Chr. But what have you to fhew at that gate, that the gate should be opened to you? Ignor. I know my Lord's will, and have been a good liver; I pay every man his own; I pray, faft, pay tithes, and give alms, and have left my country for whither I am going. Chr. But thou cameft not in at the wicket-gate that is at the head of this way; thou cameft in hither through that fame crooked lane, and therefore I fear, however thou may'st think of thyfelf, when the reckoning-day fhall come, thou fhalt have laid to thy charge, that thou art a thief and a robber, inftead of getting admittance into the city. Ignor. Gentlemen, ye be utter ftrangers to me. I know you not; be content to follow the religion of your country, and I will follow the religion of mine. I hope all will be well. And as for the gate that you talk of, all the world knows that that is a great way off of our country. I cannot think that any men in all our parts do fo much as know the way to it, nor need they matter whether they did or no, fince we have, as you fee, a fine pleasant green lane, that comes down from our country, the next way into it. When Chriftian faw that the man was wife in his own conceit, he faid to Hopeful whisperingly, There is more hopes of a fool than of him, Prov. xxvi. 12. And faid moreover, When he that is a fool walketh by the way, his wisdom faileth him, and he faith to every one, that he is a fool, Eccl. x. 3. What, fhall we talk decent, and paid every one their own, that they bid fair for the kingdom of God. Stupidly ignorant of their own wretchednefs and wants, and of a Saviour's justifying righteousness: Puffed up with a vain conceit of their own wildom and goodnefs, Part I. talk farther with him, or out-go him at present, and fo leave him to think of what he hath heard already, and then stop again for him afterwards, and fee if by degrees we can do any good of him? Then faid Hopeful: Let Ignorance a little while now mufe Hope. He farther added, It is not good I think, to fay to him all at once; let us pafs him by, if you will, and talk to him anon, even as he is able to bear it. ter. So they went both on, and Ignorance he came af Matt. xii. 36. Prov. v. 22. Now when they had passed him a little way, they entered into a very dark lane, where they met a man whom seven devils had bound with seven strong cords, and were carrying of him back to the door that they saw on the fide of the hill: Now good Chriftian began to tremble, and fo did Hopeful his companion: yet as the devils led away the man, Chriftian looked to fee if he knew him; and he thought it might be one Turn-away, that dwelt in the town of Apoftacy. But he did not perfectly see his face; for he did hang his head like a thief that is found. But being gone past, Hopeful looked after him, and efpied on his back a paper, with this infcription: Wanton professor, and damnable apoftate. nefs, they defpife inftruction, and hate true knowledge. Such tread close upon the heels of the wanton profeffor, and damnable apoftate, whofe ftate, circumftances, condition and punishment, are certain and eternal. apoftate. Then faid Chriftian to his fellow, Now I call to remembrance that which was told me, of a thing that happened to a good man hereabout. The name of the man was Little-Faith, but a good man, and he dwelt in the town of Sincere. The thing was this: At the entring in at this paffage, there comes down from Broad-way-gate a lane, call'd Dead-man's Lane; fo called, because of the murders that are commonly done there: and this Little-Faith going on pilgrimage, as we do now, chanced to fit down there and flept: Now there happened at that time to come down the lane from Broad-way-gate, three sturdy rogues, and their names were Faint-heart, Miftruft, and Guilt (three brothers), and they espying Little-Faith, where he was, came galloping up with speed. Now the good man was juft awakened from his fleep, and was getting up to go on his journey. So they came up all to him, and with threatning language bid him ftand. At this Little-Faith looked as white as a clout, and had neither power to.. fight nor fly. Then faid Faint-heart, Deliver thy purse; but he making no hafte to do it (for he was loth to lose his money), Mistrust ran up to him, and thrufting his hand into his pocket, pulled out thence a bag of filver. Then he cried out, Thieves! thieves! With that Guilt, with a great club that was in his hand, ftruck Little-Faith on the head, and with that blow fell'd him flat to the ground; where he lay bleeding as one that would bleed to death. All this while the thieves stood by. But at It is the good pleasure of God, to give to every man feverally as he wills; as a diverfity of gifts, fo likewife different degrees of faith. And when faith is weak and inactive, then the heart becomes faint and miftrufful, and a fenfe of guilt feems fixed upon the confcience. In this ftate, the believer is often wounded, and ready to give up all as loft; though perhaps, at laft, they hearing that some were upon the road, and fearing left it should be one Great-Grace, that dwells in the city of Good-Confidence, they betook themselves to their heels, and left this good man to fhift for himself. Now after a while Little-Faith came to himself, and getting up, made a fhift to scrabble on his way. This was the story. Hope. But did they take from him all that ever he had? Chr. No: the place where his jewels were, they never ranfack'd; fo thofe he kept ftill. But, as I was told, the good man was much afflicted for his lofs; for the thieves got most of his spendingmoney. That which they got not (as I faid) were jewels; also he had a little odd money left, but fcarce enough to bring him to his journey's end; nay (if I was not mif-informed), he was forced to beg as he went, to keep himself alive; for his jewels he might not fell. But beg and do what he could, he went (as we fay) with many a hungry belly, the most part of the rest of the way. 1 Pet. iv. 18. Hope. But is it not a wonder they got not from him his certificate, by which he was to receive his admittance at the coeleftial gate? Chr. 'Tis a wonder; but they got not that; though they miffed it not through any good cunning of his; for he being difmay'd with their coming upon him, had neither power nor fkill to hide any thing, fo it was more by good providence, than by his endeavour, that they mifs'd of that good thing. 2 Tim. i. 14. 2 Pet. i. 9. Hope. at the worst of times, he is not left without a small glimmering of hope; and with the greateft diffidence lays claim to the promifes of God in Chrift Jefus. The true Chriftian, if he has but faith like as it were a grain of mustard-feed, still keeps his hold, and will not part with Jefus, nor let him go. Hence the difference is difcovered, where but a spark of true grace reigns, Hope. But it must needs be a comfort to him, that they got not his jewels from him. Chr. It might have been great comfort to him, had he used it as he fhould: but they that told me the ftory, faid, that he made but little ufe of it all the rest of the way; and that becaufe of the difmay that he had in the taking away his money: indeed he forgot it a great part of the rest of his journey; and befides, when at any time it came into his mind, and he began to be comforted therewith, then would fresh thoughts of his lofs come again upon him, and those thoughts would fwallow up all. Hope. Alas, poor man! this could not but be a great grief to him! Chr. Grief! ay, a grief indeed. Would it not have been fo to any of us, had we been used as he, to be robbed and wounded too, and that in a strange place, as he was? 'Tis a wonder he did not die with grief, poor heart: I was told that he scattered almost all the reft of the way with nothing but doleful and bitter complaints: telling alfo to all that overtook him, or that he overtook in the way as he went, where he was robbed, and how, who they were that did it, and what he loft; how he was wounded, and that he hardly escaped with his life. Hope. But 'tis a wonder that his neceffity did not put him upon felling or pawning fome of his jewels, that he might have wherewithal to relieve himfelf in his journey. Chr. Thou talkeft like one upon whose head is the shell to this very day: For what fhould he pawn them? Y reigns, from the poor foul that is deftitute of it. The truly gracious heart cannot feed on any thing fhort of Jefus; but the unfanctified heart can feaft itfelf upon the very carrion of carnal indulgence. The weak in faith are not, cannot be bold for God; but when fovereign grace more powerfully reaches the |