approved of the foundness of Chriftian's anfwer; fo there was a great filence among them. Mr. By-ends and his company alfo ftaggered and kept behind, that Chriftian and Hopeful might out-go them. Then faid Chriftian to his fellow, If thefe men cannot ftand before the fentence of men, what will they do with the fentence of God? And if they are mute when dealt with by veffels of clay, what will they do when they fhall be rebuked by the flames of a devouring fire? Then Christian and Hopeful outwent them again, and went till they came at a delicate plain, called Eafe, where they went with much content; but that plain was but narrow, fo they quickly got over it. Now at the farther fide of this plain was a little hill, called Lucre, and in that hill a filver mine, which fome Lucre-Hill, a of them that had formerly gone that way, dangerous Hill. because of the rarity of it, had turned afide to fee; but going too near the brink of the pit, the ground being deceitful under them, broke, and they were flain Some alfo had been maimed there, and could not, to their dying day, be their own men again. Then I faw in my dream that a little off the road over against the filver mine, ftood Demas (gentleman-like) to call paffengers to come and fee; who faid to Chriftian and his fellow, Hol turn afide hither, and I will fhew you a fine thing. Chr. What thing is fo deferving as to turn us out of the way? Demas. Here is a filver mine, and fome digging in it for treasure; if you will come, with a little pains you may richly provide for yourfelves. Hope. Then faid Hopeful,. Let us go fee. Hopeful tempte Chr. Not I, faid Chriftian, I have heard to go, but Chri of this place before now, and how many fian holds bit. have there been flain; and befides that trea- back. fure is a fnare to thofe that feek it, for it. hindereth them in their pilgrimage.. Then Chriftian called to Demas, faying, Is not the place dangerous? Hath it not hindered many in their pil. grimage? Demas. Not very dangerous, except to shofe that are careless; but withal he blushed as he spake. Chr. Then faid Chriftian to Hopeful,, let us not flir a Atep, but ill keep on our way. Hope. I warrant you, when By-ends comes up, if he have the fame invitation as we, he will turn in thither to fee. Chr. No doubt thereof, for his principles lead him that way, and a hundred to one but he dies there. Demas. Then Demas called again, faying, But will you not come over and fee? z Tim. 4. 10. Chr. Then Chriftian roundly answered, faying, Demas, thou art an enemy to the right ways of the Lord of this way, and haft been already condemned for thine own turning afide, by one of his Majesty judges; and why feekeft thou to bring us into the like condemnation? Befides, if we at all turn afide, cur Lord the King will certainly hear thereof, and will there put us to fhame, where we would stand with boldness before him. Demar cried again, That he alfo was one of their fraternity; and that, if they would tarry a little, he alfo himself would walk with them. Chr. Then faid Chriftian, What is thy name? Is it not the fame by which I have called thee ? ÷ Demas. Yes, my name is Demas, I am the fon of Abra-ham. Chr. I know you; Gehazi was your great grandfather, and Judas your father, and you have trod in their fteps: It is but a devilish prank that thou ufeft: Thy father was hanged for a traitor, and thou deferveft no better reward. Affure thy felf, that when we come to the King, we will tell him of this thy behaviour. Thus they went on their way. By this time By-ends and his companions were come within fight, and they at the first beck went over to Demas, Now whether they fell into the pit, by looking over the brink thereof, whether they went down to dig, or whether they were fmothered in the bottom by the damps that commonly arife, of these things I am not certain: But this I obferved, that they were never feen again in the way. By-ends and filver Demas both agree; One calls, the other runs, that he may be A fharer in his lucre; fo thefe do Take up in this world, and no farther go. They See a frange monument. Now I faw that, juft on the other fide of this plain, the pigrims came to a place where ftood an old monament hard by the high-way fide, at the fight of which they were both concerned, becaufe of the ftrangencfs of the form thereof; for it feemed to them as if it had been a woman transformed into the fhape of a pillar; here therefore they stood looking, and looking upon it, but could not for a time tell what to make thereof; at laft Hopefu! efpied written upon the head thereof, a writing in an unusual hand; but he being no fcholar, called to ChriBian (for he was learned) to fee if he could pick out the meaning: So he came, and after a little laying of the let ters together, he found the fame to be this, Remember Lot's wife. So he read it to his fellow; after which they concluded, that that was the pillar of falt into which Lot's wife was turned for looking back with a covetous heart, when he was going from Gen. 19. 26. Sodom for fafety; which fudden and ama xing faht gave them occafion of this difcourfe. C my brother, this is a feasonable fight, it came opportunely to us after the invitation which Demas gave as to come over to view the hill Lucre; and had we gone over as he defired us, and as thou was inclining to do, (my brother) we had, for ought I know, been made like this woman, a fpectacle for thofe that fhall come after to behold. Hope. I am forry that I was fo foolish, and am made to wonder I am not now Lot's wife: For wherein was the difference betwixt her fin and mine? She only looked back, and I had a defire to go fee; let grace be adored, and let me be ashamed that ever fuch a thing fhould be in my heart. Chr. Let us take notice of what we fee here for our help for time to come: This woman efcaped one judgment, (for he fell not by the deftruction of Sodom) yet The was detroyed by another, as we see she is turned into a pillar of (alt. Hope. True, and the may be to us both caution and ex ample ample; caution, that we should fhun her fin, or a' fign of what judgment will overtake fuch as fhall not be prevented by this caution: So Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, with the two hundred and fifty men that perished in their fin, did alfo become a sign or example to others to beware: But, above all, I mufe at one thing, to wit, how Num. 26.9, 10: Demas and his fellows can stand fo confidently yonder to look for that treasure, which this woman but looking behind her after (for we read not that the ftept one foot out of the way) was turned into a pillar of falt; efpecially fince the judgment which overtook her did make her an example within fight of here they are; for they cannot chufe but fee her, did they but lift up their eyes. Chr. It is a thing to be wondered at, and it ́argueth that ́ their hearts are grown defperate in the cafe; and I cannot tell who to compare them to fo fitly, as to them that pick pockets in the prefence of the judge, or that will cut purfes under the gallows. It is faid of the men of Sodom, that they were finners exceedingly; because they were finners before the Lord, that is, in his eye-fight: and notwith ftanding the kindneffes that he had fhewed them, for the land of Sodom was now like to the garden of Eden heretofore. This therefore provoked him the more to Jealousy, and made their plague as hot as the fire of the Lord out of heaven could make it. And it is most rationally to be concluded, that fuch, even such as thefe are, that fhall fin in the fight, yea, and that too in despite of such examples as are fet continually before them to caution them to the contrary, must be partakers of the fevereft judgments. Hope Doubtless thou haft faid the truth; but what a mercy is it, that neither thou, but especially I, am not made myself this example! this minißereth occafion to us to thank God, to fear before him, and always to remem ber Lot's wife. I faw then that they went on their way to a pleafant river, which David the king called the river of God; but John, the river of the water of life. Now their way lay just upon the bank of this river; here therefore Chriftian and his companion walked with great delight; they drank alfo of the water of the river, which was pleasant and enlivening to the weary fpirits besides, on the banks of Trees by the river. Thef wit and leaves of the trees. this river, on either fide, were green trees for all manner of fruit; and the leaves they eat, to prevent furfeits and other difeafes that are incident to those that heat their blood by travel. On either fide of the river was also a meadow curioufly beautified with fillies, and it was green all the year long. they lay down and lept, for here they might lie down fately. When they awoke, they gathered again of the fruit of the tree, and drank again of the water of the river, and then lay down again to fleep. Thus they did feveral days and aights. Then they fang, In this meadow Behold ye how thefe chryftal ftreams do glide,. So when they were difpofed to go on (for they were not a yet at their journey's end), they eat and drank, and de Parted.. Now I beheld in my dream, that they had not journeyed far, but the river and the way for a time parted; at which they were not a little forry, yet they durft not go out of the way. Now the way from the river was, rough, and their feet tender by reafon of their travels. So the fouls of the pilgrims were much difcouraged because of the way. Now a little before them, there was on the left hand of the road a meadow, and a file to go over into it, and that meadow is called By-path meadow. Then fad Chriftian to his fellow, if this meadow By-path Mealieth along by our way-fide, let us go over dow. One tempinto it. Then he went to the file to fee, tation makes and behold a path lay along by the way on way for another. the other fide of the fence. 'Tis according to my wish, faid Chriftian, here is the eafieft going; come, good Hopeful, and let us go over. Hope. But how if this path should lead us out of the way? Chr. That's not likely, faid the other; look, doth it not |