judgment, and I find that I am not willing • Heb 9.27. Job 26. ↑ this burden that is on my back will fink me 1.30, 33, lower than the grave; and I fhall fall into Tophat. And, Sir, if I am not fit to go to judgment, and from thence to execution; and the thought of thefe things make me cry. Then faid wangelift, If this be thy condition, why flandeft thou ftill? He anfwered, Becaufe I know not whiThen he gave him a parchment $ Conviction roll, and there was written within, Flee from of the neceffity the wrath to come. of flying. * word. ther to go. The man therefore read it, and looking up Matt. 7. on Evangelift very earnedly, faid, Whither P/119.105. muft Ifly? Then faid Evangelift, pointing with 2 Pet. 2. 19, his finger over a wide field, Do you fee yonder Christ, and wicket-gate? The man faid, No. Then faid the way can the other, Do you fee yonder thining light? not be found He said, I think I do. Then faid Evangelift, without the Keep that light in your eye, and go up, directly thereto, fo fhalt thou fee the gate; at which when thou knockeft, it shall be told unto thee what thou fhalt do. So I faw in my dream that the man began to run: Now he had not run far from his own door, but his wife and children perceiving it, Luke 14. 16. began to cry after him to return; but the man Gen. 19. 17. put his fingers in his ears, and ran on crying, Life, life, eternal life: So he looked not behind him, but fled towards the middle of the plain, They that fly from the wrath to come are a gazing. Stock to the world. Jer. 20. 10. Chriftian no Jooner leaves the world, but meets Evangelift, who lovingly him greets Wuh tidings of another: And doth show Him how to mount to that from this below. The neighbours alfo came out to fee him run, and as he run, fome mocked, others threatened, and fome cried after him to return; and among thofe that did fo, there were two that were refolved to fetch him back by force. * The name of the one was Obftinate, and the name of the other Pliable. Now by this time the man was got a good distance from them; but however, they were resolved to pursue him, which they did, and in a little time they overtook him. Then faid the man, neighbours, *Obftinate and Pliable follow him. neighbours, Wherefore are ye come? They faid, To perfuade you to go back with us; but he faid, That can by no means be: You dwell, faid he, in the city of Destruction, (the place alfo where I was born) I fee it to be fo: And dying there, fooner or later, you will fiak lower than the grave, into a place that burns with fire and brimstone: Be content, good neighbours, and go along with me.. What! faid Obftinate, and leave our friends and our comforts behind us! II Obftinate. § Yes, faid Chriftian, (for that was his name) § Chriftian. because that All which you fhall forfake is not * worthy to be compared with a litlle of that, that I am feeking to enjoy; and if you will z.Cor. go along with me, and hold it, you fhall fare as myself, for where I go is enough and to spare; come away and prove my words. It Lu. 15.27Obftinate, What are the things you feek, fince you leave all the world to find them? Chriftian, I feek an I inheritance incorrup tible, undefiled, and that fadeth not away; 1 Pet. 14. and it is laid up in heaven, § and fafe, there § Heb. 11. to be bestowed, at the time appointed, on em that diligently feek it. Read it fo, if you will, in my book. Obft. Tufh, faid Obftinate, away with your book; Will you go back with us or no? Chr. No, not I, because I have laid mine hand to the plough. + Lu. 9. 26 Obft, Come then, neighbour Pliable, let us turn back again and go home without him: There is a company of thefe crazy-headed coxcombs, that when they take a fancy by the end, are wifer in their own eyes than feven men that can render a reason. Pli. Then faid Pliable, Don't revile; if what the good Christian fays is true, the things he looks after are better. than ours; my heart inclines to go with my neighbour. Obf. What more fools ftill? Be ruled by me, go back; who knows whither fuch a brain-fick fellow will lead you? Go back, go back, and be wife. Chr. Nay, But do thou * come with thy neighbour Pliable; there are fuch things to * Chriftian be had which I fpoke of, and many more glories ana Obftinate befides if you believe not me, read here in pull for Plihis book, and for the truth of what is exprefs'd able's foul. therein, behold all is confirmed by the + blood Heb.9.17. of him that made it. 18,19,20,21. Pliable. Well, neighbour Obftinate, (faid Pliable con- Pliable) I begin to come to a point, I intend tented to go to go along with this good man, and to cast in with Chri- my lot with him; but, my good companion, Aian. Do you know the way to this defired place? Chr. I am directed by a man whofe name is Evangelist, to speed to a little gate that is before us, where we fhall receive instructions about the way. Pli. Come then, good neighbour, let us be going. Then they went both together. Obftinate gees railing back, Obft. And I will go back to my place, faid Obftinate; I will be no companion of fuch mifled, fantaftical fellows. Now I faw in my dream that when Obfti- ↑ Talk be- nate was going back, Chriftian and Pliable tween Chrifti went talking over the plain; and thus they an and Phi- began their difcourfe.. able. Chr. Come, neighbour Pliable, how do you do; I am glad you are perfuaded to go along with me? Had even Obstinate himself but felt what I have felt of the powers and terrors of what is yet unfeen, he would not thus lightly have given us the back. Pli. Come, neighbour Chriftian, fince there are none but us two here, tell me now farther what the things are, and how to be enjoyed whither we are going. Chr. I can better conceive of them with God's things my mind, than speak of them with my tongue: unfpeakable. But yet fince you are defirous to know, I will read of them in my book. 2 Pli. And do you think that the words of your book are: certainly true? $ Tit. 1. 2. 1.45. 27. Jo..10. 17, 27, 29. 2 Tim.4.8. Rev. 22. 4. Chr. Yes verily, for it was made by him that § cannot lie. Phi. Well faid, What things are they? Chr. There is an endlefs kingdom to be inhabited, and everlafting life to be given us, that we may inhabit the kingdom for ever. Pli. Well faid, and what else? Chr. There are crowns of glory to be given us; and * garments that will make us fhine like the fun in the firmament of heaven. Pli. This is very pleasant, and what else? † I. 1. 58. Chr. There shall be no more crying † nor Rev. 7. 16, forrow; for he that is owner of the place will 17, ch. 21.4. wipe away all tears from our eyes. Pli. And what company fhall we have there? 17 hef 4. 16, 17. Rev. v. 11. and Cherubims, creatures that will dazzle your * 1. 6. z. eyes to look on them. There also you shall meet with thousands and ten thoufands, that have gone before us to that place; none of them art hurtful, but loving and holy; every one walking in the fight of God, and (tanding in the prefence with acceptance for ever: In a word, there we fhall fee the elders with their golden* Rev. 4. 5. crowns: There we shall fee † holy virgins with their golden harps. There we fhall fee | men 10 5. that by the word are cut to pieces, burnt in flames, eaten of beafts, drowned in the feas, for the love that they bare to the lord of the place; all well and cloathed with § immorta- § 2 Cor. v. 2, lity, as with a garment. Pli. The hearing of this is enough to ravish Ch. 14. 1, Jo. 12. 25. 3, 5. one's heart; but are these things to be enjoyed? How shall we get to be fharers thereof? Chr. The lord, the governor of the country hath recorded that in this book, the fubftance of which, if we be truly willing to have it, he will be-Ifa. 55.12. tow them upon us freely. Jo. 7.37. Pli. Well, my good companion, glad am I ch. 6. 37. to hear these things: Come on, and let us mend our pace. Chr. I cannot go fo fast as I would by reafon of this burden that is on my back. Now I faw in my dream, that just as they had ended this talk, they drew nigh to a very Rev. 21. 6. ch. 22. 17. miry flough that was in the midst of the plain, The fough of and they being heedlefs did both fuddenly fall De/pond. into the bog. The name of the flough was Defpond. Here therefore they wallow for a time being greatly bedaub'd with dirt; and Chriftian, because of the burden that was on his back, began to fink in the mire. Pl. Then faid Pliable, Ah! neighbour Chriflian, where are you now? Glr. |