harped with their harps; But no man living could tell what they faid but Christian and his companions. Convictions feronded with fresh tidings of God's readiness to pardon. Next morning, when the was up, had prayed to God and talked with her children a while, one knocked hard the door; to whom the fpake out, faying, If thou come in God's name, come in. So he faid Amen, and open the door, and faluted her with peace on this houfe. T which, when he had done, he said, Chriftiana, know thou wherefore I am come? Then the blu ea and trembled, also her heart began wax warm with defires to know from whence he came, and what his errand wa to her. So he faid unto her, My name Secret, I dwell with those that are o high. It is talked of where I dwell, as thou hadst a defire to go thither; also there is a report thi thou art aware of the evil thou haft formerly done to busband, in hardening of thy heart against his way, andi keeping of these babes in their ignorance. Chriftiana, t merciful one hath sent me to tell thee, That he is a Go ready to forgive, and that he taketh delight to multipl the pardon of offences. He alfo would have thee to know that he inviteth thee to come into his prefence, to his table and that he will feed thee with the fat on his house, an with the heritage of Jacob thy father. There is Chriftian, thy husband that was, with legion more, his companions, ever beholding that face that dot minifter life to beholders; and they will all be glad whe they shall hear the found of thy feet step over thy father' threshold, Chriftiana at this was greatly abashed in herself, an bowed her head to the ground. This vifion proceeded and faid, Chriftiana, here is also a letter for thee, which have brought from thy husband's King; fʊ she took it and opened it, but it fmelt after the manner of the best pre fume; alfo it was written in letters of gold. The content of the letter were this; That the King would have her t do as did Chriftian ber husband, for that was the way to com to his city, and to dwell in his prejence with joy for ever At this the good woman was quite over Chriftiana quite come; to the cried out to her vifitor, Si overcome. mill you carry me and my children with you the at we may also go and worship the King? Then faid the vifitor, Christiana! the bitter is before the eet; thou must through troubles, as he did that went fore thee, enter this celeftial city: Wherefore I advise e to do as did Chriftian thy hufband, go to the wickedte yonder over the plain, for that ftands in the head of eway up which thou must go, and I with thee all good bed. Alfo I advife thee that thou put this letter into thy fon, that thou read therein thyfelf, and to thy children til they have got it by the heart, for it one of the fongs that thou muft fing while Pfalm 5.5,119. ou art in this houfe of thy pilgrimage; fo this thou must deliver in at the farther gate. Now, I faw in my dream, that this old gentleman, as told me this ftory, did himfelf feem to be greatly affecttherewith. He, moreover, proceeded, and faid, So hriftiana called her fons together, and began to address erfelf unto them: My fons, have as you may perceive, een of late under much exercife in my foul, about the eath of your father; not that I doubt at all of his hapinefs, for I am fatisfied now that he is well; I have been o much affected with due thoughts of mine own flate yours, which I verily believe is by nature miferable. ly carriage alfo to your father in his diftrefs is a great pad on my confcience; for I hardened both my own heart ad yours against him, and refused to go with him on Pilgrimages nd The thoughts of thefe things would now kill me outight, but that for a dream which I had last night, and but for the encouragement that this ftranger has given me this morning. Come, my chil- Chriftiana prays dren, let us pack up and begone to the gate ber fons to take that leads to that celeftial country, that a journey. We may fee your father, and be with him and his companions in peace, according to the laws of that land. Then did her children burst out into tears, for joy that the heart of their mother was fo inclined; fo that vifitor bid them farewel, and they began to prepare to fet out for their journey. But while they were thus about to be gone, two of the women who were Chriftiana's neighbours, came up to her houfe Chriftiana's new language funs ber old neighbours. house, and knocked at the door; to whom the faid as be fore. At this the women were stunned; for this kind of language they used not to hear, or to perceive to drop from the lip of Chriftiana. Yet they came in: Bu behold they found the good woman preparing to be gone from her house. So they began, and faid, Neighbour, what is your meaning by this? Chriftiana answered, and faid to the eldest of them, whose name was Timorous, I am preparing for a journey. (This Timorous was daughter to him that met Chriftian upon the hill of Difficulty, and would have had him gos back for fear of the lions.) Tim. For what journey, I pray you? Chift. Even to go after my old husband; and with that fhe fell a weeping. Tim. I hope not fo, good neighbour; pray, for your poor children's fake, do not fo unwomanly caft away your felf. Chrift. Nay, my children fhall go with me, not one of them is willing to stay behind. Tim. I wonder in my heart what or who has brought you into this mind. Chrift. O neighbour, knew you but as much as I do, I doubt not but that you would go along with me. Tim. Prithee, what new knowledge halt thou got, that fo worketh off thy mind from thy friends, and that tempteth thee to go nobody knows where? Chrift. Then Christiana replied, I have been forely af- Death. m, but especially fince he went over the river. But that which troubleth me most, is my churlish carriage to him when he was under his difrefs. But I am now as he was then: Nothing will ferve me but going on pilgrimage. I was dreaming last night that I faw him. O that my foul was with him! He dwelleth in the prefence of the King of the country; he fits and eats with him at the table; he is become & companion of immortals, and has a house now given him to dwell in, to which the best palace on earth, if compared, feems 1 Cor. 5. 1, 2, 3. 4. to > me but as a dunghill. The Prince of the place has alfo nt for me, with promifes of entertainment, if I fhall. me to him; his meffenger was here even now, and rought me a letter which invites me to come. And with hat the plucked out the letter and read it, and said to hem, What now will you fay to this? Tim. Oh, the madness that has poffeffed thee and thy usband to run yourselves upon fuch difficulties! You have eard, I am fure, what your husband did meet with, even 1 a manner at the first step that he took on his way, as ur neighbour Obftinate can yet teftify, for he went alor.g with him; yea, and Pliable too, until they, like wife men, vere afraid to go any farther. We also heard, over and bove, how he met with the lions, Apollyon, and the Shadow of Death, and many other things. Vor is the danger that he met with at The reasonings Vanity-fair to be forgotten by thee: For of the flesh. if he, though a man, was fo hardly put to it, what canft thou, being a poor woman, do? Confider, alfo, that these four fweet babes are thy children, thy flesh and thy bones; therefore, tho' fhould't thou be fo rafh as. to caft away thyfelf, yet for the fake of the fruit of thy body keep thou at home. But Christian faid unto her, Tempt me not, my neighbeur: I have now a prize put into my hand to get again, and I should be a foul of the greatest fort if I should have no heart to strike in with the opportunity, And for that you tell me of all these troubles that I am like to meet with in the way, they are fo far from being to me a difcouragement, that they fhew I am in the right. The bitter must come before the Tweet, and A pertinent re-, that alfo will make, the tweet the fweeter; ply to flefbly rea wherefore fince you came not to my house jonings. in God name, as I said, I pray you be gone, and do not difquiet me farther. Then Timorous alio reviled her and faid to her fellow, Come, neighbour Mercy, le's leave her in her own hands, the fcorns our counsel and company. But Mercy was at a ftand, and could not fo readily comply with her neighbour, and that for a twofold reafon. 1, Her bowels yearned over Mercy's bonwels r Chriftiana. So fhe faid within herfelf, if my neighbour will yearn over be gone, I will go a little way with her Christiana. and he'p her. 2dly, Her bowels yearned over her own foul (for what Chriftiana had faid, had taken fome hold upon her mind. Wherefore the faid within herself again, I will yet have more talk with this Chriftiana, and if I find truth and life in what the fhall fay, myself with my heart fhall also go with her. Wherefore Mercy began thos to reply to her neighbour Timorous. Timorous for; Jakes her, but Mercy cleaves to ber. Mercy. Neighbour, I did indeed come with you to fee Chriftiana this morning; and fince the is, as you fee, a taking her lat farewell of the country, I think to walk fun fhiny morning a little with her, to help her on her way: Bat the told her not of the fecond reafon, but kept it to herself. Timorous ac quaints her friends what the good Chriftiana intends to do. Tim. Well, I fee you have a mind to go a fooling too; but take heed in time and be wife: While we are out of danger, we are out; but when we are in, we are in So Mrs. Timorous returned to her house, and Christiana betook herself to her journey. But when Timorous was got home to her houfe, fhe fends for fome of her neighbours, to wit, Mrs. Bat'seyes, Mrs. Inconfiderate, Mrs. Light-mind, and Mrs. Know-nothing. So when they were come to hera house, the falls to telling of the tory of Chriftiana, and of her intended journey: And thus fhe began her tale. Tim. Neighbours, having but little to do this morning, I went to give Christiana a vifit; and when I came at the door, I knocked, as you know it is our custom; and the anfwered, If you come in God's name, come in; fo in I went, thinking all was well: But when I came in, I found her preparing herself to depart the town, the, and also her children. So I asked her what was her meaning by that? And the told me, in short, That she was now of a mind to go on pilgrimage, as did her husband. She told me alfo a dream that (he had, and how the King of the country where her husband was, had sent her an inviting letter to come thither. Then faid Mrs. Know-nothing; And what do you think The will go? · Tim. Aye, go fhe will, whatever comes on't'; and methinks I know it by this; for that which was my great ar gument |