Then faid Chriftiana, I perfuade myfelf that I know fomewhat the meaning of this; for this is the figure of a man in this world; is it not good, Sir? Inter. Thou hast said right, faid he, and his muck-rake doth fhew his carnal mind. And whereas thou feeft him rather give heed to take up ftraws and fticks, and the du of the floor, than do what He fays that calls to him from above, with the celeftial crown in his hand; it is to fhew that heaven is but a fable to fome, and that things here are counted the only things fubstantial. Now, whereas it was alfo fhewed thee, that the man could look no way but downwards; it is to let thee know that earthly things, when they are with power upon men's minds, quite carry their hearts away from God. Chriftiana's prayer again be muck-rake. Prov. 30. 3. Christ. Then faid Chriftiana, ver me from this muck-rake.. Oh! deli Inter. That prayer, faid the Interpreter, has lain by till it is almost rusty: Give me not riches, is fcarce the prayer of one of ten thousand. Straws, and ticks, and duft, with moft, are the great things now looked after. With that Mercy and Chriftiana wept, and faid, It is, alas! too true. When the Interpreter had fhewed them this, he had them into the very best room in the house; (a very brave room it was) fo he bid them look round about, and fee if they could find any thing profitable there. Then they looked round and round; for there was nothing to be feen but a very great spider on the wall, and that they overlooked. Of the Spider. thing: But Chriftiana held her peace. Mercy. Then faid Mercy, Sir, I fee no Inter. But, faid the Interpreter, look again: She there fore looked again and faid, Here is not any thing but an ugly spider, who hangs by his hands upon the wall. Then faid he, Is there but one fpider in all this spacious room? Then the water flood in Chriftiana's eyes, for the was a woman quick of apprehenfion; and the faid, Yea, Lord, there is more here than one; yea, and fpiders, whofe venom is far more destructive than that which is in her. The Interpreter then looked pleasantly on her, and faid, Thou haft faid the truth. This made Mercy blush, and Talk about the the bays to cover their faces, for they all began now to derftand the riddle. Then faid the Interpreter again,. The The Interpreta ter taketh hold with her hands, as you tion. and is in kings palaces and wherefore is recorded, but to fhew you,. That how full of the venom fin foever you be, yet you may, by the hand of faith. hold of and dwell in the best room that belongs to the g's house above brift. I thought, faid Chriftiana, of fomething of this, I could not imagine it all. I thought thar we were e fpiders, and that we looked like ugly creatures, in at fine rooms foever we were; but that by this fpider, I venomous and ill-favoured creature, we were to learn w to act faith, that came not into my thoughts, that she rketh with her hands, and, as I fee, dwells in the be >m in the house. God has made nothing in vain. Then they feemed all to be glad; but the water flood in eir eyes: Yet they looked one upon another, and also wed before the Interpreter. He had them then into another room, where was a hen' d her chickens, and bid them observe a sile. So one of the chickens went to the of the ben and. chickens. Jugh to drink, and every time she drank, e lifted up her head and her eyes towards heaven. See, id he, what this little chick doth, and learn of her to ac nowledge whence your mercies come, by receiving them ith looking up. Yet again, faid he, obferve and look; they gave heed, and perceived that the hen did walk in fourfold method towards her chickens. She had a common call, and that she Matth. 23. 27. ad all the day long. 2. She had a fpe al call, and that he had but fometimes. 3. She had a rooding note. And, 4. She had an outcry. Now, faid he, compare this ben to your King, and the ickens to his obedient ones. For, anfwerable to her, imfelf has his methods which he walketh in towards hiar eople: By his common call, he gives nothing: By his ecial call, he always has fomething to give: He has alfa brooding voice, for them that are under his wings: And e has an out-cry, to give the alarm when he feeth the nemy come. I chofe, my darlings, to lead you into the room where fuch things are, because you are women, and they are easy for you Chrift. And, Sir, faid Chriftiana, pray let us fee fome more. So he had them into the flaughter-houfe, where was a butcher killing a fheep: And behold the fheep was quiet, and took her death patiently. Then faid the Interpreter, you must learn of this fheep to fuffer, and to put up wrongs without murmurings and complaints. Behold how quietly fheikes her death, and without objecting, the fuffereth her skin to be pulled over her ears. Your King doth call you his fheep. Again, he had them into his feld, which he had fown with wheat and corn: But when they beheld the tops of all were cut off, and only the ftraw remained, he faid again, This ground was dunged and ploughed, and fowed, but what fhall we do with the crop? Then faid Chriftiana, Burn fome, and make much of the reft. Then faid the Interpreter again, Fruit, you fee, is that thing you look for, and for want of that you condemn it to the fire, and to be troddes under-foot of men: Beware that in this you condemn not yourselves. i hen as they were coming in from abroad, Of the robin and they efpied a Robin with a great fpider the Spider. in his mouth: So the Interpreter faid, look here: So they looked, and Mercy wondered; but Chriftiana faid, What a disparagement it is to fuch a little pretty bird as the Robin Red-breast, he being alfo a bird above many that loveth to maintain a kind of a fociableness with men, I had thought they had lived upon crumbs of bread, or upon other fuch harmless matter; I like him worfe than I did. The Interpreter then replied, This Robin is an emblem very apt to fet forth fome profeflors by; for to ught they are, as this Robin, pretty of note, colour, and carriage; they feem alfo to have a very great love for profeffors that are finceret and above all other to defire to fociate with them, and to be in their company, as if they could live upon the good man's crumbs. They pretend allo, that therefore it is that they frequent the houfe of the godly, and the appointments of the Lord; but when they are by themfelves, as the Robin, they can catch and gobble up fpiders piders, they can change their diet, drink and fwallow dow In like water. So when they were come again into the Pray, and you oufe, becaufe fupper as yet was not ready, will get at that hriftiana again defired that the Interpreter which yet lier ould either fhew or tell of fome things unrevealed. at are profitable. Then the Interpreter began, and faid: The fatter the w is, the more the defires the mire; the fatter the ox is, e more gamefomely he goes to the flaughter; the more ealthy the lusty man is, the more prone he is unto evil. There is a defire in women to go neat and fine, and it a comely thing to be adorned with That, that in God's ght is of great price. Tis eafier watching a night or two, than to fit up hole year together; So 'tis easier for one to begin to prof well, than to hold out as he should to the end. Every fhip mater, when in a storm, will willingly caft hat overboard that is of the smallest value in the vessel; ut who will throw the best out first? None but he that areth not God. One leak will link a fhip, and one fin will deftroy nner. He that forgets his friend is ungrateful unto him; but e that forgets his Saviour is unmerciful to himself. He that lives in fin, and looks for happiness hereafter, like him that foweth cockle, and thinks to fill his barn with wheat or barley. If a man would live well, let him fetch his last day to im, and make it always his company-keeper. Whispering and change of thoughts prove that fin is in he world. If the world, which God fets light by, is counted a hing of that worth with men, what is heaven, that God Commendeth?: If the life that is attended with fo many troubles is fo oth to be let go by us, what is the life above i Every body will cry up the goodness of men: But who a there that is, as he should be, affected with the goodness of God? We feldom fit down to meat, but we cat, and leave; So So there is in Jefus Chrift more merit and righteoufaefe than the whole world has need of. When the Interpreter had done, he takes them out into his garden again, and had them to a tree, Of the tree that whofe infide was all rotten and gone, and and yet it grew and had leaves. Then faid Mercy, what means this? This tree, faid is rotten. |