hard by the pillar of Hiftory. So they all followed him with one confent, and went out of the cave, where they found Tender-confcience waiting for their appearance; ther they went up to him, and faluted him one by one, and after fome questions paffed on both fides, they all fet for ward together.

Now faw in my dream, that as they were going up piece of rifing ground, they faw before them a man walk ing an even moderate pace, and made nafte to overtake hin, for by his gait they gueffed he was no ordinary man, t certain wife men obferved. By a man's gait you may know what he is: So when they came up to him, they faluted him contenufly, and he returned their falutation with an a which difcovered the tranquillity and peace of his foul.

Then Tender-confcience faid to him, Sir, if a stranger may take the liberty to ask you a queflion, I entreat you to tell me, whether your name be not Spiritual-man, for think I have feen you before, and was told that you were called by that name ?

Spiritual man. Yes, faid Spiritual-man, I am the far you take me for; and though your knowledge of me be bat as yet impericct, yet I very well know you and all your company, and am gled to fee you fo far on your journey towards the heavenly city, whither we are all now going.

Tinder con. I do not wonder that you know me, and my fellow-travellers here with me, for I have heard a very learned and holy man one Paul the apoftle fay, That yeu, know all things, and judge all things, 1 Cer. ii. 15. and therefore I am very glad we are fo happy as to overtake you on the road; and I hope we shall have your good company to our journey's end.

Spiritual-man With a very good will, for it is my de light to keep company with thofe that fet their faces Żonward, and going thither as I perceive you are at this time; but I fpy a young man in your company, who, I doubt, will not be able to go through this tedious journey, but will either faint by the way, or turn afide with the Flatterers or take up his abode at Vanity-fair. Then turning afide to Yielding, he faid unto him, Young man, you are the perfon I mean; do you think you shall be able to hold out to the heavenly Jerusalem?

Fielding

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Fielding. I make no doubt of it, Sir, for I find myself good health, and as able to foot it as any of the com

y.. Then they went on together till they came to a great dernefs, where were feveral paths leading divers ways; hat, had it not been for Spiritual-man (who knew the at way) they had wandered no doubt into fome dangerpart or other, and either been devoured by wild beatts, aken prifoners by fome cruel giants, whofe caftles ftood he remote corners of this wilderness. This made them hew a deal of respect and obedience to Spiritual-man, efteem him as their guide and patron: So they went ng together till they came to a place where was an altar it; there was incenfe burning thereon, and the fiell of incenfe was very fragrant, refreshing the fpirits of the grims: Then Spiritual-man fpake to this effect: My thren, you must know that this wilderness is much nted with wild beats. as alfo by thieves and murderers, rits and hobgoblins, which often-times affault poor pilms in the night-time, and fometimes by day: Now had taken any other path, we had been in danger of falling o their clutches; but now I hope there is no danger, if will follow my counfel.

Tender con. We will readily obey thee in all things, for fee that thou art a man of God, and haft the mind of rift: Tell us therefore what we fhall do to be fate from dangers that threaten us in this place?

Spiritual-man. You fee this altar of incenfe here perpelly fmoaking, and fending up clouds of fweet fmelling our to heaven, and the fire upon the altar keeps off all d beats, let every man take a coal from the altar, and ry along with him; and if he would likewife be free m the hobgoblins, let him take the incenfe that is in the afary of the altar, and carry it along with him, and as travels through the wildernefs, let him often kindle a fire th a coal from the altar, and burn incenfe thereon, fo ll he be protected from all evil. Let him awaken the rit of prayer, and kindle true devotion in himself, by king good ufe of the grace of God; for the heart of a vout man, and one that fears God, is an altar of incenfe, ways fending holy ejaculations, which are a fweet favour

or perfume before God: Such a man attracts the diving blefling and protection.

Tender con. But how thell a man pray? In form, or with out? with words, or in filence?

Spiritual man. That you may be the better fatisfied in this point, you ought to confider, that prayer is the foul difcourfe or converfation with God. Now feeing that God knoweth all things, and difcerneth the fecret thoughts our hearts, it is a thing in iffrent in prayer, whether ufe words or no, for the foul may difcourfe and conve with God, as well in filence as with words, nay, bette fometimes, becaufe filence preferves her attention and pre vents wandering thoughts; whereas, when the foul is o cupied in verbal prayer, it often proves little better than lip fervice; as God complained of old, This people ferve ne with their lips, but their hearts are far from me: But however, this filent or mental prayer is a gift which all mea are not capable of. Some have not that recolle&ion of fpirit, that compofednefs of mind, as to pray in this manner, and it is convenient that fuch men fhould use words: But whether they ufe a fet form or no in private is not material, only let me give this feafonable caution, that those who ufe extemporary prayer be careful of committing any indecency, by uttering improper expreflions, vain repetitions, or ufing too many words; which muft needs be offenfire to the divine Majefty, who knows our neceflities before we declare them, and only requires an humble and fervent ap plication of our hearts to him for what we ftand in need of All the fine words in the world without this, and althel rhetorical flourishes, the elegant cadences, and the fott pe riods without this, are but as founding brass and a tinkling cymbal in the ears of God; and herefore good was the advice of Solomon; When thou comeft into the house of God, let thy words be few, and be more ready to hear than to offer the facrifice of fools; intimating hereby that mul tiplicity of words in prayer are but the facrifice or fuels; and a greater man than Solomon has faid, 'When we pray,! ufe not vain repetitions as the heathens do, for they think that they fhall be heard for their much fpeaking: Be ye not therefore like unto them, for your father knoweth what things ye have need of before ye ak him, Matth. vi. 7: And therefore the form of prayer, which Christ here pre

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ibed them as a pattern, was very fhort, but comprehene, including in less than an hundred words all the feveral ris of prayer, as thanksgiving, petition, oblation, internom, &c. And this, no doubt, he preferited for a patin to others, that all who call upon God may do it in erence and godly modeftly, ufing but few words, and fe pithy and fignificant, comprehenfive and full, proper d becoming the majeity we addrefs ourselves unto.

Tender-con

You have given me great fatisfaction as to matter, which has often disturbed my mind, and kept at too remote a distance from God, not knowing cer nly how to pray acceptably; but now I am convinced at God requires chiefly the heart; for it is but reason, at he who is a fpirit, and the pureft of all spirits, fhould · ferved in fpiris and in truth; which cannot be dono here the heart goes not along with the lips; and if it es, then it matters not whether it be in a fet form of ords or no; the fervency and attention of the mind, the gularity of the affections, and the lawfulness of our petins, being the chief things regarded by the fovereign Maty of heaven.

Seek truth. How happy am I that fell into fuch good mpany! I have been long a fearching and enquiring inthe nature and obligation of chriflian duties, and partilarly this of prayer, which puzzles a great many good meaning people; but I never met with fo much com-rt and fatisfaction as now I have found in your excellent ifcourfe.

ell

Weary-o-the-world. I approve of what has been faid conerning prayer; for tho' I find fo many defects in the best f my devotions, that I have no heart to venture on vocal · rayer at fome times; for if I should, my heart would afewards check me with putting an affront on God, while, n the midst of paffionate words and devout expreffions, my houghts were employed quite another another way; while my tongue chattered like a magpye to God, my heart was the devil's ramble, ftarting a thousand vain and foolin thoughts amidst the moft ferious and religious, the molt fervent and pious words of the world. I know not how it fares with other people, or what advantages they may find; but, for my own part, fo long as I oarry flesh and blood about me, I cannot prefume to be free from diftractions, aliena

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tion of mind, coldness, indifference and impertinent fuge geftions, even the calmest minutes, the most recollected fea fons, and the feverest applications of my mind to the duty I am engaged in: Much lefs can I hope for an immunity frem fuch failings, when I give the reins to my tongue, & fuffer my lips to prate over a multitude of formal words; for then I find it falls out to me, as I have heard fay it does to musicians, who, by long accuftaming themselves to play on any inflrument, at length get fuch a habit, that they can run over their familiar tunes, without minding or givi attention to what they are doing. Not that I hereby con demn the ufe of vocal prayer, for without doubt it is expe dient for fome people, and in a manner neceflary in the public worship of God, where many people are to join to gether in offering up the fame petitions, thanksgivings, interceffions, &c. which cannot be performed without a form of words, and which are the only and proper means of onveying our conceptions and thoughts one to another; confequently making each other fenfible what we all pray for. In fhort, my judgment is, that it is all one, in refpect of God's hearing us, whether we ufe words or not, in public or private; but, for the fake of human neceffities, words are neceflary in public, and a fervent attention of mind is abfolutely required, both in public and private, as the only efficacious means to render our prayers acceptable to the divine Majelty.

Then I heard in my dream, that as they walked along the wilderness, the wild beasts roared, and fent forth hideous noises, which put fome of the pilgrims into much diforder and confternation; but the reft who had more courage heartened them on: So at laft they got out of the wilder nefs, and came in fight of the town of Vanity, where Faithful was put to death for his teftimony to the truth. Now the town was very magnificent and ftately to the eye, full of temples and other public structures, where lofty towers, being adorned with gold and other coftly embellishments, made a glittering fhow in the funfhine: Likewife it was exceeding large and populous, fo that there was a perpetual noife to be heard at a distance, like the roaring of the fea, because of the multitude of people that were in it, the chariots and the borfes that were always running up down the freets, which made poor Yielding think it w

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