This World.

He knows no

yet.

In this plight, therefore, he went home, and restrained himself as long as he could, that his wife and children should not perceive his distress; but he could not be silent long, because that his trouble increased; wherefore, at length, he brake his mind to his wife and children, and thus he began to talk to them: "O! my dear wife," said he, "and you the children of my bowels, I, your dear friend, am in myself undone, by reason of a burden that lieth hard upon me: Moreover, I am for certain informed, that this our city will be burnt with fire from heaven; in which fearful overthrow both myself, with thee my wife, and you my sweet babes, shall miserably come to ruin, exway of escape as cept (the which yet I see not) some way of escape can be found, whereby we may be delivered.” At this his relations were sore amazed ;1 not for that they believed that what he had said to them was true, but because they thought that some frenzy distemper had got into his head; therefore, it drawing towards night, and they hoping that sleep might settle his brains, with all haste they got him to bed.2 But the night was as troublesome to him as the day; wherefore, instead of sleeping, he spent it in sighs and tears. So, when the morning was come, they would know how he did. He told them, Worse and worse. He also set to talking to them again; but they began to be hardened. They also thought to drive away his distemper by harsh and ruined condition of his precious immortal soul, and of the necessity of fleeing to Christ for eternal life and salvation. As he reads, he weeps and trembles to think what will become of him. Reader, was this ever your case? Did you ever see your sins, and feel the burden of them, so as to cry out, in the anguish of your soul, What must I do to be saved? If not, you will look on this precious book as a romance or history which no way concerns you; you can no more understand the meaning of it, than if it were written in an unknown tongue : for you are yet carnal, dead in your sins, lying in the arms of the wicked one, in false security. But this book is spiritual; it can only be understood by spiritually quickened souls, who have experienced that salvation in the heart which begins with a sight of sin, a sense of sin, a fear of destruction, and dread of damnation. Such, and only such, commence pilgrims from the City of Destruction to the heavenly kingdom.

1 Conviction of sin in the heart will discover itself to those about us, by the outward conduct and behaviour of the life.

2 When we begin to be wise unto salvation, carnal friends pronounce us mad unto destruction, and administer carnal physic for our sin-sick souls.

surly carriage to him: sometimes they would deride, sometimes they would chide, and sometimes they would quite neglect him. Wherefore he be

gan to retire himself to his chamber to pray for

Carnal physic

for a sick soul.

and pity them, and also to condole his own misery; he would also walk solitarily in the fields, sometimes reading, and sometimes praying: and thus for some days he spent his time.

Now I saw, upon a time, when he was walking in the fields, that he was (as he was wont) reading in his book, and greatly distressed in his mind; and, as he read, he burst out, as he had done before, crying, "What shall I do to be saved?" (Acts xvi. 30, 31.)

I saw also that he looked this way and that way, as if he would run; yet he stood still, because (as I perceived) he could not tell which way to go. I looked then, and saw a man named Evangelist coming to him, and asked, "Wherefore dost thou cry?"2

He answered, Sir, I perceive, by the book in my hand, that I am condemned to die, and after that to come to judgment; and I find that I am not willing to do the first, nor able to do the second.3 (Heb. ix. 27. Job xvi. 21, 22. Ezek. xxii. 14.)

willing to die, since this The man answered, Be

Then said Evangelist, Why not life is attended with so many evils? cause I fear that this burden that is upon my back will sink me lower than the grave, and I shall fall into Tophet. (Isa. xxx. 33.) And, Sir, if I be not fit to go to prison, I am not fit to go to judgment, and from thence to execution; and the thoughts of these things make me cry.

Then said Evangelist, If this be thy condition, why stand

1 No soul was ever in earnest for salvation, till there is a cry in his heart to be saved from damnation.

2 Behold here the tender love and care of Jesus, the great Shepherd and Bishop of souls, to sin-distressed, heavy laden sinners, in sending Evangelist, that is, a preacher of gospel grace, and glad tidings of salvation to them.

3 A true confession of an enlightened, sensible sinner.

4 The convictions of the Spirit of God in the heart make a man feel the insupportable burden of sin upon his back, and to dread the wrath of God revealed from heaven against sin.

Conviction of

est thou still? He answered, Because I know not whither to go. Then he gave him a parchment roll, the necessity of and there was written within, "Fly from the fleeing. wrath to come!" (Matt. iii. 7.) The man therefore read it, and looking upon Evangelist very carefully, said, Whither must I fly? Then said Evangelist, pointing with his finger over a very wide field, Do you see yonder Wicketgate? (Matt. vii. 13, 14.) The man said, No. Then said Christ, and the the other, Do you see yonder shining light ?2 way to him, (Psa. cxix. 105. 2 Pet. i. 19.) He said, I think the I do. Then said Evangelist, Keep that light your eye, and go up directly thereto, so shalt thou see the gate; at which, when thou knockest, it shall be told thee what thou shalt do. So I saw in my dream, that

cannot be found

without

word.

in

the man began to run. Now, he had not run far from his own door, when his wife and children perceiving it began to cry after him to return (Luke xiv. 26); but the man put his fingers in his ears, and ran on, crying, "Life! life! eternal life!" So he looked not behind him (Gen. xix. 17), but fled towards the middle of the plain.3

to come, are a

The neighbours also came out to see him run, and, as They that fly he ran, some mocked, others threatened, and from the wrath some cried after him to return; and, among those that did so, there were two that resolved to fetch him back by force. The name of the one was Obstinate, 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,

gazing stock to the world.

1 The gospel never leaves a convinced sinner in the miserable situation in which it finds him, without hope and relief; but points him to Jesus for safety and salvation, that he may fly from himself and the wrath he feels in himself, to the fulness of the grace of Christ, signified by the Wicket-gate.

2 Christ, and the way to him, cannot be found without the word. The word directs to Christ, and the Spirit shines into the heart, whereby the sinner sees Christ in the word. This makes God's word precious.

3 When a sinner begins to fly from destruction, carnal relations will strive to prevent him; but it is wiser to stop our ears against the reason ings of flesh and blood, than to parley with them. Carnal affections cannot prevail over spiritual convictions. The sinner, who is in earnest for salvation, will be deaf to invitations to go back. The more he is solicited by them, the faster he will fly from them.

4 They who fly from the wrath to come are a gazing-stock to the world.

which they did, and in a little time they overtook him. Then said the man, "Neighbours, wherefore are you come ?" They said, To persuade you to go back with us. But he said, That can by no means be. You dwell, said he, in the City of Destruction (the place also where I was born): I see it to be so; and, dying there, sooner or later, you will sink lower than the grave into a place that burns with fire and brimstone: Be content, good neighbours, and go along with me.1

Obst. What! said Obstinate, and leave our friends and our comforts behind us?

Chr. Yes, said Christian (for that was his name), because that all which you shall forsake is not to be compared with a little of that that I am seeking to enjoy (2 Cor. iv. 18); and if you will go along with me and behold it, you shall fare as I myself; for there, where I go, is enough and to spare. (Luke xv. 17.) Come away, and prove my words. Obst. What are the things you seek, since you leave all the world to find them?

Chr. I seek an inheritance incorruptible, undefiled, and that fadeth not away; and it is laid up in heaven (1 Pet. i. 4-6. Heb. xi. 6, 16), and safe there, to be bestowed, at the time appointed, on them that diligently seek it. Read it so, if you will, in my book.

Obst. Tush, said Obstinate, away with your book; will you go back with us, or no?

Chr. No, not I, said the other, because I have laid my hand to the plough. (Luke ix. 62.)

Obst. Come then, neighbour Pliable, let us turn again, and go home without him: there is a company of these crazyheaded coxcombs that, when they take a fancy by the end, are wiser in their own eyes than seven men that can render a

reason.

Pli. Then said Pliable, Don't revile; if what the good Christian says is true, the things he looks after are better than ours; my heart inclines to go with my neighbour.

Obst. What more fools still! Be ruled by me, and go

1 The genuine spirit of a sinner convinced of sin, and fleeing from destruction. He would gladly persuade other poor sinners to go with him. The least spark of grace from God in the heart discovers itself in goodwill to men.

back; who knows whither such a brain-sick fellow will lead you? Go back, go back, and be wise.1

Christian and

Chr. Nay, but do thou come with thy neighbour Pliable; there are such things to be had which I spoke of, and many more glories besides. If you believe not me, Obstinate pull read here in this book; and, for the truth of Pliable's what is expressed therein, behold, all is confirmed by the blood of Him that made it. (Heb.

for

soul.

ix. 17-22.)

con

Pli. Well, neighbour Obstinate, said Pliable, I begin to Pliable come to a point; I intend to go along with senteth to go this good man, and to cast in my lot with him: but, my good companion, do you know the way

with Christian.

to this desired place?

Chr. I am directed by a man, whose name is Evangelist, to speed me to a little gate that is before us, where we shall receive instruction about the way.

Pli. Come then, good neighbour, let us be going. Then they went both together.

Obstinate goes

Obst. And I will go back to my place, said railing back. Obstinate: I will be no companion of such misled fantastical fellows.2

Talk between Now I saw in my dream, that when ObstiChristian and nate was going back, Christian and Pliable went talking over the plain; and thus they be

Pliable.

I am Had even

gan their discourse. Chr. Come, neighbour Pliable, how do you do? glad you are persuaded to go along with me: Obstinate himself but felt what I have felt of the powers and terrors of what is yet unseen, he would not thus lightly have given us the back.

Pli. Come, neighbour Christian, since there are none but us two here, tell me now farther, what the things are, and how to be enjoyed, whither we are going.

1 He who never became a fool in the eyes of the world for Christ, is not yet made wise unto salvation through the faith of Christ.

2 Here see the different effects which gospel truths have upon natural men. Obstinate totally rejects them: Pliable hears of them with joy, believes somewhat of them for a season, and accompanies Christian a little way.