THE Pilgrim's Progrefs :: In the Similitude of a DREA M A SI walked through the Wilderness of this World, I alighted on a certain Place where was a *Den, and laid me down in that Place to fleep: And as I *The G flept, I dreamed a Dream: I dreamed, and be tIfa.64. hold, I saw a man cloathed with Rags, and Lu.1.1 ing in a certain Place, with his Face from his Pfal. 38.4 orn Houfe, a Book in his Hard, and a great Heb. 22 Barthen upon his Back. I looked and faw him Acts 16 open the Book, and read therein, and as he read he wept and trembled, and not being able longer to contain, he broke out with a la. His Ou mentable Cry, faying, What shall I do?. * cry. In this Flight therefore he went Home, Acts2. 2 and refrained himself as long as he could, that his Wife and Children fhould not per ceive his Diftrefs, but he could not be filent long, because that his Trouble increased; Wherefore, at length he broke his Mind to his Wife and Children; and thus he began to talk to them: O my dear Wife, faid he, and you the Children of my Bowels, I your dear Friend am in my felf undone, by reafon of a Burthen, that lieth hard upon me: Moreover, I am certainly informed, that this our* City will be* This burned with Fire from Heaven, in which fearful World. Overthrow, both myself, with thee, my Wife, He knot and you, my feet Babes, fhall miferably came no way of do Ruin, except (the which ye, I fee not) Efcape a Some yet fome way of escape may be found whereby we may be believed. At this his Relations were fore amaz'd; not for that they believed that what he had faid to them rue, but be. caufe they thought fome frenzy Distemper had got into his Head; therefore it Drawing towards Night, and they hoping that Sleep might fettle his Brains, with all hafte they got him to bed but the Night was as troublefome to him as the Day; wherefore, inftead of fleeping, he spent it in fighs and tears. So when the Morning was come, they would know how he did; he told them worse and worfe; he alfo fet to talking to them again, but they began to be harden'd. They alfo hyfick for thought to drive away his Diftemper by harth fick Soul. and furly Carriages to him: Sometimes they would deride, fometimes they would chide : and fometimes they would quite neglect him. Wherefore he began to retire himself. to his Chamber, to pray for and pity them; and alfo to condole his own Mifery; He would alfo walk folitary in the Fields fometimes reading and fometimes praying; and thus for fome Days he spent his Time. Carnal Now I faw, upon a time, when he was walking in the Fields, that he was (as he was wont) reading in his Book; and greatly diftreffed in his Mind; and as he read, he burst out as he Acts 16. had done before, crying, * What shall I do to 6, 31. be faved? I faw alfo that he looked this Way, and that way, as if he would run; yet he ftood still, becaufe (as I perceived) he could not tell which Way to go. I looked then, and faw a Man named Evangelift coming to him, and asked, Wherefore doft thou cry? He eHe anfwer'd, Sir, I perceive by the Book in rey Hand, that I am condemned to die, and after t at to come to Judgment, and I find that I am .twilling to do the firft, nor t able to do the Heb. 9. erond. 27. Then faid Evangelift, Why not willing tot Job 26, e, fince this Life is attended with fo many 21, 23. vils: The Man anfwer'd, Because I fear that Exod. 22. his Burthen that is on my Back, will fink me 14. dower than the Grave; and I fhall fall into . o Tophet. And, Sir, if I am not fit to go to Ifa. 30. Prifon, I am not fit to go to Judgment, and from 33. thence to Execution; and the Thoughts of thefe Things make me cry. Then faid Evangelift, If this be thy Condition, why ftandeft thou ftill? He answer. ed, Because I know not whither to go. he gave him a Then Parchment-Roll, and there was written within, Flee from the Wrath to come. + Conviction of the necefity of fing. Mat. 7. The Man therefore read it, and looking. upon Evangelift very carefully, faid, White muft Ify? Then faid Evangelift, pointing with his Finger over a very wide Field, Do you fee yonder Wicket-Gate? The Man faid No,; Then faid the other, Do you fee Pfal. 119, yonder shinning Light? He faid, I think vo5. I do. Then faid Evangelift, keep that Light 2Pe.2.19. in your Eye, and go up directly thereto, * so + Christ, shalt thou fee the Gate; at which when and the thou knockeft, it shall be told thee what way to bim thou shalt do. So I faw in my Dream that cannot be. the Man began to run: Now he had not run foundwithfar from his own Door but his Wife and Chl-out the dren perceiving it, began to cry after him to word. return; but the Man put his Fingers in his L.14.16. Ears, Gen. 19 17. * They that Ears, and ran on crying, Life, Life, Etern fly from the Life: So he looked not behind him, but fi Wrath to towards the middle of the Plain. come are a The I Neighbours alfo came out to t gazing him run, and as he ran, fome mocked, othe Stock to the threatned, and fome cried after him to re World. turn; and among those that did fo, the Jer. 20. were two that were refolved to fetch hi *The Name of the one wa * Obfti- Obftinate, and the Name of the other Pliabl nate and Now by this time the Man was got a goo Pliable Distance from them; but however, they wer follow him. refolved to purfue him, which they did, an 10. Obftin. + Chrift. back by force. in a little time they overtook him. Then fai the Man, Neighbours, Wherefore are you 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 Deftructio (the Place alfo where I was born). I fee it be fo: And Dying there, fooner or later, will fink lower than the Grave, into a plac that burns with Fire and Brimftone: Be com tent, good Neighbours, and go along with me, *What, faid Obftinate, and leave ou Friends and our Comforts behind us! * Yes, faid Chriftian (for that was Name) because that All, which you all for 2 Cor. Jake, is not. worthy to compared with a lit tle of that, that I am feeking to enjoy ; and you will go along with me and hold it, you fhall fare as my felf, for there where I go enough and to spare; come away and prove Words. + Luke 15. 27. my Obft. What are the things you feek, finct you leave all the World to find them?? Chriftian 15 |