Christ. Well, Mercy, caft in thy lot with me; well know what will be the end of our pilgrimage. My husband is, where he would not but be, for all the gold in the Spanish mines. Nor fhalt thou be rejected, though thou goeft but upon my invitation. The King, who has fent for me and my children, is one that delighteth in mercy. Befides, if thou wilt, I will hire thee, and thou fhalt go along with me as my fervant. Yet we will have all things in common betwixt thee and me, only go along with me1.

Mercy. But how fhall I be afcertained that I also fhall be entertained? Had I this hope from one who can tell, I would not ftick at all, but would go, being helped by him who can help, though the way was never fo tedious.

has not experienced fuch deep and ftrong convictions as others have done! If ye feek Jefus, the Word of God gives you every encouragement. Those who seek heaven and happiness by their own obedience, however earnestly they may seek it, yet they shall never find it but if ye feek Jefus and his falvation, and cannot be fatisfied without it, you will find deliverance in the Lord's time.

The Apostle exhorts, to comfort the feeble-minded; yet all are not feeble-minded, who would pass under that character; on the contrary, they are ftout-hearted; and, notwithftanding all their pretenfions to humility, they refuse to submit to the righteoufnefs of Chrift. The gospel is for fenfible finners; the law is for proud and haughty fcorners, who are going about to establish their own righteoufnefs, who justify themselves and defpife others, and who boaft of their own power and holiness.

Chrift.

Chrift. Well, loving Mercy, I will tell thee what thou fhalt do; go with me to the wicket-gate, and there I will further enquire for thee; and if there thou shalt not meet with encouragement, I will be content that thou return to thy place: I alfo will pay thee for thy kindness which thou fheweft to me and my children in accompanying us in our way as thou doft.

fo

Mercy. Then will I go thither, and take what fhall follow m. The Lord grant that my lot may fall out, that the King of heaven fhall have his heart fet upon me.

Christiana then was glad at her heart, not only that he had a companion, but also that she had prevailed with this poor maid to fall in love with her own falvation. So they went on together, and Mercy began to weep. Then faid Christiana, Wherefore weepeth my fifter fo?

Mercy. Alas! faid fhe, who can but lament who but rightly confiders what a state and condition my poor relations are in, who yet remain in our finful town: and that which makes my grief the more, is,

m This was the spirit of Ruth, who faid to Naomi, “ Whither thou goeft, I will go; and where thou lodgeft, I will lodge; thy people shall be my people, and thy God shall be my God; where thou dieft, I will die, and there will I be baried."-This was the answer of Rebecca, "I will go."-Thus Efther ventured to go into the King's prefence. This is the venture of faith; To leave all for Christ, and venture with him, fink or fwim.

because they have no inftruction, nor any to tell them what is to come.

Christ. Bowels become pilgrims: and thou doft for thy friends as my good Chriftian did for me, when he left me; he mourned that I would not heed nor regard him; but his Lord and ours did gather up his tears, and put them into his bottle, and now, both I and thou, and these my sweet babes, are reaping the fruit and benefit of them. I hope, Mercy, that these tears of thine will not be loft; for the truth hath faid, They that fow in tears, fhall reap in joy, and with finging. And he that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious feed, fhall doubtlefs come again with rejoicing, bringing his fheaves with him.

Then faid Mercy:

Let the most bleffed be my guide,

If't be his bleffed will,

Unto his gate, into his fold,

Up to his holy hill:

And never let him fuffer me

To fwerve or turn afide
From his free-grace, and holy ways,

Whate'er fhall me betide.

And let him gather them of mine,

Whom I have left behind;

Lord, make them pray they may be thine,
With all their heart and mind.

Now my old friend proceeded, and faid, When Christiana came to the Slough of Defpond, fhe began to be at a stand; for, faid fhe, this is the place

in

in which my dear husband had like to have been fmothered with mud. She perceived also that, notwithstanding the command of the King to make this place for pilgrims good, yet it was rather worse than formerly. I asked if that was true. Yes, faid the old gentleman, too true. There be many who pretend to be the King's labourers, and fay, that they are for mending the King's highway, who bring dirt and dung instead of ftones, and fo mar it inftead of mending it". Here Chriftiana and her boys did make a stand; but faid Mercy, Come, let us venture, only let us be wary. Then they looked well to their steps, and made a shift to get staggering over. Yet Chriftiana had like to have been in, and that not once nor twice. They had no fooner got over, but they thought they heard these words spoken unto them, "Bleffed is fhe that believeth, "for there fhall be a performance of what has been " told her from the Lord.”

As they went on again, Mercy faid to Chriftiana, Had I as good ground to hope for a loving reception at the wicket-gate as you, I think no Slough of Defpond would discourage me. Well, faid the

n The apostle Paul found this to be the cafe in his day; there were fome who, instead of mending the way, marred it; instead of taking the ftumbling blocks out of the way, more properly may be faid to have laid ftumblings in the way of fouls truly convinced; inftead of help for Zion's travellers, the ancient land-marks are removed, falfe fignals are given, and the Gospel of Jefus Chrift, inftead of being preached freely and fully, is perverted, and Zion's children are troubled.

8

other,

other, you know your fore, and I know mine; and, my good friend, we shall all have enough evil before we come to our journey's end. For it can→ not be imagined, that people who design to attain fuch excellent glories as we do, and who are so envied their happiness as we are; but we shall meet with what fears and fnares, with what troubles and afflictions they can poffibly affault us with, who hate

us.

Now Mr. Sagacity left me to dream out my dream by myself. Wherefore, methought I faw Christiana and Mercy, and the boys, go all of them up to the gate: to which, when they came, they betook themselves to a fhort debate, about how they must manage their calling at the gate; and what should be faid unto him who might open unto them. It was concluded, fince Chriftiana was the eldest, that fhe fhould knock for entrance, and that she should speak to him who might open, for the rest. So Chriftiana began to knock, and, as her poor hufband had done, fhe knocked, and knocked again; but, instead of any anfwer, they all thought that they heard as if a dog was coming, barking at them; a dog, and a great one too: this made the women

Every one is apt to think his own cross the heaviest; and, when the trial comes, is ready to fay, Any thing but this: but know, what the Lord appoints will be found, in the end, to have been the best way that could poffibly have been taken, to fubdue our rebellious and difobedient wills, and to bring us to the wisdom of the juft.

and