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cast into the fire.

"In like manner," added the interpreter, are all mankind by nature, unprofitable, and fit only to be cast into hell-fire: but when, by the divine power, the old sinful nature of man is broken off, and a new nature, even divine nature, is grafted in; then man becomes a new creature, and brings forth abundantly all manner of good works.

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Here one of the company plucking a lily and a rose, presented them to the interpreter; and behold, they were very beautiful and very fragrant. Then said the interpreter, "When we are washed from the pollution of our sins by the blood of our Redeemer, and clothed in the robe of his righteousness, we shall be spotless as the lily and fragrant as the rose. And if any one by art or cunning can add perfume or beauty to these flowers; then may the self-righteous and self-sufficient man, by his own good works, add merit to that righteousness of the Redeemer, which, through faith, is imputed to the saints.

They next approached a noble vine, whose branches were covered with purple clusters: so they gathered and ate, and the grapes thereof were exceedingly sweet. The interpreter then walked round the tree, and behold, one of its branches was nearly broken from the stem; and behold, the clusters on this branch were almost dried up, and its leaves were faded. On which the interpreter called the gardener, and enquired the cause of that accident. To whom the gardener replied, "An enemy hath done this;" and immediately taking out his pruning-knife, he would have cut off the branch and cast it away:-but the interpreter said, "Nay; we will first bind up the branch, if perchance it may revive, for it is good to bind up that which is broken." (Ezekiel xxxiv. 16.) So they bound up the broken branch. Afterwards, the interpreter would know of those

who were with him, how far they understood that which they had witnessed respecting the vine and its branches.

To whom Goonah Purist spake thus: "I think I can explain this parable from the book which I have in my cummerbund. The Lord Jesus Christ said to his disciples, "I am the vine, ye are the branches. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned." (John xv.)

"My brother," said the interpreter, "thou hast answered rightly. In the Lord we are strong, in ourselves we are weak; in him we are alive, in ourselves we are dead."

The interpreter then went forward, and the company followed him into the fields; where they shortly reached a place, in which a brook of water ran along the bottom of a narrow dell, and the hills on each side were steep. In the mud of this brook was a sow, and the creature was wallowing in the mud: and behold, at the same time, a fair young lamb, that was playing on the hill-side, suddenly slipped, and fell into the mud, and became covered with mire like the sow. Then said the interpreter, "Observe this thing." Now when the lamb found herself in the mud, she began to cry; and her shepherd hearing her cry, came down and plucked her out of the mire; and having washed her in the water of the brook, and set her down, she knew his voice, and obeyed his call, and followed him over the hills to her pasture. At the same time came the owner of the sow from his hut on the side of the hill, and, dragging her out of the mud, he washed her, and went his way: and behold, as soon as he had washed her, turning back to the

mire, she began to wallow in it again, and presently became more filthy than before. Then the interpreter, and they that were with him, began to smile; when the interpreter, as his manner was, drew a moral from this thing. "That unclean beast," said he, "which, after being washed, returned again to her wallowing in the mire, is like the natural man, who, when compelled by the law to leave his sins, returns to them again at the first opportunity: whereas the renewed man, although, from the remains of his weakness and corruption, he may sometimes fall into temptation; yet, like the lamb we have just observed, it is against his nature to lie wallowing in the mire. He calls in his distress to the great Shepherd and Bishop of souls, who hears his cry, and sets him free, cleansing him in the living stream, and leading him to fair pastures."

From thence the interpreter brought them to a hill, upon which there grew a number of beautiful palm trees. "Behold," said he, "these palm trees! how straight are their stems, and how they lift their flourishing heads towards heaven! These trees," added he, “present a lively emblem of the faithful Christian, who bends not towards the earth, but is ever aspiring to that which is above; for the crown of the anointing oil is upon him." (Lev. xxi. 12.)

Continuing their ascent a little further up the hill, the interpreter bade them to observe one of those trees, which stood higher than the rest: and behold, it was in a dying state; the broad leaves which should have formed its beautiful crown were become black, and hung drooping on one side like a sable plume, while its polished shaft appeared to be dry and withering. Then spake the interpreter; "That tree was once the fairest of the tope, the glory of the forest: but they who pierced it for its wine, have struck it too deeply; they have wound

ed it to the heart, and it dies in giving up its sap for man. It is stripped of its glory, the crown is fallen from its head, it is destroyed on every side, and its hope is removed." (Job xix. 9, 10.)

Now I perceived that there was no necessity for explaining this emblem to his disciples, for behold, as they looked upon the tree, their eyes filled with tears. Upon which the interpreter added, “God will pour out the spirit of grace and of supplication, and they shall look upon him whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his first born." (Zech. xii. 10.)

By this time the setting sun admonished them to hasten their return. So on coming back to the house of the interpreter, he offered up his evening supplications in the midst of his guests; after which, they retired each one to his couch, and lay down until the morning.

CHAPTER VII.

Shewing how Goonah Purist was baptized, and how he came to the Cross, where he found that which he had long sought, namely, Relief from his Burden.

"They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint."-Isaiah xl. 31.

Now I saw, in my dream, that the next morning, when all the family were assembled, the interpreter, calling for water, thus addressed Goonah Purist: "Art thou willing to be baptized?"

Goonah Purist. I am heartily willing; for I have no other Lord, no other Saviour, but Jesus Christ. He is God, and he is my God.

Interpreter. What makes you think him to be God?

Goonah Purist.

Why, Sir, I do not know how many times I have been in this world before, or whether I was ever born in it but once: but this I know, that, from my youth up, I have been swimming down the stream of sin, as the straws swim down the stream of Gunga. I went on pilgrimage to the pagoda of Jugunnathu; but I still remained polluted with my sins, finding no good in the Hindoo worship. Next I went to the Mussulmauns,

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