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The Significant Rooms.

247

faces with the hand, in token of their kind reception of them. They also carried it lovingly to Mercy; and bid them all welcome into their Master's house. After a while, because supper was not ready, the Interpreter took them into his Significant Rooms, and showed them what Christiana's hus

The Signifi cant Rooms.

Part I., p.48-58.

band had seen some time before. Here, therefore, they saw the man in the cage, the man and his dream, the man that cut his way through his enemies, and the picture of the biggest of them all, together with the rest of those things that were then so profitable to Christian.

The man with the muck-rake expounded.

This done, and after these things had been somewhat digested by Christiana and her company, the Interpreter takes them apart again, and has them first into a room where was a man that could look no way but downwards, with a muck-rake in his hand. There stood also one over his head with a celestial crown in his hand, and proffered him that crown for his muck-rake; but the man did neither look up nor regard, but raked to himself the straws, the small sticks, and the dust of the floor.

Then said Christiana, I persuade myself that I know somewhat the meaning of this; for this is a figure of a man of this world: is it not, good sir?

Inter. Thou hast said the right, said he; and his muck-rake doth show his carnal mind. And whereas thou seest him rather give heed to rake up straws and sticks, and the dust of the floor, than to what He says that calls to him from above with the celestial crown in his hand; it is to show that heaven is but as a fable to some, and that things here are counted the only things substantial. Now, whereas it was also showed thee that the man could look no way but downwards; it was to let thee know that earthly things, when they

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THE MAN WITH THE MUCK-RAKE.

are with power upon men's minds, quite carry their Christiana's hearts away from God.

prayer against the muck-rake.

Chr. Then said Christiana, O deliver me from this muck-rake!

Inter. That prayer, said the Interpreter, has lain by

A Very Brave Room.

till it is almost rusty.

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Give me not riches," is scarce the prayer of one of ten thousand (Prov. xxx. 8). Straws, and sticks, and dust, with most, are the great things now looked after.

With that Mercy and Christiana wept, and said, It is, alas too true.

When the Interpreter had shown them this, he had them into the very best room in the house (a very brave room it was): so he bid them look round about, and see if they could find anything profitable there. Then they looked round and round; for there was nothing there to be seen but a very great spider on the wall, and that they overlooked.

Mer. Then said Mercy, Sir, I see nothing; but Christiana held her peace.

Talk about the Spider.

Inter. But, said the Interpreter, look again; and she therefore looked again, and said, lIere is Of the Spider. not anything but an ugly spider, who hangs by her hands upon the wall. Then said he, Is there but one spider in all this spacious room? Then the water stood in Christiana's eyes, for she was a woman quick of apprehension; and she said, Yea, Lord, there is here more than one; yea, and spiders whose venom is far more destructive than that which is in her? The Interpreter then looked pleasantly upon her, and said, Thou hast said the truth. This made Mercy blush, and the boys to cover their faces; for they all began now to understand the riddle.

Then said the Interpreter again, "The spider taketh hold with her hands (as you see), and is in kings' palaces" (Prov. xxx. 28). And wherefore

is this recorded, but to show you, that how full of the venom of sin soever you

The interpretation.

be, yet you may, by the hand of faith, lay hold of and dwell in the best room that belongs to the King's house

250

Nothing Made in Vain.

Chr. I thought, said Christiana, of something of this, but I could not imagine it all. I thought that we were like spiders, and that we looked like ugly creatures, in what fine room soever we were; but that by this spider, this venomous and ill-favoured creature, we were to learn how to act faith, that came not into my mind: and yet she has taken hold with her hands, as I see, and dwells in the best room in the house. God has made nothing in vain.

Then they seemed all to be glad; but the water stood in their eyes; yet they looked one upon another, and also bowed before the Interpreter.

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Of the hen and chickens.

THE HEN AND CHICKENS.

He had them then into another room, where was a hen and chickens, and bid them observe a while. So one of the chickens went to the trough to drink, and every time she drank she lift up her head and her eyes to

Sundry Lessons.

251

wards heaven. See, said he, what this little chick doth, and learn of her to acknowledge whence your mercies come, by receiving them with looking up. Yet again, said he, observe and look. So they gave heed and perceived that the hen did walk in a fourfold method towards her chickens: 1. She had a common call, and that she hath all day long. 2. She had a special call, and that she had but sometimes. 3. She had a brooding note. And 4, She had an outcry (Matt. xxiii. 37).

Now, said he, compare this hen to your King, and these chickens to his obedient ones. For, answerable to her, himself hath his methods, which he walketh in towards his people. By his common call he gives nothing; by his special call, he always has something to give; he has also a brooding voice, for them that are under his wing; and he has an outcry, to give the alarm when he seeth the enemy come. I chose, my darlings, to lead you into the room where such things are, because you are women, and they are easy for you. Chr. And, sir, said Christiana, pray let us see some So he had them into the slaughter-house, where was a butcher killing of a sheep; and, behold, the sheep was quiet, and took her death patiently. Then said the Interpreter, You must learn of this sheep to suffer, and to put up with wrongs without murmurings and complaints. Behold how quietly she taketh her death, and, without objecting, she suffereth her skin to be pulled over her ears. Your King doth call you his sheep.

more.

Of the butcher and the sheep.

Of the garden.

After this, he led them into his garden, where was great variety of flowers; and he said, Do you see all these? So Christiana said, Yes. Then said he again, Behold, the flowers are diverse in stature, in quality, and colour, and smell, and virtue; and some are better than some; also, where the gardener hath set them, there they stand, and quarrel not with one another.

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