under him, as if he would have crushed me to Pieces: For as he threw me, my Sword flew out of my Hand; nay, he told me he was fure of me; but I cried to God, and he heard me, and delivered me out of all my Troubles. Then I entered into the Valley of the Shadow of Death, and had no Light for almost half the Way through it. I thought I fhould have been killed there over and over; but at last Day brake, and the Sun rofe, and I went through that which was behind with far more Eafe and Quiet. Moreover I faw in my Dream, that as they went on, Faithful, as he chanced to . look on one Side, faw a Man whofe Name is Talkative, walking at a Distance befides them (for in this Place there was Room enough for them all to walk.) He Talkative was a tall Man, and fomething more come- defcribed. ly at a Distance, than at Hand: To this Man Faithful addreffed himself in this manner. * Faith. Friend, Whither away? Are you going to the Heavenly Country? Talk. I am going to the fame Place. Faith. That is well; then I hope we may have your good Company? Talk. With a very good Will will I be your Companion. Faith. Come on then, and let us go + Faithful together, and let us fpend our Time in and Talkative difcourfing of Things that are profitable, enter into DifTalk. To talk of Things that are good, courje. to me is very acceptable, with you, or with any other; and I am glad that I have met with thofe that incline to fo good Talkative's a Work: For to fpeak the Truth, * there Diflike of his are but few that care thus to spend their Difcourfe. Time (as they are in their Travels) but choofe much rather to be fpeaking of Things to no Profit; and this hath been a Trouble to me. + Talkative's Faith. That is indeed a Thing to be laniented; for what Thing fo worthy of the Ufe of the Tongue and Mouth of Men on Earth, as are the Things of the God of Heaven? Talk. I like you wonderful well ; for your Sayings are fuil of Conviction; and I will add, What Thing is fo pleasant, and what fo profitable, as to talk of the Things of God? What Things fo pleasant (that is, if a Man hath any Delight in Things that are wonderful) for Inftance: If a Man doth delight to talk of the Hiftory, or the Mystery of Things; or if a Man doth love to talk of Miracles, Wonders, or Signs, where fhall he find Things recorded fo delightful, and fo fweetly penned, as in the Holy Scripture? Faith. That is true; but to be profited by fuch Things in our Talk, fhould be our chief Defign. Talk. That is it that I faid; for to talk five Difcourfe. of fuch Things is moft profitable; for by fo doing, a Man may get Knowledge of many Things; as of the Vanity of Earthly Things, and the Benefit of Things Above: (Thus in general) but more particularly by this a Man may learn the Neceffity of the New Birth; the Infufficiency of our Works; the the Need of Chrift's Righteoufnefs, &c. Befides, by this a Man may learn what it is to Repent, to Believe, to Pray, to Suffer, or the like: By this also a Man may learn what are the great Promifes and Confolations of the Gospel, to his own Comfort. Farther, by this a Man may learn to refute falfe Opinions, to Vindicate the Truth, and alfo to inftruct the Ignorant. Faith. All this is true, and glad am I to hear thefe Things from you. Talk. Alas! the Want of this is the Cause that fo few understand the Need of Faith, and the Neceffity of Works of Grace in their Soul, in order to Eternal Life; but ignorantly live in the Works of the Law, by which a Man can by no Means obtain the Kingdom of Hea .ven. Faith. But, by your Leave, Heavenly Knowledge of thefe is the Gift of God; no Man attaineth to them by human Industry, or only by the Talk of them. Talk. All this I know very well. For O brave a Man can receive nothing, except it be Talkative. given him from Heaven; all is of Grace, 'not of Works: I could give you an hundred Scriptures for the Confirmation of this. Faith. Well then, faid Faithful, what is that one Thing that we fhall at this Time found our Difcourfe upon? Talkative. Talk. What you will: I will talk of t O brave Things Heavenly, or Things Earthly; Things Moral, or Things Evangelical; Things Sacred, or Things Prophane; Faithful beguiled by Talkative. Things paft, or Things to come; Things Foreign, or Things at Home; Things more Effential, or Things Circumftantial, provided that all be done to our Profit. Faith. Now did * Faithful begin to wonder; and ftepping to Chriftian, (for he walked all this while by himfelf) he faid to him, but foftly, What a brave Companion have we got? Surely this Man will make a very excellent Pilgrim, Chr. At this Christian modeftly smiled, and faid, This Man with whom you are fo taken, will beguile with this Tongue of his, twenty of them that know him + Chriftian as. Faith. Do you know him then? Chr. Know him! Yea, better than he knows himself.. Faith. Pray, what is he? Chr. His Name is Talkative; he dwelleth in our Town; I wonder that you fhould be a Stranger to him, only I confider that our Town is large. Faith. Whofe Son is he? And whereabout does he dwell? Chr. He is the Son of one Say-well, he dwelt in Preting-Row; and he is known of all that are acquainted with him, by the Name of Talkative in Prating-Row; and notwithstanding his fine Tongue, he is but a forry Fellow. Faith. Well, he feems to be a very pretty Man. Chr. That is, to them that have not a thorough Acquaintance with him; for he is beft abroad, near home he is ugly enough Your faying that he is a pretty Man. Man brings to my Mind what I have obferved in the Work of the Painter, whofe Pictures fhew beft at a Diftance; but very near, more unpleafing. Faith. But I am ready to think you do but jeft, because you, fmiled. Chr. God forbid that Ifhould jeft, (though I fmiled) in this Matter, or that I fhould accufe any falfely; I will give you a further Discovery of him: This Man is for any Company, and for any Talk; as he talketh now with you, fo he will talk when he is on the Ale-bench: And the more Drink he hath in his Crown, the more of these Things he hath in his Mouth: Religion hath no Place in his Heart, or Houfe, or Converfation; all he hath lieth in his Tongue, and his Religion is to make a Noife therewith. Faith. Say you fo! then I am in this Man greatly deceived. Talkative talks, but Chr. Deceived! you may be fure of it: Mat. 23. Remember the Proverb, They fay, and do 1 Cor. 4. 28. not: But the Kingdom of God is not in Word, but in Power. He talketh of Prayer, of Repentance, of Faith, and of the New does not. Birth; but he knows but only to talk of them. I have been in his Family, and have obferved him both at home and abroad; and I know what I fay of him * is the Truth. * His House is as empty of His House Religion, as the White of an Egg is of is empty of Re Savour. There is there neither Prayer, ligion. nor Sign of Repentance for Sin: Yea, the Brewer, in his Kind, ferves God far better than he. He is the very Stain, Reproach, and Shame of Religion, to all tHe is a Stain Rom. 2. 24, to Religion. that 25. |