Ezek. 16, 8, 9, and clad me in filver and gold: He put a io, 11. chain about my neck, and ear-rings in mine ears, and a beautiful crown upon my head, Then he took me by the hand, and faid, Mercy, come after me: So he went up, and I followed till we came to golden gate. Then he knocked, and when they within had opened, the man went in, and I followed him up to a throne, upon which one fat; and he said to me, Welcome, Daughter. The place looked bright, and twinkling like the flars, or rather like the fun, and I thought that I faw your husband there; fo I awoke from my dream, But did I laugh?

Chrif. Laugh? aye, and well you might, to fee your felf fo well: For you must give me leave to tell you, that it was a good dream, and that as you have begun to find the first part true, fo you thall find the fecond at last. God Speaks once, yea, twice, yet man perceiveth it not: in a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep fleep falleth

upon men, in flumbering upon the bed. Job 33. 14, 15. We need not, when in bed, to lay awake. to talk with God; he can visit us while afleep, and caufe us then to hear his voice. Our heart ofttimes wakes when we fleep, and God can speak to that either by words, by proverbs, by figns, or fimilitudes, a well as if one was awake.

Mercy Well, I am glad of my dream, for I hope, c'er long to fee it fulfilled, to the making me laugh again. Corift. I think it is now high time to rife, and to know what we muft do.

Mercy. Pray, if they invite us to ftay a while, let us willingly accept of the proffer, I am the willinger to ftay a while here, to grow better acquainted with thefe maids; methinks Prudence, Piety, and Charity have very comely and fo countenance.

Chrift. We fhall fee what they will do. So when they were up and ready they came down, they asked one another of their reft, and if it was comfortable or not.

Mercy. Very good, faid Mercy, it was one of the beft night's lodgings that ever I had in my life.

Then faid Prudence and Piety if you will be perfuaded to tay here a while, you shall have what the house will afford.

Chas

Char. Aye, and with that a very good will, faid Chaty. So they confented and ftayed there about a month above, and became profitable one to another; and beufe Prudence would fee how Chriftiana had brought up r children, fhe afted leave of her to ca

chise them; so fhe gave her free confent: Prudence defires 'hen he began with the youngest, whofe to catechije ame was James.

Christiana's Prudence. And the faid, Come, James, children. ink thou tell me who made thee ?.

James catechi

James. God the father, God the fon, jed.

nd God the Holy Ghoft.

Prud. Good boy. And canft thou tell who faved thee? James. God the father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghoft.

Prua. Good boy ftill. But how doth God the Father ave thee?

James. By his grace.

Prud. How doth God the Son fave thee?

James By his fatisfaction and interceffion.

Prud. How doth God the Holy Ghost fave thee? James. By his illumination, by his renovation, and by his preservation.

Then faid Prudence to Chriftiana, You are to be commended for thus bringing up your children. I fuppofe I need not ask the reft these questions, fince the youngest of them can answer them fo well. I will therefore now apply myself to the next youngest.

Prud. Then the faid, Come, Jofeph, (for Joseph catechi~· his name was Jofeph) will you let me cate- fed. chife you?

Jofeph. With all my heart,

Prud. What is man ?.

Jofeph. A reasonable creature made fo by God, as my . brother faid.

Prud. What is fuppofed by the word faved?

Jofeph. That man by fin has brought himself into a flate. of captivity.

Prud. What is fuppofed by being faved by the Trinity ? Jofeph. That fin is fo great and mighty a tyrant, that mone can pull us out of its clutches but God; and that

God

God is fo rond and loving to man, as to pull him indeed out of this mifera le fate.

Prud. What is God's defi ́n in faving poor men?

Joleph The alorifying of his name. of his grace, of just ce, &c and the everla ing happiness of his creature, Prud. Who are they that must be javed?

Jofeph. Thote that a cept of his falvation.

Prud Gool boy, Joleph, thy mother hath taught the well, & the bait hearkened unto what the has faid unto thee Then faid Prudence to Samuel, who was the eldest for but one, Come, Samuel, are you willing that I fhould ct. techife you?

Sumud catechi

jea.

Sam. Yes. forfonth, if you please.

Prud. What is heaven?

Sam A place and flate most blessed, bea

caufe God dwelleth there.

Prud What is bell?

Sum. A place and flate moft woeful, because it is the dwering place at fin, the devil, and death.

Prua. Why would it thou go to heaven ?

Sam. Tha I may fee God, and ferve him without wes rincis; that I may iee Chrift, and love him everlastingly that I may have that fulness of the Holy Spirit in me, that I can by no means here enjoy.

Prud A very good boy alto, and one that has learned well. That the acdrefled herself to the eldeft, whofe name was Matthew, and the faid to him, Come, Matthew? fhall I

alfo catechile you?

Matthew With a very good will.

Frad. I afk then, it there was ever any thing that had a being antecedent to or before God?

Mait. No, for God is eternal; nor is there any thing excepting himself, that had a being until the beginning of the first day, for in fix days the Lord made heaven and earth, the fea, and all that in them is.

Prud. What do you think of the bible?

Mart. It is the holy word of God.

Prud. Is there nothing written therein but what you

understand ?:

Matt Yes, a great deal.

Prud. What do you do when you meet with places there in that you d not understandi

Matt, I think God is wifer than I; I pray also that he

Il pleafe to let me know all therein that he knows will for my good.

Prud. How believe you as touching the refurrection of

: dead?

Mart. I believe they fhall rise the fame that was buried :fame in nature though not in corruption. And Ĭ lieve this upon a louble account. Firft because God th promifed it; fecondly, because he is able to perform

Then faid Prudence to the boys You

till hearken to your mother, for the Prudence's conlearn you more, You muft alito dili- tufion upon i tha ntly give ear to what good talk you thal catechifing of ar from others; for your fakes do they the boss. k good things. Obferve alfo, and that

th carefulness

what the heavens and the earth do teach ; but especially be much in the mediation of that book at was the caufe of your tarner's becoming a pilgrim. I, my part, my children wil teach you what I can while nae here, and fha'l be glad it you will ask me queftiona attend to godly edifying.

Now, by the time the pilgrims had been Mercy has a
his place a week, Mercy had a vifitor Sweetheart,
at pretended fome good will to her, and

name was Mr Brifk, a man of fome breeding, and that etended to religion, but a man that fuck very clofe to e world: So he came once or twice, or more, to Mercy, d offered love unto her. Now, Mercy was of a fair counhance, and therefore the more alluring,

Her mind alfo was, to be always bufying Mercy's temper。 Erfelf in doing; for when the had nothing

do for herfelf, the would be making of hole and gars for others, and would bellow them upon them that need. And Mr Bik, not knowing, where or how the Poled of what the ma. e, feemed to be greatly taken, for at he found her never jale. Iwill warrant her a good owlwife, quoth he to himself “

Mercy thu revealed the business to the Max inquires hens that were of the houfe, and in- of the maid's ired of them concerning him, for they concerning Mr. Ed know him better han fhe: So they Brifk. old her that he was a very busy young man,

and one that pretended to religion; but was, as they fer ed, a ftranger to the power of that which is good.

Nay then, faid Mercy, I will look no more on him for I purpose never to have a clog to my foul..

Prudence then replied, That there needed no great ma ter of difcouragement to be given: for continuing fo fhe bad begun to do for the poor, would quickly cool courage.

Falk betwixt
Mercy and her
Brifk.

So the next time he comes he finds at her old work, a making of things f the poor. Then faid he, What! alwa at it? Yes, faid fhe, either for myself, for others. And what canft thou earn a day quoth hei do these things, faid fhe, that I may be rish in good work laying a good foundation against the time to come, that may lay hold of eternal life: Why, pri thee, what doft thou do with them, fa he? Clothe the naked, said fhe. Wit that his countenance teil: So he forbor to come at her again. And when he afked the reafon why, he faid that Mer was a pretty lafs, but troubled with-ill con

3 Tim 617,

38 9

He for fakes her and why.

ditions.

When he had left her, Prudence faid, Did I not tell the that Mr. Brifk would foon forfake thee? Yea, he will railt up an ill report upon thee: For, notwithflanding his pre tence to religion, and his feeming love Mercy, yet Mercy and he are of temper fo different, that I believe they will never come together.

Mercy, in the practice of Merey, rejected; while Mercy, in the name of Mercy, is liked.

Mercy, I might have had husbands be fore now, though I spoke not of it to any but they were fuch as did not like my cen ditions though never did any of them find fault with my perfon; fo they and I could not agree. Prad. Mercy, in our days, is little fet by, any further than as to its name; the practice, which is fet forth by the conditions, there are but few that can abide.

Marcy. Well, faid Mercy, if nobody will Mercy's refolu- have me, I will die a maid, or my conditions fhall be to me as a húfband; for I cannot change my nature, and to have one that