Which way it pleases God: For who knows how, 3. I find that holy Writ in many places And now, before I do put up my Pen, That pulls the strong down, and makes weak ones stand. The man that seeks the everlasting Prize; It shows too, who fet out for life amain, This book will make a Traveller of thee, If by its Counsel thou wilt ruled be ; Art thou forgetful? wouldest thou remember This Book is writ in fuch a Dialect, Would'st thou divert thyself from Melancholy ? JOHN BUNYAN. The Pilgrims Progress : In the Similitude of a DREAM. S I walked through the wilder- with rags, standing in a certain place, with his face In this plight therefore he went home, and refrained himself as long as he could, that his wife and children should not perceive his distress; but he could not be filent long, because that his trouble increased: Wherefore at length he brake his mind to his wife and children; and thus he began to talk to them: O my dear Wife, said he, and you the Children of my bowels, I your dear friend am in myself undone, by reason of a Burden that lieth B Luke 14.33. 30. His Outcry. hard upon me : moreover, I am for certain informed, This World. that this our City will be burned with fire from Heaven; in which fearful overthrow, both myself, with thee my wife, and you my sweet babes, shall mifera He knew no as yet. bly come to ruin, except (the which yet I see not) Way of Escape Some Way of escape may be found, whereby we may be delivered. At this his relations were fore amazed; not for that they believed that what he had faid to them was true, but because they thought that fome frenzy distemper had got into his head; therefore it drawing towards night, and they hoping that fleep might settle his brains, with all hafte they got him to bed: But the night was as troublesome to him as the day; wherefore, instead of fleeping, he spent it in fighs and tears. So when the morning was come, they would know how he did; he told them worse and worse; he also set to talking to them again, but they began to be hardened; they also thought to drive away his distemper by harsh and furly carriages to him: Sometimes they would deride, sometimes they would chide, and sometimes they would quite neglect him: Wherefore he began to retire himself to his Chamber, to pray for and pity them; and also to condole his own misery: He would also walk folitarily in the fields, sometimes reading and sometimes praying; and thus for some days he spent his time. Carnal Phy fick for a fick Soul. Acts 16. 30, 31. Now I faw, upon a time, when he was walking in the fields, that he was (as he was wont) reading in his Book, and greatly distressed in his mind; and as he read, he burst out, as he had done before, crying, What shall I do to be faved? I saw also that he looked this way, and that way, as if he would run; yet he stood still, because (as I perceived) he could not tell which way to go. I looked then, and saw a Man named Evangelift coming to him, and asked, Wherefore doft thou cry? He answered, Sir, I perceive by the Book in my hand, that I am condemned to die, and after that to come to Judgment; and I find that I am not willing to do the first, nor able to do the second. Heb. 9. 27. 22. Ezek. 22. 14. Then faid Evangelist, Why not willing to die, fince this life is attended with so many evils? The man answered, Because, I fear that this Burden that is upon my back, will fink me lower than the grave; and I shall fall into Tophet. And, Sir, if Ifa. 30. 33. I be not fit to go to Prison, I am not fit to go to Judgment, and from thence to Execution; and the thoughts of these things make me cry. Then faid Evangelist, If this be thy condition, Why standest thou still? He answered, Because I know not whither to go. Then he gave him a Parchment Roll, and there was written within, Fly from the Wrath to come. Conviction of the Neceffity of flying. Mat. 3. 7. 14. Pfal. 119, The Man therefore read it, and looking upon Evangelift very carefully, faid, Whither must I fly? Then said Evangelist, pointing with his finger over a very wide field, Do you fee yonder Wicket Mat. 7. 13, Gate? The man said, No: Then faid the other, Do you fee yonder Shining Light? He said, I think I do. Then said Evangelist, Keep that Light in your eye, and go up directly thereto, fo shalt thou see the Gate; at which, when thou knockest, it shall be told thee what thou shalt do. So I saw in my dream that the Man began to Christian no fooner leaves the World but meets 105. 2 Pet. 1. 19. Chrift and the Way to him, cannot be found without the Word. |