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Which way it pleases God: For who knows how,
Better than he that taught us first to Plough,
To guide our Mind and Pens for his Design?
And he makes base things usher in Divine.

3. I find that holy Writ in many places
Hath semblance with this method, where the cafes
Do call for one thing, to fet forth another ;
Use it I may then, and yet nothing Smother
Truth's golden Beams; Nay, by this method may
Make it cast forth its rays as light as day.

And now, before I do put up my Pen,
I'll shew the profit of my Book, and then
Commit both thee and it unto that hand

That pulls the strong down, and makes weak ones stand.
This Book it chalketh out before thine eyes

The man that seeks the everlasting Prize;
It shews you whence he comes, whither he goes,
What he leaves undone ; also what he does :
It alfso shews you how he runs, and runs
Till be unto the Gate of Glory comes.

It shows too, who fet out for life amain,
As if the lasting Crown they would attain:
Here also you may fee the reason why
They lose their labour, and like Fools do die.

This book will make a Traveller of thee,

If by its Counsel thou wilt ruled be ;
It will direct thee to the Holy Land,
If thou wilt its Directions understand :
Yea, it will make the slothful, active be ;
The Blind also delightful things to fee.
Art thou for something rare, and profitable ?
Wouldest thou see a Truth within a Fable?

Art thou forgetful? wouldest thou remember
From New-year's-day to the last of December?
Then read my fancies, they will stick like Burs,
And may be to the Helpless, Comforters.

This Book is writ in fuch a Dialect,
As may the minds of lifstless men affect :
It seems a Novelty, and yet contains
Nothing but found and honest Gospel-strains.

Would'st thou divert thyself from Melancholy ?
Would'st thou be pleasant, yet be far from folly ?
Would'st thou read Riddles, and their Explanation?
Or else be drownded in thy Contemplation?
Doft thou love picking meat ? Or wouldst thou fee
A man i th Clouds, and hear him speak to thee ?
Would'st thou be in a Dream, and yet not sleeр?
Or, wouldest thou in a moment laugh, and weep?
Wouldest thou lose thyself, and catch no harm?
And find thyself again without a charm ?
Would'st read thyself, and read thou know'st not what,
And yet know, whether thou art blest or not,
By reading the same lines? O then come hither,
And lay my Book, thy Head, and Heart together.

JOHN BUNYAN.

[graphic]

The Pilgrims Progress :

In the Similitude of a DREAM.

[graphic]

S I walked through the wilder-
ness of this world, I lighted on
a certain place, where was a
Den, and I laid me down in that The Fail.
place to fleep: And as I slept,
I dreamed a Dream. I dreamed,
and behold I saw a Man cloathed Ifa. 64. 6.

with rags, standing in a certain place, with his face
from his own house, a Book in his hand, and a great
Burden upon his back. I looked, and faw him open
the Book, and read therein; and as he read, he
wept and trembled; and not being able longer to
contain, he brake out with a lamentable cry, say-
ing, What shall I do?

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.
Pfalm 38. 4.
Hab. 2. 2.
Acts 16. 29,

30.

His Outcry.
Acts 2. 37.

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.
Job 16. 21,

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
Evangelist, who lovingly him greets
With Tidings of another : And doth shew
Him how to mount to that from this below.

105.

2 Pet. 1. 19. Chrift and the Way to him, cannot be found without

the Word.

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