Art thou

to the door, and looking upon her, he said, that Christiana whom Christian the good man left behind him, when he betook himself to a pilgrim's life?'

Chr. I am that woman that was so hard-hearted as to slight my husband's troubles, and that left him to go on his journey alone; and these are his four children; but now I also am come, for I am convinced that no way is right but this.

Int. Then is fulfilled that which is written of the man that said to his son, "Go work to-day in my vineyard; and he said to his father, I will not; but afterwards repented and went.'”

God make

Then said Christiana, So be it: Amen. it a true saying upon me, and grant that I may be found at the last "of him in peace, without spot and blameless!"

Inter. But why standest thou at the door? Come in, thou daughter of Abraham : we were talking of thee but now, for tidings have come to us before, how thou art become a pilgrim, Come, children, come in: come maiden, come.-So he had them all into the house.

So, when they were within, they were bidden to sit down and rest them; the which when they had done, those that attended upon the pilgrims in the house came into the room to see them. And one smiled, and another smiled, and another smiled, and they all smiled, for joy that Christiana was become a pilgrim: they also looked upon the boys, they stroked them over their faces with their hands, in token of their kind reception of them: they also carried it lovingly to Mercy, and bid them all welcome to their Master's house.

After a while, because supper was not ready, the Interpreter took them into his significant rooms, and showed them what Christian, Christiana's husband, 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 all; together with the rest of those things that were then so profitable to Christian.

This done, and, after those things had been somewhat digested by Christiana and her company, the Interpreter

1 Matt. xxi. 28, 29.

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 rake to himself the straws, the small sticks, and dust of the floor.

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

Thou hast said 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 do 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 is to let thee know, that earthly things, when they are with power upon men's minds, quite carry their hearts away from God.

Then said Christiana, Oh! deliver me from thiş muckrake.†

That prayer, said the Interpreter, has lain by till it is almost rusty: "Give me not riches," is scarce the prayer of one of ten thousand,' 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 showed them this, he had them into the very best room in the house (a very brave

1 Prov. xxx. 8.

With a muck-rake in his hand.] A charming representation of the man of the world, who contents himself with looking at those 'things which are temporal, and is blind to those which are eternal. What is all the wealth and honours of this world but straws, sticks, and dust of the floor, when compared with the joys and delights appointed for the saints in glory..

Ou! deliver me from this muck-rake.] How admirable the prayer of Agur; "Give me neither poverty nor riches, but food convenient for me.' What a sweet frame of mind was St. Paul in, when he had learnt, in whatever state he was, therewith to be content.

room it was): so he bid them look round about, and see if they could find any thing profitable there. Then they looked round and round; for there was nothing to be seen but a very great spider on the wall: and that they overlooked.

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

But, said the Interpreter, 'Look again? she therefore looked again, and said, 'Here is not any thing 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, 'Yes, Lord, there is more here than one: yea, and spiders whose venom is far more destructive than that which is in her.' The Interpreter then looked pleasantly on 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." And wherefore is this recorded, hut to show you, that how full of the venom of sin soever you be, yet you may, by the hand of faith, lay hold of, and dwell in, the best root that belongs to the king's house above?

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 rooms 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 thoughts; that she worketh with hands; and, as I see, 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.

He had them then into another room, where was a hen and chickens,* and bid them observe a while. So

Where was a hen and chickens.] The world of nature, and the infinite beauties it contains, form a vast fund of pious and profitable reflection to the mind. Solomon, and a greater than Solomon, even our

one of the chickens went to the trough to drink, and every time she drank, she lifted up her head and her eyes towards heaven. 'See,' said he, what this little chick doeth, 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 had all the day long. 2. She had a special call, and that she had but sometimes. had a broody note. And, 4. She had an outcry.1

3. She

Now, said he, compare this hen to your King, and these chickens to his obedient ones. For answerable to her, himself has 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 choose, my darlings, to lead you into the room where such things are, because you. are women, and they are easy for you.

Aud, sir,' said Christiana,

pray let us see some more. So he had them into the slaughter-house, where was a butcher killing of 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 wrongs without murmuring and complaints. Behold how quietly she takes her death, and, without objecting, she suffereth her skin to be pulled over her Your King doth call you his sheep.'

ears.

1 Matt. xxiii. 37.

Blessed Lord, often referred to the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven: and this is a certain truth that there is not the smallest atom of animated nature, but teaches the wisdom and goodness of God, and which may form a just subject for spiritual and pious meditation. Mr. Bunyan, as well as other divines of his age, had a peculiar talent in this way of expounding spiritual things by pictures drawn from nature. The pious and learned Dr. Joseph Hall, Bishop of Norwich, has written excellently on this subject; as also Mr. Flavel in his husbandry spiritualised." But that elegant writer the Rev. James Hervey, has united the most bewitching charms of style, with the most pious emotions of the soul in the productions of his pen...

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 one with another.'

Again, he had them into his field, which he had sown with wheat and corn: but, when they beheld, the tops of all were cut off, only the straw remained. He said again, This ground was dunged, and sowed; but what shall we do with the crop?' Then said Christiana,` Burn some, and make muck of the rest. Then said the Interpreter again, Fruit, you see, is that thing you look for, and for want of that you condemn it to the fire, and to be trodden under foot of men: beware that in this you condemn not yourselves.'

Then, as they were coming in from abroad, they spied a robin with a great spider in his mouth: so the Interpreter said, 'Look here.' So they looked, and Mercy wondered; but Christiana said, 'What a disparagement is it to such a little pretty bird as the robin-red-breast is! he being also a bird above many, that loveth to maintain a kind of sociableness with men: I had thought they had lived upon crumbs of bread, or upon other such harmless matter: I like him worse than I did.'

The Interpreter then replied, This robin is an emblem very apt to set forth some professors by; for to sight they are, as this robin, pretty of note, colour, and carriage; they seem also to have a very great love for professors that are sincere; and above all other to desire to sociate with them, and to be in their company; as if they could live upon the good man's crumbs. They pretend also, that therefore it is that they frequent the house of the godly, and the appointments of the Lord: but when they are by themselves, as the robin, they catch and gobble up spiders, they can change their diet, drink and swallow down sin like water.

So when they were come again into the house, because supper as yet was not ready, Christiana again desired that the Interpreter would either show or tell some other things that are profitable.