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joyed in the palace of the Virtues, hours which you have spent in the pleasure; and know assuredly that, slaves of sin, you will taste of such ha For the ways of the wicked are full torment beginning even in this world of righteousness is peace: and the eff ness, quietness and assurance for ever.

Then I saw that Piety would needs so making the little ones to kneel b breathed out her requests: "O holy for these little ones, whom thou gavest We are not in the world, but these m world-O holy Father, keep them thr that they may be one with thee. Whil them, we kept them in thy name, and lost. We have given them thy word will hate them, because they are not of th we are not of the world. We pray not t est take them out of the world, but that keep them from the evil. They are no even as we are not of the world. Sanctif thy truth: thy word is truth. Father, that these, the redeemed of thy blesse with thee, where he is, that they may b which thou hast given him; for thou love the foundation of the world: and, finally the glory which thou gavest him, he ma them, that they may be one with thee, a John xvii.

After this, Prudence informed the ch they advanced in their pilgrimage, they w a mighty city, which is the metropolis or longing to the prince of this world, th enemy of pilgrims. "That city," said s Vanity, and its inhabitants are the men There," added she, "pilgrims, ever since of the world, have been exercised with in order, if possible, to make them weary of Salvation. In former days many were t with fire and sword; and even to this d some parts of the city in which the serva are in danger of losing their lives for his But," continued she, "in the more civilized

city, these barbarous customs have fallen into disrepute, the fury of the enemy being mercifully restrained by the Lord of pilgrims. Nevertheless the profession of a pilgrim is held in the greatest contempt throughout the whole City of Vanity, and the traveller to Mount Zion is exposed to every species of contumely and reproach in its streets, through which he must yet necessarily pass, or go entirely out of his way. For the town is full of those who mock at religion, according to the words of Scripture- Know ye not, in the last days there shall come scoffers, walking after their own lusts, saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.' 2 Pet. iii. 3, 4. Ye therefore, my beloved," proceeded the damsel Prudence, "seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own steadfastness. But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ."" 2 Peter iii. 17, 18.

I heard then that the damsels explained to the children that, from the beginning of the world, the Lord had always preserved to himself a little remnant of chosen ones. "Of whose salvation," said they, "the ark is a standing type for as in the ark Noah and his family were preserved during the destruction of the world by water; so, amid the abounding wickedness of the world, a pure and holy seed has still been maintained in the earth, from generation to generation."

Upon this Prudence represented to the little pilgrims that their safety in the town of Vanity would much depend on their finding out the abodes of these true Christians, and familiarly associating with their families.

I heard then that Piety gave the children certain marks or signs by which they might, under the divine direction, distinguish these true children of God from those who through worldly motives assume their garb and adopt their language. And among these tokens, the following were especially to be noted-first, whether they, as members, hold the Head, which is Christ, "from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God" (Col. ii. 19.); secondly, whether they have love one towards another-for it is written, "By this shall all men know that ye are my

disciples, if ye have love one to another" (John xiii. 35.); and thirdly, whether they bring forth the peaceable fruits of righteousness-for the tree is known by its fruits-" A good tree bringeth not forth evil fruit, nor an evil tree good fruit." Matt. vii. 18. Moreover, the damsels gave the children a note to a certain venerable clergyman, named Orthodox, who dwelt as a stranger and pilgrim in the town of Vanity, waiting, like Abraham, till he should be called to a better inheritance. To which Prudence added many directions, by which she hoped that the little ones would be enabled to find the dwelling of this venerable man: neither did she omit to admonish them continually to seek counsel by prayer.

Being thus duly prepared for their journey, I perceived that the children were led forth by the damsels of the palace till they reached the brow of the hill Difficulty, on that side which looketh towards the Celestial City; where they kissed each other, and affectionately separated, with many tears on both sides. So the fair damsels having gone back, the young pilgrims remained for some time weeping on the brow of the hill and Inbred-Sin was with them.

Now I remarked that the descent before them was exceedingly steep, insomuch that it seemed impossible to go down into the valley beneath, without the hazard of many dangerous slips and falls. The deep valley into which they looked was called the Valley of Humiliation-but of this we shall have occasion to speak more hereafter. The damsels had charged the children to move warily on their way, and to use all possible caution in going down the hill: nevertheless, when the little ones began to centemplate the valley which was spread at their feet, and the precipitous path by which they were to reach it, they not only expressed great dread of this hazardous undertaking, but presently broke out into murmurings, very bitterly lamenting the necessity of making such a descent. And I perceived that Inbred-Sin mingled very eagerly in the conversation that took place among them, and gave his opinion with surprising freedom, looking as brisk and as pert as I had ever at any time seen him: whereat I much wondered, on considering the very weak and low condition in which he had appeared at the palace Beautiful. I also much marvelled to find that the children did not remark this sudden change in him; neither reproving nor check

ing him, but listening to all he said with apparent complacency.

Upon which Inbred-Sin spoke much in favour of the extraordinary elevation of the hill Difficulty, the towering summits of which, he remarked, afforded a most glorious prospect on all sides whereas the valley spread at their feet, he said, was so despicable a place, that he could not conceive why the Lord of pilgrims had caused the way to Zion to pass through it. I heard, then, that he proceeded to flatter the little pilgrims upon their uncommon perseverance, and the wonderful exertions they had made, in attaining the glorious height on which they then stood, and which had happily introduced them to the palace of the Virtues-and I perceived that he ascribed to their own efforts all the glory of what they had done, referring nothing to God, nor even adverting to the rod of Discipline.

I saw, however, that after listening for awhile to Inbred-Sin, the children bethought themselves, that, as they must needs descend the side of the mountain (the Lord having signified his will that they should continue their pilgrimage), it would be better to do so before night came on. So, having no time to lose, they began their descent; yet it was with a very ill will, since they had nothing before them but the Valley of Humiliation, whose gloomy appearance has alarmed many a traveller who afterward found such consolations therein as were not to be met with in any other part of his pilgrimage.

And now, although I was heartily vexed, yet I could not but smile to observe the strange pranks and manoeuvres of Inbred-Sin, with the various tricks he played the little pilgrims as they were going down the hill, thereby rendering their difficult path a hundred times more difficult. First, he would have it, as I before said, that they should not go down at all, but tarry where they were; because the top of the hill was, as he said, nearer heaven than the valley. Then, upon Humble Mind's arguing with him, and pleading that they had no choice, but must go down, he became petulant, and would have them to proceed in haste, that so desperate an adventure might speedily be concluded. So they ran down the side of the mountain till each of them got a very sore tumble, in which they bruised themselves severely against the stones. Whereupon Inbred-Sin, while they lay groaning half-way down the mountain,

insultingly laughed them to scorn, crying out, "See now what you have gained by all this eagerness to obey the orders of your King!"-thus impiously charging upon the Prince of princes those wounds which the little pilgrims owed entirely to their own impatience. For, although it was the pleasure of the Lord of pilgrims that Humble Mind and his sisters should descend into the Valley of Humiliation, yet he never required them to lay aside all prudence and caution in making that de

scent.

Here I was sorry to observe that the little pilgrims, being thus sorely bruised and wounded, did not reprove Inbred-Sin on his suggesting these false and blasphemous accusations against the King of kings; but that, as they rose from the ground, they sighed and mourned like persons delivered over to despair. The steepness and danger, however, of the place where they then lay not permitting them to take any rest, they resolved to go forward, though in a more wary and careful manner. Then I saw that Inbred-Sin stepped before them; but while he pretended to remove stones and stumblingblocks out of their way, he contrived so to entangle himself in their steps, that he first pulled down one, and then another of them, at short intervals, through the whole of their way. And in this manner did he so vex and bewilder the poor children, that on reaching the foot of the mountain, they found themselves in a most forlorn and miserable condition.

Now I have heard it said by many an old pilgrim, that there is not in all the Way of Salvation, from the gate which is at the head of that way even to the very land of Beulah, a more delightful place of sojourn than the Valley of Humiliation, although it be held in universal contempt by the men of this world. This valley was the favourite dwelling-place of the Lord of pilgrims, when residing upon earth. Yea, so exceedingly soft and balmy is the air of this valley, that, though few descend into it willingly, yet many have confessed, as is intimated above, that the happiest hours of their pilgrimage were passed in its peaceful retirement. This valley is shaded with all manner of trees which are agreeable to the sight or good for food. A clear stream of the water of the fountain of life winds its gentle and untroubled course through its whole extent; and daily, before sunrise, manna is found thickly scattered over