THE PILGRIMS CONVERSE TOGETHER.

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labour had been lost, especially when that ugly cur made such a heavy barking at us.*

MER. But my worst fear was, after I saw that you was taken into his favour, and that I was left behind. Now, thought I, it is fulfilled which is written, "Two women shall be grinding together, the one shall be taken, and the other left."(a) I had much ado to forbear crying out, Undone! And afraid I was to knock any more but, when I looked up to what was written over the gate,(b) I took courage. I also thought, that I must either knock again or die :† so I knocked, but I cannot tell how; for my spirit now struggled between life and death.

CHR. Can you not tell how you knocked? I am sure your knocks were so earnest, that the very sound made me start: I thought I never heard such knocking in all my life; I thought you would come in by a violent hand, or take the kingdom by storm.(c)

MER. Alas, to be in my case! who that so was, could but have done so? You saw that the door was shut upon me, and that there was a most cruel dog thereabout. Who, I say, that was so faint-hearted as I, would not have knocked with all their might ?-But pray, what said my Lord unto my rudeness? Was he not angry with me?

CHR. When he heard your lumbering noise, he gave a wonderful innocent smile: I believe what you did pleased him well, for he showed no sign to the contrary. But I marvel in my heart why he keeps such a dog had I known that before, I should not have had heart enough to have ventured myself in this

The devil often barks most at us, and brings his heaviest accusations against us, when mercy, peace, comfort, and salvation are nearest to us. "Press on, nor fear to win the day,

Though earth and hell obstruct the way."

Here is a blessed example of deep humility, and of holy boldness, excited by the divine word. Go, thou ruined sinner, and do likewise.

(a) Mat. xxiv. 41.

(b) Part I. p. 71.

(c) Matt. xi. 12.

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MERCY ASKS GOOD-WILL ABOUT THE DOG.

manner. But now we are in, we are in, and I am glad with all my heart.

MER. I will ask, if you please, next time he comes down, why he keeps such a filthy cur in his yard : I hope he will not take it amiss.

Do so, said the children, and persuade him to hang him; for we are afraid he will bite us when we go hence.

So at last he came down to them again, and Mercy fell to the ground on her face before him, and worshipped, and said, "Let my Lord accept the sacrifice of praise which I now offer unto him with the calves of my lips."

So he said unto her, "Peace be to thee; stand up." But she continued upon her face, and said, "Righteous art thou, O Lord, when I plead with thee, yet let me talk with thee of thy judgments;"(a) wherefore dost thou keep so cruel a dog in thy yard, at the sight of which, such women and children as we, are ready to flee from the gate with fear?

He answered and said, That dog has another owner: he is also kept close in another man's ground, only my pilgrims hear his barking: he belongs to the castle which you see there at a distance,(b) but can come up to the walls of this place. He has frighted many an honest pilgrim from worse to better, by the great voice of his roaring. Indeed, he that owneth him doth not keep him out of any good-will to me or mine, but with intent to keep the pilgrims from coming to me, and that they may be afraid to come and knock at this gate for entrance. Sometimes also he has broken out, and has worried some that I loved; but I take all at present patiently. I also give my pilgrims timely help, so that they are not delivered up to his power, to do to them what his doggish nature would prompt him to. But what! my purchased one, I trow, hadst thou known never so much before-hand, thou wouldest not

(a) Jer. xii. 1, 2. (b) Part I. p. 71.

THEY GO ON THEIR WAY REJOICING.

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have been afraid of a dog. The beggars that go from door to door, will, rather than they will lose a supposed alms, run the hazard of the bawling, barking, and biting too of a dog: and shall a dog in another man's yard; a dog whose barking I turn to the profit of pilgrims, keep any from coming to me? I deliver them from the lions, and, " my darling from the power of the dog."

Then said Mercy, I confess my ignorance: I speak what I understand not: I acknowledge that thou doest all things well.

Then Christiana began to talk of their journey, and to inquire after the way. (a) So he fed them and washed their feet, and set them in the way of his steps, according as he had dealt with her husband before.

So I saw in my dream that they went on their way; and the weather was comfortable to them.

Then Christiana began to sing, saying,

"Bless'd be the day that I began

A pilgrim for to be;

And blessed also be that man

That thereunto mov'd me.

'Tis true, 'twas long ere I began
To seek to live for ever :(b)
But now I run fast as I can ;
"Tis better late than never.

Our tears to joy, our fears to faith,
Are turned, as we see;

That our beginning, (as one saith)
Shows what our end will be,"

(a) Part I. p. 74

(b) Matt. xx. 16.

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THE CHILDREN EAT THE ENEMY'S FRUIT,

CHAPTER III.

THE PILGRIMS ARE ASSAULTED, BUT RELIEVED.--ARE ENTERTAINED AT THE INTERPRETER'S HOUSE.

σε

NOW there was on the other side of the wall, that fenced in the way up which Christiana and her companions were to go, a garden, and that belonged to him, whose was that barking dog, of whom mention was made before. And some of the fruit-trees that grew in the garden, shot their branches over the wall; and being mellow, they that found them did gather them up, and eat of them to their hurt. So Christiana's boys, (as boys are apt to do,) being pleased with the trees, and with the fruit that did hang thereon, did pluck them and began to eat. Their mother did also chide them for so doing, but still the boys went on.* "Well," said she, my sons, you transgress; for that fruit is none of ours:" but she did not know that they did belong to the enemy: I'll warrant you, if she had, she would have been ready to die for fear. But that passed, and they went on their way.--Now, by that they were gone about two bow's-shot from the place that led them into the way, they espied two very ill-favoured ones coming down apace to meet them.† With that Christiana and Mercy her friend covered themselves with their veils, and kept also on their journey the children also went on before: so that at last they met together. Then they that came down to meet them, came just up to the women, as if they

* What is this garden, but the world? What is the fruit they here found? The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life, 1 John ii. 16.

What are these ill-favoured ones? Such as you will be sure to meet with in your pilgrimage; some vile lusts, or cursed corruptions, which are suited to your carnal nature. These will attack you, strive to prevail against you, and overcome you. Mind how these pilgrims acted, and follow their Texample.

THE WOMEN ARE ASSAULTED BY TWO MEN.

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would embrace them; but Christiana said, "Stand back, or go peaceably as you should." Yet these two, as men that are deaf, regarded not Christiana's words, but began to lay hands upon them: at that Christiana waxed very wroth, and spurned at them with her feet. Mercy also, as well as she could, did what she could to shift them. Christiana again said to them, "Stand back and be gone, for we have no money to lose, being pilgrims as you see, and such too as live upon the charity of our friends."

Then said one of the two men, We make no assault upon your money, but are come out to tell you, that if you will but grant one small request which we shall ask, we will make women of you for ever.

Now Christiana, imagining what they should mean, made answer again, "We will neither hear nor regard, nor yield to what you shall ask. We are in haste, and cannot stay: our business is of life and death." So again she and her companions made a fresh essay to go past them but they letted them in their way.

And they said, we intend no hurt to your lives; 'tis another thing we would have.

"Ay," quoth Christiana, "You would have us body and soul, for I know 'tis for that you are come; but we will die rather upon the spot, than to suffer ourselves to be brought into such snares as shall hazard our well-being hereafter." And with that they both shrieked out, and cried, Murder! Murder! and so put themselves under those laws that are provided for the protection of women. (a) But the men still made women.(a) their approach upon them, with design to prevail against them. They therefore cried out again.*

Here we see that the most violent temptation to the greatest evil is not in, if resisted and not complied with. Our Lord himself was tempted in

(a) Deut. xxii. 23-27.