374

MATTHEW AND MERCY ARE MARRIED.

Then said Joseph, I dare say, Sir, I did not think you could have found it out.

Oh! said Gaius, I have been trained up in this way a great while; nothing teaches like experience: I have learned of my Lord to be kind; and have found by experience, that I have gained thereby. "There is that scattereth, yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty:" "There is that maketh himself rich, yet hath nothing: there is that maketh himself poor, yet hath great riches."(a)

Then Samuel whispered to Christiana, his mother, and said, Mother, this is a very good man's house; let us stay here a good while, and let my brother Matthew be married here to Mercy, before we go any further.* The which Gaius the host overhearing, said, With a very good will, my child.

So they staid here more than a month; and Mercy was given to Matthew to wife.

While they staid here, Mercy, as her custom was, would be making coats and garments to give to the poor, by which she brought up a very good report upon pilgrims.

then it should be spiritual joy, which springs from spiritual views, and spiritual conversation. Let our speech be thus seasoned, and our feasts thus tempered, and we shall find increasing joy and gladness of heart in

the Lord.

Here is a genuine discovery of a gracious heart; when it is delighted with spiritual company and conversation, and longs for its continuance. Is it so with you, Reader?

(a) Prov. xi. 24. xiii. 7.

A QUESTION PROPOSED AND ANSWERED. 375

CHAPTER XI.

THE PILGRIMS CONTINUE AT THE HOUSE OF GAIUS; FROM WHENCE THEY SALLY OUT, AND DESTROY GIANT SLAY-GOOD, A CANNIBAL; AND RESCUE MR.

FEEBLE-MIND.

BUT to return again to our story. After supper the lads desired a bed, for they were weary with tra velling then Gaius called, to show them their cham. ber: but said Mercy I will have them to bed. So she had them to bed, and they slept well: but the rest sat up all night for Gaius and they were such suitable company, that they could not tell how to part. Then after much talk of their Lord, themselves, and their journey, old Mr. Honest (he that put forth the riddle to Gaius) began to nod. Then said Great-heart, what Sir, you begin to be drowsy! come, rub up, now here is a riddle for you.* .* Then said Mr. Honest, Let us

hear it.

Then said Mr. Great-heart,

"He that will kill, must first be overcome :

Who live abroad would, first must die at home."

Ha! said Mr. Honest, it is a hard one, hard to expound, and harder to practise. But come, landlord, said he, I will, if you please, leave my part to you; do you expound it, and I will hear what you say.

No, said Gaius, it was put to you, and it is expected you should answer it.

Then said the old gentleman,

* Mind this: When one pilgrim observes that a brother is inclined to be drowsy, it is his duty, and should be his practice, to endeavour to awaken, quicken, enliven, and stir up such, by spiritual hints. O that this was more practised! Many blessings would be consequent upon it.

376

ANOTHER QUESTION PROPOSED.

"He first by grace must conquer'd be,
That sin would mortify:

Who, that he lives, would convince me,
Unto himself must die."*

It is right, said Gaius; good doctrine and experience teaches this. For, until grace displays itself, and overcomes the soul with its glory, it is altogether without heart to oppose sin: besides, if sin is Satan's cords, by which the soul lies bound, how should it make resistance, before it is loosed from that infirmity?-Nor will any, that knows either reason or grace, believe that such a man can be a living monument of grace, that is a slave to his own corruption.And now it comes in my mind, I will tell you a story worth the hearing.-There were two men that went on pilgrimage, the one began when he was young, the other when he was old; the young man had strong corruptions to grapple with, the old man's were weak with the decays of nature: the young man trode his steps as even as did the old one, and was every way as light as he who now, or which of them, had their graces shining clearest, since both seemed to be alike?

HON. The young man's, doubtless. For that which heads it against the greatest opposition gives best demonstration that it is strongest; especially when it also holdeth pace with that that meets not with half so much; as to be sure old age does not.-Besides, I have observed, that old men have blessed themselves with this mistake; namely, taking the decays of nature for a gracious conquest over corruptions, and so have been apt to beguile themselves. Indeed, old men, that are gracious, are best able to give advice to them that are young, because they have seen most of the

O this dying to self, to self-righteous pride, vain confidence, self-love, and self-complacency, is hard work to the old man; yea, it is both impracticable and impossible to him. It is only grace yielded to that can conquer and subdue him. And where grace reigns, this work is carried on day by day.

ANOTHER QUESTION RESOLVED.

377

emptiness of things; but yet, for an old and a young man to set out both together, the young one has the advantage of the fairest discovery of a work of grace within him, though the old man's corruptions are naturally the weakest.

Thus they sat talking till break of day. Now when the family was up, Christiana bid her son James that he should read a chapter; so he read the fifty-third of Isaiah. When he had done, Mr. Honest asked, why it was said, that the Saviour is said to come "out of a dry ground;" and also that he had "no form or comeliness in him."

Then said Mr. Great-heart, To the first I answer, because the church of the Jews, of which Christ came, had then lost almost all the sap and spirit of religion. To the second I say, the words are spoken in the person of the unbeliever, who, because they want the eye that can see into our Prince's heart, therefore they judge of him by the meanness of his outside. Just like those that know not that precious stones are covered over with a homely crust; who, when they have found one, because they know not what they have found, cast it again away, as men do a common stone.

Well, said Gaius, now you are here, and since, as I know Mr. Great-heart is good at his weapons, if you please, after we have refreshed ourselves, we will walk into the fields, to see if we can do any good. About a mile from hence, there is one Slay good, a giant, that does much annoy the King's highway in these parts: and I know whereabout his haunt is: he is master of a number of thieves: it would be well if we could clear these parts of him.*

* After feeding, pilgrims are to prepare for fighting. They are not to eat, in order to pamper their lusts, but to strengthen their bodies and souls, that they may be stronger in the Lord, and in the power of his might, to fight and conquer every enemy.

378

THEY ASSAULT GIANT SLAY-GOOD.

So they consented and went, Mr. Great-heart with his sword, helmet, and shield, and the rest with spears and staves.

When they came to the place where he was, they found him with one Feeble-mind in his hand, whom his servants had brought unto him, having taken him in the way now the giant was rifling him, with a pur. pose, after that, to pick his bones; for he was of the nature of flesh-eaters.

Well, so soon as he saw Mr. Great-heart and his friends at the mouth of his cave, with their weapons, he demanded what they wanted.

GR.-H. We want thee, for we are come to revenge the quarrels of the many that thou hast slain of the pil. grims, when thou hast dragged them out of the King's highway; wherefore come out of thy cave.-So he armed himself and came out; and to the battle they went, and fought for above an hour, and then stood still to take wind.

Then said the giant, Why are you here on my ground?

GR.-H. To revenge the blood of pilgrims, as I also told thee before. So they went to it again, and the giant made Mr. Great-heart give back; but he came up again, and in the greatness of his mind he let fly with such stoutness at the giant's head and sides, that he made him let his weapon fall out of his hand; so he smote and slew him, and cut off his head, and brought it away to the inn. He also took Feeblemind the pilgrim, and brought him with him to his lodgings. When they were come home, they showed his head to the family, and set it up, as they had done others before, for a terror to those that shall attempt to do as he, hereafter.

Then they asked Mr. Feeble-mind, how he fell into his hands?

Then said the poor man, I am a sickly man, as you see, and because death did usually once a day knock