river was very deep. At the sight therefore of this river, the pilgrims were much stunned; but the men that went with them, said, 'You must go through, or you cannot come at the gate.'

The pilgrims began to enquire if there was no other way to the gate? to which they answered, 'Yes; but there hath not any, save two, to wit, Enoch and Elijah, been permitted to tread that path since the foundation of the world, nor shall until the last trumpet shall sound.' The pilgrims then (especially Christian) began to despond in their minds, and looked this way and that, but no way could be found by them, by which they might escape the river. Then they asked the men 'if the waters were all of a depth!" they said No; yet they could not help them in that case; For,' said they, you shall find it deeper or shallower, as you believe in the King of the place.'

They then addressed themselves to the water, and entering, Christian began to sink, and crying out to his good friend Hopeful, he said, "I sink in deep waters! the billows go over my head, all his waves go over me. Selah."

Then said the other, Be of good cheer, my brother; I feel the bottom and it is good. Then said Christian,

Ah! my friend, the sorrow of death hath compassed me about, I shall not see the land that flows with milk and honey.' And with that a great darkness and horror fell upon Christian, so that he could not see before him. Also he in a great measure lost his senses, so that he could neither remember nor orderly talk of any of

staggered. What then must be the consternation of the sinner to be obliged to cross the river, not to enter the heavenly Jerusalem, but to dwell in the abodes of everlasting misery.---Ah me! when the believer "stands shivering on the brink, and fears to launch away," while heaven is full in his view, what agony must the sinner feel! But the love of God shed abroad in the heart will create a sweet serenity of soul in the true christian at the hour of death, though nature may shrink from the awful trial. To use the emphatic words of a late worthy divine, "the christian smiles in the face of death, and looks down into the dark cold tomb of death, with a song of Cheerfulness, if not of Triumph on his tongue."

Dr. Conder in his funeral sermon for Dr. Guyse.

those sweet refreshments that he had met with in the way of his pilgrimage. But all the words that he spake still tended to discover that he had horror of mind, and heart-fears that he should die in that river, and never obtain entrance in at the gate. Here also, as they that stood by perceived, he was much in the troublesome thoughts of the sins that he had committed, both since and before he began to be a pilgrim. It was also observed, that he was troubled with apparitions of hobgoblins and evil spirits; for ever and anon he would intimate so much by words. Hopeful therefore here had much ado to keep his brother's head above water, yea, sometimes he would be quite gone down, and then, ere a while, would rise up again half dead. Hopeful did also endeavour to comfort him, saying, Brother, I see the gate, and men standing by to receive us ;' but Christian would answer, It is you, it is you they wait for; you have been Hopeful ever since I knew you.' ' And so have you,' said he to Christian., Ah, brother,' said he, " surely if I was right, he would rise to help me ; but for my sins he hath brought me into the snare, and hath left me.' Then said Hopeful, My brother, you have quite forgot the text, where it is said of the wicked, "There are no bands in their death, but their strength is firm; they are not troubled as other men, neither are they plagued like other men." These troubles and distresses that you go through in these waters, are no sign that God hath forsaken you; but are sent to try you, whether you will call to mind that which heretofore you have received of his goodness, and live upon him in your distresses.'

Then I saw in my dream that Christian was in a muse a while. To whom also Hopeful added these words, “Be of good cheer, Jesus Christ maketh thee whole." And with that Christian brake out with a loud voice, 'Oh, I see him again!' and he tells me, "When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee.""-Then they both took courage, and the enemy was after that as still as a stone, until they were gone over. Christian there

*Isa. xliii. 2.

fore presently found ground to stand upon, and so it followed that the rest of the river was but shallow; but thus they got over:-Now upon the bank of the river, on the other side, they saw the two shining men again, who there waited for them. Wherefore being come out of the river, they saluted them, saying, "We are ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for those that shall be the heirs of salvation." Thus they went along towards the gate,-Now you must note that the city stood upon a mighty hill: but the pilgrims went up the hill with ease, because they had these two men to lead them up by the arms also they had left their mortal garments behind them in the river; for though they went in with them, they came out without them. They therefore went up. here with much agility and speed, though the foundation upon which the city was framed was higher than the clouds they therefore went up through the region of the air, sweetly talking as they went, being comforted, because they safely got over the river, and had such glorious companions to attend them.

2

The talk that they had with the shining ones was about the glory of the place; who told them, that the beauty and glory of it was inexpressible. There said they, is "Mount Zion, the heavenly Jerusalem, the innumerable company of angels, and the spirits of just men made perfect. You are going now, said they, to the Paradise of God, wherein you shall see the tree of life, and eat of the never fading fruits thereof: and when you come there you shall have white robes given you, and your walk and talk shall be every day with the King, even all the days of eternity There you shall not see again such things as you saw when you were in the lower region upon the earth, to wit, sorrow, sickness, affliction and death; "for the former things are passed away.3" You are going now to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, and to the prophets, men that God hath taken away from the evil to come, and that are now 66 resting upon their beds, each one walking in his righteousness.' The men then asked, What must we do in the holy place? To whom it was answered, You must there receive the 1 Heb. xii. 22-24. 2 Rev. ii. 7. iii. 4. xxii. 5. 3 Isa, lxv. 16.

comforts of all your toil, and have joy for all your sorrow; you must reap what you have sown, even the fruit of all your prayers and tears, and sufferings for the king by the way. In that place you must wear crowns of gold, and enjoy perpetual sight and vision of the Holy ONE, "for there you shall see him as he is." There also you shall serve Him continually with praise, with shouting, and thanksgiving, whom you desired to serve in the world, though with much difficulty, because of the infirmity of your flesh. There your eyes shall be delighted with seeing, and your ears with hearing the pleasant voice of the Mighty ONE. There you shall enjoy your friends again, that are gone thither before you; and there you shall with joy receive even every one that follows into the Holy Places after you. There also you shall be cloathed with glory and majesty, and put into an equipage fit to ride out with the King of Glory — When he shall come with sound of trumpet in the clouds, as upon the wings of the wind, you shall come with him; and when he shall sit upon the throne of judgment, you shall sit by him; yea, and when he shall pass sentence upon all the workers of iniquity, let them be angels or men; you also shall have a voice in that judgment, because they were his and your enemies. Also when he shall again return to the city, you shall go too with sound of trumpet, and be ever with him.3

Now while they were thus drawing towards the gate, behold a company of the heavenly hosts came out to meet them; to whom it was said by the other two shining ones, 'These are the men that have loved our Lord, when they were in the world, and that have forsaken all for his holy name, and he hath sent us to fetch them, and we have brought them thus far on their desired journey, that they may go in and look their Redeemer in the face with joy.' Then the heavenly hosts gave a great shout, saying, "Blessed are they that are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb. There came out also at this time to meet them, several of the King's trumpeters, cloathed in white and shining raiment, who with

1 Gal. vi. 7, 8, 2 1st John iii. 2. 3 1st Thess. iv. 13-17. Jude, 14, 15. Dan. vii. 9, 10. 1st Cor. vi. 2, 3, 4 Rev. xix. 9.

melodious noises, and loud, made even the heavens to echo with their sound. These trumpeters saluted Christian and his fellow, with ten thousand welcomes from the world; and this they did with shouting, and sound of trumpet.

This done, they compassed them round about on every side; some went before, some behind, and some on the right hand, some on the left, (as it were to guard them through the upper regions), continually sounding as they went, with melodious noise, in notes on high; so that the very sight was, to them that could behold it, as if heaven itself was come down to meet them. Thus therefore they walked on together; and as they walked, ever and anon these trumpeters, even with joyful sound, would by mixing their music with looks and gestures, still signify to Christian and his brother how welcome they were in their company, and with what gladness they came to meet them; and now were these two men, as it were, in heaven before they came at it: being swallowed up with the sight of angels, and with hearing their melodious notes. Here also they had the city itself in view, and thought they heard all the bells therein to ring, to welcome them thereto; but above all, the warm and joyful thoughts that they had about their own dwelling there with such company, and that for ever and ever. Oh! by what tongue or pen can their glorious joy be expressed! thus they came up to the gate.

Now, when they were come up to the gate, there was written over it, in letters of gold, "Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.""

Then I saw in my dream that the shining men bid them call at the gate: the which when they did, some from above looked over the gate, to wit, Enoch, Moses, and Elias, &c. to whom it was said, 'These pilgrims are come from the city of Destruction, for the love that they bear to the King of this place;' and then the pilgrims gave in unto then each man his certificate, which they had received in the beginning: those therefore were 1 Rev. xxii. 14.