CHAPTER XII.

Shewing how the Company of Pilgrims descended the Mountains, and continued their Journey.

"He that endureth to the end shall be saved."Matt, x. 22.

Now I looked after the company of pilgrims, and saw them descending among the hills and narrow defiles of the mountains into the plain below. The venerable minister, by reason of his extreme age, was borne upon a litter, certain of the pilgrims following in groups, according to their families, next behind him. After these came the camels, bearing their tabernacle and smaller tents; then followed other of the pilgrims on foot; some few who were aged, or weak, or tender-footed, being placed on the beasts upon the top of the stuff. And from time to time, as they went, they brake out into singing, they who led the van beginning, and they who brought up the rear answering them in the same strain of praise; so that the woods were filled with their songs for many miles, while the winding valleys and rocks re-echoed the holy chorus.

I saw then, in my dream, that the sloping sides of the mountains which looked towards Mount

Zion were exceedingly beautiful, and the smell thereof was as the smell of a field which the Lord hath blessed. (Gen. xxvii. 27.) Here were valleys spread forth, and lign-aloes and cedar trees planted by the Lord; (Numb. xxiv. 6.) here also the young palm trees flourished, and lifted up their crowned heads above the trees of the wood. In the depths, between the hills, were pools of water pure and cool, being supplied by streams from the mountains.

Towards evening, the company coming to a plain between the mountains, the venerable leader gave a signal to halt. So they stopped, and reared their tabernacle in the centre of the plain, with their little tents around it, each in his appointed place, in beautiful order. It was a pleasing sight to observe the pilgrims preparing their evening meal; the younger persons scattered over the adjacent woods to gather sticks, the elder persons employed in grinding their mussala on the smooth stones which had fallen from the rocky sides of the hills, or preparing their little ovens and stoves in the ground. Some also having brought water in their shining lotas from the neighbouring springs, were preparing with meal flat cakes to bake on the hearth. But among all this goodly company I heard not one angry or obscene word, neither did I see any rings drawn on the ground around the cooking-place of one family to the exclusion of its neighbour; but all was love and harmony, as among the dear children of one father. The females, too, I could not but remark, were silent and modest, not lifting up their voices in loud clamour and abuse, but conducting themselves with the most lovely decorum.

Now, after their evening meal, at the appointed hour, this holy company resorted to the tabernacle; where, having prayed and sang praises, their venerable leader addressed to them a word

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of exhortation. In his hand he held the book of God, even the Bible. He lifted it up with creverence before the people, and said, “My children, see you this sacred volume, which contains the word of God: now turn around and behold, through the open doors of the tabernacle, those trees whose roots are bathed in yonder pool of water; observe their leaves, how polished and green they are! how flourishing are their branches! how they lift their prosperous heads on high! He that meditates on the words of this sacred book shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of waters: his root shall not wither, his sap shall rise, and he shall blossom, and bring forth fruit; and look, whatsoever, he doeth it shall prosper. (Psalmi. 3.) Therefore, my children, let the words of this book be ever before you; read them by day; męditate upon them in the night-season; speak of them when you sit in your tents, and when ye walk by the way: for the words of this book will strengthen you, and comfort you, yea, and nourish the new nature which ye received when ye became the children of God." Then the aged minister blessed his people, laying hands upon them; after which, each family withdrew to their tent.

Now betimes in the morning I looked again, and the pilgrims had struck their tents and were upon their march: and behold, this day they cleared the hills, and encamped in the plain be neath them; where they spent that evening as they had done the former. On the next day I saw that the company came to a place where, by reason of the shifting sands, the road was not so well marked as it had been in other places. Their ancient leader, however, by observing the heavens, was readily enabled to ascertain their proper course, and so fearlessly held on his way directly eastwards. But certain of the company,

among which was Nazareenee and his wife, and one or two more, had that day lagged so far behind, as to leave a considerable space between theme and the rest of the pilgrims: at which, nevertheless, they were under no alarm, since they could clearly see the company before them; and even if they should lose sight of that company, they thought it would be no difficult matter to mark their track in the sand. So they went along lounging and sauntering, still making sure of coming up with their brethren before eventide. And in this manner they were going on, when suddenly asstrong north-west wind arose, bearing on its wings a cloud of dust, blotting out the face of the sun, and drifting the sand almost up to the knees of the pilgrims. Under these circumstances they were obliged to halt; neither knowing where they were, nor which way to turn themselves, the wind all the while roaring tremendously about them. At length they were compelled to lay themselves flat on their faces, not being able any longer to stand upright. In a short time, however, the wind ceased; when there succeeded a violent storm of rain, attended with thunder and lightning. Amid the storm, the pilgrims arose to go forward: but behold there was no trace of the caravan to be seen in the sand; neither could they discern any part of the distant company, by reason of the rain, which darkened the air. In this perplexing case, instead of having recourse to prayer, they fell to quarrelling with each other. "It was your

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fault, or I had gone forward with the rest," said one... It was you that detained me," said another. Even between the man and his wife a sharp contention took place, in which they reproached each other as loudly and as violently as if they had still been numbered with the inhabitants of their native city.

*ed Then I saw that the company parted, one choosing this way, and another preferring that; one turning to the left, and another to the right: and among these the woman, in bitter anger against her husband, turned her back right upon Mount Zion. So they continued to stray further and further from the right way, till night came on; the rain still descending and distressing them grievously. Moreover, being at some distance from the King's highway, and off the King's ground, the wild beasts of the desert began to prowl about; whose frightful roarings more especially alarmed the timid woman, imagining as she did that they were every moment ready to devour her. Under these apprehensions, she called to mind her sin; and sorely lamenting the contemptuous manner in which she had treated her husband, she began to call upon her Saviour.d

Now by this time the rain was abated, and the wanderers could distinguish the light of certain fires which the leader of the caravan had caused to be kindled as a signal to them that had strayed: for upon numbering his people, as often was his custom, he had discovered that some were wanting. So the wanderers, being guided by these fires, hastened back to the King's highway, and at length arrived at the encampment exceedingly weary and wet. But the woman was the last who returned; because, through her impatience and anger, she had wandered further from her proper path than all the rest: and behold, her husband was deeply distressed on her account.

I saw then, in my dream, that, when they that had strayed were come back again, the aged leader of the company assembled them all in his tent. And first, he reproved them for lingering behind, which led to their wandering from the way of salvation: after which, he pointed out to them the