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Skill. These pills are as good to prevent diseases, as to cure them when any one is fick. Yea, I dare fay it, and stand to it; if a man will but ufe this phyfic as he should," it will make him live for "ever," John vi. 50. But, good Chriftiana, thou muft give these pills no other way than as I have prescribed for if you do, they will do no good. So he gave unto Chriftiana phyfic for herself, and her boys, and for Mercy, and he bad Matthew take heed how he did eat any more green plumbs: fo kiffed them, and went his way.

It was mentioned before, that Prudence bid the boys, whenever they would, to afk her fome queftions that might be profitable, and fhe would answer them.

Then Matthew, who had been fick, afked her, why, for the most part, phyfic should be bitter to our palates?

Prud. To fhew how unwelcome the word of God and the effects thereof are to a carnal heart.

Matt. Why does phyfic, if it does good, purge, and cause to vomit?

Prud. To fhew that the word, when it works effectually, cleanfeth the heart and mind. For look; what the one doth to the body, the other doth to the foul.

Matt. What fhould we learn by feeing the flame of our fire go upwards? And by seeing the beams and fweet influences of the fun ftrike downwards?

Prud. By the going up of the fire, we are taught

to

to afcend to heaven by fervent and hot defires. And by the fun's fending his heat, beams, and fweet influences downwards, we are taught, that the Saviour of the world, though high, reachéth down his grace and love to us below.

Matt. Where have the clouds their water?
Prud. Out of the fea.

Matt. What may we learn from that?

Prud. That minifters fhould fetch their doctrine from God.

Matt. Why do they empty themselves upon the

earth?

Prud. To fhew that minifters fhould give out what they know of God to the world.

Matt. Why is the rain-bow caused by the fun?

Prud. To fhew that the covenant of God's grace is confirmed to us in Chrift.

Matt. Why do the fprings come from the fea to us through the earth?

Prud. To fhew that the grace of God comes to us through the body of Chrift.

Matt. Why do fome of the fprings rife out of the top of high hills?

Prud. To fhew that the spirit of grace shall spring up in fome that are great and mighty, as well as in many that are poor and low.

Matt. Why doth the fire faften upon the candlewick?

Prud. To fhew that, unless grace doth kindle

upon

upon the heart, there will be no true light of life

in us.

Matt. Why is the wick and tallow, and all spent, to maintain the light of the candle?

Prud. To fhew that body and foul, and all, fhould be at the fervice of, and should spend themselves to maintain in good condition, that grace of God that is in us.

Matt. Why doth the pelican pierce her own breast with her bill?

Prud. To nourish her young ones with her blood, and thereby to fhew that Chrift, the bleffed, fo loveth his young, his people, as to fave them from death by

his blood.

Matt. What may one learn by hearing the cock crow?

Prud. To remember Peter's fin and Peter's repentance. The cock's crowing fhews also that day is coming on; let then the crowing of the cock put thee in mind of that last and terrible day of judg

ment.

Now, about this time, their month was out; wherefore they fignified to those of the house, that it was convenient for them to depart and be going. Then faid Jofeph to his mother, It is convenient that you forget not to fend to the house of Mr. Interpreter, to pray him to grant that Mr. Great-heart fhould be fent to us, that he may be our conductor the reft of the way. Good boy, faid fhe, I had almoft forgot. So fhe drew up a petition, and prayed

Mr.

Mr. Watchful the porter, to fend it by fome fit mari to her good friend Mr. Interpreter; who, when it was come, and he had feen the contents of the petition, faid to the meffenger, Go tell them that I wil fend him.

When the family, where Chriftiana was, faw that they purposed to go forward, they called the whole. house together, to give thanks to their King for fending them fuch profitable guests as thefe. Which done, they faid unto Chriftiana, Shall we not fhew thee fomething, according as our cuftom is to pilgrims, on which thou mayeft meditate when thou art in the way? So they took Chriftiana, her children, and Mercy, into the closet, and fhewed them one of the apples which Eve did eat of, and which fhe alfo did give her husband, and for the eating of which they both were turned out of Paradise; and they afked her what fhe thought it was? Then Christiana faid, It is food or poison, I know not which. So they opened the matter to her, and fhe held up her hands and wondered; Gen. iii. 6; Rom. vii. 24

Then they had her to a place, and shewed her Jacob's ladder. Now at that time there were fome angels afcending upon it. Chriftiana looked and looked to fee the angels go up, and fo did the rest

f As we grow in grace we see more and more of the evil of fin: as we grow in the knowledge of Chrift, fo we shall grow in the knowledge of ourselves; the deceitfulness of our hearts, the depravity of our nature, and the malignity of fin.

of

of the company. When they were going into another place to shew them something else, James faid to his mother, Pray bid them stay a little longer, for this is a curious fight. So they turned again, and stood feeding their eyes with this so pleasant a profpect. After this they had them into a place where did hang up a golden anchor: fo they bid Chriftiana take it down; for, faid they, you shall have it with you, Gen. xxviii. 12; it is of abfolute neceffity that you should have it, that you may lay hold of that within the veil, whereby you may stand stedfast, in case you should meet with turbulent weather: fo they were glad thereof, John i. 15; Heb. vi. 19; Gen. xxviii. 12. Then they took them, and had them to the mount upon which Abraham our father offered up Ifaac his fon, and there they fhewed them the altar; the wood; the fire. and the knife: for they remain to be seen to this very day. When they had feen it, they held up their hands, and bleft themselves, faying, Oh! what a man! What love to his Mafter had Abraham! What felf-denial was this! After they had fhewed them all these things, Prudence took them into a

Hope is compared to an anchor, which is fure, ftedfast; because, thereby the foul stays itself upon Chrift, longs to be for ever with him, and expects deliverance from him. Hope is the expectation, either of deliverance from fome evil, or the poffeffion of fome good-the believer hopes to be delivered from the world and the devil, from felf and fin; and to be for ever with Jefus, who is entered, as his forerunner, into heaven itfelf.

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