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Part I. The PILGRIM'S PROGRESS.

97

Chr. It was well for you; I am fure, it fared far otherwise with me; I had for a long feafon, as foon almost as I entered into that valley, a dreadful combat with that foul fiend Apollyon; yea, I thought verily he would have killed me, efpecially when he got me down, and crushed me under him, as if he would have crushed me to pieces: for as he threw me, my fword flew out of my hand; nay, he told me he was fure of me; but I cried to God, and he heard me, and delivered me out of all my troubles. Then I entered into the valley of the fhadow of death, and had no light for almoft half the way through it. I thought I fhould have been killed there over and over; but at laft day brake, and the fun rofe, and I went through that which was behind with far more eafe and quiet.

Moreover I saw in my dream, that as they went on, Faithful, as he chanced to look on one fide, faw a man whofe name is Talkative, walking at a distance befides them (for in this place there was room enough for them all to walk.) He was a tall man and fomething more comely at a distance, than at hand: * To this man Faithful addressed himself in this manner :·

Faith. Friend, whither away? Are you going to the heavenly country?.

Talk. I am going to the fame place..

Faith, That is well: then I hope we may have your good company?

[Illuftrations from note x to y]

Talk.

* We are now prefented with a new character: new indeed as it ftands here, though in itself as old as the creation. Would God that the many of this miserable stamp did but feriously attend to their true character, ftate and condition, as defcribed in the pages before us, and on which it will be fuperfluous for me largely to comment. The character itself is

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Talk. With a very good will, will I be your companion.

Faith. Come on then, and let us go together, and let us spend our time in dicourfing of things that are profitable.

Talk. To talk of things that are good, to me is very acceptable, with you or with any other; and I am glad that I have met with thofe that incline to fo good a work: for to fpeak the truth, there are but few that care thus to spend their time (as they are in their travels) but choose much rather to be speaking of things to no profit; and this hath been a trouble to me.

Faith. That is indeed a thing to be lamented; for what thing fo worthy of the use of the tongue and mouth of men on earth, as are the things of the God of heaven?

Talk. I like you wonderful well; for your sayings are full of conviction; and I will add, what thing is so pleasant, and what fo profitable, as to talk of the things of God?

What things so pleasant? (that is, if a man hath any delight in things that are wonderful) for instance: If a man doth delight to talk of the history, or the mystery of things; or if a man doth love to talk of miracles, wonders, or figns, where fhall he find things recorded fo delightful, and fo fweetly penned as in the holy fcripture?

Faith. That is true; but to be profited by fuch things in our talk, fhould be our chief defign.

Talk. That is it that I faid; for to talk of such things is most profitable; for by fo doing, a man

may

drawn with nice and striking exactnefs. Talkative understands little either of the theory or practice of religion. He has got fo much knowledge of the gospel, as to prate much about it: and indeed, many in the prefent day go much farther. They

may get knowledge of many things; as of the vanity of earthly things, and the benefit of things above: (thus in general) but more particularly; by this a man may learn the neceffity of the new birth; the infufficiency of our works; the need of Christ's righteousness, &c. Befides, by this a man may learn what it is to repent, to believe, to pray, to fuffer, or the like: By this alfo a man may learn what are the great promises and confolations of the gospel, to his own comfort. Farther, by this a man may learn, to refute false opinions, to vindicate the truth, and alfo to inftruct the ignorant,

Faith. All this is true, and glad am I to hear these things from you.

Talk. Alas! the want of this is the cause that fo few understand the need of faith, and the neceffity of works of grace in their foul, in order to eternal life; but ignorantly live in the works of the law, by which a man can by no means obtain the kingdom of heaven.

Faith. But, by your leave, heavenly knowledge of thefe is the gift of God; no man attaineth to them by human industry, or only by the talk of them.

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Talk. All this I know very well. For a man can receive nothing, except it bé given him from heaven; all is of grace, not of works: I could give you an hundred fcriptures for the confirmation of this.

Faith. Well then, faid Faithful, what is that one thing that we fhall at this time found our difcourfeupon?

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Talk.

will talk about religion from morning till night; affemble with the people of God; join in the worship of his houfe, and fit down at his table; but follow them home, and you will prefently find that they have no more religion than a mere Hottentot

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Talk. What you will: I will talk of things heavenly, or things earthly; things moral, or, things evangelical, things facred, or things prophane, things paft, or things to come; things foreign, or things at home; things more effential, effential, or things circumftantial, provided that all be done to our profit. ot

Faith. Now did Faithful begin to wonder, and ftepping to Chriftian, (for he walked all this while. by himself) he faid to him, but foftly, What a brave companion have we got? furely this man will make a very excellent pilgrim.

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Chr. At this Christian modeftly fmiled, and faid, this man with whom you are fo taken, will be guile with this tongue of his, twenty of them that know him not.

Faith. Do you know him then?.

Chr. Know him! yea, better than he knows himself.

Faith. Pray, what is he?

Chr. His name is Talkative; he dwelleth in our town; I wonder that you fhould be a stranger to him, only I confider that our town is large. Faith. Whofe fon is he? and whereabout does he dwell?

Chr. He is the fon of one Say-well, he dwelt in Prating-row, and he is known of all that are acquainted with him, by the name

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ting-row; and notwithstanding his fine tongue, he is but a forry fellow.

Faith. Well, he seems to be a very pretty man.. Chr. That is, to them that have not a thorough

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There are others, who, perhaps, do not talk fo much, but are no better than the former. Live with them, and you will never hear a word for God, from fabbath to fabbath. God is neither honoured in their closets nor their families. As to the

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acquaintance with him; for he is best abroad, near home he is ugly enough: your faying that he is a pretty man, brings to my mind what I have obferved in the work of the painter, whole pictures fhew beft at a distance, but very near, more unpleafing,

Faith. But I am ready to think you do but jeft, becaufe you fmiled.

Chr. God forbid that I fhould jeft (tho' I smiled) in this matter, or that I fhould accufe any falfly: I will give you a farther discovery of him: This man is for any company, and for any talks as he talketh now with you, fo will he talk when he is on the ale bench: and the more drink, he hath in his crown, the more of these things he hath in his mouth; religion hath no place in his heart, or house, or con verfation; all he hath lieth in his tongue, and his religion is to make a noife therewith.

Faith. Say you fo! then I am in this man greatly deceived.

Chr. Deceived! you may be fure of it: Remember the proverb, They fay, and do not but the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power. Matt. xxiii. 1 Cor, iv. 28. He talketh of prayer, of repentance, of faith, and of the new birth; but he knows but only to talk of them. I have been in his family, and have obferved him both at home and abroad; and I know what I fay of him is the truth. His houfe is as empty of religion, as the white of an egg is of favour. There is there neither prayer, nor fign of repentance for fin: yea, the brewer, in his kind, ferves God far better than he. He is the very stain, re

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proach,

corruption of nature, the plague of their own hearts, and a real conviction of fin, they are utter ftrangers. They know fomething of these things, as they have read and heard; and can talk of them; but their hearts are as deftitute of the grace

of

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