1 Yea, Lord, there are more fpiders here than one. Then faid the Interpreter again, The fpider taketh hold with her hands, as you fee, and is in kings' palaces. Wherefore is this recorded, but to fhew you, that full as you are of the venom of fin, nevertheless, by the hand of faith, you may lay hold of, and dwell in, the best room which belongs to the King's house a. Christ. I thought it was fomething of this; but could not imagine it all. I thought, that we were like spiders, and that we looked like ugly creatures, whatever fine rooms we may be in: but, that by this fpider, this venomous, this ill-favoured creature, we were to learn how to act faith, that came not into my thoughts. In this manner she worketh a Some are ready to call the doctrine, which this reprefentation is intended to convey, Antinomianifm; yet it is clearly the doctrine taught by St. Paul, especially where he says, To him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly." The Apostle fully expreffes the meaning conveyed in these words, "How full of the venom of fin foever ye be, yet you may lay hold." There cannot be a more juft and striking reprefentation of a finner laying hold of Chrift by faith, than this of a spider hanging by his hands upon a wall. with with her hands, and, as I fee, dwells in the best room in the house. God has made nothing in vain. Then they seemed all to be glad; but the water ftood in their eyes: yet they looked one upon another, and alfo bowed before the Interpreter. He had them then into another room, where was a hen and chickens, and bad them obferve a while. So one of the chickens went to the trough to drink, and, every time fhe drank, fhe lifted up her head and her eyes towards heaven. See, said he, what this little chick doth, and learn of her to acknowledge whence your mercies come. Receive them, and look up. Yet again, faid he, obferve and look. So they gave heed, and perceived that the hen did walk in a fourfold method towards her chickens. 1. She has a common call, and this fhe hath all the day long. 2. She had a fpecial call, and this fhe had but fometimes. 3. She had a brooding note. And, 4. She had an outcry. Now, faid he, compare this hen to your King, and these chickens to his obedient ones. Answerable to hers, he himself has his methods; according to which he carries it towards his people. By his common call, he gives God's love and care towards his children is compared in Scripture to a hen gathering her chickens under her wings; but furely nothing can be conceived more just and striking than the obfervation here made, of the four different ways in which a hen carries herself towards her chickens. nothing; nothing; by his fpecial call, he always has fomething to give: he has a brooding voice when they are under his wing; and he has an outcry, to give the alarm when he feeth the enemy come. I chose, my darlings, to lead you into the room where fuch things are, because you are women, and these things are eafy to be understood by you. Sir, faid Chriftiana, pray let us fee fomething more. So he had them into the flaughter-house, where was a butcher killing a fheep: and behold the sheep was quiet, and took her death patiently. Then faid the Interpreter, You must learn of this fheep to fuffer, and to put up wrongs without murmurings and complaints. Behold how quietly she takes her death; and, without objecting, fhe fuffereth her skin to be pulled over her ears. Your King doth call you his sheep. you After this, he led them into his garden, where was a great variety of flowers: And he faid, Do fee all these? Chriftiana faid, Yes. Then faid he again, Behold the flowers are divers in ftature, in quality, in colour, fmell, and virtue; and some are better than others. Obferve also where the Nothing fhews the power of Divine grace like the patient fubmiffion of God's dear children to the injuries they receive from the world; neither is there any thing by which the life of Jefus is more clearly manifefted in his followers. than in the perfecutions they fuffer from the world; perfecuted, but not forfaken; caft down, but not destroyed. gardener gardener hath fet them, there they ftand, and quar rel not with one another d. Again, he had them into a field, which he had fown with wheat and corn. When they beheld that the tops of all was cut off, and that only the ftraw remained, he then faid to them, This ground was dunged and ploughed, and fowed, but what fhall we do with the crop? Then faid Chriftiana, Burn fome, and make muck of the reft. Then faid the Interpreter again, Fruit, you fee, is the thing you look for, and for want of that you condemn it either to the fire, or to be trodden under foot of men: beware in this that you condemn not yourselves". Then as they were coming into the house, they The church is a garden enclosed; Chrift is the gardener; his people are called God's husbandry. The difference in the plants and flowers shews the different effects of grace upon the heart. He who disposes of them in their appointed places difpenfeth his grace towards them, and adminifters nourishment to them, feverally, as he will. "Thou art e This is a necessary caution. St. Paul fays, inexcufable, O man, whosoever thou art, that judgeft; for wherein thou judgeft another, thou condemneft thyself, for thou that judgeft doest the fame things."-St. James has laid down an excellent rule of conduct: Oh that it were but more attended to!" So fpeak ye, and fo do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty." How inconfiftent for a pardoned malefactor to insult even those who are under condemnation! If any man feemeth to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, from commending himself, and condemning and cenfuring others, this man's religion is vain. He that judgeth his brother, fpeaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law. efpied efpied a robin with a great spider in his mouth. The Interpreter faid, Look here: fo they looked, and Mercy wondered; but Chriftiana faid, What a difparagement is this to fuch a pretty little bird as a robin-red-breaft, a bird above many, who loves to maintain a kind of fociablenefs with men! I had thought that they lived upon crumbs of bread, or upon fuch other harmless matter: I like him worse than I did. The Interpreter then replied, This robin is an emblem, which fets forth fome profeffors: to fight they are, as this robin, pretty of note, colour, and carriage; they feem alfo to have a very great love for profeffors who are fincere; and, above all others, to defire to affociate with them, and to be in their company, as if they could live upon the good man's crumbs: they pretend also that it is for this reason that they frequent the house of the godly, and the appointments of the Lord: but, when they are by themselves, they can, as this robin, catch and gobble up fpiders; they can change their diet; drink and fwallow down fin like water f. So when they were come again into the house, because fupper as yet was not ready, Christiana again defired that the Interpreter would either shew or * Our Lord has given us this rule, not to judge according to appearance; a fanctified countenance may be, and often is, put on as a cloak for an unfanctified heart. Many, who feem to make the faireft fhew in the flesh, are, nevertheless, living to the flesh. |