ing no longer bowed down by the temporal | pains to conceal, and kept carefully wrap. distresses of his people, applied himself ped up; and while they were forward cheerfully to his own part of the weight. enough to complain of the other part of their And it was pleasant to see how those two burthens, few said a word about this, though persons, neither of them very strong, or in truth it was the pressing weight of this rich, or healthy, by thus kindly uniting together, were enabled to bear the weight of a whole parish; though singly, either of them must have sunk under the attempt. And I remember one great grief I felt during my whole journey was, that I did not see more of this union and concurring kindness, more of this acting in concert, by which all the burthens might have been so easily divided. It troubled me to observe, that of all the laws of the valley there was not one more frequently broken than the law of kindness.

The Negroes.

I now spied a swarm of poor black men, women, and children, a multitude which no man could number; these groaned and toiled, and sweated, and bled under far heavier loads than I had yet seen. But for a while no man helped them; at length a few white travellers were touched with the sorrowful sighing of those millions, and very heartily did they put their hands to the burthens; but their number was not quite equal to the work they had undertaken. I perceived, however, that they never lost sight of those poor heavy-laden wretches; though often repulsed, they returned again to the charge; though discomfited, they renewed the effort, and some even pledged themselves to an annual attempt till the project was accomplished; and as the number of these generous helpers increased every year, I felt a comfortable hope, that before all the blacks got out of the valley, the whites would fairly divide the burthen, and the loads would be effectually lightened.

secret packet which served to render the general burthen so intolerable. In spite of all their caution, I contrived to get a peep at it. I found in each that this packet had the same label; the word SIN was written on all as a general title, and in ink so black, that they could not wash it out. I observed that most of them took no small pains to hide the writing; but I was surprised to see that they did not try to get rid of the load but the label. If any kind friend who assisted these people in bearing their burthens, did but so much as hint at the secret packet, or advise them to get rid of it, they took fire at once, and commonly denied they had any such article in their portmanteau; and it was those whose secret packet swelled to the most enormous size, who most stoutly denied they had any.

I saw with pleasure, however, that some who had long laboured heartily to get rid of this inward packet, at length found it much diminished, and the more this packet shrunk in size, the lighter was the other part of their burthens also. I observed, moreover, that though the label always remained in some degree indelible, yet that those who were earnest to get rid of the load, found that the original traces of the label grew fainter also; it was never quite obliterated in any, though in some cases it seemed nearly effaced.

Then methought, all at once, I heard a voice, as it had been the voice of an angel, crying out and saying, Ye unhappy pilgrims, why are ye troubled about the burthen which ye are doomed to bear through this valley of tears? Know ye not, that as soon as ye shall have escaped out of this valAmong the travellers, I had occasion to ley the whole burthen shall drop off, proviremark, that those who most kicked and ded ye neglect not to remove that inward struggled under their burthens, only made weight, that secret load of SIN which printhem so much the heavier, for their shoul- cipally oppresses you? Study then the whole ders became extremely galled by those vain will of the lord of this valley. Learn from and ineffectual struggles. The load, if borne him how this heavy part of your burthens patiently, would in the end have turned even may now be lessened, and how at last it shall to the advantage of the bearers, for so the be removed for ever. Be comforted. Faith lord of the valley had kindly decreed; but and hope may cheer you even in this valley. as to these grumblers, they had all the The passage, though it seems long to weary smart, and none of the benefit; they had the travellers, is comparatively short; for bepresent suffering without the future reward. yond there is a land of everlasting rest, But the thing which made all these burthens where ye shall hunger no more, neither seem so very heavy was, that in.every one thirst any more, where ye shall be led by without exception, there was a certain inner living fountains of waters, and all tears shall packet, which most of the travellers took[be wiped away from yours.'

THE STRAIT GATE AND THE BROAD WAY.

AN ALLEGORY.

as their day was, such was their light and strength,'

through the wilderness; and indeed it was the natural tendency of that unwholesome atmosphere to extinguish it, just as you have seen a candle go out when exposed to the vapours and foul air of a damp room. It was a melancholy sight to see multitudes of traveilers heedlessly pacing on, boasting they had light enough of their own, and despising the offer of more. But what astonished me most of all was, to see many, and some of them too accounted men of first rate wit, actually busy in blowing out their own light, because while any spark of it remained, it only served to torment them, and point out things which they did not wish to see. And having once blown out their own light, they were not easy till they had blown out that of their neighbours also; so that a good part of the wilderness seemed to exhibit a sort of universal blindman's buff, each endeavouring to catch his neighbour, while his own voluntary blindness exposed him to be caught himself; so that each was actually falling into the snare he was laying for another, till at length, as selfishness is the natural consequence of blindness, catch he that catch can,' became the general motto of the wilderness.

Now I had a second vision of what was the case; ་ passing in the Valley of Tears. Methought I saw again the same kind of travellers whom Though many chose to depend entirely on I had seen in the former part, and they were their own original lamp, yet it was observed wandering at large through the same vast that this light was apt to go out if left to itwilderness. At first setting out on his jour-self. It was easily blown out by those vioney, each traveller had a small lamp so fix-lent gusts which were perpetually howling ed in his bosom that it seemed to make a part of himself; but as this natural light did not prove to be sufficient to direct them in the right way, the king of the country, in pity to their wanderings and their blindness, out of his gracious condescension, promised to give these poor wayfaring people an additional supply of light from his own royal treasury. But as he did not choose to lavish his favours where there seemed no disposition to receive them, he would not bestow any of his oil on such as did not think it worth asking for. Ask and ye shall have,' was the universal rule he had laid down for them. But though they knew the condition of the obligation, many were prevented from asking through pride and vanity, for they thought they had light enough already, preferring the feeble glimmerings of their own lamp, to all the offered light from the king's treasury. Yet it was observed of those who rejected it, as thinking they had enough, that hardly any acted up to what even their own natural light showed them. Others were deterred from asking, because they were told that this light not only pointed out the dangers and difficulties of the road, but by a certain reflecting power, it turned inward on themselves, and revealed to them ugly sights in their own hearts, to which they rather chose to be blind; for those travellers were of that preposter ous number, who chose darkness rather than light,' and for the old obvious reason, 'because their deeds were evil.' Now, it was remarkable that these two properties were inseparable, and that the lamp would be of little outward use, except to those who used it as an internal reflector. A threat and a promise also never failed to accompany the offer of this light from the king; a promise that to those who improved what they had, more should be given; and a threat, that from those who did not use it wisely, should be taken away even what they had.

Now I saw in my vision, that there were some others who were busy in strewing the most gaudy flowers over the numerous bogs, and precipices, and pitfalls with which the wilderness abounded; and thus making danger and death look so gay, that poor thoughtless creatures seemed to delight in their own destruction. Those pitfalls did not appear deep or dangerous to the eye, because over them were raised gay edifices with alluring names. These were filled with singing men and singing women, and with dancing, and feasting, and gaming, and drinking, and jollity, and madness. though the scenery was gay, the footing was unsound. The floors were full of holes, through which the unthinking merry-makers were continually sinking. Some tumI observed that when the road was very bled through in the middle of a song; more dangerous; when terrors, and difficulties, at the cad of a feast; and though there was and death beset the fervent traveller; then, many a cup of intoxication wreathed round on their faithful importunity, the king vo- with flowers, yet there was always poison at luntarily gave large and bountiful supplies of the bottom. But what most surprised me light, such as in common seasons never was that though no day past over their heads could have been expected: always propor-in which some of the most merry-makers tioning the quantity given to the necessity of did not drop through, yet their loss made

But

little impression on these who were left. Nay, instead of being awakened to more circumspection, and self-denial by the continual dropping off of those about them, several of them seemed to borrow from thence an argument of a direct contrary tendency, and the very shortness of time was only urged as a reason to use it more sedulously for the indulgence in sensual delights. Let us cat and drink, for to-morrow we die.' 'Let us crown ourselves with rose-buds before they are withered.' With these and a thousand other such little inscriptions, the gay garlands of the wilderness were decorated. Some admired poets were set to work to set the most corrupt sentiments, to the most harmonious tunes; these were sung without scruple, chiefly indeed by the looser sons of riot, but not seldom also by the more orderly daughters of sobriety, who were not ashamed to sing to the sound of instruments, sentiments so corrupt and immoral, that they would have blushed to speak or read them: but the music seemed to sanctify the corruption, especially such as was connected with love or drinking.

Now, I also saw in my dream, that there were two roads through the wilderness, one of which every traveller must needs take. The first was narrow, and difficult, and rough, but it was infallibly safe. It did not admit the traveller to stray either to the right hand or to the left, yet it was far from being destitute of real comforts or sober pleasures. The other was a broad and tempting way, abounding with luxurious fruits and gaudy flowers, to tempt the eye and please the appetite. To forget this dark valley, through which every traveller was well assured he must one day pass, seemed the object of general desire. To this grand end, all that human ingenuity could invent was industriously set to work. The travellers read, and they wrote, and they painted, and they sung, and they danced, and they drank as they went along, not so much because they all cared for these things, or had any real joy in them, as because this restless activity served to divert their attention from ever being fixed on the dark and shadowy valley.

The king, who knew the thoughtless tempers of the travellers, and how apt they Now I observed that all the travellers who were to forget their journey's end, had had so much as a spark of life left, seemed thought of a thousand little kind attentions every now and then, as they moved onwards, to warn them of their dangers: and as we to cast an eye, though with very different sometimes see in our gardens written on a degrees of attention, towards the Happy board in great letters, BEWARE OF SPRING Land, which they were told lay at the end of GUNS-MAN TRAPS ARE SET HERE; So had their journey; but as they could not see this king caused to be written and stuck up very far forward, and as they knew there before the eyes of the travellers, several was a dark and shadowy valley which little notices and cautions; such as, 'Broad must needs be crossed before they could at- is the way that leadeth to destruction,'tain to the Happy Land, they tried to turnTake heed, lest ye also perish.'- Wo to their attention from it as much as they them that rise up early to drink wine.'could. The truth is, they were not suffi-The pleasures of sin are but for a season,' ciently apt to consult a map and a road-book &c. Such were the notices directed to the which the King had given them, and which broad-way travellers; but they were so bupointed out the path to the Happy Land so sily engaged in plucking the flowers, someclearly, that the wayfaring men, though times before they were blown, and in desimple, could not err." This map also de- vouring the fruits often before they were fined very correctly the boundaries of the ripe, and in loading themselves with yellow Happy Land from the Land of Misery, clay, under the weight of which millions both of which lay on the other side of the perished, that they had no time so much as dark and shadowy valley; but so many to look at the king's directions. Many beacons and light-houses were erected, so went wrong because they preferred a mermany clear and explicit directions furnished ry journey to a safe one, and because they for avoiding the one country and attaining were terrified by certain notices chiefly inthe other, that it was not the king's fault, if tended for the narrow-way travellers; such even one single traveller got wrong. But I as, ye shall weep and lament, but the am inclined to think that, in spite of the world shall rejoice' but had these foolish map and the road-book, and the King's people allowed themselves time or patience word, and his offers of assistance to get them thither, that the travellers in general did not heartily and truly believe, after all, that there was any such country as the Happy Land; or at least the paltry and transient pleasures of the wilderness so besotted them, the thoughts of the dark and shadowy valley so frightened them, that they thought they should be more comfortable by banishing all thought and forecast, and driving the subject quite out of their heads.

to read to the end, which they seldom would do, they would have seen these comfortable words added, 'But your sorrow shall be turned into joy;' also, 'your joy no man taketh from you; and, they that sow in tears shall reap in joy.'

Now, I also saw in my dream, that many travellers who had a strong dread of ending at the Land of Misery walked up to the Strait Gate, hoping that though the entrance was narrow, yet if they could once get in, the road would widen; but what was their

grief, "when on looking more closely they ly sure, without being all equally rough; so saw written on the inside, Narrow is the they set on foot certain little contrivances way; this made them take fright; they to attain the end without using the means, compared the inscriptions with which the and softened down the spirit of the king's whole way was lined, such as, 'Be ye not directions to fit them to their own practice. conformed to this world; deny yourselves, Sometimes they would split a direction in take up your cross,' with all the tempting two, and only use that half which suited pleasures of the wilderness. Some indeed them. For instance when they met with the recollected the fine descriptions they had following rule on the way-post, 'Trust in the read of the Happy Land, the Golden City, Lord and be doing good, they would take and the Rivers of Pleasure, and they sighed: the first half, and make themselves easy with but then those joys were distant, and from a general sort of trust, that through the merthe faintness of their light, they soon got to cy of the king all would go well with them, think that what was remote might be un- though they themselves did nothing. And certain, and while the present good in- on the other hand, many made sure that a creased in bulk the distant good receded, few good works of their own would do their diminished, disappeared. Their faith fail- business, and carry them safely to the Haped; they would trust no farther than they hy Land, though they did not trust in the could see; they drew back and got into the Lord, nor place any faith in his word. So Broad Way, taking a common but sad re- they took the second half of the spliced difuge in the number, the fashion, and the rection. Thus some perished by a lazy faith, gayety of their companions. When these and others by a working pride. faint-hearted people, who yet had set out well, turned back, their light was quite put out, and then they became worse than those who had made no attempt to get in. For it is impossible, that is, it is next to impossible, for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance.'

their good works to others, refused all commendation, and the brighter their light shined before men, so much the more they insisted that they ought to glorify not themselves, but their Father which is in heaven.

A large party of Pharisees now appeared, who had so neglected their lamp that they did not see their way at all, though they fancied themselves to be full of light; they kept up appearances so well as to delude others, and most effectually to delude themselves, with a notion that they might be found in the right way at last. In this dreadful delusion they went on to the end, and till they were finally plunged in the dark valA few honest humble travellers not natu- ley, never discovered the horrors which rally stronger than the rest, but strengthen-awaited them on the dismal shore. It was ed by their trust in the king's word, came up, remarkable that while these Pharisees were by the light of their lamps, and meekly en- often boasting how bright their light burnt, tered in at the Strait Gate. As they advan-in order to get the praise of men, the humced farther they felt less heavy, and though ble travellers, whose steady light showed the way did not in reality grow wider, yet they grew reconciled to the narrowness of it, especially when they saw the walls here and there studded with certain jewels called promises, such as: 'He that endureth to the end shall be saved;' and 'my grace is sufficient for you.' Some, when they were al- I now set myself to observe what was the most ready to faint, were encouraged by see-particular let, molestation and hindrance ing that many niches in the Narrow Way which obstructed particular travellers in were filled with statues and pictures of saints their endeavours to enter in at the Strait and martyrs, who had borne their testimony Gate. I remarked a huge portly man who at the stake, that the Narrow Way was the seemed desirous of getting in, but he carried safe way; and these travellers, instead of about him such a vast provision of bags full sinking at the sight of the painted wheel of gold, and had on so many rich garments, and gibbet, the sword and furnace, were an- which stuffed him out so wide, that though imated with these words written under them, he pushed and squeezed, like one who had Those that wear white robes, came out of really a mind to get in, yet he could not posgreat tribulation,' and 'be ye followers of sibly do so. Then I heard a voice crying, those who through faith and patience inhe-Wo to him who loadeth himself with thick rit the promises.' clay.' The poor man felt something was In the meantime there came a great mul- wrong, and even went so far as to change titude of travellers all from Laodicea; this some of his more cumbersome vanities into was the largest party I had yet seen; these others which seemed less bulky, but still he were neither hot nor cold; they would not and his pack were much too wide for the give up future hope, and they could not en- gate. He would not however give up the dure present pain. So they contrived to de- matter so easily, but began to throw away a ceive themselves, by fancying that though little of the coarser part of his baggage, but they resolved to keep the Happy Land in still I remarked that he threw away none of view, yet there must needs be many differ- the vanities which lay near his heart. He ent ways which lead to it, no doubt all equal- tried again, but it would not do; still his dí

mensions were too large. He now looked | ments; but I observed that nothing proved up and read these words, 'How hardly shall a more complete bar than that vast bundle those who have riches enter into the king of prejudices with which multitudes were dom of God.' The poor man sighed to find loaded.-Others were fatally obstructed by that it was impossible to enjoy his fill of both loads of bad habits which they would not worlds, and went away sorrowing.' If he lay down, though they knew it prevented ever afterwards cast a thought towards the their entrance. Happy Land, it was only to regret that the road which led to it was too narrow to admit any but the meagre children of want, who were not so encumbered by wealth as to be too big for the passage. Had he read on, he would have seen that with God all things are possible.'

Some few, however, of most descriptions, who had kept their light alive by craving constant supplies from the king's treasury, got through at last by a strength which they felt not to be their own. One poor man, who carried the largest bundle of bad habits I had seen, could not get on a step; he Another advanced with much confidence never ceased, however, to implore for light of success, for having little worldly riches or enough to see where his misery lay; he honours, the gate did not seem so strait to threw down one of his bundles, then anohim. He got to the threshold triumphantly, ther, but all to little purpose; still he could and seemed to look back with disdain on all not stir. At last striving as if in agony that he was quitting. He soon found, how-(which is the true way of entering) he threw ever, that he was so bloated with pride, and down the heaviest article in his pack; this stuffed out with self-sufficiency,that he could was selfishness: the poor fellow felt relieved not get in. Nay, he was in a worse way at once, his light burned brightly, and the than the rich man just named; for he had rest of his pack was as nothing. been willing to throw away some of his out- Then I heard a great noise as of carpenward luggage, whereas this man refused to ters at work. I looked what this might be. part with a grain of that vanity and self-ap-and saw many sturdy travellers, who finding plause which made him too large for the they were too bulky to get through, took it way. The sense of his own worth so swell-into their heads not to reduce themselves, ed him out that he stuck fast in the gate- but to widen the gate; they hacked on this way, and could neither get in nor out. side, and hewed on that; but all their hackFinding now that he must cut off all those ing, and hewing, and hammering, was to no big thoughts of himself, if he wished to be purpose, they got only their labour for their reduced to such a size as to pass the gate, pains. It would have been possible for them he gave up all thoughts of it. He scorned to have reduced themselves, had they atthat humility and self-denial which might tempted it, but to widen the narrow way was have shrunk him down to the proper dimen- impossible. sions; the more he insisted on his own qualifications for entrance, the more impossible it became to enter, for the bigger he grew. Finding that he must become quite another manner of man before he could hope to get in, he gave up the desire; and I now saw that though when he set his face towards the Happy Land he could not get an inch forward, yet the instant he made a motion to turn back into the world, his speed became rapid enough, and he got back into the Broad Way much sooner than he got out of it.

What grieved me most was to observe that many who had got on successfully a good way, now stopped to rest and to admire their own progress. While they were thus valuing themselves on their attainments, their light diminished. While these were boasting how far they had left others behind who had set out much earlier, some slower travellers whose beginning had not been so promising, but who had walked meekly and circumspectly, now outstripped them.These last walked 'not as though they had already attained; but this one thing they did, Many, who for a time were brought down forgetting the things which were behind, from their usual bulk by some affliction. they pushed forward to the mark, for the seemed to get in with ease. They now prize of their high calling. These, though thought all their difficulties over, for having naturally weak, yet by laying aside every been surfeited with the world during their weight, finished the race that was before late disappointment, they turned their backs them. Those who had kept their light upon it willingly enough, and fancied they burning,' who were not wise in their own were tired of it. A fit of sickness, perhaps, conceit,' who laid their help on one that is which is very apt to reduce, had for a time mighty,' who had chosen to suffer affliction brought their bodies into subjection, so that rather than to enjoy the pleasure of sin for a they were enabled just to get in at the gate-season,' came at length to the Happy Land. way; but as soon as health and spirits re-—They had indeed the Dark and Shadowy turned, the way grew narrower and narrow- Valley to cross, but even there they found a er to them; and they could not get on, but rod and a staff to comfort them. Their turned short, and got back into the world. light, instead of being put out by the damps I saw many attempt to enter who were stop-of the Valley and of the Shadow of Death, ped short by a large burthen of worldly often burnt with added brightness. Some cares; others by a load of idolatrous attach- | indeed suffered the terrors of a short eclipse;