"The journey is to ZION and GLORY," answered Abraham. "Every man goes by a different path, and yet his path brings him to the right end at last. There are thousands of paths in the Kingdom of Grace, yet all verging towards the centre CHRIST, and all crossing and re-crossing the old highways that are cast up and worn by the feet of the saints of the Most High. For thus saith the LORD, stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls.'(a) They shall ask the way to Zion with their faces thitherward saying, 'Come, and let us join ourselves to the LORD, in a perpetual covenant that shall not be forgotten.'() The highway of the upright is to depart from evil; he that keepeth his way preserveth his soul;') and the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.'(a) 'They shall march every one on his ways, and they shall not break their ranks neither shall one thrust another; they shall walk every one in his path." "(e) While Mr. Oldpath was thus discoursing, I had several times turned to look at a certain something crawling or creeping after me. It seemed to drag its body with difficulty and pain, and yet it crept as close as it could. Standing still when I stood still, moving when I moved, crawling quick when I walked onwards. I, at last, stopped to look down at this reptile. It was speckled, and spotted; and shaped like the toad; discoloured and wrinkled, like the bat; unclean and shining, like the snail; with a forky tongue, like the serpent. Perceiving that this little disgusting reptile, which, when coiled up, as it shrank within itself on being intently looked at, was not longer than a sparrow, was wounded and bleeding, I was going, from pity and compassion, to set my foot upon it, and in crushing it, put an end to its misery; but, to my amazement, as I tried to set my foot it slipped aside, either to the right or to the left; and when I thought I had caught it at last, and was trying to press my whole weight upon it, to finish the business, it made a sudden spring up at my throat, and seemed as though it would have desired to strangle me. From weakness and exhaustion, however, it fell down on the gravel again, and as I could not help exclaiming aloud, Mr. Oldpath, who had (a) Jer. vi. 16. (b) Jer. 05 5. (c) Prov. xvi. 17. Joel. ii. 7, 8. (d) Prov. iv. 18. walked a few steps before me, seeing me, as he supposed, stooping to gather a flower, or examine some curious insect, immediately turned back, and asked what was the matter. In some agitation, I related the circumstance, and pointed to the wounded reptile, adding, that I had desired to kill it. Mr. Oldpath smiled when he understood what the matter was. "Ah," replied he, "it would be rather difficult to put an end to that wretched and vile body, till you yourself are no longer in this mortal life." "Why, surely, reverend sir," cried I, quite shocked, and abashed, "surely, that loathsome, vile lump is not a part of myself?" "Yea, but it is, my daughter," answered Abraham, shaking his head. "Behold thy own nature as thou wast born. Thy flesh, the old man ; thy self-will; thy corruption. This beast hath now a deadly wound in his head, (a) but he can manage to crawl after thee, his old companion and late servant; and so enraged is he, that he is not covered up as the transgression of Adam, or hidden, as he was wont to be, among the stuff,'() as iniquity in thy bosom,' reigning in absolute, indisputed sway, that, if he could he would surely wreak his revenge on thee, and be thy death." "What!" exclaimed I, "that loathsome thing a part of myself? That vile and unclean little monster to lie in my bosom? Surely it never could have lodged there? Why, it is altogether vile and abominable !" "Verily," replied Mr. Oldpath, "the saints in all ages have found the old man to be so; Job said it was abominable and filthy.") Holy Israel said, 'Few and evil had the days of the years of his life been.'() Blessed Abraham acknowledged himself to be but dust and ashes.'() Holy David said he was shapen in iniquity, and in sin did his mother conceive him.') And holy Jeremiah, mourning over Jerusalem, said she had grievously sinned, her filthiness was in her skirts; she remembereth not her last end; she was become vile.'") Blessed Paul says,' when he would do good, evil was present with him; wretched man that he was. And this wretched man to whom he alludes was his (a) Rev. xiii. 3. (b) 1 Sam. x. 22 (c) Job xxxi. 33, (d) Job xv. 16. (h) Lam. i. old man, his old nature, the 'first man of the earth earthy ;'(a) but our new spiritual nature, the second man, is the LORD from heaven.' And the old or outward man,' our old nature in the flesh, shall perish at last; yea, it dies daily.' Yet the inward man is renewed day by day.) So then they that are in the flesh cannot please GOD. But you are not in the flesh, but in the spirit, if so be that the spirit of GOD dwell in you. Now, if any man have not the Spirit of CHRIST, he is none of His." "(c) "But what can I do with that vile loathsome carcase? How can I keep it in subjection, if it must needs be trailing after me?” asked I, with tears, of good Mr. Oldpath, "You must, by all means, mortify and thwart, and master it; treat it as your enemy; yea, your vile, cruel, bitter enemy,” replied Abraham. "For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die; but if ye, through the Spirit, do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.'"(d) "I will-I will try to kill it," interrupted I, in my bitterness of feeling." "It won't be killed," answered Mr. Oldpath; "it cannot be killed; it is like the unclean spirit of sin; and so shaped, like to those frogs which came originally out of the dragon's mouth() into Eve's, when she ate the apple, and which has stuck to her children in the flesh ever since. The LORD commands this unclean power off the throne of man's heart, when He Himself condescends to sit there; and natural sin reigns no more: 'that as sin had reigned' in the first instance, so' grace might now reign. through righteousness, unto eternal life, by JESUS CHRIST Our LORD.' () And thus," continued Abraham," the spirit of the flesh, if one may so speak of the old nature, is to be mortified, subdued, mistrusted. Our own bodies we are no more to injure, than we are by the holy law of GOD, to injure the body of another: "Thou shalt not kill;' extends to ourselves as to others," "But see what an evil beast it the crawling thing beside me. wound?" is," observed I, again surveying And how got it that deadly "The LORD commanded it off the throne of thy bosom, my daughter," answered Abraham. "And as the devils believe and (a) 1 Cor. xv. 47. (b) 2 Cor. iv. 16. (e) Rev. xvi. 13. (c) Rom. viii. 8, 9. (d) Rom. vii. 13. tremble, so the spirits of sin, and of rebellion to the Most High do so, and when by a command of GOD, they are forced to obey, they do obey, though their backs be broken in their haste, or though they see torture, destruction, and ruin before them, as the evil spirits who were sent into the foul swine, and then were choked in the deep.(a) Look now at its skin, spotted by the flesh;') look at its filth of the flesh ;) it is as one half dead, of whom the flesh is half consumed (a) full of spots and wrinkles ;') 'loathsome like a wicked man." "() "But it is so spiteful," observed I, "it flew at me just now, as if it would have strangled me." "The LORD knoweth them that are His,'") answered my friend; "and He knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations. He delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked."(^) And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good? 'for the eyes of the LORD are over the righteous, and His ears are open unto their prayers,' ( so that we may boldly say, 'the LORD is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.'(j) 'What time I am afraid, I will trust in Thee. In GOD I have put my trust,' says David, 'I will not fear what flesh can do unto me.' "(k) "But what shall I do, reverend sir ?" asked I. "Take ye heed, watch and pray, lest ye enter into temptation," "( replied Abraham. "Pray that ye enter not into temptation. Rise and pray, lest ye enter into temptation.'(m) 'Watch thou in all things."(") And every man that striveth after the mastery is temperate in all things;' 'I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air, but I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection; lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself, should be a cast away."() Thus, righteousness keepeth him that is upright in the way, but wickedness overthroweth the sinner.' •.'(p) In short, we may sum up the whole of our natural pedigree, birthright, and vaunted excellency by saying that we are born on a dunghill; bred in the dust; feed on ashes; dress in (a) Mark v. 13. (f) Prov. xiii. 5. (j) Heb. xiii. 6. 6 (b) Jude 23. (c) 1 Peter iii. 18. (d) Num. xii. 12. (h) 2 Peter ii. 7, 9. (2) Luke xiii. 33. (g) 2 Tim. ii. 19. (e) Eph. v. (i) 1 Peter iii. 12, 13. (m) Luke xxii. 40, 46. (p) Prov. xiii. 16. filthy rags; wallow in the mire; and revel on our own corruptions. Our wages are death; we live by begging, having nothing of our own, and even our bodies are but preparing for the worm to fatten on and devour. Disease, in life, is our inheritance; and after life the worm is the lawful heir of our bodies. So holy Job understood these matters aright, and therefore cries out, 'I have said to corruption, thou art my father; to the worm, thou art my mother and my sister.'" (chap. xvi. 14.) CHAPTER V. Excursion to Robeing Town up the River of Salvation-Conversation with Abraham respecting the beautiful little figure-Faith and its definition – The Spiritual Man's Faith-The Devils belief-Their dread and awe of a Holy God-The worldly man's spirit akin to the latter-Faith-Light— Conscience-Instinct―The light of conscience in heathens-Tradition of republics, &c., kept sacred by the latter; but God, the knowledge of Him, His Laws, Worship, &c., “they did not like to retain"-The Security of Zion. We were now interrupted by Mrs. Eliezer, and two of her fair daughters, young women of nineteen and twenty : DEBORAH and MICHAL; who, smiling on Mr. Oldpath, requested him to ask me and others of the company, if they would like to take a short excursion to a neighbouring town, to see the PALACE OF VISIONS. Mr. Oldpath immediately invited me; and on hearing him say that the sight was both grand and instructive, I accepted the invitation, while he went forward to propose the same amusement to others. The young ladies now walked with me, while their mother went back to the Inn, to order boats for such as liked a water excursion; and mules and chariots, for those who preferred land journeying. Deborah was a tall, fine girl, reserved in her manners; she was a new-born soul, like myself: but Michal, her elder sister, had been converted some time. She had remained in this town of End-of-the-Law, to assist in feeding the babes in CHRIST of |