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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6833f05 --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,3 @@ +* text=auto +*.txt text +*.md text diff --git a/20541-h.zip b/20541-h.zip Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..5a866a0 --- /dev/null +++ b/20541-h.zip diff --git a/20541-h/20541-h.htm b/20541-h/20541-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..9e270c1 --- /dev/null +++ b/20541-h/20541-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,3419 @@ +<!DOCTYPE html + PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" + "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> +<html> +<head> +<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=US-ASCII" /> +<title>The Rocky Island</title> + <style type="text/css"> +/*<![CDATA[ XML blockout */ +<!-- + P { margin-top: .75em; + margin-bottom: .75em; + } + H1, H2 { + text-align: center; + margin-top: 2em; + margin-bottom: 2em; + } + H3, H4 { + text-align: left; + margin-top: 1em; + margin-bottom: 1em; + } + BODY{margin-left: 10%; + margin-right: 10%; + } + TD { vertical-align: top; } + .blkquot {margin-left: 4em; margin-right: 4em;} /* block indent */ + + .smcap {font-variant: small-caps;} + + .pagenum {position: absolute; + left: 92%; + font-size: smaller; + text-align: right; + color: gray;} + + .citation {vertical-align: super; + font-size: .8em; + text-decoration: none;} + // --> + /* XML end ]]>*/ + </style> +</head> +<body> +<h2> +<a href="#startoftext">The Rocky Island, by Samuel Wilberforce</a> +</h2> +<pre> +The Project Gutenberg eBook, The Rocky Island, by Samuel Wilberforce + + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + + + + +Title: The Rocky Island + and Other Similitudes + + +Author: Samuel Wilberforce + + + +Release Date: February 7, 2007 [eBook #20541] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII) + + +***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE ROCKY ISLAND*** +</pre> +<p><a name="startoftext"></a></p> +<p>Transcribed from the 1849 (tenth) Francis & John Rivington +edition by David Price, email ccx074@pglaf.org</p> +<h1>THE ROCKY ISLAND,<br /> +AND<br /> +OTHER SIMILITUDES.</h1> +<p style="text-align: center"><span class="smcap">By</span> +SAMUEL WILBERFORCE, D.D.<br /> +<span class="smcap">lord bishop of oxford</span>.</p> +<p style="text-align: center">“Fed my +lambs.”—S. <span class="smcap">John</span> xxi. +15.</p> +<p style="text-align: center"><span class="smcap">tenth +edition</span></p> +<p style="text-align: center">LONDON:<br /> +FRANCIS & JOHN RIVINGTON,<br /> +<span class="smcap">st. paul’s church yard</span>, <span +class="smcap">and waterloo place</span>.<br /> +1849.</p> +<p style="text-align: center"> +<a href="images/p0.jpg"> +<img alt="The Rocky Island" src="images/p0.jpg" /> +</a></p> +<h2><!-- page iii--><a name="pageiii"></a><span +class="pagenum">p. iii</span>PREFACE.</h2> +<p>The advertisement to a work of similar character to the +present expresses the author’s principle and wishes as to +this little volume. It is constructed on the same plan, +and, like the former, has had the test of the observations of his +own children before it was given to the public. The +reception of “Agathos” has shewn that many parents +have felt the want which these little volumes are intended to +supply, and leads the author to hope that he has in some measure +been able to meet it.</p> +<p><!-- page iv--><a name="pageiv"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +iv</span>It is a peculiar gratification to him to be able thus to +enter many a Christian household, and fulfil, in some measure, +his Master’s charge, “Feed my lambs.”</p> +<p>May it please God to give His blessing to this new +attempt.</p> +<p style="text-align: right">S. W</p> +<p><i>Winchester</i>, <i>Sept.</i> 29, 1840.</p> +<h2><!-- page 1--><a name="page1"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +1</span>The Rocky Island.</h2> +<p>I saw in my dream a rough rocky island rising straight out of +the midst of a roaring sea. In the midst of the island rose +a black steep mountain; dark clouds rested gloomily upon its top; +and into the midst of the clouds it cast forth ever and anon red +flames, which lit them up like the thick curling smoke at the top +of a furnace-chimney. Peals of loud thunder sounded +constantly from these thick clouds; and now and then angry +lightning shot its forked tongue, white, and red, and blue, from +the midst of them, and fell upon the rocks, or the few trees +which just clung to their sides, splitting them violently down, +and scattering the broken and shivered pieces on all sides. +<!-- page 2--><a name="page2"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +2</span>It was a sad, dreary-looking island at the first view, +and I thought that no one could dwell in it; but as I looked +closer at its shores, I saw that they were covered with children +at play. A soft white sand formed its beach, and there +these children played. I saw no grown people among them; +but the children were all busy—some picking up shells; some +playing with the bright-coloured berries of a prickly dwarf-plant +which grew upon those sands; some watching the waves as they ran +up and then fell back again on that shore; some running after the +sea-birds, which ran with quick light feet along the wet sand, +and ever flew off, skimming just along the wave-top, and uttering +a quick sharp note as the children came close upon them:—so +some sported in one way, and some in another, but all were busily +at play. Now I wondered in my dream to see these children +thus busy whilst the burning mountain lay close behind <!-- page +3--><a name="page3"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 3</span>them, +and the thunder made the air ring.</p> +<p>Sometimes, indeed, when it shone out redder and fiercer than +usual, or when the thunder seemed close over their heads, the +children would be startled for a little while, and run together, +and cry, and scream; but very soon it was all forgotten, and they +were as full of their sports as ever.</p> +<p>While I was musing upon this, I saw a man appear suddenly +amongst the children. He was of a noble and kingly +countenance, and yet so gentle withal that there was not a child +of them all who seemed afraid to look in his face, or to listen +to his kind voice when he opened his mouth, for soon I found that +he was speaking to them. “My dear children,” I +heard him say, “you will all be certainly killed, if you +stay upon this rocky island. Here no one ever grows up +happily. Here all play turns into death—the burning +mountain, <!-- page 4--><a name="page4"></a><span +class="pagenum">p. 4</span>and the forked lightning, and the +dreadful breath of the hill-storm,—these sweep down over +all that stay here, and slay them all; and if you stay here, for +these childish pleasures of yours, you will all +perish.”</p> +<p>Then the children grew very grave, and they gazed one upon +another, and all looked up into the face of the man, to see if he +spoke in earnest. They saw directly that he did, for that +kind face looked full of care as well as of love: so from him +they looked out upon the waves of the sea, and one whispered to +another, “Where shall we go? how shall we ever get over +that sea? we can never swim across it: had we not better go back, +and play and be happy, until the time comes for us to +die?”</p> +<p>“No,” said the man, looking round kindly upon them +all; “you cannot swim over; you never could get over of +yourselves: but you need not stay here and <!-- page 5--><a +name="page5"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 5</span>die; for I have +found a way of escape for you. Follow me, and you shall see +it.”</p> +<p>So I saw that he led them round a high rough rock, to where +the calm waves of the sea ran up into a little bay, upon the +white sand of which only a gentle ripple broke with a very +pleasant sound. This bay was full of boats, small painted +boats, with just room in each for one person, with a small rudder +to guide them at the stern, and a little sail as white as snow, +and over all a flag, on which a bright red cross was flapping in +the gentle sea-breeze.</p> +<p>Then when the children saw these beautiful boats, they clapped +their little hands together for very joy of heart. But the +man spoke to them again and said, “You will all have a +deep, and dangerous, and stormy sea to pass over in these little +boats. They will carry you quite safely, if you are careful +to do just as I bid you, for then neither are wind nor the <!-- +page 6--><a name="page6"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 6</span>sea +can harm them; but they will bear you safely over the foaming +waves to a bright and beautiful land—to a country where +there is no burning mountain, and no angry lightning, and no bare +rocks, and no blasting hill-storm; but where there are trees +bearing golden fruits by the side of beautiful rivers, into which +they sweep their green boughs. There the trees are always +green, and the leaves ever fresh. There the fruit ripens +every month, <a name="citation6"></a><a href="#footnote6" +class="citation">[6]</a> and the very leaves upon the trees are +healing. There is always glad and joyful light. There +are happy children who have passed this sea; and there are others +who have grown old full of happiness; there are some of your +fathers, and mothers, and brothers, and sisters; and there am I +ever present to keep and to comfort you.” Now when +they heard this, all the children wished to jump into the boats, +and he was kindly ready to help them, only he <!-- page 7--><a +name="page7"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 7</span>put each one in +carefully and slowly; and as he put him in, he gave him his +charge. He told them that they must never look round to +this island they were leaving, but must be always setting their +faces towards the happy land they sought for. He told them +that they must leave behind them all the shells and the berries +which had pleased them here, for if they tried to take these with +them in their boats, some accident would certainly befall +them. Then some of the children, when they heard all this, +drew secretly away, and ran round the point, and gave up the +boats and the sea, and began their old idle play again. And +some of them, I thought, hid the shells and the berries they had +got, and then jumped into the boat, pretending they had left all +behind them.</p> +<p>Then I saw that the man gave different presents to each of +them, as they seated themselves in the boat. One was a +little compass in a wooden box. “This,” he <!-- +page 8--><a name="page8"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +8</span>said, “will always shew you which way to steer; you +are to follow me, for I shall always be before you on the waters; +but often when the darkness of the night comes on, or the thick +mist seethes up from the wave’s brim, or the calm has +fallen upon you so that your boat has stood still,—often at +such times as these you may not be able even to mark my track +before you: then you must look at the compass, and its finger +will always point true and straight to where I am; and if you +will follow me there, you will be safe.” He gave +them, too, a musical instrument, which made a soft murmuring +sound when they breathed earnestly into it; “and +this,” he said, “you must use when you are becalmed +and so cannot get on, or when the waves swell into a storm around +you and threaten to swallow you up.” He gave them, +too, bread and water for many days.</p> +<p>So I saw that they all set out upon <!-- page 9--><a +name="page9"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 9</span>their voyage, +and a beautiful sight it was to look upon. Their snow-white +sails upon the deep sea shone like stars upon the blue of the +firmament; and now they all followed close upon the +leader’s ship, and their little boats danced lightly and +joyfully over the trackless waves, which lifted up their breasts +to waft them over: and so they started. But I looked again +in a little while, and they were beginning to be scattered very +widely asunder: here and there three or four of the boats kept +well together, and followed steadily in the track of the +leader’s vessel; then there was a long space of the sea +with no boat upon it at all; then came a straggler or two, and +then another company; and then, far off on the right and on the +left, were other boats, which seemed to be wandering quite away +from the leader’s path.</p> +<p>Now, as I watched them closer, I saw that there were many +different things which drew them away: one I saw, soon <!-- page +10--><a name="page10"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 10</span>after +they started, who turned back to look at the rocky island, +forgetting the man’s command. He saw the other +children playing on the beach; he heard their merry voices; and +then looking round again towards the sea, it looked rough and +dark before him; and he forgot the burning mountain, and the +terrible thunder, and the bright happy land for which he was +bound, and the goodly company he was in, and the kind face of the +kingly man; and he was like one in a dream, before whose eyes all +sorts of shapes and colours fly, and in whose ears all sounds are +ringing; and he thought no more of the helm, nor watched the +sails; and so the driving swell carried his boat idly along with +its long roll; and in a few minutes more I saw it at the top of a +white foaming breaker, and then he and it were dashed down upon +the rocks which girdled the sandy beach, and he was seen again no +more.</p> +<p><!-- page 11--><a name="page11"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +11</span>Then I turned my eyes to two other boats, which were +going fast away from the true course, for no reason which I could +see; but when I looked at them more closely, I saw that they were +in a sort of angry race; each wished to get to the wind-side of +the other; and they were so busy thinking about this, and looking +at one another with angry glances, and calling out to one another +with angry words, that they forgot to look for the leader’s +ship, or to watch the finger of the compass; and so they were +going altogether wide of the track along which they should have +passed.</p> +<p>Then I looked closely at another, which was shooting quite +away in another direction; and I saw that the poor child had left +the rudder, and was playing with something in the bottom of the +boat; and as I looked nearer in it, I saw that it was with some +of the bright berries of the rocky island which he had brought +with him that he was so foolishly busy.</p> +<p><!-- page 12--><a name="page12"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +12</span>Foolish, indeed, he was; and kind had been the warning +of the man who bade them leave all these behind: for whilst I was +watching him, and wondering what would be the end of such a +careless voyage, I saw his little boat strike suddenly upon a +hidden rock, which broke a hole in its wooden sides, and the +water rushed in, and the boat began to sink, and there was no +help near, and the poor boy was soon drowned in the midst of the +waves.</p> +<p>Then I turned sadly away to watch the boats which were +following their leader; and here, too, I saw strange things; for +though the sea when looked at from afar seemed just alike to all, +yet when I watched any one, I saw that he had some difficulties, +and some frights, and some helps of his own, which I did not see +the others have.</p> +<p>Sometimes it would fall all at once quite dark, like a thick +night, all round a boat; and if he that was in it could hear the +voice of a companion near him for a <!-- page 13--><a +name="page13"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 13</span>little while, +that gladdened him greatly; and then oftentimes all sound of +voices died away, and all was dark, still, deep night, and he +knew not where to steer. Now if, when this fell upon him, +the child went straight to his compass, and looked close upon it, +in spite of the darkness, there came always a faint flashing +light out of the darkness, which played just over the compass, so +as to shew him its straight blue finger, if he saw no more; and +then, if he took up his musical instrument, and blew into it, +though the thickness of the heavy air seemed at first to drown +its sound, yet, after awhile, if he was but earnest, I could hear +its sweet murmuring sound begin; and then directly the child lost +his fears, and did not want company; sweet echoes of his music +talked with his spirit out of the darkness, and within a little +time the gloom would lift itself quite up again, or melt away +into the softest light: and lo! he had got <!-- page 14--><a +name="page14"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 14</span>on far on his +voyage even in this time of darkness, so that sometimes he could +see the beloved form just before him; and at times even the +wooded shore of the happy land would lift itself up, and shine on +his glad eyes, over the level brim of the silver sea.</p> +<p>From another boat it would seem that the very air of the +heaven died away. There it lay, like a painted sail in a +picture—the snow-white canvass drooping lazily, or flapping +to and fro, as the long dull swell heaved up the boat, and let it +sink again into the trough of the waves: other boats, but a +little way off, would sail by with a full breeze; but he could +not move; his very flag shewed no sign of life. Now if the +little sailor began to amuse himself when this happened, it +seemed to me that there he lay, and would lie, till the dark +night overtook him, and parted him from all his company. +But if, instead of this, he took up <!-- page 15--><a +name="page15"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 15</span>his musical +instrument, and played upon it with all his earnestness, its soft +breath, as it whispered to the wind, soon woke up its gentle +sighing; the long flag lifted itself on high; the blood-red cross +waved over the water; the snowy sails swelled out, and the little +boat danced on along its joyful way.</p> +<p>I noticed also that before those boats which were passing on +the fastest, the sea would every now and then look very dark and +threatening. Great waves would seem to lift their white +heads just before them; whilst every where else the sea looked +calm and enticing. Then the little sailor would strain his +eye after his master’s course, or look down at the faithful +compass; and by both of these sure signs he saw that his way lay +straight through these threatening waves. Well was it for +him, if, with a bold heart and a faithful hand, he steered right +into them. For always did I see, that just as he got where +<!-- page 16--><a name="page16"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +16</span>it seemed to be most dangerous, the tossing waves sank, +as if to yield him an easy passage; the wind favoured him more +than at any part of his voyage; and he got on in the right way +faster than ever before. Especially was this so, if at +first he was somewhat tossed, and yet held straight on; for then +he shot into a glassy calm, where tide and wind bore him steadily +along unto the desired haven. But sad was it for him, if, +instead of then trusting to the compass, he steered for the +smoother water. One or two such trembling sailors I +especially observed. One of them had long been sailing with +the foremost boats; he had met with less darkness, fewer mists or +troubled places, than the boats around him; and when he saw the +white crests of the threatening waves lift up their strength +before him, his heart began to sink; and after wavering for a +moment, he turned his little boat aside to seek the calmer +water. Through <!-- page 17--><a name="page17"></a><span +class="pagenum">p. 17</span>it he seemed to be gliding on most +happily, when all at once his little boat struck upon a hidden +sandbank, and was fixed so firmly on its side, that it could not +get afloat again. I saw not his end; but I sadly feared +that when next the sea wrought with a troubled motion, and the +surf broke upon that bank, his little boat must soon be shivered, +and he perish in the waves.</p> +<p>The other who turned aside followed closely after him; for +this was one thing which I noted through all the voyage. +Whenever one boat went astray, some thoughtless follower or other +would forget his compass, to sail after the unhappy wanderer; and +it often happened that these followers of others went the +farthest wrong of any. So it was in this case; for when the +first boat struck upon the sandbank, the other, thinking to +escape it, bore still farther off; and so chancing to pass just +where the shoal ended, and an unruly <!-- page 18--><a +name="page18"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 18</span>current swept +by its farthest edge, the boat was upset in a moment, and the +poor child in it drowned.</p> +<p>And now I turned to three or four boats which had kept +together from the time they left the harbour. Few were +forwarder than they; few had smoother water or more prosperous +gales. I could see, when I looked close into their faces, +that they were all children of one family; and that all the +voyage through they were helping, cheering, and directing one +another. As I watched their ways, I noticed this, too, +which seemed wonderful. If one of them had got into some +trouble with its tackle, and the others stayed awhile to help it, +and to bring it on its way, instead of losing ground by this +their kindness, they seemed all to make the greater progress, and +press on the further in their course.</p> +<p>And now I longed to see the ending of this voyage; and so +looking on to those <!-- page 19--><a name="page19"></a><span +class="pagenum">p. 19</span>which were most forward, I resolved +to trace them to the end.</p> +<p>Then I found that all, without exception, came into a belt of +storms and darkness before they reached the happy land. +True, it was much rougher and more dark with some than others; +but to every one there was a deep night and a troubled sea. +I saw, too, that when they reached this place, they were always +parted one from another. Even those which had kept most +close together all the voyage before, until just upon the edge of +this dark part, they, like the rest, were scattered here, and +toiled on awhile singly and alone.</p> +<p>They seemed to me to fare the best who entered on it with the +fullest sails, and had kept hitherto the straightest +course. Indeed, as a common rule I found this always +true—that those who had watched the compass, and held the +rudder, and cheered themselves with the appointed music, and +eaten the master’s bread, and steered <!-- page 20--><a +name="page20"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 20</span>straight +after him, they passed through this cloud and darkness easily and +swiftly.</p> +<p>Next to these were those who sought most earnestly to cheer +its gloom with the sound of their appointed music. The Lord +of these seas, indeed, had many ways of cheering His +followers. Even in the thickest of that darkness His face +of beaming love would look out upon them; and He seemed nearer to +them then than He had done heretofore through all their +voyage.</p> +<p>Then, moreover, it was never long; and bright light lay beyond +it. For they passed straight out of it into “the +haven where they would be.” Sweet sounds broke upon +their glad ears even as they left that darkness. A great +crowd of happy children—parents who had gone before +them—friends whom they had loved, and holy persons whose +names they had long known—these all lined the banks, +waiting to receive and welcome them. <!-- page 21--><a +name="page21"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 21</span>Amidst these +moved up and down shining forms of beautiful beings, such as the +children’s eyes had seen only in some happy dream; and +they, too, were their friends; they, too, waited for them on the +bank; they, too, welcomed them with singing, and bore the happy +new-comer with songs of triumph into the shining presence of the +merciful King. Then, on the throne royal, and with the +glorious crown upon His head, they saw the same kind face of +gentle majesty which had looked upon them when they played on the +shores of that far rocky isle. They heard again the voice +which had bid them fly the burning mountain. They saw Him +who had taken them into His convoy; who had given them their +boats; who had been near them in the storm; who had given them +light in the darkness; who had helped them in the dull calm; who +had never left them; but who had kept <!-- page 22--><a +name="page22"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 22</span>and guided +them across the ocean; and who now received them to His +never-ending rest.</p> +<p style="text-align: center">* * * * *</p> +<p><i>Father</i>. Who are the children playing on the +shores of the rocky island?</p> +<p><i>Child</i>. The fallen children of fallen parents, +born into this sinful world.</p> +<p>F. What does the burning mountain, and the lightning, +and the hill-storm, represent?</p> +<p>C. The wrath of God ever burning against sinners.</p> +<p>F. Who is He who warned these thoughtless children?</p> +<p>C. The Lord Jesus, who, by His ministers, warns men to +“flee from the wrath to come.”</p> +<p>F. What are the boats by which they are to escape?</p> +<p>C. The “ark of Christ’s Church,” into +which we are admitted by baptism.</p> +<p><!-- page 23--><a name="page23"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +23</span>F. Many of the children who embarked in the boats +were lost,—what is shewn by this?</p> +<p>C. That it is not enough to be received into the +congregation of Christ’s flock; but that we must always +“manfully fight under His banner against the world, the +flesh, and the devil, and continue Christ’s faithful +soldiers and servants unto our lives’ end.”</p> +<p>F. What is the compass, and the musical instrument, and +the bread, and the water?</p> +<p>C. God’s word, and the privilege of prayer and +holy sacraments, and the other gifts of God to His Church.</p> +<p>F. What is the gentle wind which the musical instrument +awoke?</p> +<p>C. The grace of God’s Holy Spirit, promised to the +members of His Church, to be sought by earnest prayer, and in all +the means of grace.</p> +<p>F. What means the boy playing with <!-- page 24--><a +name="page24"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 24</span>the berries, +and so striking on the rock?</p> +<p>C. One who having been given up to Christ in baptism +follows worldly pleasures, and so “makes shipwreck of the +faith.”</p> +<p>F. What are the dark places and calms into which +different boats enter?</p> +<p>C. The different temptations and dangers of the +Christian life.</p> +<p>F. What are the threatening waves which seemed to be +right ahead of the boat?</p> +<p>C. The dangers and self-denials which they must meet +with who will follow Christ.</p> +<p>F. What is meant by the boat which turned aside, and ran +upon the shoal?</p> +<p>C. That they who will turn aside from following Christ +because danger and self-denials meet them cannot reach +heaven.</p> +<p>F. What is shewn in the boat which followed this +one?</p> +<p><!-- page 25--><a name="page25"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +25</span>C. How ready we are to follow a bad example, and +go beyond it.</p> +<p>F. What was the little company of boats which kept +together?</p> +<p>C. A Christian family earnestly serving God.</p> +<p>F. Why did those who helped others find that they got on +the fastest?</p> +<p>C. Because God, who has bid us “bear one +another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ,” +will greatly help and bless all such.</p> +<p>F. What is the belt of storm and darkness which all must +pass through?</p> +<p>C. Death.</p> +<p>F. Why were all separated in it?</p> +<p>C. Because we must die alone.</p> +<p>F. Who are those that generally passed through it most +easily?</p> +<p>C. Those whose life had been most holy and +obedient. “Keep innocency, and take heed unto the +thing that is <!-- page 26--><a name="page26"></a><span +class="pagenum">p. 26</span>right; for that shall bring a man +peace at the last” (Ps. xxxvii. 38).</p> +<p>F. Who were the next?</p> +<p>C. Those who entered on it with much prayer.</p> +<p>F. What was their great support in it?</p> +<p>C. The presence of Jesus Christ our Lord.</p> +<p>F. What declaration have we on this subject in +God’s word?</p> +<p>C. “When thou passest through the waters, I will +be with thee.” “I am the resurrection and the +life; he that believeth on me shall never die.”</p> +<p>F. What lies beyond this to the faithful Christian?</p> +<p>C. The blessed rest of paradise and the bright glories +of heaven.</p> +<h2><!-- page 27--><a name="page27"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +27</span>The Vision of the Three States.</h2> +<p>I saw, in my vision, two glorious creatures walking together +through a beautiful garden. I thought at first they must be +angels, so bright and happy did they seem. The garden, +also, in which they were, seemed too beautiful for earth. +Every flower which I had ever seen, and numbers which my eye had +never looked upon, grew in abundance round them. They +walked, as it were, upon a carpet of flowers. The breeze +was quite full of the rich scent which arose from them. The +sun shone upon them with a brightness such as I had never seen +before; whilst the air sparkled with myriads of winged <!-- page +28--><a name="page28"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +28</span>things, which flew here and there, as if to shew how +happy they were.</p> +<p>All through the garden, too, I saw every sort of beast, in all +its natural grace and beauty; and all at peace. Great lions +moved about amongst tender sheep; and striped tigers lay down +quietly to sleep amongst the dappled fawns which sported around +them. But, amidst all these beautiful sights, my eyes +followed more than all, the two glorious forms which were walking +together with such a kingly majesty through the happy garden: +they were, truly, I could see, beings of this earth; they were +talking to each other; they were speaking of <span +class="smcap">One</span> who had made them out of the dust of the +earth; who had given to them living souls: who was their Father +and their Friend; who had planted for them this beautiful garden, +and made them the rulers of all that was in it.</p> +<p>Now I marked them as they talked, <!-- page 29--><a +name="page29"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 29</span>and I could +see that their eyes were often turned from all the beauty round +them towards one far end of the garden; and as I watched them, I +saw that they were still passing on towards it. Then I also +fixed my eyes there, and in a while I could see that, at the end +of the garden to which they were moving, there was a bright +light, brighter and purer than the light of the sun; and I +thought that in it I could see here and there heavenly forms +moving up and down, flying upon silver wings, or borne along upon +the light breath of the sunny air. But as I strained my +eyes to pierce into it, it seemed to dazzle and confound them by +its great lustre. Then, again, I heard the words of the +two; and they spake of what was before them; of the bright light, +and the heavenly forms: and I found that they were only +travellers through this beautiful garden; that the King who had +placed them in it dwelt in that light, the brightness <!-- page +30--><a name="page30"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 30</span>of +which had so confounded my gaze; that they were on their way to +His presence, and that when they reached it, they should be happy +for ever; even as those shining spirits were already, whose +golden figures I had been just able to discover.</p> +<p>Now, whilst I was pondering upon these things, and casting my +eyes round and round this beautiful garden, I heard all at once a +most terrible sound, as of thunder, such as man’s ears had +never heard. I looked up, and the bright light at the end +of the garden seemed to turn itself into angry fire, and to flash +red and threatening through thick black clouds, which were +forming themselves into terrible shapes all over the +garden. Then I looked for the two that I had seen before: I +could just see them; sorrow sat upon their faces, and fear made +them deadly pale; a serpent was gliding from them into the +bushes; and their eyes were fixed upon <!-- page 31--><a +name="page31"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 31</span>the air, as +though voices, which I heard not, were speaking terrible things +to their inner ears. Then, as I looked, it grew darker and +darker—the thunder pealed all round me—cries came +forth from every hill, as of fierce and deadly beasts in wild +dreadful fight. The flowers round me were withering up, as +if a burning blight had passed over them; and soon it was all +dark, and dreary, and desolate.</p> +<p>Then when my heart was very heavy within me, methought there +stood by me one of the forms of light whom I had seen at the +garden’s end; and my knees smote together through fear of +his glory; but he looked upon me kindly, and spoke to me in a +voice of pity, and he said, “Wouldst thou see the end of +this sight?” Then my heart gathered courage, and I +told him, that if it were lawful, I would indeed fain look upon +it.</p> +<p>With that he lifted me, and we flew through the air, and I +knew not where <!-- page 32--><a name="page32"></a><span +class="pagenum">p. 32</span>he had borne me; but in a while he +set me on my feet, and bade me look right down beneath me. +Then I looked down at his word, but could see nothing. My +eyes seemed to rest upon the thick mantle of the night, and they +could not pierce through it. Now, while I was striving to +pierce through the darkness, strange noises rose from it to my +ears. All sounds that ever were, came up from it, so +mingled together that I could not say what they were. +Whether it were a groan, or a cry, or a roaring, or music, or +shouting, or the voice of anger or of sorrow; for all of these +seemed joined together into one; but the groaning was louder than +the laughing, and the voice of crying well nigh drowned the +music. Then I asked my guide what was this strange noise; +and he told me that it was the voice of all <span +class="smcap">the world</span>, as it rose up to the ears of +those that were on high. Then I begged of him, if it might +be, to let me see those <!-- page 33--><a name="page33"></a><span +class="pagenum">p. 33</span>from whom it came. With that he +touched my eyes; and now methought, though the darkness remained, +that I could see in the midst of its thickness, even as in the +brightness of the day.</p> +<p>It was a strange place into which I looked. Instead of +the beautiful garden I had seen before, and two glorious +creatures passing through it; now I saw a multitude of men, +women, and children, passing on through a waste and desolate +wilderness. Here and there, indeed, there were still +flowery spots, but they were soon trodden down by the feet of +those who passed along. Strange too were their steps. +Now, instead of passing straight on, they moved round and round, +for they were all in the black darkness. The ground was +full of pitfalls, in the low bottoms of which I could see red +fire burning fierce and hot, and one after another fell over into +these pitfalls, and I saw them no more. Evil beasts, too, +<!-- page 34--><a name="page34"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +34</span>moved amongst them, slaying one, and tearing another; +and as if this was not enough, oftentimes they would quarrel and +fight with one another, until the ground all around was covered +with their bodies strewed upon it.</p> +<p>Yet for all this, some would sing, and dance, and frolic; and +this seemed to me the saddest of all, for they were like mad men; +and mad in truth they were, for in the midst of their dancing and +their singing, one and another would get near the side of some +great pitfall, and step over into its flames, even with the song +upon their lips.</p> +<p>In vain did I strain my eyes to see any light at the end, as I +had seen it in the garden. If it was there, the black +clouds had rolled over it so thick and dark that not a ray of it +was left.</p> +<p>Yet I heard one and another offering to lead those that would +follow them, safely through this terrible wilderness; and such +<!-- page 35--><a name="page35"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +35</span>men never wanted followers: so I watched many of these +leaders, to see what they would do for those that trusted +them. Little help could any of them render. Some put +their followers on a path which led straight down into the +deepest and most frightful pitfalls; some set them on a path +which wandered round and round, and brought them at the end back +to the same place from which they started; some led them into +thorny places, where the poor pilgrims pierced their bleeding +feet with many a wound: but not one did I see who brought them +into any better place, or took them any nearer to their +journey’s end.</p> +<p>How they found their way at all, was at first my wonder. +But as I looked more closely, I saw in all their hands little +lanterns, which just threw a feeble light upon the darkness round +them. These were always brightest in the young, for they +soon grew very dim; and the <!-- page 36--><a +name="page36"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 36</span>falls and +blows they met with, bruised and shattered them so much, that +some had hardly any glimmering left, even of the feeble light +which they had seemed to cast of old.</p> +<p>I looked at them until my heart was very sad, for there was no +peace, no safety, no hope; but all went heavily and sadly, +groaning and weeping, or laughing like madmen, until, sooner or +later, they seemed all to perish in the fearful pitfalls!</p> +<p>Then my angel-guide spoke to me again, marking my sadness, and +he said, “Hast thou well observed this sight?” and I +answered, “Yes.” Then he said, “And +wouldst thou see more?” So when I had said +“yes,” methought we were once more flying through the +air, until again he set me on my feet, and bid me look +down. Now here, too, strange noises reached my ears; but as +I listened to them, I found that there were mixed with them such +sounds as I had not heard before. <!-- page 37--><a +name="page37"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 37</span>Sweet clear +voices came up now from the din, speaking, as it were from one +close by me, words of faith, and of hope, and of love; and they +sounded to me like the happy talking which I had heard at the +first between the glorious beings in the garden.</p> +<p>So when my guide touched my eyes, I bent them eagerly down +into the darkness below me.</p> +<p>At first I thought that it was the same place I had seen last, +for there was a busy multitude passing to and fro; and there was +music and dancing, and sobbing and crying; there were pitfalls, +too, and wild beasts. But as I looked closer, I saw that, +in spite of all this, it was not the place that I had seen +before. Even at a glance I could see that there were many +more flowers here than there; and that many amongst the pilgrims +were going straight on, with happy faces, by a road which passed +safely by all the pitfalls. I could <!-- page 38--><a +name="page38"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 38</span>see, too, +that at the end of the road was a dim shining of that happy light +which had been so bright in the beautiful garden.</p> +<p>Now, as I looked, I saw that there were but a few who kept to +this straight safe road, and that many were scattered all over +the plain. I saw many leave this path even as I looked upon +it; and very few did I see come back to it: those who did, seemed +to me to find it very hard to get into it again; whether it was +that its sides were slippery, or its banks so steep, many fainted +and gave up, after trying to climb into it again. But it +seemed quite easy to leave it; for every one who left it went on +at first lightly and pleasantly. Sometimes, indeed, they +seemed greatly startled after taking their first step out of it, +and some of them turned straight back, and after a few struggles, +more or less, such always got into it again. But if once +after this first check they set out for the plain, they <!-- page +39--><a name="page39"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +39</span>seemed to go easily along, until their path lay straight +by the den of some destroying beast, or led them into the midst +of the pitfalls, where they wholly lost their reckoning, and knew +not how to get on, or how to get back.</p> +<p>I saw, too, after a while, that they had got lanterns in their +hands, some of which gave a great deal of light. Those +which were carried along the narrow path shot out bright rays on +all sides, until towards the end they quite blazed with +light. I could see, too, that these travellers had some way +of trimming and dressing their lamps; and that much of their +light seemed to come from an open book which they carried in +their hands, from the leaves of which there flashed out +continually streams of light, which made their lamps burn so +brightly that all their road shone with it. But as they got +further and further from the path, their lamps began to burn +dim. All these travellers, <!-- page 40--><a +name="page40"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 40</span>too, had the +book of light closed; or if they now and then opened it, they +shut it up again, some carelessly, and some as if its light +frightened them; and not one could I see who stopped to trim his +light: so that just when they got amongst the pitfalls, and +wanted light the most, they were all the most nearly in +darkness.</p> +<p>Now, when I had looked at them for a space, and wondered, my +guide said to me, “Wouldst thou see how they enter on this +plain?” Then he took me to a fair porch, which came +from the wilderness I had looked upon before; and there I saw a +man standing in white robes, and speaking good words, and giving +good gifts to each one as he came in. There were persons +coming in of all nations and people, and some, too, of all ages, +though the greatest number were little children, so small that +their little hands would not hold the man’s gifts, and so +he hung them <!-- page 41--><a name="page41"></a><span +class="pagenum">p. 41</span>round their necks, for them to use as +soon as they were able.</p> +<p>Then I joined myself to the group, to hear and see the better +what was passing. The man in white was speaking with a +grave kind voice as I came up. He told the pilgrims that +the great Lord of the land had built that porch, and set him +there to help the poor travellers, who were before without hope +or help amongst the beasts, and snares, and pitfalls of the +terrible wilderness; he told them that the blood of the +King’s own Son had been shed, that that porch might be +built; that the King had prepared them a narrow way to walk in, +which led straight from that porch to His own blessed presence, +and that they might all pass along it safely if they would; he +told them that if they left that path, they would surely get +again amongst the pitfalls which they had left in the wilderness; +nay, that they would be worse off than they had been <!-- page +42--><a name="page42"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 42</span>even +there, for that there was no other porch where they could again +be set right, and no other place where the gifts that he was +giving them now, could ever be got any more, if they were once +thrown quite away.</p> +<p>Then I looked to see what these gifts were. I saw the +man bring forth clear and sparkling water, which shone as if with +living light; and with this he washed from them the dirt and the +bruises of the terrible wilderness: with this, too, he touched +their little lamps, and as it touched them, they grew so bright +and clear, that the light within poured freely forth on all +around them. Then he looked in their faces, and gave them a +name, which he wrote down in the King’s book; and he told +them, that by this name they should be known, not only by their +fellow-travellers, but that this would remain written in the +King’s book here, unless they wholly left His path; and +that every name <!-- page 43--><a name="page43"></a><span +class="pagenum">p. 43</span>which remained written here, they +would find written in another book in letters of gold and of +fire, when they reached the other end of the path; and that for +every pilgrim, whose name was written there, the golden gate +would open of itself, and he would find a place and a crown in +the presence of the King.</p> +<p>Then, as he spoke all these glorious words, my heart burned +within me to see how the travellers sped.</p> +<p>But he had not yet done with them; for he brought out of his +stores a golden vial for each one; and he told them that in it +the King had stored the oil of light and beauty for the dressing +of their lamps.</p> +<p>Then he shewed them how to use it: not carelessly or lightly, +for then the oil would not flow; but earnestly, and with great +care; and then sweet odours issued from the vial, and the flame +of the lamp burned brightly and high. He gave them, too, +the precious light-book, <!-- page 44--><a +name="page44"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 44</span>which I had +seen; and he bade them read in it when it was dark, or the way +was slippery; and that they should ever find that it was a +“lantern unto their feet, and a light unto their +paths.” He put, too, into the hand of each a trusty +staff, suited to their age; and then he told them, while they +leant upon it, it would bear them up at many a pinch, and ever +grow with their growth, and strengthen with their strength. +“Church-truth” he called these staffs; and they were +made after a marvellous fashion, for they were as if many wands +had been woven together to make one; and as I looked, I could see +“example,” and “experience,” and +“discipline,” and “creeds,” written upon +some of these wands, which grew together into +“Church-truth.”</p> +<p>Then I longed greatly to follow forth some of these whom I had +seen under the porch; and as I gazed, I saw the man look +earnestly into the face of a fair <!-- page 45--><a +name="page45"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 45</span>boy, who +stood before him: he gave him the name of “Gottlieb,” +<a name="citation45a"></a><a href="#footnote45a" +class="citation">[45a]</a> and entered it in the book, and put +the staff in his hand, and washed him with living water, and hung +the vial at his side, and put the banded staff into his hands; +and, bidding him God-speed, set him out upon his journey.</p> +<p>Then he looked steadily into the face of another, and it, too, +was fair to look upon; but it had not the quiet happy peace of +the last. The man wrote it down as “Irrgeist;” +<a name="citation45b"></a><a href="#footnote45b" +class="citation">[45b]</a> and I thought a shade of sadness swept +over his brow as he gave to him the King’s goodly +gifts.</p> +<p>Then he sent forth a third, whose timid eye seemed hardly firm +enough for so long a journey; and I heard the name that was given +him, and it was “Furchtsam.” <a +name="citation45c"></a><a href="#footnote45c" +class="citation">[45c]</a> Close to him went another, with +a firm step, and an eye of steady gentleness; <!-- page 46--><a +name="page46"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 46</span>and I saw, by +the King’s book, that he bore the name of +“Gehulfè.” <a name="citation46"></a><a +href="#footnote46" class="citation">[46]</a></p> +<p>So these four set out upon their journey; and I followed them +to see how they should fare. Now, I saw that at first, when +they started, they were so small that they could not read in the +goodly book, neither could they use the golden vials; and their +little banded sticks would have fallen from their hands, if they +had not been small and thin, like the first green shoots of the +spring. Their lamps, too, cast no light outwardly, yet +still they made some way upon the path; and whilst I wondered how +this might be, I saw that a loving hand was stretched out of the +darkness round them, which held them up and guided them on their +way.</p> +<p>But, anon, in a while they were grown larger; and I could see +Gottlieb walking on the first, and his book of light was <!-- +page 47--><a name="page47"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +47</span>open in his hand, and his lamp burned bright, for he +often refreshed it with oil, and he leant upon his good staff, +and strode along the road.</p> +<p>Then, as he walked on, I saw that there stood upon his path a +shadowy figure, as of one in flowing robes, and on her head she +seemed to wear a chaplet of many flowers; in her hands was a cup +of what seemed to be crystal water, and a basket of what looked +like cool and refreshing fruit. A beautiful light played +all round her, and half shewed her and her gifts to the +boy. She bid him welcome, as he came up to her; so he +raised his eyes from his book, and looked to see who spoke to +him. Then she spoke kindly to him; and she held forth the +cup towards him, and asked him if he would not drink. Now, +the boy was hot with walking, for the air was close, so he +stretched out his hand to take the cup; but though it seemed so +near to him, he could not <!-- page 48--><a +name="page48"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 48</span>reach +it. And at the same moment she spake to him again, and +asked him to come where these fruits grew, and where the breeze +whispered amongst the boughs of yonder trees,—and there to +drink and rest, and then go on his way again. Then I saw +that she had power to call out of the darkness the likeness of +all she spoke of. So he looked at the trees to which she +pointed; and the sun seemed to shine around them, and the shade +looked cool and tempting under them, and the pleasant breeze +rustled amongst their fresh leaves; and he thought the road upon +which he was travelling was hotter and darker, and more tiring +than ever; and he put up his hand to his burning brow, and she +said to him, as he lingered, “come.” Now, the +trees to which she pointed him lay off his road, or he would +gladly have rested under them; and whilst he doubted what to do, +he looked down to the book that was open in his hand; <!-- page +49--><a name="page49"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 49</span>and +the light shot out upon it bright and clear, and the words which +he read were these, “None that go unto her return again, +neither take they hold of the paths of life.” <a +name="citation49a"></a><a href="#footnote49a" +class="citation">[49a]</a> And as he read it, he looked +again at the stranger; and now he could see more clearly through +the wild light which played around her, and he knew that it was +the evil enemy who stood before him; the sparkling cup, too, and +the fruit, turned into bitter ashes; and the pleasant shady grass +became a thorny and a troublesome brake: so, pushing by her with +the help of his staff, he began to mend his pace; and looking +down into the book of light, there shone out, as in letters of +fire, “Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by +taking heed thereto according to Thy word.” <a +name="citation49b"></a><a href="#footnote49b" +class="citation">[49b]</a></p> +<p>Then I saw that he was feeding his lamp, which had begun to +grow dim as <!-- page 50--><a name="page50"></a><span +class="pagenum">p. 50</span>he parleyed with the tempter, and +that he ceased not till it streamed out as bright and as clear as +ever.</p> +<p>But still the air was hot and sultry, and no cool breath blew +upon him; and if he looked off for a moment from his book, the +fair form of the tempter stood again beside him in silver light; +the cold water sparkled close to his lips; and trees with shady +boughs waving backward and forward over fresh green grass, and +full, in every spray, of singing-birds, seemed to spring up +around him. For a little moment his step faltered; but as +his lamp streamed out its light, all the vain shadows passed +away: and I heard him say, as he struck his staff upon the +ground, “I have made a covenant with my eyes;” and +even as she heard it, the tempter passed away, and left him to +himself. Scarcely was she gone, before he passed by the +door of a beautiful arbour. It was strewn with the softest +moss; roses <!-- page 51--><a name="page51"></a><span +class="pagenum">p. 51</span>and honeysuckle hung down over its +porch; light, as from a living diamond, gleamed from its roof; +and in the midst of its floor, a clear, cool, sparkling stream of +the purest water bubbled ever up from the deep fountain below +it. Now, as this lay on the road, Gottlieb halted for a +moment to look at it; and the light of his lamp waxed not dim, +though he thus stayed to see it; the book of fire, too, spoke to +him of rest, and of halting by “palm-trees and wells of +water;” and as he looked, he read in letters of light over +the door-way—</p> +<blockquote><p>Faithful pilgrim, banish fear,<br /> +Thou mayst enter safely here:<br /> +Rest for thee thy Lord did win;<br /> +Faithful pilgrim, enter in.</p> +</blockquote> +<p>Then Gottlieb rejoiced greatly, and cast himself gladly upon +the mossy floor, and bent down his parched lips to drink of the +cool spring which bubbled up before him.</p> +<p><!-- page 52--><a name="page52"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +52</span>Now, whilst he was resting safely here, I turned to see +how it fared with the others who had set out with him from the +porch, for they had not got as far as Gottlieb.</p> +<p>The first of them was Irrgeist; and when I looked upon him, he +was drawing near to the place where Gottlieb had fallen in with +the tempter. Irrgeist was walking quickly on—so +quickly that, at the first glance, I thought he would soon be by +the side of Gottlieb. But, upon looking more closely, I saw +that Gottlieb’s steps had been far more steady and even +than those with which Irrgeist was pressing on; for +Irrgeist’s lamp burned but dimly, and gave him no sure +light to walk in. Very near to the place where Gottlieb had +met with her, the tempter stood beside Irrgeist. He was not +looking at his book, as the other had been; and he did not wait +to be spoken to; for as soon as he saw the light which played +round her figure, he began <!-- page 53--><a +name="page53"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 53</span>to speak to +her, and asked who she was. She told him that her name was +“Pleasure;” and forthwith she shewed to him her +crystal cup and fruits; and she brought before the charmed eyes +of the wanderer all the gay show with which she had tried before +to mislead the faithful Gottlieb. There was the bright +sunshine, and the green path, and the waving trees, and the +rustling of the wind, and the song of birds, and the sweet +resting-shade. Irrgeist looked eagerly at all she shewed +him, and in his haste to reach out his hand for the cup, he +dropped altogether the trusty staff of +“Church-truth.” Then the cup seemed to draw +away from him, just as it had done from Gottlieb; but he followed +thoughtlessly after it. And soon I saw that he left the +path upon which he had been set; and though he started suddenly +as soon as he was off it, yet it was but a moment’s +start,—the cup was close before him, the shadowy form led +him on, the <!-- page 54--><a name="page54"></a><span +class="pagenum">p. 54</span>grass was green, and the trees and +the sunlight but a little farther.</p> +<p>And now I saw him drink some of the enchanted water; and as he +drank it, his look grew wild, and his cheek burnt like the cheek +of one in a fever; and he walked after the deceitful figure with +a quicker step than ever: but I saw that his lamp was almost out, +that the book of living light had fallen from his hands, and the +golden vial hung down, ready, as it seemed, to fall from him +altogether.</p> +<p>Still he walked on; and a strange flitting light, from the +form which was before him, lightened the darkness of the valley, +so that he could pass on quickly; the meadow, also, was smooth +and even, and there was a rustling breeze, which played around +him: so that he got on faster than he had ever done upon the +narrow path, and thought that he was getting well on to his +journey’s end. Many times did he put forth his hand +for the <!-- page 55--><a name="page55"></a><span +class="pagenum">p. 55</span>sparkling cup, and drank of it again +and again.</p> +<p>But now I saw, as I thought, a strange change which was coming +over him; for he drank oftener of the bowl, but appeared each +time to find it less refreshing. Sometimes it seemed almost +bitter, and yet he could not but take it the very moment he had +thrust it from him. The shadowy form, also, before him +seemed altogether altering; he looked again, and her beautiful +features and pleasant countenance had changed into a sharp, +stern, and reproachful frown. His own voice, which had been +heretofore almost like one singing, grew sad and angry. The +very figure of his guide seemed vanishing from his eyes; the +light which floated round her grew wilder and more uncertain, and +his own lamp was almost out. He felt puzzled and +bewildered, and hardly knew which way to go: he had got into a +broad beaten path, and he found that many <!-- page 56--><a +name="page56"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 56</span>besides +himself were going here and there along it. Sometimes they +sang; and, in very bitterness of heart, he tried to sing too, +that he might not think: but every now and then, when a flashing +light came, and he saw the look of the travellers amongst whom he +was, it made his very heart shiver—they looked so sad and +so wretched. Now, none went straight on: some turned into +this path, some into that; and then he soon lost sight of them +altogether. Sometimes he heard fearful cries, as if wild +beasts had seized them; sometimes a dreadful burst of flame from +the horrid pits which I had seen, made him fear that they had +fallen over into them: for poor Irrgeist had got now into the +midst of the deep pits and the ravenous beasts. And soon he +found how terrible was his danger. He had been following +one who had made him believe that he had light to guide his +steps; he had gone with him out of the beaten path; and they were +<!-- page 57--><a name="page57"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +57</span>pressing on together, when Irrgeist suddenly lost sight +of him in the darkness; and whether it was that he had fallen +into a pit, or become the prey of some evil beast, Irrgeist knew +not; only, he found that he was more alone than ever, and near to +some great peril. Poor Irrgeist sprang aside with all his +force, thinking only of the danger which he feared; but, feeling +his feet slipping under him, he turned, and saw that he had got +upon the treacherous brink of a fearful pit; down which, at the +very moment, another pilgrim fell. The fierce red flames +rose out of it with a roar like thunder, and a blaze like the +mouth of a furnace; and the wind blew the flames into the face of +Irrgeist, so that he was singed and almost blinded. Then +the poor boy called in the bitterness of his heart upon Pleasure, +who had led him out of the way, and now had forsaken him; but she +came no more—only terrible thoughts troubled him; and <!-- +page 58--><a name="page58"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +58</span>he heard the hissing of serpents as they slid along in +the bushes near him, and all evil noises sounded in his ears, +till he scarcely knew where he was standing. Then he +thought of his staff, which he had dropped when Pleasure had +first tempted him, and he grieved that it was gone; and he felt +in the folds of his mantle, hoping that he might still have the +book of light within it; for he had too often thrust it there at +the beginning of his journey; but he could not find it. +Then he strove to get some light from his little lamp; for, hurt +as it was, he had it still in his hand, and he thought there was +just a little blue light playing most faintly within it; but this +was not enough to direct him on his way, rather did it make his +way more dark. Then at last he bethought him of the golden +vial. Few were there of those near him but had lost theirs +altogether, and his hung only by a single thread. But it +was not gone; and <!-- page 59--><a name="page59"></a><span +class="pagenum">p. 59</span>when he had striven long, he just +drew from it a single drop of oil, and he trimmed his lamp, and +it yielded forth a little trembling light, just enough to shew +that it was not altogether dead. With the help of this +light he saw that when he had dropped his book of fire, one +single leaf had been torn from it, and stuck to his mantle; so he +seized it eagerly, and strove to draw light from it; but all that +it would yield was red and angry-looking light, and all that he +could read was, “the way of transgressors is +hard.”</p> +<p>Poor Irrgeist! he sat down almost in despair, and wept as if +his heart would break. “O, that I had never trusted +Pleasure;” “O, that I had never left the path;” +“O, that I had my book of light, and my lamp’s former +brightness, and my goodly stick;” “O, that one would +lighten my darkness.”</p> +<p>Then did it seem to me as if in the murmur of the air around +him two voices were speaking to the boy. One was like <!-- +page 60--><a name="page60"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +60</span>the gentle voice of the man whom I had seen at the porch +of the valley; and it seemed to whisper, “return,” +“return;” “mercy,” and +“forgiveness.” And as he listened, something +like hope mixed with the bitter tears which ran down the face of +the wanderer. But then would sound the other voice, harsh, +and loud, and threatening; and it said, “too late,” +“too late,” “despair,” +“despair.”</p> +<p>So the poor boy was sadly torn and scattered in his thoughts +by these two different voices; but methought, as he guarded his +golden vial, and strove to trim his dying lamp, that the gentle +voice became more constant, and the voice of terror more dull and +distant.</p> +<p>Then, as I was watching him, all at once the boy sprang up, +and he seemed to see a light before him, so straight on did he +walk: many crossed his path and jostled against him, but he cared +not; he heard the sweet voice plainer and plainer, like the soft +murmuring of the cushat <!-- page 61--><a name="page61"></a><span +class="pagenum">p. 61</span>dove in the early summer, and he +would follow where it led. Hitherto his pathway had been +smooth, and he had hastened along it; but this did not last, for +now it narrowed almost to a line, and ran straight between two +horrible pitfalls; so he paused for a moment; but the roaring of +a lion was behind him, and forward he pressed. It was a +sore passage for Irrgeist, for the whole ground was strewed with +thorns, which pierced his feet at every step, and the sparks from +the fire-pits flew ever round him, and now and then fell in +showers over him. Neither did he hear now the pleasant +sound of the voice of kindness; whether it were that it had died +away, he knew not, or whether it were that the crackling and +roaring of the fierce flames, and the voice of the beasts behind, +and his own groans and crying, drowned its soft music, so that he +heard it not.</p> +<p>I had looked at him until I could bear <!-- page 62--><a +name="page62"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 62</span>it no more; +for the path seemed to grow narrower and narrower; the flames +from the two pits already almost touched; and I could not endure +to see, as I feared I should, the little one, whom I had watched, +become the prey of their devouring fierceness. So, with a +bitter groan for Irrgeist, I turned me back to the road to see +how it fared with Furchtsam and Gehulfè.</p> +<p>They had fallen far behind the others from the first. +Poor little Furchtsam had a trembling tottering gait; and as he +walked, he looked on this side and on that, as if every step was +dangerous. This led him often to look off his book of +light, and then it would shut up its leaves, and then his little +lamp grew dimmer and dimmer, and his feet stumbled, and he +trembled so, that he almost dropped his staff out of his +hands. Yet still he kept the right path, only he got along +it very slowly and with pain.</p> +<p>Whether it was that Gehulfè was too <!-- page 63--><a +name="page63"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 63</span>tender +spirited to leave him, or why else, I know not, but he kept close +by the little trembler, and seemed ever waiting to help +him. Many a time did he catch him by the hand when he was +ready to fall, and speak to him a word of comfort, when without +it he would have sunk down through fear. So they got on +together, and now they came to the part of the pathway which the +evil enchantress haunted. She used all her skill upon them, +and brought up before their eyes all the visions she could raise; +sunshine, and singing-birds, and waving boughs, and green grass, +and sparkling water, they all passed before their eyes,—but +they heeded them not: once, indeed, poor Furchtsam for a moment +looked with a longing eye at the painted sunshine, as if its warm +light would have driven off some of his fears; but it was but for +a moment. And as for Gehulfè, whether it was that he +was reading his book of light too closely, or trimming <!-- page +64--><a name="page64"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 64</span>too +carefully his lamp, or helping too constantly his trembling +friend, for some cause or other he scarcely seemed to see the +visions which the sorceress had spread around him. So when +she had tried all her skill for a season, and found it in vain, +she vanished altogether from them, and they saw her no +more. But their dangers were not over yet. When +Gottlieb passed along this road, he had gone on so boldly, that I +had not noticed how fearful it was in parts to any giddy head or +fainting heart. But now I saw well how it terrified +Furchtsam. For here it seemed to rise straight up to a +dangerous height, and to become so narrow at the same time, and +to be so bare of any side-wall or parapet, that it was indeed a +giddy thing to pass along it. Yet when one walked over it, +as Gottlieb did, leaning on his staff of Church-truth, reading +diligently in his book, and trimming ever and anon his lamp, such +a light fell upon <!-- page 65--><a name="page65"></a><span +class="pagenum">p. 65</span>the narrow path, and the darkness so +veiled the precipice, that the pilgrim did not know that there +was any thing to fear. But not so when you stopped to +look—then it became terrible indeed; you soon lost all +sight of the path before you; for the brightest lamp only lighted +the road just by your feet, and that seemed rising almost to an +edge, whilst the flash of distant lights here and there shewed +that a fearful precipice was on each side.</p> +<p>Furchtsam trembled exceedingly when he looked at it; and even +Gehulfè, when, instead of marching on, he stopped to talk +about it, began to be troubled with fears. Now, as they +looked here and there, Furchtsam saw an easy safe-looking path, +which promised to lead them in the same direction, but along the +bottom of the cliffs. Right glad was he to see it; and so +taking the lead for once, he let fall his staff, that by catching +hold of the bushes on the bank, he might drop down <!-- page +66--><a name="page66"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 66</span>more +easily upon the lower path; and there he got with very little +trouble.</p> +<p>It was all done in a moment; and when he was out of the path, +Gehulfè turned round and saw where he was gone. Then +he tried to follow after him; but he could not draw his staff +with him through the gap, or climb down the bank without letting +it go. And, happily for him, he held it so firmly, that +after one or two trials he stopped. Then, indeed, was he +glad, as soon as he had time to think; and he held his good stick +firmer in his hand than ever, for now he saw plainly that +Furchtsam was quite out of the road, and that he had himself +well-nigh followed him. So leaning over the side, he began +to call to his poor timid companion, and encourage him to mount +up again, by the bank which he had slipped down, and venture +along the right way with him. At first Furchtsam shook his +head mournfully, and would not hear of it. But when <!-- +page 67--><a name="page67"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +67</span>Gehulfè reminded him that they had a true promise +from the King, that nothing should harm them whilst they kept to +the high way of holiness, and that the way upon which he had now +entered was full of pitfalls, and wild beasts, and every sort of +danger, and that in it he must be alone,—then his reason +began to come back to him, and Furchtsam saw into what an evil +state he had brought himself; and with all his heart he wished +himself back again by the side of Gehulfè. But it +was no such easy matter to get back. His lamp was so +bruised and shaken as he slid down, that it threw scarcely any +light at all; while it had never seemed, he thought, so dark as +it did now: he could not see the bushes to which he had clung +just before, or the half path which had brought him down. +Gehulfè’s voice from above was some guide to him, +and shewed him in which direction to turn; but when he tried to +<!-- page 68--><a name="page68"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +68</span>mount the bank, it was so steep and so slippery, he +could scarcely cling to it; and he had no staff to lean upon, and +no friendly hand to help him. Surely if it had not been for +the kind encouraging voice of Gehulfè, the weak and +trembling heart of Furchtsam would have failed utterly, and he +would have given up altogether.</p> +<p>Now, just at this time, whilst he was reaching out to +Furchtsam, and urging him to strive more earnestly, he heard a +noise as of one running upon the path behind him; and he looked +round and saw one of the King’s own messengers coming fast +upon it: so when he came up to Gehulfè, he stopped and +asked him what made him tarry thus upon the King’s +path. Then Gehulfè answered very humbly, that he was +striving to help back poor Furchtsam into the right way, from +which he had been driven by his fears. Then the messenger +of the King looked <!-- page 69--><a name="page69"></a><span +class="pagenum">p. 69</span>upon him kindly, and bid him +“fear not.” “Rightly,” he said, +“art thou named Gehulfè, for thou hast been ready to +help the weak; and the Lord, who has bidden his children +‘to bear one another’s burdens,’ has watched +thee all alone thy way, and looked upon thee with an eye of love; +and forasmuch as thou seemest to have been hindered in thy own +course by helping thy brother, the King has sent me to carry thee +on up this steep place, and over this dangerous +road.” With that, I saw that he lifted up the boy, +and was about to fly with him through the air. Then, seeing +that he cast a longing look towards the steep bank, down which +Furchtsam had slipped, and that the sound of his sad voice was +still ringing in his ear; the King’s messenger said to him, +“‘Cast thy burden upon the Lord.’ +‘The Lord careth for thee.’ ‘For the very +hairs of your head are numbered,’ and ‘the Lord is +full of <!-- page 70--><a name="page70"></a><span +class="pagenum">p. 70</span>compassion, pitiful, and of great +mercy.’” So the heart of Gehulfè was +soothed, and with a happy mind he gave himself to the messenger, +and he bore him speedily along the dangerous path, as if his feet +never touched the ground, but refreshing airs breathed upon his +forehead as he swept along, and silver voices chanted holy words +to his glad heart. “He shall gather the lambs in his +arms,” said one; and another and a sweeter took up the +strain and sang, “and he shall carry them in his +bosom.” And so he passed along the way swiftly and +most happily.</p> +<p>Then I saw that he bore him to the mouth of the arbour into +which Gottlieb had turned to rest. And now as he came up to +it, Gottlieb was just coming forth again to renew his +journey. Right glad was Gottlieb of the company of such a +comrade; so they joined their hands together, and walked along +the road speaking to one another of the kindness of the <!-- page +71--><a name="page71"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 71</span>King, +and telling one to the other all that had befallen them +hitherto. A pleasant thing it was to see them marching +along that road, their good staffs in their hands, their lamps +burning brightly, and their books sending forth streams of light, +to shew them the way that they should go. But now I saw +they got into a part of the road which was rough and full of +stones; and unless they kept the lights they bore with them ever +turned towards the road, and looked, too, most carefully to their +footing, they were in constant danger of falling. The air, +also, seemed to have some power here of sending them to sleep, +for I saw that Gottlieb’s steps were not as steady and +active as they had been; and he looked often from this side to +that, to see if there were any other resting-place provided for +him; but none could he see: and then methought, as he walked on, +his eyes would close as he bent them down over his book, like one +falling asleep from exceeding weariness.</p> +<p><!-- page 72--><a name="page72"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +72</span>Gehulfè saw the danger of his friend; and though +he felt the air heavy, his fear for Gottlieb kept him wide +awake. “What are those words,” he asked his +drowsy friend, “which burn so brightly in your +book?” When he heard the voice, Gottlieb roused +himself, and read; and it was written, “Watch and pray, +lest ye enter into temptation; the spirit truly is willing, but +the flesh is weak.” Then, for a little while, +Gottlieb was warned, and he walked like one awake; but, after a +time, such power had this sleepy air, he was again almost as +drowsy as ever, and his eyes were nearly closed. Then, +before Gehulfè could give him a second warning, he placed +his foot in a hole, which he would have easily passed by, if he +had been watching; and, falling suddenly down, he would have +rolled quite out of the road (for it was raised here with a steep +bank on either side), if Gehulfè had not been nigh to +catch him again by the hand, and keep him in the path. He +<!-- page 73--><a name="page73"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +73</span>was sorely bruised and shaken by the fall, and his lamp, +too, was dusted and hurt; so that he could not, at first, press +on the way as he wished to do. But now his drowsiness was +gone; and, with many bitter tears, he lamented that he had given +way to it before. One strange thing I noted, too: he had +dropped his staff in his fall, and he could not rise till he had +taken it again in his hand; but now, when he tried to take it, it +pricked and hurt his hand, as if it had been rough and sharp with +thorns. Then I looked at it, and saw that one of the stems +which were twined together, and which bore the name of +“discipline,” was very rough and thorny; and this, +which had turned inwardly before, was now, by his fall, forced to +the outside of the staff, so that he must hold that or +none. Now I heard the boy groan as he laid hold of it; but +lay hold of it he did, and that boldly, for he could not rise or +travel without it, and to rise <!-- page 74--><a +name="page74"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 74</span>and travel he +was determined. Then he looked into his book of light, and +he read out of it these words, “Make the bones which Thou +hast broken to rejoice.” And as he read them, he +gathered courage, and made a great effort, and stood upon his +feet, and pressed on beside Gehulfè.</p> +<p>Then I saw that the road changed again, and became smoother +than they had ever known it. Gottlieb’s staff, too, +was now smooth and easy in his hand, as it had been at +first. Soon also a pleasant air sprung up, and blew softly +and yet cool upon their foreheads. And now they heard the +song of birds, as if the sunshine was very near them, though they +saw it not yet. There were, too, every now and then, sounds +sweeter than the songs of birds, as if blessed angels were near +them, and they were let to hear their heavenly voices. A +little further, and the day began to dawn upon them—bright +light shone out some way before them, and its glad <!-- page +75--><a name="page75"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +75</span>reflection was already cast upon their path. But +still there was one more trial before them; for when they had +enjoyed this light for a season, and I thought they must be close +upon the sunshine, I saw that they had got into greater darkness +than ever. Here, also, they lost sight of one another; for +it was a part of the King’s appointment, that each one must +pass that dark part alone—it was called “the shadow +of death.” Gehulfè, I saw, walked through it +easily; his feet were nimble and active, his lamp was bright, his +golden vial ever in his hand, his staff firm to lean upon, and +the book of light close before his eyes: he was still reading it +aloud, and I heard him speak of his King as giving “songs +in the night,”—and so, with a glad heart, he passed +through the darkness. The brightest sunshine lay close upon +the other side of it; and there he was waited for by messengers +in robes of light, and they <!-- page 76--><a +name="page76"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 76</span>clad him in +the same, and carried him with songs and music into the presence +of the King.</p> +<p>But Gottlieb did not pass through so easily. It seemed +as if that darkness had power to bring out any weakness with +which past accidents had at the time affected the pilgrim: for so +it was, that when Gottlieb was in it, he felt all the stunning of +his fall come back again upon him, and, for a moment, he seemed +well-nigh lost. But his heart was sound, and there was One +who was faithful holding him up: so he grasped his good staff +tighter than ever, though its roughness had come out again and +sorely pricked his hand; but this seemed only to quicken his +steps; and when he had gone on a little while thus firmly, as he +looked into his book he saw written on its open page, “I +will make darkness light before thee.” <a +name="citation76"></a><a href="#footnote76" +class="citation">[76]</a> And as he read them, the words +seemed to be <!-- page 77--><a name="page77"></a><span +class="pagenum">p. 77</span>fulfilled, for he stepped joyfully +out of the darkness into the clear sunlight. And for him +too the messengers were waiting; for him too were garments ready +woven of the light; around him were songs, and music, and +rejoicing; and so they bare him into the presence of the +King.</p> +<p>Now, when I had seen these two pass so happily through their +journey into rest, I thought again of the poor trembling +Furchtsam, and longed to know that he had got again into the +road. But upon looking back to where I had lost sight of +him, I saw that he was still lying at the foot of the steep bank, +down whose side he had stepped so easily. He had toiled and +laboured, and striven to climb up, but it had been all in +vain. Still he would not cease his labour; and now he was +but waiting to recover his breath to begin to strive again. +He was, too, continually calling on the King for aid. Then +I saw a figure approaching him in the midst of <!-- page 78--><a +name="page78"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 78</span>his +cries. And poor Furchtsam trembled exceedingly, for he was +of a very timorous heart, and he scarcely dared to look up to him +who stood by him. After a while I heard the man speak to +him, and he asked him in a grave, pitying voice, “What +doest thou here?” Then the poor boy sobbed out in +broken words the confession of his folly, and told how he had +feared and left the road, and how he had laboured to get back +into it, and how he almost thought that he should never reach +it. Then I saw the man look down upon him with a face of +tenderness and love; and he stretched forth his hand towards him; +and Furchtsam saw that it was the hand which had been pierced for +him: so he raised the boy up, and set him on his feet; and he led +him straight up the steepest bank. And now it seemed easy +to his steps; and he put him back again in the road, and gave the +staff into his hand, and bid him “redeem the time, because +<!-- page 79--><a name="page79"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +79</span>the days are evil;” and then he added, +“Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble +knees.” “Say to them that are of a fearful +heart, ‘be strong:’ ‘fear not.’” <a +name="citation79a"></a><a href="#footnote79a" +class="citation">[79a]</a> Such strength had his touch, his +words, and his kind look, given to the heart of the timid boy, +that he seized the staff, though its most prickly +“discipline” sorely hurt his tender flesh; and +leaning on it, he set bravely out without a moment’s +delay. And I heard him reading in his book of light as he +climbed up the steep path which had affrighted him; and what he +read was this: “Before I was afflicted, I went astray; but +now have I kept Thy word.” <a name="citation79b"></a><a +href="#footnote79b" class="citation">[79b]</a></p> +<p>When he had almost reached the arbour, another danger awaited +him; for in the dim light round him he saw, as he thought, the +form of an evil beast lying in the pathway before him. Then +did some of his old terrors begin to trouble him; and he <!-- +page 80--><a name="page80"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +80</span>had turned aside, perhaps, out of the way, but that the +wholesome roughness of his staff still pricked his hand and +forced him to recall his former fall. Instead, therefore, +of turning aside, he looked into his book of light, and there he +read in fiery letters, “Thou shalt go upon the lion and the +adder; the young lion and the dragon shalt thou tread under thy +feet:” and this gave him comfort. So, on he went, +determining still to read in his book, and not to look at all at +that which affrighted him: and so it was, that when he came to +the place, he saw that it was only a bush, which his fears had +turned into the figure of a beast of prey; and at the same moment +he found where it was written in his book, “No lion shall +be there, nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon, it shall +not be found there; but the redeemed shall walk there.” <a +name="citation80"></a><a href="#footnote80" +class="citation">[80]</a></p> +<p>And now he stood beside the arbour, <!-- page 81--><a +name="page81"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 81</span>where he +rested a while, and then pursued his journey. Now I +noticed, that as he got further on the road, and read more in his +book, and leant upon his staff, that he grew bolder and firmer in +his gait: and I thought that I could see why Gehulfè, who +had been needful to him in his first weakness, had afterwards +been carried away from him: for surely he had leant more upon +him, and less upon his book and his good staff, unless he had +walked there alone.</p> +<p>However this might be, he grew continually bolder. As he +drew near the last sad darkness, I began again to tremble for +him; but I need not have done so; for he walked on so straight +through it, that it seemed scarcely to make any difference to him +at all. In the best part of the road his feebleness had +taught him to lean altogether upon Him who had so mercifully +helped him on the bank, and who had held up his fainting steps +hitherto; <!-- page 82--><a name="page82"></a><span +class="pagenum">p. 82</span>and this strength could hold him up +as well even in this extreme darkness. I heard him, as he +parsed along, say, “When I am weak, then am I +strong;” and with that he broke out into singing:</p> +<blockquote><p>“Through death’s dark valley without +fear<br /> + My feeble steps have trod,<br /> +Because I know my God is near;<br /> + I feel His staff and rod.”</p> +</blockquote> +<p>With that he too passed out of the shade and darkness into the +joyful sunshine. And oh, it was indeed a happy time! +It made my heart bound when I saw his face, which had so often +turned pale and drooped with terror, now lighted up with the glow +of the heavenly light; when, instead of the evil things which his +fears had summoned up, I saw around him the bands of holy ones, +and the children of the day: and so they passed along. And +soon, I thought, he would see again the hand which had been +stretched out to save him on the bank, and hear the kind <!-- +page 83--><a name="page83"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +83</span>and merciful voice which had soothed his terror and +despair, and live in the present sunshine of that gracious +countenance.</p> +<p>And now methought I heard an earnest and sorrowful voice, as +of one crying aloud for help; so I turned me round to see where +he was that uttered it, and by the side of the King’s path +I could see one striving to mount the bank, and slipping back +again as often as he tried. He was trying in right earnest: +his cries were piteous to hear, and he laboured as if he would +carry his point by storm. But it was all in vain; the more +he struggled, the worse his case grew; for the bank, and all the +path up to it, got so quagged and miry with his eager striving, +that he seemed farther and farther from getting safely up. +At last, as he was once more struggling violently up, his feet +quite slipped from under him, and he fell upon his side: and so +he lay sobbing and struggling for <!-- page 84--><a +name="page84"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 84</span>breath, but +still crying out to the King, who had helped him before, and +delivered him from the flames of the pit, to help him once more, +and lift him again into the right way. My heart pitied the +poor boy, and I looked more closely into his face, and saw that +it was Irrgeist—not Irrgeist as he had been when he had +walked at first with Gottlieb along the road, or as he had been +when he had first followed the deceitful phantom +“Pleasure” out of it,—but Irrgeist still, +though brought by his wanderings and his trouble to paleness, and +weariness, and sorrow. Now, whilst I was looking at him, as +he lay in this misery, and longing for some helper to come to +him, lo, his cries stopped for a moment, and I saw that it was +because One stood by him and spoke to him. Then I could see +under the mantle, which almost hid Him, that it was the same form +which had visited Furchtsam, and delivered him when he had +cried. Now, too, I saw <!-- page 85--><a +name="page85"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 85</span>the hand held +out, and I saw Irrgeist seize it; and it raised him up, and he +stood upon his feet: and the staff was given to +him,—exceeding rough, but needful and trusty; and his lamp +shone out, and the book of light was his; and his feet were again +in the road.</p> +<p>But I marked well that Irrgeist trod it not as the others had +done. Truly did he go along it weeping. Whether it +was that the thought of what he had gone through amongst the +pitfalls dwelt ever on his mind; or whether it were shame of +having wandered, I know not,—but his road seemed evermore +one of toil and sorrow. Still, in the midst of tears, a +song was often put into his mouth, and his tongue was ever +speaking of the great kindness of Him who had restored the +wanderer: his head, too, was so bowed down, that he marked every +stone upon the road, and therefore never stumbled; but still his +speed was little, and his troubles <!-- page 86--><a +name="page86"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 86</span>were +many. When he got to the dark part, he had a sore trial: +his feet seemed too weak and trembling to bear him; and more than +once I heard him cry out, as if he thought that he were again +between the pitfalls, and the fire were ready to break out upon +him. But then did it seem as if there were some sweet hopes +given him, and his face brightened up; and in a faint, feeble +voice, he would break out again into his song and +thanksgiving. As he drew towards the end, things somewhat +mended with him; and when he was just upon the sunlight, and +began to see its brightness through the haze, and to hear the +voices of the heavenly ones, methought his heart would have +burst, so did it beat with joy: and withal he smote upon his +breast, and said,—“And this for me! And this +for the wanderer! O mercy, choicest mercy! Who is a +God like unto Thee, that pardonest iniquity?” And so +saying, he <!-- page 87--><a name="page87"></a><span +class="pagenum">p. 87</span>entered on the heavenly light, and +left for ever behind him the darkness and the danger of the +pitfalls, and the face of shame, and the besetting weakness; for +he too was clothed in raiment of light, and borne with joy before +the Lord the King.</p> +<p style="text-align: center">* * * * *</p> +<p><i>Father</i>. Who were those who were walking in the +beautiful garden as its lords?</p> +<p><i>Child</i>. Man in Paradise before the fall.</p> +<p>F. What was the dreadful change that came upon them?</p> +<p>C. Their fall into sin and misery.</p> +<p>F. What was the second estate seen in the vision?</p> +<p>C. Their fallen children in this sinful world, without +the knowledge of God; wandering in the darkness of heathenism +amongst the pitfalls of error.</p> +<p>F. What was the porch which let them into a better +way?</p> +<p><!-- page 88--><a name="page88"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +88</span>C. The entrance into the Church of the redeemed by +baptism.</p> +<p>F. What does our Catechism say about this?</p> +<p>C. That it is our being “called to a state of +salvation.”</p> +<p>F. What are the gifts bestowed upon them?</p> +<p>C. God’s word is the book of light; conscience +enlightened by God is the little lamp of each; the oil in the +golden vial is the help and teaching of God’s grace; and +the staff is the help and assistance of the Church.</p> +<p>F. Why was it so easy to get out of the path, and so +hard to get back?</p> +<p>C. Because it is easy to go wrong, and very hard to +return into the way of righteousness.</p> +<p>F. What were the baits which the phantom offered to the +youths?</p> +<p>C. The pleasures of sin, which are but for a season.</p> +<p><!-- page 89--><a name="page89"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +89</span>F. Why was the staff rough to those that were +coming back from wandering?</p> +<p>C. Because the discipline of the Church, which is easy +to the obedient, is often galling to those who offend.</p> +<p>F. Why was Irrgeist, after he was brought back, still so +sad a pilgrim?</p> +<p>C. Because, though he was accepted and forgiven, the +effects of his former sins still weakened and grieved him: as +says the Lord, by the mouth of the Prophet Ezekiel (chap. xvi. +ver. 63), “That thou mayest remember, and be confounded, +and never open thy mouth any more because of thy shame, when I am +pacified toward thee for all that thou hast done, saith the Lord +God.”</p> +<h2><!-- page 90--><a name="page90"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +90</span>The Little Wanderers.</h2> +<p>In a miserable little hovel, built on the edge of a wide and +desolate common, lived a poor widow woman, who had two +sons. The eldest of them was quite young, and the least was +scarcely more than an infant. They were dressed in torn and +dirty rags, for the widow had no better clothes to put upon them; +and often they were very hungry and very cold, for she had not +food or fire with which to feed and warm them. No one +taught the biggest boy any thing; and as for the poor mother, she +did not know a letter. She had no friends; and the only +playfellows the little ones ever knew were other children as <!-- +page 91--><a name="page91"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +91</span>poor, and as dirty, and as untaught as they were +themselves, from whom they learnt nothing but to say bad words +and do naughty tricks. Poor children! it was a sad life, +you would say, which lay before them.</p> +<p>Just at this time the widow was taken very ill with a +fever. Long she lay in that desolate hut, groaning and +suffering, and no one knew how ill she was but the little +children. They would sit and cry by her miserable bed all +day, for they were very hungry and very sad. When she had +lain in this state for more than a week, she grew light-headed, +and after a while died. The youngest child thought she was +asleep, and that he could not waken her; but the elder boy rushed +weeping out of the house, knowing that she was really dead, and +that they were left alone in the wide world.</p> +<p>Just at that very moment a man passed by, who looked into the +pale, thin, hungry <!-- page 92--><a name="page92"></a><span +class="pagenum">p. 92</span>face of the sobbing child, with a +kind, gentle look, and let himself be led into the wretched hut, +where the poor dead mother lay. His heart bled for the poor +orphans, for he was one who was full of tenderness: so he spake +kind words to them; and when his servants came up after a while, +he gave orders that their dead mother should be buried, and that +the children should be taken from the miserable hut, to dwell in +his own beautiful castle.</p> +<p>To it the children were removed. The servants of the +Lord of the castle put on them clean fresh clothes—washed +their old dirt from them; and as no one knew what were their +names, they gave them two new names, which shewed they belonged +to this family; and they were cared for, and given all they +wanted.</p> +<p>Happy was now their lot. They had all they wanted: good +food in plenty, instead of hunger and thirst; clean raiment, <!-- +page 93--><a name="page93"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +93</span>instead of rags and nakedness; and kind teachers, who +instructed them day by day as they were able to bear it. +There were a multitude of other happy children too in the castle, +with whom they lived, and learned, and spent their glad +days. Sometimes they played in the castle, and sometimes +they ran about in the grounds that were round it, where were all +sorts of flowers, and beautiful trees full of singing birds, and +green grass, and painted butterflies; and they were as happy as +children could be.</p> +<p>All over these grounds they might play about as they would: +only on one side of them they were forbidden to go. There +the garden ended in a wide waste plain, and there seemed to be +nothing to tempt children to leave the happy garden to walk in +it, especially as the kind Lord of the castle bid them never set +foot on it: and yet it was said that some children had wandered +into it, and that of these, <!-- page 94--><a +name="page94"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 94</span>many had +never come back again. For in that desert dwelt the enemies +of the Lord of the castle; and there was nothing they loved +better than to pounce down upon any children whom he had taken as +his own, and carry them off, to be their slaves in the midst of +the waste and dreary sands.</p> +<p>Many ways too had these enemies by which they enticed children +to come on the plain; for as long as they stayed within the +boundary, and played only in the happy garden, the evil one could +not touch them. Sometimes they would drop gay and shining +flowers all about the beginning of the waste, hoping that the +children would come across the border to pick them up: and so it +was, that if once a child went over, as soon as he had got into +his hands the flower for which he had gone, it seemed to fade and +wither away; but just beyond him he thought he saw another, +brighter and more beautiful; <!-- page 95--><a +name="page95"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 95</span>and so, too, +often it happened that, throwing down the first, he went on to +take the second; and then throwing down the second, he went on to +reach a third; until, suddenly, the enemy dashed upon him, and +whirled him away with them in a moment.</p> +<p>Often and often had little Kühn <a +name="citation95a"></a><a href="#footnote95a" +class="citation">[95a]</a>—for so the eldest boy had been +named—looked out over this desert, and longed, as he saw +the gay flowers dropped here and there, to run over the border +and pick them up. His little brother, who was now old +enough to run about with him, would stand and tremble by him as +he got close to the desert; but little Zart <a +name="citation95b"></a><a href="#footnote95b" +class="citation">[95b]</a> would never leave him: and sometimes, +I am afraid, they would have both been lost, if it had not been +for a dear little girl, who was almost always with them, and who +never would go even near to the line. When Kühn was +looking into it, as if he longed for <!-- page 96--><a +name="page96"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 96</span>the painted +flowers, the gentle Glaube <a name="citation96"></a><a +href="#footnote96" class="citation">[96]</a> would grow quite +sad, and bending her dark sorrowful eyes upon him, their long +lashes would become wet with tears, and she would whisper in a +voice almost too solemn for a child, “O Kühn, +remember.” Then Kühn, who could not bear to see +her sad, would tear himself away; and the flowers seemed directly +to lose their brightness, and the desert looked dry and hot, and +the garden cool and delicious, and they played happily together, +and forgot their sorrow.</p> +<p>But it was very dangerous for Kühn to go so near. +The servants of the Lord of the castle often told the children +this; and seeing a bold and daring spirit in Kühn, they had +spoken to him over and over again. What made it so +dangerous was this,—that the flowers of the wilderness +never looked gay until you got near to its border; afar off it +seemed dusty, <!-- page 97--><a name="page97"></a><span +class="pagenum">p. 97</span>dry, and hot; but the nearer you got +to it, the brighter shone the flowers; they seemed also to grow +in number, until you could hardly see its dry hot sands, for the +flowery carpet that was drawn over them.</p> +<p>Poor Kühn! he was often in danger. Never yet had he +crossed the border; but it is a sad thing to go near temptation; +and so this unhappy child found to his cost.</p> +<p>One day he was sauntering close to the forbidden border, when +the hoop which he was trundling slipped from him and ran into the +desert. In a moment he was over after it; and just as he +stooped to pick it up, he saw, right before him, a beautiful and +sparkling flower. He would certainly have gone after it, +but that at the instant he caught the eye of Glaube looking sadly +after him, and it struck upon his heart, and he hastened back, +and was safe. For a while his legs trembled <!-- page +98--><a name="page98"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 98</span>under +him, and Zart looked up quite frightened into his pale face; +Glaube too could scarcely speak to him; and it was long before +they were laughing merrily again under the tall palm-trees of the +garden. But by the next day all Kühn’s fears had +flown away, and he went with a bolder foot than ever to the very +edge of the desert.</p> +<p style="text-align: center"> +<a href="images/p98.jpg"> +<img alt="The Little Wanderers" src="images/p98.jpg" /> +</a></p> +<p>Glaube was further off than usual; and just as Kühn and +Zart were in this great danger, a beautiful bird started up under +their feet. The boys had never seen such a bird. All +the colours of the rainbow shone upon his feathers, and his black +and scarlet head seemed quite to sparkle in the sunshine. +It tried to fly; but whether its wing was hurt, or what, I know +not, but it could not rise, and ran before them flapping its +painted wings, screaming with a harsh voice, and keeping only +just before them. The boys were soon in full chase, and +every thing else <!-- page 99--><a name="page99"></a><span +class="pagenum">p. 99</span>was forgotten; when, just as they +thought the bird was their own, he fluttered across the border, +and both the boys followed him,—Kühn boldly and +without thought, for he had been across it before; but poor +little Zart trembled and turned pale, and clung to his bolder +brother, as if he never would have crossed it alone.</p> +<p>Once over, however, on they went, and the bird still seemed to +keep close before them; and they never noticed how far they were +getting from the garden, until suddenly they heard a dreadful +noise; the air looked thick before them, as if whole clouds of +dust were sweeping on; shining spear-heads were all they could +see in the midst of the dust; and they heard the trampling of a +multitude of horses. The boys were too much frightened to +shriek, but they clung to one another, pale and trembling, and +ready to sink into the earth. In a minute rude hands seized +them; they heard rough voices round <!-- page 100--><a +name="page100"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 100</span>them; and +they could see that they were in the midst of the enemies of the +Lord of the castle. In another minute they were torn +asunder, they were snatched up on horseback, and were galloping +off towards the sad abode in which the evil men of the desert +dwelt. In vain the boys cried, and begged to be taken home; +away galloped the horses; whilst no one thought of heeding their +cries and prayers. They had gone on long in this way, and +the dark-frowning towers of the desert castle were in +sight. The little boys looked sadly at one another; for +here there was no flowering garden, there were no sheltering +trees, but all looked bare, and dry, and wretched; and they could +see little narrow windows covered with iron bars, which seemed to +be dungeon-rooms, where they thought they should be barred in, +and never more play together amongst the flowers and in the +sunlight.</p> +<p><!-- page 101--><a name="page101"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +101</span>Just at this moment the little Zart felt that, by some +means or other, the strap which bound him to the horse had grown +loose, and in another moment he had slipped down its side, and +fallen upon his head on the ground. No one noticed his +fall; and there he lay upon the sand for a while stunned and +insensible. When he woke up, the trampling of horses had +died away in the distance; the light sand of the desert, which +their feet had stirred, had settled down again like the heavy +night-dew, so that he could see no trace of their +footmarks. The frowning castle-walls were out of sight; +look which way he would, he could see nothing but the hot flat +sand below, and the hot bright sun in the clear sky above +him. He called for his brother, but no voice answered him; +he started up, and began to run he knew not where: but the sun +beat on his head, the hot sand scorched his weary feet; his +parched tongue began to <!-- page 102--><a +name="page102"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 102</span>cleave to +his mouth; and he sunk down upon the desert again to die.</p> +<p>As he lay there he thought upon the castle-garden and its kind +Lord; upon the sorrowful face with which Glaube was used to look +on them, when he and Kühn drew near to the forbidden border; +and his tears broke out afresh when he thought of his brother in +the enemies’ dungeon, and himself dying in the desolate +wilderness. Then he called upon the Lord of the castle, for +he remembered to have heard how He had pitied wandering children, +and heard their cry from afar, and had brought them back again to +His own happy castle. And as he lay upon the sand, crying +out to the Lord of the castle, he thought that he heard a +footstep, as of one walking towards him. Then there came a +shade between the sun and his burning head, and looking languidly +up he saw the kind face of the Lord of the castle turned towards +him. He was looking on <!-- page 103--><a +name="page103"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 103</span>the poor +child as He had looked on him when He had pitied him by the side +of the hut; and that kind face seemed to speak comfort. +Then He stretched out to him His hand, and He bade him rise; and +He lifted up the child, and bore him in His bosom over that waste +and scorching wilderness, nor ever set him down until He had +brought him again into the pleasant garden. Once as he lay +in that bosom, Zart thought that he heard in the distance the +tramping of horse-hoofs; and he saw the dusty cloud lifting +itself up: but he felt that he was safe; and so he was, for the +enemy did not dare to approach that Mighty One who was bearing +him.</p> +<p>When he reached the garden again, the gentle Glaube met him, +and welcomed him back again to their peaceful home. But he +hung down his head with shame and with sorrow; and as he looked +up into the face of the Lord of the garden, he saw <!-- page +104--><a name="page104"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 104</span>in +it such kindness and love, that his tears rolled down his cheeks +to think how he had broken His command, and wandered into the +wilderness of His enemies. Then he tried to speak for his +brother, for his heart was sore and heavy with thinking of him; +but the Lord of the castle answered not. Many, many days +did Glaube and Zart pray for him; but they heard nothing of him: +whether he died in the enemies’ dungeon; or whether, as +they still dared to hope, he might even yet one day find his way +back to the garden of peace; or whether, as they sometimes +trembled to think, he had grown up amongst the enemies of their +Lord, and become one of them,—they knew not, and they dared +not to ask. But they never thought of him without trembling +and tears, and Zart more even than Glaube: for he had crossed +that terrible border; he had been seized by the fierce enemy; he +had lain alone in the wide scorching <!-- page 105--><a +name="page105"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 105</span>desert; and +had only been brought back again from death by the great love of +the mighty and merciful Lord of that most happy garden.</p> +<p style="text-align: center">* * * * *</p> +<p><i>Father</i>. Who are meant by these children born in +the wretched hovel?</p> +<p><i>Child</i>. All the children of fallen parents.</p> +<p>F. Who are such?</p> +<p>C. All who are born. For we were “by nature +born in sin, and the children of wrath.”</p> +<p>F. Who is the kind Lord of the castle who takes pity on +them?</p> +<p>C. Jesus Christ our Lord.</p> +<p>F. What is meant by His taking them to His castle?</p> +<p>C. His receiving us when children into His Church.</p> +<p>F. When was this done?</p> +<p>C. At our baptism. For “being by nature +children of wrath, we were hereby made the children of +grace.”</p> +<p><!-- page 106--><a name="page106"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +106</span>F. What is meant by the clean raiment and the new +name He gave them?</p> +<p>C. The “forgiveness of all our sins” (see +Collect in Confirmation-Service), and the giving us our Christian +name.</p> +<p>F. Why is it called your Christian name?</p> +<p>C. To mark its difference from our natural, or +parents’ name.</p> +<p>F. Why was it given you at that time?</p> +<p>C. Because then I was taken into God’s family, and +“made a member of Christ, child of God, and an inheritor of +the kingdom of heaven.”</p> +<p>F. What was the food with which they were fed?</p> +<p>C. All the means of grace of the Church of Christ.</p> +<p>F. What was the desert, and who those who dwelt in it +who were enemies to the Lord?</p> +<p>C. The ways of sin, and the devil and his angels.</p> +<p><!-- page 107--><a name="page107"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +107</span>F. What were the bright flowers and the bird?</p> +<p>C. The baits and temptations of sin.</p> +<p>F. Why did Kühn, or “bold,” cross the +border more easily the second time?</p> +<p>C. Because one sin makes another easier.</p> +<p>F. Why did Zart, or “tender,” follow +him?</p> +<p>C. Because bold sinners lead weaker sinners after +them.</p> +<p>F. What were the dry sands into which Kühn and Zart +were carried?</p> +<p>C. The evil ways of sin.</p> +<p>F. Who came to Zart’s rescue when he prayed?</p> +<p>C. The gracious Lord who had at first received him into +His Church by baptism.</p> +<p>F. Why was he still sad and ashamed after he was brought +back?</p> +<p>C. Because he had wandered.</p> +<p>F. Did he then doubt whether he was forgiven?</p> +<p><!-- page 108--><a name="page108"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +108</span>C. No: but he “remembered and was +confounded, and never opened his mouth any more, when the Lord +was pacified toward him for all his iniquity.”</p> +<p>F. What was the end of Kühn, or the +“bold?”</p> +<p>C. We know not; but they who “draw back unto +perdition” are punished above all others.</p> +<p>F. What are we to learn from the whole?</p> +<p>C. The blessedness of being taken into the Church in our +infancy; and our need of prayer and watching, lest we turn it +into a curse.</p> +<h2>The King and his Servants.</h2> +<p><!-- page 109--><a name="page109"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +109</span>A great king once called his servants to him, and said +to them,—“You have all often professed to love me, +and to wish to serve me; and I have never yet made trial of +you. But now I am about to try you all, that it may be +known who does in truth desire to serve me, and who is a servant +only in name. To morrow your trial will begin; so meet me +here in the morning, and be ready to set out upon a journey on +which I shall send you.”</p> +<p>When the king had so spoken, he left them; and there was a +great deal of bustle and talking amongst these servants. +Not that they were all alike. Some were very <!-- page +110--><a name="page110"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +110</span>busy, and said a great deal of the services they should +render; and that they hoped it would be some really hard trial on +which the king would set them. Others were quiet and +thoughtful, saying little or nothing, but, as it seemed, thinking +silently of the words the king had spoken, as if they feared lest +they should fail in their trial. For they loved that king +greatly; he had been as a father to them all. Once they had +been slaves, and cruelly treated by a wicked tyrant who had taken +them prisoners, and cast some of them into dungeons, and made +others work in dark mines, and dealt evil with them all. +But the king had triumphed over this their enemy, and rescued +them from his hands. His own son had sought them in the +dungeons and dark pits into which they had been cast, and had +brought them out; and now he had given them places in his +service, and fed them from his own kingly table; and he promised +to such as were <!-- page 111--><a name="page111"></a><span +class="pagenum">p. 111</span>faithful, that he would raise them +yet higher; that he would even set them upon thrones, and put +crowns upon their heads; and that they should remain always in +his presence, and rule and dwell with him. Now, when the +time of their trial was come, these faithful servants were grave +and thoughtful, fearing lest they should fail, and be led to +forget him their kind and gracious king. But one thought +held them up. He had said unto them all, “As your +day, so shall your strength be.” They knew, +therefore, that he would put on them no task beyond their +strength. They remembered his kindness and his love in +taking them out of the dungeons of the enemy. They desired +greatly to serve him; and so they rejoiced that their trial was +come, even while they feared it; and they trusted in him to help +them, even whilst they trembled for themselves.</p> +<p>These servants spent much of the night in preparing for their +journey; in thinking <!-- page 112--><a name="page112"></a><span +class="pagenum">p. 112</span>over all the directions the king had +ever given them; for many times had he spoken to them of this +coming trial; and even written down plain rules for them, which +should teach them always how he would have them act. All +these they gathered together, lest in the hurry of setting out, +they should forget any one of them; and so they went into the +court of the palace to meet the king.</p> +<p>Then he came forth from his palace-door, and gave them all +their charge.</p> +<p>From the great treasure-chambers of that palace he brought out +many different gifts, and laid them before these his +servants. One had gold and silver, and another had precious +stuffs; but all had something good and costly: and as he gave +them these gifts, he told them that this was to be their +trial. He was about to send them with these gifts into an +exceeding great and rich city, which lay afar off from his +palace; and in that city they <!-- page 113--><a +name="page113"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 113</span>were all to +trade for him. They were to take his gifts and use them +wisely, so that each one of them might bring something back to +him. He gave them also very close and particular +instructions. He told them that there were many in that +city who would try to rob them of these his gifts; and he told +them how to keep them safely. He told them that many would +seek to make them waste what he had given to them on pleasing +themselves. But that they must remember always, that what +they had belonged to him; that they would have to give him an +account of their way of using all his gifts; and that of his mere +mercy he, who had redeemed them from the dungeon and made them +able to serve him, would graciously reward hereafter all their +efforts to use his gifts for him. He told them also to set +about trading for him as early as they could; for that all the +merchants’ goods were freshest in the morning; that then +the precious stones were the finest and the <!-- page 114--><a +name="page114"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 114</span>truest; but +that those who waited till the evening would find all the best +goods sold; and that, perhaps, before they had any thing ready, +the trumpet would sound which was to call them all out of the +city, and then they would have to come back to him empty-handed +and disgraced.</p> +<p>When he had given them these charges, he sent them from his +presence to begin their journey to the great city. All that +day they travelled with horses and camels over plains and hills, +and fruitful fields and deserts, until, just as the sun went +down, they came to the walls of a great city; and they knew that +it was here they were to traffic for their king upon the +morrow.</p> +<p>Then the thoughtful servants began carefully to unpack their +goods; they looked into their bales of precious stuffs to see +that they had got no injury from the dust and sand of the desert; +they counted over their bags of money to see that all was right; +and began to lay them all in order, <!-- page 115--><a +name="page115"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 115</span>that they +might enter the town as soon as the gates were open, and trade +for their king in the morning hours, which he had told them were +the best.</p> +<p style="text-align: center"> +<a href="images/p115.jpg"> +<img alt="The King and His Servants" src="images/p115.jpg" /> +</a></p> +<p>But some of the other servants laughed at them for taking all +this care and trouble. “Surely it will be time +enough,” they said, “to get every thing ready when +the markets are open to-morrow. We have had a long, hot, +weary journey, and we must rest and refresh ourselves before we +think of trading.” So they spread the tables, and +began to feast in a riotous way, quite forgetting the +king’s service, and putting the morrow out of their +thoughts.</p> +<p>Now as soon as the sun was up, in the morning, there was a +great stir amongst the servants. Those who had been careful +and watchful in the evening were ready with all their bales; and +as soon as ever the city-gates were open, they marched in through +them with their goods. It was a great wide city into which +they entered, <!-- page 116--><a name="page116"></a><span +class="pagenum">p. 116</span>and must hold, they thought, a vast +multitude of men. Houses and streets of all sizes met their +eyes here and there; but they passed easily along, because it was +still so early in the morning, that few persons were in the +streets, and those few were all bent upon business, as they were +themselves. So they passed on to the great market where the +merchants bought and sold, and here they set out all their goods; +and the merchants came round them to look over their wares, and +to shew them what they had to sell in return. Now they +found it true as the king had foretold them. For they had +the first choice of all that the merchants could offer. One +of them opened his stores, and shewed them rubies, and diamonds, +and pearls, such as they had never seen before for size and +beauty. So they chose a pearl of great price, and they +bought it for their prince, and they trafficked in their other +wares, and gained for him <!-- page 117--><a +name="page117"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 117</span>more than +as many bags of treasure as he had given them at first. +Thus they traded according to their skill, and every one had now +secured something for his lord. The pearl of great price +was stored by some; others had rich dresses adorned with gold and +precious stones; others had bags of the most refined gold; others +had the spices of Arabia and the frankincense of the islands of +the East.</p> +<p>One there was amongst them who seemed to have got nothing to +carry home with him; and yet he, as well as the rest, had laid +out his master’s gifts. Then some of the other +servants asked him, what he had stored up for the king? and he +said that he had no riches which he could shew to them, but that +he had an offering which he knew that the merciful heart of the +king would make him love and value. Then they asked him to +tell them his story; so he said that, as he was walking through +the market, he had seen a poor <!-- page 118--><a +name="page118"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 118</span>woman +weeping and wringing her hands, as if her heart would break: he +stopped, and asked her the cause of her sorrow; and she told him +that she was a widow, and that some merchants, to whom her +husband had owed large sums of money, had come that morning to +her house and taken all that she had, and seized her children +too; and that they were dragging them away to the slave-market to +sell them for slaves in a far land, that they might pay +themselves the debt which her husband had owed them. So +when he heard her sad tale, he opened his bag of treasure, and +found that all the gold which he had got in it would just pay the +widow’s debt and set her children free. Then he went +with her to the merchants, and he told out to them all that sum, +and set the children of the widow free, and gave them back to +their mother; “and I am taking,” he said, “to +our merciful king the offering of the widow’s tears and +gratitude; and I know <!-- page 119--><a name="page119"></a><span +class="pagenum">p. 119</span>well that this is an offering which +will be well-pleasing in his sight.”</p> +<p>So it fared with these faithful servants in their trading; and +all the while they were cheerful and light-hearted, because they +remembered constantly the love and kindness which their king had +shewed to them; and they rejoiced that they were able to serve +him and to trade for him with his gifts. They thought also +of the goodness of the king’s son towards them; they +remembered how he had sought them when they were prisoners in the +dark dungeons of their tyrant enemy; and they were full of joy +when they thought that they should be able to offer to him the +goodly pearl, and the other curious gifts, which they had +bought. They thought of these things until they longed to +hear the trumpet sound, which was to call them out of the town +and gather them together for their journey home. When that +trumpet might sound, they knew not; but the <!-- page 120--><a +name="page120"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 120</span>sun was now +passed its noon, and the town, which had been so quiet when they +came in the early morning along its empty streets, was now full +of noise, and bustle, and confusion, as great towns are wont to +be, when all the multitude of sleepers awaken and pour out for +pleasure, or business, or idleness, into the streets, and +squares, and market-places.</p> +<p>Heartily glad were they now that they had been so early at +their traffic. Now the merchants had shut up all their +richest stores; and the markets were full of others who brought +false pearls and mock diamonds, instead of the costly gems for +which they had traded in the morning. There seemed to be +hardly any true traders left. Idlers were there in numbers, +and shows and noisy revels were passing up and down the streets; +and they could see thieves and bad men lurking about at all the +corners, seeking whom they could catch, and rob, and plunder.</p> +<p><!-- page 121--><a name="page121"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +121</span>On all these things the servants looked; sometimes they +saw beautiful sights pass by them, which gladdened their eyes; +and sometimes sweet music would fill their ears, as bands of +merry harpers and singers walked up and down through the market; +and they rejoiced in all of these, but still their hearts were +full of thoughts of their kind king, and recollections of his son +their prince; and they longed to be at home with them, even when +the sights round them were the gayest, and the sounds in their +ears were the sweetest; and they were ever watching for the voice +of the trumpet, which was to call them again homeward.</p> +<p>But this happy case was not that of all the servants. +When these watchful men had been entering the gates of the city +in the morning, the thoughtless servants were not yet +awake. They had sat up late at their feasting and +rejoicings, and when the morning sun rose upon them, they <!-- +page 122--><a name="page122"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +122</span>were still in their first deep sleep. The +stirring of their fellow-servants moved them a little, and for a +while they seemed ready to rise and join them. But their +goods were not ready, so they could not go with them; and they +might as well, therefore, they thought, wait a little longer and +rest themselves, and then follow them to the market. They +did not mean to be late, but they saw no reason why they should +be so very early.</p> +<p>They slept, therefore, till the sun was high, and then they +rose in some confusion, because it was now so late; and they had +all their goods to unpack, their stuffs to smooth out, and the +dust to shake off from them. Soon they began about every +little thing to find fault with one another, because they were +secretly angry with themselves. Each one thought that if +his neighbour had not persuaded him to stay, he should have been +up, and have entered the city with the earliest: so high words +<!-- page 123--><a name="page123"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +123</span>arose between them; and instead of helping one another, +and making the best they could of the time which remained, they +only hindered one another, and made it later and later before +they were ready to begin their trading.</p> +<p>At length, after many hard words and much bad temper, one by +one they got away; each as soon as he was ready, and often with +his goods all in confusion; every one following his own path, and +wandering by himself up the crowded streets of the full town.</p> +<p>Hard work they had to get at all along it when they had passed +the gates. All the stream of people seemed now to be +setting against them. The idlers jested upon their strange +dress; and if they did but try to traffic for their lord, the +rude children of the town would gather round them, and hoot, and +cry: so that they could not manage to carry on any trade at +all.</p> +<p><!-- page 124--><a name="page124"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +124</span>Then, as I watched them, I saw that some who had been +the loudest in talking of what they should do when they were +tried, were now the first to give up altogether making any head +at all against the crowd of that city. They packed up what +goods they might have, and began to think only of looking about +them, and following the crowd, and pleasing themselves, like any +of the men around them. Then I looked after some of these, +and I saw that one of them was led on by the crowd to a place in +the town where there was a great show. Outside of it were +men in many-coloured dresses, who blew with trumpets, and jested, +and cried aloud, and begged all to come in and see the strange +sights which were stored within.</p> +<p>Now when the servant came to this place, he watched one and +another go in, until at last he also longed to go in and see the +sights which were to be gazed on within. So he went to the +door, and the <!-- page 125--><a name="page125"></a><span +class="pagenum">p. 125</span>porter asked him for money; but when +he drew out his purse, and the porter saw that his money belonged +to some strange place, and was quite unlike the coin used in that +town, he only laughed at it, and said it was good for nothing +there, and bid him “stand back.” So as he +turned away, the porter saw the rich bundle on his back, and then +he spoke to him in another tone, and he said, “I will let +you in, if you like to give me that bundle of goods.” +Then for a moment the servant was checked. He thought of +his lord and of the reckoning, and he remembered the words, +“As good stewards of the manifold grace of God;” and +he had almost determined to turn back, and to fight his way to +the market-place, and to trade for his lord, let it cost him what +it might;—but just at the moment there was a great burst of +the showman’s trumpets; and he heard the people shouting +for joy within; and so he forgot all but <!-- page 126--><a +name="page126"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 126</span>his great +desire, and slipping off the bundle from his shoulders, he put it +into the hands of the porter, and passed in, and I saw him no +more.</p> +<p>Then I saw another, who was standing at the corner of a street +gating at some strange antics which were being played by a +company of the townsmen. And as he gazed upon them, he +forgot all about his trading for his master, and thought only of +seeing more of this strange sight. Then I saw that whilst +he was thinking only of these follies, some evil-minded men +gathered round him, and before he was aware of it, they secretly +stole from him all the gold which his lord had given him to lay +out for him. The servant did not even know when it was +gone, so much was he thinking of staring at the sight before +him. But it made me very sad to think that when he went to +buy for his master, he would find out, too late, his loss; and +that when the trumpet sounded, <!-- page 127--><a +name="page127"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 127</span>he would +have nothing to carry back with him on the day of reckoning.</p> +<p>Some of these loiterers, too, were treated even worse than +this. One of them I saw whom the shows and lights of that +town led on from street to street, until he came quite to its +farther end; and then he thought that he saw before him, beyond +some lonely palings, still finer sights than any he had left; and +so he set out to cross over those fields, and see those +sights. And when he was half over, some wicked robbers, who +laid wait in those desolate places, rushed out upon him from +their lurking-place, and ill used him sorely, and robbed him of +all his goods and money, and left him upon the ground hardly able +to get back to the town which he had left.</p> +<p>Then I saw one of these loiterers who, as he was looking idly +at the sights round him, grew very grave, and began to tremble +from head to foot. One of his fellows, <!-- page 128--><a +name="page128"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 128</span>who stood +by and saw him, quickly asked him what made him tremble. At +first he could not answer; but after a while he said, that the +sound of the trumpet which they had just heard had made him think +of the great trumpet-sound of their master, which was to call +them all back to his presence, and that he trembled because the +evening was coming on, and he had not yet traded for his +lord. And “How,” he said in great fear, +“how shall we ever stand that reckoning with our hands +empty?” Then some of his companions in idleness +laughed and jeered greatly, and mocked the poor trembler. +But his fears were wiser than their mockings; and so, it seemed, +he knew, for he cared nothing for them; but only said to them, +very sadly and gravely, “You are in the same danger, how +then can you jeer at me?” And with that he pointed +their eyes up to the sky, and shewed them how low the sun had got +already, and that it <!-- page 129--><a name="page129"></a><span +class="pagenum">p. 129</span>wanted but an hour at the most to +his setting, and then that the trumpet might sound at any moment, +and they have nothing to bear home to their lord.</p> +<p>Now, as he spoke, one listened eagerly to him; and whilst the +others jeered, he said very gravely, “What can we do? +Is it quite too late?” “It is never too +late,” said the other, “till the trumpet sounds; and +though we have lost so much of the day, perchance we can yet do +something: come with me to the market-place, and we will +try.” So the other joined him, and off they set, +passing through their companions, who shouted after them all the +way they went, until the townsmen who stood round began to jeer +and shout after them also: so that all the town was moved. +A hard time those two had now, and much they wished that they had +gone to the market-place in the early morning, when the streets +were empty, and the busy servants had passed so easily +along. <!-- page 130--><a name="page130"></a><span +class="pagenum">p. 130</span>Many were the rough words they had +now to bear; many the angry, or ill-natured, crowd through which +they had to push; and if any where they met one of their late and +idle companions, he was sure to stir up all the street against +them, when he saw them pushing on to the market-place.</p> +<p>“Do you think that we shall ever get there?” said +he who had been moved by the other’s words to him, who led +the way, and buffeted with the crowd, like a man swimming through +many rough waves in the strong stream of some swift river. +“Do you think that we shall ever get there?” +“Yes, yes,” said the other; “we shall get there +still, if we do but persevere.” “But it is so +hard to make any way, and the streets seem to grow fuller and +fuller; I am afraid that I shall never get through.”</p> +<p>Just as he spoke, a great band of the townspeople, with music, +and trumpets, <!-- page 131--><a name="page131"></a><span +class="pagenum">p. 131</span>and dancing, met them like a mighty +wave of the sea, and seemed sure to drive them back: one of their +old companions was dancing amongst the rest; and as I looked hard +at him, I saw that it was the same who had given away his +precious burden in order to go into the show. Now, as soon +as he saw these his former fellows, he called to them by their +names, and bid them join him and the townsmen round him. +But he that was leading the way shook his head, and said boldly: +“No: we will not join with you; we are going to the +market-place to traffic for our lord.” “It is +too late for that,” said he; “you lost the morning, +and now you cannot trade.” Then I saw that he who +before had trembled exceedingly grew very pale; but still he held +on his way; and he said,—“Yes, we have lost the +morning, and a sore thing it is for us; but our good lord will +help us even yet; and we <span class="smcap">will</span> serve +him, ‘redeeming the <!-- page 132--><a +name="page132"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 132</span>time, +because the days are evil.’” Then he turned to +the other and said to him,—</p> +<p>“And will not you stop either? Do not be fooled by +this madman: what use is it to go to buy when the shops are all +shut, and the market empty?” Then he hung down his +head, and looked as though he would have turned back, and fallen +into the throng; but his fellow seized him by the hand, and bid +him take courage, and think upon his kind master, and upon the +king’s son, whose very blood had been shed for them; and +with that he seemed to gather a little confidence, and held for a +while on in his way with the other.</p> +<p>Then their old companion turned all his seeming love into +hatred, and he called upon the crowd round him to lay hands on +them and stop them; and this the rabble would fain have done, but +that, as it seemed to me, a power greater than their own was with +those servants, and strengthened them; until they pushed the <!-- +page 133--><a name="page133"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +133</span>rude people aside on the right and on the left, and +passed safely through them into another street.</p> +<p>Here there were fewer persons, and they had a breathing-time +for a while; and as they heard the sound of music and of the +crowd passing by at some little distance from them, they began to +gather heart, and to talk to one another. “I never +thought,” said the one, “that I could have held on +through that crowd; and I never could, if you had not stretched +out your hand to help me.” “Say, rather, if our +master’s strength had not been with us,” said the +other. “But do you think,” said he that was +fearful, “that he will accept any thing we can bring him +now, when the best part of the day is over?” +“Yes, I do,” he replied. “I have a good +hope that he will; for I remember how he said, ‘Return, ye +backsliding children, return ye even unto me.’” +“But how can one who is so trembling <!-- page 134--><a +name="page134"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 134</span>and fearful +as I am ever traffic for him?” “You can, if you +will but hold on; for he has once spoken of his servants +‘as faint yet pursuing.’” +“Well,” said the other, “I wish that I had your +courage; but I do believe that I should not dare to meet such +another crowd as that we have just passed through; I really +thought that they would tear us in pieces.” +“Our king will never let that be,” said the other, +“if only we trust in him.” “But are you +sure,” replied he, “that our king does see us in this +town?”</p> +<p>Just as he said this, and before his companion had time to +answer him again, they heard a louder noise than ever, of men +dancing, and singing, and crowding, and music playing, and horns +blowing, as if all the mad sports of the city were coming upon +them in one burst. At the front of all they could see their +old companion; for the band had turned round by a different +street, and now were just beginning <!-- page 135--><a +name="page135"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 135</span>to come +down that one up which they were passing. Then he who had +been affrighted before, turned white as snow; and he looked this +way and that, to see what he could do.</p> +<p>Now it so happened, that just by where they stood was a great +shop, and in its windows there seemed to shine precious stones +and jewels, and fine crystals, and gold and ivory. And, as +he looked, his eyes fell full upon the shop, and he said to his +fellow,—“Look here; surely here is what we want: let +us turn in here and traffic for our master, and then we shall +escape all this rout which is coming upon us.” +“No, no!” said the other; “we must push on to +the market; that is our appointed place; there our lord bids us +trade: we must not turn aside from the trouble which our lateness +has brought upon us—we must not offer to our master that +which costs us nothing. Play the man, and we shall soon be +in the market.”</p> +<p><!-- page 136--><a name="page136"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +136</span>“But we shall be torn in pieces,” said the +other. “Look at the great crowd: and even now it +seems that our old companion sees me, and is beginning to lead +the rabble upon us.” “Never fear,” said +he who led the way; “our king will keep us. ‘I +will not be afraid for ten thousands of the people who have set +themselves against us round about.’”</p> +<p>Then I saw that he to whom he spoke did not seem to hear these +last words, for the master of the shop had noticed how he cast +his eyes upon the goods that were in the window, and was ready in +a moment to invite him in. “Come in, come in,” +he said, “before the crowd sweep you away; come in and buy +my pearls, and my diamonds, and my precious stones; come in, come +in.” And while he halted for a moment to parley with +the man, the crowd came upon them, and he was parted from his +friend, who had held up his fainting steps; and so he <!-- page +137--><a name="page137"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +137</span>sprung trembling into the shop, scarcely thinking +himself safe even there.</p> +<p>Now the man into whose house he had turned, though he was a +fair-spoken man, and one who knew well how to seem honest and +true, was altogether a deceiver. All his seeming jewels, +and diamonds, and pearls, were but shining and painted glass, +which was worth nothing at all to him who was so foolish as to +buy it: but this the servant knew not. If it had been in +the bright clear light of the morning, he would easily have seen +that the diamonds and the pearls were only sparkling and painted +glass, and the gold nothing but tinsel; but the bright light of +the morning had passed away, and in the red slanting light of the +evening sun he could not see clearly; and so the false man +persuaded him, and he parted with all the rich treasures which +his king had given him, and got nothing for them in exchange +which was worth the having, for he filled his <!-- page 138--><a +name="page138"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 138</span>bag with +bits of painted glass, which his lord would never accept.</p> +<p>However, he knew not how he had been cheated; or if, perhaps, +a thought crossed his mind that all was not right, it was +followed by another, which said that it was now too late to +alter, and that if he had chosen wrongly, still he must abide by +it; and so he waited for the trumpet. But he was not +altogether happy; and often and often he wished that he had faced +the strife of the multitude, and pressed on with his trusting +companion to the market.</p> +<p>A hard struggle had been his before he had reached it. +It seemed indeed at times as if the words of his fearful +companion were coming true, and he would be torn altogether in +pieces, so fiercely did the crowd press upon him and throng +him. But as I watched him in the thickest part of it, I saw +that always, just at his last need, something seemed to favour +him, <!-- page 139--><a name="page139"></a><span +class="pagenum">p. 139</span>and the crowd broke off and left +room for him to struggle by. I could hear him chanting, as +it were, to himself, when the crowd looked upon him the most +fiercely, “I will not be afraid for ten thousands of the +people that have set themselves against me round +about.” And even as he chanted the words, the crowd +divided itself in two parts, like a rushing stream glancing by +some black rock; and on he passed, as though they saw him +not.</p> +<p>So it continued, even till he reached the market-place. +Right glad was he to find himself there: but even now all his +trials were not over. Many of the stalls were empty, and +from many more the fair and true traders were gone away; and +instead of them were come false and deceitful men, who tried to +put off any who dealt with them with pretended jewels and bad +goods.</p> +<p>Then did he look anxiously round and round the market, fearing +every moment <!-- page 140--><a name="page140"></a><span +class="pagenum">p. 140</span>lest the trumpet should sound before +he had purchased any thing for his lord. Never, perhaps, +all along the way, did he so bitterly regret his early sloth as +now, for he wrung his hands together, and said in great +bitterness, “What shall I do?” and, “How shall +I, a loiterer, traffic for my lord?”</p> +<p>Then his eyes fell upon a shop where were no jewels, nor gold, +nor costly silks, nor pearls of great price; but all that was in +it was coarse sackcloth, and rough and hairy garments, and heaps +of ashes, and here and there a loaf of bitter bread, and bitter +herbs, and bottles wherein tears were stored. As he gazed +on this shop something seemed to whisper to his heart, “Go +and buy.” So he went with his sorrowful heart, as one +not worthy to traffic for his master, and he bought the coarsest +sackcloth, and the ashes of affliction, and many bitter tears: +and so he waited for the sounding of the trumpet.</p> +<p><!-- page 141--><a name="page141"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +141</span>Then suddenly, as some loud noise breaks upon the +slumbers of men who sleep, that great trumpet sounded. All +through the air came its voice, still waxing louder and louder; +and even as it pealed across the sky, all that great city, and +its multitudes, and its lofty palaces, and its show, and its +noise, and its revels, all melted away, and were not. And +in a moment all the servants were gathered together, and their +lord and king stood amongst them. All else was gone, and +they and their works were alone with him.</p> +<p>Then was there a fearful trial of every man’s +work. Then were they crowned with light and gladness who +had risen early and traded diligently, and who now brought before +their master the fruit of that toil, and labour, and pain. +Each one had his own reward; and amongst the richest and the +best—as though he brought what the king greatly +loved—was his reward who brought unto his master the <!-- +page 142--><a name="page142"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +142</span>offering of gratitude from the broken-hearted +widow.</p> +<p>Then drew near the servant who had wasted the morning, but had +repented of his sloth, and had fought his way through the crowds, +and had at last bought the sackcloth. Now he came bringing +it with him; and it looked poor, and mean, and coarse, as he bore +it amongst the heaps of gold, and jewels, and silks, which lay +piled up all around; yet did he draw near unto the king; and as +he came, he spoke, and said, “A broken and a contrite heart +wilt thou not despise.” And as he spake, the king +looked graciously upon him: a mild and an approving smile sat +upon his countenance, and he spoke to him also the blessed words, +“Well done, thou good and faithful servant.” +Then did the coarse sackcloth shine as the most rich cloth of +gold; then did the ashes of the furnace sparkle as a +monarch’s jewels; whilst every bitter tear which was stored +<!-- page 143--><a name="page143"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +143</span>in the bottle changed into pearls and rubies which were +above all price.</p> +<p>Then the king turned to the careless servants, and his voice +was terrible to hear, and from his face they fled away. I +dared not to look upon them; but I heard their just and most +terrible sentence, and I knew that they were driven away for ever +from the presence of the king, in which is life and peace; and +that they were bound under chains and darkness, deeper and more +dreadful than those from which the king’s son had +graciously delivered them.</p> +<p style="text-align: center">* * * * *</p> +<p><i>Father</i>. In what part of God’s word do we +read such a parable as this?</p> +<p><i>Child</i>. In the 25th chapter of St. Matthew’s +gospel, and at the 15th verse.</p> +<p>F. Who is the King who called his servants thus +together?</p> +<p>C. Almighty God.</p> +<p>F. Who are meant by these servants trading in the +town?</p> +<p><!-- page 144--><a name="page144"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +144</span>C. All of us Christians.</p> +<p>F. How do you know that they were Christians?</p> +<p>C. Because they had been delivered from slavery and +dungeons by the King’s own Son.</p> +<p>F. What is the great town to which they were sent?</p> +<p>C. This world.</p> +<p>F. What are the goods which God gave them to lay out for +him?</p> +<p>C. Every thing which we have in this life: our strength, +and health, and reason, and money, and time.</p> +<p>F. How may we trade with these for the King?</p> +<p>C. By trying to use them all so as to please Him and set +forth His glory.</p> +<p>F. Who are those who rose up early to go into the +town?</p> +<p>C. Those who begin to serve the Lord even from their +youth.</p> +<p>F. What is shewn by their finding the <!-- page 145--><a +name="page145"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 145</span>streets +easy to pass, and the markets full of rich goods?</p> +<p>C. That this service of God is far easier to such as +begin to serve Him in youth; and that such are able to offer to +Him the best gifts of early devotion, and their first love, and +the zeal of youth, and tender hearts, and unclouded +consciences.</p> +<p>F. What is taught us by their seeing the beautiful +things of the city at their ease, after their diligent +trading?</p> +<p>C. That those who serve God truly in a youthful piety +commonly find more than others, that “godliness has promise +of the life which now is, as well as of that which is to +come.”</p> +<p>F. Why were those who were late ready to quarrel with +one another?</p> +<p>C. Because companions in sin have no real love for each +other, but are always ready to fall out; being all selfish and +separate from God.</p> +<p><!-- page 146--><a name="page146"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +146</span>F. What were the full streets they met with when +they entered the town?</p> +<p>C. The many difficulties and hindrances which beset +those who set about serving God late in life.</p> +<p>F. What were the shows, and the thieves, and the +robbers, which troubled them?</p> +<p>C. The different temptations which come from the devil, +the world, and the flesh.</p> +<p>F. Who were the crowds who withstood them?</p> +<p>C. Those who love this present world, and who therefore +withstand those who seek to live for God’s glory.</p> +<p>F. Who was he who sold the false jewels?</p> +<p>C. One of those who often make a prey of persons +beginning, after a negligent youth, to feel earnest about +religion, and of whom we read, Rom. xvi. 17, 18, “Now I +beseech you, brethren, mark <!-- page 147--><a +name="page147"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 147</span>them which +cause divisions and offences, contrary to the doctrine which ye +have learned; and avoid them. For they that are such serve +not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words +and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.”</p> +<p>F. Who was he who held on through all difficulties to +the market-place?</p> +<p>C. A truly humble penitent, who having turned to God +with all his heart, leans not to his own understanding, but +follows God’s leading in all things; cleaving close to +Christ’s Church.</p> +<p>F. What were the sackcloth and ashes which he +bought?</p> +<p>C. The true contrition of heart and deep sense of sin, +which God gives to those who seek earnestly to turn away from all +iniquity.</p> +<p>F. What was the sound of the trumpet?</p> +<p>C. The call of men to the general judgment.</p> +<p><!-- page 148--><a name="page148"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +148</span>F. Who were those whose trading the master was +pleased to reward?</p> +<p>C. Those who had served God early; those who had given +to Him the best of their youth; those who had been kind to others +and helped the needy for His sake; those who had turned to Him in +truth, and clave to Him with a humble penitence.</p> +<p>F. What was the end of the careless servants?</p> +<p>C. It is an awful end, which our blessed Saviour Jesus +Christ speaks of thus: “Cast ye the unprofitable servant +into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of +teeth.” <a name="citation148a"></a><a href="#footnote148a" +class="citation">[148a]</a> And, again, “These shall +go away into everlasting punishment; but the righteous into life +eternal.” <a name="citation148b"></a><a +href="#footnote148b" class="citation">[148b]</a></p> +<h2><!-- page 149--><a name="page149"></a><span +class="pagenum">p. 149</span>The Prophet’s Guard.</h2> +<p>It was the very earliest morning. The day was not +breaking as it does in this land of England, with a dewy twilight +and a gradual dawning—first a dull glow all over the east, +then blood-red rays, catching any fleecy cloud which is stealing +over the sky, and turning all its misty whiteness into gold and +fire;—but day was breaking as it does in those eastern +countries—sudden, and bright, and hot. Darkness flew +away as at a word; the thick shadows were all at once gone, and +the broad glaring sun rose proudly in the sky, rejoicing in his +strength. The people of the town woke up again to life and +business. Doors were flung wide open, <!-- page 150--><a +name="page150"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 150</span>and some +were passing through them; the flat roofs of the houses began to +be peopled—on one was a man praying, on others two or three +standing together; but most of the people were hastening here and +there to get through their necessary work before the full heat of +the day came on; numbers were passing and repassing to the clear +dancing fountain, the cool waters of which bubbled up in the +midst of a broad square within that city.</p> +<p>And now, what is it which one suddenly sees, and, after gazing +at it for a while, points out to another, and he to a +third? As each hears, they look eagerly up to the hill, +which rises high above their town, until they gather into a knot; +and then, as one and another are added to their company, grow +into almost a crowd. Still it is in the same quarter that +all eyes are fixed; their water-vessels are set idly down, as if +they could <!-- page 151--><a name="page151"></a><span +class="pagenum">p. 151</span>not think of them. Those which +were set under the fountain have been quite full this long time, +but no one stooped to remove them; and the water has been running +over their brimming sides, while its liquid silver flew all round +in a shower of sparkling drops. But no one thinks of +them. What is it which so chains all eyes and fixes the +attention of all?</p> +<p>The hill is quite full of armed men. There were none +there overnight: they have come up from the vale silently and +stealthily during the darkness, while men slept, like some great +mist rising in stillness from the waters, and they seem to be +hemming in the town on every side. Look which way you will, +the sun lights upon the burnished points of spears, or falls on +strong shields, or flashes like lightning from polished and +cutting swords, or is thrown a thousand ways by the rolling +wheels of those war-chariots. “Who are they?” +is the question <!-- page 152--><a name="page152"></a><span +class="pagenum">p. 152</span>of all; and no one likes to say what +all have felt for a long time—“they are our enemies, +and we are their prey.”</p> +<p>But there is no use in shutting the eyes any longer to the +truth. The morning breeze has just floated off in its airy +waves that flag which before hung down lifelessly by the side of +its staff. It has shewn all. They are enemies; they +are fierce and bitter enemies; they are the Syrians, and they are +at war with Israel.</p> +<p>But why are they come against this little town? When +they have licked up it and its people like the dust from the face +of the earth, they will be scarcely further on in their war +against Israel. Why did not they begin with some of the +great and royal cities? Why was it not against Jerusalem, +or Jezreel, or even against the newly rebuilt Jericho? Why +should they come against this little town?</p> +<p>Then one, an evil-looking man of a dark countenance, one who +feared not God <!-- page 153--><a name="page153"></a><span +class="pagenum">p. 153</span>and loved not His servants, +whispered to those around him, and said, “Have you not +heard how Elisha the prophet, who dwells amongst us, has +discovered to the king of Israel the secrets of the army of the +king of Syria? No doubt it is because Elisha is dwelling +here that the king of Syria has come upon us. And now shall +we, and our wives, and our sweet babes, and our houses, and our +treasures, become the prey of the king of Syria, for the sake of +this Elisha. I never thought that good would come from his +dwelling here.”</p> +<p>Now, fear makes men cruel and suspicious, and fills their +minds with hard thoughts; and many of these men were full of +fear: and so, when they heard these words, they began to have +hard bad thoughts of God’s prophet, and to hate him, as the +cause of all the evils which they were afraid would very soon +come upon them.</p> +<p><!-- page 154--><a name="page154"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +154</span>Just then the door of another house opened: it was the +prophet’s house, and his servant came forth with the +water-vessels to fill them at the fountain. He wondered to +see the crowd of men gathered together, and he drew near to ask +them what was stirring. He could read upon their dark +scowling faces that something moved them exceedingly; but what it +was he could not gather. He could not tell why they would +scarcely speak to him, but looked on him with angry faces, and +spoke under their breath, and said, “This is one of +them.” “’Twere best to give them +up.” “They will destroy us all.” +Then the man was altogether astonished; for his master had been +ever humble, and kind, and gentle; no poor man had ever turned +away without help when he had come in his sorrows to the prophet +of the Lord. And yet, why were they thus angry with him, if +it were not for his master’s sake?</p> +<p><!-- page 155--><a name="page155"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +155</span>Broken sentences were all that he could gather; but, by +little and little, he learned what they feared and what they +threatened; he saw, also, the hosts of armed men gathered all +around the city; and his heart, also, was filled with fear. +He believed that it was for his master’s sake that they +were there; he saw that all around him were turned against his +master, and he trembled exceedingly. For some time he stood +amongst the rest, scarce knowing what to do, neither liking to +remain nor daring to go; until at last, as some more stragglers +joined themselves to the company, he slunk away like one ashamed, +without stopping even to fill the water-vessels he had +brought.</p> +<p>And so he entered his own door, heavy-hearted and trembling; +and he went to the prophet’s chamber, for he deemed that he +still slept. But the man of God was risen; and he knew, +therefore, where he should find him—that he would be <!-- +page 156--><a name="page156"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +156</span>upon the flat roof of his house, calling upon the name +of the Lord his God, who had made another morning’s sun to +rise in its glory.</p> +<p style="text-align: center"> +<a href="images/p156.jpg"> +<img alt="The Prophet’s Guard" src="images/p156.jpg" /> +</a></p> +<p>So he followed his master to the housetop; and there, even as +he had supposed, he found the holy man. It was a striking +sight, could any one have seen the difference between these two +men. The one pale and trembling and affrighted, like a man +out of himself, and with no stay on which to rest his mind; the +other calm and earnest, as, in deep and solemn prayer, with his +head bowed and his hands clasped together, his low voice poured +forth his thanksgiving, or spake of his needs; he also, as it +seemed, was out of himself, but going out of himself that he +might rest upon One who was near to him though his eye saw Him +not, and who spake to him though his outward ear heard no voice +of words.</p> +<p>Thus he continued for a season, as if <!-- page 157--><a +name="page157"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 157</span>he knew not +that any man was nigh unto him; as if he knew not that there +were, in the great world around him, any one besides his God with +whom he communed, and his own soul which spake unto his +God. All this time his servant stood by him, pale and +trembling, but not daring to break in upon that hour of prayer; +until at length the prophet paused, and his eye fell upon the +trembler; and he turned towards him, and said kindly, “What +ails thee, my son?” Then the servant answered, +“O my father, look unto the hill.” And he stood +gazing in the prophet’s face, as though he expected to see +paleness and terror overspread it when his eyes gathered in the +sight of those angry hosts. But it was not so. No +change passed over his countenance; his brow was open as it was +before; the colour never left his cheeks; and, with almost a +smile, he turned unto the servant, and said, “And why does +this <!-- page 158--><a name="page158"></a><span +class="pagenum">p. 158</span>affright thee?” +“It is for thee they seek, my father—it is for thee +they seek; and the wicked men of the town are ready to fall upon +thee and deliver thee into their hands. Even now, as I +walked along the street, they looked on me with fierce and cruel +eyes; and they breathed threats which these lips may not utter, +and said, that thou hadst brought this trouble upon them, and +their wives, and their little ones; and I feared that they would +curse thee and thy God.” But the prophet was not +moved by his words, for he only answered, “Fear them not; +they that are with us are more than they that are against +us.” Then did the servant cast his eyes to the +ground, and he spake not, yet his lips moved; and if any one had +heard the words which he whispered, they might perhaps have heard +him ask how this could be, when they were but two, and their +enemies were so many and so mighty.</p> +<p><!-- page 159--><a name="page159"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +159</span>Now the prophet’s eye rested upon him, and he +read all his secret thoughts; and he pitied his weakness, for +that holy man was full of pity for the weak: so he chid him not; +but, bowing his knees again on that flat roof, he prayed unto his +God to open the eyes of his affrighted servant. His prayer +was heard. For there fell from them as it were films; and +now, when he looked out, he saw a glorious sight. All the +mountain was full; and they were a wonderful company which filled +it. The dark hosts of the Syrians, and their glancing +swords and clashing chariots, now looked but as a mere handful; +for the whole mountain round them was full of that heavenly +army. Chariots of fire and horsemen of fire thronged it in +every part. High up into the viewless air mounted their +wheeling bands: rank beyond rank, and army beyond army, they +seemed to stretch on into the vastness of space, until the +gazer’s wearied eye was unable to gaze <!-- page 160--><a +name="page160"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 160</span>on +them. And all of these were gathered round his +master. They were God’s host, keeping guard over +God’s servant. And they who would injure him must +first turn aside those flashing swords, must break up that strong +and serried array, and be able to do battle with God’s +mighty angels.</p> +<p>Then was the weak heart strong. Then did the poor +trembler see that he was safe; and know that he who is on +God’s side can never want companions and defenders.</p> +<h2><!-- page 161--><a name="page161"></a><span +class="pagenum">p. 161</span>The Brothers’ Meeting;<br /> +<span class="smcap">or</span>,<br /> +The Sins of Youth.</h2> +<p>A large company was winding its way slowly out of the vale in +which the river Jordan runs. The sun was just beginning to +strike hotly upon them, and make them long for rest and shelter, +as they toiled up the open sandy hills and amongst the great +masses of rock with which that country was strewn.</p> +<p>It was a striking sight to see those travellers. First +went three troops of kine, lowing as they went; camels with their +arched necks, stooping shoulders, and forward ears; asses with +their foals; ewes and lambs; and goats with their <!-- page +162--><a name="page162"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +162</span>kids, which mounted idly upon every rock that lay by +their road-side, and then jumped as idly down again; and before +and after these, drivers in stately turbans and long flowing +robes, keeping the flocks and herds to their appointed way. +Then came large droves of cattle, and sheep, and goats, and +asses, stirring up with their many feet the dust of the sandy +plain, till it fell like a gentle shower powdering with its small +grains all the rough and prickly plants which grew in tufts over +the waste. Then was there a space; and after that were seen +two bands of camels,—the best they seemed to be of all the +flock, those which came last especially,—and on them were +children and women riding, over whom hung long veils to shelter +their faces from the hot breath of the sandy desert through which +they had travelled. And after all these came one man, with +his staff in his hand and a turban on his head, walking slowly, +as <!-- page 163--><a name="page163"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +163</span>one who walked in pain and yet walked on, following +those who went before.</p> +<p>If you had stood near to that man, you might, perhaps, have +heard him speaking to God in prayer and thanksgiving; you might +have heard him saying to himself, “with my staff passed I +over this Jordan, and now I am become two bands:” or you +might have heard him earnestly calling upon the God of Abraham, +and the God of Isaac his father, to keep him safe in the great +danger which now lay close before him. His mind was +certainly very full of that danger; for he kept looking up from +the sand on which his eyes were often fixed, and gazing as far as +he could see over the hills before him, as if he expected to see +some great danger suddenly meet him on his way, and as if, +therefore, he wished to be quite ready for it.</p> +<p>If you looked into his face, you could see at once that he was +not a common <!-- page 164--><a name="page164"></a><span +class="pagenum">p. 164</span>man. He was not a very old +man; his hair was not yet grey upon his head; and yet it seemed, +at the first glance, as if he was very old. But as you +looked closer, you saw that it was not so; but that many, many +thoughts had passed through his mind, and left those deep marks +stamped even on his face. It was not only sorrow, though +there was much of that; nor care, though he was now full of care; +but besides these, it seemed as if he had seen, and done, and +felt great things—things in which all a man’s soul is +called up, and so, which leave their impress behind them, even +when they have passed away.</p> +<p>He <span class="smcap">had</span> seen great things, and felt +great things. He had seen God’s most holy angels +going up to heaven, and coming down to earth upon their messages +of mercy. He had heard the voice of the Lord of all, +promising to be his Father and his Friend. And only the +night before, <!-- page 165--><a name="page165"></a><span +class="pagenum">p. 165</span>the Angel of the covenant had made +himself known to him in the stillness of his lonely tent, and +made him strong to wrestle with him for a blessing, until the +breaking of the day. So that it was no wonder, that when +you looked into his face, it was not like the face of a common +man, but one which was full of thought, which bore almost +outwardly the stamp of great mysteries.</p> +<p>But what was it which now filled this man with care? He +was returning home from a far land where he had been staying +twenty years, to the land where his father dwelt. He had +gone out a poor man; he was coming home a rich man. He was +bringing back with him his wives, and his children, and his +servants, and his flocks, and his herds; and of what was he +afraid? Surely he could trust the God who had kept him and +blessed him all these twenty years, and who had led him now so +far on his journey?</p> +<p><!-- page 166--><a name="page166"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +166</span>Why should he fear now, when he was almost at his +father’s tent?</p> +<p>It was because he heard that <span class="smcap">his +brother</span> was coming to meet him. But why should this +fill him with such fear? Surely it would be a happy +meeting; brothers born of the same father and of the same mother, +who had dwelt together in one tent, kneeled before one +father’s knees in prayer, and joined together in the common +plays of childhood,—surely their meeting must be happy, now +that they have been twenty years asunder, and God has blessed +them both, and they are about to see each other again in peace +and safety, and to shew to each other the children whom God had +given them, and who must remind them of their days of common +childhood. And why then is the man afraid? Because +when he left his father’s house this brother was very angry +with him, and he fears that he may have remembered his anger all +these twenty years, and be <!-- page 167--><a +name="page167"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 167</span>ready now +to revenge himself for that old quarrel.</p> +<p>And yet, why should this make such an one to fear? Even +if his brother be still angry with him, and have cruel and evil +thoughts against him, cannot God deliver him?—cannot the +same God who has kept him safely all these twenty years of toil +and labour, help and save him now? Why then does he fear so +greatly? He has not forgotten that this God can save +him—he has not for a moment forgotten it; for see how +earnestly he makes his prayer unto Him: hear his vows that if God +will again deliver him, he and all of his shall ever praise and +serve him for this mercy. Yet still he is in fear; and he +seems like a man who thought that there was some reason why the +God who had heard him in other cases should not hear him in +this.</p> +<p>What was it, then, which pressed so heavily upon this +man’s mind? It was <!-- page 168--><a +name="page168"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 168</span>the +remembrance of an old sin. He feared that God would leave +him now to Esau’s wrath, because he knew that Esau’s +wrath was God’s punishment of his sin. He feared that +Esau’s hand would slay his children, as God’s +chastisement for the sins of his childhood. He remembered +that he had lied to Isaac his father, and mocked the dimness of +his aged eyes by a false appearance; now he trembled lest his +father’s God should leave the deceiver and the mocker to +eat the bitter fruit of his old sin. It was not so much +Esau’s wrath, and Esau’s company, and Esau’s +arms, which he feared—though all these were very terrible +to this peaceful man,—as it was his own sin in days long +past, which now met him again, and seemed to frown upon him from +the darkness before him. In vain did he strive to look on +and see whether God would guide him there, for his sin clouded +over the light of God’s countenance. It was as when +<!-- page 169--><a name="page169"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +169</span>he strained his eyes into the great sand-drifts of the +desert through which he had passed: they danced and whirled +fearfully before him, and baffled all the strivings of his +earnest gaze.</p> +<p>But the time of trial was drawing very near. And how did +it end? Instead of falling upon him and slaying him and +his; instead of making a spoil of the oxen, and the asses, and +the camels, and giving the young children to the sword, +Esau’s heart melted as soon as they met; he fell upon his +brother’s neck and kissed him; he looked lovingly upon the +children who had been born to him in the far land; he spake +kindly of the old days of their remembered childhood, of the +grey-haired man at home; and he would not take even the present +which his brother had set apart for him.</p> +<p>Jacob knew who it was that had turned his brother’s +heart, and he felt more than ever what a strong and blessed thing +prayer <!-- page 170--><a name="page170"></a><span +class="pagenum">p. 170</span>and supplication was. Nor did +he forget his childhood’s sin against his God. It had +looked out again upon him in manhood, and reminded him of +God’s holiness, of his many past misdeeds, and made him +pray more earnestly not to be made to “possess the +iniquities of his youth.”</p> +<p style="text-align: center">* * * * *</p> +<p><i>Father</i>. What should we learn from this account of +Jacob’s meeting Esau?</p> +<p><i>Child</i>. That God remembers and often visits long +afterwards the sins of our childhood.</p> +<p>F. Does not God, then, forgive the sins of children?</p> +<p>C. Yes, He does forgive them, and blot them out for +Christ’s sake.</p> +<p>F. Why, then, do we say that He visits them?</p> +<p>C. Because He often allows the effects of past sins to +be still their punishment, even when He has forgiven them.</p> +<p><!-- page 171--><a name="page171"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +171</span>F. Why does He do so?</p> +<p>C. To shew us how He hates sin.</p> +<p>F. What should we learn from this?</p> +<p>C. To watch against every sin most carefully, because we +never can know what may be its effects; to remember how God has +punished it, often for years, in His true servants; to pray +against sin; to think no sin little.</p> +<p>F. What should we do, if we find the consequences of +past sin coming upon us?</p> +<p>C. Take our chastisement meekly; humble ourselves under +God’s hand; pray for deliverance, as, “Remember not +the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions: according to thy +mercy remember thou me for thy goodness’ sake, O +Lord” (Ps. xxv. 7).</p> +<p>F. What should be the effect on us when God hears our +prayer, and delivers us?</p> +<p>C. It should make us more humbly remember <!-- page +172--><a name="page172"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +172</span>our sins and unworthiness, and strive to shew forth our +thankfulness, “not with our lips only, but in our +lives.”</p> +<p style="text-align: center"> +<a href="images/p172.jpg"> +<img alt="Finis" src="images/p172.jpg" /> +</a></p> +<p style="text-align: center"><span +class="smcap">london</span>:<br /> +<span class="smcap">printed by gilbert & rivington</span>,<br +/> +St. John’s Square.</p> +<h2>Footnotes:</h2> +<p><a name="footnote6"></a><a href="#citation6" +class="footnote">[6]</a> Rev. xxii. 2.</p> +<p><a name="footnote45a"></a><a href="#citation45a" +class="footnote">[45a]</a> Lover of God.</p> +<p><a name="footnote45b"></a><a href="#citation45b" +class="footnote">[45b]</a> Wanderer.</p> +<p><a name="footnote45c"></a><a href="#citation45c" +class="footnote">[45c]</a> Timid.</p> +<p><a name="footnote46"></a><a href="#citation46" +class="footnote">[46]</a> Help.</p> +<p><a name="footnote49a"></a><a href="#citation49a" +class="footnote">[49a]</a> Prov. ii. 19.</p> +<p><a name="footnote49b"></a><a href="#citation49b" +class="footnote">[49b]</a> Ps. cxix. 9.</p> +<p><a name="footnote76"></a><a href="#citation76" +class="footnote">[76]</a> Isaiah xlii. 16.</p> +<p><a name="footnote79a"></a><a href="#citation79a" +class="footnote">[79a]</a> Isaiah xxxv. 3, 4.</p> +<p><a name="footnote79b"></a><a href="#citation79b" +class="footnote">[79b]</a> Ps. cxix. 67.</p> +<p><a name="footnote80"></a><a href="#citation80" +class="footnote">[80]</a> Isaiah xxxv. 9.</p> +<p><a name="footnote95a"></a><a href="#citation95a" +class="footnote">[95a]</a> Bold, or Rash.</p> +<p><a name="footnote95b"></a><a href="#citation95b" +class="footnote">[95b]</a> Tender.</p> +<p><a name="footnote96"></a><a href="#citation96" +class="footnote">[96]</a> Faith.</p> +<p><a name="footnote148a"></a><a href="#citation148a" +class="footnote">[148a]</a> Matt. xxv. 30.</p> +<p><a name="footnote148b"></a><a href="#citation148b" +class="footnote">[148b]</a> Ib. xxv. 46.</p> +<p>***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE ROCKY ISLAND***</p> +<pre> + + +***** This file should be named 20541-h.htm or 20541-h.zip****** + + +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: +http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/2/0/5/4/20541 + + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + + + + +Title: The Rocky Island + and Other Similitudes + + +Author: Samuel Wilberforce + + + +Release Date: February 7, 2007 [eBook #20541] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII) + + +***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE ROCKY ISLAND*** + + + + +Transcribed from the 1849 (tenth) Francis & John Rivington edition by +David Price, email ccx074@pglaf.org + + + + + +THE ROCKY ISLAND, +AND +OTHER SIMILITUDES. + + +BY SAMUEL WILBERFORCE, D.D. +LORD BISHOP OF OXFORD. + +"Fed my lambs."--S. JOHN xxi. 15. + +TENTH EDITION + +LONDON: +FRANCIS & JOHN RIVINGTON, +ST. PAUL'S CHURCH YARD, AND WATERLOO PLACE. +1849. + +{The Rocky Island: p0.jpg} + + + + +PREFACE. + + +The advertisement to a work of similar character to the present expresses +the author's principle and wishes as to this little volume. It is +constructed on the same plan, and, like the former, has had the test of +the observations of his own children before it was given to the public. +The reception of "Agathos" has shewn that many parents have felt the want +which these little volumes are intended to supply, and leads the author +to hope that he has in some measure been able to meet it. + +It is a peculiar gratification to him to be able thus to enter many a +Christian household, and fulfil, in some measure, his Master's charge, +"Feed my lambs." + +May it please God to give His blessing to this new attempt. + +S. W + +_Winchester_, _Sept._ 29, 1840. + + + + +The Rocky Island. + + +I saw in my dream a rough rocky island rising straight out of the midst +of a roaring sea. In the midst of the island rose a black steep +mountain; dark clouds rested gloomily upon its top; and into the midst of +the clouds it cast forth ever and anon red flames, which lit them up like +the thick curling smoke at the top of a furnace-chimney. Peals of loud +thunder sounded constantly from these thick clouds; and now and then +angry lightning shot its forked tongue, white, and red, and blue, from +the midst of them, and fell upon the rocks, or the few trees which just +clung to their sides, splitting them violently down, and scattering the +broken and shivered pieces on all sides. It was a sad, dreary-looking +island at the first view, and I thought that no one could dwell in it; +but as I looked closer at its shores, I saw that they were covered with +children at play. A soft white sand formed its beach, and there these +children played. I saw no grown people among them; but the children were +all busy--some picking up shells; some playing with the bright-coloured +berries of a prickly dwarf-plant which grew upon those sands; some +watching the waves as they ran up and then fell back again on that shore; +some running after the sea-birds, which ran with quick light feet along +the wet sand, and ever flew off, skimming just along the wave-top, and +uttering a quick sharp note as the children came close upon them:--so +some sported in one way, and some in another, but all were busily at +play. Now I wondered in my dream to see these children thus busy whilst +the burning mountain lay close behind them, and the thunder made the air +ring. + +Sometimes, indeed, when it shone out redder and fiercer than usual, or +when the thunder seemed close over their heads, the children would be +startled for a little while, and run together, and cry, and scream; but +very soon it was all forgotten, and they were as full of their sports as +ever. + +While I was musing upon this, I saw a man appear suddenly amongst the +children. He was of a noble and kingly countenance, and yet so gentle +withal that there was not a child of them all who seemed afraid to look +in his face, or to listen to his kind voice when he opened his mouth, for +soon I found that he was speaking to them. "My dear children," I heard +him say, "you will all be certainly killed, if you stay upon this rocky +island. Here no one ever grows up happily. Here all play turns into +death--the burning mountain, and the forked lightning, and the dreadful +breath of the hill-storm,--these sweep down over all that stay here, and +slay them all; and if you stay here, for these childish pleasures of +yours, you will all perish." + +Then the children grew very grave, and they gazed one upon another, and +all looked up into the face of the man, to see if he spoke in earnest. +They saw directly that he did, for that kind face looked full of care as +well as of love: so from him they looked out upon the waves of the sea, +and one whispered to another, "Where shall we go? how shall we ever get +over that sea? we can never swim across it: had we not better go back, +and play and be happy, until the time comes for us to die?" + +"No," said the man, looking round kindly upon them all; "you cannot swim +over; you never could get over of yourselves: but you need not stay here +and die; for I have found a way of escape for you. Follow me, and you +shall see it." + +So I saw that he led them round a high rough rock, to where the calm +waves of the sea ran up into a little bay, upon the white sand of which +only a gentle ripple broke with a very pleasant sound. This bay was full +of boats, small painted boats, with just room in each for one person, +with a small rudder to guide them at the stern, and a little sail as +white as snow, and over all a flag, on which a bright red cross was +flapping in the gentle sea-breeze. + +Then when the children saw these beautiful boats, they clapped their +little hands together for very joy of heart. But the man spoke to them +again and said, "You will all have a deep, and dangerous, and stormy sea +to pass over in these little boats. They will carry you quite safely, if +you are careful to do just as I bid you, for then neither are wind nor +the sea can harm them; but they will bear you safely over the foaming +waves to a bright and beautiful land--to a country where there is no +burning mountain, and no angry lightning, and no bare rocks, and no +blasting hill-storm; but where there are trees bearing golden fruits by +the side of beautiful rivers, into which they sweep their green boughs. +There the trees are always green, and the leaves ever fresh. There the +fruit ripens every month, {6} and the very leaves upon the trees are +healing. There is always glad and joyful light. There are happy +children who have passed this sea; and there are others who have grown +old full of happiness; there are some of your fathers, and mothers, and +brothers, and sisters; and there am I ever present to keep and to comfort +you." Now when they heard this, all the children wished to jump into the +boats, and he was kindly ready to help them, only he put each one in +carefully and slowly; and as he put him in, he gave him his charge. He +told them that they must never look round to this island they were +leaving, but must be always setting their faces towards the happy land +they sought for. He told them that they must leave behind them all the +shells and the berries which had pleased them here, for if they tried to +take these with them in their boats, some accident would certainly befall +them. Then some of the children, when they heard all this, drew secretly +away, and ran round the point, and gave up the boats and the sea, and +began their old idle play again. And some of them, I thought, hid the +shells and the berries they had got, and then jumped into the boat, +pretending they had left all behind them. + +Then I saw that the man gave different presents to each of them, as they +seated themselves in the boat. One was a little compass in a wooden box. +"This," he said, "will always shew you which way to steer; you are to +follow me, for I shall always be before you on the waters; but often when +the darkness of the night comes on, or the thick mist seethes up from the +wave's brim, or the calm has fallen upon you so that your boat has stood +still,--often at such times as these you may not be able even to mark my +track before you: then you must look at the compass, and its finger will +always point true and straight to where I am; and if you will follow me +there, you will be safe." He gave them, too, a musical instrument, which +made a soft murmuring sound when they breathed earnestly into it; "and +this," he said, "you must use when you are becalmed and so cannot get on, +or when the waves swell into a storm around you and threaten to swallow +you up." He gave them, too, bread and water for many days. + +So I saw that they all set out upon their voyage, and a beautiful sight +it was to look upon. Their snow-white sails upon the deep sea shone like +stars upon the blue of the firmament; and now they all followed close +upon the leader's ship, and their little boats danced lightly and +joyfully over the trackless waves, which lifted up their breasts to waft +them over: and so they started. But I looked again in a little while, +and they were beginning to be scattered very widely asunder: here and +there three or four of the boats kept well together, and followed +steadily in the track of the leader's vessel; then there was a long space +of the sea with no boat upon it at all; then came a straggler or two, and +then another company; and then, far off on the right and on the left, +were other boats, which seemed to be wandering quite away from the +leader's path. + +Now, as I watched them closer, I saw that there were many different +things which drew them away: one I saw, soon after they started, who +turned back to look at the rocky island, forgetting the man's command. He +saw the other children playing on the beach; he heard their merry voices; +and then looking round again towards the sea, it looked rough and dark +before him; and he forgot the burning mountain, and the terrible thunder, +and the bright happy land for which he was bound, and the goodly company +he was in, and the kind face of the kingly man; and he was like one in a +dream, before whose eyes all sorts of shapes and colours fly, and in +whose ears all sounds are ringing; and he thought no more of the helm, +nor watched the sails; and so the driving swell carried his boat idly +along with its long roll; and in a few minutes more I saw it at the top +of a white foaming breaker, and then he and it were dashed down upon the +rocks which girdled the sandy beach, and he was seen again no more. + +Then I turned my eyes to two other boats, which were going fast away from +the true course, for no reason which I could see; but when I looked at +them more closely, I saw that they were in a sort of angry race; each +wished to get to the wind-side of the other; and they were so busy +thinking about this, and looking at one another with angry glances, and +calling out to one another with angry words, that they forgot to look for +the leader's ship, or to watch the finger of the compass; and so they +were going altogether wide of the track along which they should have +passed. + +Then I looked closely at another, which was shooting quite away in +another direction; and I saw that the poor child had left the rudder, and +was playing with something in the bottom of the boat; and as I looked +nearer in it, I saw that it was with some of the bright berries of the +rocky island which he had brought with him that he was so foolishly busy. + +Foolish, indeed, he was; and kind had been the warning of the man who +bade them leave all these behind: for whilst I was watching him, and +wondering what would be the end of such a careless voyage, I saw his +little boat strike suddenly upon a hidden rock, which broke a hole in its +wooden sides, and the water rushed in, and the boat began to sink, and +there was no help near, and the poor boy was soon drowned in the midst of +the waves. + +Then I turned sadly away to watch the boats which were following their +leader; and here, too, I saw strange things; for though the sea when +looked at from afar seemed just alike to all, yet when I watched any one, +I saw that he had some difficulties, and some frights, and some helps of +his own, which I did not see the others have. + +Sometimes it would fall all at once quite dark, like a thick night, all +round a boat; and if he that was in it could hear the voice of a +companion near him for a little while, that gladdened him greatly; and +then oftentimes all sound of voices died away, and all was dark, still, +deep night, and he knew not where to steer. Now if, when this fell upon +him, the child went straight to his compass, and looked close upon it, in +spite of the darkness, there came always a faint flashing light out of +the darkness, which played just over the compass, so as to shew him its +straight blue finger, if he saw no more; and then, if he took up his +musical instrument, and blew into it, though the thickness of the heavy +air seemed at first to drown its sound, yet, after awhile, if he was but +earnest, I could hear its sweet murmuring sound begin; and then directly +the child lost his fears, and did not want company; sweet echoes of his +music talked with his spirit out of the darkness, and within a little +time the gloom would lift itself quite up again, or melt away into the +softest light: and lo! he had got on far on his voyage even in this time +of darkness, so that sometimes he could see the beloved form just before +him; and at times even the wooded shore of the happy land would lift +itself up, and shine on his glad eyes, over the level brim of the silver +sea. + +From another boat it would seem that the very air of the heaven died +away. There it lay, like a painted sail in a picture--the snow-white +canvass drooping lazily, or flapping to and fro, as the long dull swell +heaved up the boat, and let it sink again into the trough of the waves: +other boats, but a little way off, would sail by with a full breeze; but +he could not move; his very flag shewed no sign of life. Now if the +little sailor began to amuse himself when this happened, it seemed to me +that there he lay, and would lie, till the dark night overtook him, and +parted him from all his company. But if, instead of this, he took up his +musical instrument, and played upon it with all his earnestness, its soft +breath, as it whispered to the wind, soon woke up its gentle sighing; the +long flag lifted itself on high; the blood-red cross waved over the +water; the snowy sails swelled out, and the little boat danced on along +its joyful way. + +I noticed also that before those boats which were passing on the fastest, +the sea would every now and then look very dark and threatening. Great +waves would seem to lift their white heads just before them; whilst every +where else the sea looked calm and enticing. Then the little sailor +would strain his eye after his master's course, or look down at the +faithful compass; and by both of these sure signs he saw that his way lay +straight through these threatening waves. Well was it for him, if, with +a bold heart and a faithful hand, he steered right into them. For always +did I see, that just as he got where it seemed to be most dangerous, the +tossing waves sank, as if to yield him an easy passage; the wind favoured +him more than at any part of his voyage; and he got on in the right way +faster than ever before. Especially was this so, if at first he was +somewhat tossed, and yet held straight on; for then he shot into a glassy +calm, where tide and wind bore him steadily along unto the desired haven. +But sad was it for him, if, instead of then trusting to the compass, he +steered for the smoother water. One or two such trembling sailors I +especially observed. One of them had long been sailing with the foremost +boats; he had met with less darkness, fewer mists or troubled places, +than the boats around him; and when he saw the white crests of the +threatening waves lift up their strength before him, his heart began to +sink; and after wavering for a moment, he turned his little boat aside to +seek the calmer water. Through it he seemed to be gliding on most +happily, when all at once his little boat struck upon a hidden sandbank, +and was fixed so firmly on its side, that it could not get afloat again. +I saw not his end; but I sadly feared that when next the sea wrought with +a troubled motion, and the surf broke upon that bank, his little boat +must soon be shivered, and he perish in the waves. + +The other who turned aside followed closely after him; for this was one +thing which I noted through all the voyage. Whenever one boat went +astray, some thoughtless follower or other would forget his compass, to +sail after the unhappy wanderer; and it often happened that these +followers of others went the farthest wrong of any. So it was in this +case; for when the first boat struck upon the sandbank, the other, +thinking to escape it, bore still farther off; and so chancing to pass +just where the shoal ended, and an unruly current swept by its farthest +edge, the boat was upset in a moment, and the poor child in it drowned. + +And now I turned to three or four boats which had kept together from the +time they left the harbour. Few were forwarder than they; few had +smoother water or more prosperous gales. I could see, when I looked +close into their faces, that they were all children of one family; and +that all the voyage through they were helping, cheering, and directing +one another. As I watched their ways, I noticed this, too, which seemed +wonderful. If one of them had got into some trouble with its tackle, and +the others stayed awhile to help it, and to bring it on its way, instead +of losing ground by this their kindness, they seemed all to make the +greater progress, and press on the further in their course. + +And now I longed to see the ending of this voyage; and so looking on to +those which were most forward, I resolved to trace them to the end. + +Then I found that all, without exception, came into a belt of storms and +darkness before they reached the happy land. True, it was much rougher +and more dark with some than others; but to every one there was a deep +night and a troubled sea. I saw, too, that when they reached this place, +they were always parted one from another. Even those which had kept most +close together all the voyage before, until just upon the edge of this +dark part, they, like the rest, were scattered here, and toiled on awhile +singly and alone. + +They seemed to me to fare the best who entered on it with the fullest +sails, and had kept hitherto the straightest course. Indeed, as a common +rule I found this always true--that those who had watched the compass, +and held the rudder, and cheered themselves with the appointed music, and +eaten the master's bread, and steered straight after him, they passed +through this cloud and darkness easily and swiftly. + +Next to these were those who sought most earnestly to cheer its gloom +with the sound of their appointed music. The Lord of these seas, indeed, +had many ways of cheering His followers. Even in the thickest of that +darkness His face of beaming love would look out upon them; and He seemed +nearer to them then than He had done heretofore through all their voyage. + +Then, moreover, it was never long; and bright light lay beyond it. For +they passed straight out of it into "the haven where they would be." +Sweet sounds broke upon their glad ears even as they left that darkness. +A great crowd of happy children--parents who had gone before them--friends +whom they had loved, and holy persons whose names they had long +known--these all lined the banks, waiting to receive and welcome them. +Amidst these moved up and down shining forms of beautiful beings, such as +the children's eyes had seen only in some happy dream; and they, too, +were their friends; they, too, waited for them on the bank; they, too, +welcomed them with singing, and bore the happy new-comer with songs of +triumph into the shining presence of the merciful King. Then, on the +throne royal, and with the glorious crown upon His head, they saw the +same kind face of gentle majesty which had looked upon them when they +played on the shores of that far rocky isle. They heard again the voice +which had bid them fly the burning mountain. They saw Him who had taken +them into His convoy; who had given them their boats; who had been near +them in the storm; who had given them light in the darkness; who had +helped them in the dull calm; who had never left them; but who had kept +and guided them across the ocean; and who now received them to His never- +ending rest. + +* * * * * + +_Father_. Who are the children playing on the shores of the rocky +island? + +_Child_. The fallen children of fallen parents, born into this sinful +world. + +F. What does the burning mountain, and the lightning, and the +hill-storm, represent? + +C. The wrath of God ever burning against sinners. + +F. Who is He who warned these thoughtless children? + +C. The Lord Jesus, who, by His ministers, warns men to "flee from the +wrath to come." + +F. What are the boats by which they are to escape? + +C. The "ark of Christ's Church," into which we are admitted by baptism. + +F. Many of the children who embarked in the boats were lost,--what is +shewn by this? + +C. That it is not enough to be received into the congregation of +Christ's flock; but that we must always "manfully fight under His banner +against the world, the flesh, and the devil, and continue Christ's +faithful soldiers and servants unto our lives' end." + +F. What is the compass, and the musical instrument, and the bread, and +the water? + +C. God's word, and the privilege of prayer and holy sacraments, and the +other gifts of God to His Church. + +F. What is the gentle wind which the musical instrument awoke? + +C. The grace of God's Holy Spirit, promised to the members of His +Church, to be sought by earnest prayer, and in all the means of grace. + +F. What means the boy playing with the berries, and so striking on the +rock? + +C. One who having been given up to Christ in baptism follows worldly +pleasures, and so "makes shipwreck of the faith." + +F. What are the dark places and calms into which different boats enter? + +C. The different temptations and dangers of the Christian life. + +F. What are the threatening waves which seemed to be right ahead of the +boat? + +C. The dangers and self-denials which they must meet with who will +follow Christ. + +F. What is meant by the boat which turned aside, and ran upon the shoal? + +C. That they who will turn aside from following Christ because danger +and self-denials meet them cannot reach heaven. + +F. What is shewn in the boat which followed this one? + +C. How ready we are to follow a bad example, and go beyond it. + +F. What was the little company of boats which kept together? + +C. A Christian family earnestly serving God. + +F. Why did those who helped others find that they got on the fastest? + +C. Because God, who has bid us "bear one another's burdens, and so +fulfil the law of Christ," will greatly help and bless all such. + +F. What is the belt of storm and darkness which all must pass through? + +C. Death. + +F. Why were all separated in it? + +C. Because we must die alone. + +F. Who are those that generally passed through it most easily? + +C. Those whose life had been most holy and obedient. "Keep innocency, +and take heed unto the thing that is right; for that shall bring a man +peace at the last" (Ps. xxxvii. 38). + +F. Who were the next? + +C. Those who entered on it with much prayer. + +F. What was their great support in it? + +C. The presence of Jesus Christ our Lord. + +F. What declaration have we on this subject in God's word? + +C. "When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee." "I am +the resurrection and the life; he that believeth on me shall never die." + +F. What lies beyond this to the faithful Christian? + +C. The blessed rest of paradise and the bright glories of heaven. + + + + +The Vision of the Three States. + + +I saw, in my vision, two glorious creatures walking together through a +beautiful garden. I thought at first they must be angels, so bright and +happy did they seem. The garden, also, in which they were, seemed too +beautiful for earth. Every flower which I had ever seen, and numbers +which my eye had never looked upon, grew in abundance round them. They +walked, as it were, upon a carpet of flowers. The breeze was quite full +of the rich scent which arose from them. The sun shone upon them with a +brightness such as I had never seen before; whilst the air sparkled with +myriads of winged things, which flew here and there, as if to shew how +happy they were. + +All through the garden, too, I saw every sort of beast, in all its +natural grace and beauty; and all at peace. Great lions moved about +amongst tender sheep; and striped tigers lay down quietly to sleep +amongst the dappled fawns which sported around them. But, amidst all +these beautiful sights, my eyes followed more than all, the two glorious +forms which were walking together with such a kingly majesty through the +happy garden: they were, truly, I could see, beings of this earth; they +were talking to each other; they were speaking of ONE who had made them +out of the dust of the earth; who had given to them living souls: who was +their Father and their Friend; who had planted for them this beautiful +garden, and made them the rulers of all that was in it. + +Now I marked them as they talked, and I could see that their eyes were +often turned from all the beauty round them towards one far end of the +garden; and as I watched them, I saw that they were still passing on +towards it. Then I also fixed my eyes there, and in a while I could see +that, at the end of the garden to which they were moving, there was a +bright light, brighter and purer than the light of the sun; and I thought +that in it I could see here and there heavenly forms moving up and down, +flying upon silver wings, or borne along upon the light breath of the +sunny air. But as I strained my eyes to pierce into it, it seemed to +dazzle and confound them by its great lustre. Then, again, I heard the +words of the two; and they spake of what was before them; of the bright +light, and the heavenly forms: and I found that they were only travellers +through this beautiful garden; that the King who had placed them in it +dwelt in that light, the brightness of which had so confounded my gaze; +that they were on their way to His presence, and that when they reached +it, they should be happy for ever; even as those shining spirits were +already, whose golden figures I had been just able to discover. + +Now, whilst I was pondering upon these things, and casting my eyes round +and round this beautiful garden, I heard all at once a most terrible +sound, as of thunder, such as man's ears had never heard. I looked up, +and the bright light at the end of the garden seemed to turn itself into +angry fire, and to flash red and threatening through thick black clouds, +which were forming themselves into terrible shapes all over the garden. +Then I looked for the two that I had seen before: I could just see them; +sorrow sat upon their faces, and fear made them deadly pale; a serpent +was gliding from them into the bushes; and their eyes were fixed upon the +air, as though voices, which I heard not, were speaking terrible things +to their inner ears. Then, as I looked, it grew darker and darker--the +thunder pealed all round me--cries came forth from every hill, as of +fierce and deadly beasts in wild dreadful fight. The flowers round me +were withering up, as if a burning blight had passed over them; and soon +it was all dark, and dreary, and desolate. + +Then when my heart was very heavy within me, methought there stood by me +one of the forms of light whom I had seen at the garden's end; and my +knees smote together through fear of his glory; but he looked upon me +kindly, and spoke to me in a voice of pity, and he said, "Wouldst thou +see the end of this sight?" Then my heart gathered courage, and I told +him, that if it were lawful, I would indeed fain look upon it. + +With that he lifted me, and we flew through the air, and I knew not where +he had borne me; but in a while he set me on my feet, and bade me look +right down beneath me. Then I looked down at his word, but could see +nothing. My eyes seemed to rest upon the thick mantle of the night, and +they could not pierce through it. Now, while I was striving to pierce +through the darkness, strange noises rose from it to my ears. All sounds +that ever were, came up from it, so mingled together that I could not say +what they were. Whether it were a groan, or a cry, or a roaring, or +music, or shouting, or the voice of anger or of sorrow; for all of these +seemed joined together into one; but the groaning was louder than the +laughing, and the voice of crying well nigh drowned the music. Then I +asked my guide what was this strange noise; and he told me that it was +the voice of all THE WORLD, as it rose up to the ears of those that were +on high. Then I begged of him, if it might be, to let me see those from +whom it came. With that he touched my eyes; and now methought, though +the darkness remained, that I could see in the midst of its thickness, +even as in the brightness of the day. + +It was a strange place into which I looked. Instead of the beautiful +garden I had seen before, and two glorious creatures passing through it; +now I saw a multitude of men, women, and children, passing on through a +waste and desolate wilderness. Here and there, indeed, there were still +flowery spots, but they were soon trodden down by the feet of those who +passed along. Strange too were their steps. Now, instead of passing +straight on, they moved round and round, for they were all in the black +darkness. The ground was full of pitfalls, in the low bottoms of which I +could see red fire burning fierce and hot, and one after another fell +over into these pitfalls, and I saw them no more. Evil beasts, too, +moved amongst them, slaying one, and tearing another; and as if this was +not enough, oftentimes they would quarrel and fight with one another, +until the ground all around was covered with their bodies strewed upon +it. + +Yet for all this, some would sing, and dance, and frolic; and this seemed +to me the saddest of all, for they were like mad men; and mad in truth +they were, for in the midst of their dancing and their singing, one and +another would get near the side of some great pitfall, and step over into +its flames, even with the song upon their lips. + +In vain did I strain my eyes to see any light at the end, as I had seen +it in the garden. If it was there, the black clouds had rolled over it +so thick and dark that not a ray of it was left. + +Yet I heard one and another offering to lead those that would follow +them, safely through this terrible wilderness; and such men never wanted +followers: so I watched many of these leaders, to see what they would do +for those that trusted them. Little help could any of them render. Some +put their followers on a path which led straight down into the deepest +and most frightful pitfalls; some set them on a path which wandered round +and round, and brought them at the end back to the same place from which +they started; some led them into thorny places, where the poor pilgrims +pierced their bleeding feet with many a wound: but not one did I see who +brought them into any better place, or took them any nearer to their +journey's end. + +How they found their way at all, was at first my wonder. But as I looked +more closely, I saw in all their hands little lanterns, which just threw +a feeble light upon the darkness round them. These were always brightest +in the young, for they soon grew very dim; and the falls and blows they +met with, bruised and shattered them so much, that some had hardly any +glimmering left, even of the feeble light which they had seemed to cast +of old. + +I looked at them until my heart was very sad, for there was no peace, no +safety, no hope; but all went heavily and sadly, groaning and weeping, or +laughing like madmen, until, sooner or later, they seemed all to perish +in the fearful pitfalls! + +Then my angel-guide spoke to me again, marking my sadness, and he said, +"Hast thou well observed this sight?" and I answered, "Yes." Then he +said, "And wouldst thou see more?" So when I had said "yes," methought +we were once more flying through the air, until again he set me on my +feet, and bid me look down. Now here, too, strange noises reached my +ears; but as I listened to them, I found that there were mixed with them +such sounds as I had not heard before. Sweet clear voices came up now +from the din, speaking, as it were from one close by me, words of faith, +and of hope, and of love; and they sounded to me like the happy talking +which I had heard at the first between the glorious beings in the garden. + +So when my guide touched my eyes, I bent them eagerly down into the +darkness below me. + +At first I thought that it was the same place I had seen last, for there +was a busy multitude passing to and fro; and there was music and dancing, +and sobbing and crying; there were pitfalls, too, and wild beasts. But +as I looked closer, I saw that, in spite of all this, it was not the +place that I had seen before. Even at a glance I could see that there +were many more flowers here than there; and that many amongst the +pilgrims were going straight on, with happy faces, by a road which passed +safely by all the pitfalls. I could see, too, that at the end of the +road was a dim shining of that happy light which had been so bright in +the beautiful garden. + +Now, as I looked, I saw that there were but a few who kept to this +straight safe road, and that many were scattered all over the plain. I +saw many leave this path even as I looked upon it; and very few did I see +come back to it: those who did, seemed to me to find it very hard to get +into it again; whether it was that its sides were slippery, or its banks +so steep, many fainted and gave up, after trying to climb into it again. +But it seemed quite easy to leave it; for every one who left it went on +at first lightly and pleasantly. Sometimes, indeed, they seemed greatly +startled after taking their first step out of it, and some of them turned +straight back, and after a few struggles, more or less, such always got +into it again. But if once after this first check they set out for the +plain, they seemed to go easily along, until their path lay straight by +the den of some destroying beast, or led them into the midst of the +pitfalls, where they wholly lost their reckoning, and knew not how to get +on, or how to get back. + +I saw, too, after a while, that they had got lanterns in their hands, +some of which gave a great deal of light. Those which were carried along +the narrow path shot out bright rays on all sides, until towards the end +they quite blazed with light. I could see, too, that these travellers +had some way of trimming and dressing their lamps; and that much of their +light seemed to come from an open book which they carried in their hands, +from the leaves of which there flashed out continually streams of light, +which made their lamps burn so brightly that all their road shone with +it. But as they got further and further from the path, their lamps began +to burn dim. All these travellers, too, had the book of light closed; or +if they now and then opened it, they shut it up again, some carelessly, +and some as if its light frightened them; and not one could I see who +stopped to trim his light: so that just when they got amongst the +pitfalls, and wanted light the most, they were all the most nearly in +darkness. + +Now, when I had looked at them for a space, and wondered, my guide said +to me, "Wouldst thou see how they enter on this plain?" Then he took me +to a fair porch, which came from the wilderness I had looked upon before; +and there I saw a man standing in white robes, and speaking good words, +and giving good gifts to each one as he came in. There were persons +coming in of all nations and people, and some, too, of all ages, though +the greatest number were little children, so small that their little +hands would not hold the man's gifts, and so he hung them round their +necks, for them to use as soon as they were able. + +Then I joined myself to the group, to hear and see the better what was +passing. The man in white was speaking with a grave kind voice as I came +up. He told the pilgrims that the great Lord of the land had built that +porch, and set him there to help the poor travellers, who were before +without hope or help amongst the beasts, and snares, and pitfalls of the +terrible wilderness; he told them that the blood of the King's own Son +had been shed, that that porch might be built; that the King had prepared +them a narrow way to walk in, which led straight from that porch to His +own blessed presence, and that they might all pass along it safely if +they would; he told them that if they left that path, they would surely +get again amongst the pitfalls which they had left in the wilderness; +nay, that they would be worse off than they had been even there, for that +there was no other porch where they could again be set right, and no +other place where the gifts that he was giving them now, could ever be +got any more, if they were once thrown quite away. + +Then I looked to see what these gifts were. I saw the man bring forth +clear and sparkling water, which shone as if with living light; and with +this he washed from them the dirt and the bruises of the terrible +wilderness: with this, too, he touched their little lamps, and as it +touched them, they grew so bright and clear, that the light within poured +freely forth on all around them. Then he looked in their faces, and gave +them a name, which he wrote down in the King's book; and he told them, +that by this name they should be known, not only by their +fellow-travellers, but that this would remain written in the King's book +here, unless they wholly left His path; and that every name which +remained written here, they would find written in another book in letters +of gold and of fire, when they reached the other end of the path; and +that for every pilgrim, whose name was written there, the golden gate +would open of itself, and he would find a place and a crown in the +presence of the King. + +Then, as he spoke all these glorious words, my heart burned within me to +see how the travellers sped. + +But he had not yet done with them; for he brought out of his stores a +golden vial for each one; and he told them that in it the King had stored +the oil of light and beauty for the dressing of their lamps. + +Then he shewed them how to use it: not carelessly or lightly, for then +the oil would not flow; but earnestly, and with great care; and then +sweet odours issued from the vial, and the flame of the lamp burned +brightly and high. He gave them, too, the precious light-book, which I +had seen; and he bade them read in it when it was dark, or the way was +slippery; and that they should ever find that it was a "lantern unto +their feet, and a light unto their paths." He put, too, into the hand of +each a trusty staff, suited to their age; and then he told them, while +they leant upon it, it would bear them up at many a pinch, and ever grow +with their growth, and strengthen with their strength. "Church-truth" he +called these staffs; and they were made after a marvellous fashion, for +they were as if many wands had been woven together to make one; and as I +looked, I could see "example," and "experience," and "discipline," and +"creeds," written upon some of these wands, which grew together into +"Church-truth." + +Then I longed greatly to follow forth some of these whom I had seen under +the porch; and as I gazed, I saw the man look earnestly into the face of +a fair boy, who stood before him: he gave him the name of "Gottlieb," +{45a} and entered it in the book, and put the staff in his hand, and +washed him with living water, and hung the vial at his side, and put the +banded staff into his hands; and, bidding him God-speed, set him out upon +his journey. + +Then he looked steadily into the face of another, and it, too, was fair +to look upon; but it had not the quiet happy peace of the last. The man +wrote it down as "Irrgeist;" {45b} and I thought a shade of sadness swept +over his brow as he gave to him the King's goodly gifts. + +Then he sent forth a third, whose timid eye seemed hardly firm enough for +so long a journey; and I heard the name that was given him, and it was +"Furchtsam." {45c} Close to him went another, with a firm step, and an +eye of steady gentleness; and I saw, by the King's book, that he bore the +name of "Gehulfe." {46} + +So these four set out upon their journey; and I followed them to see how +they should fare. Now, I saw that at first, when they started, they were +so small that they could not read in the goodly book, neither could they +use the golden vials; and their little banded sticks would have fallen +from their hands, if they had not been small and thin, like the first +green shoots of the spring. Their lamps, too, cast no light outwardly, +yet still they made some way upon the path; and whilst I wondered how +this might be, I saw that a loving hand was stretched out of the darkness +round them, which held them up and guided them on their way. + +But, anon, in a while they were grown larger; and I could see Gottlieb +walking on the first, and his book of light was open in his hand, and his +lamp burned bright, for he often refreshed it with oil, and he leant upon +his good staff, and strode along the road. + +Then, as he walked on, I saw that there stood upon his path a shadowy +figure, as of one in flowing robes, and on her head she seemed to wear a +chaplet of many flowers; in her hands was a cup of what seemed to be +crystal water, and a basket of what looked like cool and refreshing +fruit. A beautiful light played all round her, and half shewed her and +her gifts to the boy. She bid him welcome, as he came up to her; so he +raised his eyes from his book, and looked to see who spoke to him. Then +she spoke kindly to him; and she held forth the cup towards him, and +asked him if he would not drink. Now, the boy was hot with walking, for +the air was close, so he stretched out his hand to take the cup; but +though it seemed so near to him, he could not reach it. And at the same +moment she spake to him again, and asked him to come where these fruits +grew, and where the breeze whispered amongst the boughs of yonder +trees,--and there to drink and rest, and then go on his way again. Then +I saw that she had power to call out of the darkness the likeness of all +she spoke of. So he looked at the trees to which she pointed; and the +sun seemed to shine around them, and the shade looked cool and tempting +under them, and the pleasant breeze rustled amongst their fresh leaves; +and he thought the road upon which he was travelling was hotter and +darker, and more tiring than ever; and he put up his hand to his burning +brow, and she said to him, as he lingered, "come." Now, the trees to +which she pointed him lay off his road, or he would gladly have rested +under them; and whilst he doubted what to do, he looked down to the book +that was open in his hand; and the light shot out upon it bright and +clear, and the words which he read were these, "None that go unto her +return again, neither take they hold of the paths of life." {49a} And as +he read it, he looked again at the stranger; and now he could see more +clearly through the wild light which played around her, and he knew that +it was the evil enemy who stood before him; the sparkling cup, too, and +the fruit, turned into bitter ashes; and the pleasant shady grass became +a thorny and a troublesome brake: so, pushing by her with the help of his +staff, he began to mend his pace; and looking down into the book of +light, there shone out, as in letters of fire, "Wherewithal shall a young +man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to Thy word." {49b} + +Then I saw that he was feeding his lamp, which had begun to grow dim as +he parleyed with the tempter, and that he ceased not till it streamed out +as bright and as clear as ever. + +But still the air was hot and sultry, and no cool breath blew upon him; +and if he looked off for a moment from his book, the fair form of the +tempter stood again beside him in silver light; the cold water sparkled +close to his lips; and trees with shady boughs waving backward and +forward over fresh green grass, and full, in every spray, of +singing-birds, seemed to spring up around him. For a little moment his +step faltered; but as his lamp streamed out its light, all the vain +shadows passed away: and I heard him say, as he struck his staff upon the +ground, "I have made a covenant with my eyes;" and even as she heard it, +the tempter passed away, and left him to himself. Scarcely was she gone, +before he passed by the door of a beautiful arbour. It was strewn with +the softest moss; roses and honeysuckle hung down over its porch; light, +as from a living diamond, gleamed from its roof; and in the midst of its +floor, a clear, cool, sparkling stream of the purest water bubbled ever +up from the deep fountain below it. Now, as this lay on the road, +Gottlieb halted for a moment to look at it; and the light of his lamp +waxed not dim, though he thus stayed to see it; the book of fire, too, +spoke to him of rest, and of halting by "palm-trees and wells of water;" +and as he looked, he read in letters of light over the door-way-- + + Faithful pilgrim, banish fear, + Thou mayst enter safely here: + Rest for thee thy Lord did win; + Faithful pilgrim, enter in. + +Then Gottlieb rejoiced greatly, and cast himself gladly upon the mossy +floor, and bent down his parched lips to drink of the cool spring which +bubbled up before him. + +Now, whilst he was resting safely here, I turned to see how it fared with +the others who had set out with him from the porch, for they had not got +as far as Gottlieb. + +The first of them was Irrgeist; and when I looked upon him, he was +drawing near to the place where Gottlieb had fallen in with the tempter. +Irrgeist was walking quickly on--so quickly that, at the first glance, I +thought he would soon be by the side of Gottlieb. But, upon looking more +closely, I saw that Gottlieb's steps had been far more steady and even +than those with which Irrgeist was pressing on; for Irrgeist's lamp +burned but dimly, and gave him no sure light to walk in. Very near to +the place where Gottlieb had met with her, the tempter stood beside +Irrgeist. He was not looking at his book, as the other had been; and he +did not wait to be spoken to; for as soon as he saw the light which +played round her figure, he began to speak to her, and asked who she was. +She told him that her name was "Pleasure;" and forthwith she shewed to +him her crystal cup and fruits; and she brought before the charmed eyes +of the wanderer all the gay show with which she had tried before to +mislead the faithful Gottlieb. There was the bright sunshine, and the +green path, and the waving trees, and the rustling of the wind, and the +song of birds, and the sweet resting-shade. Irrgeist looked eagerly at +all she shewed him, and in his haste to reach out his hand for the cup, +he dropped altogether the trusty staff of "Church-truth." Then the cup +seemed to draw away from him, just as it had done from Gottlieb; but he +followed thoughtlessly after it. And soon I saw that he left the path +upon which he had been set; and though he started suddenly as soon as he +was off it, yet it was but a moment's start,--the cup was close before +him, the shadowy form led him on, the grass was green, and the trees and +the sunlight but a little farther. + +And now I saw him drink some of the enchanted water; and as he drank it, +his look grew wild, and his cheek burnt like the cheek of one in a fever; +and he walked after the deceitful figure with a quicker step than ever: +but I saw that his lamp was almost out, that the book of living light had +fallen from his hands, and the golden vial hung down, ready, as it +seemed, to fall from him altogether. + +Still he walked on; and a strange flitting light, from the form which was +before him, lightened the darkness of the valley, so that he could pass +on quickly; the meadow, also, was smooth and even, and there was a +rustling breeze, which played around him: so that he got on faster than +he had ever done upon the narrow path, and thought that he was getting +well on to his journey's end. Many times did he put forth his hand for +the sparkling cup, and drank of it again and again. + +But now I saw, as I thought, a strange change which was coming over him; +for he drank oftener of the bowl, but appeared each time to find it less +refreshing. Sometimes it seemed almost bitter, and yet he could not but +take it the very moment he had thrust it from him. The shadowy form, +also, before him seemed altogether altering; he looked again, and her +beautiful features and pleasant countenance had changed into a sharp, +stern, and reproachful frown. His own voice, which had been heretofore +almost like one singing, grew sad and angry. The very figure of his +guide seemed vanishing from his eyes; the light which floated round her +grew wilder and more uncertain, and his own lamp was almost out. He felt +puzzled and bewildered, and hardly knew which way to go: he had got into +a broad beaten path, and he found that many besides himself were going +here and there along it. Sometimes they sang; and, in very bitterness of +heart, he tried to sing too, that he might not think: but every now and +then, when a flashing light came, and he saw the look of the travellers +amongst whom he was, it made his very heart shiver--they looked so sad +and so wretched. Now, none went straight on: some turned into this path, +some into that; and then he soon lost sight of them altogether. Sometimes +he heard fearful cries, as if wild beasts had seized them; sometimes a +dreadful burst of flame from the horrid pits which I had seen, made him +fear that they had fallen over into them: for poor Irrgeist had got now +into the midst of the deep pits and the ravenous beasts. And soon he +found how terrible was his danger. He had been following one who had +made him believe that he had light to guide his steps; he had gone with +him out of the beaten path; and they were pressing on together, when +Irrgeist suddenly lost sight of him in the darkness; and whether it was +that he had fallen into a pit, or become the prey of some evil beast, +Irrgeist knew not; only, he found that he was more alone than ever, and +near to some great peril. Poor Irrgeist sprang aside with all his force, +thinking only of the danger which he feared; but, feeling his feet +slipping under him, he turned, and saw that he had got upon the +treacherous brink of a fearful pit; down which, at the very moment, +another pilgrim fell. The fierce red flames rose out of it with a roar +like thunder, and a blaze like the mouth of a furnace; and the wind blew +the flames into the face of Irrgeist, so that he was singed and almost +blinded. Then the poor boy called in the bitterness of his heart upon +Pleasure, who had led him out of the way, and now had forsaken him; but +she came no more--only terrible thoughts troubled him; and he heard the +hissing of serpents as they slid along in the bushes near him, and all +evil noises sounded in his ears, till he scarcely knew where he was +standing. Then he thought of his staff, which he had dropped when +Pleasure had first tempted him, and he grieved that it was gone; and he +felt in the folds of his mantle, hoping that he might still have the book +of light within it; for he had too often thrust it there at the beginning +of his journey; but he could not find it. Then he strove to get some +light from his little lamp; for, hurt as it was, he had it still in his +hand, and he thought there was just a little blue light playing most +faintly within it; but this was not enough to direct him on his way, +rather did it make his way more dark. Then at last he bethought him of +the golden vial. Few were there of those near him but had lost theirs +altogether, and his hung only by a single thread. But it was not gone; +and when he had striven long, he just drew from it a single drop of oil, +and he trimmed his lamp, and it yielded forth a little trembling light, +just enough to shew that it was not altogether dead. With the help of +this light he saw that when he had dropped his book of fire, one single +leaf had been torn from it, and stuck to his mantle; so he seized it +eagerly, and strove to draw light from it; but all that it would yield +was red and angry-looking light, and all that he could read was, "the way +of transgressors is hard." + +Poor Irrgeist! he sat down almost in despair, and wept as if his heart +would break. "O, that I had never trusted Pleasure;" "O, that I had +never left the path;" "O, that I had my book of light, and my lamp's +former brightness, and my goodly stick;" "O, that one would lighten my +darkness." + +Then did it seem to me as if in the murmur of the air around him two +voices were speaking to the boy. One was like the gentle voice of the +man whom I had seen at the porch of the valley; and it seemed to whisper, +"return," "return;" "mercy," and "forgiveness." And as he listened, +something like hope mixed with the bitter tears which ran down the face +of the wanderer. But then would sound the other voice, harsh, and loud, +and threatening; and it said, "too late," "too late," "despair," +"despair." + +So the poor boy was sadly torn and scattered in his thoughts by these two +different voices; but methought, as he guarded his golden vial, and +strove to trim his dying lamp, that the gentle voice became more +constant, and the voice of terror more dull and distant. + +Then, as I was watching him, all at once the boy sprang up, and he seemed +to see a light before him, so straight on did he walk: many crossed his +path and jostled against him, but he cared not; he heard the sweet voice +plainer and plainer, like the soft murmuring of the cushat dove in the +early summer, and he would follow where it led. Hitherto his pathway had +been smooth, and he had hastened along it; but this did not last, for now +it narrowed almost to a line, and ran straight between two horrible +pitfalls; so he paused for a moment; but the roaring of a lion was behind +him, and forward he pressed. It was a sore passage for Irrgeist, for the +whole ground was strewed with thorns, which pierced his feet at every +step, and the sparks from the fire-pits flew ever round him, and now and +then fell in showers over him. Neither did he hear now the pleasant +sound of the voice of kindness; whether it were that it had died away, he +knew not, or whether it were that the crackling and roaring of the fierce +flames, and the voice of the beasts behind, and his own groans and +crying, drowned its soft music, so that he heard it not. + +I had looked at him until I could bear it no more; for the path seemed to +grow narrower and narrower; the flames from the two pits already almost +touched; and I could not endure to see, as I feared I should, the little +one, whom I had watched, become the prey of their devouring fierceness. +So, with a bitter groan for Irrgeist, I turned me back to the road to see +how it fared with Furchtsam and Gehulfe. + +They had fallen far behind the others from the first. Poor little +Furchtsam had a trembling tottering gait; and as he walked, he looked on +this side and on that, as if every step was dangerous. This led him +often to look off his book of light, and then it would shut up its +leaves, and then his little lamp grew dimmer and dimmer, and his feet +stumbled, and he trembled so, that he almost dropped his staff out of his +hands. Yet still he kept the right path, only he got along it very +slowly and with pain. + +Whether it was that Gehulfe was too tender spirited to leave him, or why +else, I know not, but he kept close by the little trembler, and seemed +ever waiting to help him. Many a time did he catch him by the hand when +he was ready to fall, and speak to him a word of comfort, when without it +he would have sunk down through fear. So they got on together, and now +they came to the part of the pathway which the evil enchantress haunted. +She used all her skill upon them, and brought up before their eyes all +the visions she could raise; sunshine, and singing-birds, and waving +boughs, and green grass, and sparkling water, they all passed before +their eyes,--but they heeded them not: once, indeed, poor Furchtsam for a +moment looked with a longing eye at the painted sunshine, as if its warm +light would have driven off some of his fears; but it was but for a +moment. And as for Gehulfe, whether it was that he was reading his book +of light too closely, or trimming too carefully his lamp, or helping too +constantly his trembling friend, for some cause or other he scarcely +seemed to see the visions which the sorceress had spread around him. So +when she had tried all her skill for a season, and found it in vain, she +vanished altogether from them, and they saw her no more. But their +dangers were not over yet. When Gottlieb passed along this road, he had +gone on so boldly, that I had not noticed how fearful it was in parts to +any giddy head or fainting heart. But now I saw well how it terrified +Furchtsam. For here it seemed to rise straight up to a dangerous height, +and to become so narrow at the same time, and to be so bare of any side- +wall or parapet, that it was indeed a giddy thing to pass along it. Yet +when one walked over it, as Gottlieb did, leaning on his staff of Church- +truth, reading diligently in his book, and trimming ever and anon his +lamp, such a light fell upon the narrow path, and the darkness so veiled +the precipice, that the pilgrim did not know that there was any thing to +fear. But not so when you stopped to look--then it became terrible +indeed; you soon lost all sight of the path before you; for the brightest +lamp only lighted the road just by your feet, and that seemed rising +almost to an edge, whilst the flash of distant lights here and there +shewed that a fearful precipice was on each side. + +Furchtsam trembled exceedingly when he looked at it; and even Gehulfe, +when, instead of marching on, he stopped to talk about it, began to be +troubled with fears. Now, as they looked here and there, Furchtsam saw +an easy safe-looking path, which promised to lead them in the same +direction, but along the bottom of the cliffs. Right glad was he to see +it; and so taking the lead for once, he let fall his staff, that by +catching hold of the bushes on the bank, he might drop down more easily +upon the lower path; and there he got with very little trouble. + +It was all done in a moment; and when he was out of the path, Gehulfe +turned round and saw where he was gone. Then he tried to follow after +him; but he could not draw his staff with him through the gap, or climb +down the bank without letting it go. And, happily for him, he held it so +firmly, that after one or two trials he stopped. Then, indeed, was he +glad, as soon as he had time to think; and he held his good stick firmer +in his hand than ever, for now he saw plainly that Furchtsam was quite +out of the road, and that he had himself well-nigh followed him. So +leaning over the side, he began to call to his poor timid companion, and +encourage him to mount up again, by the bank which he had slipped down, +and venture along the right way with him. At first Furchtsam shook his +head mournfully, and would not hear of it. But when Gehulfe reminded him +that they had a true promise from the King, that nothing should harm them +whilst they kept to the high way of holiness, and that the way upon which +he had now entered was full of pitfalls, and wild beasts, and every sort +of danger, and that in it he must be alone,--then his reason began to +come back to him, and Furchtsam saw into what an evil state he had +brought himself; and with all his heart he wished himself back again by +the side of Gehulfe. But it was no such easy matter to get back. His +lamp was so bruised and shaken as he slid down, that it threw scarcely +any light at all; while it had never seemed, he thought, so dark as it +did now: he could not see the bushes to which he had clung just before, +or the half path which had brought him down. Gehulfe's voice from above +was some guide to him, and shewed him in which direction to turn; but +when he tried to mount the bank, it was so steep and so slippery, he +could scarcely cling to it; and he had no staff to lean upon, and no +friendly hand to help him. Surely if it had not been for the kind +encouraging voice of Gehulfe, the weak and trembling heart of Furchtsam +would have failed utterly, and he would have given up altogether. + +Now, just at this time, whilst he was reaching out to Furchtsam, and +urging him to strive more earnestly, he heard a noise as of one running +upon the path behind him; and he looked round and saw one of the King's +own messengers coming fast upon it: so when he came up to Gehulfe, he +stopped and asked him what made him tarry thus upon the King's path. Then +Gehulfe answered very humbly, that he was striving to help back poor +Furchtsam into the right way, from which he had been driven by his fears. +Then the messenger of the King looked upon him kindly, and bid him "fear +not." "Rightly," he said, "art thou named Gehulfe, for thou hast been +ready to help the weak; and the Lord, who has bidden his children 'to +bear one another's burdens,' has watched thee all alone thy way, and +looked upon thee with an eye of love; and forasmuch as thou seemest to +have been hindered in thy own course by helping thy brother, the King has +sent me to carry thee on up this steep place, and over this dangerous +road." With that, I saw that he lifted up the boy, and was about to fly +with him through the air. Then, seeing that he cast a longing look +towards the steep bank, down which Furchtsam had slipped, and that the +sound of his sad voice was still ringing in his ear; the King's messenger +said to him, "'Cast thy burden upon the Lord.' 'The Lord careth for +thee.' 'For the very hairs of your head are numbered,' and 'the Lord is +full of compassion, pitiful, and of great mercy.'" So the heart of +Gehulfe was soothed, and with a happy mind he gave himself to the +messenger, and he bore him speedily along the dangerous path, as if his +feet never touched the ground, but refreshing airs breathed upon his +forehead as he swept along, and silver voices chanted holy words to his +glad heart. "He shall gather the lambs in his arms," said one; and +another and a sweeter took up the strain and sang, "and he shall carry +them in his bosom." And so he passed along the way swiftly and most +happily. + +Then I saw that he bore him to the mouth of the arbour into which +Gottlieb had turned to rest. And now as he came up to it, Gottlieb was +just coming forth again to renew his journey. Right glad was Gottlieb of +the company of such a comrade; so they joined their hands together, and +walked along the road speaking to one another of the kindness of the +King, and telling one to the other all that had befallen them hitherto. A +pleasant thing it was to see them marching along that road, their good +staffs in their hands, their lamps burning brightly, and their books +sending forth streams of light, to shew them the way that they should go. +But now I saw they got into a part of the road which was rough and full +of stones; and unless they kept the lights they bore with them ever +turned towards the road, and looked, too, most carefully to their +footing, they were in constant danger of falling. The air, also, seemed +to have some power here of sending them to sleep, for I saw that +Gottlieb's steps were not as steady and active as they had been; and he +looked often from this side to that, to see if there were any other +resting-place provided for him; but none could he see: and then +methought, as he walked on, his eyes would close as he bent them down +over his book, like one falling asleep from exceeding weariness. + +Gehulfe saw the danger of his friend; and though he felt the air heavy, +his fear for Gottlieb kept him wide awake. "What are those words," he +asked his drowsy friend, "which burn so brightly in your book?" When he +heard the voice, Gottlieb roused himself, and read; and it was written, +"Watch and pray, lest ye enter into temptation; the spirit truly is +willing, but the flesh is weak." Then, for a little while, Gottlieb was +warned, and he walked like one awake; but, after a time, such power had +this sleepy air, he was again almost as drowsy as ever, and his eyes were +nearly closed. Then, before Gehulfe could give him a second warning, he +placed his foot in a hole, which he would have easily passed by, if he +had been watching; and, falling suddenly down, he would have rolled quite +out of the road (for it was raised here with a steep bank on either +side), if Gehulfe had not been nigh to catch him again by the hand, and +keep him in the path. He was sorely bruised and shaken by the fall, and +his lamp, too, was dusted and hurt; so that he could not, at first, press +on the way as he wished to do. But now his drowsiness was gone; and, +with many bitter tears, he lamented that he had given way to it before. +One strange thing I noted, too: he had dropped his staff in his fall, and +he could not rise till he had taken it again in his hand; but now, when +he tried to take it, it pricked and hurt his hand, as if it had been +rough and sharp with thorns. Then I looked at it, and saw that one of +the stems which were twined together, and which bore the name of +"discipline," was very rough and thorny; and this, which had turned +inwardly before, was now, by his fall, forced to the outside of the +staff, so that he must hold that or none. Now I heard the boy groan as +he laid hold of it; but lay hold of it he did, and that boldly, for he +could not rise or travel without it, and to rise and travel he was +determined. Then he looked into his book of light, and he read out of it +these words, "Make the bones which Thou hast broken to rejoice." And as +he read them, he gathered courage, and made a great effort, and stood +upon his feet, and pressed on beside Gehulfe. + +Then I saw that the road changed again, and became smoother than they had +ever known it. Gottlieb's staff, too, was now smooth and easy in his +hand, as it had been at first. Soon also a pleasant air sprung up, and +blew softly and yet cool upon their foreheads. And now they heard the +song of birds, as if the sunshine was very near them, though they saw it +not yet. There were, too, every now and then, sounds sweeter than the +songs of birds, as if blessed angels were near them, and they were let to +hear their heavenly voices. A little further, and the day began to dawn +upon them--bright light shone out some way before them, and its glad +reflection was already cast upon their path. But still there was one +more trial before them; for when they had enjoyed this light for a +season, and I thought they must be close upon the sunshine, I saw that +they had got into greater darkness than ever. Here, also, they lost +sight of one another; for it was a part of the King's appointment, that +each one must pass that dark part alone--it was called "the shadow of +death." Gehulfe, I saw, walked through it easily; his feet were nimble +and active, his lamp was bright, his golden vial ever in his hand, his +staff firm to lean upon, and the book of light close before his eyes: he +was still reading it aloud, and I heard him speak of his King as giving +"songs in the night,"--and so, with a glad heart, he passed through the +darkness. The brightest sunshine lay close upon the other side of it; +and there he was waited for by messengers in robes of light, and they +clad him in the same, and carried him with songs and music into the +presence of the King. + +But Gottlieb did not pass through so easily. It seemed as if that +darkness had power to bring out any weakness with which past accidents +had at the time affected the pilgrim: for so it was, that when Gottlieb +was in it, he felt all the stunning of his fall come back again upon him, +and, for a moment, he seemed well-nigh lost. But his heart was sound, +and there was One who was faithful holding him up: so he grasped his good +staff tighter than ever, though its roughness had come out again and +sorely pricked his hand; but this seemed only to quicken his steps; and +when he had gone on a little while thus firmly, as he looked into his +book he saw written on its open page, "I will make darkness light before +thee." {76} And as he read them, the words seemed to be fulfilled, for +he stepped joyfully out of the darkness into the clear sunlight. And for +him too the messengers were waiting; for him too were garments ready +woven of the light; around him were songs, and music, and rejoicing; and +so they bare him into the presence of the King. + +Now, when I had seen these two pass so happily through their journey into +rest, I thought again of the poor trembling Furchtsam, and longed to know +that he had got again into the road. But upon looking back to where I +had lost sight of him, I saw that he was still lying at the foot of the +steep bank, down whose side he had stepped so easily. He had toiled and +laboured, and striven to climb up, but it had been all in vain. Still he +would not cease his labour; and now he was but waiting to recover his +breath to begin to strive again. He was, too, continually calling on the +King for aid. Then I saw a figure approaching him in the midst of his +cries. And poor Furchtsam trembled exceedingly, for he was of a very +timorous heart, and he scarcely dared to look up to him who stood by him. +After a while I heard the man speak to him, and he asked him in a grave, +pitying voice, "What doest thou here?" Then the poor boy sobbed out in +broken words the confession of his folly, and told how he had feared and +left the road, and how he had laboured to get back into it, and how he +almost thought that he should never reach it. Then I saw the man look +down upon him with a face of tenderness and love; and he stretched forth +his hand towards him; and Furchtsam saw that it was the hand which had +been pierced for him: so he raised the boy up, and set him on his feet; +and he led him straight up the steepest bank. And now it seemed easy to +his steps; and he put him back again in the road, and gave the staff into +his hand, and bid him "redeem the time, because the days are evil;" and +then he added, "Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble +knees." "Say to them that are of a fearful heart, 'be strong:' 'fear +not.'" {79a} Such strength had his touch, his words, and his kind look, +given to the heart of the timid boy, that he seized the staff, though its +most prickly "discipline" sorely hurt his tender flesh; and leaning on +it, he set bravely out without a moment's delay. And I heard him reading +in his book of light as he climbed up the steep path which had affrighted +him; and what he read was this: "Before I was afflicted, I went astray; +but now have I kept Thy word." {79b} + +When he had almost reached the arbour, another danger awaited him; for in +the dim light round him he saw, as he thought, the form of an evil beast +lying in the pathway before him. Then did some of his old terrors begin +to trouble him; and he had turned aside, perhaps, out of the way, but +that the wholesome roughness of his staff still pricked his hand and +forced him to recall his former fall. Instead, therefore, of turning +aside, he looked into his book of light, and there he read in fiery +letters, "Thou shalt go upon the lion and the adder; the young lion and +the dragon shalt thou tread under thy feet:" and this gave him comfort. +So, on he went, determining still to read in his book, and not to look at +all at that which affrighted him: and so it was, that when he came to the +place, he saw that it was only a bush, which his fears had turned into +the figure of a beast of prey; and at the same moment he found where it +was written in his book, "No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast +shall go up thereon, it shall not be found there; but the redeemed shall +walk there." {80} + +And now he stood beside the arbour, where he rested a while, and then +pursued his journey. Now I noticed, that as he got further on the road, +and read more in his book, and leant upon his staff, that he grew bolder +and firmer in his gait: and I thought that I could see why Gehulfe, who +had been needful to him in his first weakness, had afterwards been +carried away from him: for surely he had leant more upon him, and less +upon his book and his good staff, unless he had walked there alone. + +However this might be, he grew continually bolder. As he drew near the +last sad darkness, I began again to tremble for him; but I need not have +done so; for he walked on so straight through it, that it seemed scarcely +to make any difference to him at all. In the best part of the road his +feebleness had taught him to lean altogether upon Him who had so +mercifully helped him on the bank, and who had held up his fainting steps +hitherto; and this strength could hold him up as well even in this +extreme darkness. I heard him, as he parsed along, say, "When I am weak, +then am I strong;" and with that he broke out into singing: + + "Through death's dark valley without fear + My feeble steps have trod, + Because I know my God is near; + I feel His staff and rod." + +With that he too passed out of the shade and darkness into the joyful +sunshine. And oh, it was indeed a happy time! It made my heart bound +when I saw his face, which had so often turned pale and drooped with +terror, now lighted up with the glow of the heavenly light; when, instead +of the evil things which his fears had summoned up, I saw around him the +bands of holy ones, and the children of the day: and so they passed +along. And soon, I thought, he would see again the hand which had been +stretched out to save him on the bank, and hear the kind and merciful +voice which had soothed his terror and despair, and live in the present +sunshine of that gracious countenance. + +And now methought I heard an earnest and sorrowful voice, as of one +crying aloud for help; so I turned me round to see where he was that +uttered it, and by the side of the King's path I could see one striving +to mount the bank, and slipping back again as often as he tried. He was +trying in right earnest: his cries were piteous to hear, and he laboured +as if he would carry his point by storm. But it was all in vain; the +more he struggled, the worse his case grew; for the bank, and all the +path up to it, got so quagged and miry with his eager striving, that he +seemed farther and farther from getting safely up. At last, as he was +once more struggling violently up, his feet quite slipped from under him, +and he fell upon his side: and so he lay sobbing and struggling for +breath, but still crying out to the King, who had helped him before, and +delivered him from the flames of the pit, to help him once more, and lift +him again into the right way. My heart pitied the poor boy, and I looked +more closely into his face, and saw that it was Irrgeist--not Irrgeist as +he had been when he had walked at first with Gottlieb along the road, or +as he had been when he had first followed the deceitful phantom +"Pleasure" out of it,--but Irrgeist still, though brought by his +wanderings and his trouble to paleness, and weariness, and sorrow. Now, +whilst I was looking at him, as he lay in this misery, and longing for +some helper to come to him, lo, his cries stopped for a moment, and I saw +that it was because One stood by him and spoke to him. Then I could see +under the mantle, which almost hid Him, that it was the same form which +had visited Furchtsam, and delivered him when he had cried. Now, too, I +saw the hand held out, and I saw Irrgeist seize it; and it raised him up, +and he stood upon his feet: and the staff was given to him,--exceeding +rough, but needful and trusty; and his lamp shone out, and the book of +light was his; and his feet were again in the road. + +But I marked well that Irrgeist trod it not as the others had done. Truly +did he go along it weeping. Whether it was that the thought of what he +had gone through amongst the pitfalls dwelt ever on his mind; or whether +it were shame of having wandered, I know not,--but his road seemed +evermore one of toil and sorrow. Still, in the midst of tears, a song +was often put into his mouth, and his tongue was ever speaking of the +great kindness of Him who had restored the wanderer: his head, too, was +so bowed down, that he marked every stone upon the road, and therefore +never stumbled; but still his speed was little, and his troubles were +many. When he got to the dark part, he had a sore trial: his feet seemed +too weak and trembling to bear him; and more than once I heard him cry +out, as if he thought that he were again between the pitfalls, and the +fire were ready to break out upon him. But then did it seem as if there +were some sweet hopes given him, and his face brightened up; and in a +faint, feeble voice, he would break out again into his song and +thanksgiving. As he drew towards the end, things somewhat mended with +him; and when he was just upon the sunlight, and began to see its +brightness through the haze, and to hear the voices of the heavenly ones, +methought his heart would have burst, so did it beat with joy: and withal +he smote upon his breast, and said,--"And this for me! And this for the +wanderer! O mercy, choicest mercy! Who is a God like unto Thee, that +pardonest iniquity?" And so saying, he entered on the heavenly light, +and left for ever behind him the darkness and the danger of the pitfalls, +and the face of shame, and the besetting weakness; for he too was clothed +in raiment of light, and borne with joy before the Lord the King. + +* * * * * + +_Father_. Who were those who were walking in the beautiful garden as its +lords? + +_Child_. Man in Paradise before the fall. + +F. What was the dreadful change that came upon them? + +C. Their fall into sin and misery. + +F. What was the second estate seen in the vision? + +C. Their fallen children in this sinful world, without the knowledge of +God; wandering in the darkness of heathenism amongst the pitfalls of +error. + +F. What was the porch which let them into a better way? + +C. The entrance into the Church of the redeemed by baptism. + +F. What does our Catechism say about this? + +C. That it is our being "called to a state of salvation." + +F. What are the gifts bestowed upon them? + +C. God's word is the book of light; conscience enlightened by God is the +little lamp of each; the oil in the golden vial is the help and teaching +of God's grace; and the staff is the help and assistance of the Church. + +F. Why was it so easy to get out of the path, and so hard to get back? + +C. Because it is easy to go wrong, and very hard to return into the way +of righteousness. + +F. What were the baits which the phantom offered to the youths? + +C. The pleasures of sin, which are but for a season. + +F. Why was the staff rough to those that were coming back from +wandering? + +C. Because the discipline of the Church, which is easy to the obedient, +is often galling to those who offend. + +F. Why was Irrgeist, after he was brought back, still so sad a pilgrim? + +C. Because, though he was accepted and forgiven, the effects of his +former sins still weakened and grieved him: as says the Lord, by the +mouth of the Prophet Ezekiel (chap. xvi. ver. 63), "That thou mayest +remember, and be confounded, and never open thy mouth any more because of +thy shame, when I am pacified toward thee for all that thou hast done, +saith the Lord God." + + + + +The Little Wanderers. + + +In a miserable little hovel, built on the edge of a wide and desolate +common, lived a poor widow woman, who had two sons. The eldest of them +was quite young, and the least was scarcely more than an infant. They +were dressed in torn and dirty rags, for the widow had no better clothes +to put upon them; and often they were very hungry and very cold, for she +had not food or fire with which to feed and warm them. No one taught the +biggest boy any thing; and as for the poor mother, she did not know a +letter. She had no friends; and the only playfellows the little ones +ever knew were other children as poor, and as dirty, and as untaught as +they were themselves, from whom they learnt nothing but to say bad words +and do naughty tricks. Poor children! it was a sad life, you would say, +which lay before them. + +Just at this time the widow was taken very ill with a fever. Long she +lay in that desolate hut, groaning and suffering, and no one knew how ill +she was but the little children. They would sit and cry by her miserable +bed all day, for they were very hungry and very sad. When she had lain +in this state for more than a week, she grew light-headed, and after a +while died. The youngest child thought she was asleep, and that he could +not waken her; but the elder boy rushed weeping out of the house, knowing +that she was really dead, and that they were left alone in the wide +world. + +Just at that very moment a man passed by, who looked into the pale, thin, +hungry face of the sobbing child, with a kind, gentle look, and let +himself be led into the wretched hut, where the poor dead mother lay. His +heart bled for the poor orphans, for he was one who was full of +tenderness: so he spake kind words to them; and when his servants came up +after a while, he gave orders that their dead mother should be buried, +and that the children should be taken from the miserable hut, to dwell in +his own beautiful castle. + +To it the children were removed. The servants of the Lord of the castle +put on them clean fresh clothes--washed their old dirt from them; and as +no one knew what were their names, they gave them two new names, which +shewed they belonged to this family; and they were cared for, and given +all they wanted. + +Happy was now their lot. They had all they wanted: good food in plenty, +instead of hunger and thirst; clean raiment, instead of rags and +nakedness; and kind teachers, who instructed them day by day as they were +able to bear it. There were a multitude of other happy children too in +the castle, with whom they lived, and learned, and spent their glad days. +Sometimes they played in the castle, and sometimes they ran about in the +grounds that were round it, where were all sorts of flowers, and +beautiful trees full of singing birds, and green grass, and painted +butterflies; and they were as happy as children could be. + +All over these grounds they might play about as they would: only on one +side of them they were forbidden to go. There the garden ended in a wide +waste plain, and there seemed to be nothing to tempt children to leave +the happy garden to walk in it, especially as the kind Lord of the castle +bid them never set foot on it: and yet it was said that some children had +wandered into it, and that of these, many had never come back again. For +in that desert dwelt the enemies of the Lord of the castle; and there was +nothing they loved better than to pounce down upon any children whom he +had taken as his own, and carry them off, to be their slaves in the midst +of the waste and dreary sands. + +Many ways too had these enemies by which they enticed children to come on +the plain; for as long as they stayed within the boundary, and played +only in the happy garden, the evil one could not touch them. Sometimes +they would drop gay and shining flowers all about the beginning of the +waste, hoping that the children would come across the border to pick them +up: and so it was, that if once a child went over, as soon as he had got +into his hands the flower for which he had gone, it seemed to fade and +wither away; but just beyond him he thought he saw another, brighter and +more beautiful; and so, too, often it happened that, throwing down the +first, he went on to take the second; and then throwing down the second, +he went on to reach a third; until, suddenly, the enemy dashed upon him, +and whirled him away with them in a moment. + +Often and often had little Kuhn {95a}--for so the eldest boy had been +named--looked out over this desert, and longed, as he saw the gay flowers +dropped here and there, to run over the border and pick them up. His +little brother, who was now old enough to run about with him, would stand +and tremble by him as he got close to the desert; but little Zart {95b} +would never leave him: and sometimes, I am afraid, they would have both +been lost, if it had not been for a dear little girl, who was almost +always with them, and who never would go even near to the line. When +Kuhn was looking into it, as if he longed for the painted flowers, the +gentle Glaube {96} would grow quite sad, and bending her dark sorrowful +eyes upon him, their long lashes would become wet with tears, and she +would whisper in a voice almost too solemn for a child, "O Kuhn, +remember." Then Kuhn, who could not bear to see her sad, would tear +himself away; and the flowers seemed directly to lose their brightness, +and the desert looked dry and hot, and the garden cool and delicious, and +they played happily together, and forgot their sorrow. + +But it was very dangerous for Kuhn to go so near. The servants of the +Lord of the castle often told the children this; and seeing a bold and +daring spirit in Kuhn, they had spoken to him over and over again. What +made it so dangerous was this,--that the flowers of the wilderness never +looked gay until you got near to its border; afar off it seemed dusty, +dry, and hot; but the nearer you got to it, the brighter shone the +flowers; they seemed also to grow in number, until you could hardly see +its dry hot sands, for the flowery carpet that was drawn over them. + +Poor Kuhn! he was often in danger. Never yet had he crossed the border; +but it is a sad thing to go near temptation; and so this unhappy child +found to his cost. + +One day he was sauntering close to the forbidden border, when the hoop +which he was trundling slipped from him and ran into the desert. In a +moment he was over after it; and just as he stooped to pick it up, he +saw, right before him, a beautiful and sparkling flower. He would +certainly have gone after it, but that at the instant he caught the eye +of Glaube looking sadly after him, and it struck upon his heart, and he +hastened back, and was safe. For a while his legs trembled under him, +and Zart looked up quite frightened into his pale face; Glaube too could +scarcely speak to him; and it was long before they were laughing merrily +again under the tall palm-trees of the garden. But by the next day all +Kuhn's fears had flown away, and he went with a bolder foot than ever to +the very edge of the desert. + +{The Little Wanderers: p98.jpg} + +Glaube was further off than usual; and just as Kuhn and Zart were in this +great danger, a beautiful bird started up under their feet. The boys had +never seen such a bird. All the colours of the rainbow shone upon his +feathers, and his black and scarlet head seemed quite to sparkle in the +sunshine. It tried to fly; but whether its wing was hurt, or what, I +know not, but it could not rise, and ran before them flapping its painted +wings, screaming with a harsh voice, and keeping only just before them. +The boys were soon in full chase, and every thing else was forgotten; +when, just as they thought the bird was their own, he fluttered across +the border, and both the boys followed him,--Kuhn boldly and without +thought, for he had been across it before; but poor little Zart trembled +and turned pale, and clung to his bolder brother, as if he never would +have crossed it alone. + +Once over, however, on they went, and the bird still seemed to keep close +before them; and they never noticed how far they were getting from the +garden, until suddenly they heard a dreadful noise; the air looked thick +before them, as if whole clouds of dust were sweeping on; shining spear- +heads were all they could see in the midst of the dust; and they heard +the trampling of a multitude of horses. The boys were too much +frightened to shriek, but they clung to one another, pale and trembling, +and ready to sink into the earth. In a minute rude hands seized them; +they heard rough voices round them; and they could see that they were in +the midst of the enemies of the Lord of the castle. In another minute +they were torn asunder, they were snatched up on horseback, and were +galloping off towards the sad abode in which the evil men of the desert +dwelt. In vain the boys cried, and begged to be taken home; away +galloped the horses; whilst no one thought of heeding their cries and +prayers. They had gone on long in this way, and the dark-frowning towers +of the desert castle were in sight. The little boys looked sadly at one +another; for here there was no flowering garden, there were no sheltering +trees, but all looked bare, and dry, and wretched; and they could see +little narrow windows covered with iron bars, which seemed to be dungeon- +rooms, where they thought they should be barred in, and never more play +together amongst the flowers and in the sunlight. + +Just at this moment the little Zart felt that, by some means or other, +the strap which bound him to the horse had grown loose, and in another +moment he had slipped down its side, and fallen upon his head on the +ground. No one noticed his fall; and there he lay upon the sand for a +while stunned and insensible. When he woke up, the trampling of horses +had died away in the distance; the light sand of the desert, which their +feet had stirred, had settled down again like the heavy night-dew, so +that he could see no trace of their footmarks. The frowning castle-walls +were out of sight; look which way he would, he could see nothing but the +hot flat sand below, and the hot bright sun in the clear sky above him. +He called for his brother, but no voice answered him; he started up, and +began to run he knew not where: but the sun beat on his head, the hot +sand scorched his weary feet; his parched tongue began to cleave to his +mouth; and he sunk down upon the desert again to die. + +As he lay there he thought upon the castle-garden and its kind Lord; upon +the sorrowful face with which Glaube was used to look on them, when he +and Kuhn drew near to the forbidden border; and his tears broke out +afresh when he thought of his brother in the enemies' dungeon, and +himself dying in the desolate wilderness. Then he called upon the Lord +of the castle, for he remembered to have heard how He had pitied +wandering children, and heard their cry from afar, and had brought them +back again to His own happy castle. And as he lay upon the sand, crying +out to the Lord of the castle, he thought that he heard a footstep, as of +one walking towards him. Then there came a shade between the sun and his +burning head, and looking languidly up he saw the kind face of the Lord +of the castle turned towards him. He was looking on the poor child as He +had looked on him when He had pitied him by the side of the hut; and that +kind face seemed to speak comfort. Then He stretched out to him His +hand, and He bade him rise; and He lifted up the child, and bore him in +His bosom over that waste and scorching wilderness, nor ever set him down +until He had brought him again into the pleasant garden. Once as he lay +in that bosom, Zart thought that he heard in the distance the tramping of +horse-hoofs; and he saw the dusty cloud lifting itself up: but he felt +that he was safe; and so he was, for the enemy did not dare to approach +that Mighty One who was bearing him. + +When he reached the garden again, the gentle Glaube met him, and welcomed +him back again to their peaceful home. But he hung down his head with +shame and with sorrow; and as he looked up into the face of the Lord of +the garden, he saw in it such kindness and love, that his tears rolled +down his cheeks to think how he had broken His command, and wandered into +the wilderness of His enemies. Then he tried to speak for his brother, +for his heart was sore and heavy with thinking of him; but the Lord of +the castle answered not. Many, many days did Glaube and Zart pray for +him; but they heard nothing of him: whether he died in the enemies' +dungeon; or whether, as they still dared to hope, he might even yet one +day find his way back to the garden of peace; or whether, as they +sometimes trembled to think, he had grown up amongst the enemies of their +Lord, and become one of them,--they knew not, and they dared not to ask. +But they never thought of him without trembling and tears, and Zart more +even than Glaube: for he had crossed that terrible border; he had been +seized by the fierce enemy; he had lain alone in the wide scorching +desert; and had only been brought back again from death by the great love +of the mighty and merciful Lord of that most happy garden. + +* * * * * + +_Father_. Who are meant by these children born in the wretched hovel? + +_Child_. All the children of fallen parents. + +F. Who are such? + +C. All who are born. For we were "by nature born in sin, and the +children of wrath." + +F. Who is the kind Lord of the castle who takes pity on them? + +C. Jesus Christ our Lord. + +F. What is meant by His taking them to His castle? + +C. His receiving us when children into His Church. + +F. When was this done? + +C. At our baptism. For "being by nature children of wrath, we were +hereby made the children of grace." + +F. What is meant by the clean raiment and the new name He gave them? + +C. The "forgiveness of all our sins" (see Collect in +Confirmation-Service), and the giving us our Christian name. + +F. Why is it called your Christian name? + +C. To mark its difference from our natural, or parents' name. + +F. Why was it given you at that time? + +C. Because then I was taken into God's family, and "made a member of +Christ, child of God, and an inheritor of the kingdom of heaven." + +F. What was the food with which they were fed? + +C. All the means of grace of the Church of Christ. + +F. What was the desert, and who those who dwelt in it who were enemies +to the Lord? + +C. The ways of sin, and the devil and his angels. + +F. What were the bright flowers and the bird? + +C. The baits and temptations of sin. + +F. Why did Kuhn, or "bold," cross the border more easily the second +time? + +C. Because one sin makes another easier. + +F. Why did Zart, or "tender," follow him? + +C. Because bold sinners lead weaker sinners after them. + +F. What were the dry sands into which Kuhn and Zart were carried? + +C. The evil ways of sin. + +F. Who came to Zart's rescue when he prayed? + +C. The gracious Lord who had at first received him into His Church by +baptism. + +F. Why was he still sad and ashamed after he was brought back? + +C. Because he had wandered. + +F. Did he then doubt whether he was forgiven? + +C. No: but he "remembered and was confounded, and never opened his mouth +any more, when the Lord was pacified toward him for all his iniquity." + +F. What was the end of Kuhn, or the "bold?" + +C. We know not; but they who "draw back unto perdition" are punished +above all others. + +F. What are we to learn from the whole? + +C. The blessedness of being taken into the Church in our infancy; and +our need of prayer and watching, lest we turn it into a curse. + + + + +The King and his Servants. + + +A great king once called his servants to him, and said to them,--"You +have all often professed to love me, and to wish to serve me; and I have +never yet made trial of you. But now I am about to try you all, that it +may be known who does in truth desire to serve me, and who is a servant +only in name. To morrow your trial will begin; so meet me here in the +morning, and be ready to set out upon a journey on which I shall send +you." + +When the king had so spoken, he left them; and there was a great deal of +bustle and talking amongst these servants. Not that they were all alike. +Some were very busy, and said a great deal of the services they should +render; and that they hoped it would be some really hard trial on which +the king would set them. Others were quiet and thoughtful, saying little +or nothing, but, as it seemed, thinking silently of the words the king +had spoken, as if they feared lest they should fail in their trial. For +they loved that king greatly; he had been as a father to them all. Once +they had been slaves, and cruelly treated by a wicked tyrant who had +taken them prisoners, and cast some of them into dungeons, and made +others work in dark mines, and dealt evil with them all. But the king +had triumphed over this their enemy, and rescued them from his hands. His +own son had sought them in the dungeons and dark pits into which they had +been cast, and had brought them out; and now he had given them places in +his service, and fed them from his own kingly table; and he promised to +such as were faithful, that he would raise them yet higher; that he would +even set them upon thrones, and put crowns upon their heads; and that +they should remain always in his presence, and rule and dwell with him. +Now, when the time of their trial was come, these faithful servants were +grave and thoughtful, fearing lest they should fail, and be led to forget +him their kind and gracious king. But one thought held them up. He had +said unto them all, "As your day, so shall your strength be." They knew, +therefore, that he would put on them no task beyond their strength. They +remembered his kindness and his love in taking them out of the dungeons +of the enemy. They desired greatly to serve him; and so they rejoiced +that their trial was come, even while they feared it; and they trusted in +him to help them, even whilst they trembled for themselves. + +These servants spent much of the night in preparing for their journey; in +thinking over all the directions the king had ever given them; for many +times had he spoken to them of this coming trial; and even written down +plain rules for them, which should teach them always how he would have +them act. All these they gathered together, lest in the hurry of setting +out, they should forget any one of them; and so they went into the court +of the palace to meet the king. + +Then he came forth from his palace-door, and gave them all their charge. + +From the great treasure-chambers of that palace he brought out many +different gifts, and laid them before these his servants. One had gold +and silver, and another had precious stuffs; but all had something good +and costly: and as he gave them these gifts, he told them that this was +to be their trial. He was about to send them with these gifts into an +exceeding great and rich city, which lay afar off from his palace; and in +that city they were all to trade for him. They were to take his gifts +and use them wisely, so that each one of them might bring something back +to him. He gave them also very close and particular instructions. He +told them that there were many in that city who would try to rob them of +these his gifts; and he told them how to keep them safely. He told them +that many would seek to make them waste what he had given to them on +pleasing themselves. But that they must remember always, that what they +had belonged to him; that they would have to give him an account of their +way of using all his gifts; and that of his mere mercy he, who had +redeemed them from the dungeon and made them able to serve him, would +graciously reward hereafter all their efforts to use his gifts for him. +He told them also to set about trading for him as early as they could; +for that all the merchants' goods were freshest in the morning; that then +the precious stones were the finest and the truest; but that those who +waited till the evening would find all the best goods sold; and that, +perhaps, before they had any thing ready, the trumpet would sound which +was to call them all out of the city, and then they would have to come +back to him empty-handed and disgraced. + +When he had given them these charges, he sent them from his presence to +begin their journey to the great city. All that day they travelled with +horses and camels over plains and hills, and fruitful fields and deserts, +until, just as the sun went down, they came to the walls of a great city; +and they knew that it was here they were to traffic for their king upon +the morrow. + +Then the thoughtful servants began carefully to unpack their goods; they +looked into their bales of precious stuffs to see that they had got no +injury from the dust and sand of the desert; they counted over their bags +of money to see that all was right; and began to lay them all in order, +that they might enter the town as soon as the gates were open, and trade +for their king in the morning hours, which he had told them were the +best. + +{The King and His Servants: p115.jpg} + +But some of the other servants laughed at them for taking all this care +and trouble. "Surely it will be time enough," they said, "to get every +thing ready when the markets are open to-morrow. We have had a long, +hot, weary journey, and we must rest and refresh ourselves before we +think of trading." So they spread the tables, and began to feast in a +riotous way, quite forgetting the king's service, and putting the morrow +out of their thoughts. + +Now as soon as the sun was up, in the morning, there was a great stir +amongst the servants. Those who had been careful and watchful in the +evening were ready with all their bales; and as soon as ever the city- +gates were open, they marched in through them with their goods. It was a +great wide city into which they entered, and must hold, they thought, a +vast multitude of men. Houses and streets of all sizes met their eyes +here and there; but they passed easily along, because it was still so +early in the morning, that few persons were in the streets, and those few +were all bent upon business, as they were themselves. So they passed on +to the great market where the merchants bought and sold, and here they +set out all their goods; and the merchants came round them to look over +their wares, and to shew them what they had to sell in return. Now they +found it true as the king had foretold them. For they had the first +choice of all that the merchants could offer. One of them opened his +stores, and shewed them rubies, and diamonds, and pearls, such as they +had never seen before for size and beauty. So they chose a pearl of +great price, and they bought it for their prince, and they trafficked in +their other wares, and gained for him more than as many bags of treasure +as he had given them at first. Thus they traded according to their +skill, and every one had now secured something for his lord. The pearl +of great price was stored by some; others had rich dresses adorned with +gold and precious stones; others had bags of the most refined gold; +others had the spices of Arabia and the frankincense of the islands of +the East. + +One there was amongst them who seemed to have got nothing to carry home +with him; and yet he, as well as the rest, had laid out his master's +gifts. Then some of the other servants asked him, what he had stored up +for the king? and he said that he had no riches which he could shew to +them, but that he had an offering which he knew that the merciful heart +of the king would make him love and value. Then they asked him to tell +them his story; so he said that, as he was walking through the market, he +had seen a poor woman weeping and wringing her hands, as if her heart +would break: he stopped, and asked her the cause of her sorrow; and she +told him that she was a widow, and that some merchants, to whom her +husband had owed large sums of money, had come that morning to her house +and taken all that she had, and seized her children too; and that they +were dragging them away to the slave-market to sell them for slaves in a +far land, that they might pay themselves the debt which her husband had +owed them. So when he heard her sad tale, he opened his bag of treasure, +and found that all the gold which he had got in it would just pay the +widow's debt and set her children free. Then he went with her to the +merchants, and he told out to them all that sum, and set the children of +the widow free, and gave them back to their mother; "and I am taking," he +said, "to our merciful king the offering of the widow's tears and +gratitude; and I know well that this is an offering which will be well- +pleasing in his sight." + +So it fared with these faithful servants in their trading; and all the +while they were cheerful and light-hearted, because they remembered +constantly the love and kindness which their king had shewed to them; and +they rejoiced that they were able to serve him and to trade for him with +his gifts. They thought also of the goodness of the king's son towards +them; they remembered how he had sought them when they were prisoners in +the dark dungeons of their tyrant enemy; and they were full of joy when +they thought that they should be able to offer to him the goodly pearl, +and the other curious gifts, which they had bought. They thought of +these things until they longed to hear the trumpet sound, which was to +call them out of the town and gather them together for their journey +home. When that trumpet might sound, they knew not; but the sun was now +passed its noon, and the town, which had been so quiet when they came in +the early morning along its empty streets, was now full of noise, and +bustle, and confusion, as great towns are wont to be, when all the +multitude of sleepers awaken and pour out for pleasure, or business, or +idleness, into the streets, and squares, and market-places. + +Heartily glad were they now that they had been so early at their traffic. +Now the merchants had shut up all their richest stores; and the markets +were full of others who brought false pearls and mock diamonds, instead +of the costly gems for which they had traded in the morning. There +seemed to be hardly any true traders left. Idlers were there in numbers, +and shows and noisy revels were passing up and down the streets; and they +could see thieves and bad men lurking about at all the corners, seeking +whom they could catch, and rob, and plunder. + +On all these things the servants looked; sometimes they saw beautiful +sights pass by them, which gladdened their eyes; and sometimes sweet +music would fill their ears, as bands of merry harpers and singers walked +up and down through the market; and they rejoiced in all of these, but +still their hearts were full of thoughts of their kind king, and +recollections of his son their prince; and they longed to be at home with +them, even when the sights round them were the gayest, and the sounds in +their ears were the sweetest; and they were ever watching for the voice +of the trumpet, which was to call them again homeward. + +But this happy case was not that of all the servants. When these +watchful men had been entering the gates of the city in the morning, the +thoughtless servants were not yet awake. They had sat up late at their +feasting and rejoicings, and when the morning sun rose upon them, they +were still in their first deep sleep. The stirring of their +fellow-servants moved them a little, and for a while they seemed ready to +rise and join them. But their goods were not ready, so they could not go +with them; and they might as well, therefore, they thought, wait a little +longer and rest themselves, and then follow them to the market. They did +not mean to be late, but they saw no reason why they should be so very +early. + +They slept, therefore, till the sun was high, and then they rose in some +confusion, because it was now so late; and they had all their goods to +unpack, their stuffs to smooth out, and the dust to shake off from them. +Soon they began about every little thing to find fault with one another, +because they were secretly angry with themselves. Each one thought that +if his neighbour had not persuaded him to stay, he should have been up, +and have entered the city with the earliest: so high words arose between +them; and instead of helping one another, and making the best they could +of the time which remained, they only hindered one another, and made it +later and later before they were ready to begin their trading. + +At length, after many hard words and much bad temper, one by one they got +away; each as soon as he was ready, and often with his goods all in +confusion; every one following his own path, and wandering by himself up +the crowded streets of the full town. + +Hard work they had to get at all along it when they had passed the gates. +All the stream of people seemed now to be setting against them. The +idlers jested upon their strange dress; and if they did but try to +traffic for their lord, the rude children of the town would gather round +them, and hoot, and cry: so that they could not manage to carry on any +trade at all. + +Then, as I watched them, I saw that some who had been the loudest in +talking of what they should do when they were tried, were now the first +to give up altogether making any head at all against the crowd of that +city. They packed up what goods they might have, and began to think only +of looking about them, and following the crowd, and pleasing themselves, +like any of the men around them. Then I looked after some of these, and +I saw that one of them was led on by the crowd to a place in the town +where there was a great show. Outside of it were men in many-coloured +dresses, who blew with trumpets, and jested, and cried aloud, and begged +all to come in and see the strange sights which were stored within. + +Now when the servant came to this place, he watched one and another go +in, until at last he also longed to go in and see the sights which were +to be gazed on within. So he went to the door, and the porter asked him +for money; but when he drew out his purse, and the porter saw that his +money belonged to some strange place, and was quite unlike the coin used +in that town, he only laughed at it, and said it was good for nothing +there, and bid him "stand back." So as he turned away, the porter saw +the rich bundle on his back, and then he spoke to him in another tone, +and he said, "I will let you in, if you like to give me that bundle of +goods." Then for a moment the servant was checked. He thought of his +lord and of the reckoning, and he remembered the words, "As good stewards +of the manifold grace of God;" and he had almost determined to turn back, +and to fight his way to the market-place, and to trade for his lord, let +it cost him what it might;--but just at the moment there was a great +burst of the showman's trumpets; and he heard the people shouting for joy +within; and so he forgot all but his great desire, and slipping off the +bundle from his shoulders, he put it into the hands of the porter, and +passed in, and I saw him no more. + +Then I saw another, who was standing at the corner of a street gating at +some strange antics which were being played by a company of the townsmen. +And as he gazed upon them, he forgot all about his trading for his +master, and thought only of seeing more of this strange sight. Then I +saw that whilst he was thinking only of these follies, some evil-minded +men gathered round him, and before he was aware of it, they secretly +stole from him all the gold which his lord had given him to lay out for +him. The servant did not even know when it was gone, so much was he +thinking of staring at the sight before him. But it made me very sad to +think that when he went to buy for his master, he would find out, too +late, his loss; and that when the trumpet sounded, he would have nothing +to carry back with him on the day of reckoning. + +Some of these loiterers, too, were treated even worse than this. One of +them I saw whom the shows and lights of that town led on from street to +street, until he came quite to its farther end; and then he thought that +he saw before him, beyond some lonely palings, still finer sights than +any he had left; and so he set out to cross over those fields, and see +those sights. And when he was half over, some wicked robbers, who laid +wait in those desolate places, rushed out upon him from their lurking- +place, and ill used him sorely, and robbed him of all his goods and +money, and left him upon the ground hardly able to get back to the town +which he had left. + +Then I saw one of these loiterers who, as he was looking idly at the +sights round him, grew very grave, and began to tremble from head to +foot. One of his fellows, who stood by and saw him, quickly asked him +what made him tremble. At first he could not answer; but after a while +he said, that the sound of the trumpet which they had just heard had made +him think of the great trumpet-sound of their master, which was to call +them all back to his presence, and that he trembled because the evening +was coming on, and he had not yet traded for his lord. And "How," he +said in great fear, "how shall we ever stand that reckoning with our +hands empty?" Then some of his companions in idleness laughed and jeered +greatly, and mocked the poor trembler. But his fears were wiser than +their mockings; and so, it seemed, he knew, for he cared nothing for +them; but only said to them, very sadly and gravely, "You are in the same +danger, how then can you jeer at me?" And with that he pointed their +eyes up to the sky, and shewed them how low the sun had got already, and +that it wanted but an hour at the most to his setting, and then that the +trumpet might sound at any moment, and they have nothing to bear home to +their lord. + +Now, as he spoke, one listened eagerly to him; and whilst the others +jeered, he said very gravely, "What can we do? Is it quite too late?" +"It is never too late," said the other, "till the trumpet sounds; and +though we have lost so much of the day, perchance we can yet do +something: come with me to the market-place, and we will try." So the +other joined him, and off they set, passing through their companions, who +shouted after them all the way they went, until the townsmen who stood +round began to jeer and shout after them also: so that all the town was +moved. A hard time those two had now, and much they wished that they had +gone to the market-place in the early morning, when the streets were +empty, and the busy servants had passed so easily along. Many were the +rough words they had now to bear; many the angry, or ill-natured, crowd +through which they had to push; and if any where they met one of their +late and idle companions, he was sure to stir up all the street against +them, when he saw them pushing on to the market-place. + +"Do you think that we shall ever get there?" said he who had been moved +by the other's words to him, who led the way, and buffeted with the +crowd, like a man swimming through many rough waves in the strong stream +of some swift river. "Do you think that we shall ever get there?" "Yes, +yes," said the other; "we shall get there still, if we do but persevere." +"But it is so hard to make any way, and the streets seem to grow fuller +and fuller; I am afraid that I shall never get through." + +Just as he spoke, a great band of the townspeople, with music, and +trumpets, and dancing, met them like a mighty wave of the sea, and seemed +sure to drive them back: one of their old companions was dancing amongst +the rest; and as I looked hard at him, I saw that it was the same who had +given away his precious burden in order to go into the show. Now, as +soon as he saw these his former fellows, he called to them by their +names, and bid them join him and the townsmen round him. But he that was +leading the way shook his head, and said boldly: "No: we will not join +with you; we are going to the market-place to traffic for our lord." "It +is too late for that," said he; "you lost the morning, and now you cannot +trade." Then I saw that he who before had trembled exceedingly grew very +pale; but still he held on his way; and he said,--"Yes, we have lost the +morning, and a sore thing it is for us; but our good lord will help us +even yet; and we WILL serve him, 'redeeming the time, because the days +are evil.'" Then he turned to the other and said to him,-- + +"And will not you stop either? Do not be fooled by this madman: what use +is it to go to buy when the shops are all shut, and the market empty?" +Then he hung down his head, and looked as though he would have turned +back, and fallen into the throng; but his fellow seized him by the hand, +and bid him take courage, and think upon his kind master, and upon the +king's son, whose very blood had been shed for them; and with that he +seemed to gather a little confidence, and held for a while on in his way +with the other. + +Then their old companion turned all his seeming love into hatred, and he +called upon the crowd round him to lay hands on them and stop them; and +this the rabble would fain have done, but that, as it seemed to me, a +power greater than their own was with those servants, and strengthened +them; until they pushed the rude people aside on the right and on the +left, and passed safely through them into another street. + +Here there were fewer persons, and they had a breathing-time for a while; +and as they heard the sound of music and of the crowd passing by at some +little distance from them, they began to gather heart, and to talk to one +another. "I never thought," said the one, "that I could have held on +through that crowd; and I never could, if you had not stretched out your +hand to help me." "Say, rather, if our master's strength had not been +with us," said the other. "But do you think," said he that was fearful, +"that he will accept any thing we can bring him now, when the best part +of the day is over?" "Yes, I do," he replied. "I have a good hope that +he will; for I remember how he said, 'Return, ye backsliding children, +return ye even unto me.'" "But how can one who is so trembling and +fearful as I am ever traffic for him?" "You can, if you will but hold +on; for he has once spoken of his servants 'as faint yet pursuing.'" +"Well," said the other, "I wish that I had your courage; but I do believe +that I should not dare to meet such another crowd as that we have just +passed through; I really thought that they would tear us in pieces." "Our +king will never let that be," said the other, "if only we trust in him." +"But are you sure," replied he, "that our king does see us in this town?" + +Just as he said this, and before his companion had time to answer him +again, they heard a louder noise than ever, of men dancing, and singing, +and crowding, and music playing, and horns blowing, as if all the mad +sports of the city were coming upon them in one burst. At the front of +all they could see their old companion; for the band had turned round by +a different street, and now were just beginning to come down that one up +which they were passing. Then he who had been affrighted before, turned +white as snow; and he looked this way and that, to see what he could do. + +Now it so happened, that just by where they stood was a great shop, and +in its windows there seemed to shine precious stones and jewels, and fine +crystals, and gold and ivory. And, as he looked, his eyes fell full upon +the shop, and he said to his fellow,--"Look here; surely here is what we +want: let us turn in here and traffic for our master, and then we shall +escape all this rout which is coming upon us." "No, no!" said the other; +"we must push on to the market; that is our appointed place; there our +lord bids us trade: we must not turn aside from the trouble which our +lateness has brought upon us--we must not offer to our master that which +costs us nothing. Play the man, and we shall soon be in the market." + +"But we shall be torn in pieces," said the other. "Look at the great +crowd: and even now it seems that our old companion sees me, and is +beginning to lead the rabble upon us." "Never fear," said he who led the +way; "our king will keep us. 'I will not be afraid for ten thousands of +the people who have set themselves against us round about.'" + +Then I saw that he to whom he spoke did not seem to hear these last +words, for the master of the shop had noticed how he cast his eyes upon +the goods that were in the window, and was ready in a moment to invite +him in. "Come in, come in," he said, "before the crowd sweep you away; +come in and buy my pearls, and my diamonds, and my precious stones; come +in, come in." And while he halted for a moment to parley with the man, +the crowd came upon them, and he was parted from his friend, who had held +up his fainting steps; and so he sprung trembling into the shop, scarcely +thinking himself safe even there. + +Now the man into whose house he had turned, though he was a fair-spoken +man, and one who knew well how to seem honest and true, was altogether a +deceiver. All his seeming jewels, and diamonds, and pearls, were but +shining and painted glass, which was worth nothing at all to him who was +so foolish as to buy it: but this the servant knew not. If it had been +in the bright clear light of the morning, he would easily have seen that +the diamonds and the pearls were only sparkling and painted glass, and +the gold nothing but tinsel; but the bright light of the morning had +passed away, and in the red slanting light of the evening sun he could +not see clearly; and so the false man persuaded him, and he parted with +all the rich treasures which his king had given him, and got nothing for +them in exchange which was worth the having, for he filled his bag with +bits of painted glass, which his lord would never accept. + +However, he knew not how he had been cheated; or if, perhaps, a thought +crossed his mind that all was not right, it was followed by another, +which said that it was now too late to alter, and that if he had chosen +wrongly, still he must abide by it; and so he waited for the trumpet. But +he was not altogether happy; and often and often he wished that he had +faced the strife of the multitude, and pressed on with his trusting +companion to the market. + +A hard struggle had been his before he had reached it. It seemed indeed +at times as if the words of his fearful companion were coming true, and +he would be torn altogether in pieces, so fiercely did the crowd press +upon him and throng him. But as I watched him in the thickest part of +it, I saw that always, just at his last need, something seemed to favour +him, and the crowd broke off and left room for him to struggle by. I +could hear him chanting, as it were, to himself, when the crowd looked +upon him the most fiercely, "I will not be afraid for ten thousands of +the people that have set themselves against me round about." And even as +he chanted the words, the crowd divided itself in two parts, like a +rushing stream glancing by some black rock; and on he passed, as though +they saw him not. + +So it continued, even till he reached the market-place. Right glad was +he to find himself there: but even now all his trials were not over. Many +of the stalls were empty, and from many more the fair and true traders +were gone away; and instead of them were come false and deceitful men, +who tried to put off any who dealt with them with pretended jewels and +bad goods. + +Then did he look anxiously round and round the market, fearing every +moment lest the trumpet should sound before he had purchased any thing +for his lord. Never, perhaps, all along the way, did he so bitterly +regret his early sloth as now, for he wrung his hands together, and said +in great bitterness, "What shall I do?" and, "How shall I, a loiterer, +traffic for my lord?" + +Then his eyes fell upon a shop where were no jewels, nor gold, nor costly +silks, nor pearls of great price; but all that was in it was coarse +sackcloth, and rough and hairy garments, and heaps of ashes, and here and +there a loaf of bitter bread, and bitter herbs, and bottles wherein tears +were stored. As he gazed on this shop something seemed to whisper to his +heart, "Go and buy." So he went with his sorrowful heart, as one not +worthy to traffic for his master, and he bought the coarsest sackcloth, +and the ashes of affliction, and many bitter tears: and so he waited for +the sounding of the trumpet. + +Then suddenly, as some loud noise breaks upon the slumbers of men who +sleep, that great trumpet sounded. All through the air came its voice, +still waxing louder and louder; and even as it pealed across the sky, all +that great city, and its multitudes, and its lofty palaces, and its show, +and its noise, and its revels, all melted away, and were not. And in a +moment all the servants were gathered together, and their lord and king +stood amongst them. All else was gone, and they and their works were +alone with him. + +Then was there a fearful trial of every man's work. Then were they +crowned with light and gladness who had risen early and traded +diligently, and who now brought before their master the fruit of that +toil, and labour, and pain. Each one had his own reward; and amongst the +richest and the best--as though he brought what the king greatly +loved--was his reward who brought unto his master the offering of +gratitude from the broken-hearted widow. + +Then drew near the servant who had wasted the morning, but had repented +of his sloth, and had fought his way through the crowds, and had at last +bought the sackcloth. Now he came bringing it with him; and it looked +poor, and mean, and coarse, as he bore it amongst the heaps of gold, and +jewels, and silks, which lay piled up all around; yet did he draw near +unto the king; and as he came, he spoke, and said, "A broken and a +contrite heart wilt thou not despise." And as he spake, the king looked +graciously upon him: a mild and an approving smile sat upon his +countenance, and he spoke to him also the blessed words, "Well done, thou +good and faithful servant." Then did the coarse sackcloth shine as the +most rich cloth of gold; then did the ashes of the furnace sparkle as a +monarch's jewels; whilst every bitter tear which was stored in the bottle +changed into pearls and rubies which were above all price. + +Then the king turned to the careless servants, and his voice was terrible +to hear, and from his face they fled away. I dared not to look upon +them; but I heard their just and most terrible sentence, and I knew that +they were driven away for ever from the presence of the king, in which is +life and peace; and that they were bound under chains and darkness, +deeper and more dreadful than those from which the king's son had +graciously delivered them. + +* * * * * + +_Father_. In what part of God's word do we read such a parable as this? + +_Child_. In the 25th chapter of St. Matthew's gospel, and at the 15th +verse. + +F. Who is the King who called his servants thus together? + +C. Almighty God. + +F. Who are meant by these servants trading in the town? + +C. All of us Christians. + +F. How do you know that they were Christians? + +C. Because they had been delivered from slavery and dungeons by the +King's own Son. + +F. What is the great town to which they were sent? + +C. This world. + +F. What are the goods which God gave them to lay out for him? + +C. Every thing which we have in this life: our strength, and health, and +reason, and money, and time. + +F. How may we trade with these for the King? + +C. By trying to use them all so as to please Him and set forth His +glory. + +F. Who are those who rose up early to go into the town? + +C. Those who begin to serve the Lord even from their youth. + +F. What is shewn by their finding the streets easy to pass, and the +markets full of rich goods? + +C. That this service of God is far easier to such as begin to serve Him +in youth; and that such are able to offer to Him the best gifts of early +devotion, and their first love, and the zeal of youth, and tender hearts, +and unclouded consciences. + +F. What is taught us by their seeing the beautiful things of the city at +their ease, after their diligent trading? + +C. That those who serve God truly in a youthful piety commonly find more +than others, that "godliness has promise of the life which now is, as +well as of that which is to come." + +F. Why were those who were late ready to quarrel with one another? + +C. Because companions in sin have no real love for each other, but are +always ready to fall out; being all selfish and separate from God. + +F. What were the full streets they met with when they entered the town? + +C. The many difficulties and hindrances which beset those who set about +serving God late in life. + +F. What were the shows, and the thieves, and the robbers, which troubled +them? + +C. The different temptations which come from the devil, the world, and +the flesh. + +F. Who were the crowds who withstood them? + +C. Those who love this present world, and who therefore withstand those +who seek to live for God's glory. + +F. Who was he who sold the false jewels? + +C. One of those who often make a prey of persons beginning, after a +negligent youth, to feel earnest about religion, and of whom we read, +Rom. xvi. 17, 18, "Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause +divisions and offences, contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; +and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, +but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the +hearts of the simple." + +F. Who was he who held on through all difficulties to the market-place? + +C. A truly humble penitent, who having turned to God with all his heart, +leans not to his own understanding, but follows God's leading in all +things; cleaving close to Christ's Church. + +F. What were the sackcloth and ashes which he bought? + +C. The true contrition of heart and deep sense of sin, which God gives +to those who seek earnestly to turn away from all iniquity. + +F. What was the sound of the trumpet? + +C. The call of men to the general judgment. + +F. Who were those whose trading the master was pleased to reward? + +C. Those who had served God early; those who had given to Him the best +of their youth; those who had been kind to others and helped the needy +for His sake; those who had turned to Him in truth, and clave to Him with +a humble penitence. + +F. What was the end of the careless servants? + +C. It is an awful end, which our blessed Saviour Jesus Christ speaks of +thus: "Cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall +be weeping and gnashing of teeth." {148a} And, again, "These shall go +away into everlasting punishment; but the righteous into life eternal." +{148b} + + + + +The Prophet's Guard. + + +It was the very earliest morning. The day was not breaking as it does in +this land of England, with a dewy twilight and a gradual dawning--first a +dull glow all over the east, then blood-red rays, catching any fleecy +cloud which is stealing over the sky, and turning all its misty whiteness +into gold and fire;--but day was breaking as it does in those eastern +countries--sudden, and bright, and hot. Darkness flew away as at a word; +the thick shadows were all at once gone, and the broad glaring sun rose +proudly in the sky, rejoicing in his strength. The people of the town +woke up again to life and business. Doors were flung wide open, and some +were passing through them; the flat roofs of the houses began to be +peopled--on one was a man praying, on others two or three standing +together; but most of the people were hastening here and there to get +through their necessary work before the full heat of the day came on; +numbers were passing and repassing to the clear dancing fountain, the +cool waters of which bubbled up in the midst of a broad square within +that city. + +And now, what is it which one suddenly sees, and, after gazing at it for +a while, points out to another, and he to a third? As each hears, they +look eagerly up to the hill, which rises high above their town, until +they gather into a knot; and then, as one and another are added to their +company, grow into almost a crowd. Still it is in the same quarter that +all eyes are fixed; their water-vessels are set idly down, as if they +could not think of them. Those which were set under the fountain have +been quite full this long time, but no one stooped to remove them; and +the water has been running over their brimming sides, while its liquid +silver flew all round in a shower of sparkling drops. But no one thinks +of them. What is it which so chains all eyes and fixes the attention of +all? + +The hill is quite full of armed men. There were none there overnight: +they have come up from the vale silently and stealthily during the +darkness, while men slept, like some great mist rising in stillness from +the waters, and they seem to be hemming in the town on every side. Look +which way you will, the sun lights upon the burnished points of spears, +or falls on strong shields, or flashes like lightning from polished and +cutting swords, or is thrown a thousand ways by the rolling wheels of +those war-chariots. "Who are they?" is the question of all; and no one +likes to say what all have felt for a long time--"they are our enemies, +and we are their prey." + +But there is no use in shutting the eyes any longer to the truth. The +morning breeze has just floated off in its airy waves that flag which +before hung down lifelessly by the side of its staff. It has shewn all. +They are enemies; they are fierce and bitter enemies; they are the +Syrians, and they are at war with Israel. + +But why are they come against this little town? When they have licked up +it and its people like the dust from the face of the earth, they will be +scarcely further on in their war against Israel. Why did not they begin +with some of the great and royal cities? Why was it not against +Jerusalem, or Jezreel, or even against the newly rebuilt Jericho? Why +should they come against this little town? + +Then one, an evil-looking man of a dark countenance, one who feared not +God and loved not His servants, whispered to those around him, and said, +"Have you not heard how Elisha the prophet, who dwells amongst us, has +discovered to the king of Israel the secrets of the army of the king of +Syria? No doubt it is because Elisha is dwelling here that the king of +Syria has come upon us. And now shall we, and our wives, and our sweet +babes, and our houses, and our treasures, become the prey of the king of +Syria, for the sake of this Elisha. I never thought that good would come +from his dwelling here." + +Now, fear makes men cruel and suspicious, and fills their minds with hard +thoughts; and many of these men were full of fear: and so, when they +heard these words, they began to have hard bad thoughts of God's prophet, +and to hate him, as the cause of all the evils which they were afraid +would very soon come upon them. + +Just then the door of another house opened: it was the prophet's house, +and his servant came forth with the water-vessels to fill them at the +fountain. He wondered to see the crowd of men gathered together, and he +drew near to ask them what was stirring. He could read upon their dark +scowling faces that something moved them exceedingly; but what it was he +could not gather. He could not tell why they would scarcely speak to +him, but looked on him with angry faces, and spoke under their breath, +and said, "This is one of them." "'Twere best to give them up." "They +will destroy us all." Then the man was altogether astonished; for his +master had been ever humble, and kind, and gentle; no poor man had ever +turned away without help when he had come in his sorrows to the prophet +of the Lord. And yet, why were they thus angry with him, if it were not +for his master's sake? + +Broken sentences were all that he could gather; but, by little and +little, he learned what they feared and what they threatened; he saw, +also, the hosts of armed men gathered all around the city; and his heart, +also, was filled with fear. He believed that it was for his master's +sake that they were there; he saw that all around him were turned against +his master, and he trembled exceedingly. For some time he stood amongst +the rest, scarce knowing what to do, neither liking to remain nor daring +to go; until at last, as some more stragglers joined themselves to the +company, he slunk away like one ashamed, without stopping even to fill +the water-vessels he had brought. + +And so he entered his own door, heavy-hearted and trembling; and he went +to the prophet's chamber, for he deemed that he still slept. But the man +of God was risen; and he knew, therefore, where he should find him--that +he would be upon the flat roof of his house, calling upon the name of the +Lord his God, who had made another morning's sun to rise in its glory. + +{The Prophet's Guard: p156.jpg} + +So he followed his master to the housetop; and there, even as he had +supposed, he found the holy man. It was a striking sight, could any one +have seen the difference between these two men. The one pale and +trembling and affrighted, like a man out of himself, and with no stay on +which to rest his mind; the other calm and earnest, as, in deep and +solemn prayer, with his head bowed and his hands clasped together, his +low voice poured forth his thanksgiving, or spake of his needs; he also, +as it seemed, was out of himself, but going out of himself that he might +rest upon One who was near to him though his eye saw Him not, and who +spake to him though his outward ear heard no voice of words. + +Thus he continued for a season, as if he knew not that any man was nigh +unto him; as if he knew not that there were, in the great world around +him, any one besides his God with whom he communed, and his own soul +which spake unto his God. All this time his servant stood by him, pale +and trembling, but not daring to break in upon that hour of prayer; until +at length the prophet paused, and his eye fell upon the trembler; and he +turned towards him, and said kindly, "What ails thee, my son?" Then the +servant answered, "O my father, look unto the hill." And he stood gazing +in the prophet's face, as though he expected to see paleness and terror +overspread it when his eyes gathered in the sight of those angry hosts. +But it was not so. No change passed over his countenance; his brow was +open as it was before; the colour never left his cheeks; and, with almost +a smile, he turned unto the servant, and said, "And why does this +affright thee?" "It is for thee they seek, my father--it is for thee +they seek; and the wicked men of the town are ready to fall upon thee and +deliver thee into their hands. Even now, as I walked along the street, +they looked on me with fierce and cruel eyes; and they breathed threats +which these lips may not utter, and said, that thou hadst brought this +trouble upon them, and their wives, and their little ones; and I feared +that they would curse thee and thy God." But the prophet was not moved +by his words, for he only answered, "Fear them not; they that are with us +are more than they that are against us." Then did the servant cast his +eyes to the ground, and he spake not, yet his lips moved; and if any one +had heard the words which he whispered, they might perhaps have heard him +ask how this could be, when they were but two, and their enemies were so +many and so mighty. + +Now the prophet's eye rested upon him, and he read all his secret +thoughts; and he pitied his weakness, for that holy man was full of pity +for the weak: so he chid him not; but, bowing his knees again on that +flat roof, he prayed unto his God to open the eyes of his affrighted +servant. His prayer was heard. For there fell from them as it were +films; and now, when he looked out, he saw a glorious sight. All the +mountain was full; and they were a wonderful company which filled it. The +dark hosts of the Syrians, and their glancing swords and clashing +chariots, now looked but as a mere handful; for the whole mountain round +them was full of that heavenly army. Chariots of fire and horsemen of +fire thronged it in every part. High up into the viewless air mounted +their wheeling bands: rank beyond rank, and army beyond army, they seemed +to stretch on into the vastness of space, until the gazer's wearied eye +was unable to gaze on them. And all of these were gathered round his +master. They were God's host, keeping guard over God's servant. And +they who would injure him must first turn aside those flashing swords, +must break up that strong and serried array, and be able to do battle +with God's mighty angels. + +Then was the weak heart strong. Then did the poor trembler see that he +was safe; and know that he who is on God's side can never want companions +and defenders. + + + + +The Brothers' Meeting; +OR, +The Sins of Youth. + + +A large company was winding its way slowly out of the vale in which the +river Jordan runs. The sun was just beginning to strike hotly upon them, +and make them long for rest and shelter, as they toiled up the open sandy +hills and amongst the great masses of rock with which that country was +strewn. + +It was a striking sight to see those travellers. First went three troops +of kine, lowing as they went; camels with their arched necks, stooping +shoulders, and forward ears; asses with their foals; ewes and lambs; and +goats with their kids, which mounted idly upon every rock that lay by +their road-side, and then jumped as idly down again; and before and after +these, drivers in stately turbans and long flowing robes, keeping the +flocks and herds to their appointed way. Then came large droves of +cattle, and sheep, and goats, and asses, stirring up with their many feet +the dust of the sandy plain, till it fell like a gentle shower powdering +with its small grains all the rough and prickly plants which grew in +tufts over the waste. Then was there a space; and after that were seen +two bands of camels,--the best they seemed to be of all the flock, those +which came last especially,--and on them were children and women riding, +over whom hung long veils to shelter their faces from the hot breath of +the sandy desert through which they had travelled. And after all these +came one man, with his staff in his hand and a turban on his head, +walking slowly, as one who walked in pain and yet walked on, following +those who went before. + +If you had stood near to that man, you might, perhaps, have heard him +speaking to God in prayer and thanksgiving; you might have heard him +saying to himself, "with my staff passed I over this Jordan, and now I am +become two bands:" or you might have heard him earnestly calling upon the +God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac his father, to keep him safe in the +great danger which now lay close before him. His mind was certainly very +full of that danger; for he kept looking up from the sand on which his +eyes were often fixed, and gazing as far as he could see over the hills +before him, as if he expected to see some great danger suddenly meet him +on his way, and as if, therefore, he wished to be quite ready for it. + +If you looked into his face, you could see at once that he was not a +common man. He was not a very old man; his hair was not yet grey upon +his head; and yet it seemed, at the first glance, as if he was very old. +But as you looked closer, you saw that it was not so; but that many, many +thoughts had passed through his mind, and left those deep marks stamped +even on his face. It was not only sorrow, though there was much of that; +nor care, though he was now full of care; but besides these, it seemed as +if he had seen, and done, and felt great things--things in which all a +man's soul is called up, and so, which leave their impress behind them, +even when they have passed away. + +He HAD seen great things, and felt great things. He had seen God's most +holy angels going up to heaven, and coming down to earth upon their +messages of mercy. He had heard the voice of the Lord of all, promising +to be his Father and his Friend. And only the night before, the Angel of +the covenant had made himself known to him in the stillness of his lonely +tent, and made him strong to wrestle with him for a blessing, until the +breaking of the day. So that it was no wonder, that when you looked into +his face, it was not like the face of a common man, but one which was +full of thought, which bore almost outwardly the stamp of great +mysteries. + +But what was it which now filled this man with care? He was returning +home from a far land where he had been staying twenty years, to the land +where his father dwelt. He had gone out a poor man; he was coming home a +rich man. He was bringing back with him his wives, and his children, and +his servants, and his flocks, and his herds; and of what was he afraid? +Surely he could trust the God who had kept him and blessed him all these +twenty years, and who had led him now so far on his journey? + +Why should he fear now, when he was almost at his father's tent? + +It was because he heard that HIS BROTHER was coming to meet him. But why +should this fill him with such fear? Surely it would be a happy meeting; +brothers born of the same father and of the same mother, who had dwelt +together in one tent, kneeled before one father's knees in prayer, and +joined together in the common plays of childhood,--surely their meeting +must be happy, now that they have been twenty years asunder, and God has +blessed them both, and they are about to see each other again in peace +and safety, and to shew to each other the children whom God had given +them, and who must remind them of their days of common childhood. And +why then is the man afraid? Because when he left his father's house this +brother was very angry with him, and he fears that he may have remembered +his anger all these twenty years, and be ready now to revenge himself for +that old quarrel. + +And yet, why should this make such an one to fear? Even if his brother +be still angry with him, and have cruel and evil thoughts against him, +cannot God deliver him?--cannot the same God who has kept him safely all +these twenty years of toil and labour, help and save him now? Why then +does he fear so greatly? He has not forgotten that this God can save +him--he has not for a moment forgotten it; for see how earnestly he makes +his prayer unto Him: hear his vows that if God will again deliver him, he +and all of his shall ever praise and serve him for this mercy. Yet still +he is in fear; and he seems like a man who thought that there was some +reason why the God who had heard him in other cases should not hear him +in this. + +What was it, then, which pressed so heavily upon this man's mind? It was +the remembrance of an old sin. He feared that God would leave him now to +Esau's wrath, because he knew that Esau's wrath was God's punishment of +his sin. He feared that Esau's hand would slay his children, as God's +chastisement for the sins of his childhood. He remembered that he had +lied to Isaac his father, and mocked the dimness of his aged eyes by a +false appearance; now he trembled lest his father's God should leave the +deceiver and the mocker to eat the bitter fruit of his old sin. It was +not so much Esau's wrath, and Esau's company, and Esau's arms, which he +feared--though all these were very terrible to this peaceful man,--as it +was his own sin in days long past, which now met him again, and seemed to +frown upon him from the darkness before him. In vain did he strive to +look on and see whether God would guide him there, for his sin clouded +over the light of God's countenance. It was as when he strained his eyes +into the great sand-drifts of the desert through which he had passed: +they danced and whirled fearfully before him, and baffled all the +strivings of his earnest gaze. + +But the time of trial was drawing very near. And how did it end? Instead +of falling upon him and slaying him and his; instead of making a spoil of +the oxen, and the asses, and the camels, and giving the young children to +the sword, Esau's heart melted as soon as they met; he fell upon his +brother's neck and kissed him; he looked lovingly upon the children who +had been born to him in the far land; he spake kindly of the old days of +their remembered childhood, of the grey-haired man at home; and he would +not take even the present which his brother had set apart for him. + +Jacob knew who it was that had turned his brother's heart, and he felt +more than ever what a strong and blessed thing prayer and supplication +was. Nor did he forget his childhood's sin against his God. It had +looked out again upon him in manhood, and reminded him of God's holiness, +of his many past misdeeds, and made him pray more earnestly not to be +made to "possess the iniquities of his youth." + +* * * * * + +_Father_. What should we learn from this account of Jacob's meeting +Esau? + +_Child_. That God remembers and often visits long afterwards the sins of +our childhood. + +F. Does not God, then, forgive the sins of children? + +C. Yes, He does forgive them, and blot them out for Christ's sake. + +F. Why, then, do we say that He visits them? + +C. Because He often allows the effects of past sins to be still their +punishment, even when He has forgiven them. + +F. Why does He do so? + +C. To shew us how He hates sin. + +F. What should we learn from this? + +C. To watch against every sin most carefully, because we never can know +what may be its effects; to remember how God has punished it, often for +years, in His true servants; to pray against sin; to think no sin little. + +F. What should we do, if we find the consequences of past sin coming +upon us? + +C. Take our chastisement meekly; humble ourselves under God's hand; pray +for deliverance, as, "Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my +transgressions: according to thy mercy remember thou me for thy goodness' +sake, O Lord" (Ps. xxv. 7). + +F. What should be the effect on us when God hears our prayer, and +delivers us? + +C. It should make us more humbly remember our sins and unworthiness, and +strive to shew forth our thankfulness, "not with our lips only, but in +our lives." + +{Finis: p172.jpg} + +LONDON: +PRINTED BY GILBERT & RIVINGTON, +St. John's Square. + + + + +Footnotes: + + +{6} Rev. xxii. 2. + +{45a} Lover of God. + +{45b} Wanderer. + +{45c} Timid. + +{46} Help. + +{49a} Prov. ii. 19. + +{49b} Ps. cxix. 9. + +{76} Isaiah xlii. 16. + +{79a} Isaiah xxxv. 3, 4. + +{79b} Ps. cxix. 67. + +{80} Isaiah xxxv. 9. + +{95a} Bold, or Rash. + +{95b} Tender. + +{96} Faith. + +{148a} Matt. xxv. 30. + +{148b} Ib. xxv. 46. + + + +***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE ROCKY ISLAND*** + + +******* This file should be named 20541.txt or 20541.zip ******* + + +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: +http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/2/0/5/4/20541 + + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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