Shepherd. Perhaps I know more of him than you think, my child; nevertheless, I should be glad to hear in what way this deceiver has dealt with you.

Humble Mind. If I were to tell you, Sir, all the tricks and contrivances of this Inbred-Sin, it would take me till sun-set, aye, and all the night too: but, if you please, Sir, I will mention some of the chief things, with which I have to charge him. And first, before I was effectually called by the Lord, (for the Lord sent several messages to me before I could be persuaded to answer the call,) this InbredSin was altogether my master: and I am shocked on recollecting to what a state of hardness and sinful desperation he had reduced me at that time, and what crimes he caused me to commit. When I was a very little child, I remember that I loved my father and mother, and that very dearly: but after they were gone, this Inbred-Sin so hardened my heart against them, that I heeded no more the commands they had left with me, than if I had never received them: neither had I any wish to follow my dear parents, or to be joined to them again and all this through the instigation of this Inbred-Sin. And more than this, (continued Humble Mind,) I was persuaded, by this same InbredSin, to go to Mr. Worldly-Prudence, and to forsake my little sisters, of whom I now know not what is become. But Inbred-Sin, as I before said, exercised an absolute dominion over me in those days.

Here Humble Mind looked very sorrowful; for he remembered his sisters, and his heart was greatly moved for them.

"This Inbred-Sin, my child," said the shepherd, "as you have found, offereth such violence to the nature of man, that he often subverts and destroys all natural affection. He produces hatred between husbands and wives, brothers and sisters, parents

and children; aye, and such hath been his power, that he has sometimes induced parents to sacrifice their sons and their daughters unto devils, shedding innocent blood, even the blood of their sons and daughters. (Psalm cvi. 37, 38.) But now go on with your account."

I heard then, that Humble Mind informed the shepherd how Inbred-Sin had led him to neglect the warnings of Evangelist, to despise the remon- · strances of Conviction-of-Sin, to throw aside his Bible, yea and to turn his back altogether on the Way of Salvation.

And, I doubt not," said the shepherd, "but that this same Inbred-Sin would have you to brave hell-fire itself, for the sake of half an hour's pleasure in the present world."

Oh, Sir! the fear of eternal punishment has no power at all over him; he more than once as much as told me, that nothing would satisfy him, but my resolving to lay aside all concern about my soul."

"I could have shewn you," said the shepherd, "had I then been present with you, what were the views and purposes of this Inbred-Sin: for he is not only the enemy of God, but he is enmity itself, and his nature can never undergo a change."

"But I have not told you, Sir," said Humble Mind," that, troublesome as this Inbred-Sin was before I became a pilgrim, he has been much more so since; nay, from the first hour that I entered upon this course, he has been the very torment of my life. He has occasionally made my very existence a burden to me-sometimes pulling me back; sometimes pinching and rending my very heart; and then hanging upon me like a drag upon a wheel, so that I could scarcely go or stand-at other times whispering evil words in my ears, arguing and contending, lying and pleading, without intermission and lastly, in a furious onset he

brought me to the ground; where he kept me sorely bruised, and not daring to cry out for help; till you, Sir, came in to my assistance."

The shepherd answered, "Give the glory to God, my son, and not unto me; for unto him you owe your present deliverance." He then explained to Humble Mind the reason why Inbred-Sin had appeared more troublesome to him of late than formerly. "You have now," said the shepherd, "by the power of the Holy Ghost, received a new and spiritual nature, which is directly contrary to your old nature; and thus a warfare between flesh and spirit is begun within you, which will continue till your sinful body turns to corruption in the grave. Formerly, you and Inbred-Sin pulled one way, and were of one mind. You were then dead in sin, and had no power to turn to that which is good. But now you are become a new creature; and this has given rise to the contest of which you complain: For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would." (Gal. v. 17.)

"I had hoped," said Humble Mind, that, after obtaining admittance at the gate, and receiving forgiveness of sins, and being clothed in garments made white in the blood of the Lamb, I should have been freed for ever from the assaults of this vexatious enemy."

"It is not the will of God," replied the shepherd, "to deliver his children, while they are in the flesh, from the importunities of sin. Although he sets them so far free from the dominion thereof, as to prevent its tyrannising over them as in former times; (Rom. vi. 14.) yet he leaves their inward corruptions as a thorn in the flesh, to humble and mortify them; teaching them, by experience, that they are nothing, and can do nothing, but must look for salvation to Christ alone."

"But, Sir," said Humble Mind, "if sin is no longer to have dominion over us, how came I lately to meet with so dreadful an overthrow?"

Because," said the shepherd, "you had given this Inbred-Sin a temporary advantage over you, by yielding unto his deceitful arguments, and forsaking the King's highway: moreover, you encountered him in your own strength, without seeking assistance from on high."

I heard then that Humble Mind put several further questions concerning the manner in which Inbred-Sin might be best mortified and kept in subjection: to all of which the shepherd thus concisely answered, "By deep humility and self-abasement, by prayer for the assistance of the Holy Spirit, and by looking to the cross of Christ."

Humble Mind, being still anxious to obtain further information from the shepherd, enquired of him wherein lay the sinfulness of such things as were taught in the garden to which he had turned aside.

"The things in themselves," answered the shepherd, "are not actually sinful; but they are rendered so by their abuse. It is written, Whether therefore ye eat or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God: (1 Cor. x. 31.) therefore all those elegant arts and acquirements which are not directed to this end, are, to say the least, dangerous pursuits."

In this manner the shepherd and Humble Mind conversed together as they walked along the Way of Salvation towards the shepherd's abode. In the mean time Inbred-Sin followed Humble Mind softly and cautiously, stealing silently along, and, as it were, on tip-toe, yet close upon the boy's steps, and listening curiously to what the shepherd said: but he avoided shewing his face, on account of the shepherd's staff, of which he was sore afraid.

By this time they were come close upon the pasture-ground, and a more inviting or lovely prospect my eyes never beheld. The Way of Salvation passes through these fields. They are called the fields of holy Peace, where, as I before said, infant pilgrims are received in order to be fed with the pure milk of the Word, until they have attained strength to continue their pilgrimage. At which time, it is strictly required of them all to take up their cross; to crucify the flesh, with its affections and lusts; to wrestle against principalities and powers; and to put on the whole armour of God, that they may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. (Eph. vi. 11-13.)

The air of these fields is soft and refreshing, and Humble Mind was well pleased to see many young children, clothed in white, scattered over the green lawns: some sporting on the velvet turf; others walking, with books in their hands, under the shade of the waving trees; and others sitting apart on the hill side, or near the cool fountains, hymning their morning praises: for as yet it was but early day. Here the larger and stronger children watched over the little ones with tender love, while the little ones gave due honour to their elders, all of them preferring one another; and the weak, and the humble, and the lowly among them were had in respect by all their companions. Their garments were pure and spotless, their complexions fresh and ruddy, and their eyes as the eyes of young doves.

As soon as the good shepherd appeared, these little ones came joyfully skipping towards him, like so many young roes and harts upon the mountains; yet their love was sweetly mingled with awe; so that when they came near, they bowed humbly before him and were silent. Their good shepherd then smiled upon them, and gave them his morning blessing.

Moreover, I saw that, when the children were