riches, and honours of the earth. Yea, in com parison with the smallest of these blessings, the world itself dwindles into nothing, and is viler than dross and dung. Some of these blessings I shall now mention: they are, deliverance from death, redemption from bondage, security from enemies, pardon of sin, peace of mind, lasting joy, the favour of our prince, honour and dignity in his kingdom, and at last a glorious translation to the full enjoyment of all the unsearchable riches and unutterable joys of heaven. All these and many more has our prince covenanted to give to all who faithfully serve and honour him to the end of their days; and that we may all do this, he has given to us all necessary power and assistance, that every disobedient subject may be left without excuse. Trust then, Allapsus, in your Lord, believe his word, obey his laws, and be happy.

At this last sentence, Allapsus was struck with astonishment. He paused awhile in serious thoughtfulness, and then thus addressed Evangelus.

caution and exhort me to obey my Prince: is this caution needful? Is it possible that I can ever disobey so kind a Lord? Can my heart be ever estranged from him; or my soul submit to any other servitude?

Evangelus. Know, Allapsus, that no irresistible, unfrustrable force compels you to obedience: if it were so, you could not be free to act, and all your service would lose its virtue. Our Lord deals with us as free agents. By his power and grace it is we stand; that power unemployed, that grace unimproved, we fall. While you live in the body, you are. not only a subject of this city, but an inhabitant of the world. You are to act in this state according to the requirements of nature, for the good of yourself and mankind. As this is the case, you must know that there will arise, in the course of your probationary state, many temptations, by which too many of our

Lord's subjects have been alienated from him, and have given their hearts to another. There is also in this world a certain great King who rules with powerful sway, and leads millions of its inhabitants captive at his will. He will use every art of seduction to dissuade you from the service of our Prince, and reduce you to his slavery. Force he cannot use against you, for no power shall be able to pluck you out of our Prince's hand; but superlative art and the deepest stratagem he will use to seduce and ruin you. With this you will soon be acquainted, and find the caution needful. Guard, therefore, against seduction; arm your soul against every temptation; exert the power the Lord of this city has given you; improve his grace, and fear not. Thus your most potent foes shall fall before you, every enemy shall be trampled under foot, and you shall stand superior to all the most deep laid schemes and subtle machinations of earth and hell.

These words of Evangelus impressed the mind of Allapsus, and he seemed determined to put himself ont of the power of every temptation.

He immediately entered into conversation with the citizens, joined them in every duty, worshipped with them at every opportunity, and was so entirely taken up in the service of his Lord, that he rather neglected the affairs of life, omitted the discharge of some necessary duties, and had almost forgotten to provide for himself and his household Filled with love and zeal for his Prince, he desired to live as though he were out of the body, and had no temporal concerns to mind.

While Allapsus was thus zealously employed in that heavenly work which was now the delight of his soul, I amused myself with taking a view of the kingdom into which he had entered But while ny eyes were agreeably entertained, my ears were suddenly surprised by a voice and language very different from what I had heard during the former

part of my dream. I turned myself round and beheld two internal demons black as the shades of night. Their countenances displayed the passion's which agitated them; and anger, rage, malice, and revenge were obvious My soul was shocked at the unexpected and hateful sight, and I stood fixed and motionless as a statue. Perceiving, however, that they did not observe or regard me, I listened to their diabolical discourse, and heard the following dialogue.

Apollyon. You see, Diabolus, that notwithstanding all our vigilance and subtlety, our hated and too powerful foe, too powerful foe, the Prince of Light, has, by his unconquerable arm, freed another immortal spirit from our power, and snatched him from everlasting burnings. In spite of all our power and artifice, he has broken the chains with which we had bound him, and set the captive at perfect liberty. He, who was lately under our control, now triumphs in his freedom, and seems to defy our host, as though he were beyond our reach, or too strong for all the legions of hell. But shall we thes tamely lose a subject? shall the Son of God thus decrease our kingdom, and disgrace our powers, and we submit without a fresh trial of our strength and skill? No: we will again exert all our force and cunning to pluck the released prisoner from his Prince.

Diabolus. Hold, Apollyon: your zeal for our sovereign, and the honour of his kingdom, carries you too far. We must remember whom we have to deal with There is an ancient declaration in the Laws of this Prince, that "no one shall be able to pluck his subjects ont of his hands:" this has been declared nearly two thousand years, and through the whole time we have never been able to reverse it. As we have, therefore, by long experience, proved, that by force we cannot pluck them thence, we must use all our cunning to deceive them,

and by artful insinuations incline them to come over again to us. By this method we have often succeeded, and it shall go hard with us if we do not bring back Allapsus to our kingdom.

Apollyon. Well spoken, Diabolus. Let us lose

no time.

Diabolus. Too hasty yet, Apollyon. It is as impossible for us to seduce Allapsus now, as to call down the brightest of yonder constellations to illumine the dark caverns of hell. Allapsus now glows with love, and is inflamed with the most ardent zeal for his Prince. His new companions are all busy about him, and all dwelling upon the pleasures and joys of his new situation, and the kindness of his Lord. During the continuance of this rapture of love and joy, you may with half a glance discover that the most powerful temptations and deepest stratagems will be of no effect. Besides the danger he has escaped, the sorrow he has experienced, and the release he has so recently obtained, are so fresh in his memory, that we cannot by all our art erase the impression they have made upon his mind. We will therefore leave him a little while, and watch our remaining captives, and the motions of our hated foe, lest more of them should be lost. We have work enough upon our hands.

Apollyon. True, my worthy associate. But if we neglect to try our skill upon Allapsus, will he not, by our delay, prove more invincible, and baffle all our artifice?

Diabolus. No, no, quite the reverse. You will soon find his love grow less intense, his zeal will be relaxed, and his joys decreased. Souls embodied cannot be always in rapture; nor perpetually on the mount of elevation. They must descend. We will watch that moment, and then lose no time.

Apollyon. Deep is your wisdom, Diabolus, in all the machinations of Hell. I acquiesce, and wait the happy period. I go to execute our master's will.

Now, I beheld in my dream, that these two infernals departed big with hellish designs against the sons of men. Their discourse, and the pleasure with which they contemplated the accomplishment of their cursed designs, gave me the greatest concern, and I indulged my thoughts in the following soliloquy :

Can Hell itself produce such wretches vile,
Beyond conception base, as those I've heard!
Will they, while under Heaven's wrathful ire,
Still dare his vengeance, and provoke his hand
To kindle fiercer flames! Shall they arise
In hellish rage, and open war maintain

Against the Lord, whose power in Heaven and Earth,
And Hell's vast empire too, no limit knows:
Must man, the work of God,—the purchased race
Of Jesus's blood, be hunted with mad rage

By these insatiable hell-hounds.—

So Heaven permits. Be still, my soul, nor dare
To measure wisdom infinite; or judge
Jehovah's ways, by thy small ray of light.
Sooner might mortal eye with one keen glance
Survey unnumber'd worlds, and boundless space,
Than finite beings comprehend the deep,
Profound and vast of wisdom infinite.
Enough for thee to know that Heaven affords
Sufficient power to conquer ev'ry foe,
And triumph o'er their rage. His will it is
That all his chosen sons should have their faith,
Their love and virtue tried by sufferings here,
That they, by fight, may win immortal honour,
And reign victorious in a world of bliss.

Come then, Allapsus, arm you for the fight,
The war maintain, put all your foes to flight;
In Jesus trust, you'il conquer through his pow'r,
He will defend you in the trying hour;

Be on your guard when enemies assail,

Then they, with all their power, shall not prevail.

Now, I beheld in my dream, that Allapsus attended for some time to the service of his Prince with an assiduity and rapture which astonished many of the citizens who had been long in their Lord's service, and had, for many years, enjoyed the privileges of his kingdom. Every spectator