self mercifully providing this way for the escape of sinful men, and setting before them an open door which no man can shut. (Rev. iii. 8.) So I continued to look on Evangelist; and behold, he went to the door of a small house in a certain little village, and, as his manner was, he knocked thereat.

The name of this village was Family Love. Many parts of it lay in ruins, having been destroyed by successive tempests and the heaving of the earth: nevertheless, what remained thereof was exceeding fair and lovely, so that in all the plain I saw not such another village.

Now, as I before said, Evangelist knocked at the door of a certain small house; when presently one coming and opening the door, he entered in.

In this house dwelt a certain young man with his wife and their three little children. So I saw, in my dream, that Evangelist delivered his message to the young man and his wife, saying, "Flee from the wrath to come."

These young people then put certain questions to Evangelist, saying, "Whither shall we flee? or

who shall help us?"

Upon which Evangelist gave them a book, and bade them read therein. So they opened the book, and read these words: Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. (John xiv. 1-3, 6.)

Then said the young man, "Where shall we

find him of whom this is written?"

In answer to which, Evangelist opened his mouth and taught them many things concerning the Lord Jesus Christ: how God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory. (1 Tim. iii. 16.) And behold, while Evangelist yet spake, the Holy Spirit of God entered their hearts, and they cried out, as with one voice, "Lord, we believe; help thou our unbelief." (Mark ix. 24.)

Evangelist then pointed out to them the means of escape, even the little door which the Lord had opened at the head of the way; and behold, a very bright light issued from thence. Then said Evangelist, "Keeping that light in your eye, go up directly to it; and when ye come to the door, knock without fear. Christ is the door: by him if any man enter in, he shall be saved." (John x. 9.)

So while I continued to look, the man and his wife began to put themselves in readiness for their journey; busying themselves, at the same time, in teaching their little ones such things as they had themselves learned from Evangelist. But, while they lingered, Evangelist hastened them, saying, "Escape for your lives; for the time is short."

To which they replied, "Must we leave our little ones behind?"

It is the will of God," answered Evangelist, "that, for the trial of your faith, you should give up these little ones for a season. For every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundred fold, and shall inherit everlasting life. (Matt. xix. 29.) Leave thy fatherless children, I will preserve them alive, saith the Lord." (Jer. xlix. 11.)

Now the poor parents, in obedience to the will

of God, kissed their pretty babes, and with many tears and prayers charging them to follow their steps, they hastened away, because the messenger of God was exceedingly urgent. So turning their steps towards the shining light, they speedily reached the wicket gate: where the Lord of the way having graciously received them, and washed them from their sins, and clothed them in fair white garments, and set them in the narrow path which leadeth unto the city-they were shortly and safely conveyed through the black river of death unto everlasting glory.

Upon this I turned my eyes towards the little ones, who were left behind in their father's housethe eldest of which was a boy named Humble Mind, being not quite ten years old; and he had two little sisters, whose names were Playful and Peace, the younger of which was of very tender

age.

I saw then, that, after their father and mother had left them, very little care was taken of these poor babies: so that their clothes were little better than rags; while, like the prodigal son in the Gospel, they would fain have filled their bellies with the husks which the swine did eat. (Luke xv. 16.) Moreover, I saw that they had for a companion, one who had been brought up under the same roof with them, as ill favoured and ill conditioned an urchin as one could see, whose name was Inbred or Original Sin. His great forefather, a child of hell, came into this world at the time when Adam ate the forbidden fruit; and from that very moment he became the constant companion of our first parent. Moreover, as Adam's family increased on the earth, in like manner the family of Original Sin multiplied, filling the whole earth with violence, and leading men to the commission of every evil work; (Galatians v. 19.) insomuch that the history of all the kingdoms of the

earth, aye, and of every individual in them, from the fall of Adam till now, is filled up with the ill doings of this apostate family. And even now, so entirely are the sons of Adam under the power of Inbred-Sin, that they cannot even wish to do well, without the help of God: but the Lord Jesus Christ, having by his death upon the cross obtained for us the assistance of the Holy Spirit of God, we are enabled, through his help, to subdue our inbred corruption.

Having said thus much concerning the family of this Inbred-Sin, I shall now proceed to describe what I observed of his habits and tempers, wherein he differed so little from other individuals of his hated race, that in describing one of the family I cannot fail to convey a tolerably correct idea of all the rest.

In the first place I remarked, that he never slept; but that he was on the alert, and, as it were, on the look out for occasions of action both day and night, neither observing any Sabbath-day himself, nor allowing any season of rest to those with whom he familiarly associated: for the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt. (Isa. lvii. 20.) His grand work was that of contriving mischief, and setting others to execute it; and from this work he never ceased. Even while the children were in their beds, he would sit on their pillows and whisper all manner of evil in their ears, filling their fancies with idle dreams, and suggesting such a variety of unholy thoughts, that, on their awaking, they were prepared for every evil deed.

Another quality of Inbred-Sin appeared to be this, that he was a stranger to shame, and could neither be put out of countenance, nor thrown off his guard; so that when pursuing any object, if baffled in one way, he would instantly wheel

about and come to the very same point by some other way, and that, perhaps, such a round-about one, as would make it believed that he had given up the very purpose which he was then actually carrying into effect. He had also this further quality in common with others of his family, that the more he was submitted to, the more unreasonable he became in his demands; frequently requiring such compliances as led not only to great inconvenience, but to imminent danger.

It is true that the children had no desire to contend with him; nay, they had, in fact, great pleasure in obeying his commands. Nevertheless, there were occasions, as I said before, when he would require them to do such things as necessarily exposed them to the danger of immediate punishment; and, on these occasions, something like an argument or discussion would arise between them, when it was marvellous to observe how he would proceed till he had brought about his design.

It was also wonderful, what devices he would put the little ones upon, in order to avoid detection: and if at any time they were found out in a fault, he was never at a loss to gloss it over, by putting some plausible falsehood into their mouths. And if nothing else could screen them from punishment, he would put them upon seeming humble and sorry for the offence they had committed; merely for the purpose of bringing themselves out of present trouble. At other times he would set them to quarrel one with another, instigating each one to set up himself in opposition to the rest.

Moreover, I saw that this Inbred-Sin never left the children; dwelling in their house, lying in their bosoms, walking out with them when they went abroad, and sitting down with them at all their meals: neither indeed was there any thing