with the lower gates. On the two sides of the door were the
_ten commandments_; upon the first slab on the right side was written,
"_love the Lord with thy whole heart_, _&c._," and upon the second slab
on the other side, "love thy neighbour as thyself;" and above the whole,
"_love not the world nor the things which are therein_." I had not
looked long before the watchmen began to cry out to the men of Perdition,
"Flee! flee, for your lives!" Only a very few turned towards them once,
some of whom asked, "flee from what?" "From the prince of this world,
who reigns in the children of disobedience," said the watchman; "flee
from the pollutions which are in the world through the lusts of the
flesh, the lusts of the eyes, and the vanities of life; flee from the
wrath which is coming to overwhelm you!" "What," exclaimed the other
watchman, "is your beloved city but a vast glowing roof cast over Hell,
and if you were here, you might see the fire on the farther side of your
walls kindling, to burn you down into Hell." Some mocked them, others
threatened to stone them unless they ceased their unmannerly prate; but
some few asked, "whither shall we fly?" "Hither," said the watchman,
"fly hither to your lawful king, who yet offers you pardon through us, if
you return to your obedience, and abandon the rebel Belial and his
deceitful daughters. Though their appearance is so splendid, it is only
deception; Belial at home is but a very poor prince, he has only you for
fuel, and only you as roast and boiled to gnaw, and you are never
sufficient, and there will never be an end to his hunger and your
torments. And who would serve such a malicious butcher, in a temporary
delirium here, and in eternal torments hereafter, who could obtain a life
of happiness under a king merciful and charitable to his subjects, who is
ever doing towards them the good offices of a shepherd, and endeavouring
to keep them from Belial, in order finally to give to each of them the
kingdom in the country of Light? O fools! will ye take the horrible
enemy whose throat is burning with thirst for your blood, instead of the
compassionate prince who has given his own blood to assist you?" But it
did not appear that these reasonings, which were sufficient to soften a
rock, proved of much advantage to them, and the principal cause of their
being so unsuccessful was, that not many had leisure to hear, the greater
part being employed in looking at the gates; and