the place whither thou art
going, hath authorised to be thy guide in all difficult places thou
mayest meet with in the way; wherefore, take good heed to what I
have shewed thee, and bear well in thy mind what thou hast seen,
lest in thy journey thou meet with some that pretend to lead thee
right, but their way goes down to death.
{74} Then he took him by the hand, and led him into a very large
parlour that was full of dust, because never swept; the which after
he had reviewed a little while, the Interpreter called for a man to
sweep. Now, when he began to sweep, the dust began so abundantly
to fly about, that Christian had almost therewith been choked.
Then said the Interpreter to a damsel that stood by, Bring hither
the water, and sprinkle the room; the which, when she had done, it
was swept and cleansed with pleasure.
{75} CHR. Then said Christian, What means this?
INTER. The Interpreter answered, This parlour is the heart of
a man that was never sanctified by the sweet grace of the gospel;
the dust is his original sin and inward corruptions, that have defiled
the whole man. He that began to sweep at first, is the Law; but
she that brought water, and did sprinkle it, is the Gospel. Now,
whereas thou sawest, that so soon as the first began to sweep, the
dust did so fly about that the room by him could not be cleansed,
but that thou wast almost choked therewith; this is to shew thee,
that the law, instead of cleansing the heart (by its working) from
sin, doth revive, put strength into, and increase it in the soul,
even as it doth discover and forbid it, for it doth not give power
to subdue. [Rom. 7:6; 1 Cor. 15:56; Rom. 5:20]
{76} Again, as thou sawest the damsel sprinkle the room with water,
upon which it was cleansed with pleasure; this is to show thee,
that when the gospel comes in the sweet and precious influences
thereof to the heart, then, I say, even as thou sawest the damsel
lay the dust by sprinkling the floor with water, so is sin vanquished
and subdued, and the soul made clean through the faith of it, and
consequently fit for the King of glory to inhabit. [John 15:3;
Eph. 5:26; Acts 15:9; Rom. 16:25,26; John 15:13]
{77} I saw, moreover, in my dream, that the Interpreter took him
by the hand, and had him into a little room, where sat two little
children, each one in his chair. The name of the eldest was
Passion, and the name of the other Patience. Passion seemed to
be much discontented; bu
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