MY LITTLE CHILDREN, THE intention of this book is to make you acquainted, in an agreeable manner, with many of those awful mysteries of our holy Religion, the knowledge of which is necessary to your salvation. You do not yet know, what it is that has separated you from your God: nor do you fully understand what it was that induced the Lord our Redeemer to descend from heaven for the purpose of assuming our nature, and dying upon the cross. You have, perhaps, never yet been informed, that the Sin of man's heart is very great, very prevalent, and very hateful; and that, except it be overcome, it will subject him to everlasting perdition. Many long sermons have been preached, and many learned volumes have been written, in order both to describe the nature of this Sin, and to guard us against its influence: but little children cannot understand these grave and elaborate discourses. I have therefore written for your instruction on this subject, a story about some little children, who, like yourselves, were born in a state of sin. And in this story I have personified the Sin of our nature, and introduced it as the constant companion of these children. The relation is given under the form of a Dream, the various incidents of which are so contrived, as to shew how incessantly sin assaults even those who are truly devoted to God, and what unhappiness it causes them from the beginning to the end of their days. Through the whole of this dream, the present life is compared to a Pilgrimage, which signifies a journey undertaken for some pious purpose. And in every part of it especial care has been taken, distinctly to mark the straight and only way to the Kingdom of Heaven, namely, the Lord Jesus Christ, who himself hath said, I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man cometh unto the Father but by me. Now as nuts and almonds are hidden under rough shells, and as honey is concealed in the bells and cups of flowers; so there is a hidden meaning in every part of my allegory, which I hope you will be enabled to draw forth for your profit. In the mean time, my dear children, I pray God to seal instruction upon your hearts, and fill you with that heavenly wisdom, whose price is far above rubies. I will just add, that this little work was composed in the East-Indies, during the year 1814. THE INFANT'S PROGRESS, &c. CHAPTER I. ONE night as I lay upon my bed, I dreamed a dream. Methought I was sitting upon some high place, resembling a cloud; beneath which there was spread out a very large plain, called the Plain of Destruction, containing all the towns, and villages, and dwelling-places of the children of men, with their kings' houses, and the temples of their gods. Some of these places possessed many external advantages, and were not unpleasant to look upon; for God maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. (Matt. v. 45.) Nevertheless, no man could remain in safety in any of the habitations of this plain; because, from time to time, the earth opened, and there came out fire and smoke, hell itself lying close underneath: the B place therefore was properly termed the Plain of Destruction. Moreover, occasionally, dreadful storms of thunder and lightning broke over the plain; where I saw some as they travelled through the country stricken with thunderbolts from heaven-For the Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God: but they are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. (Psalm xiv. 2, 3.) Now, while I looked, behold, a certain person appeared clothed in white, and bearing in his hand the Book of God. This person's name was Evangelist; and being sent from God, he went from city to city, and from house to house, warning men to flee from the wrath to come. And these were the words in which he addressed them"Ye are all sinful, ye are all unclean; ye have departed from the service of the Lord your Maker, and are under the condemnation of hell: nevertheless, the Lord hath prepared for you a way to escape; for God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John iii. 16.) I saw, then, that to such as were disposed to enquire further into this matter, being content to turn their backs upon the world, and to take Christ for their portion, Evangelist pointed out certain hills at a great distance, over which there was stretched, straight as an arrow, and as far as the eye could reach, a narrow path, having so upward a tendency, that I could not distinguish the further end of it, by reason of the glory and brightness which were cast thereon from the hea vens. Now at the entrance of this path there was a narrow pass or cut through the hills, where a little gate was placed, the Lord Jesus Christ him |