Pilgrim's Progress, Part 2 - The Gospel Magazine

JoCeph
wonders.
Prov. xi. Z4.
xiii. 7.
[ !I8 ]
cc Hard texts are nuts (I will not call them cheatersX
cc W.hofe /hells do keep their kernels from the eaters: .. ,
" Open then the jhells, and you fhall have the meat;
" They are here brought, for you to crack and eat." .
Then were they very mer.ry, and fat at the table a
long time, talking of many things: .then' faid the old
gentleman, lYly good landlord, while ye-are here cr.acking
your nuts, if you 'pleafe, do you' open this ri4-"
dIe (p) :
[A riddle, put forth by old Honejl.]
" A man there ~as (tho' fome do count him.mad),
~c The \llore he caft away, the more he had."
Then tlWY all gave go()d h,eed, wondering what good
Gaius would fay; fo he fat ftill a while, and then thus. - 1
repty'd': .
[ Gaius opens it. ]
,
" He who thus beftows his goods upon the poor,;.
"Shall. h.ave as much again, and ten times more,!' \
'. ~ "
T'hen faid Jqfepli, I muft fay, -Sir~ I did not :think'yOl;1
could ,~ave found it out. .
Oh! faid 'Gaiits, I have been,·trained up in' this way
a great wi)'ile: nothing teaches like experie.nce: I h?-ve
learned of my Lord to be kind; and h~ve found, by experience,
that I have gained thereby. "There is that
fcattereth, yet incre:iCeth; and there is that with~holdeth
more than is meet, but. it tendeth to poverty:. there is
that maketh himfe1f rich, yet hath nothing; there is that
maketh himtelf poor, yet hath'great riches."
(p) Obeerve here, the feaft of pilgrim~ was att~nded with mirth. Chrif.
rians may, they ought, yea, they have the greateft reafon, to be merry; but
then it ought to be fpiritual mirth, which fprings from fpiritual views,
and fpiritual converfation. Let our fpeech be thus feafoned, and our fealls
thus tempered, and we !hall find more joy andgladnefs of heart in the Lord.
. Thm