As I walked through the wilderness of this world, I lighted ona certain place, where was a den;[1] and I laid me down in thatplace to sleep: and as I slept, I dreamed a dream. I dreamed,and, behold, "I saw a man clothed with rags, standing in a certainplace, with his face from his own house, a book in his hand, anda great burden upon his back," (Isa. 64:6; Luke 14:33; Psa. 38:4;Hab. 2:2; Acts 16:31). I looked, and saw him open the book,[2]and read therein; and as he read, he wept and trembled; and notbeing able longer to contain, he brake out with a lamentable cry,saying, "What shall I do?" (Acts 2:37).[3]
In this plight, therefore, he went home, and refrained himself aslong as he could, that his wife and children should not perceivehis distress; but he could not be silent long, because that histrouble increased. Wherefore at length he brake his mind to hiswife and children; and thus he began to talk to them: "O my dearwife," said he, "and you, the children of my bowels, I, your dearfriend, am in myself undone, by reason of a burden that lieth hardupon me; moreover, I am for certain informed that this our citywill be burned with fire from Heaven; in which fearful overthrow,both myself, with thee, my wife, and you, my sweet babes, shallmiserably come to ruin, except (the which yet I see not) some wayof escape can be found, whereby we may be delivered." At this, hisrelations were sore amazed; not for that they believed that whathe had said to them was true, but because they thought that somefrenzy distemper had got into his head;[4] therefore, it drawingtowards night, and they hoping that sleep might settle hisbrains, with all haste they got him to bed. But the night was astroublesome to him as the day; wherefore, instead of sleeping, hespent it in sighs and tears. So when the morning was come, theywould know how he did; he told them, worse and worse; he also setto talking to them again, but they began to be hardened. They alsothought to drive away his distemper by harsh and surly carriagesto him. Sometimes they would deride, sometimes they would chide,and sometimes they would quite neglect him. Wherefore he beganto retire himself to his chamber to pray for, and pity them, andalso to condole his own misery. He would also walk solitarily inthe fields, sometimes reading, and sometimes praying; and thusfor some days he spent his time.[5]
Now I saw upon a time, when he was walking in the fields, that hewas, as he was wont, reading in his book, and greatly distressedin his mind; and as he read, he burst out, as he had done before,crying, "What shall I do to be saved?" (Acts 16:30, 31).
I saw also that he looked this way and that way, as if he wouldrun; yet he stood still, because, as I perceived, he could not tellwhich way to go.[6] I looked then, and saw a man named Evangelistcoming to him, who asked, "Where fore dost thou cry?"
He answered, Sir, I perceive, by the book in my hand, that I amcondemned to die, and after that to come to judgment, (Heb. 9:27);and I find that I am not willing (Job 16:21, 22) to do the first,nor able (Eze. 22:14) to do the second.
Then said Evangelist, Why n