Great men, when
and while their sons are travellers, appoint that their bags of
money be lodged ready or conveniently paid in at such and such a
place; and so they meet with supplies. Why, so are the sons of the
great One; and he has allotted that we should travel beyond sea, or
at a great distance from our Father's house: wherefore he has
appointed that grace shall be provided for us, to supply at such a
place, such a state or temptation, as need requires. But withal, as
my lord expeeteth his son should acquaint him with the present
emptiness of his purse and with the difficulty he hath now to
grapple with; so God our Father expects that we should plead by
Christ our need at the throne of grace, in order to a supply of
grace. "Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we
may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need."
Then I saw in my dream that the Interpreter took Christian by the
hand, and led him into a place where was a fire burning against a
wall, and one standing by it always casting much water upon it to
quench it; yet did the fire burn higher and hotter.
Then said Christian, "What means this?"
The Interpreter answered, "This fire is the work of grace that is
wrought in the heart; he that casts water upon it to extinguish and
put it out, is the devil; but in that thou seest the fire
notwithstanding burn higher and hotter, thou shalt also see the
reason of that.
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