her mind in swarms, clogged her conscience, and loaded her with guilt—­it was then that Secret knocked at her door.  “Next morning,” so her opening history runs, “when she was up, and had prayed to God, and talked with her children awhile, one knocked hard at the door to whom she spake out, saying, If thou comest in God’s name, come in.  So he who was at the door said, Amen, and opened the door, and saluted her with, Peace be to this house.  The which when he had done, he said, Christiana, knowest thou wherefore I am come?  Then she blushed and trembled, also her heart began to wax warm with desires to know whence he came, and what was his errand to her.  So he said unto her, My name is Secret, I dwell with those that are high.  It is talked of where I dwell as if thou hadst a desire to go thither; also, there is a report that thou art aware now of the evil thou formerly didst to thy husband in hardening of thy heart against his way, and in keeping of thy babes in their ignorance.  Christiana, the Merciful One has sent me to tell thee that He is a God ready to forgive, and that He taketh delight to multiply to pardon offences.  He would also have thee know that He inviteth thee to come into His presence, even to His table, and that He will there feed thee with the fat of His house, and with the heritage of Jacob thy father.  Christiana at all this was greatly abashed in herself, and she bowed her head to the ground, while her visitor proceeded and said, Christiana, here is a letter for thee which I have brought from thy husband’s King.  So she took it and opened it, and, as she opened it, it smelt after the manner of the best perfume; also it was written in lettering of gold.  The contents of the letter was to this effect, that the King would have her do as did Christian her husband, for that was the way to come to the city and to dwell in His presence with joy for ever.  At this the good woman was completely overcome.  So she said to her visitor, Sir, will you carry me and my children with you that we may go and worship this King?  Then said the heavenly visitor, Christiana, the bitter is before the sweet.  Thou must through troubles, as did he that went before thee, enter this celestial city.”  And so on.

1.  Now, to begin with, you will have noticed the way in which Christiana was prepared for the entrance of Secret into her house.  She was a widow.  She sat alone in that loneliness which only widows know and understand.  More than lonely, she was very miserable.  “Mark this,” says the author on the margin, “you that are churls to your godly relations.”  For this widow felt sure that her husband had been taken from her because of her cruel behaviour to him.  Her past unnatural carriages toward her husband now rent the very caul of her heart in sunder.  And, again and again, about that same time strange dreams would sometimes visit her.  Dreams such as this.  She would see her husband in a place of bliss with a harp in his hand, standing and playing upon it before