{"collection":"myth-cosmogony","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/gutenberg_15730/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/gutenberg_15730","id":"gutenberg_15730","license":"Public Domain (US)","rights_basis":"gutenberg_metadata_copyright_false","source":"gutenberg","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/15730","summary":null,"tags":["Category: British Literature","Category: Classics of Literature","Category: Mythology, Legends & Folklore","Category: Religion/Spirituality","Society of Friends -- Doctrines -- Early works to 1800"],"text":"E-text prepared by Mark C. Orton, William Flis, and the Project Gutenberg\nOnline Distributed Proofreading Team\n\n\n\nA SHORT HISTORY OF A LONG TRAVEL FROM BABYLON TO BETHEL\n\nby\n\nSTEPHEN CRISP\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\nINTRODUCTION\n\n\nWritings of the first Quakers, even minor writings, often kindle in\nus today an ardor to seek what they sought and to find what they\nfound. The excellent book by Luella M. Wright entitled \"The Literary\nLife of the Early Friends, 1650-1725\" is a pleasant and convenient\nintroduction to these numerous and often lengthy productions of which\n2600 have been listed for the first 75 years. Among them all, Luella\nWright singles out one allegory; the only one, and it remained\nunpublished fully two decades after its composition. Why was this? Was\nit because, though the author was as sound a thinker and as persuasive\nan author as any among the followers of George Fox, an imaginary\npilgrimage was inherently suspect, while the record of actual\nexperiences in the form of a journal was not? Be this as it may,\nthe slight loosening of standards with the opening of the eighteenth\ncentury allowed the \"Second Day's Morning Meeting,\" which then\ncensored Quaker manuscripts, to approve for printing \"A Short History\nof a Long Travel from Babylon to Bethel.\" It was put out in 1711.\nHow entertaining it would be to know the number of copies that were\nprinted in that first edition.\n\nStephen Crisp was a famous preacher. \"He had a gift of utterance\nbeyond many\" said his brethren in Colchester at the time of his\ndecease. He was listened to by many outside the Society of Friends and\nhis sermons, together with the prayer at the end of every one of them,\nwere \"exactly taken in character,\" that is in shorthand \"as they were\ndelivered ... in the meeting houses of the people called Quakers.\"\n\nThough Stephen Crisp's letters, sermons, and journal promptly appeared\nin print and were widely circulated, the \"Short History\" remained\nafter his death in the bundle of his papers in Colchester. John\nBunyan's famous book \"The Pilgrim's Progress\" had appeared with its\nprimitive woodcuts in 1678. It received immediate recognition and\nin due time was acclaimed the greatest religious book produced in\nEngland. Stephen Crisp's allegory is minimal besides it (some 30 pages\nas against 207), but the \"Long Travel\" retains significance because of\nits more modern point of view.\n\nThis tiny tract usually printed in pocket size (2\" x 3\") sometimes\nwith a passage from the author's journal included, was reprinted\nmore than twenty times. I happened upon it in the Friends Historical\nLibrary at Swarthmore College twenty years ago. They then had four\ncopies. Today they have more than a dozen.\n\nHow does Stephen Crisp's theology differ from that of Bunyan's? In\nthe first place, while Crisp's pilgrim starts off with a pack on his\nback of luggage for his journey, Bunyan's pilgrim had as his pack the\nburden of guilt which is original sin. Second, Crisp's pilgrim soon\ngives up confidence in human leadership having discovered a measure of\nthe Light. Third, he crosses the river early on his journey, whereas\nfor Bunyan's pilgrim the river is at the end, the river of death.\nFourth, Crisp's pilgrim reaches the House of God in this life. He\nfinds a satisfied multitude in the outer court. They invite him to\nstay with them in easy circumstances but catching sight of his guide,\nthe Light, as it passes through a narrow door (compare Bunyan's wicket\ngate) he presses on, divests himself of his travel-worn garments and\nenters the House of God. Here, like the Friends with whom Stephen\nCrisp had found Peace after his own period of seeking, he first rests\nfrom struggle, then finds his calling which is to supply the needs\nof the young, and finally aspires to bring his good tidings to the\nBabylon from which he had set out.\n\n\"The Pilgrim's Progress\" is incomparably more exciting with raging\nbeasts, Giant Despair, and Apollyon with all his hosts. The people\nBunyan's pilgrim meets are more vivid, portrayed with cruel detail and\nlusty humor. Theologically the Quaker tract is of a different age,\nnot less exacting, but less pictorial. The medieval detail is gone but\nintense inwardness, devotion, and obedience are still required of the\nseeker to enable him to become a finder.\n\nIn his \"Varieties of Religious Experience,\" which I heard William\nJames deliver as a series of lectures at Stanford University when I\nwas a Freshman over sixty years ago, he said of the religion of the\nQuakers: In a day of shams it was a religion of veracity rooted in\nspiritual inwardness and a return to something more like the original\ngospel truth than men had ever known in England. He continued, so far\nas our Christian sects are evolving into liberality, they are simply\nreverting in essence to the position which Fox and the early Quakers\nso long ago assumed.\n\nWith this conclusion I heartily commend to sympathetic seekers today\nthe brief allegory by Stephen Crisp: \"A Short History of a Long Travel\nfrom Babylon to Bethel.\"\n\nAnna Cox Brinton\n\n\n\n\nA SHORT HISTORY\n\n\nIn the days of my youth, when I lived at home in my father's house,\nI heard many people talk of the house of God; and that whosoever did\nattain to get into it did enjoy all manner of happiness, both in this\nworld and that which is to come. And a great desire kindled in me, if\nit were possible, to get into the house; yet I know not where it was,\nneither did they who talked of it; but they had heard the report, and\nthey reported what they had heard. There were also some books, that\nhad been written by men who had been in that house; which books did\ndeclare much of the joy and felicity they had in the house. These\nbooks I got, and read them over and over; which did much strengthen\nmy belief in the truth of the reports: yet by no means could I tell\nwhich was my way. But so ardent were my desires, that I thought myself\nwilling to forsake my father's house, my country, and all, and travel\nanywhere, wherever my legs would carry me, so that I might find this\nhouse.\n\nAnd upon a time, as I was breaking my mind to a friend of mine upon\nthis subject, he readily told me, there were men appointed in every\nplace to guide those who were willing to go thither, and it was their\nbusiness, and they had nothing else to do. When I heard this I was\ncomforted, and desired him, if he loved me, to make me acquainted with\none of those men. He told me he would; which he did. When I came to\ntreat with the man, I let him know the fervent desire I had to get\nto the house of God, of which I had heard such excellent things; and\nthat I understood he was one appointed to guide any thither, who were\nwilling to go, and to persuade people to go, who were not willing. He\nvery readily answered, and told me, it was his business to guide any\nthither who were willing to go; and if I would comply with his terms,\nand follow him, he would lead me thither. I asked him what his terms\nwere. He said the way was long, and would lead him from home, and I\nmust bear his charges, and something over, to all of which I agreed.\n\nSo we set forward on our journey, early in the morning; but before\nwe had gone one whole day's journey, I saw my guide sometimes stand\nstill, and look about him, and sometimes he would pull a little book\nout of his pocket, and read a little to himself; which made me begin\nto mistrust that he knew the way no better than I. However, I said\nnothing; but went on following him several days journey after this\nmanner; and the farther we went, the more my guide was at a loss.\nSometimes he went a little on, and then would look about him, and turn\nanother way, and sometimes right back again for a while, and then turn\nagain. So my suspicions grew very strong, and I began to be in great\nanxiety of spirit, but said little to him about it.\n\n[Illustration: These books I got, and read them over and over; which\ndid much strengthen my belief in the truth of the reports: yet by no\nmeans could I tell which was my way.]\n\nBut one day, as we were travelling along, we met with a man that took\nnotice of my sad countenance and tired condition. And he spake very\nkindly to me; \"Young man,\" said he, \"whither art thou bound?\" And when\nI began to tell him something of my travel, he desired me to sit down\nupon the grass, in a shady place, and discourse a little about my\njourney: and so we did, and I told him how things had gone with me\nto that very hour. Whilst I was telling him my story, my guide fell\nasleep; at which I was not sorry, for thereby I had the more freedom\nto discourse with the man; and when I had told him all, he pitied me;\nand withal, told me, to his certain knowledge, this guide of mine had\nnever been at the house, neither did he know the way to it, but as\nhe had got some marks of the way, which he had received, as I or any\nother may do; and, if I followed him all my days, I should be never\nthe nearer to it, and should find at last, I had spent my time, money\nand labour to no purpose.\n\nThis discourse did so astonish me, that I was at my wits end, and did\nnot know what course to take. The man seeing what an agony I was in,\nbegan to comfort me, and told me that the house I sought was much\nnearer than I was aware of; and if I would forsake that guide, and\nfollow him, he would soon bring me in sight of the house. \"And,\" quoth\nhe, \"I am one that belongs to that house, and have done so several\nyears. And whereas,\" said he, \"thou art to bear his charges, and give\nhim money besides, I will assure thee, it is not the manner of the\nguides that belong to this house of God, to take money for guiding\npeople thither. I myself have been guide to many a one in my time, but\nnever took one penny of them for it.\"\n\n[Illustration: I saw my guide sometimes stand still, and look about\nhim, and sometimes he would pull a little book out of his pocket, and\nread a little to himself.]\n\nBy this time, you must think within yourselves, how my drooping\nspirits were comforted; a new hope sprang up, and a resolution to\nforsake my wandering guide, and to follow this new one.\n\nUpon which I awaked my guide, and told him my mind, and paid him what\nI had agreed for, and advised him never to serve any poor soul as\nhe had done me: for I see, said I, thou knowest not the way, but as\nthou hast learned about it in some book. If book-learning would have\nserved my turn, to find this famous house, I needed not thee, nor any\nbody else to guide me to it; for there are very few who have written\nexperimentally of it, but I have read them diligently: but now I have\nmet a man that I judge has more experience of the way than thou hast,\nand I am resolved to go with him; and if thou wilt honestly confess\nthy ignorance, and go along with us, come and welcome; one guide\nwill serve two travellers, as well as one in the way. But I could not\npersuade him; so I left him to take his own way as he pleased.\n\n[Illustration: And he spake very kindly to me; \"Young man,\" said he,\n\"whither art thou bound?\"]\n\nI now set forward with my new guide pretty cheerfully; and he\nentertained me with a good deal of discourse by the way. As he went on\nin pretty smooth paths, and without stopping, he told me, in a short\ntime we should come in sight of the house; which made my travel\neasier. He also told me something of the rules and orders of the\nhouse, at which I was not at all discouraged; for I considered God was\na God of order, and I doubted not but there were good orders in\nhis house, to which I was willing to submit. And as we were thus\ntravelling along, he of a sudden spake to me, saying, \"Yonder is the\nhouse.\" At which I was exceeding glad; for now I thought I had not\nspent my labour in vain. The nearer we drew to it, the more my joy\nincreased; and when I came in view of it, I pleased myself extremely\nwith looking at it, and viewing the towers and turrets that were\nupon it, and the excellent carvings and paintings, with which it was\nadorned; and there was as much art in setting it forth as could be\nimagined. Oh! thought I, if there be so much glory without, surely\nthere is more within, which I shall shortly be a partaker of.\n\nAs I was thus contemplating my happiness, and was come within as it\nwere a bow-shot of the house, we were to go down into a valley; which\nwe did: and in the bottom of the valley, glided along a small river,\nand I looked about to see a bridge to go over it, but could see none;\nat which I wondered; but on we went till we came to the river side;\nthen I asked my guide where the bridge was. Truly, he told me, there\nwas none, but we must go through it, and so must all that go into that\nhouse.\n\n[Illustration: Upon which I awaked my guide, and told him my mind,\nand paid him what I had agreed for, and advised him never to serve any\npoor soul as he had done me.]\n\nI was a little troubled within myself; but he told me he had been\nthrough it, and there was no danger at all. With that I began to think\nwithin myself, have I taken all these pains, and shall I give over for\nso small a matter as this? What would I have gone through, when in my\nfather's house, to attain to the knowledge of the house of God, and a\npossession therein? Not water, nor verily fire would have stopped me\nthen, if I had so fair a prospect of it as I now have.\n\nI told my guide if he pleased to go before, I would follow him: so in\nhe went, and I after him; but when I came at the middle, there it was\nso deep that the water went over my head, but I made shift to keep my\nfeet to the ground, and got well on the other side; and my guide and\nI went up together very pleasantly. When we came to the top of the\nhill, there was a wide plain, and in the middle thereof the house\nstood. So we went apace and drew near to it; and there I saw a very\nstately porch at the west end of the house, and at the door stood a\nstrong tall porter, to whom my guide spake, and said to him on this\nwise:--\"This young man hath long had a desire to be entertained in the\nhouse of God; thereupon I have conducted him hither.\" The porter asked\nhim which way I came thither; he said, through the river: and I do not\nremember he asked me any more questions, but bid me welcome, and led\nme into the house, my guide going in with me, through many turnings\nand windings into a great hall. Mine eyes went to and fro as I went\nabout the house; and in the great hall, there I saw many people, who\nbade me welcome, but none knew the anguish of my soul; for I began\nto question whether I was not again beguiled: for I found the house\nfoul and dirty, in almost every part, and so belined with spiders and\ncobwebs, that I thought in myself it had never been swept clean since\nit was built. And some things I met withal that displeased me yet\nworse, as ye shall hear; howbeit, a good bed was provided for me to\nrest upon if I could; and I having little stomach, after I saw how it\nwas made ready, went to bed, and disposed myself to sleep as I could.\nBut, alas! sleep departed from me, and my spirits were grievously\nvexed, and my cogitations were many and grievous. Sometimes I thought\nof the paintings without, and how that suited not with the dirtiness\nthat was within; and, if I was deceived, what course I should take.\n\n[Illustration: The nearer we drew to it, the more my joy increased;\nand when I came in view of it, I pleased myself extremely with looking\nat it, and viewing the towers and turrets that were upon it, and the\nexcellent carvings and paintings, with which it was adorned; and there\nwas as much art in setting it forth as could be imagined.]\n\nAfter long and tedious thinking, I pleased myself with this: it may be\nbetter to-morrow. So I fell into a slumber a pretty while; but in the\nmorning before I arose, I heard two or three contending about some\naccounts, in which one laid fraud to the other's charge; the other\ninstead of vindicating himself, fell to twitting him in the teeth,\nwith something of the like kind: they grew so hot in words, that one\nthreatened to turn the other out of doors, and drive him back through\nthe river, and never suffer him to come into the house any more.\n\n[Illustration: I was not again beguiled: for I found the house foul\nand dirty, in almost every part, and so belined with spiders and\ncobwebs, that I thought in myself it had never been swept clean since\nit was built.]\n\nMy heart was ready to burst with sorrow; and in the anguish of my\nspirit I arose and went to them, and told them, I little thought to\nhave found such doings, or heard such language, in the house of God.\nI fear, said I, I am deceived; and brought in amongst you by a fair\nshow, but see not the glory, peace and tranquillity which I expected.\nSo I walked away to another part of the house; where I heard a great\nnoise and hard words; as I drew near, I understood it was about\nchoosing an officer; and two were striving for it, and each of them\nhad got a party, and each party grew hot against the other. As soon as\nI could be heard, I spake to them, and told them, such kind of doings\nas this, did more resemble a place in the world called Billingsgate,\nthan the house of God. I went a little farther; and there I heard\nsome women scolding about taking the upper hand, and about fashions in\ntheir clothes; and others about getting their children's play-things\nfrom each other. All this, and much more than I shall mention,\nincreased my sorrow.\n\n[Illustration: So I walked away to another part of the house; where\nI heard a great noise and hard words; as I drew near, I understood it\nwas about choosing an officer; and two were striving for it, and each\nof them had got a party, and each party grew hot against the other.]\n\nI now began to long to speak with my guide that brought me thither;\nand with diligent search at last I found him, and began with him in\nthis manner: Whither hast thou brought me? and where are the rules and\norders thou toldest me were in the house of God? I have often read of\nthe beauty, order, peace and purity of the house of God, but here I\nfind nothing but the contrary. I fear thou hast brought me to a wrong\nhouse, and hast beguiled me. So I rehearsed to him what I had met\nwithal; to which he replied; I must expect men to have their human\nfrailties, and that men were but men: and he would have persuaded\nme to be satisfied, and make further trial. And as for the orders he\nspake of, they were mostly about meats and drinks, and about rules for\nelecting of officers to rule the house of God; as I would see in time,\nif I stayed: and as to the dirtiness of the house, he confessed, that\nthose to whom the care was committed to keep the house clean, had\nnot been so diligent as they ought to have been; but he hoped, upon\nadmonition, they would be more careful. To which I returned this\nanswer: What! dost thou talk of human frailties in the house of God?\nThat complaint is at large in the world, but doth not become the\nhouse of God; into which I have heard none can come, but such as are\nredeemed from the earth, and are washed from their pollutions; for God\nsaith, all the vessels in my house shall be holy; and they that dwell\nin the house of God must have pure hearts and clean hands. And much\nmore I told him of what I had heard and read concerning the house of\nGod. I also told him plainly, I had let in such a belief of the peace,\npurity, glory and comeliness of the house of God, that I was persuaded\n_that_ was none of it; and where to find it, I knew not; but if I\nnever found it whilst I lived, I would never give over seeking, for my\ndesires were after it, and I thought nothing would satisfy me short\nof the enjoyment of it. But as for your house here, said I, I have no\nsatisfaction in it; it is not the place I seek for, so I must leave\nyou. His answer to me was, he was sorry I could not be satisfied there\nas well as he; but if I could not, he would lay no restraint upon me:\nfor his part, he had directed me as far as he knew, and he could do no\nmore for me.\n\n[Illustration: Several in the house threw things after me, in a\nspiteful manner, but none hurt me.]\n\nAfter our discourse was ended, I got up, and went out, but knew not\nwhere to go. Several in the house threw things after me, in a spiteful\nmanner, but none hurt me. So I wandered sometimes north, and sometimes\nsouth; and every way that came in my mind. But whithersoever I went,\nthe anguish of my soul went along with me; which was more than tongue\ncan utter, or pen can declare, or any one can believe, except this\nrelation should meet with some one that hath experienced the same\ntravel; which, if it doth they will understand. But so it was, I had\nno comfort night nor day, but still kept going on, whether right or\nwrong I knew not, nor durst I ask anybody, for fear of being beguiled\nas before.\n\nThus I got into a vast howling wilderness, where there seemed to be no\nway, only now and then I found some men and women's footsteps, which\nwas some comfort to me in my sorrow; but whether they got out without\nbeing devoured by wild beasts, or whither I should go, I knew not.\nBut in this woeful state I travelled from day to day, casting within\nmyself what I had best to do;--whether utterly to despair in that\ncondition, or whether I had best to seek some other town or city, to\nsee if I could get some other guide. The first I saw to be desperate;\nI also despaired of the last, having been so deceived from time to\ntime; so that all these consultations did but increase the bitterness\nof my soul.\n\n[Illustration: Thus I got into a vast howling wilderness, where there\nseemed to be no way, only now and then I found some men and women's\nfootsteps, which was some comfort to me in my sorrow.]\n\nOne day, as I was travelling in the afternoon, a terrible storm arose,\nwith hail and thunder, and great wind, which lasted till night, and in\nthe night also. And being weary, both of body and mind, I laid me down\nunder a great tree, and after some time fell asleep. When I awaked\nand came to myself, it was still very dark; and, looking about, I saw\na small light near me; and it came into my mind to go to it, and see\nwhat it was; and as I went, the light went before me.\n\nThen it came into my mind, that I had heard of false lights, as _ignis\nfatuus_, and such like, that would lead people out of their way. Then\nthought I again, how shall I be led out of my way, that know no way\nof safety? And whilst I sat down to let these striving thoughts have\ntheir course, I took notice, and beheld the light as near me as at the\nfirst, as if it had waited for me. At which I was strongly affected,\nand thought within myself, maybe some good spirit has come to take\npity on me, and to lead me out of this miserable condition. And so\na resolution arose in my mind that I would get up and follow it,\nconcluding in myself, that I could not be brought into a much worse\ncondition, than I was now in. So I arose and followed it; and it went\na gentle, easy pace at first, and I kept my eye straight to it. But\nafterwards, I found a great part of the luggage and provision I had\ngot together, did but burden me in my journey; so I threw away one\nthing, and then another, that I thought I could best spare; but kept a\ngreat bundle of clothes still by me, not knowing whether I should need\nthem.\n\n[Illustration: And whilst I sat down to let these striving thoughts\nhave their course, I took notice, and beheld the light as near me as\nat the first, as if it had waited for me.]\n\nAs I thus went on, and the light before me, it led me out of the\nwilderness, along a plain country, without trees or inhabitants; only\nit appeared as if some few had gone that way;--and the light kept in\nthat strait path, without any winding or turning, till I came to the\nfoot of a great mountain; and, going up that mountain, I found it very\nhard getting up, and began to consider my large bundle of clothes and\ngarments, and that several of them were of no use for a traveller as I\nwas, that did not know how far I should go, nor whether I should want\nthem, if ever I was so happy as to attain what I aimed at; nor whether\nthe fashions would suit the place I was going to. So I threw away\nsome, and anon other some, till none was left but what I wore.\n\n[Illustration: Going up that mountain, I found it very hard getting\nup.]\n\nThus, following my guide, I at last got up to the top of this\nmountain, where I saw another yet higher; I also saw a man that asked\nme whither I was going? I told him I could not well tell, but would\ntell whither I desired to go. He asked, whither? I said, to the house\nof God. He told me it was the way; but he thought I should never\nget there. I asked him, why? \"Why,\" quoth he, \"there are in yonder\nmountain so many vipers, adders, and serpents, and such venomous\nbeasts, that they devour many people that are going that way. For my\npart,\" he said, \"I also was going, but was so affrighted with those\nvenomous serpents, that I was forced to turn back, and so would have\nyou.\" I answered him, friend, I have for a pretty while taken yonder\nlight to be my guide, and it hath directed me along this way, and I\nsee it doth not leave me; look, dost thou see it there before me? He\nanswered, \"Yes, I see it.\" Well, said I, I have heard by travellers,\nthat if a man have fire or light, the venomous beasts cannot hurt him;\nand I intend to quicken my pace a little, and keep as close to the\nlight as I can. Come, go along with me and venture it. He said it was\ntrue, he had heard that fire would preserve from them, but he thought\nlight would not; however, for his part he would not venture his sweet\nlife amongst them; if I would I might; he wished me well, and so we\nparted.\n\nI then made haste, and got pretty near the light, and up I went the\nsecond mountain; and when I came almost to the top of it, I saw many\nserpents' dens and vipers' holes, both on the right hand and on the\nleft; and the venomous beasts drew near me, and hissed at me, and I\nbegan to be in great fear, and trembled exceedingly. But many times,\nwhen they were ready to sting me, the light would step in, or appear\nbetwixt me and them, and they were affrighted, and ran away into their\nholes and dens.\n\n[Illustration: I saw many serpents' dens and vipers' holes, both on\nthe right hand and on the left: and the venomous beasts drew near\nme, and hissed at me, and I began to be in great fear, and trembled\nexceedingly.]\n\nOh! when I perceived this, how did my heart leap for joy within me!\nMy joy abounded,--my fear of the serpents abated,--my love to my\nkind and tender guide increased,--and my courage and confidence were\nrenewed,--and I began to believe I was in the right way to attain my\ndesire. So on I went, keeping my eye to the light through them all,\nwithout harm, till I came to the top of the mountain; and then I saw\nan exceeding large valley, so that I could not see the farther side of\nit: it seemed to be all moors, or places of water, and bogs and mire\nall over the valley, which began again to dishearten me; but, thought\nI, what shall I do? All is well hitherto. I was strangely delivered\nfrom the serpents; and whatever comes of it, if this light leave me\nnot, I will follow it, if it be through fire and water.\n\n[Illustration: So that sometimes the light shined round about me, and\nI walked in the shinings of it with great fulness of spirit.]\n\nSo I kept on, and went down the mountain, a gentle easy pace, and saw\nmany of those cruel creatures by the way, who put out their stings\nat me, but none hurt me. And I took notice the nearer I kept to the\nlight, the more they kept from me. So I got down to the bottom of the\nmountain, into the large valley, which was very green and pleasant\nfor a little way; but by and by, the light went toward a great moorish\nground full of water, and that I thought was very dangerous; but\ncoming just to the side of the place, I saw a small narrow path\nthrough the middle of it, just broad enough for a man to go upon it;\nand into that narrow way the light led me, and went before me. Whilst\nI kept my eye steady to it, I went on safely: but if at any time I\nbegan to gaze about, my feet slipt into the mire and puddles; and then\nI had much ado to get into my way again. Had not the light kindly and\ntenderly waited for me, I had lost sight of it, and had perished in\nthe way; for sometimes it was so far before me, that I could hardly\ndiscern it; and then I would quicken my diligence, and be more careful\nof my goings, and keep as close to it as I could; so that sometimes\nthe light shined round about me, and I walked in the shinings of it\nwith great fulness of spirit.\n\nAfter a long time walking in this narrow way, I lifted up my eyes to\nthe farther side of the moorish valley, and saw beyond, that there was\na very high mountain, and on the top of it there was a great house:\nat the sight of which I was greatly comforted, supposing that might be\nthe house I had for a long time sought.\n\n[Illustration: For there were many who I perceived had been travelling\nin that narrow way, and had fallen into the mire; some on the right\nhand and some on the left, and they lay wallowing full of envy; some\nplucking at me, to pull me in; others throwing mire and dirt upon me\nto discourage me.]\n\nBut after this I met with another sore exercise: for there were many\nwho I perceived had been travelling in that narrow way, and had fallen\ninto the mire; some on the right hand and some on the left, and they\nlay wallowing full of envy; some plucking at me, to pull me in; others\nthrowing mire and dirt upon me to discourage me: others would speak\nvery fair, on purpose to draw me into discourse with them, that whilst\nthus spending my precious time, I might be cast so far behind, as to\nlose the sight of my good guide. But I saw their evil designs, and was\naware of them. So, keeping in my narrow way till I came to the end of\nthe boggy valley, I then found firm ground under my feet, to my great\ncomfort. I had gone but a little way, when my guide, the light, went\ninto a narrow lane, well hedged on both sides; at which I was glad,\nthinking I could not go wrong, and need not now take so much care. But\nalas! I quickly found so many by-lanes, and ways, which lay almost as\nstraight forward as that I went in, that if it had not been for the\nlight, which went a little before me, I might certainly many times\nhave gone wrong; but by carefully keeping to my good guide, I at last\ngot up the mountain, and saw the house again. I then discerned a\nman of that country a pretty way off, and called to him, friend, ho!\nfriend, what is the name of yonder great house? He told me the name of\nit was BETHEL. Then I presently remembered that that was the name by\nwhich the house of God was called in my father's country, where I had\nheard the reports of it, and so earnestly set out to find it.\n\n[Illustration: Drawing nearer to it. I saw it had a large outward\ncourt, and a pretty large gate to go into it, so that a man might go\nin with a large burden on his back.]\n\nOh! the joy and consolation that I felt in my soul, no tongue\ncan express,--to think that now after all my travels, perils and\ndisappointments, I had found what I sought for. So on I went,\njourneying with joy unspeakable; and as I went, I viewed the outside\nof the house: it was very large, and had but one tower; there was no\ncarved work about it, no paintings, nor any kind of device that could\nbe discerned; but all the stones were curiously joined together from\nthe top to the bottom. I also took notice, that all the stones of\nthe building were transparent, some more and some less; and I saw no\nwindows to let in light from without; and, drawing nearer to it, I saw\nit had a large outward court, and a pretty large gate to go into it,\nso that a man might go in with a large burden on his back. So, coming\nto it, in I went; and there I saw many people that were very cheerful,\nand appeared to live very pleasant lives. Some of them told me,\nthey had lived there many years, were well contented, and wanted for\nnothing; for there was a mighty tree grew in the midst of the court,\nand the fruit thereof was good, and the leaves also, and it bore fruit\nall the year long. And many of them were so kind as to invite me to\nsit down and eat with them; but that I refused; and they showed me a\ngreat cistern, which they had hewn out to themselves, to catch water\nfrom the elements; and they had made themselves convenient lodgings in\nthe sides of the court, to lodge in.\n\n[Illustration: And when I was stripped stark naked as ever I was born,\nI tried to enter, and found no great difficulty.]\n\nBut all this did not satisfy me; for I saw my beloved guide pass\nthrough them all, and enter in at a little narrow door at the farther\nside of it. Whereupon I left them, and made haste to the door, where\nI saw my guide had entered; and I attempted to enter in thereat, but\ncould not, it was so strait; which put me in great sorrow of mind,\nand what to do I knew not; my thoughts troubled me on every side, and\nall ways I tried, but in vain. Oh! thought I, are all my troubles and\nlabours come to this? Must I be shut out at the last? What shall I do?\nAs I was thus perplexing myself, I thought I heard a voice, but knew\nnot from whence it came, which said, \"Young man, strip thee of thy old\ngarments, and so thou mayest enter.\" This occasioned yet more trouble\nof mind; for I was loth to go naked: but at last thought it better\nto go in naked, than not at all. So I at last fell to stripping,\nthinking that a few pitiful rags should not hinder me of so great an\nenjoyment.--And when I was stripped stark naked as ever I was born,\nI tried to enter, and found no great difficulty; and so soon as I was\nentered, one met me, and cast a garment of pure white linen over me,\nwhich reached to my feet; and he brought me into a narrow room and\nsaid, \"Rest here awhile.\" Then I lay me down in so much joy and\ncomfort as is impossible to be expressed; all things were so pleasant\nabout me, and my resting place was so delightful, and my heart was so\nfully satisfied, that it overcame me with songs of joy. But I found\nit my business to be still and quiet in my happy condition, that I was\ncome to enjoy.\n\n[Illustration: As I was entered, one met me, and cast a garment of\npure white linen over me, which reached to my feet; and he brought me\ninto a narrow room and said, \"Rest here awhile.\"]\n\nI had not been long in this room, before I was called out to see the\nbeauty and comeliness of the house. As I walked through it, I found\nevery thing so clean and bright, that I was ravished in an admirable\nmanner. I also met with some people that welcomed me to the house\nof God with such kindness as refreshed my heart: and as I came to\nbe acquainted with them, I marked their conversation, and their\ndiscourses were exceedingly comfortable to me; no quarrelling, no\ncontention, no high nor hot words, but all passed with meekness and\nreverence, and due respect one for another. The young men waited for\nthe words of the ancients, and the virgins carried a reverent respect\nto the matrons; and there was an universal concord and unity, so that\nI wondered greatly. One day as I was opening my mind to an ancient, I\ntold him I admired much, and wondered greatly at the universal concord\nthat I had taken notice of, beyond all I had met with in my life. He\nsaid it must needs be so, and could not be otherwise, for that was\nthe guide to lead me hither, which had been the guide to them all. And\nfurther told me, there could be no contention, but where two spirits\nstrove for mastery; but it was not so in this house. His answer was so\nfull and satisfactory to me, that I said no more to him at that time,\nbut went on viewing, and beholding the order of every thing I saw,\ntill my soul was filled, and I might say my cup did overflow. So that\nmy former labours and disappointments, sorrows and perils, did signify\nnothing to me, having now a full reward, an hundred fold.\n\n[Illustration: Then he that talked with me, told me it was my work to\nteach the children so far as I knew, and had learned, and as far as I\nshould from time to time be further instructed.]\n\nSo I returned to my rest again, in a larger room than before, singing\npraises to my God, and setting forth the praises of the house, and of\nthem that dwelt therein. And awhile after, I was called forth from\nthe room where I was, and told I was not brought to that place only\nto take pleasure and delight therein; but there was work to be done,\nand I must take my part of it, and be faithful and diligent in my\nemployment, to which I answered, it was enough that I had attained\nmy desires in being admitted into this heavenly place; but if there\nwas any business that I could do, I was willing to do it, be it what\nit would; for it would be my greatest joy to do anything to the\nadvancement of the honour of the house of God, and them that dwell\ntherein. Then he that talked with me, told me it was my work to teach\nthe children so far as I knew, and had learned, and as far as I\nshould from time to time be further instructed. I was a little amazed\nthereat, knowing my inabilities: but having a little pondered that\npart of the sentence, that I should be from time to time further\ninstructed, I took courage in my work, and made some progress in it,\nwith great fear and reverence; waiting daily for those instructions I\nwas to receive, and which I did receive in an abundant manner; and the\nwork prospered in my hand, and the children loved me, and I loved them\nentirely, as though they had been my own children: and many of them\ngrew up to a good understanding, and observed their places and orders\nto my great delight.\n\n[Illustration: And let none of them say, it happened better with me\nthan with many; for I have understood, since coming into this house,\nthat the same Light that appeared to me, doth appear to any poor\ndistressed soul in the whole world.]\n\nAfter I had thus continued a while, he that talked with me came and\ntold me I must take the charge of part of the household, and give them\ntheir meat in due season; and suit every one's meat, in dividing to\nevery one's state and condition, and not feed strong men with milk,\nand babes with strong meat; for which purpose he gave me a key that\nled into the treasury or store-house; which, when I came to see and\nbehold, was abundantly filled with all sorts of nourishments, that\nnever could be exhausted, or spent, while the world endured. And I\nobserved that whatever I and others took out to distribute daily\namong the household of God, the store-house was still full as at the\nbeginning, and so continues to this day, and forever.\n\nAnd now, having continued a long time in this heavenly habitation, it\ncomes into my mind to let my countrymen, and the children of my old\nfather, whom I left in Babylon, hear of me; for I suppose they judge\nme lost or devoured; but I could be glad if any, yea, all of them,\nwere here to behold, and taste and feel what I do. And let none\nof them say, it happened better with me than with many; for I have\nunderstood, since coming into this house, that the same Light that\nappeared to me, doth appear to any poor distressed soul in the whole\nworld; but the reason that so few come here is, because they fear the\nperils and dangers that are in the way, more than they love the Light\nthat would lead them through them; and so turn aside, and shelter\nthemselves in an old rotten building, that at one time or other, will\nfall on their heads, and they perish in the ruins.\n\n[Illustration: So I went not, but sought a city whose builder is God;\nand now I have found it; Hallelujah in the Highest; glory, honour,\nand renown to his worthy Name and power, throughout all ages and\ngenerations. Amen.]\n\nNow if any have a mind to know my name, let them know I had a name\nin my father's country, but in this long and tedious journey I have\nlost it. But since I came hither I have a \"new name,\" but have no\ncharacters to signify it by, that I can write, or they can read. Yet\nif any will come where I am, they shall know my name. But for further\nsatisfaction, I was born in Egypt, spiritually called; and my father\nwent and lived in Babylon, about the time the true children of Israel\nwere in captivity; there I became acquainted with some of the stock\nof the Jews, about the time they were returning to their own land;\nand they told me wonderful things of the glory of the house they had\nat Jerusalem, and would have had me go with them. And I understood\nthat Solomon, with many thousands of carpenters and masons had built\nit; upon which I considered within myself, that if Solomon and the\ncarpenters and masons had built it, carpenters and masons might at one\ntime or another pull it down again. So I went not, but sought a city\nwhose builder is God; and now I have found it; Hallelujah in the\nHighest; glory, honour, and renown to his worthy Name and power,\nthroughout all ages and generations. _Amen_.","title":"A short history of a long travel from Babylon to Bethel","tradition":"myth-cosmogony","translated_text":null,"word_count":7912}