This discourse did so astonish me, that I was at my wits end, and did not know what course to take.  The man seeing what an agony I was in, began to comfort me, and told me that the house I sought was much nearer than I was aware of; and if I would forsake that guide, and follow him, he would soon bring me in sight of the house.  “And,” quoth he, “I am one that belongs to that house, and have done so several years.  And whereas,” said he, “thou art to bear his charges, and give him money besides, I will assure thee, it is not the manner of the guides that belong to this house of God, to take money for guiding people thither.  I myself have been guide to many a one in my time, but never took one penny of them for it.”

[Illustration:  I saw my guide sometimes stand still, and look about him, and sometimes he would pull a little book out of his pocket, and read a little to himself.]

By this time, you must think within yourselves, how my drooping spirits were comforted; a new hope sprang up, and a resolution to forsake my wandering guide, and to follow this new one.

Upon which I awaked my guide, and told him my mind, and paid him what I had agreed for, and advised him never to serve any poor soul as he had done me:  for I see, said I, thou knowest not the way, but as thou hast learned about it in some book.  If book-learning would have served my turn, to find this famous house, I needed not thee, nor any body else to guide me to it; for there are very few who have written experimentally of it, but I have read them diligently:  but now I have met a man that I judge has more experience of the way than thou hast, and I am resolved to go with him; and if thou wilt honestly confess thy ignorance, and go along with us, come and welcome; one guide will serve two travellers, as well as one in the way.  But I could not persuade him; so I left him to take his own way as he pleased.

[Illustration:  And he spake very kindly to me; “Young man,” said he, “whither art thou bound?”]

I now set forward with my new guide pretty cheerfully; and he entertained me with a good deal of discourse by the way.  As he went on in pretty smooth paths, and without stopping, he told me, in a short time we should come in sight of the house; which made my travel easier.  He also told me something of the rules and orders of the house, at which I was not at all discouraged; for I considered God was a God of order, and I doubted not but there were good orders in his house, to which I was willing to submit.  And as we were thus travelling along, he of a sudden spake to me, saying, “Yonder is the house.”  At which I was exceeding glad; for now I thought I had not spent my labour in vain.  The nearer we drew to it, the more my joy increased; and when I came in view of it, I pleased myself extremely with looking at it, and viewing the towers and turrets that were upon it, and the excellent carvings and paintings, with which it was adorned; and there was as much art in setting it forth as could be imagined.  Oh! thought I, if there be so much glory without, surely there is more within, which I shall shortly be a partaker of.