As I walked through the wilderness of this world, I lighted on
a certain place, where was a den;[1] and I laid me down in that
place to sleep: and as I slept, I dreamed a dream. I dreamed,
and, behold, "I saw a man clothed with rags, standing in a certain
place, with his face from his own house, a book in his hand, and
a 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 not
being 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 as
long as he could, that his wife and children should not perceive
his distress; but he could not be silent long, because that his
trouble increased. Wherefore at length he brake his mind to his
wife and children; and thus he began to talk to them: "O my dear
wife," said he, "and you, the children of my bowels, I, your dear
friend, am in myself undone, by reason of a burden that lieth hard
upon me; moreover, I am for certain informed that this our city
will be burned with fire from Heaven; in which fearful overthrow,
both myself, with thee, my wife, and you, my sweet babes, shall
miserably come to ruin, except (the which yet I see not) some way
of escape can be found, whereby we may be delivered." At this, his
relations were sore amazed; not for that they believed that what
he had said to them was true, but because they thought that some
frenzy distemper had got into his head;[4] therefore, it drawing
towards night, and they hoping that sleep might settle his
brains, with all haste they got him to bed. But the night was as
troublesome to him as the day; wherefore, instead of sleeping, he