"When I have indeed conceited that I might be banished for my profession, then I have thought of that scripture, they were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword, they wandered about in sheep-skins, and goat-skins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented, of whom the world was not worthy,' (for all they thought they were too bad to dwell and abide amongst them). I have also thought of that saying, the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, that bonds and afflictions abide me.' I have verily thought that my soul and it have sometimes reasoned about the sore and sad estate of a banished and exiled condition; how they were exposed to hunger, to cold, to perils, to nakedness, to enemies, and a thousand calamities, and at last, it may be, to die in a ditch, like a poor and desolate sheep. But I thank God, hitherto I have not been moved by these most delicate reasonings, but have rather, by them, more approved my heart to God.

"I will tell you a pretty business: I was once, above all the rest, in a very sad and low condition for many weeks; at which time also, I being but a young prisoner, and not acquainted with the laws, I had this lying much upon my spirits, 'that my imprisonment might end at the gallows for aught that I could tell.' Now therefore Satan laid hard at me, to beat me out of heart, by suggesting thus unto me: 'but how if, when you come indeed to die, you should be in this condition; that is, as not to savor the things of God, nor to have any evidence upon your soul for a better state hereafter?' (for, indeed, at that time all the things of God were hid from my soul).

"Wherefore, when I at first began to think of this, it was a great trouble to me; for I thought with myself, that in the condition I now was, I was not fit to die, neither indeed did I think I could, if I should be called to it; besides, I thought with myself, if I should make a scrambling shift to clamber up the ladder, yet I should either with quaking, or other symptoms

This, therefore,

of fainting, give occasion to the enemy to reproach the way of God and his people for their timorousness. lay with great trouble upon me, for methought I was ashamed to die with a pale face, and tottering knees, in such a cause as

this!

"Wherefore I prayed to God that he would comfort me, and give me strength to do and suffer what he should call me to; yet no comfort appeared, but all continued hid. I was also at this time, so really possessed with the thought of death, that oft I was as if I was on the ladder with a rope about my neck: only this was some encouragement to me, I thought I might now have an opportunity to speak my last words unto a multitude, which I thought would come to see me die; and, thought I, if it must be so, if God will but convert one soul by my last words, I shall not count my life thrown away, nor lost.

"But yet all the things of God were kept out of my sight, and still the tempter followed me with, but whither must you go when you die? what will become of you? where will you be found in another world? what evidence have you for heaven and glory, and an inheritance among them that are sanctified?' Thus was I tossed for many weeks, and knew not what to do; at last this consideration fell with weight upon me, that it was for the word and way of God that I was in this condition;' wherefore I was engaged not to flinch an hair's breadth from it.

"I thought also, that God might choose whether he would give me comfort now, or at the hour of death; but I might not therefore choose whether I would hold my profession or no: I was bound, but he was free; yea, it was my duty to stand to his word, whether he would ever look upon me or save me at the last: wherefore, thought I, the point being thus, I am for going on, and venturing my eternal state with Christ, whether I have comfort here or no; if God doth not come in, thought I, 'I will

leap off the ladder even blindfold into eternity,-sink or swim,come heaven, come hell; Lord Jesus, if thou wilt catch me, do;-if not, I will venture for thy name!"

"I was no sooner fixed in this resolution, but this word dropped upon me Doth Job serve God for nought?' As if the accuser had said, 'Lord, Job is no upright man, he serves thee for by-respects: hast thou not made an hedge about him? But put forth now thine hand, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face.' How now! thought I, is this the sign of an upright soul, to desire to serve God, when all is taken from him? Is he a godly man that will serve God for nothing, rather than give out! Blessed be God; then I hope I have an upright heart, for I am resolved (God giving me strength) never to deny my profession, though I have nothing at all for my pains. And as I was thus considering, that scripture was set before me, 'Thou sellest thy people for nought and dost not increase thy wealth by their price: Thou makest us a reproach to our neighbors, a scorn and derision to those that are round about us: Thou makest us a by-word among the heathen, a shaking of the head among the people: My confusion is continually before me, and the shame of my face hath covered me: For the voice of him that reproacheth and blasphemeth, by the reason of the enemy and avenger: All this is come upon us, yet have we not forgotten thee, neither have we dealt falsely in thy covenant: our heart is not turned back, neither have our steps declined from thy way, though thou hast sore broken us in the place of dragons, and covered us with the shadow of death.'

"Now was my heart full of comfort, for I hoped it was sincere. I would not have been without this trial for much. I am comforted every time I think of it; and I hope I shall bless God for ever, for the teachings I have had by it. Many more of the divine dealings towards me I might relate, 'But

these out of the spoils won in battle have I dedicated to maintain the house of God.""

Bunyan appended to this wonderful document some outlines of another class of thoughts, which render it even more wonderful than it appears at first sight. There were times, whilst these hopes and fears were chasing each other, when Infidelity, as well as darkness, shook him more in prison than all the temptations he had ever gone through before "Of all the temptations I ever met with in my life, the worst, and the worst to bear, is," he says, "to question the being of God, and the truth of the Gospel. When this temptation comes, it taketh away my girdle from me, and removeth the foundation from under me. O, I have often thought of that word, 'Have your loins girt about with Truth;' and of that, If the foundations be destroyed what can the Righteous do?""

When I first read this sad account of his struggles in prison, I felt anxious to know how he got over the temptation. But the document is silent on that subject. It furnishes no clue to the means or the process of his victory. He left a clue, however, in another Work; and it is an interesting one, although but an incidental remark. In his Commentary on parts of Genesis, he says of the Rainbow and the regularity of seed-time and harvest, "My Reason tells me they are, and have continued a true prophecy; otherwise, the world could not have existed: for, take away seed-time and harvest, and an end is put to the beginning of the universe. These words were some of the first (chief?) that prevailed with me to believe the Scriptures to be the Word of God."-Works, vol. iv., p. 2556.

These Prison Thoughts, although somewhat out of place here, will enable the reader to appreciate the Works which were written in Jail; and thus they will be more valuable as lights upon them, than as details of Bunyan's experience. His hand will be traced with interest, now that his heart is naked

and open before us. As Experience, however, these details are highly instructive, as well as interesting. The thorough sifting he now gives to his motives and emotions; to tokens and impulses; contrasts finely with his early imprudences, when he was the creature of circumstances. What he says of Noah, with the olive leaf, may be applied to himself now. "Noah was inquisitive and searching, as to how the dove found it. That is, whether she found it dead on the waters, or pluckt it from a tree? He found by its freshness and greenness as a slip, that she had plucked it off. Wherefore he had good ground to be comforted now: for the waters could not be deep; especially as the olive tree grows in the bottoms or valleys. So we should say of all Signs and Visions, either inward or outward,― See whether they be dead leaves, or plucked from a green tree.' There are lying Visions;-and not a few have cast up all (religion), because the seeming truth of some vision hath failed." -Works, vol. i., p. 63, fol. ed.