Apollyon accosts Christian,

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So he went on, and Apollyon met him. Now the monster was hideous to behold: he was clothed with scales like a fish, (and they are his pride;) he had wings like a dragon, feet like a bear, and out of his belly came fire and smoke, and his mouth was as the mouth of a lion. When he was come up to Christian, he beheld him with a disdainful countenance, and thus began to question with him. (0)

Apol. Whence come you? and whither are you bound? Chr. I am come from the city of Destruction, which is the place of all evil, and am going to the city of Zion.

Apol. By this I perceive thou art one of my subjects; for all that country is mine, and I am the prince and god of it. How is it then that thou hast run away from thy king? Were it not that I hope thou mayest do me more service, I would strike thee now at one blow to the ground.

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Chr. I was born indeed in your dominions, but your service was hard, and your wages such as a man could not live on ; for the wages of sin is death ;"* therefore when I was come to years, I did as other considerate persons do, look out if perhaps I might mend myself.

pol. There is no prince that will thus lightly lose his subjects, neither will I as yet lose thee; but since thou complainest of thy service and wages, be content to go back; what our country will afford, I do here promise to give thee.

Chr. But I have let myself to another, even to the King of Princes; and how can I with fairness go back with thee?

3pol. Thou hast done in this according to the proverb, Change a bad for a worse: but it is ordinary for those that have professed themselves his servants, after a while to give

*Rom. vi. 23.

for, when the suggestions of Satan excite us to pray more fervently, and to be more diligent in every duty, that enemy will soon "flee from us." Perhaps some may remember a time when they were harassed to that degree as almost to despair of relief; who have since been so entirely delivered, that, were it not for the recollection of their own past experience, they would be ready to ascribe these distresses to disease or enthusiasm, notwithstanding all that the scripture contains on the subject.

(0) The description of Apollyon implies, that the combat afterward recorded, particularly represented the terrors by which evil spirits attempt to drive professors out of their path. Other temptations, though often more dangerous are not so distressing: "For Satan can transform himself into an angel of light;" and indeed he is a very Proteus, who can assume any form that best suits his purpose.

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And reasons with him.

him the slip, and return again to me. shall be well.

Do thou so too, and all

Chr. I have given him my faith, and sworn my allegiance to him how then can I go back from this and not be hanged as a traitor?

Apol. Thou didst the same to me, and yet I am willing to pass by all, if now thou wilt yet turn again and go back. Chr. What I promised thee was in my nonage; and besides, I count that the prince under whose banner now I stand, is able to absolve me; yea, and to pardon also what I did as to my compliance with thee: and, besides, O thou destroying Apollyon, to speak truth, I like his service, his wages, his servants, his government, his company, and country, better than thine; and therefore leave off to persuade me farther; I am his servant, and I will follow him.

Apol. Consider again, when thou art in cool blood, what thou art like to meet with in the way that thou goest. Thou knowest that for the most part his servants come to an ill end, because they are transgressors against me and my ways. How many of them have been put to shameful deaths? And besides, thou countest his service better than mine, whereas he never came yet from the place where he is, to deliver any that served him, out of my hands: but, as for me, how many times, as all the world very well knows, have I delivered, either by power or fraud, those that have faithfully served me, from him and his, though taken by them and so I will deliver thee.

Chr. His forbearing at present to deliver them is on purpose to try their love, whether they will cleave to him to the end : and, as for the ill end thou sayest they come to, that is most glorious in their account: for, for present deliverance, they do not much expect it; for they stay for their glory, and then they shall have it, when their Prince comes in his, and the glory of the angels. (p)

() As all have been overcome by the temptations of the devil; and "of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought into bondage;" so, by usurpation, he has become the god and prince of this world, and we have all been his slaves. But believers, having been redeemed by the blood of Christ, "are made free from sin and become the servants of God:" and the abiding conviction, that all the subjects of sin and Satan must perish, concurs with their experience that it is a hard bondage, in fortifying them against every temptation to return. Sensible of their obligations to God as their Creator and Governor, they have deeply repented of past rebellions; and, having obtained mercy, feel themselves bound by gratitude, and the most solemn engagements, to cleave to him

Apollyon violently assaults Christian.

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Apol. Thou hast already been unfaithful in thy service to him: and how dost thou think to receive wages of him?

Chr. Wherein, O Apollyon, have I been unfaithful to him? Apol. Thou didst faint at first setting out, when thou wast almost choked in the gulf of despond; thou didst attempt wrong ways to be rid of thy burden, whereas thou shouldest have stayed till thy Prince had taken it off: thou didst sinfully sleep, and lose thy choice thing: thou wast also almost persuaded to go back at the sight of the lions: and when thou talkest of thy journey, and of what thou hast heard and seen, thou art inwardly desirous of vainglory in all that thou sayest or doest.

Chr. All this is true, and much more which thou hast left out but the Prince, whom I serve and honour, is merciful and ready to forgive. But besides, these infirmities possessed me in thy country: for there I sucked them in, and I have groaned under them, being sorry for them, and have obtained pardon of my Prince. (9)

Then Apollyon broke out into a grievous rage, saying, I am an enemy to this Prince; I hate his person, his laws, and people. I am come out on purpose to withstand thee.

and his service. Their difficulties and discouragements cannot induce them to believe that they have changed a bad for a worse; nor will they be influenced by the numbers who apostatize, from love to the world and dread of the cross; for they are " rooted and grounded in Love," and not merely moved by fears and hopes. They are sure that the Lord is able to deliver them from their enemies: and, should the wicked be permitted to prosper in their malicious devices against them, they know enough of his plan, to rely on his wisdom, truth, and love, in the midst of sufferings. Thus they have answers ready for every suggestion; even such answers as Christian had been furnished with at the house of the Interpreter.

(7) If the suggestions before described be rejected, Satan will perhaps assault the believer, by representing to his mind, with every possible aggravation, the several instances of his misconduct since he professed the gospel; in order to heighten his apprehensions of being found at last a hypocrite for when the soul is discouraged and gloomy, he will be as assiduous in representing every false step to be a horrid crime inconsistent with the hope of salvation, as he is at other times in persuading men, that the most flagrant violations of the divine law are mere trifles.-In repelling such suggestions, the well instructed believer will neither deny the charge, nor extenuate his guilt; but he will flee for refuge to the free grace of the gospel, and take comfort from the consciousness that he now hates and groans under the remains of those evils, which once he wholly lived in without remorse; thence inferring, that "his sins, though many, are forgiven."

L

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Christian overcomes Apollyon.

Chr. Apollyon, beware what you do; for I am in the King's highway, the way of holiness; therefore take heed to yourself.

Then Apollyon straddled quite over the whole breadth of the way, and said, I am void of fear in this matter; prepare thyself to die; for I swear by my infernal den that thou shalt go no further here will I spill thy soul.

:

And with that he threw a flaming dart at his breast; but Christian had a shield in his hand, with which he caught it, and so prevented the danger of that.

Then did Christian draw; for he saw it was time to bestir him; and Apollyon as fast made at him, throwing darts as thick as hail; by the which, notwithstanding all that Christian could do to avoid it, Apollyon wounded him in his head, his hand, and foot. This made Christian give a little back: Apollyon therefore followed his work amain, and Christian again took courage, and resisted as manfully as he could. This sore combat lasted for above half a day, even till Christian was almost quite spent; for you must know, that Christian, by reason of his wounds, must needs grow weaker and weaker.

Then Apollyon, espying his opportunity, began to gather up close to Christian, and, wrestling with him, gave him a dreadful fall; and with that Christian's sword flew out of his hand. Then said Apollyon, I am sure of thee now and with that he had almost pressed him to death; so that Christian began to despair of life. But, as God would have it, while Apollyon was fatching his last blow, thereby to make a full end of this good raan, Christian nimbly reached out his hand for his sword, and caught it, saying, "Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy! when I fall, I shall arise;"* and with that gave him a deadly thrust, which made him give back as one that had received his mortal wound. Christian perceiving that, made at him again, saying, "Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us ;" and with that Apollyon spread forth his dragon's wings, and sped him away, that Christian saw him no more.

In this combat no man can imagine, unless he had seen and heard, as I did, what yelling and hideous roaring Apollyon made all the time of the fight; he spake like a dragon: and on the other side, what sighs and groans burst from Christian's heart. I never saw him all the while give so much as one pleasant

*Mic. vii. 8. † Rom. viii. 37-39. Jam. iv. 7.