at the House Beautiful.

Then I saw that he went on trembling for fear of the lions'; but taking good heed to the directions of the Porter, he heard them roar, but they did him no harm. Then he clapped his hands, and went on till he came and stood before the gate where the Porter was. Then said Christian to the Porter, "Sir, what house is this? and may I lodge here to night?" The Porter answered, "This house was built by the Lord of the hill, and he built it for the relief and security of pilgrims." The Porter also asked whence he was, and whither he was going'.

Below the picture of Christian and the Lions;-
Difficulty is behind, fear is before;

Though he's got on the hill, the lions roar.

A christian man is never long at ease;

When one fright's gone, another doth him seize.

• Christian is now to be considered as associating with other christians in the public worship of God. The house "Beautiful" is doubtless introduced for the purpose of showing the order and discipline of a congregational church; such a church as that at Bedford, under the pastoral care of Mr. John Gifford. At the time (A.D. 1656) when Mr Bunyan first became acquainted with that excellent minister, who is here represented as the Porter at the lodge, the parish churches were filled with Presbyterian ministers, who, though in general evangelical in their sentiments, were as much opposed to those whom they called sectaries, as their predecessors the prelates had been. From the prejudices which existed against such a mode of worship, conducted by an unauthorized person in a private house, the entrance into a congregational church was like passing through a very narrow passage." In this parrow passage he perceived "two lions," which filled him with fear and dismay; for though the lions were chained, yet Christian saw not the chains. The apprehensions he felt would have driven him from his purpose, had not the watchful Porter, or the faithful pastor of the dissenting church, assured him, that "no hurt should come to him if he kept in the midst of the path."

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There have been various conjectures as to what our anthor intended by the lions, which were chained, though the chains were not visible. One commentator has said, they were designed to represent unbelief and the devil, that are very busy with the young christian when he first makes a profession of religion. Another

Entertainment of Christ'an

CHR. I am come from the city of Destruction, and am going to mount Zion; but because the sun is now set, I desire, if I may, to lodge here to-night. PORT. What is your name?

CHR. My name is now Christian, but my name at the first was Graceless: I came of the race of Japheth, whom God will persuade to dwell in the tents of Shem. (Gen. ix. 27.)

PORT. But how doth it happen that you came so late? The sun is set.

considers them as the opposition made by unconverted relatives and neighbours (especially in such days as Mr. Bunyan's) to those who made a public profession of faith. In the second part of the Pilgrim's Progress, the author has introduced a giant, named Grim, or Bloody-man, as backing the lions, and setting them on to seize and slay the Pilgrims. This giant too, by some commentators, has been considered as unbelief. But such confusion of ideas will never accord with the accuracy of Mr. Bunyan in conducting his allegory. The editor has, therefore, long been of opinion, that by the lions being placed in the way to a dissenting congregation, Mr. Bunyan designed to represent those persecuting statutes which were passed against the puritans in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, and which had not been repealed at the time of the Commonwealth in England. These statutes, however, were not enforced against Dissenters, though many of the Presbyterian clergy much wished it. The known opposition which the Protector, Oliver Cromwell, had to persecution on account of religion, restrained the persecuting spirit. Thus the lions, though alive, and fierce, and roaring, were prevented from. cking harm. This view of the subject I am pleased to see confirmed by the candid and judicious Mr. Scott, who says, when speaking of Grim, or Bloody-man, in his notes on the second part, "I apprehend that this giant was intended for the emblem or certain active men, who busied themselves in framing and executing persecuting statutes, which was done at the time when this was written more violently than it had been done before." As a Nonconformist minister, the editor rejoices, together with his fellow christians, that these lions, which terrified their forefathers, have been for some time dead and buried. They received their deadly wound by the Act of Toleration. passed in 1689; and after lingering upwards of a century they quietly expired when the new Act of Toleration was passed in 1811. There are no lions now in the narrow passage which leads to a dissenting church

at the House Beautiful,

CHR. I had been here sooner, but that, wretched man that I am, I slept in the harbour, that stands on the hill side! Nay, I had, notwithstanding that, been here much sooner, but that in my sleep I lost my evidence, and came without it to the brow of the hill; and then feeling for it, and finding it not, I was forced with sorrow of heart to go back to the place where I slept my sleep, where I found it; and now I am

come'.

PORT. Well, I will call out one of the virgins of this place, who will, if she like your talk, bring you in to the rest of the family, according to the rules of the house. So Watchful the Porter rang a bell, at the sound of which came out of the door of the house a grave and beautiful damsel, named Discretion, and asked why she was called.

The Porter answered, "This man is on a journey from the city of Destruction to mount Zion; but being weary and benighted, he asked me if he might lodge here to-night so I told him I would call for thee, who, after discourse had with bim, mayst do as seemeth thee good, even according to the law of the house.

:

Then she asked him whence he was, and whither he was going; and he told her. She asked him also how he got into the way; and he told her. Then she asked him what he had seen and met with in the way; and he told her. And at last she asked his

Those who belong to dissenting congregations will perceive directly, in the questions of the Porter a correct picture of the manner in which persons are examined by our pastors as to their conversion, and their reasons for wishing to belong to a church of Christ. The answers given by Christian are expressive of deep humility on account of his sinful conduct, and his devout gratitude that God had influenced his heart to become a follower of the Lord Jesus. He seems also to intimate, that he should have sooner found his way to unite himself with a church of Christ, had he not indulged in sinful sleep, and thus brought guilt upon his conscience, which had hindered him in his way.