ble as he. But if sin and conscience can make him so miserable, who has only fallen for a season into its power, as Christian did in the arbor, and who has a Saviour to go to, and will go to him, and stay at the foot of the cross even amidst the darkness, what work must it make in that man's soul who never asked forgiveness, never went to Christ-what work will it make, when sin and conscience, long hidden, concealed, sleeping, are developed, roused up and busy in the soul? Oh, if the fire that is thus kindled begins to be noticed first, not until the soul enters on the eternal world, then it will never go out. So beware how you have conscience for an enemy.

O Conscience! who can stand before thy power!
Endure thy gripes and agonies one hour?
Stone, gout, strappado, racks, whatever is
Dreadful to sense, are only toys to this.
No pleasures, riches, honors, friends can tell
How to give ease in this :-'tis like to hell.

Call for the pleasant timbrel, lute, and harp:
Alas! the music howls! The pain's too sharp
For these to charm, divert, or full asleep:

These cannot reach it; as the wound's too deep.
Let all the promises before it stand,

And set a Barnabas at its right hand;

These in themselves no comfort can afford,

"Tis Christ, and none but Christ, can speak the word.

There goes a power with his Majestic Voice,

To hush the raging storm, and charm its noise.
Who but would fear and love and do his will,
Who bids such tempests of the soul be still!

FLAVEL

CHRISTIAN'S FIGHT WITH APOLLYON

IN THE

VALLEY OF HUMILIATION.

Conversation with Discretion, Prudence, Piety and Charity.-Blessedness of Christian Communion.-Too much sometimes anticipated.-Danger of making Church-membership salvation.-Preparation for the Christian Conflict.-Apollyon's assault upon Christian.-The fiery darts of the Wicked One.-Entering into temptation.-Christian's passage through this valley compared with the experience of Christiana, Mercy, and the children.-Pleasantness and grace of the Valley of Humiliation to a contented and submissive mind.

A

WE left Christian, delivered from his dangers, and relieved from his distresses for a season, at the Gate of the House Beautiful. But you will observe that the porter does not admit him at once, nor without inquiry. According to the rules of the house, Watchful, the porter, rings the bell and commends Christian to the interrogatories of a grave and beautiful damsel, called Discretion. number of questions were put to him, and sincerely answered, and so much affectionate kindness and sympathy were manifested on the part of Discretion, that Christian had nothing to fear as to his reception. Then Discretion called for Prudence, Piety, and Charity, and after this conversation, they welcomed him into the household of

Faith. There, during his delightful abode with its happy inmates, he was entertained, as the Lord of the way had provided that all pilgrims should be in his house, with the most cordial hospitality and love. He was instructed with much godly conversation, and with many edifying sights, and he was clad in a complete suit of armor, to prepare him against the dangers of the future way. On his part, he entertained the household as much as they did him, by the account he gave of his own experience thus far. Piety made him tell all that had happened in his pilgrimage from his first setting out to his arrival at the House Beautiful. Prudence asked him about his feelings now in reference to the land of his nativity, and the habits he used to be in at the City of Destruction.

And here Bunyan has left us in no doubt as to his own views in the exposition of the controverted passage in the seventh of Romans. He shows clearly that he regards the experience there recorded as a description of the conflict between good and evil still going forward in the Christian's soul. "Do you not," asked Piety, "still bear with you some of those things that you were conversant withal in the City of Destruction ?" "Might I but choose mine own things," answered Christian, "I would choose never to think of those things more; but when I would do good, evil is present with me." Bunyan was too deeply experienced in the evils of the human heart, too severely had been disciplined with the fiery darts of the Wicked One, to suffer his Christian to make

any pretence whatever to perfection. Too sadly did Christian find within himself the struggle between nature and grace, to suffer him to fall into any such dream or delusion. He made no pretence to have conquered all sin, or got superior to it; but his trust was in Christ; and his supreme desire was after holiness. "But do you

not find sometimes," said Prudence, "as if those things were vanquished, which at other times are your perplexity ?" "Yes," said Christian, "but that is but seldom; but they are to me golden hours, in which such things happen to me." Prudence then asked him how it was, by what means he ever succeeded in vanquishing his enemies and getting free from the disturbers of his peace?

Christian's answer is very beautiful. "When I think what I saw at the cross, that will do it; and when I look upon my broidered coat, that will do it; and when I look at my roll that I carry in my bosom, that will do it; and when my thoughts wax warm about whither I am going, that will do it." Ah yes, it is the cross, by which we conquer sin; it is the remembrance of Him who hung upon it. And he that hath this hope in him, purifieth himself as he is pure. And having these evidences and these promises, faith gets the better of inward corruptions, and overcomes also the world. Nor, lastly, is there any thing more powerful to give us the victory over sin, than a clear view of heavenly realities, warm thoughts about the heaven to which we are going, visions of Mount Zion above, and the innumerable company of angels, and Jesus

the Mediator, and the assurance that we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. There is no death there, nor sin, nor weariness, nor disorder; and the Christian is weary of his inward sickness, and would fain be where he shall sin no more, and with the company that shall continually cry, Holy, Holy, Holy !

After this, Charity in like manner conversed with Christian, and all the while they were at table their talk was only of the Lord of the hill, and all his grace and glory, and what he had done and suffered for them, and all his amazing endless love to poor pilgrims, and his tender care in building that house for them; and so they discoursed even till late at night, for how could they ever be wearied with such a theme! And how did Christian's heart burn within him as they spake of his Saviour's love, and suffering, and glory! It may remind us of the poet Cowper's exquisitely beautiful description of the conversation in the walk to Emmaus.

Ah, theirs was converse such as it behooves
Man to maintain, and such as God approves.
Christ and his character their only scope,
Their subject, and their object, and their hope.
The recollection, like a vein of ore,
The farther traced, enriched them still the more.
O days of heaven, and nights of equal praise,
Serene and peaceful as those heavenly days
When souls drawn upwards in communion sweet,
Enjoy the stillness of some close retreat,
Discourse, as if released and safe at home,
Of dangers past, and wonders yet to come,

And spread the sacred treasures of the breast
Upon the lap of covenanted rest!

This was a heavenly evening for Christian, a season of blessedness long to be remembered,