was a pleasant voice heard from those that were within, even of those that walked upon the top of the palace, saying,

Come in, Come in,

Eternal glory thou shalt win!

So he went in, and was clothed with such garments as they. Then Christian smiled and said, I think verily I know the meaning of this.

Verily thou didst, noble Christian! And who is there that does not know the meaning of it, and what heart so cold as not to be ravished by it! Yea, we should think that this passage alone might set any man out on this pilgrimage, might bring many a careless traveller up to the gate of this glorious palace to say, Set down my name, sir! How full of instruction is this passage! What mingled encouragement and warning did it convey to Christian's mind to prepare him for the many trials before him. It was necessary that the Holy Spirit should show him in some measure what he would have to encounter, should make him feel that if he gained heaven, it must be by a great conflict and a great victory. Mr. Worldly Wiseman had predicted some of the dangers he was to meet with; but Mr. Worldly Wiseman could have no conception of the exceeding weight of glory that was to follow; but here the vision of the glory follows so close upon the sight of the conflict, that the conflict even adds to its charms, and makes it a thousand times the more exciting. Here is the sentence, "Through much tribulation," but here is also "the Kingdom

of Heaven ;" and who so pitiful as not to be willing to undergo the tribulation, to encounter the hazard, to run the gauntlet of these armed men against him, for the glory of that kingdom.

Yea, saith Christian, verily I think I can understand this. But here you will remark how great a multitude stood round the gate of this palace, fearing, yet desiring-desiring, yet fearing, to enter in. And you see that Christian found, while he was there, only one among them, of like spirit with himself, only one who would come up and say, Set down my name, sir. Ah, what a multitude there are, who have some faint desires after heaven, and half a mind, a thousand times, to set out in the way thither, but who never do it, who always shrink back. These men around the gate were so many Pliables, who were sure to go back to the City of Destruction; and we would say to those many persons in just their situation, unless you come to a fixed resolution, unless you step quickly and boldly to the gate, with your heart on fire, and say, Set down my name, sir, in a tone that shall make Christian rejoice, and the armed men tremble, you are not likely ever to fight your way into this palace, or ever to be walking with those upon its top in glory.

As for Christian, his whole heart went with the man of stout countenance, and went with every blow he gave, and he was so ravished with his courage and with the pleasant voice and the glory, that as soon as that sight was done with, he was for starting at once upon his journey. Now, said Christian, let me go hence. How often does the young con

But he needs, as I much more heavenly

vert, in his moments of triumph, think he has got instruction enough, and grace enough, to last him all the way of his pilgrimage. said, a great many sights, and discipline in the House of the Interpreter, or his boasted courage will fail by the way. Christian thought he had received an impulse, under which his soul would shoot forward like an arrow, a gale of the Spirit filling his sails, that would carry his bark swiftly through all tempests to heaven; he felt indeed as if he were in heaven beforehand, he did so long to be there; under this ravishing sight he scarcely felt the weight of his burden, and not a word was said to the Interpreter about removing it. But Christian needs more instruction still; and as these bright colors are apt to fade from the picture, or grow unnoticed, unless they be set off and heightened, and made more important by some dark shades besides them, the Interpreter did now, with heavenly skill, direct Christian's attention to a vision terribly instructive, which would both be fixed itself in his remembrance, and would make the bright vision more precious to him. Stay, said the Interpreter, till I have showed thee a little more, and after that thou shalt go on thy way. When the Holy Spirit undertakes to illuminate and sanctify the soul, he will do it thoroughly; he will not dismiss a soldier to his work without his armor. Nor must the Christian be impatient of instruction, or of the time during which he seems to be detained in learning; for it is very precious to be thus in the House of the Interpreter, under the teachings of the Holy Spirit ; and

he may be sure that all he can gain, he will need. Warnings he needs, and solemn ones.

So the Interpreter took Christian by the hand again, and led him into a very dark room, where there sat a man in an iron cage. Now the man to look on seemed very sad: he sat with his eyes. looking down to the ground, his hands folded together, and he sighed as if he would break his heart. Then said Christian, What means this? At which the Interpreter bid him talk with the man. Then said Christian to the man, What art thou? Christian's heart trembled as he put this question, and he said within himself, Alas, if I should ever be in this condition! The man answered, I am what I was not once. What wast thou once? said Christian. The man said, I was once a fair and flourishing professor, both in mine own eyes, and also in the eyes of others. I was also, as I thought, fair for the Celestial City, and had even joy at the thoughts that I should get thither. Well, said Christian, but what art thou now? I am now a Man of Despair, and am shut up in it, as in this iron cage. I cannot get

out; O now I cannot. But how camest thou into this condition? said Christian. I left off to watch and be sober; I laid the reins upon the neck of my lusts: I sinned against the light of the Word, and the goodness of God; I have grieved the Spirit, and he is gone; I tempted the devil, and he is come to me; I have provoked God to anger, and he has left me; I have so hardened my heart, that I cannot repent.

Then said Christian to the Interpreter, But are

there no hopes for such a man as this? It was a dreadful sight to Christian, as it must be to us all; for what happened to this man may happen to any man, who leaves off to be sober and to watch unto prayer. It made Christian weep and tremble to see the deep misery of this man. But you will mark that the Interpreter does not give any answer to Christian, does not tell him whether there is yet hope or not, but refers him to the man himself for answer. Bunyan evidently did not mean to set it down as the judgment of the Holy Spirit that such an one as this was past hope; and doubtless men have conceived themselves in this condition, for whom there was hope, and the door of whose cage has afterwards been opened, and they have come out. There may be a spiritual gloom, amounting, as it seems to the soul under it, to actual despair, from which there is at length a blessed deliverance. David was sometimes in prison in this way, and on account of his sins. Bring my soul out of prison, he cries; and in the eighty-eighth Psalm you have the statement of a case almost as bad as this of the Man in the Cage of Despair. The Poet Cowper was thus in prison much of his time; but in his case it was a mind of exquisite sensibility, thrown from its balance, and really insane in the belief of his being a lost soul. There are doubtless, other causes of spiritual gloom besides sin, but unbelief and sin are the ordinary causes. Bunyan himself was sometimes in this gloomy state, without a ray of comfort, but never in such a state that he could not pray for mercy. Christian, when he fell into the