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

Many desire the joys and glories of heaven, according to their carnal ideas of them, but few are willing to fight the good fight of faith. The similitude shows the spirit and disposition of a soul who is determined to win Christ, and to enjoy the kingdom of glory. In spite of all opposition, he resolutely

forces his way and presses toward the mark for the prize of his high calling of God in Christ Jesus.-Phil. iii, 14. He is not content with a few lazy wishes or languid hopes; for the kingdom of God suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.-Matthew xi, 12.

The Man in an Iron Cage. Christian was next taken into a dark room, where there sat a man in an iron cage, with his eyes fixed on the ground, his hands folded together, and sighing as if in extreme misery. While he was viewing this unhappy wretch, he was directed by the Intrepreter to talk with him. Christian readily complying, asked him who he was, and how came he into such a miserable condition. "I was once," said the man, "a fair and flourishing professor of religion, both in my own eyes and in the eyes of others, and even had joy in the thought that I should be admitted into the heavenly city. But I am now a man of despair, and shut up in it, as in this iron cage. I can not get out. O now I can not!" In answer to the inquiry he continued, "I came into this condition because I left off to watch and be sober; indulged in lusts, pleasures, and profits of the world. I have sinned against the light of God's Word, abused his goodness; I have tempted the evil one, and he is come to me. I have crucified the Son of God afresh. I have despised his person and righteousness, and I have so hardened my heart that I can not repent. O, eternity! eternity! how shall I grapple with the misery that awaits me there!"

Though it does not become us to limit the grace of God in cases of apostasy, yet it is an awful fact that there have been cases where the apostate has been "shut up under despair," beyond relief; and "it is impossible to renew

them to repentance." We must, however, leave the doom of apparent apostates to God, and take warning, by such examples, to "shun even the appearance of sin."

The man who dreamed of the Last Day. In the next apartment into which Christian was conducted, he saw a man rising hastily out of his bed, and while he was dressing himself he shook and trembled. When asked why he was thus agitated, he replied, "This night, in my dream, while I was busy in my usual affairs,

the heavens grew exceeding dark; it also thundered and lightened in a fearful manner, which filled me with the utmost terror and alarm. Looking upward, I beheld the clouds convulsed at an unusual rate; then came the sound of a mighty trumpet, and I saw also a man sit upon a cloud, attended with the hosts of heaven. Thousands of flaming spirits were in attendance to execute his orders, and the heavens were on fire. I heard then a voice as of the Eter nal, saying, "Arise ye dead and come to judgment;" and behold! in the twinkling of an eye, the rocks were rent asunder, the mountains tottered and fell, the earth rolled and was agitated like the waves of the sea; the graves were opened, and the dead that were therein came forth. Some of them were exceeding glad and looked upward, and some sought to hide themselves under the rocks and mountains. The man that sat upon the cloud opened a book and bade the world draw near. They were judged according to the things written in the book. I heard it also proclaimed by the man on the cloud, "Gather together the tares, the chaff, and stubble, and cast them into the burning lake." Upon that I saw the bottomless pit open, and multitudes thrust therein. It was also said, "Gather my wheat into the garner." And with that I saw many taken up and carried away into the clouds, but I was left behind. I sought to hide myself, but could not; the all-seeing eye of him on the cloud was still upon me, with indignation in his countenance, and my sins came in my mind, and conscience accused me on every side. Upon this, I awakened from sleep."

The Interpreter's curiosities, or emblems, shown to Christian, are the principal subjects which faithful ministers enforce, publicly and in private, on all who begin to profess the Gospel. The safety of all consists in a due propor

tion of hope and fear; when devoid of hope, we resemble a ship without an anchor; when unrestrained by fear, we are like the same vessel under full sail, without ballast, floundering at the mercy of the waves.

Christian's burden falls at the Cross. After the Interpreter had charged Christian to keep all the things he had seen and heard in remembrance, he addressed himself to his onward journey, saying:

"Here I have seen things rare and profitable ;
Things pleasant, dreadful, things to make me stable

In what I have begun to take in hand;

Then let me think on them and understand

Wherefore they shewed me were; and let me be
Thankful, O, good Interpreter, to thee.”

The road which he traveled was fenced on both sides with a high and substantial wall, called Salvation, so that he went forward with a cheerful heart, though at the same time with some difficulty, on account of the burden on his back. But when he came in sight of an elevated cross, which stood on a hill, his burden, which had so long pressed upon him, was loosed, and fell from his back. It continued rolling down the hill until it came to the bottom, where there was a sepulcher, into which it fell, and was seen no more. The joy and astonishment of Christian at this great deliverance was so great, that he was lost in wonder, and when he came to himself and found it was no illusion, but that his burden was gone, he burst into tears of joy, and his mouth was filled with praise. While he stood locking and weeping, three shining angels appeared before him; one said to him, "Peace be to thee; thy sins be forgiven thee." The second stripped him of his rags, and clothed him with a beautiful gar ment; the third set a mark upon his forehead and gave him a roll with a seal upon it, which he bade him look upon it as he ran, and that he should deliver it when he arrived at the Celestial Gate, and it would instantly procure him admittance into the Heavenly City.

Thus far the Christian Pilgrim carried with him the burdensome sense of his guilt and condemnation, but now by faith he sees the Redeemer's Cross, the motive and efficacy of Christ's sufferings; he is relieved of his burden, and is filled with joy and peace in believing. While at the Cross three

"shining ones" suddenly appeared and gave him a beautiful garment, which signifies the righteousness of Christ, set a mark upon him showing that he was the Lord's, and gave him a roll with a seal upon it denoting the assurance of salvation.

Simple, Sloth, and Presumption. After Christian had experienced his great deliverance at the Cross, he pressed forward on his jour ney. Arriving at the bottom of the hill, he saw, a little out of the way, three men, fast asleep, with fetters upon their feet. Their names were Simple or Stupidity, Sloth, and Presumption. Being of a compassionate disposition, Christian endeavored to awaken them, telling them that they were like those that slept on the top of a mast, and liable every moment to fall into the sea. Just opening their eyes, Stupidity said, "I see no danger;" Sloth said, "Yet a little more sleep;" and Presumption said, "Every tub must stand on its own bottom." After having said this, they fell asleep again.

Many who have transient convictions chained in bondage, to sin and Satan. learn to talk about religion, but still are They reject instruction and hate all

trouble, and are confident that it is all well with themselves. They say to them who warn them of their peril, "Mind your own business; we see no danger;

we will not be disturbed, and there is no necessity for making so much ado about religion." Thus they sleep on until death and judgment awake them.

Formalist and Hypocrisy. Traveling a little further, Christian saw two men tumbling over the wall, on the left hand of the narrow way. They were Formality and Hypocrisy, who were born in the land of Vainglory. When Christian had overtaken them, he expos tulated with them on the impropriety of their not coming in at the gate, where all were directed to come, and told them that to steal into the road, as they had done, was unlawful. To this they replied that the way they had taken was the shortest; that what they had done was no more than thousands had done before them, and as they were in the way, it was sufficient, no matter how they got there. They also told Christian they did not see what he had gained by coming in at the gate, except the whimsical garment which had been given him to cover his nakedness. In a short time the three travelers came to a steep and high hill called Difficulty. As this was difficult to ascend, Formality and Hypocrisy discovered two other roads which passed by the side of the hill, which were much easier to travel; they concluded to pass over them. The name of

one of these roads was Danger the other Destruction. He that took the road Danger was led into a pathless wilderness; the other, who took the path of Destruction, was soon lost in a desert full of dark places, where he stumbled and fell, and rose no more.

Formalist and Hypocrisy are near relations; the first represents those who, by their notions and observances, deceive themselves; the second, those who more grossly attempt to impose upon others. Both are satisfied with

the form of godliness, neither choosing to walk in the way of self-denial. When difficulties and persecutions arise, in order to secure their worldly interests, they take some other path than the right one, and thus involve themselves in ruin.

The Hill Difficulty-Christian loses his Roll. Christian, after refreshing himself at the spring, at the foot of Mount Difficulty, began to go up the hill, saying:

"The hill, though high, I covet to ascend,

The difficulty will not me offend;

Come, pluck up heart, let 's neither faint nor fear,

For, I perceive, the way of life lies here;

Better, though difficult, the right way to go,

Than wrong, though easy, where the end is woe."

Christian at first went up rapidly, but was soon forced to fall from

"Now, before he had gone far, he entered into a very narrow passage, which was about a furlong off of the Porter's Lodge; and looking very narrowly before him as he went, he espied two lions in the way. Then he was afraid. But the Porter, whose name is Watchful, cried unto him, saying, Fear not the Lions, for they are chained."