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ciple within him so revolted at the suggestion, that he forcibly closed his mouth with his hands, lest the fatal blasphemy should escape him.

This temptation lasted about a year, and was at> tended one while, with peculiar insensibility, and at other times with such distractions in duty as frustrated his attempts to pray; and so much was his mind convulsed by it, that sometimes he thought he even felt one behind him pulling his clothes, to stop him when he began to pray.

It is unnecessary, and might appear tedious, to relate all the temptations with which this good man was agitated, during this period; it is, however, proper to ob serve, that they were not without some allays of com fort; his cup was bitter, but mixed with some pleasant ingredients; or, to speak without a figure, he had intervals of consolation; many precious promises were applied, and he was at some times as much elevated with joy, as he was at others depressed with grief.

It is also worthy of observation, that during this time he enjoyed the advantages of sitting under the ministry of good Mr. Gifford, (an ancestor of the late learned Dr. Gifford,) an evangelical and useful minister at Bedford; whose advice appears to have been very judi cious and salutary. "He would bid us take special heed, (says Bunyan,) that we took not up any truth upon trust; as from this or that man; but pray to God that he would convince us of the reality thereof by his Spirit in the word: for (said he,) otherwise, when temptations come, not having received them with evidence from heaven, you will find the want of that help and strength to resist, which once you thought you had." This advice was very seasonable to Bunyan, who betook himself to the scriptures, and to prayer; and there found, as every simple honest inquirer doubtless will, all the satisfaction which he desired. He remarks also, that the sense he had of the evil of sin, was of use to keep him steady in the truth, by discovering his

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absolute need of a Saviour, and exactly such a Saviour as the New Testament reveals.

About this time he met with Martin Luther upon the Galatians, and was much struck with the similarity of his experience with that of the good old reformer; and to find him describe so nearly the various temptations and conflicts which he had felt. He also received from this book considerable light into the gospel scheme of redemption, and esteemed it, next to the Bible, the most valuable book he had ever met with.

Now again he began to rejoice and triumph: now he began to sing with the Psalmist, "My mountain. stands strong; I shall never be removed."(a) He found however, this was but a short truce in his warfare; and that these comforts were only to support and strengthen him for future conflicts.

The next trial which beset him was a truly diabolical one "it was to sell Christ, to exchange him for the things of this life, for any thing." And those words, "Sell him, sell him," would be impressed upon his thoughts an hundred times running, for hours together, and that during a succession of many weeks. It may well be supposed he prayed and strove against this temptation; at last he found nothing so much relieve him as answering the enemy in his own way, as fast as his temptations were repeated-"I will not, I will not, I will not; no, not for thousands, thousands, thousands, thousands of worlds!" At length, after much striving, he felt the thought pass through his heart, as he expresses it—" Let him go if he will." and he imagined also that, for the moment, it had his free consent. "Now, (says ou author) was the battle won; and down fell I, as a bird that is shot from the top of a tree, into great guilt and fearful despair." And this continued un

(a) Psal. xxx. 6, 7:

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til he was at length relieved with that comfortable word, "The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin."(a)

During the above period the tempter assaulted him in a manner that some persons have jested with, though it was no jest to Bunyan. In short, he tells us his enemy would not let him eat his food in quiet : but "forsooth, (says he,) when I was set at my table at any meat, I must go hence to pray; I must leave my food now, and just now; so counterfeit holy would this devil be! When I was thus tempted, I would say in myself, Now I am at my meat, let me make an end.'-' No, (said he,) you must do it now, or you will displease God, and despise Christ.'" And when he omitted to obey this temptation, his Conscience smote him, as if he had refused to leave his meat for God.

We have already mentioned the consolation he received from a sense of the efficacy of atoning blood; on this occasion it seemed to him " as if the tempter did leer and steal away from him as ashamed of what he had done:" but this modest fit of the devil was of short duration; he soon recollected his usual ef frontery, and returned with a more serious and alarming temptation. In short, he now tempted him to be. lieve that he had committed that unpardonable sin, the sin against the Holy Ghost;(6) and that his case was like Esau's, after he had sold his birthright, "when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected; for he found no place for repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears."(c)

These passages have given so much pain and uneasiness to others beside Bunyan, that it may not be an unprofitable digression, to bestow a short explanation on them, in hopes it may be of use to such as may future be attacked with the like temptations.

in

(a) 1 John i. 7. (6) Mark iii. 29.

(c) Heb. xii. 17.

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Divines seem now pretty well agreed, that an enlightened understanding and a malicious heart must meet in the same person, to constitute a capacity of committing the unpardonable sin. Thus it has been supposed, that if Peter had denied his master with the same malice that Paul persecuted him; or, if Paul had persecuted Jesus with the same conviction of his divi nity as Peter had received when he denied him—either would have committed the unpardonable sin. The instances of this union of knowledge and hatred are so few, that we may reasonably hope sinners of this class are far from numerous: the most awful appearance of it seems to be in those malicious Pharisees, who wilfully shut their eyes against the evidences of Christ's mission, and attributed all his miracles to the agency of Beelzebub.

The case of Esau has also been much misunder stood: the place he sought for repentance was not in his own, but his father's mind, as appears by the history; that is, he sought to revoke his father's blessing.

The supposition, however, that he had committed the unpardonable sin, had such an effect on Bunyan, that it not only distressed his mind, but made his very body tremble for many days together; and produced such a stoppage and heat at his stomach, as greatly disordered him. Some comfort indeed he received, at intervals, from occasional reflections on the promises: but the most effectual relief he met with was in the following extraordinary manner, which shall be related in his own words:

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Once, as I was walking to and fro in a good man's shop, bemoaning myself in my sad and doleful state, praying also in my heart, that if this sin of mine did differ from that against the Holy Ghost, the Lord would shew it me; and being now ready to sink with fear, suddenly there was, as if there had rushed in at the window, the noise of wind upon me; but very pleasant, and as if I heard a voice speaking, Didst thou ever refuse to be justified by the blood of Christ?'

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And withal my whole life of profession past, was in a moment opened to me; wherein I was made to see, that designedly I had not; so my heart answered groaningly, 'No.' Then fell, with power, that word of God upon me, 'See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. (a) This made a strange seizure upon my spirit: it brought light with it, and commanded a silence in my heart. It shewed me, also, that Jesus Christ had yet a word of grace and mercy for me; yea, this was a kind of threatening of me, if I did not, notwithstanding my sins, and the heinousness of them, venture my salvation upon the Son of God. But as to my determining about this strange dispensation, what it was, I know not; or from whence it came I know not: I have not yet, in twenty years time, been able to make a judgment of it: I thought then what here I should be loth to speak. But verily that sudden rushing wind was, as if an angel had come upon me; but both it and the salvation I will leave until the day of judgment: only this I say, it commanded a great calm in my soul; it persuaded me there might be hope; it shewed me, as I thought, what the sin unpardonable was, and that my soul had yet the blessed privilege to flee to Jesus Christ for mercy. This lasted in the savour of it for about three or four days: and then I began to mistrust and to despair again."

In this situation Bunyan found his mind strongly impelled to private prayer, which, when the tempter perceived, he endeavoured to persuade him that it was now too late; that having denied and rejected Christ, it was only adding sin to sin, and farther provocation to his crimes. His case was desperate; but he resolved that if he perished it should be " at the foot of Christ in prayer.'

About this time he took an opportunity to break his mind to an aged Christian. "I told him, (says he,)

(a) Heb. xii. 25.