hast heard and seen, thou art inwardly desirous of vain-glory in all that thou sayest or doest.

Chr. All this is true, and much more which thou hast left out; but the Prince whom I serve and honour is merciful, and ready to forgive; but, besides these infirmities possessed me in thy country: for there I sucked them in, and I have groaned under them, been sorry for them, and have obtained pardon of my Prince.1

Then Apollyon broke out into a grievous rage, saying, I am an enemy to this Prince! I hate his person, laws, and people, and am come out on purpose to withstand thee.

Chr. Apollyon, beware what you do; for I am in the King's highway, the Way of Holiness; therefore take heed to yourself.

Then Apollyon straddled quite over the whole breadth of the way, and said, I am void of fear in this matter; prepare thyself to die; for I swear by my infernal den that thou shalt go no farther: here will I spill thy soul!2-And with that he threw a flaming dart at his breast; but Christian had a shield in his hand, with which he caught it, and so prevented the danger of that.

Then did Christian draw, for he saw it was time to bestir him: and Apollyon as fast made at him, throwing darts as thick as hail; by the which, notwithstanding all that Christian could do to avoid it, Apollyon wounded him in his head, his hand, and foot.3 This made Christian give a little back: Apollyon, therefore, followed his work amain, and Christian again took courage, and resisted as manfully as he could. This sore combat lasted for above half a day, even till Christian was almost quite spent; for you must know that Christian, by reason of his wounds, must needs grow weaker and weaker.*

1 In repelling such suggestions, as respects his own misconduct having shut him out from the favour of his Prince, the well-instructed believer will neither deny the charge, nor extenuate his guilt; but he will flee for refuge to the free grace of the gospel.

2 If we duly reflect upon the Lord's permission to Satan in respect of Job, with the efforts and effects that followed, and compare it with the tempter's desire of "sifting Peter and the apostles as wheat;" we shall not be greatly at a loss about the author's meaning. This enemy is sometimes gratified by an arrangement of outward dispensations exactly suited to favour his assaults: so that the believer's path seems wholly obstructed.

3 According to the author's marginal interpretation of his meaning, "he wounds" him in his understanding, faith and conversation.

+ When temptations are long continued, the resistance of the distressed believer will gradually become more feeble; he will be ready to give up every thing.

G