Hopeful quiets the mind of Christian.

his counsel or no; and thus they began to discourse: (c)

Chr. Brother, said Christian, what shall we do? The life that we now live is miserable! for my part, I know not whether it is best to live thus, or die out of hand,*"My soul choose to strangling rather than life," and the grave is more easy for me than this dungeon! shall we be ruled by the giant? (d)

Hope. Indeed our present condition is dreadful, and death would be far more welcome to me, than thus for ever to abide; but, let us consider, the Lord of the country to which we are going hath said, Thou shalt do no murder: no, not to another man's person; much more then are we forbidden to take his counsel to kill ourselves. Besides, he that kills another can but commit murder on his own body; but for one to kill himself, is to kill body and soul at once. And moreover, my brother, thou talkest of ease in the grave, but hast thou forgotten the hell, whether for certain the murderers go? For no murderer hath eternal life, &c. and let us consider again, that all the laws are not in the hand of Giant Despair, others, so far as I can understand, have been taken by him, as well as we; and yet have escaped out of his hands. Who knows, but that

* Job vii. 15.

(c) See the workings of despair. Where is now their faith in, love to, and dependence upon their Lord? Alas! all seems as at the last gasp. But observe, under their prevailing distresses and black despondency, even when despair had almost made an end of them, they had a lucid interval when Giant Despair is seized with a fit, so that christians are never left of God to total despair; for says Paul, "We are perplexed, but not in despair." 2 Cor. iv. 8. "For God never casts away his people, whom he foreknew," Rom. xi. 2.

(d) Poor Christian! what! tempted to destroy thyself! Lord what is man? But see, despairing soul, mark the truth of that word, There hath no temptation taken you, but such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above what you are able; but will, with the temptations also, make a way to escape, that we may be able to bear it." I Cor. x. 13.

Past Deliverances recollected.

God who made the world, may cause that Giant Despair may die; or that, at some time or other, he may forget to lock us in: or that he may in a short time, have another of his fits before us, and may lose the use of his limbs? and, if ever that should come to pass again, for my part I am resolved to pluck up the heart of a man, and to try my utmost to get from under his hand. (e) I was a fool that I did not try to do it before; but, however, my brother, let us be patient, and endure awhile; the time may come that he may give us a happy release; but let us not become our own murderers. With these words Hopeful at present did moderate the mind of his brother; so they continued together (in the dark) that day in their sad and doleful condition.

Well, towards the evening, the Giant goes down into the dungeon again, to see if his prisoners had taken his counsel: but when he came there he found them alive; and truly alive was all; for now, what for want of bread and water, and by reason of the wounds they received when he beat them, they could do little but breathe. But I say he found them alive; at which he fell into a grievous rage, and told them, That seeing they had disobeyed his counsel, it should be worse with them than if they had never been born.

At this they trembled greatly, and I think that Christian fell into a swoon: but coming a little to himself again, they renewed their discourse about the Giant's counsel, and whether yet they had best take it or no. Now Christian again seemed to be for doing it; but Hopeful made his second reply as followeth :

Hope. My brother, said he rememberest thou

(e) Mark how a fit of despair robs a christian of his courage, reason, and graces. But one single thought of the love, power, and grace of a covenant God in Christ elevates the christian's mind with hope.

Diffidence's Counsel to the Giant.

not how valiant thou hast been heretofore? Apollyon could not crush thee, nor could all that thou didst hear, or see, or feel, in the valley of the shadow of death what hardships, terror, and amazement, hast thou already gone through, and art thou now nothing but fear? Thou seest that I am in the dungeon with thee, a far weaker man by nature than thou art; also this Giant has wounded me as well as thee, and hath also cut off the bread and water from my mouth, and with thee I mourn without the light. But let us exercise a little more patience: remember how thou playedst the man at VanityFair, and was neither afraid of the chain nor the cage, nor yet of bloody death; wherefore let us (at least to avoid the shame that becomes not a christian to be found in) bear up with patience as well as we can. (f)

Now night being come again, and the Giant, and his wife being a-bed, she asked concerning the prisoners, and if they had taken his counsel; to which he replied; they are sturdy rogues, they chose rather to bear all hardships, than to make away with themselves. Then said she, Take them into the castle-yard to-morrow, and shew them the bones and sculls of those thou hast already dis

(f) Here is the blessing of a hopeful companion. Here is excellent counsel. Let vain professors say what they may against expe rience and looking back to past experiences, it is most certainly good and right so to do: though not to encourage present sloth and presumption, but to excite fresh confidence of hope in the Lord. We have David's example; and Paul's word to encourage us to this: says David- The Lord who delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this uncircumcised Philistine," 1 Sam. xvii. 37. And, says Paul, "we have the sentence of God in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God, who raiseth the dead."-There, mind the alone object of faith and hope, and see the reasoning on past experiences of God's mercy; for it is he "who delivers us from so great a death; and doth deliver, in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us," 2 Cor. i. 10.

Diffidence's Counsel to the Giant.

patched, and make them believe, ere a week comes to an end, thou wilt also tear them in pieces, as thou hast done their fellows before them.

So when morning was come, the Giant goes to them again, and takes them into the castle-yard, and shews them as his wife had bidden him: these, said he, were pilgrims, as you are, once, and they trespassed in my grounds, as you have done; and when thought fit, I tore them in pieces, and so within ten days I will do to you; get you down to your den again and with that he beat them all the way thither. They lay therefore, all day on Saturday in lamentable case, as before. Now when night was come, and when Mrs. Diffidence and her husband the Giant were gone to bed, they began to renew their discourse of their prisoners; and, withal the old Giant wondered that he could neither by his blows nor counsel bring them to an end. And, with that his wife replied, I fear, said she, that they live in hopes that some will come to relieve them, or that they have picklocks about them by the means of which they hope to escape. And sayest thou so, my dear? said the Giant: I will therefore search them in the morning.

Well, on Saturday, about midnight, they began to pray, and continued in prayer till almost break of day. (g)

Now, a little before it was day, good Christian, as one half amazed, brake out in this passionate speech: What a fool (quoth he) am I, thus to lie in a stinking dungeon, when I may as well walk

(g) What, pray in custody of Giant Despair, in the midst of Doubting Castle, and when their own folly brought them there too? Yes. Mind this, ye pilgrims, ye are exhorted, "I will that men pray EVERY WHERE without doubting." 1 Tim. ii. 8. We can be in no place but God can hear, nor in any circumstance, but God is able to deliver from. And, be assured, when the spirit of prayer comes, deliverance is nigh at hand. So it was here.

The Key Promise opens the Door.-The Pilgrims escape.

at liberty? I have a key in my bosom called Promise, that will, I am persuaded, open any lock in Doubting Castle. Then said Hopeful, That's good news, good brother, pluck it out of thy bosom, and try. (h)

Then Christian pulled it out of his bosom, and began to try at the dungeon door; whose bolt (as he turned the key) gave back, and the door flew open with ease, and Christian and Hopeful, both came out. Then he went into the outward door that leads into the Castle-yard, and with his key opened that door also. After he went to the Iron Gate, for that must be opened too, but that lock went very hard, yet the key did open it. Then they thrust open the door to make their escape with speed, but that gate, as it opened, made such a cracking, that it waked Giant Despair, who, hastily rising to pursue his prisoners, felt his limbs to fail; for his fits took him again, so that he could by no means go after them, Then they went on, and came to the king's highway, and so were safe, because they were out of his jurisdiction. (i)

Now, when they were gone over the stile, they began to contrive with themselves, what they should do at that stile, to prevent those that should come

(h) Precious PROMISE! The promises of God in Christ are the life of faith and the quickness of prayer. O, how oft do we neglect God's great and precious promises in Christ Jesus, while doubts and despair keep us prisoners! So it was with these Pilgrims: they were kept under hard bondage of soul for four days. Hence, see what it is to grieve the Spirit of God, and dread it. For he, only is the COMFORTER. And if he withdraws his influences, who or what can comfort us? Though precious promises are revealed in the word, yet we can get no comfort from them but by the grace of the Spirit.

(i) Mind, though the Spirit works deliverance and brings comfort, yet it is by means of the word of PROMISE; for as we depart from, and dishonour God, by unbelief, so we come back to, and honour him by believing his word of grace to us in his beloved Son. In this way the Spirit brings deliverance.