Great-beart kills the Giant,

vering himself, laid about him with great resolution, and gave the giant a wound in his arm. Thus they fought for the space of an hour, to that height of heat, that the breath came out of the giant's nostrils as the heat doth out of a boiling cauldron.

Then they sat down to rest them; but Mr. Greatheart betook himself to prayer. Also the women and children did nothing but sigh and cry all the time that the battle did last.e

When they had rested them, and taken breath, they both fell to it again, and Mr. Great-heart, with a full blow, fetched the giant down to the ground. Nay, hold, let me recover, cried he. So Mr. Great-heart let him fairly get up, and to it they went again; and the giant missed but little of breaking Mr. Greatheart's scull with his club.

Mr. Great-heart seeing that, ran to him in the full heat of his spirit, and pierced him under the fifth rib. With that the giant began to faint, and could hold up his club no longer. Upon this Mr. Great-heart seconded his blow, and smote the head of the giant from his shoulders. Then the women and children rejoiced, and Mr. Great-heart also praised God for the deliverance he had wrought.

When this was done, they among themselves erected a pillar, and fastened the giant's head thereon, and vrote under it in letters that passengers might read:

He that did wear this head was one

That pilgrims did misuse;

He stopt their way, he spared none.
But did them all abuse :

Until that I Great-heart arose,

The pilgrim's guide to be

Until that I did him oppose,

Who was their enemy.f

;

Weak folks' cries at some times help strong folks' prayers. f This enemy to the pilgrims, and especially to their conductor, who comes out of the "Cave" formerly inhabited by "Pagan and Pope," is designed to represent a teacher of religion, who had no reason to assign for his violent charges, but that the guide was a

and erects a Pillar in commemoration of his Victory.

Now I saw that they went to the ascent that was a

'kidnapper," that "weakened his master's kingdom by gathering ap women and children, and carrying them into a strange coun try." Who does not perceive, that assertions unsupported by evidence must be "sophistry;" that they are propped up only by fallacious argument, and unsound subtlety? Such were the charges of schism and heresy exhibited against the nonconformists, as if the church of England and the church of Christ were synonymous. Some of the violent partizans of the church of England, armed with the "club" of magistracy, insisted, and logically too, that to 'draw away persons from the parish churches to join dissenting and gathered congregations, was to rend the seamless coat of Christ, and to cause schism by destroying the unity of the church. Assuming that the church of Christ was one and indivisible, and that the sect endowed by the civil magistrate was the church, a disputant who was fallaciously subtle, or an artful insidious logician, by an easy though fallacious ratiocination, came to the conclusion that dissenters from the religion as by law established were heretics. Persons of this description, therefore, considered themselves justified in adopting Paul's language in reference to excommunications, and in applying it to the infliction of civil fines and imprisonments: "I would they were even cut off that trouble you." This has been the language used by all the enemies of toleration and christian liberty, whether of Papists before the Reformation in England, of the Presbyterians during the period of the con.monwealth, or of the Episcopalians after the Restoration in 1660. The replies of Great-heart lay open this sophistry, and expose its fallacy, by showing that the authority of Christ is paramount to all other; that the commission which he has given to his ministers is not limited by the boundaries of parishes or of nations; that it is their duty to call sinners to repentance, and to turn them from the power of Satan to God; and that no human laws are of force when they oppose the laws of Christ. These were precisely the grounds of dispute between Mr. Bunyan and his persecutors; they contending that he had no authority to preach, because he was destitute of episcopal ordination; and he declaring that, as a servant of Christ, he ought to obey God rather than man,—and that, as long as it was in his power to do so, he was determined to preach the gospel wherever he found persons willing to hear him. It is pro bable that the history of this battle refers to what Mr. Bunyan had suffered in prison upon account of his principles; to the apparent advantage which for twelve years his persecutors had obtained over him; and to his complete triumph in being at length set at liberty, and resuming his former labours, in defiance of his ene. mies, and secured from the wrath of his former opposers. There may also be an allusion to the liberty granted to nonconformists by the declaration of liberty of conscience passed by Charles IL

The Pilgrims congratulate Great-heart on his Victory.

little way off cast up to be a prospect for pilgrims." Here they sat down, and rested. They also here did eat and drink, and make merry, for that they had gotten deliverance from this so dangerous an enemy. As they sat thus and did eat, Christiana asked the guide, if he had caught no hurt in the battle. Then said Mr. Great-heart, "No, save a little on my flesh; yet that also shall be so far from being to my detriment, that it is at present a proof of my love to my Master and you, and shall be a means, by grace, to increase my reward at last."

CHR. But were you not afraid, good Sir, when you saw him come with his club?

GREAT. It is my duty, said he, to mistrust my own ability, that I may have reliance on him who is stronger than all.

CHR. But what did you think when he fetched you down to the ground at the first blow?

GREAT. Why, I thought, replied he, that so my Master himself was served, and yet he conquered at last. (2 Cor. iv. 10, 11. Rom. viii. 37.)

MATT. When you all have thought what you please, I think God has been wonderfully good unto us, both in bringing us out of this valley, and in delivering us out of the hand of this enemy. For my part, I see no reason why we should distrust our God any more,

in 1672, of which liberty Mr. Bunyan thought it right to take advantage, though he was fully aware it was not granted from any respect which the king felt for the nonconformists, but from the wish he entertained to re-establish popery and arbitrary power. The fervent prayer of Great-heart during the contest, in which he is joined by the women and children, shows the devotional spirit of Mr. Bunyan and his friends in their trials; and that like the children of Israel on the eastern side of Jordan, "they cried to God in the battle," 1 Chron. v. 20. Note. There is no way by which godly persons will find support under, and deliverance from, heavy trials, but by making their requests known unto God, who hears and answers prayer.

& This was the place from whence Christian had the first sight of Faithful his brother.

They meet with Honest.

since he has now, and in such a place as this, given us such testimony of his love as this. Then they arose, and went forward.h

Now a little before them stood an oak, and under it, when they were come to it, they found an old pilgrim fast asleep. They knew that he was a pilgrim, by his clothes, and his staff, and his girdle.

So the guide Mr. Great-heart awaked him; and the old gentleman, lifting up his eyes, cried out, "What's the matter? who are you? and what is your business here?"

GREAT. Come man, be not so hot; here are none but friends. Yet the old man got up, and stood upon his guard, and would know of them what they were.' Then said the guide, My name is Great-heart: I am the guide of these pilgrims, who are going to the celestial country.

HON. Then said Mr. Honest, I cry you mercy: I feared that you had been of the company of those

h Christians who are raised above the influence of sectarian feeling, survey the church of Christ as composed not of this or that sect, but of all genuine believers, by whatever name they may be distinguished from each other. Those christians who dissent from the national establishment, may well rejoice that they are able to "sit under their vine and under their fig-tree, none making them afraid:" nor can they ever be sufficiently thankful for the Act of Toleration, by which their worship is not only permitted and protected, but legalized;-a privilege which Mr. Bunyan did not live to enjoy.-The answer of the guide to Christiana, that " he had got no hurt in the battle save a little on his flesh," refers doubtless to the history of Mr. Bunyan, who did not regard the sufferings which he underwent in the cause of his Master, but considered himself as bearing about in his body the dying of the Lord Jesus, scars of honour, visible proofs of his love to his Sovereign and his fellow-subjects, which divine grace would at last gloriously reward. The supports which Mr. Bunyan had in prison were derived from his dependence upon the grace of the Redeemer; and from an expectation that, as he had overcome and was now seated upon his throne, so they who suffered with him would at last reign with him. The deliverances which God has already wrought for his servants should lead them to trust him with confidence, and with an expectation of deliverance in future difficulties.

One saint sometimes taker another for his enemy.

Honest gives an Account of himself.

that some time ago robbed Little-faith of his money; but, now I look better about me, I perceive you are honester people.

GREAT. Why, what would or could you have done, or how could you have helped yourself, if we indeed had been of that company?

HON. Done? Why, I would have fought as long as breath had been in me; and had I so done, I am sure you could never have given me the worst of it; for a christian can never be overcome, unless he yield of himself.

GREAT. Well said, father Honest, answered the guide. By this I know thou art a pilgrim of the right kind, for thou hast said the truth.

HON. And by this also I know that thou knowest what true pilgrimage is; for all others think that we are the soonest overcome of any.

GREAT. Well, now we are so happily met, pray let me crave your name, and the name of the place you come from.

HON. My name I cannot tell you; but I come from the town of Stupidity: it lieth about four degrees beyond the city of Destruction.

GREAT. Oh! Are you that countryman? Then I deem I have half a guess of you; your name is old Honesty, is it not?

HON. So the old gentleman blushed, and said, Not Honesty in the abstract, but Honest is my name; and I wish that my nature may agree to what I am called. But, Sir, how could you guess that I am such a man, since I come from such a place?

GREAT. I had heard of you before by my Master; for he knows all things that are done on the earth. But I have often wondered that any should come from your place; for your town is worse than is the city of Destruction itself.

HON. Yes, we lie farther off from the sun, and so are more cold and senseless. But were a man in a

Stuvified ones are worse than those merely carnal