blindfold, into eternity, sink or swim, come heaven come hell! Lord Jesus, if thou wilt catch me, do; if not, I will venture for thy name!'

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'I was no sooner fixed in this resolution, but this word dropped upon me: 'Doth Job serve God for nought?' As if the accuser had said, 'Lord, Job is no upright man; he serves thee for by-respects.' 'Hast thou not made an hedge about him,' &c. 'But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face,' Job ii. 5. How now! thought I, is this the sign of an upright soul, to desire to serve God when all is taken from him? Is he a godly man that will serve God for nothing, rather than give out? Blessed be God, then, I hope I have an upright heart, for I am resolved, God giving me strength, never to deny my profession, though I have nothing at all for my pains: and as I was thus considering, that scripture was set before me; 'Thou sellest thy people for nought, and dost not increase thy wealth by their price. Thou makest us a reproach to our neighbours, a scorn and a derision to those that are round about us. Thou makest us a byword among the heathen, a shaking of the head among the people. My confusion is continually before me, and the shame of my face hath covered me, for the voice of him that reproacheth and blasphemeth, by reason of the enemy and avenger. All this is come upon us yet have we not forgotten thee, neither have we dealt falsely in thy covenant. Our heart is not turned back, neither have our steps declined from thy way, though thou hast sore broken us in the place of dragons, and covered us with the shadow of death,' Psa. xliv. 12-19.

"Now was my heart full of comfort, for I hoped it was sincere. I would not have been without this

trial for much. I am comforted every time I think of it, and I hope I shall bless God for ever for the teachings I have had by it. Many more of the Divine dealings towards me I might relate; but these, out of the spoils won in battle, have I dedicated to maintain the house of God, 1 Chron. xxvi. 27.”

THE AUTHOR'S CONCLUDING REFLECTIONS.

"First, of all the temptations that ever I met with in my life, to question the being of God, and truth of his gospel, is the worst, and the worst to be borne. When this temptation comes, it takes away my girdle from me, and removeth the foundation from under me. Oh, I have often thought of that word, 'Have your loins girt about you with truth;' and of that, 'If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do ?'

"Second. Sometimes when, after sin committed, I have looked for sore chastisement from the hand of God, the very next that I have had from him hath been the discovery of his grace. Sometimes, when I have been comforted, I have called myself a fool for my so sinking under trouble. And then again, when I have been cast down, I thought I was not wise to give such way to comfort. With such strength and weight have both these been upon me.

"Third. I have wondered much at this one thing, and though God doth visit my soul with ever so blessed a discovery of himself, yet I have found again that such hours have attended me afterwards, that I have been in my spirit so filled with darkness, that I could not so much as once conceive what that God and that comfort was, with which I have been refreshed.

"Fourth. I have sometimes seen more in a line of the Bible than I could well tell how to stand under; and yet, at another time, the whole Bible hath been to me as a dry stick; or rather, my heart hath been so dead and dry unto it, that I could not receive the least drachm of refreshment, though I have looked it all over.

"Fifth. Of all fears, they are best that are made by the blood of Christ; and of all joy, that is the sweetest that is mixed with mourning over Christ. Oh, it is a goodly thing to be on our knees, with Christ in our arms, before God. I hope I know something of these things.

"Sixth. I find to this day seven abominations in my heart:-1. Inclining to unbelief. 2. Suddenly to forget the love and mercy that Christ manifesteth. 3. A leaning to the works of the law. 4. Wanderings and coldness in prayer. 5. To forget to watch for that I pray for. 6. Apt to murmur because I have no more, and yet ready to abuse what I have. 7. I can do none of those things which God commands me, but my corruptions will thrust in themselves. When I would do good, evil is present with me.'

"Seventh. These things I continually see and feel, and am afflicted and oppressed with, yet the wisdom of God doth order them for my good. 1. They make me abhor myself. 2. They keep me from trusting my heart. 3. They convince me of the insufficiency of all inherent righteousness. 4. They show me the necessity of flying to Jesus. 5. They press me to pray unto God. 6. They show me the need I have to watch and be sober; 7. And provoke me to pray unto God, through Christ, to help me, and carry me through this world."

HIS HISTORY AFTER HIS IMPRISONMENT.

During the time that Bunyan was in prison, he was not unemployed as a servant of God. Though he was in confinement, "the word of God was not bound." It is said there were never fewer than sixty prisoners for conscience' sake with him; for, as some were discharged, others were committed. Two of these were baptist ministers, Mr. Wheeler, and Mr. Dunn.

Mr. Ivimey observes, "The wisdom of the Divine conduct, in so ordering and disposing all the circumstances of his people, as to make all things work together for their good and his own glory, is remarkably manifested in the imprisonment of Bunyan. Till this event took place, he was so fully employed, as a travelling tinker, to support his family, and in constantly preaching as he had opportunity, that it was impossible he ever could have written anything without a change in his circumstances. But by these means he was as effectually called away from mending pots and kettles as the apostles were from mending their nets: and however painful the dispensation was to himself, his family, and friends, yet through it he has contributed, both by his example and writings, to strengthen the faith and animate the hopes of believers to the end of time.”

The following anecdote is told respecting the jailer and Bunyan. "It being well known to some of his persecutors in London that he was often out of prison, they sent down an officer to talk with the jailer on the subject; and, in order to find him out, he was to get there in the middle of the night. Bunyan was at home with his family, but so restless that he could not sleep; he therefore acquainted his wife, that though the jailor had given him liberty to stay till the

morning, yet, from his uneasiness, he must immediately return. He did so, and the jailer blamed him for coming in at so unseasonable an hour. Early in the morning the messenger came, and, interrogating the jailer, said, ‘Are all the prisoners safe ?' 'Yes.' ‘Is John Bunyan safe?' 'Yes.' 'Let me see him.' He was called, and appeared, and all was well. After the messenger was gone, the jailer, addressing Bunyan, said, 'Well, you may go out again just when you think proper, for you know when to return better than I can tell you.'

The family of Bunyan lost the comfort of his presence: but in other respects they were not much impaired in their circumstances by his imprisonment, which rendered them objects of kindness, as well as of compassion, to their neighbours. In an age when the state of our prisons was disgraceful to a Christian people, and the treatment of prisoners not unfrequently most inhuman, Bunyan was favoured as to the place of his confinement, and the disposition of his jailer, who is said to have committed the management of the prison to his care, knowing how entirely he might be trusted. He had the society there of many who were suffering for the same cause; he had his Bible and his Book of Martyrs; and he had leisure to compose many of his works, which have afforded direction, reproof, instruction, and comfort to many thousands in succeeding years, and will leave a fragrance on his name to the end of time.

He remained a prisoner twelve years. But it appears that during the last four of these years he regularly attended the baptist meeting-house, his name being always in the records; and in the eleventh year the congregation chose him for their pastor. He at the same time accepted the invitation, and gave