Page:The pilgrim's progress by John Bunyan every child can read (1909).djvu/52

46 Then said Christian, "Is there no hope, but you must be kept in the iron cage of despair?"

No, none at all.

Why? the Son of the Blessed is very pitiful.

I have crucified Him to myself afresh. I have despised His person. I have despised His holiness; I have counted His blood an unholy thing; I have shown contempt to the Spirit of mercy. Therefore I have shut myself out of all the promises of God, and there now remains to me nothing but threatenings, dreadful threatenings, fearful threatenings of certain judgment and fiery anger, which shall devour me as an enemy.

For what did you bring yourself into this condition?

For the desires, pleasures, and gains of this world; in the enjoyment of which I did then promise myself much delight; but now every one of those things also bite me, and gnaw me, like a burning worm.

But canst thou not now turn again to God?

God no longer invites me to come to Him. His Word gives me no encouragement to believe; yea, Himself hath shut me up in this iron cage; nor can all the men in the world let me out. O eternity! eternity! how shall I grapple with the misery that I must meet with in eternity?

Then said the Interpreter to Christian, "Let this man's misery be remembered by thee, and be an everlasting caution to thee."