st thou once?

_Man._ The Man said, I was once a fair and flourishing Professor, both
in mine own eyes, and also in the eyes of others; I once was, as I
thought, fair for the Coelestial City, and had then even joy at the
thoughts that I should get thither.

_Chr._ Well, but what art thou now?

_Man._ I am now a man of _Despair_, and am shut up in it, as in this
Iron Cage. I cannot get out; O _now_ I cannot.

_Chr._ But how comest thou in this condition?

_Man._ I left off to watch and be sober; I laid the reins upon the
neck of my lusts; I sinned against the light of the Word and the
goodness of God; I have grieved the Spirit, and he is gone; I tempted
the Devil, and he is come to me; I have provoked God to anger, and he
has left me; I have so hardened my heart, that I _cannot_ repent.

Then said _Christian_ to the _Interpreter_, But are there no hopes for
such a man as this? Ask him, said the _Interpreter_. Nay, said
Christian, pray Sir, do you.

_Inter._ Then said the _Interpreter_, Is there no hope, but you must
be kept in this Iron Cage of Despair?

_Man._ No, none at all.

_Inter._ Why? the Son of the Blessed is very pitiful.

_Man._ I have crucified him to myself afresh, I have despised his
Person, I have despised his Righteousness, I have counted his Blood an
unholy thing; I have done despite to the Spirit of Grace. Therefore I
have shut myself out of all the Promises, and there now remains to me
nothing but threatnings, dreadful threatnings, _fearful_ threatnings
of certain Judgement which shall devour me as an Adversary.

_Chr._ For what did you bring yourself into this condition?

_Man._ For the Lusts, Pleasures, and Profits of this World; in the
injoyment of which I did then promise myself much delight; but now
even every one of those things also bite me, and gnaw me like a
burning worm.

_Chr._ But canst thou not now repent and turn?

_Man._ God hath denied me repentance: 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!

_Inter._ Then said the _Interpreter_ to _Christian_, Let this man's
misery be remembred by thee, and be an everlasting caution to thee.

_Chr._ Well, said _Christian_, this is fearful; God help me to watch
and be sober, and to pray that I may shun the cause of this man's
misery. Sir, is it