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 not time for me to go on my way now?

Inter. Tarry till I shall shew thee one thing more, and then thou shalt go on thy way.

So he took Christian by the hand again, and led him into a Chamber, where there was one rising out of bed; and as he put on his Rayment, he shook and trembled.  Then said Christian, Why doth this man thus tremble?  The Interpreter then bid him tell to Christian the reason of his so doing.  So he began and said, This night, as I was in my sleep, I dreamed, and behold the Heavens grew exceeding black; also it thundered and lightned in most fearful wise, that it put me into an Agony; so I looked up in my Dream, and saw the Clouds rack at an unusual rate, upon which I heard a great sound