Should one say to them, Art not thou the man that I once saw crying under a sermon, that I once heard cry out, “What must I do to be saved?” and that some time ago I heard speak well of the holy word of God? how askew will they look upon one; or if they will acknowledge that such things were with them once, they do it more like images and rejected ghosts, than men.  They look as if they were blasted, withered, cast out and dried to powder, and now fit for nothing but to be cast into the fire and burned.  John 15.

The unpardonable sin.

The man in the iron cage.

“Now,” said Christian, “let me go hence.”  “Nay, stay,” said the Interpreter, “till I have showed thee a little more, and after that thou shalt go on thy way.”  So he took him by the hand again, and led him into a very dark room, where there sat a man in an iron cage.

Now the man to look on, seemed very sad.  He sat with his eyes looking down to the ground, his hands folded together, and he sighed as if he would break his heart.  Then said Christian, “What means this?” At which the Interpreter bid him talk with the man.

Then said Christian to the man, “What art thou?” The man answered, “I am what I was not once.”

CRISTIAN.  “What wert thou once?”

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 celestial city, Luke 8:13, and had then even joy at the thoughts that I should get thither.”

Christian.  “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.”

Christian.  “But how earnest 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 is there no hope for such a man as this?” “Ask him,” said the Interpreter.

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

Man.  “No, none at all.”

Christian.  “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, Luke 19:14; Heh. 6:4-6; 10:28, 29; therefore I have shut myself out of all the promises, and there now remains to me nothing but threatenings, dreadful threatenings, fearful threatenings of certain judgment and fiery indignation which shall devour me as an adversary.”