The Man in The Iron Cage

AN EXCERPT FROM THE PILGRIM'S PROGRESS

"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.

CHRISTIAN: "What art thou?" The man answered, "I am what I was not once."

CHRISTIAN: "What wast thou once?"

MAN: "I was once a fair and flourishing professor, both in mine eyes, and also in the eyes of others: I once was, as I thought, fair for the Celestial City, 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; Oh, now I cannot."

CHRISTIAN: "But how camest 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 hopes for such a man as this?" "Ask him," said the Interpreter.

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: 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."

CHRISTIAN: "For what did you bring yourself into this condition?"

MAN: "For the lusts, pleasures, and profits 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."

CHRISTIAN: "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!"

INTERPRETER: "Let this man's misery be remembered by thee, and be an everlasting caution to thee."

And the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy. But these have no root; they believe for a while, and in time of testing fall away.
(Luke 8:13)