by the Spirit, which is saving and assuring. There is undoubtedly a
divine operation on the mind wherever any special impression is
produced by the truths of God; and whether that impression should be
made with audible and visible manifestations accompanying it--as on
the day of Pentecost--or should be so vivid as to convert a mental
perception into a bodily sensation, as we are disposed to think was
the case with some of the remarkable sights and heavenly voices which
good men have recorded, is really of little moment. In Bunyan's
case, so warm was his imagination, that every clear perception was
sure to be instantaneously sounding in his ear, or standing out a
bright vision before his admiring eyes. This feature of his mental
conformation has been noticed already; but this may be the proper
place to allude to it again.

After the short breathing time we just noticed, Bunyan began to sink
in the deep waters again. It was in vain that he asked the prayers
of God's people, and equally in vain that he imparted his grief to
those who had passed through the same conflicts with the devil. One
"ancient Christian," to whom he stated his fear that he had committed
the sin for which there is no forgiveness, thought so too. "Thus was
I always sinking, whatever I did think or do. So one day I walked to
a neighbouring town, and sat down upon a settle in the street, and
fell into a very deep panic about the most fearful state my sin had
brought me to; and after long musing, I lifted up my head; but
methought I saw as if the sun that shineth in the heavens did grudge
to give light; and as if the very stones in the street, and tiles
upon the houses, did bend themselves against me: methought that they
all combined together to banish me out of the world; I was abhorred
of them, and unfit to dwell among them, or be partaker of their
benefits, because I had sinned against the Saviour. Then breaking