Only relieved by some glimpses of comfort, "which, like Peter's
sheet, were of a sudden caught up from him into heaven again," this
horrible darkness lasted no less than a year. The light which first
stole in upon it, and in which it finally melted away, was a clear
discovery of the person of Christ, more especially a distinct
perception of the dispositions which he manifested while here on
earth. And one thing greatly helped him. He alighted on a congenial
mind, and an experience almost identical with his own. From the
emancipation which this new acquaintance gave to his spirit, as well
as the tone which he imparted to Bunyan's theology, we had best
relate the incident in his own words. "Before I had got thus far out
of my temptations, I did greatly long to see some ancient godly man's
experience, who had writ some hundreds of years before I was born;
for those who had writ in our days, I thought (but I desire them now
to pardon me) that they had writ only that which others felt; or else
had, through the strength of their wits and parts, studied to answer
such objections as they perceived others perplexed with, without
going down themselves into the deep. Well, after many such longings
in my mind, the God in whose hands are all our days and ways, did
cast into my hands one day a book of Martin Luther's: it was his
Comment on the Galatians; it also was so old that it was ready to
fall piece from piece if I did but turn it over. Now I was pleased
much that such an old book had fallen into my hands; the which, when
I had but a little way perused, I found my condition in his
experience so largely and profoundly handled, as if his book had been
written out of my heart. This made me marvel: for thus, thought I,
this man could not know anything of the state of Christians now, but
must needs write and speak the experience of former days. Besides,
he doth most gravely also, in that book, debate of the sin of these