Is instructed how to approach the throne of mercy.

neither mine own, nor all the righteousness of the world, could save me. (z)

Chr. And did you think he spake true?

Hope. Had he told me so when I was pleased and satisfied with mine own amendments, I had called him fool for his pains; but now, since I see mine own infirmity, and the sin which cleaves to my performance, I have been forced to be of his opinion.

Chr. But did you think, when he at first suggested it to you, that there was such a man to be found, of whom it might justly be said, that he never committed sin?

Hope. I must confess the words at first sounded strangely; but, after a little more talk, and company with him, I had full.conviction about it.

Chr. And did you ask what man this was, and how you must be justified by him?

Hope. Yes, and he told me it was the Lord Jesus, that dwelleth on the right hand of the Most High! And thus, said he, you must be justified by him, even by trusting to what he hath done by himself in the days of his flesh, and suffered when he did hang on the tree. I asked him further, how that man's righteousness could be of that efficacy,

(z) Here is the touchstone to try whether conviction and conversion are from the Spirit of truth, or not. Many talk of conviction and conversion-work, who are yet whole in heart, and strong in confidence of a righteousness of their own, or of being made righteous in themselves, instead of looking solely to, and trusting wholly in, the infinite, perfect and everlasting glorious righteousness of the God-man, Christ Jesus, and desiring to be clothed in that, and found in him. All conviction and conversion, short of this, leaves the soul short of Christ's righteousness, of hope, and of heaven.

He persevereth in prayer.

as to justify another before God? And he told me he was the mighty God and did what he did, and died the death also, not for himself, but for me; to whom his doing, and the worthiness of them, should be imputed, if I believed on him.

Hope. I made my objections against my believing, for that I thought he was not willing to save

me.

Chr. And what said Faithful to you then?

Hope. He bid me go to him and see. Then I said it was presumption. He said, No, for I was invited to come." Then he gave me a book of Jesus's inditing, to encourage me more freely to come; and he said concerning that book, that every jot and tittle thereof stood firmer than heaven and earth. + Then I asked him, what I must do when I came; and he told me, I must entreat upon my knees, with all my heart and soul, the Father to reveal him to me. Then I asked him further, how I must make my supplication to him? And he said, ‡ Go, and thou shalt find him, upon a mercy-seat, where he sits all the year long, to give pardon and forgiveness to them that come. I told him, that 1 knew not what to say when I came. And he bid me say to this effect: "God be merciful to me a sinner, and make me to know and believe in Jesus Christ: for I see, that if his righteousness hath not been, or I had not faith in that righteousness, I am utterly cast away. (a) Lord, I have heard that

* Matt. xi. 28.

+ Matt. xxiv. 25. Ps. xcv. 6. Dan. vi. 10. Jer. xxix. 12, 13. Ex. xxv. 22. Lev. xvi. xi. 7, 8. Heb. iv. 6.

(a) Pray mind this. The grand object of a sensible sinner is righteousness. He has it not in himself. This he knows. Where is it to be found? In Christ only. This is a revealed truth; and, without faith in this, every sinner must be lost. Consider, it is

Relates how Christ was revealed to him.

thou art a merciful God, and hast ordained that thy Son Jesus Christ should be the Saviour of the world, and moreover, that thou art willing to bestow him npon such a poor sinner as I am, (and I am a sinner indeed.) Lord, take therefore this opportunity, and manifest thy grace in the salvation of my soul, through thy Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Chr. And did you do as you were bidden?
Hope. Yes, over, and over, and over.

Chr. And did the Father reveal the Son to you? Hope. Not at first, nor second, nor third, nor fourth, nor fifth; no, nor at the sixth time neither. (b) Chr. What did you then?

Hope. What! why I could not tell what to do. Chr. Had you no thoughts of leaving off praying? Hope. Yes, and a hundred times twice told. Chr. And what was the reason you did not? Hope. I believed that that was true, which hath been told me, to wit, that without the righteousness of this Christ, all the world could not save me! and therefore, thought I with myself, if I leave off I die, and I can but die at the throne of grace. And withal this came into my mind. "If I tarry, wait for it, because it will surely come, and will not tarry." So I continued praying until the Father shewed me his Son. (c)

* Heb. ii. 3.

at the peril of your souls that you reject the righteousness of Christ, and do not believe that God imputes it without works for the justification of the ungodly. O, ye stout-hearted, self-righteous sinners, ye are far from righteousness! Know this and tremble.

(b) There may be, and often are, very great discouragements found in the sinner's heart, when he first begins to seek the Lord. But he has Christ's faithful word of promise, "Seek and ye shall find," &c. Luke xi. 9. The vision is for an appointed time; it shall come : though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, and will not tarry." Hab. ii. 3.

(c) The true nature of faith is, to believe, and rest upon the

Relates how Christ was revealed to him.

Chr. And how was he revealed to you?

Hope. I did not see him with my bodily eyes, but with the eyes of mine understanding :* and thus it was: One day I was very sad, I think sadder than at any one time of my life, and this sadness was through a fresh sight of the greatness and vileness of my sins. I was then looking for nothing but hell, and the everlasting damnation of my soul: when suddenly, as I' thought, I saw the Lord Jesus looking down from heaven upon me, and saying, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.†

But I replied, Lord, I'am a great, a very great sinner and he answered, "My grace is sufficient for thee." Then I said, But, Lord, what is believing? And then I saw from that saying, "He that cometh to me shall never hunger, and he that believeth on me shall never thirst" that believing and coming was all one; and that he that came, that is, ran out in his heart and affections after salvation by Christ, he indeed believed in Christ. Then the water stood in mine eyes, and I asked farther, But, Lord, may such a great sinner as I am be indeed accepted of thee, and be saved by thee? And I heard him say, "And him that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out." Then I said, But how Lord must I consider of thee in my coming to thee, that my faith may be placed aright upon thee? Then he said, "¶Christ came into the world to save sinHe is the end of the law for righteousness to

ners.

* Eph i. 18, 19. † Acts xvi. 31. 2 Cor. xii. 9. § John vi. 35. John vi. 16. 1 Tim. i. 15. Rom. x. 4. Chap. iv.

word of truth, and wait for the promised comfort. That faith which is the gift of God leads the soul to wait upon and cry to God, and not to rest till it has some blessed testimony from God, or interest in the love and favour of God in Christ Jesus. But, oh! how many profes sors rest short of this!

The effect of revelation on the soul.

every one that believes. He died for our sins, and rose again for our justification. He loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood : he is a Mediator between God and us: he ever liveth to make intercession for us."* From all which I gathered, that I must look for righteousness in his person, (d) and for satisfaction for my sins by his blood: that what he did in obedience to his father's law, and in submitting to the penalty thereof, was not for himself, but for him that will accept it for his salvation, and be thankful. And now was mine heart full of joy, mine eyes full of tears, and mine affections running over with love to the name, people, and ways of Jesus Christ.

Chr This was a revelation of Christ to your soul indeed but tell me particularly, what effect this had upon your spirit?

Hope. It made me see that all the world, notwithstanding all the righteousness thereof, is in a test of condemnation: it made me see that God the Father, though he be just, can justly justify the coming sinner; it made me greatly ashamed of the vileness of my former life, and confounded me with a sense of mine own ignorance: for there never came a thought into my heart before now, that shewed me so the beauty of Jesus Christ: it made me love a holy life, and long to do something for the honour and glory of the name of the Lord Jesus,

*Heb. vii. 24, 25

(d) Reader, never think that you are fully convinced of the whole truth; nor believe fully on Christ, according to the scriptures, unless you have seen as much need of Christ's glorious righteousness to justify, as of his precious blood to pardon you. Both are revealed in the gospel: both are the objects of faith; by both is the conscience pacified, the heart purified, the soul justified, and Jesus glorified in the heart, lip, and life.