His burden falls off at the sight of the Cross. "In what I have begun to take in hand: Now I saw in my dream, that the highway, up which Christian was to go, was fenced on either side with a wall, and that wall was called* Salvation.-Up this way, therefore, did burdened Christian run, but not without great difficulty; because of the load on his back. (z) He ran thus till he came to a place somewhat ascending, and upon that place stood a cross, and a little below, in a bottom, a sepulchre. So I saw in my dream, that just as Christian came up with the Cross, his burden loosed from off his shoulders, and fell from off his back, and began to tumble, and so continued to do, till it came to the mouth of the sepulchre, where it fell in, and I saw it no more. (a) Then was Christian glad and lightsome, and said, with a merry heart, "He hath given me rest by his sorrow, and life by his death." Then he stood still awhile to look and wonder; for it was very surprising to him, that the sight of the cross should thus ease him of his burden. He looked, therefore, and (z) Our up-hill difficulties is the way to the greatest comforts.— Burdens are more felt when comforts are near at hand. (a) Christian had faith; he believed that there was redemption in the blood of Christ: even forgiveness of sins, before he came up to the cross: but now he finds and feels the comfort of it; He has now the joy of faith: the guilt of his sins is taken off his conscience, and he is filled with all joy and peace in believing. You, who believe Christ to be the only Saviour, go on believing till you experience the comfort of knowing that he is YOUR Saviour, and feel pardon in his blood: for when God releases us of our guilt and burden, we are as those that leap for joy; but you cannot have this till the hour fixed, when you come to the cross, and rest all your hopes upon it. Simple, Sloth, and Presumption. looked again, even till the springs that were in his head sent the waters down his cheeks. Now, as he stood looking and weeping, behold three Shining Ones came to him, and saluted him with, "Peace be to thee;" so the first said to him, "Thy sins be forgiven thee!" the second stripped him of his rags, and clothed him with change of raiment; the third also set a (b) mark on his forehead, and gave him a roll with a seal upon it, which he bade him look on as he ran, and that he should give it in at the Celestial Gate; so they went their way. § Then Christian gave three leaps for joy, and went on singing: "Thus far did I come laden with my sin: "Nor could aught ease the grief that I was in, The Man that there was put to shame for me!" I saw then in my dream, that he went on thus, even until he came at the bottom, where he saw, a little out of the way, three men fast asleep, with fetters upon their heels: the name of one was Simple, another Sloth, and the third Presumption. (c) Christian then seeing them lie in this case, went Zach. xii. 10. ↑ Mark ii. 2. + Zach. iii. 4. § Eph. i. 13. (b) Here is the love and grace of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost. Pray mind; when God pardons the sinner through the blood of Christ, he also clothes him with the righteousness of Christ. Those who deny the imputation of Christ's righteousnes, never saw the purity of the law, their own nakedness, nor abhorred the filthy rags of their own righteousness. (c) The Lord shews us the misery and danger of other professors, to give us warnings by the way, and to stir us up to watchfulness. Formalist and Hypocrisy discourse with Christian. to them, if peradventure he might awake them; and cried, You are like them that sleep on the top of a* mast, for the dead sea is under you, a gulph that hath no bottom; Awake, therefore, and come away; be willing also, and I will help you off with your irons. He also told them, If he that goeth about liket a roaring lion comes by, you will certainly become a prey to his teeth. With that they looked upon him, and began to reply in this sort: (d) Simple said, "I see no danger:" Sloth said, "Yet a little more sleep" and Presumption said, Every tub must stand upon its own bottom:" And so they laid down to sleep again, and Christian went on his way. 66 Yet he was troubled to think, that men in that danger should so little esteem the kindness of him that so freely offered to help them, both by the awakening of them, counselling of them, and proffering to help them off with their irons. (e) And as he was troubled thereabout, he espied two men come tumbling over the wall, on the left hand of the narrow way: and they made up apace to him. The name of the one was Formalist, and the name of the other Hypocrisy. So, as I said, they drew up unto him, who thus entered with them into dis course. Chr. Gentlemen, whence came you, and whither go you? (d) There is no persuasion will do, if God openeth not the eyes. Remember, all is of grace. It is God's grace that quickens, enlightens, converts, justifies, preserves, sanctifies, and glorifies.Well may pilgrims sing every step, O to grace, what mighty debtors, Daily, hourly, Lord, are we! (c) A christian spirit feels for others' dangers, and aims and strives to be profitable to them. Formalist and Hypocrisy discoure with Christian. Form. and Hyp. We were born in the land of Vain-glory, and are going for praise to Mount Zion. Chr. Why came you not in at the gate which standeth at the beginning of the way? Know ye not that it is written,* that, "He that cometh not in by the door, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber?" Form. and Hyp. They said, To go to the gate for entrance, was, by all their countrymen counted too far about; and therefore their usual way was to make a short cut of it, and climb over the wall, as they had done. Chr. But will it not be counted a trespass against the Lord of the city, whither we are bound, thus to violate his revealed will? Form. and Hyp. They told him (f) that as for that, he need not trouble his head thereabout; for what they did, they had custom for it, and could produce, if need were, testimony that would witness it, for more than a thousand years. Chr. But, said Christian, will your practice stand a trial at law? Form. and Hyp. They told him, that custom, it being of so long standing as above a thousand years, would doubtless now be admitted as a thing legal by an impartial judge; and besides, said they, if we get into the way, what matters which way we get in? If we are in, we are in: thou art but in the way, who, as we perceive, came in at the gate; and we are also in the way, that came tumbling over the wall: wherein now is thy condition better than ours? Chr. I walk by the rule of my Master; you walk * John x. 1. (f) They that come into the way, but not by the door, think that they can say something in vindication of their own practice. Laws and Ordinances cannot save Sinners. You are by the rude working of your fancies. counted thieves already by the Lord of the way, therefore I doubt you will not be found true men at at the end of the way. You came in by yourselves, without his direction; and shall go out by yourselves without his mercy. (g) To this they made him but little answer: only they bid him look to himself. Then I saw that they went on every man in his way without much conference one with another; save that these two men told Christian, that as to the laws and ordinances, they doubted not but they should as conscientiously do them as he; therefore, said they, we see not wherein thou differest from us, but by the coat that is on thy back, which was, as we trow, given thee by some of thy neighbours, to hide the shame of thy nakedness. (h) Chr. By laws and ordinances you will not be saved, since you came not in by the door. And as for this coat that is on my back, it was given me by the Lord of the place whither I go; and that, as you say, to cover my nakedness with. And I take it as a token of kindness to me; for I had nothing but rags before; and besides, thus, I comfort myself as I go: Surely, think I, when I come to the gate of the city, the Lord thereof will know me for good, * Gal. i. 1. (g) Here is the essential difference between a real christian and formal hypocrites: he takes the word of God for the warrant of his faith, and the rule of his conduct, which they reject; for they are left under the power of their natural will and carnal reason, and hence they brave it out for a season, with vain hopes and confidences. (h) The glorious robes of Christ's righteousness, which is imputed to and put upon every believer, is sneered at, and held in contempt by formal professors, who see not their nakedness and want of covering. But humble souls consider their want of it, and praise Christ for it. |