and is clothed with Change of Raiment.

with a merry heart, "He hath given me rest by his sorrow, and life by his death." Then he stood still a while 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 looked again, even till the springs that were in his head sent the waters down his cheeks. (Zech. xii. 10.) Now as he stood looking and weeping, behold, three Shining Ones came to him, and saluted him with " Peace be to thee." The first said to him, "Thy sins be forgiven thee;" (Mark ii. 5.) the second stripped him of his rags, and clothed him with change of raiment; (Zech. iii. 4.) the third set a mark on his forehead, (Ephes. i. 13.) and gave him a roll with a seal upon it, which he bid 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,
'Till I came hither: what a place is this!
Must here be the beginning of my bliss?
Must here the burden fall from off my back?
Must here the strings that bind it to me crack?
Blest cross! blest sepulchre! blest rather be
The man that there was put to shame for me b!"

› Under the picture of Christian clothed with change of raiment :Who's this?—The Pilgrim. How ?-'Tis very true;

Old things are pass'd away; all's become new.
Strange! He's another man, upon my word:
They be fine feathers that make a fine bird.

Where God releases us of our guilt and burden, we are as those that leap for joy.

A christian can sing, though alone, when God doth give him the joy of his heart.

b Christians may be in the highway of holiness, and secured by the walls of salvation, and yet, from their imperfect knowledge of the gospel, they may be burdened with a load of sin and guilt. If, however they humbly follow the directions of the scriptures, they will at length be filled with all "joy and peace in believing,

62

THE PILGRIMS PROGRESS:

Christian pursues his journey,

I saw then in my dream, that he went on, even uvtil he came to the bottom, where he saw, a little out

and abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost," Rom. xv. 13. There is no way by which the weary and heavy-laden sinner can find rest but by coming to Christ, and by faith "receiving the atonement," Rom. v. 11. The cross is the well-known scriptural figure for the sufferings and death of Christ, as making " reconciliation for iniquity." Dan. ix. 24. Christian's being led to the cross, for the purpose of getting rid of his burden, which then fell from his shoulders, and rolled into the sepulchre, is a beautiful emblem of the way in which believers experience the removal of the guilt of sin from the conscience, and obtain the peace of God which passeth all understanding. This state of mind is well described by his being "glad and lightsome, and of a merry heart." At the same time tears of grateful but penitential sorrow flowed from his eyes, denoting the change in his feelings arising from a believing view of Christ crucified as the end of the law for righteousness.-The three Shining Ones seem to denote the three Persons in the Trinity, and the acts which each performs in the work of redemption. The Father proclaims the forgiveness of his sins, for the sake of Christ; the Son makes him acquainted with his interest in his imputed righteousness; and the Spirit gives him evidence of his having passed from death unto life, and that he should never come into condemnation. The mark on his forehead signifies the personal holiness which faith in Christ necessarily produces; and the roll, with the seal upon it, denotes the witnessing of the Spirit with his spirit, that he was born of God, 1 John iii. 1. Thus, when a person really believes in Christ, he receives the Holy Spirit as the " witness," the "earnest," and the "seal," of his future salvation. "Who hath also sealed us, and given us the earnest of his Spirit in our hearts," 2 Cor. i. 22. "Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory," Eph. i. 14.

The experience of Mr. Bunyan, upon which the above representation was founded, appears to have been the following:-" I remember that one day, as I was travelling into the country, and musing on the wickedness and blasphemy of my heart, and considering the enmity that was in me to God, that scripture came into my mind, "He hath made peace through the blood of his cross," Col. i. 20. By which I was made to see, both again and again, that God and my soul were friends by his blood; yea, I saw that the justice of God, and my sinful soul, could embrace and kiss each other through his blood. This was a good day to me: I hope I shall never forget it." IVIMEY'S LIFE OF BUNYAN, P. 48.

and meets with Simple, Sloth and Presumption.

of the way, three men fast asleep, with fetters upon their heels. The name of the one was Simple, of another Sloth, and of the third Presumption.

Christian then seeing them lie in this case, went to them, if peradventure he might awake them, and cried, "You are like them that sleep on the top of a mast; (Prov. xxiii. 34.) 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 said, "If he that goeth about like a roaring lion (1 Pet. v. 8.) come by, you will certainly become a prey to his teeth." With that they looked upon him, and began to reply in this sort: 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 lay down to sleep again, and Christian went on his way.

Yet was he 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, the counselling of them, and the proferring to help them off with their irons. And as he was trou

e Hitherto the pilgrim has seen no persons walking the same road with himself; but he is now attracted by the condition of some who were a little out of the way." There are those who attend public worship where the gospel is preached, that from the correctness of their opinions, and the morality of their conduct, may be said to be not far from the kingdom of God. But as it respects a real concern about their souls, they are "fast asleep," and fast bound by the fetters of sin. These are characterised by the scriptures as the simple, the slothful, and the presumptuous," whom no advice can influence, no warnings alarm, and no danger awaken. The fearful state of such persons is truly distressing, and occasions grief of heart to a genuine christian, especially if he meets with them in the circle of his intimate acquaintance, or in the bosom of his own family. There is much reason to apprehend, that those who hate reproof, and despise instruction, will be suffered to sleep securely in sin, till they are awakened by the terrors of death and judgment.

No persuasion will do, if God open not the eyes.

Christian discourses with

bled 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 Formality, and the name of the other Hypocrisy. So, as I said, they drew up unto him, who thus entered with them into discourse.

CHR. Gentlemen, whence come you, and whither do you go

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 you not that it is written, that "he that entereth not by the door, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber?" (John x. 1.)

FORM. and HYP. They said, that to go to the gate for entrance was by all their countrymen counted too far about; and therefore their usual way, was to inake a short cut of it, and to 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, that as for that, he needed not to trouble his head thereabout: for what they did they had custom for, 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 matter is it which way we get in?

ey that come into the way, though not by the door, think that say something in vindication of their own practice.