afked her farther of the truth of these things, and if she would let me go with her; for I faw now, that there was no dwelling, but with the danger of ruin, any longer in our town. Yet I came away with a heavy heart, not because I was unwilling to come away, but because so many of my relations were left behind. However, I came away with all the defire of my heart, and will go, if I may, with Chriftiana, unto her husband, and his King.

Inter. Thy fetting out is good; thou hast given credit to the truth, thou art a Ruth, who, for the love the bare to Naomi, and to the Lord her God, did leave father and mother, and the land of her nativity, to come out and go to a people whom she knew not before, Ruth ii. 11, 12. The Lord recompenfe thy work; and full reward be given thee of the Lord God of Ifrael, under whofe wings thou art come to trust,

Now fupper was ended, and preparation was made for bed; the women were laid fingly, and the boys by themselves. Now, when Mercy was in bed, she could not fleep for joy; for now her doubts of miffing at last, were removed farther from her than ever they had been before. She lay bleff

iChrift is the truth, and his commandment is life; to give credit to the truth is to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, as revealed in the scriptures of truth, the fum and substance of which is this record, "That God hath given to us eternal life, and that this life is in his Son." This is the fum and fub, ftance of the Bible.

ing and praifing God, who had fuch favour unto

her.

In the morning they rofe with the fun, and prepared themselves for their departure; but the Interpreter would have them tarry a while, for, faid he, you must go from hence orderly. Then he told the damfel who firft opened unto them, to take them into the garden, to the bath, and there wash them and make them clean from the foil which they had gathered in travelling. Then Innocent the damfel took them, and led them into the garden, and brought them to the bath; where fhe told them, that they must wash and be clean, for fo her master would have the women to do, who called at his house as they were going on pilgrimage. Then they went in and washed, yea, they and the boys and all; and they came out of the bath, not only fweet and clean, but alfo much enlivened, and ftrengthened in their joints: fo that when they came in, they looked fairer a deal, than when they went out to the washing..

When they were returned out of the garden from the bath, the Interpreter took them, and looked upon them, and said unto them, Fair as the moon.

* The bath, the feal, and the garment, answer the threefold bleffing which Chriftian received at the cross. The bath is intended to reprefent the fenfe of pardon, by the wafhirg away of our fins by the blood of Chrift, which cleanseth from all fin, fo that we have redemption, through his blood, even the forgiveness of fins,

Then

Then he called for the feal', wherewith they are used to be fealed who are washed in this bath. So the feal was brought, and he fet his mark upon them, that they might be known in the places whither they were yet to go: now the feal was the contents and fum of the paffover which the children of Ifrael did eat, Exod. xiii. 8, 9, 10, when they came out of the land of Egypt; and the mark was fet between their eyes. This feal greatly added to their beauty, for it was an ornament to their faces. It also added to their gravity, and made their countenance like those of angels.

Then the Interpreter again told the damfel who waited upon the women to go into the veftry, and fetch out garments for these people: fo fhe went and fetched out white raiment, and laid it down before him he then commanded them to put it on m. It was fine linen, white and clean. When the women were thus adorned, they feemed to be a terror one

1 Upon believing, the apostle Paul fays, "Ye were fealed. with that holy spirit of promife which is earneft of our inheritance." The seal is the teftimony of adoption; for the spi rit bears witness with our fpirits that we are the children of God, and is therefore called," the spirit of adoption."

m It will not warm the poor naked outcast who may stand shivering at your doors, barely to say, be thou warmed; neither will it comfort a poor trembling and convinced sinner, barely to hear of the righteousness of Chrift, unless this righte oufnefs is brought nigh unto him, and unless, by precious faith, he is enabled to lay hold of it, and to put it on, as that garment of salvation, and that robe of righteousness, in which she can appear before God, without fpot or wrinkle, or any fuch thing,

to

to the other; for they could not fee that glory, each one in herself, which they could fee in each other, Now, therefore, they began to esteem each other better than themselves. For you are fairer than I am, faid one; and you are more comely than I am, faid another. The children also stood amazed, to see into what fashion they were brought.

The Interpreter then called for a man fervant of his, one Great-heart", and bid him take fword and helmet, and fhield, and take thefe daughters, faid he, and conduct them to the house called Beautiful, at which place they will reft next. So he took his weapons and went before them; and the Interpreter faid, God speed. Those also who belonged to the family, fent them away with many a good wish. Są they went on their way, and fang;

This place has been our second stage,

Here we have heard and feen

Thofe good things which, from age to age,

To others hid have been.

The dung-hill raker, fpider, hen,

The chicken too, to me

Hath taught a leffon, let me then

Conformed to it be,

• This Great-heart represents a minifter of Chrift, one whe has received grace to be faithful, one of thofe centinels who are placed about Solomon's bed, i. e. the reft which the foul enjoys by believing in Jefus, But let us remember that, if he anfwers his name, he will give the glory to grace alone. It was Paul's great concern left any fhould think too highly of him. Our Lord ftrongly inculcated this leffon, for he says to his difciples, "He that is leaft among you, the fame shall be great.",

The

Now I faw, in my dream, that these went on, and Great-heart before them, till they came to the place where Chriftian's burden fell off his back, and tumbled into a fepulchre. Here they made a pause; here also they bleffed God. Now, faid Chriftiana, it comes to my mind, what was faid to us at the gate, to wit, That we should have pardon by word and deed; by word, that is, by the promise; by deed, to wit, in the way it was obtained. I know fomething what the promise is; but what is it to have pardon by deed, or in the way that it was obtained? Mr. Great-heart, I fuppofe you know; and, if you please, let us hear you difcourfe upon it.

Great-heart. Pardon by the deed done, is pardon obtained by fome one for another who hath need thereof: not by the perfon pardoned, but in a way whereby another has obtained it for him°. To fpeak to the queftion more at large; the pardon which you and Mercy, and these boys have attained

• In this explanation which Great-heart gives of pardon, by deed done, we have the fundamental doctrine of Chrift's im

puted righteousness particularly infifted upon.

to