Sidebilder
PDF
ePub

will go, if I may, with Christiana unto her husband and his King.

Int. Thy setting out is good, for thou hast given credit to the truth; thou art a Ruth, who did, for the love she bare to Naomi, and to the Lord her God, leave father and mother, and the land of her nativity, to come out and go with a people that she knew not heretofore." The Lord recompense thy work, and full reward be given thee of the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust."

THEY UNDRESS

THEMSELVES FOR

BED.

Now supper was ended, and preparation was made for bed; the women were laid singly alone, and the boys by themselves. Now when Mercy was in bed, she could not sleep for joy, for that now her doubts of missing at last, were removed further from her than ever they MERCY'S GOOD were before. So she lay blessing and praising God, who had had such fa

NIGHT'S REST.

vour for her.

THE BATH SANC

In the morning they arose with the sun, and prepared themselves for their departure; but the Interpreter would have them tarry a while; for, said he, you must orderly go from hence. Then said he to the damsel that first opened to them, Take TIFICATION. them, and have them into the garden to the bath, and there wash them, and make them clean from the soil which they have gathered by travelling. Then Innocent, the damsel, took them and had them into the garden, and brought them to the bath; so she told them, that there they must wash 3 Ruth ii. 11, 12.

and be clean, for so her Master would have the women to do that called at his house, as they were going on pilgrimage. Then they went in and washed, yea, they and the boys and

THEY WASH

IN IT.

all; and they came out of the bath not only sweet and clean, but also much enlivened and strengthened in their joints. Sc, 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." Then he called for the seal, wherewith they used to be sealed that are washed in his bath. So the

THEY ARE

SEALED.

seal was brought, and he set his mark upon them, that they might be known in the places whither they were yet to go. Now the seal was the contents and sum of the Passover which the children of Israel did eat when they came out of the land of Egypt; and the mark was set between their eyes. This seal added greatly to their beauty, for it was an ornament to their faces. It also added to their gravity, and made their countenance more like that of Angels.

Then said the Interpreter again to the damsel that waited upon these women, Go into the vestry, and fetch out garments for these people; so she went and fetched out white raiment, and laid it down before him; so he commanded them to put it on. It was fine linen, white and clean. When the women were thus adorned, they seemed to be a terror one to the other; for that they could not see that glory each one

4 Exod. xiii. 8-10.

THEY ARE

CLOTHED.

TRUE HUMILITY.

had in herself, which they could see in each other. Now, therefore, they began to esteem each other better than themselves. For you are fairer than I am, said one; and you are more comely than I am, said another. The children also stood amazed, to see into what fashion they were brought.

The Interpreter then called for a man-servant of his, one Great-heart, and bid him take sword, and helmet, and shield; and take these, my daughters, said he, and conduct them to the house called Beautiful, at which place they will rest next. So he took his weapons, and went before them: and the Interpreter said, God speed. Those also that belonged to the family sent them away with many a good wish. So they went on their way, and sang:

This place hath been our second stage;

Here we have heard and seen
Those good things that from age to age

To others hid have been.

The dunghill-raker, spider, hen,

The chicken, too, to me

Have taught a lesson; let me then

Conformed to it be.

The butcher, garden, and the field,

The robin and his bait,

Also the rotten tree doth yield

Me argument of weight;

To move me for to watch and pray,

To strive to be sincere ;

To take my Cross up day by day,

And serve the Lord with fear.

Now I saw in my dream, that they went on, and Great-heart before them; so they went and came to the place where Christian's burden fell off his back,

and tumbled into a Sepulchre. Here, then, they made a pause; and here also they blessed God. Now,

[graphic]

said Christiana, it comes to my mind what was said 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. What the promise is, of that I know something: but what it is to have pardon by deed, or in the way that it was obtained, Mr. Great-heart, I suppose, you know; wherefore, if you please, let us hear you discourse thereof. Great-heart. Pardon by the deed done, is pardon obtained by some one for another that hath need thereof;

A COMMENT UPON WHAT WAS SAID AT THE GATE, OR A DISCOURSE OF

not by the person pardoned, but in OUR BEING JUSTI, the way, saith another, in which I

FIED BY CHRIST.

have obtained it: so then, to speak to the question

more at large, the pardon that you, and Mercy, and these boys, have attained, was obtained by another, to wit, by Him that let you in at the Gate. And He hath obtained it in this double way: He has performed righteousness to cover you, and spilt His blood to wash you in.

Chr. But if He parts with his righteousness to us, what will He have for Himself?

Great-heart. He has more righteousness than you have need of, or than He needeth Himself.

Chr. Pray make that appear.

Great-heart. With all my heart. But first I must premise, that He of whom we are now about to speak is One that has not His fellow. He has two natures in one person, plain to be distinguished, impossible to be divided. Unto each of these natures a righteousness belongeth, and each righteousness is essential to that nature: so that one may as easily cause the nature to be extinct, as to separate its justice or righteousness from it. Of these righteousnesses, therefore, we are not made partakers, so as that they, or any of them, should be put upon us, that we might be made just and live thereby. Besides these, there is a righteousness which this Person has, as these two natures are joined in one; and this is not the righteousness of the Godhead, as distinguished from the manhood, nor the righteousness of the manhood, as distinguished from the Godhead; but a righteousness which standeth in the union of both natures, and may properly be called the righteousness that is essential to His being prepared of God to the capacity of the mediatory office which He was to be intrusted with. If He parts with

« ForrigeFortsett »