transgressions. Thus has he ransomed you from your transgressions by blood, and covered your polluted and deformed souls with righteousness; for the sake of which, God passeth by you, and will not hurt you when he comes to judge the world.*

by word and deed. labour to keep this remember it also.

CHRISTIANA AFPECTED WITH THIS WAY OF REDEMPTION.

CHR. This is brave: now I see that there was something to be learned by our being pardoned Good Mercy, let us in mind; and, my children, do you But, sir, was not this it that made my good Christian's burden fall from off his shoulders, and that made him give three leaps for joy?

HOW THE STRINGS THAT BOUND CHRISTIAN'S BURDEN TO HIM WERE CUT.

GREAT. Yes, it was the belief of this that cut those strings, that could not be cut by other means; and it was to give him a proof of the virtue of this, that he was suffered to carry his burden to the cross.

CHR. I thought so; for though my heart was lightsome and joyous before, yet it is ten times more lightsome and joyous now. And I am persuaded by what I have felt, (though I have felt but little as yet,) that if the most burdened man in the world was here, and did see and believe as I now do, it would make his heart the more merry and blithe.

GREAT. There is not only comfort, and the ease of a burden, brought to us, by the sight and consideration of these, but an endeared

d Rom. viii. 34. Gal. iii. 13.

HOW AFFECTION TO CHRIST IS BEGOT IN THE SOUL.

* Thus we see what God hath joined together—the life and death, the atonement and righteousness, of his beloved Son, for the salvation of our souls. Both enter into the essence of the faith of the gospel. Let us beware never to separate them in our views. We want both his blood to atone for our sins, and his righteousness to justify our souls. O give glory to Jesus for both, and triumph in both from day to day on earth, till you come to cast down your crowns at his feet, and to crown Christ with all his glory in heaven.

affection begot in us by it; for who can (if he doth but once think that pardon comes not only by promise, but thus,) but be affected with the way and means of his redemption, and so with the man that hath wrought it for him ?*

CHR. True methinks it makes my heart bleed to think that he should bleed for me. Oh, thou loving One! Oh, thou blessed One! Thou deservest to have me; thou hast bought me; thou deservest

CAUSE OF ADMI-
RATION.

to have me all; thou hast paid for me ten thousand times more than I am worth! No marvel that this made the tears stand in my husband's eyes, and that it made him trudge so nimbly on: I am persuaded he wished me with him; but, vile wretch that I was, I let him come all alone. O Mercy, that thy father and mother were here; yea, and Mrs. Timorous also: nay, I wish now with all my heart that here was Madam Wanton too. Surely, surely, their hearts would be affected; nor could the fear of the one, nor the powerful lusts of the other, prevail with them to go home again, and refuse to become good pilgrims.†

Come hither, ye sons of the sorceress, who make a sport of holy raptures and heavenly ecstasies, begotten in the soul by the knowledge of redemption in the blood of Christ, the forgiveness of our sins. Laugh on till ye howl in destruction, for despising salvation by the blood of the Lamb: but we will exult and triumph, sing of, and rejoice in, Jesus the God of our salvation, in spite of your sport at us; and notwithstanding also the frowns and contempt of you too, who are dead formalists, and know nothing of having your hearts warmed, and your affections inflamed, by the love of a redeeming God and Saviour, and finding yourselves broken-hearted sinners before him, and pardoned and justified sinners by him. O for more ardent affections for our Beloved!

O brave Christiana! See what it is to have one's heart inflamed with a sense of the love of Christ. Here observe two things: first, that when the affections are thus powerfully carried out, it is no uncommon thing for the tongue to speak unguardedly. Thus Peter upon

GREAT. You speak now in the warmth of your affections will it, think you, be always thus with you? Besides, this is not communicated to every one, nor to every one that did see your Jesus bleed. There were that stood by, and that saw the blood run from his heart to the ground, and yet were so far off this, that, instead of lamenting, they laughed at him; and, instead of becoming his disciples, did harden their hearts against him. So that all that you have, my daughters, you have by peculiar impression made by a divine contemplating upon what I have spoken to you. Remember, that 'twas told you, that the hen, by her common call, gives no meat to her chickens. This you have therefore by a special grace.*

TO BE AFFECTED WITH CHRIST, AND WITH WHAT HE HAS DONE, IS A THING

SPECIAL

the mount said, "It is good to be here: let us make three tabernacles. But he knew not what he said," Mark ix. 6. So Christiana thinks every one would naturally be affected as she was, if they were present: but she forgets, that what she sees, and feels, is of special, peculiar, distinguishing grace. Secondly, Beware of thinking slightly of having the affections thus divinely inflamed. Many poor, dry, formal professors go on year after year quite easy and contented, without any incomes of ravishing love and spiritual joy. They are content with the cold light of the moon, without the genial warmth of the sun with clear notions of truth in their heads, without their hearts being warmed, and their affections carried out by the powerful influence of the love of Jesus; for he says, Ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full," John xvi. 24.

* Mind how tenderly Great-heart deals with warm-hearted Christiana. He does not attempt to damp her joy, and throw cold water upon the fire of her affections; but gently insinuates, first, the peculiar frame of mind she speaks from: secondly, by a gentle hint suggests, that she must not always expect to be in such raptures: and, thirdly, reminds her, that her indulgences were of a peculiar nature, not common to all, but bestowed upon the faithful in Christ only. And that therefore, amidst all her joyful feelings, she should know to whom she was indebted for them, and give all the glory to the God of all grace.

Now I saw in my dream, that they went on until they were come to the place that Simple, and Sloth, and Presumption, lay and slept in, when Christian went by on pilgrimage: and, behold, they were hanged up in irons a little way off on the other side.

PRESUMPTION HANG-
ED; AND WHY.

MER. Then said Mercy to him that was their guide SIMPLE, SLOTH, AND and conductor, What are these three men? and for what are they hanged there? GREAT. These three men were men of bad qualities; they had no mind to be pilgrims themselves, and whomsoever they could they hindered: they were sloth and folly themselves, and whomsoever they could persuade they made so too; and withal taught them to presume that they should do well at last. They were asleep when Christian went by; and now you go by, they are hanged.*

MER. But could they persuade any to be of their opinion?

THEIR CRIMES.

GREAT. Yes, they turned several out of the way. There was Slow-pace, that they persuaded to do as they. They also prevailed with one Short-wind, with one No-heart, with one Linger-after-lust, and with one Sleepy-head, and with a young woman, her name was Dull, to turn out of the way, and become as they. Besides, they brought up an ill report of your Lord, persuading others that he was a hard taskmaster. They also brought up an evil report of the good land, saying, It was not half so good as some pretended it was. They also began to vilify his servants, and to count the best of them meddlesome, troublesome busybodies: further, they would call the bread of God, husks;

God, as it were, gibbets some professors; and causes their names and characters to be publicly exhibited, as a terror to others, and as a warning to his own people.

the comforts of his children, fancies; the travail and labour of pilgrims, things to no purpose.*

Nay, said Christiana, if they were such, they should never be bewailed by me: they have but what they deserve; and I think it is well that they stand so near the highway, that others may see and take warning. But had it not been well if their crimes had been engraven in some plate of iron or brass, and left here where they did their mischiefs, for a caution to other bad men ?

GREAT. So it is, as you may well perceive, if you will go a little to the wall.

MER. No, no; let them hang, and their names rot, and their crimes live for ever against them: I think it is a high favour that they were hanged afore we came hither; who knows else what they might have done to

* Let us consider the characters of these three professors: first, here is Simple, who, as Solomon says, believeth every word, Prov. xiv. 15, a foolish credulous professor, who is easily led away and beguiled by smooth words and fair pretences of others; ever learning, but never coming to the knowledge of the truth, so as to believe it, love it, and be established on it; hence liable to be carried away by every wind of doctrine. Secondly, Sloth, a quiet, easy professor, who never disturbs any one, by his diligence in the ways of God, nor his zeal for the truths and glory of God. Hence all men speak well of him; but Christ denounces a woe against all such, Luke vi. 6. Thirdly, Presumption, one who presumes to find favour with God in a way which his word does not promise; or expects salvation as the end, without the means prescribed by God for attaining it. Such are your licentious, antinomian spirits, who boldly presume to hope for salvation by Christ, without being conformed to the image of Christ; and ridicule the work of the Spirit, as renewing his people in the spirit of their minds, in righteousness and true holiness, for without this real, personal holiness, no man shall see the Lord, Heb. xii. 14. O beware of these three sort of professors, for they turn many aside. Real Christians are in danger

of being seduced by them, if not of total destruction from them.