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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; not by the person pardoned, but in the way, saith another, in which I have obtained it: so then, to speak to the question

T

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

OUR BEING JUSTIFIED BY CHRIST.

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

his first Righteousness, he parts with his Godhead; if he parts with his second Righteousness, he parts with the purity of his manhood; if he parts with this third, he parts with that perfection which capacitates him for the office of mediation. He has therefore another Righteousness, which standeth in performance or obedience to a revealed will; and that is it that he puts upon sinners, and that by which their sins are covered. Wherefore he saith, "As by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous."5

Chr. But are the other Righteousnesses of no use to us?

Great-heart. Yes; for though they are essential to his natures and offices, and cannot be communicated unto another, yet it is by virtue of them that the Righteousness that justifies is for that purpose efficacious. The Righteousness of his Godhead gives virtue to his obedience; the Righteousness of his manhood giveth capability to his obedience to justify; and the Righteousness that standeth in the union of these two Natures to his office, giveth authority to that Righteousness to do the work for which it was ordained.

So, then, here is a Righteousness that Christ, as God, has no need of; for he is God without it. Here is a Righteousness that Christ, as man, has no need of to make him so; for he is perfect man without it. Again, here is a righteousness that Christ, as Godman, has no need of; for he is perfectly so without it. Here, then, is a Righteousness that Christ, as God, and as God-man, has no need of, with reference to

5 Rom. 5. 19.

himself, and therefore he can spare it; a justifying righteousness, that he, for himself, wanteth not, and therefore giveth it away: hence 'tis called the gift of righteousness. This Righteousness, since Christ Jesus the Lord has made himself under the law, must be given away; for the law doth not only bind him that is under it to do justly, but to use charity: wherefore he must, or ought, by the law, if he hath two coats, to give one to him that hath none. Now, our Lord indeed hath two coats, one for himself, and one to spare; wherefore he freely bestows one upon those that have none. And thus, Christiana, and Mercy, and the rest of you that are here, doth your pardon come by deed, or by the work of another man. Your Lord Christ is he that worked, and hath given away what he wrought for, to the next poor beggar he

meets.

But again, in order to pardon by deed, there must something be paid to God as a price, as well as something prepared to cover us withal. Sin has delivered us up to the just curse of a righteous law. Now, from this curse, we must be justified by way of Redemption, a price being paid for the harms we have done; and this is by the Blood of your Lord, who came and stood in your place and stead, and died your death for your 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.

6 Rom. v. 17.

7 Gal. iii. 13. 8 Rom. viii. 34.

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