True justifying faith.

GOD, but his personal obedience to the law, in doing and suffering for us what that required at our hands) this righteousness, I say, true faith accepteth; under the skirt of which the soul being shrouded, and by it presented as spotless before God, it is accepted, and acquit from condemnation.

IGNO. What! Would you have us trust to what CHRIST in his own person hath done without us? This conceit would loosen the reins of our lusts, and tolerate us to live as we list. For what matter how we live, if we may be justified by CHRIST'S personal righteousness from all when we believe it?

CHR. IGNORANCE is thy name, and as thy name is, so art thou; even this thy answer demonstrateth what I say; ignorant thou art of what justifying righteousness is, and as ignorant how to secure thy soul through the faith of it from the heavy wrath of GOD. Yea, thou also art ignorant of the true effects of saving faith in the righteousness of CHRIST, which is to bow, and win over the heart to GOD in CHRIST, to love his name, his word, ways and people, and not as thou ignorantly imaginest.

HOPE. Ask him if ever he had CHRIST revealed to him from heaven?

IGNO. What! you are a man for revelation! I do believe that what both you and all the rest of you say about that matter, is but the fruit of distracted brains.

HOPE. Why man! CHRIST is so hid in GoD

IGNORANCE'S objections answered.

from the natural apprehensions of all flesh, that he cannot by any man be savingly known, unless GOD the FATHER reveals him to them.

IGNO. That is your faith, but not mine; yet mine, I doubt not, is as good as yours, though I have not in my head so many whimsies as you.

CHR. Give me leave to put in a word; you ought not to speak so slightly of this matter; for this I will boldly affirm, even as my good companion hath done, that no man can know JESUS CHRIST, but by the revelation of the FATHER; yea, and faith too, by which the soul layeth hold upon CHRIST, if it be right, must be wrought by the exceeding greatness of his mighty power;* the working of which faith, I perceive, poor IGNORANCE, thou art ignorant of. Be awakened then, see thine own wretchedness, and fly to the LORD JESUS, and by his righteousness which is the righteousness of GOD, (for he himself is GoD) thou shalt be delivered from condemnation.

IGNO. You go so fast I cannot keep pace with you: do you go on before, I must stay awhile behind.

All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him. Mat. xi. 27. Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed; and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost. 1 Cor. xii. 3. The eyes of your understanding being enlightened, that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what is the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us ward who believe, according to the workings of his mighty power. Eph. i. 18, 19.

Then they said:

me stays behind.

'Well IGNORANCE, wilt thou yet foolish be,
To slight good counsel ten times given thee,
And if thou yet refuse it, thou shalt know,
Ere long, the evil of thy doing so.
Remember, man, in time; stoop, do not fear ;
Good counsel taken, well secures; then hear.
But if thou yet shalt slight it, thou wilt be
The loser, IGNORANCE, I'll warrant thee.'

Then CHRISTIAN addressed himself thus to his fellow :

Well, come my good HOPEFUL, I perceive that thou and I must walk by ourselves again.

So I saw in my dream, that they went on apace before, and IGNORANCE came hobbling after. Then said CHRISTIAN to his companion, I am much grieved for this poor man, it will certainly go hard with him at last.

HOPE. Alas! there are abundance in our town. In this condition, whole families, yea, whole streets, and that of pilgrims too; and if there be so many in our parts, how many, think you, must there be in the place where he was born?

CHR. Indeed the word saith, "He hath blinded "their eyes lest they should see," &c.

But, now we are by ourselves, what do you think of such men? Have they at no time, think you, conviction of sin, and so consequently fear that their state is dangerous.

HOPE. Nay, do you answer that question yourself, for you are the elder man.

The advantage of holy fear.

CHR. Then I say, sometimes (as I think) they inay; but they being naturally ignorant, understand not that such convictions tend to their good; and therefore they do desperately seek to stifle them, and presumptuously continue to flatter themselves in the way of their own hearts.

HOPE. I do believe as you say, that fear tends much to men's good, and to make them right, at their beginning to go on in pilgrimage.

CHR. Without all doubt it doth, if it be right; for so says the word, "The fear of the LORD is "the beginning of wisdom." Ps. cxi. 10.

HOPE. How will you describe right fear?

CHR. True or right fear is discovered by three things:

1. By its rise it is caused by saving convictions for sin.-2. It driveth the soul to lay fast hold of CHRIST for salvation. 3. It begetteth and continueth in the soul a great reverence of GOD, his word, and ways, keeping it tender, and making it afraid to turn from them to the right hand or to the left, to any thing that may dishonour GOD, break its peace, grieve the Spirit, or cause the enemy to speak reproachfully.

HOPE. Well said, I believe you have said the truth. Are we now almost got past the ENCHANTED-GROUND?

CHR. Why, art thou weary of this discourse? HOPE. No, verily, but that I would know where

we are.

Godly fear shunned by the ignorant.

CHR. We have not now above two miles further to go thereon.-But let us return to our matter.Now the ignorant know not that such convictions, that tend to put them in fear, are for their good, and therefore they seek to stifle them.

HOPE. How do they think to stifle them?

CHR. 1. They think that these fears are wrought by the devil, (though indeed they are wrought of GOD;) and, thinking so, they resist them, as things that directly tend to their overthrow. 2. They also think that these fears tend to the spoiling of their faith; when, alas for them, poor men that they are, they have none at all!—and therefore they harden their hearts against them. 3. They presume they ought not to fear, and therefore in spite of them wax presumptuously confident. 4. They see that those fears tend to take away from them their pitiful old self holiness, and therefore they resist them with all their might.

HOPE. I know something of this myself: for before I knew myself it was so with me.

CHR. Well, we will leave, at this time, our neighbour IGNORANCE by himself, and fall upon another profitable question.

HOPE. With all my heart: but you shall still begin.

CHR. Well then, did you know, about ten years ago, one TEMPORARY in your parts, who was a forward man in religion then?

HOPE. Know him! yes, he dwelt in GRACELESS, (7.)

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