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told that some of my neighbors were sick; or, 5. If I heard the bell toll for some that were dead; or, 6. If I thought of dying myself; or, 7. If I heard that sudden death happened to others. 8. But especially when I thought of myself, that I must quickly come to judgment.

Christian. And could you at any time, with ease, get off the guilt of sin, when by any of these ways it came upon you? Hopeful. No, not I; for then they got faster hold of my conscience: and then, if I did but think of going back to sin, (though my mind was turned against it, it would be double torment to me.

Christian. And how did you then?

Hopeful. I thought I must endeavor to mend my life; for else, thought I, I am sure to be damned.*

Christian. And did you endeavor to mend?

Hopeful. Yes; and fled from, not only my sins, but sinful company too; and betook me to religious duties; as praying, reading, weeping for sin, speaking truth to my neighbors, &c. These things did I, with many others, too much here to relate.

Christian. And did you think yourself well then?

Hopeful. Yes, for a while; but at the last my trouble came tumbling upon me again, and that over the neck of all my reformation.

Christian. How came that about, since you was now reformed?

Hopeful. There were several things brought it upon me, especially such sayings as these: All our righteousnesses are as filthy rags;' 'By the works of the Law, no man shall be justified:'t When ye have done all these things, say, We are unprofitable :') with many more such-like. From whence I began to reason with myself thus:-If all my righteousnesses are as filthy rags; if by the deeds of the Law no man can be justified; and if, when we have done all, we are unprofitable; then it is but folly to think of heaven by the Law. I farther thought thus: If a man runs a hundred pounds into the shop-keeper's debt, and after that shall pray for all that he shall fetch; yet, if this old debt stands still in the book uncrossed, the shop-keeper may sue him for it, and cast him into prison till he shall pay the debt. Christian. Well; and how did you apply this to yourself? Hopeful. Why, I thought thus with myself: I have by my sins run a great way into God's book, and that my now reforming will not pay off that score; therefore I should

*Note. When he could no longer shake off his guilt by sinful courses, then he endeavors to mend. + Gal. ii. 16. Luke xvii. 10.

† Isaiah Ixiv. 6.

think, still, under all my present amendments, "But how shall Í be freed from that damnation that I brought myself in danger of by my former transgressions?"

Christian. A very good application. But pray go on. Hopeful. Another thing that hath troubled me ever since my late amendments, is, that, if I look narrowly into the best of what I do now, I still see sin, new sin, mixing itself with the best of what I do: so that now I am forced to conclude, that, notwithstanding my former fond conceits of myself and duties, I have committed sin enough in one day, to send me to hell; though my former life had been faultless. Christian. And what did you then?

Hopeful. Do! I could not tell what to do, till I broke my mind to Faithful; for he and I were well acquainted: and he told me, that unless I could obtain the righteousness of a man that never had sinned; neither mine own, nor all the righteousness of the world could save me.

Christian. And did you think he spake true?

Hopeful. Had he told me so when I was pleased and satisfied with mine own amendments, I had called him fool for his pains; but now, since I see mine own infirmity, and the sin which cleaves to my best performance, I have been forced to be of his opinion.

Christian. But did you think, when at first he suggested it to you, that there was such a man to be found, of whom it might justly be said, that he never committed sin?

Hopeful. I must confess the words at first sounded strangely; but after a little more talk and company with him, I had full conviction about it.

Christian. And did you ask him what Man this was; and how you must be justified by him?

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Hopeful. Yes; and he told me it was the LORD JESUS, that dwelleth on the right hand of the Most High:* And thus (said he) you must be justified + by him, even by trusting to what he hath done by himself in the days of his flesh,t and suffered when he did hang on the tree.' I asked him further, How that Man's righteousness could be of that efficacy, as to justify another before GOD?' And he told me, 'He was the Mighty God: and did what he did, and died the death also, not for himself, but for me; to whom his doings, and the worthiness of them should be imputed, if I believed on him.'

Christian. And what did you do then?

Hopeful. I made my objections against my believing, for that I thought he was not willing to save me.

*Heb. x. 12.

† Rom. iv. 25.

Col. i. 22.

Ø 1 Pet. ii. 24.

Christian. And what said Faithful to you then?

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Hopeful. He bade me go to him and see.* Then I said, 'It was presumption.' He said, 'No; for I was invited to come.' Then he gave me a book of Jesus's inditing,† to encourage me the more freely to come; and he said concerning that book, 'That every jot and tittle thereof stood firmer than heaven and earth.' Then I asked him, 'What I must do when I came?' And he told me, 'I must entreat upon my knees, with all my heart and soul, the Father to reveal Him to me. Then I asked him further, How I must make my supplication to him?' And he said, 'Go and thou shalt find him upon a mercy-seat, || where he sits all the year long, to give pardon and forgiveness to them that come.' I told him, 'That I knew not what to say when I came. And he bade me say to this effect; God be merciful to me a sinner; and make me to know and believe in Christ; for I see, that if his righteousness had not been, or I have not faith in that righteousness, I am utterly cast away. Lord, I have heard that thou art a merciful God, and hast ordained that thy Son Jesus Christ should be the Saviour of the world: and moreover, that thou art willing to bestow upon such a poor sinner as I am, (and I am a sinner indeed!) Lord, take therefore this opportunity, and magnify thy grace in the salvation of my soul, through thy son Jesus Christ. Amen.

Christian. And did you do as you were bidden?

Hopeful. Yes, over, and over, and over.

Christian. And did the Father reveal the Son to you? Hopeful. Not at first, nor second, nor third, nor fourth, nor fifth; no, nor at the sixth time neither.

Christian. What did you do then?

Hopeful. What! why, I could not tell what to do. Christian. Had you no thoughts of leaving off praying? Hopeful. Yes, and a hundred times twice told. Christian. And what was the reason you did not? Hopeful. I believed, that that was true, which hath been told me; to wit, 'That without the righteousness of this Christ, all the world could not save me:' and therefore thought I with myself, 'If I leave off, I die; and can but die at the throne of Grace.' And withal, this came into

* Matt. xi. 29. » Jer. xxix. 13.

† Matt xxiv. 25.

+ Psalm xcv. 6.-Dan. vi. 10. || Exod. xxv. 22.-Lev. xvi. 2.-Num. vii. 89.-Heb. ix. 5.

May the Lord enable us by his grace, for the sake of his dear, dear Son, to transcribe these precious sentences into the inmost recesses of our very souls; may we be assisted to carry them beyond theory, even into practice! Help us, holy Father, in this humble frame of mind, to approach thy mercy-seat!

my mind, 'If he tarry, wait for him, because he will surely come, and will not tarry." So I continued praying, until the father showed me his Son.

Christian. And how was he revealed unto you?

Hopeful. I did not see him with my bodily eyes, but with the eyes of mine understanding;† and thus it was. One day I was very sad, I think sadder than at any one time of my life; and this sadness was through a fresh sight of the greatness and vileness of my sins. And as I was then looking for nothing but hell, and the everlasting damnation of my soul; suddenly, as I thought, I saw the LORD JESUS look down from heaven upon me, and saying, 'Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.'+ But I replied, "Lord, I am a great, a very great sinner.' And he answered, My grace is sufficient for thee.' Then I said, 'But, Lord, what is believing?' And then I saw from that saying, (he that cometh to me shall never hunger, and he that believeth on me shall never thirst,)|| that believing and coming was all one; and that he that came, that is, ran out in his heart and affections after salvation by Christ; he indeed believed in Christ. Then the water stood in mine eyes, and I asked further: "But, Lord, may such a great sinner as I am be indeed accepted of thee, and be saved by thee?' And I heard him say, "And him that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out. Then I said, ' But how, Lord? must I consider of thee in my coming to thee, that my faith must be placed aright upon thee?' Then he said, 'Christ came into the world to save sinners.** He is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believes. tt He died for our sins, and rose again for our justification. He loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood: He is a Mediator betwixt God and us: He ever liveth to make intercession for us.' From all which I gathered, that I must look for righteousness in his person, and for satisfaction for my sins by his blood; that what he did in obedience to his Father's Law, and in submitting to the penalty thereof, was not for himself, but for him that will accept it for his salvation, and be thankful. And now was my heart full of joy, mine eyes full of tears, and mine affections_running over with love to the name, people, and ways of Jesus Christ. Christian. This was a revelation of Christ to your soul indeed! But tell me particularly, what effect this had upon your spirit?

Hopeful. It made me see that all the world, notwithstand

*Heb. x. 37.
2 Cor. xii. 9.
** 1 Tim. i. 15.

† Ephes. i. 18, 19.
John vi. 35.
tt Rom. x. 4.

Acts xvi. 13. John vi. 37. ‡‡ Rom. iv. 25.

ing all the righteousness thereof, is in a state of condemnation: It made me see, that God the Father, though he be just, can justly justify the coming sinner: It made me greatly ashamed of the vileness of my former life, and confounded me with the sense of mine own ignorance; for there never came a thought into my heart before now, that showed me so the beauty of Jesus Christ: It made me love a holy life, and long to do something for the honor and glory of the name of the Lord Jesus; yea, I thought that, if I had now a thousand gallons of blood in my body, I could spill it all for the sake of the Lord Jesus!

I saw in my dream, that Hopeful looked back and saw Ignorance, whom they had left behind, coming after:'Look, (said he to Christian,) how far yonder youngster loitereth behind!'

Christian. Ay, ay, I see him; he careth not for our com

pany.

Hopeful. But I trow it would not have hurt him, had he kept pace with us hitherto.

Christian. That is true; but I will warrant you he thinketh otherwise.

Hopeful. That I think he doth; but however, let us tarry for him.

So they did.

Then Christian said to him, 'Come away, man; why do you stay so behind?'

Ignorance. I take my pleasure in walking alone; even more a great deal than in company, unless I like it better.

Then said Christian to Hopeful, (but softly,) Did I not tell you he cared not for our company? But however, (said he,) come up, and let us talk away the time in this solitary place.' Then directing his speech to Ignorance, he said, Come, how do you do? How stands it between God and your soul now?'

Ignorance. I hope, well; for I am always full of good motions, that come into my mind, to comfort me as I walk. Christian. What good motions? Pray tell us. Ignorance. Why, I think of God and Heaven. Christian. So do the devils and damned souls.* Ignorance. But I think of them,† and desire them. Christian. So do many that are never like to come there. "The soul of the sluggard desires; and hath nothing.' Ignorance. But I think of them, and leave all for them.

*James ii. 19.

ti. e. God and Heaven. Ignorance sticks fast by his own proposition; and avoids giving an immediate reply to the argument adduced by Christian + Prov: xiii. 4.

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