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vii. 16, 17. Then I saw the Man that sat upon the cloud open the book, and bid the world draw near (6). Yet there was, by reason of a fierce flame which issued out and came from before him, a convenient distance betwixt him and them, as betwixt the judge and the prisoners at the bar, Mal. iii. 2, 3; Dan. vii. 9, 10. I heard it also proclaimed to them that attended on the Man that sat on the cloud, 'Gather together the tares, the chaff, and stubble, and cast them into the burning lake,' Matt. iii. 12, xiii. 30; Mal. iv. 1. And with that the bottomless pit opened, just whereabout I stood; out of the mouth of which there came, in an abundant manner, smoke, and coals of fire, with hideous noises. It was also said to the same persons, 'Gather my wheat into the garner,' Luke iii. 17. And with that I saw many catched up, and carried away into the clouds; but I was left behind, 1 Thess. iv. 16, 17. I also sought to hide myself, but I could not; for the Man that sat upon the cloud still kept his eye upon me: my sins also came into my mind, and my conscience did accuse me on every side, Rom ii. 14, 15. Upon this I awaked from my sleep.

Chr. But what was it that made you so afraid of this sight?

Man. Why, I thought that the day of judgment was come, and that I was not ready for it: but this frighted me most, that the angels gathered up several, and left me behind; also the pit of hell opened her mouth just where I stood. My conscience, too, afflicted

(b) The Day of Judgment.

The day of Christ! the last, the dreadful day!

When thou, and I, and all the world shall come
Before his judgment seat, to hear their doom
For ever and for ever: and when they
Who loved not God, far far from Him away

Shall go but whither banished? and with whom?
And they who loved Him shall be welcomed home
To God, and Christ, and Heaven, and Heaven's array,
Angels and saints made perfect. May the scene
Of that dread day be always present here;
Here in my heart that every day between,
Which brings my passage to the goal more noar,

May find me fitter, by His love made clear,
Before His throue of justice to appear.'

me; and, as I thought, the Judge had always his eye upon me, showing indignation in his countenance.

Then said the Interpreter to Christian, Hast thou considered all these things?

Chr. Yes, and they put me in hope and fear.

Inter. Well, keep all things so in thy mind that they may be as a goad in thy sides, to prick thee forward in the way thou must go. Then Christian began to gird up his loins, and to address himself to his journey. Then said the Interpreter, the Comforter be always with thee, good Christian, to guide thee in the way that leads to the City. So Christian went on his way, saying,

Here I have seen things rare and profitable;
Things pleasant, dreadful, things to make me stable
In what I have begun to take in hand;
Then let me think on them, and understand
Wherefore they show'd me were; and let me be
Thankful, O good Interpreter! to thee.

Now I saw in my dream that the highway, up which Christian was to go, was fenced on either side with a wall, and that wall was called Salvation, Isa. xxvi. 1 (c), Up this way, therefore, did burdened Christian run, but not without great difficulty, because of the load on his back.

He ran thus till he came at a place somewhat ascending; and upon that place stood a Cross, and a little below, in the bottom, a Sepulchre. So I saw in my dream, that just as Christian came up with the Cross, his burden loosed from off his shoulders, and fell from off his back, and began to tumble, and so continued to do, till it came to the mouth of the Sepulchre, where it fell in, and I saw it no more (d).

(c) Christian on the way of Salvation. - The walls of the narrow way are called salvation, because by the fences which God places between us and sin, we are kept in the way of life. The path of holiness is the only path to heaven, Psa. cxix. 1-3; Rev. xix. 8.

(d) Christian at the Cross.- Christian, as we have seen, was truly penitent for his sins, and by entering in at the Wicket-gate, had proved that he sought salvation from the free grace of God alone, without any dependence on his own merits. But until now, tae had not understood very clearly for what purpose Jesus Christ

Then was Christian glad and lightsome, and said, with a merry heart, He hath given me rest by his sorWhen God row, and life by his death. Then he stood releases us of still a while to look and wonder; for it was very surprising to him that the sight of the Cross should thus ease him of his burden. He looked, therefore, and looked again.

our guilt and burden, we are as those that leap for joy.

the Son of God, died, and how, through His death we obtain for giveness and salvation; consequently the burden of his sins stilt weighed him down. He believed that God would forgive him, but was ignorant that the believer in Christ is already forgiven. This was the new truth which now found its way into his mind. He now understood and believed that 'He was wounded for our transgressions; He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed.' He knew now, to his joy, that we are 'Justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in His blood, to declare His righteousness for the remission of sins.' He learned that the believer in Christ can say, 'I am crucified with Christ;' 'Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by Thy blood, out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation. Therefore his burden of sin is represented as falling from his back and tumbling into the sepulchre, and therefore he is happy, Isa. xii. 1-3.

In the gifts of the three Shining Ones we have some additional thoughts. (1.) All salute him with the words 'Peace be to thee,' for being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.' (2.) The first said to him, 'Thy sins be forgiven thee,' which is an assurance that his joy is well founded. (3.) The second stripped him of his rags and clothed him with change of raiment. This represents the entire renewal of the whole nature on our union to Christ Jesus. 'Ye have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man which is renewed in knowledge after the image of Him that created him,' Col. iii. 9, 10; 2 Cor. v. 5, 17. (4.) The third sets a mark on his forehead, God's own impress or image, which is not visible to the believer himself; and gives him a roll with a seal upon it, which he was to look on as he ran, and to give in at the Celestial Gate. This roll with the seal is the title of the Christian to everlasting life. Our title is not the merits and sufferings of Christ in themselves; still less our faith in itself; but our title is the merits and sufferings of Christ believed, and retained by the soul as its only hope; for it is as believing in Christ the Saviour we shall obtain admission at the Celestial Gate.

The whole subject of Christian's deliverance at the Cross is so even till the springs that were in his head sent the waters down his cheeks, Zech. xii. 10. Now, as he stood looking and weeping, behold, three Shining Ones

important we shall supplement these explanations by some ex

tracts.

In Bunyan's 'Instruction for the Ignorant' the following dialogue occurs :

'Q. If such a poor sinner as I am would be saved from the wrath to come, how must I believe?

A. My first question should be, on whom must I believe?

Q. On whom, then, must I believe?

A. On the Lord Jesus Christ.

Q. Who is Jesus Christ that I might believe on him ?

A. He is the only begotten Son of God.

Q.Why must I believe on him?

A. Because He is the Saviour of the world.

Q. How is He the Saviour of the world?

A. By the Father's designation and sending; for God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

Q. How did He come into the world?

A. In man's flesh-in which flesh He fulfilled the law, died for our sins, conquered the devil and death, and obtained eternal redemption for us.

Q. But is there no other way to be saved but by believing in Jesus Christ?

A. There is no other name given under heaven among men whereby we must be saved; and, therefore, he that believeth not shall be damned, Acts iv. 12; Mark xvi. 16; John iii. 18, 36.

Q. What is believing on Jesus Christ?

A. It is the receiving of Him, with what is in Him, as the gift of God to thee a sinner, John i. 12.

Q. What is in Jesus Christ to encourage me to receive Him?
A. Infinite righteousness to justify thee, and the Spirit without

measure to sanctify thee.

Q. Is this made mine if I receive Christ?

A. Yes; if you receive Him as God offereth Him to thee.

Q. How doth God offer Him to me?

A. Even as a rich man freely offereth an alms to a beggarand so must thou receive Him, John vi. 32-35.'

Bunyan's own experience agrees with these instructions. The text, 'He is made unto us of God wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption,' enabled him to live very sweetly at peace with God. He tells us, 'O methought there was nothing but Christ that was before my eyes. I was not now (only) for looking upon this and the other benefits of Christ apart, as of his blood, burial or resurrection.. but considered Him as a whole Christ. By

came to him and saluted him with, 'Peace be to thee." So the first said to him, 'Thy sins be forgiven thee,' (Mark ii. 5), the second stripped him of his rags, and clothed him with change of raiment (Zech. iii. 4), the third also set a mark on his forehead, and gave him a

alone, when God

A Christian roll with a seal upon it (Eph. i. 13), which can sing though he bade him look on as he ran, and that giveth him the he should give it in at the Celestial Gate: joy of his heart. so they went their way. Then Christian gave three leaps for joy, and went on singing,

Thus far I did come laden with my sin;
Nor could ought ease the grief that I was in
Till I came hither. What a place is this!
Must here be the beginning of my bliss ?
Must here the burden fall from off my back?
Must here the strings that bound it to me crack?
Blest Cross! blest Sepulchre! blest rather be
The Man that there was put to shame for me!

Simple, Sloth,

I saw then in my dream, that he went on thus, even until he came at a bottom, where he saw, a and Presump- little out of the way, three men fast asleep with fetters upon their heels. The name

tion.

the words in Eph. v. 30 was my faith in Him as my righteousness the more confirmed in me, for if He and I were one, then His righteousness was mine, His merits mine, His victory also mine. We fulfilled the law by Him, died by Him, rose from the dead by Him, got the victory over sin, death, the devil, and hell by Him. These blessed considerations and Scriptures, with many others of like nature, were made to spangle in mine eyes, so that I have cause to say 'Praise Him for His mighty acts, praise Him according to his excellent greatness."

The same truths appear in many well-known hymns.

Inscribed upon the cross we see
In shining letters, God is love;
He bears our sins upon the tree,
He brings us mercy from above.
The cross it takes our guilt away,
It holds the fainting spirit up;
It cheers with hope the gloomy day,
And sweetens every bitter cup.'

No condemnation now I dread,
Jesus and all in Him is mine;
Alive in Him my living head,
And clothed in righteousness divine,
Bold I approach the eternal throne,
And claim the crown through Christ my own

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