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Iman that never had finned, neither mine own, nor all he righteoufnefs of the world could fave me.

Chr. And did you think he spake true?

Hope And he told me fo when I was pleafed and fatis ed with mine own amendments, I had called him fool for his pains; but now fince I fee mine own infirmity, and the In which cleaves to my best performance, I have been fored to be of his opinion.

Chr. But did you think, when at firft he fuggefted it to you, that there was fuch a man to be found, of whom it night juftly be faid that he never committed fin ?

Hope. I must confefs the words at fir founded Atrangely : jut, after a little more talk and company with him, I had ull conviction about it.

Chr. And did you afk him what man this was, and how you must be juflified by him?

Heb. 10.
Rom. 4.
Col 1.

Pet. 1.

Hope. Yes, and he told me it was the Lord Jefus, that dwelleth on the right hand f the Most High. And thus, faid he, you must be juftified by him, even by truftto what he hath done by himself in the of his Aleth, and faffered when he did A more partiang on the tree. I asked him further, how cular dijcovery that man's righteoufnefs could be of that of the way to cacy as to justify another before God? be faved. And he told me, He was the mighty God,

and did what he did, and died the death alfo, not for himfelf, but for me; to whom his doings, and the worthiness of them, fhould be imputed, if I believed on him. Chr. And what did you do then?

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

was

Chr. And what faid Faithful to you then?

Then he

Hope. He bid me go to him and fee. Then I faid it prefumptica. He faid, No, for I was invited to come. gave me a book of Jefus's indicting, to encourage e the more freely to come; and he fait, concerning that book, that every jet and tittle thereof Rood firmer than heaven and earth. Then I afked him what I must do when I came: And he told me, I mult entreat upon my knees, with all my heart and foul, the Father to reveal him to me Then I afked him further, how I muß make my fupplica

tion to him? And he faid, Go, and thou fhalt find hin upon a mercy-feat, where he fits all the year long, to giv pardon and forgiveness to them that come, I told him that I knew not what to fay when I came And he bi me fay to this effect: God be merciful to me, a finner, an make me to know and believe in Jefus Chrift; for I k that if his righteousness had not been, or if I have no faith in that righteoufneís, I am utterly cast away. Lord I have heard that thou art a merciful God, and haft ordain ed that thy fon Jefus Chrift fhould be the Saviour of the world: And, moreover, that thou art willing to bestow upon fuch a poor finner as I am, (and I am a finner indeed Lord, take therefore this opportunity, and magnify thy grace in the falvation of my foul, through thy Son Jefu

Christ. Amen.

Chr. And did you do as you were bidden ?

Hope. Yes, over, and over, and over.

Chr. And did the Father reveal the Son to you? Hope. Not at first, nor fecond, nor third, nor fourth, nor fifth; no, nor at. the fixth time neither.

Chr. What did you then?

Hope. What! why I could not tell what to do.

Chr. Had you not thoughts of leaving off praying? Hope. Yes; and an hundred times twice

He thought to fold. leave off praying

Chr. And what was the reafon you did

not?

Hope. I believed that that was true which hath been told me, to wit, That without the righteoufness of this Chrift, all the world could not fave me; and therefore thought I with myfelf, if I leave off, I die, and I can but die at the throne of grace. And withal this came into my mind: If it tarry, wait for it, because it will furely come, and will not tarry. So I continued praying until the Father fhew

ed me his Son.

Chr. And how was he revealed unto you?

Hope. I did not fee him with my bodily eyes, but with the eyes of mine understanding; and thus it was: One day I was very fad, I think fadder than at any one time of my life, and this fadness was through a fre fight of the greatnefs and vileness of my fins: And as I was then looking for nothing but hell, and the everlasting damaation of my

foul,

foul, fuddenly, as I thought, I faw the Lord Jefus look down from heaven upon me, and faying. A 16. 30, 31. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou halt be faved.

But I replied, Lord, I am a great, a very great finner: And he answered, My grace is fufficient for thee. Then faid, But, Lord, what is believing? And then I faw from that faying, (He that cometh to me fhall never hunger, and he that believeth on me fhall never thirß) that believing and coming was all one; and that he that came, that is, ran out in his heart and affections after falvation by Chrift, he indeed believed in Chrift. Then the water ftood in mine eyes, and I asked further, But Lord, may fuch a great finner as I am be indeed accepted of thee,

and be faved by thee? And I heard him fay, John 6. 16. He that cometh to me I will in no wife caft

got. Then I faid, But how, Lord, muft I confider of thee in my coming to thee, that my faith may be placed arigat upon thee? Then he said, Chrift came into the world to fave finners. He is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believes. He died for our fins, and rofe again for our juftification: Heb.7. 24. 25. He loved us, and washed us from our fins in his own blood. He is a Medias ha diator betwixt God and use He ever liveth to make interceffion for us. From all which I gathered, that I must look for righteoufnefs in his perfon, and for fatisfaction for my fins by his blood; that what he and in obedience to Father's law, and in fubmitting to the penalty thereof, was not for himself, but for him that will accept it for his falvation, and be thankful. And now heart full of joy, mine eyes full of tears, and mine affections running over with love to the name, people, and ways of Jefus Christ.

was my

Chr. This was a revelation of Chrit to your foul indeed: But tell me particularly what effect this had upon your fpirit?

Hope. It made me fee that all the world, notwithstand ing all the righteoufnefs thereof, is in a state of condemnation: It made me fee that God the Father, though he be jot, can justly justify the coming finner: It made me greatly athamed of the vilenefs of my former life, and con founded me with the fenfe of mine own ignorance; for C

there

there never came a thought into my heart before now the thewed me fo the beauty of Jefus Chrift: It made me lov a holy life, and long to do fomething for the honour an glory of the name of our Lord Jefus: Yea, I thought that had I now a thousand gallons of blood in my body, I coul Spill it all for the fake of the Lord Jefus.

I faw then in my dream, that Hopeful looked back an faw Ignorance, whom they had left behind, coming after Look, faid he to Chriftian, how far yonder youngster lo Bereth behind.

Chr. Aye, aye, I fee him; he careth not for our company.

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

Chr. That's true; but I warrant you he thinketh other wife.

Hope. That I think he doth; but however let us tary for him. So they did.

Then Chriftian faid to him, Come away, man, why do you ftay fo behind?

1 RGIA

tell you

Ignor. I take my pleasure in walking alone, even more a great deal than in company, unless I like it better. faid Chriftian to Hopeful, (but foftly). Did I not he cared not for our company; but however, faid he, come up, and let us talk away the Ignorance's hope time in this folitary place. Then directing and the ground his fpeech to Ignorance, he faid, Come, how do you? How stands it between God and your foul now?

of it.

Ignor. I hope well, for I am always full of good motions, ghat come into my mind to comfort me as I walk. Chr. What good motions? Pray tell us. Ignor, Why, I think of God and heaven. Chr. So the devils and damh'd fouls

Ignor. But I think of them, and defire them.

Prov. 28. 29.

Chr. So do many that are never like to come there. The foul of the fluggard de fires, and hath nothing.

Ignor. But I think of them, and leave all for them. Chr. That I doubt; for to leave all is a very hard mat

ter, yea, a harder matter than many are aware of; but

why,

thy, or by what art thou perfuaded, that thou haft left all

or God and heaven?

Ignor. My heart tells me fo,

Chr. The wife man fays, He that trufts his own heart a fool.

Ignor. That is fpoken of an evil heart; but mine is a

ood one.

Cbr. But how doft thou prove that?

Ignor. It comforts me in hopes of heaven,

Cbr. That may be through its deceitfulness; for a man's art may minifter comfort to him in the hopes of that ing for which he has yet no ground to hope.

Ignor. But my heart and life agree together, and there. re my hope is well-grounded,

Chr. Who told thee that thy heart and life agree toge

ler?

Ignor. My heart, tells me fo..

Chr. Afk my fellow if I be a thief? Thy heart tells thee ! except the word of God beareth witnefs in this matter ther teftimony is of no value.

Ignor But is it not a good heart that has good thoughts? nd is not that a good life that is according to God's comandments?

Chr. Yes; that is a good heart that hath good thoughts, nd that is a good life that is according to God's commandlents; but it is one thing indeed to have these, and anoher thing only to think fo.,

Ignor, Pray what count you good thoughts, and a life ccording to God's commandments?

Chr. There are good thoughts of divers kinds, fome repecting ourselves, fome God, fome Chrift, and fome other hings.

Ignor. What be good thoughts refpecting ourselves?
Chr. Such as agree with the word of God?

Ch. When we pafs the, fame judgment upon ourselves which the word paffes. To explain myfelf, the word of God faith of perfons in a natural condition,

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There is none righteous, there is none that Rom 3. doth good. It faith alfo, That every ima- Gen. 6. 1. gination of the heart of a man is only evil,

and that continually... And again,..

And again, The imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth. Now then, when we

G 2

think

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