to by another; to wit, by him who let

you in at the gate: he hath obtained that pardon in this double way; he has performed righteousness to cover you, and fpilt blood to wash you.

Chrift. 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.

Christ. Pray make that appear.

Great-heart. With all my heart; but first I must premise, that he of whom we are now about to fpeak, is one who has not his fellow. He has two natures in one perfon, plain to be distinguished, impoffible to be divided. Unto each of these natures a righteousness belongeth, and each righteoufnefs is effential to that nature. So that one may as easily cause the natures to be extinct, as to separate its justice or righteousness from either. Of thefe righteoufneffes we are not made partakers, fo as that either of them should be put upon us, in order that we might be made juft, and live thereby. But befides thefe, there is a righteousness which this perfon has as these two natures are joined in one. And this is not the righteoufnefs of the Godhead, as diftinguished from the manhood; nor the righteousness of the manhood, as diftinguished from the Godhead; but a righteousness which ftandeth in the union of both natures; and may properly be called the righteousness which is effential to him as being prepared of God to the capacity of the mediatory office,

which

which he was entrusted with. If he parts with his first righteousness, he parts with his Godhead: if he parts with his fecond righteousness, he parts with the purity of his manhood: if he parts with his third, he parts with that perfection which capacitates him to the office of mediation. He has therefore another righteousness, which standeth in performance, or obedience to a revealed will: and that is what he puts upon finners, and by which their fins are covered. Wherefore he faith, As by one man's disobedience, many were made finners: so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous, Rom. v. 19.

Chrift. But are the other righteouneffes of no use. to us?

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

So then here is a righteoufnefs which Christ, as God, has no need of; for he is God without it: here is a righteoufnefs, which Chrift, as man, has no need of to make him fo, for he is perfect man

without

without it. Again, here is a righteousness, which Chrift, as God-man, has no need of; for he is perfectly righteous without it. Here then is a righte oufnefs, which Chrift, as God, and as God-Man, has no need of, with reference to himself, therefore he can fpare it as a justifying righteousness, which he for himself wanteth not, and therefore giveth it away. Hence it is called the gift of righteousness. This righteousness, fince Chrift Jefus the Lord has made himself under the law, must be given away; for the law doth not only bind those who are under it, to do justly, but to use charity, Rom. v. 17. Wherefore he muft, or ought by the law, if he hath two coats, to give one to him who hath none. As our Lord hath two coats, one for himself, and one to fpare; therefore he freely bestows one upon those who have none. Thus Chriftiana and Mercy, and the rest of you who are here, you may fee that your pardon comes by deed, i. e. by the work of another Your Lord Chrift is he who worked, and hath given away what he wrought out to the next poor beggar he meets.

man.

But again, in order to pardon by deed, there must be fomething paid to God as a price, as well as fomething prepared to cover us withal. Sin has delivered us up to the just curfe of a righteous law: now from this curfe we must be justified by way of redemption; a price must be paid for the harms we have done; this price is the blood of our Lord, who came and stood in our place and stead, and died our

death

death for our tranfgreffions. Thus has he ransomed you from your tranfgreffions, by blood, and covered your polluted and deformed fouls with righteousness, Rom. viii. 34. For the fake of which, God paffeth by you, and will not hurt you, when he comes to judge the world, Gal. iii. 13.

Christ. This is brave: now I fee that there was fomething to be learned by our being pardoned by word and deed. Good Mercy, let us labour to keep this in mind; and, my children, do you remember it also. But, Sir, was it not this which made my good Chriftian's burden fall from off his shoulder, and made him give three leaps for joy.

Great-beart. Yes, it was the belief of this which cut off thofe ftrings, which could not be cut by any other means; and it was in order to give him a proof of the virtue of this, that he was fuffered to carry his burden to the crofs.

Christ. I thought fo; for though my heart was lightsome and joyous before, yet it is ten times more lightfome and joyous now P. And I am perfuaded by what I have felt, though I have felt but little as yet, that if the most burdened man in the world was

P Whilft the foul lives upon the sweet impreffions which are made by the application of the promises, in one respect, it may be said, to live upon frames and feelings, for, as its comforts abate, fo will its confidence. The heart can never be established in grace till the understanding is enlightened to dif cern what it is to have pardon by the deed done.

6

here,

here, and did fee and believe as I now do, it would make his heart merry and blithe.

Great-beart. There is not only comfort, and the eafe of a burden obtained, by the fight and confideration of these things, but an endeared affection begot in us. But who (if he doth but once think that pardon comes, not only by promise, but thus) but must be affected with the way and means of redemption, and fo with the man who hath wrought it out for him?

Christ. True: methinks it makes my heart bleed to think that he should bleed for me. Oh, thou loving One! Oh, thou blessed One! Thou deservest to have me, for thou haft bought me: thou deservest to have me all, for thou haft paid for me ten thousand times more than I am worth. No marvel that this made the water ftand in my husband's eyes, and that this made him trudge fo nimbly on: I am perfuaded he wifhed me with him; but, vile wretch as I was, I let him come all alone. O Mercy, that thy father and mother were here; yea, and Mrs. Timorous alfo: nay, I wish now with all my heart that here was Madam Wanton too. Surely, furely, their hearts would be affected; nor could the fear of the one, nor the powerful lufts of the other, prevail with them to go home again, and refufe to become good pilgrims.

I Love begets love; a fight and fenfe of a Saviour's dying love can never fail of producing in us a return of love to him.

Great