and make them willing. As soon as he touches their hearts, by his invisible, but almighty agency, they become willing, and freely and voluntarily accept the offered mercy, while the rest perish in their sins, and receive according to the just demerit of their crimes. But you see that though there is abundant provision of food and clothing in the storehouse, it does no good to any till they come and receive it. They must come and accept it as a free gift. This is the condition which they must perform, or die. This shows the difference between the work of atonement, and the work of redemption. The atonement consisted in making the provision. Redemption consists in making them partakers of that provision. The atonement is sufficient for all, but it is only applied to a part. The atonement has been styled a cover for sin. The garments laid up in the storehouse may be styled a cover for the nakedness of those wretched creatures; but they do not actually become a cover of their nakedness, till they put them on.

Then he took them again to a prison, and looking into it, they saw a number of criminals who had been tried and found guilty of certain crimes. They were condemned already, and the wrath of their king abode upon them. And as they looked, they saw the king's officers come to the prison, with a free and full pardon for a part of them, and a warrant for the execution of the sentence of the law upon the rest. So a part of them were set at liberty, and the rest were led away to suffer the sentence of the law.

Then said the pilgrims, What means this?

In. You see here an illustration of the sovereignty of our Lord the King. As these men were all justly condemned for their crimes, so all his rebellious subjects are condemned already. But as the end of punishment, in every good government, is not the gratification of malignant feeling, but the promotion of the public good, and the sentence of the law is executed only where the public good requires it; and when the public good will admit of it, mercy is exercised in the pardon of offenders; so our Lord the King will promote the honor of his name, and the highest interests of his holy kingdom, by extending pardoning mercy to some, and executing the penalty of his law upon others, exactly as the public good requires. But, as you saw, that all these criminals were guilty and justly condemned, and their king having determined to show mercy to a part of them, made his own selection of the objects of his mercy; so our Lord the King chooses out of those who are in the like condemnation whom he will have the objects of his mercy, and whom he will make the monuments of his justice. Mercy is his own prerogative; and he has a right to bestow it

when and where he pleases. And this sovereignty of his is an amiable and benevolent sovereignty; not being exercised capriciously, but according to the dictates of infinite wisdom and goodness.

Then said the Interpreter, I will show you a little more. So he took them to another place, and they saw a wounded man supported by several attendants, and the surgeons examining his wound. They saw also the man who had wounded him in the hands of the officers of justice, who were about to lead him away to his trial. Then said the surgeons, we have examined the wound; and we find that the wounded man had, in his vital parts, a disease which would soon have destroyed his life, had it not been opened. But this wound has opened the part, and will probably save his life. Then they followed the man who had inflicted the wound to the court of justice, and he was put upon his defence. He said he had indeed inflicted the wound with the intention of killing the other; but since it appeared from the report of the surgeons that he had saved his life, he claimed not only an acquittal from the charge laid against him, but the reward promised to such as save the life of another. But the court decided that he must be judged according to his intentions; and since these were criminal, he must suffer the punishment which the law annexed to his offence. Then said the pilgrims, What means this?

In. This shows the folly of those who teach that utility constitutes virtue. The man who wounded his fellow, had murder in his heart. By the hand of Providence, however, his weapon was so directed that he saved the life he intended to destroy. He really accomplished good, while he intended evil. But the court justly decided, that though he had not accomplished the evil he intended, he was still criminal, and must be punished accordingly. Judas, also, who betrayed his master, and those who condemned and crucified him, really accomplished good, while they intended evil. They accomplished the wise and benevolent purpose of our Lord the King, thus to provide an atonement for the sins of the world, for which we all have occasion to rejoice and give thanks to the King and to the Prince Immanuel, who consented thus to die. But these wicked men intended evil, and were justly condemned for it; and some of them, at least, if not all, felt and acknowledged it, and condemned themselves. And so it is in all cases. While wicked men intend evil by what they do, our Lord and King intends and accomplishes good by it all. So that, while we blame and condemn them for their wicked design in what they do, we have occasion to bless and praise our Lord the King for the good which he designs and thus accomplishes.

CHAPTER VI.

THEN said the Interpreter, I will show you one thing more. So he took them to a prison, and showed them a prisoner who had been sentenced to solitary confinement at hard labor for a certain time, which was specified in the law, which time had now expired. And as the keeper of the prison came to the door, the prisoner called to him, and said, My time is out-I have suffered all the punishment which the law required—I demand my discharge. So the keeper unlocked the door, and set him at liberty.

Then said the pilgrims, What means this?

Interpreter. Do you understand the ground on which this man was discharged? Was it on the ground of justice, or on the ground of mercy?

Thoughtful. I think I understand it. It was on the ground that he had suffered all the punishment which the law required. He was discharged on the ground of justice: I see no mercy in the case.

In. Did he ask his discharge of the keeper as a favor, or thank the keeper for granting it?

Th. No; he demanded it as his right; he gave no thanks. In. Could the keeper have retained him any longer, without being guilty of injustice?

Th. No; for having suffered all that the law required, if the keeper had retained him longer, it would have been the same as punishing one who had committed no offence.

In. The infliction of suffering upon one who has committed no offence, would not be a true and proper punishment. It would be an act of oppression, however, to have detained the prisoner any longer, against his will. But did the keeper say any thing about pardon?

Th. No; there was no pardon in the case.

In. No, there was not. Pardon, or forgiveness, is the remission of a punishment which the law has denounced. But where that punishment is fully inflicted, there is nothing remitted; and of course there is no pardon or forgiveness in the

case.

Th. What is the application of this?

In. It shows the absurdity of what some teach; that men suffer all the punishment their sins deserve, either before or after death; and yet are pardoned, forgiven, or made the sub

jects of mercy. If any suffer the whole of the punishment which the law denounces for their sins, they are not saved by Christ, they are not subjects of mercy-they have nothing forgiven them-they are not treated with grace-they have no occasion to ask for their discharge as a favor-they may demand it as their right-their discharge is an act of justicethey have no thanks to give for it.

This transaction also shows the absurdity of what some teach; that the sins of men were punished in the person of Christ, and yet are forgiven. The same sin cannot be both fully punished and freely pardoned or forgiven. Forgiveness is the remission of that punishment which might justly be inflicted. But a crime cannot be justly punished twice over. Therefore, if the sins of men had been punished in the person of Christ, they could not be justly punished again in them; and consequently, they must be discharged on the ground of justice. They might be under great obligations to him for suffering their punishment for them, and to the Father for giving his Son to do this; but they could be under no obligations to him for their discharge itself, after this was done. Their discharge could not be an act of grace-it could not be a pardon-it could not with propriety be asked as a favor, but challenged as a right-and no thanks need be rendered for merely granting what is justly due.

Th. If the death of Christ was not a punishment of the sins of men, how does it have any efficacy in procuring their discharge?

In. It is an expedient devised by infinite wisdom to answer the end of punishment, without the actual infliction of that punishment, so that mercy may be exercised in remitting that punishment by a true and proper forgiveness.

Th. How does it answer that end?

In. When Christ voluntarily submitted to die on the cross for sinners, he thereby magnified the law and made it honorable; inasmuch as his death shows the evil of sin, and how God feels toward it, in as clear a light, (considering the dignity of his person,) as the execution of the penalty of the law upon the sinner could have shown it. It thus answers the end of punishment, and opens a door of mercy to a perishing world.

Then I perceived that the Interpreter bid the pilgrims remember the things they had seen and heard. So he gave them refreshments, and lodged them all night; and in the morning, he questioned them in many words, out of the King's book, and further instructed them in his statutes, that they might know their Master's will, and do it, and be found faith

ful unto the end. So he dismissed them to go on their way, after having given them a caution to beware of the arts of three sisters, Hypocrisy, Carnal Policy, and Heresy, with whom he told them they would be likely to meet in some part of their journey. So they gave him many thanks for his instructions and counsels, and departed.

Now I perceived that they had not gone far from the Interpreter's house, before they saw a stile over the wall, on the right hand, on which was inscribed, "THE HYPOCRITE'S HOPE." And while they stood looking, behold three men came along to that stile, and came over the wall by it into the King's highway, of whom Thoughtful and Ardent had some knowledge in the City of Destruction, and whose names were Feelwell, Love-self, and No-Law. Then Feel-well came forward to shake them by the hand, and said:

Feel-well. How do you do, neighbors? You are going on pilgrimage, I see. And so am I. I rejoice to meet you. The pilgrim's life is a happy one. I know it is. I wish the whole

world would only try it.

Thoughtful. I believe that pilgrims have their comforts and their sorrows; and both peculiar to themselves.

F. W. That they have their comforts, I know. But that is too cold a word; they have their joys. But that pilgrims should have any sorrows, I do not understand. If they do, it must be because they have so little faith.

Th. I am sensible that if I had more faith in God, more true confidence in him, and were more willing to be at his entire disposal, I should have less trouble of mind. But when I have the clearest views of God, I have also the clearest discovery of my own vileness; and that fills me with the deepest sorrow for my sins. I loathe and abhor myself, and grieve that I have dishonored my Lord and King.

F. W. I perceive that you do not understand me. I mean by faith, the belief that my sins are pardoned, and that I shall be received at the gate of the Celestial City. I know this, by my own feelings. And therefore I am full of joy.

Th. You seem to be very confident that you shall be received at the Celestial gate. But I am afraid you will be disappointed; for I perceive you did not come in by the door, but climbed up some other way. You have come over the stile of the hypocrite's hope; and I apprehend your end will be according to your beginning.

F. W. If we are in the way, we are in it; and it matters not how we came in. I therefore cordially embrace you as a brother pilgrim, though you feel so uncharitable towards me. But I doubt not that the way we came is as good, if not bet