our Lord indeed hath two coats, one for himself, and one to spare; wherefore he freely bestows one upon those that have none. And thus, Christiana and Mercy, and the rest of you that are here, doth your pardon come by deed, or by the work of another man. Your Lord Christ is he that worked, and hath given away what he wrought for to the next poor beggar he meets.
But again, in order to pardon by deed, there must some thing be paid to God as a price, as well as something prepared to cover us withal. Sin has delivered us up to the just curse of a righteous law. Now from this curse we must be justified by way of redemption, a price being paid for the harms we have done; and this is by the blood of your Lord, who came and stood in your place and stead, and died your death for your transgressions. Thus has he ransomed you from your transgressions by blood, and covered your polluted and deformed souls with righteousness (Rom. iv. 24. Gal. iii. 13); for the sake of which God passeth by you, and will not hurt you when he comes to judge the world.
Chr. This is brave! Now I see that there was something 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 not this it that made my good Christian's burden fall from off his shoulder, and that made him give three leaps for joy?
Great. Yes, it was the belief of this that out those strings, that could not be out by other means; and it was to give him a proof of the Virtue of this, that he was suffered to carry his burden to the cross.
Chr. I thought so; for though my heart was lightsome and joyous before, yet it is ten times more lightsome and joyous now. And I am persuaded by what I have felt (though I have felt but little as yet), that if the most burdened man in the world was here, and did see and believe as I now do, it would make his heart merry and blithe.
