The Youth's Companion/July 19, 1860/Peace at the Cross

Peace at the Cross.

We hope that many of our readers have become Christians in the Sabbath school. If so, they know what it is to feel troubled by a sense of sin, and to obtain joy in hope of forgiveness by Christ. They can appreciate the beauty of Bunyan’s Pilgrim Progress, and the following striking incident in it:

A Christian was traveling on his road with great difficulty, by reason of the burden on his back. But, as he pressed forward, he came to a place where stood a cross, and near it a sepulchre. As he approached, the burden loosened off from his shoulders and fell from 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 was no more to be seen.

It was very surprising to him that the sight of the Cross should thus have eased him of his burden. He looked to it, therefore, again and again, until the plenteous tears began to flow down his cheeks. As he thus stood weeping before the Cross, he was saluted by three shining ones, who each conferred upon him an unspeakable boon. The first assured him that his sins were forgiven. The second stripped him of his rags, and clothed him in a change of raiment. The third set a mark upon his forehead, and gave him a roll with a seal upon it, which he was to peruse as he proceeded, and also to present at the Celestial Gate at the end of his journey. Having bestowed these gifts, they departed. And now was our pilgrim so completely comforted, that he looked like another person. Neither could he express the joyful emotion of his heart; but he gave three leaps for joy, and went on his way walking, and leaping, and praising God.”