><>...PILGRIM'S PROGRESS Continued...><>
CHR...><> Therefore thou never hadst one good thought concerning thyself
in thy life. But let me go on. As the Word passeth a judgment
upon our heart, so it passeth a judgment upon our ways; and when
OUR thoughts of our hearts and ways agree with the judgment which
the Word giveth of both, then are both good, because agreeing thereto.
IGNOR...><> Make out your meaning.
CHR...><> Why, the Word of God saith that man's ways are crooked ways;
not good, but perverse. [Ps. 125:5, Prov. 2:15] It saith
they are naturally out of the good way, that they have not known it.
[Rom. 3] Now, when a man thus thinketh of his ways,--I say,
when he doth sensibly, and with heart-humiliation, thus think,
then hath he good thoughts of his own ways, because his thoughts
now agree with the judgment of the Word of God.
IGNOR...><> What are good thoughts concerning God?
CHR...><> Even as I have said concerning ourselves, when our thoughts of God
do agree with what the Word saith of him; and that is,
when we think of his being and attributes as the Word hath taught,
of which I cannot now discourse at large; but to speak of him
with reference to us: Then we have right thoughts of God,
when we think that he knows us better than we know ourselves,
and can see sin in us when and where we can see none in ourselves;
when we think he knows our inmost thoughts, and that our heart,
with all its depths, is always open unto his eyes; also,
when we think that all our righteousness stinks in his nostrils,
and that, therefore, he cannot abide to see us stand before him
in any confidence, even in all our best performances.
IGNOR...><> Do you think that I am such a fool as to think God can see
no further than I? or, that I would come to God in the best
of my performances?
CHR...><> Why, how dost thou think in this matter?
IGNOR...><> Why, to be short, I think I must believe in Christ
for justification.
CHR...><> How! think thou must believe in Christ, when thou seest not thy
need of him! Thou neither seest thy original nor actual infirmities;
but hast such an opinion of thyself, and of what thou dost,
as plainly renders thee to be one that did never see a necessity
of Christ's personal righteousness to justify thee before God.
How, then, dost thou say, I believe in Christ?
IGNOR...><> I believe well enough for all that.
CHR...><> How dost thou believe?
IGNOR...><> I believe that Christ died for sinners, and that I shall be
justified before God from the curse, through his gracious acceptance
of my obedience to his law. Or thus, Christ makes my duties,
that are religious, acceptable to his Father, by virtue of his merits;
and so shall I be justified.
CHR...><> Let me give an answer to this confession of thy faith:--
1. Thou believest with a fantastical faith; for this faith is nowhere
described in the Word.
2. Thou believest with a false faith; because it taketh justification
from the personal righteousness of Christ, and applies it to thy own.
3. This faith maketh not Christ a justifier of thy person,
but of thy actions; and of thy person for thy actions' sake,
which is false.
4. Therefore, this faith is deceitful, even such as will leave thee
under wrath, in the day of God Almighty; for true justifying faith
puts the soul, as sensible of its condition by the law, upon flying
for refuge unto Christ's righteousness, which righteousness of his
is not an act of grace, by which he maketh for justification,
thy obedience accepted with God; but his personal obedience to the law,
in doing and suffering for us what that required at our hands;
this righteousness, I say, true faith accepteth; under the skirt
of which, the soul being shrouded, and by it presented
as spotless before God, it is accepted, and acquit from condemnation.
IGNOR...><> What! would you have us trust to what Christ, in his own person,
has done without us? This conceit would loosen the reins of our lust,
and tolerate us to live as we list; for what matter how we live,
if we may be justified by Christ's personal righteousness from all,
when we believe it?
CHR...><> Ignorance is thy name, and as thy name is, so art thou;
even this thy answer demonstrateth what I say. Ignorant thou art
of what justifying righteousness is, and as ignorant how to secure
thy soul, through the faith of it, from the heavy wrath of God.
Yea, thou also art ignorant of the true effects of saving faith
in this righteousness of Christ, which is, to bow and win over
the heart to God in Christ, to love his name, his word, ways,
and people, and not as thou ignorantly imaginest.
HOPE...><> Ask him if ever he had Christ revealed to him from heaven.
John Bunyon....Pilgrim's Progress
To be continued |
