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John Bunyan Pilgrim’s Progress
http://www.ccel.org/ccel/bunyan/pilgrim.iv.i.html
William Blake "Christian Reading His Book"
"Christian Loses His Burden At The Cross"
The highway up which CHRISTIAN was to go was fenced on either side with a wall; and that wall was called "Salvation".
"In that day shall this song be sung in the land of Judah; We have a strong city; salvation will God appoint for walls and bulwarks."
Isaiah 26:1
Up this way, therefore, did burdened CHRISTIAN run; but not without great difficulty, because of the load on his back.
He ran thus till he came at a place somewhat ascending; and upon that place stood a Cross, and a little below, in the bottom, a sepulchre. So I saw in my dream, that just as CHRISTIAN came up to the cross, his burden loosed from off his shoulders, and fell from off 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 I saw it no more.
Then was CHRISTIAN glad and lightsome, and said, with a merry heart,
"He hath given me rest by his sorrow,
And life by his death."
Then he stood still awhile to look and wonder; for it was very surprising to him, that the sight of the cross should thus ease him of his burden. He looked therefore, and looked again, even till the springs that were in his head sent the waters down his cheeks.
"And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn."
Zechariah 12:10
Now, as he stood looking and weeping, behold three shining ones came to him, and saluted him with, "Peace be to thee!" so the first said to him, "Thy sins be forgiven thee";
"When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee."
Mark 2:5
the second stripped him of his rags, and clothed him with change of raiment;
"And he answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment."
Zechariah 3:4
the third also set a mark in his forehead, and gave him a roll with a seal upon it,
"In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise."
Ephesians 1:13
which he bade him look on as he ran, and that he should give it in at the Celestial Gate: so they went their way. Then CHRISTIAN gave three leaps for joy, and went on singing:
"Thus far did I come laden with my sin,
Nor could aught ease the grief that I was in,
Till I came hither. What a place is this!
Must here be the beginning of my bliss!
Must here the burden fall from off my back!
Must here the strings that bound it to me crack!
Blest cross! blest sepulchre! blest rather be
The Man that there was put to shame for me!"
C.H. Spurgeon, The Treasury of David, on Psalm 99
The misery of sin consists not merely in its consequences, but in its very nature, which is to separate between God and our souls and to shut us out from God.
J.I. Packer, “Puritan Evangelism”
http://www.the-highway.com/articleJune09.html
Since God enlightens, convicts, humbles, and converts through the word, the task of his messengers is to communicate that word, teaching and applying law and gospel. Preachers are to declare God’s mind as set forth in the texts they expound, to show the way of salvation, to exhort the unconverted to learn the law, to meditate on the word, to humble themselves, to pray that God will show them their sins, and enable them to come to Christ. They are to hold Christ forth as a perfect Saviour from sin to all who heartily desire to be saved from sin, and to invite such (the weary and burdened souls whom Christ himself invites; Matthew 11:28) to come to the Saviour who waits to receive them.
Isaac Watts, “Conviction of Sin by the Law”
Romans 5:20 “...the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound…”
Lord, how secure my conscience was,
And felt no inward dread!
I was alive without thy law,
And thought my sins were dead.
My hopes of heaven were firm and bright,
But since the precept came
With a convincing power and light,
I find how vile I am.
My guilt appeared but small before,
Till terribly I saw
How perfect, holy, just, and pure
Was thy eternal law!
Then felt my soul the heavy load;
My sins revived again;
I had provoked a dreadful God,
And all my hopes were slain.
Thy gracious throne I bow beneath;
Lord, thou alone canst save;
O break the yoke of sin and death,
And thus redeem the slave.
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