Christian Loses His Burden

[JM]

Christian Loses His Burden


From Bunyan’s The Pilgrim’s Progress:




Now I saw in my dream, that the highway up which Christian was to go, was fenced on either side with a wall, and that wall was called Salvation (Isa. 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 be 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 with 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 checks (Zech. 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” (Mark 2:15): the second stripped him of his rags, and clothed him “with change of raiment” (Zech. 3:4); the third also set a mark in his forehead, and gave him a roll with a seal upon it, which he bade him look on as he ran, and that he should give it in at the Celestial Gate (Eph. 1:13).

So they went their way. Then Christian gave three leaps for joy, and went on singing- Thus far I did 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!​

 

[JSGuitarist]

Such a wonderful moment in the life of the Christian, to look at the cross and see all the sins washed away and done away with, that the one good and final sacrifice was made on your behalf!

What's amazing is that he actually entered the narrow gate some time before this event. He had come into eternal life well before this moment, but the news of his pardon did not come until this moment. You see even in this brief narrative, the walls of salvation were on both sides of him, and his safety was certain, but his lack of peace with Christ made his walk very hard.

Also, how he was quickened for the rest of his journey. With the new clothing, the burden lost, and the roll with the sealing of the Spirit given to him, he walked comfortably for a time. Assurance is the greatest treasure a Christian can possess, because none are so hungry and laborious for the kingdom as those who have it; those who have it live in bodily in this world and spiritually in the next while they are still alive!