es. "Come, my children, let us pack up that we may see your
father!" Then did her children burst into tears for joy that the heart
of their mother was so inclined.

From that first family council let us pass on to Christiana's last
interview with her family and her other friends. Her biographer
introduces her triumphant translation with this happy comment on the
margin: "How welcome is death to them that have nothing to do but die!"
Well, that was exactly Christiana's case. She had so packed up at the
beginning of her journey; she had so got and had so kept the confidences
of all her sons; she had seen them all so married in the Lord, and thus
so settled in a life of godliness and virtue; she had, in short, lived
the life of a widow indeed, till, when the post came for her, she had
nothing left to do but just to rise up and follow him. His token to her
was an arrow with a point sharpened with love, let easily into her heart,
which by degrees wrought so effectually with her that at the time
appointed she must be gone. We have read of arrows of death sharpened
sometimes with steel and sometimes with poison; but this arrow, shot from
heaven, was sharpened to a point with love. Indeed, that arrow, or the
very fellow of it, had been shot into Christiana's heart long ago when
she stood at that spot somewhat ascending where was a cross and a
sepulchre; and, especially, ever since the close of Greatheart's great
discourse on pardon by deed. For the hearing of that famous discourse
had made her exclaim: "Oh! Thou loving One, it makes my heart bleed to
think that Thou shouldest bleed for me! Oh! Thou blessed One, Thou
deservest to have me, for Thou hast bought me! Thou deservest to have me
all, for Thou hast paid for me ten thousand times more than I am worth!"
Now it was with all that love working effectually in her heart that
Christiana called for her children to give them her blessing. And what a
comfort it was to her to see them all around her with the mark of the
kingdom on their foreheads, and with their garments white. "My sons and
my daughters," she said, "be you all ready against the time His post
calls for you." Then she called for Mr. Valiant-for-truth, and entreated
him to have an eye on her children, and to speak comfortably to them if
at any time he saw them faint. And then she gave Mr. Standfast her ring.
"Behold," she said, as Mr. Honest came in--"Behold an Israelite indeed,
in whom is no guile!" T