Pilgrims' Progress by John Bunyan Pt1 Footnotes

FOOTNOTES:

[1] The jail. Mr. Bunyan wrote this precious book in

Bedford jail, where he was imprisoned 12 years for

preaching the Gospel. His bonds were those of the Gospel;

and, like Peter, he could sleep soundly in prison. Blessed

be God for even the toleration and religious privileges we

now enjoy in consequence of it. Our author, thus prevented from preaching, turned his thoughts to writing;

and, during his confinement, composed “The Pilgrim’s

Progress,” and many other useful works. Thus the Lord

causes “the wrath of man to praise Him.” The servants of

Christ, when restrained by wicked laws from publishing

the word of life from the pulpit, have become more abundantly useful by their writings—(G. Burder).

[2] You will observe what honour, from his Pilgrim’s

first setting out, Bunyan puts  upon  the  Word  of  God.  He

would give to no inferior instrumentality, not even to one

of God’s providences, the business of awakening his Pilgrim to a sense of his danger; but he places him before us

reading his book, awakened by the Word. And he makes

the first efficacious motive in the mind of this Pilgrim a

salutary fear of the terrors of that Word, a sense of the

wrath to come, beneath the burden of sin upon his soul—

(Cheever, Lect. 6). The alarms of such an awakened soul

are very different from the terrors of superstitious ignorance, which, arising from fright or danger, are easily

quitted, with the silly mummeries of priestcraft—

(Andronicus).

[3] “What shall I do?” This is his first exclamation. He

has not as yet advanced so far as to say, What shall I do to

be saved?—(Cheever, Lect. 6).

[4] Sometimes I have been so loaden with my sins,

that I could not tell where to rest, nor what to do; yea, at

such times, I thought it would have taken away my

senses-(Bunyan’s Law and Grace). [5] See the picture of a

true penitent; a deep sense of danger, and solemn concern

for his immortal soul, and for his wife and children;

clothed with rags; his face turned from his house; studying the Bible with intense interest; a great burden on his

back; praying; “the remembrance of his sins is grievous,

and the burden of them is intolerable.” Reader, have you

felt this?—(Dr. Dodd).

[6] Reader! be persuaded to pause a moment, and ask

yourself the question-What is my case? Did I ever feel a

deep concern about my soul? Did I ever see my danger as

a sinner? Did I ever exclaim, in the agony of my spirit,

“What must I do to be saved?” Be assured that real godliness begins in feeling the burden of sin—(G. Border).

 [7] The advice is to fly at once to Christ, and that he

will then be told what to do. He is not told to get rid of his

burden first, by reforming his life, and then to apply for

further instruction to the Saviour—(J. B.).

[8] When a sinner begins to fly from destruction, carnal relations will strive to prevent him; but the sinner who

is in earnest for salvation will be deaf to invitations to go

back. The more he is solicited by them, the faster he will

fly from them—(Mason).

[9] The names of these two neighbours are admirably

characteristic, not confined to any age or place, but always

accompany the young convert to godliness, as the shadow

does the substance. Christian is firm, decided, bold, and

sanguine. Obstinate is profane, scornful, self-sufficient,

and contemns God’s Word. Pliable is yielding, and easily

induced to engage in things of which he understands neither the nature nor the consequences—(Thomas Scott).

[10] Objection. If I would run as you would have me,

then I must run from all my friends, for none of them are

running that way. Answ. And if thou dost, thou wilt run

into the bosom of Christ, and of God. And what harm will

that do thee? Objec. But if I ran this way, I must run from

all my sins. Answ. That’s true indeed; yet if thou dost not,

thou wilt run into hell-fire. Objec. But I shall be mocked of

all my neighbours. Answ. But if thou lose the benefit of

Heaven, God will mock at thy calamity. Objec. But, surely,

I may begin this, time enough a year or two hence. Answ.

Hast thou any lease of thy life? Did ever God tell thee

thou shalt live half a year or two months longer? Art thou

a wise man to let thy immortal soul hang over hell by a

thread of uncertain time, which may soon be cut asunder

by death?—(Bunyan’s Preface to the Heavenly Footman).

[11] It is interesting to compare this account of

Heaven with that which Bunyan gave in the Preface to his

“Sighs from Hell,” published 20 years before-”O sinner,

sinner, there are better things than hell to be had, and at a

cheaper rate by the thousandth part than that. O there is

no comparison; there is Heaven, there is God, there is

Christ, there is communion with an innumerable company of saints and angels”—(ED). [12] Here you have

another volume of meaning in a single touch of the pencil.

Pliable is one of those who is willing, or think they are

willing, to have Heaven, but without any sense of sin, or

of the labour and self-denial necessary to enter Heaven.

But now his heart is momentarily fired with Christian’s

ravishing descriptions, and as he seems to have nothing to

trouble his conscience, and no difficulties to overcome, the

pace of an honest, thorough inquirer, the movement of a

soul sensible of its distresses and its sins, and desiring

comfort only in the way of healing and of holiness, seems

much too slow for him. He is for entering Heaven at once,

going much faster than poor Christian can keep up with

him. Then, said Christian, I cannot go so fast as I would,

by  reason  of  this  burden  that  is  on  my  back-(Cheever).

[13] Satan casts the professor into the mire, to the reproach of religion, the shame of their brethren, the derision of the world, and the dishonour of God. He holds our

hands while the world buffets us. He puts bears’ skins

upon us, and then sets the dogs at us. He bedaubeth us

with his own foam, and then tempts us to believe that that

bedaubing comes from ourselves—(Good News to the

Vilest of Men, vol. 1, P. 69). [14] Guilt is not so much a 79

wind and a tempest, as a load and burden. The devil, and

sin, and the curse of the law, and death, are gotten upon

the shoulders of this poor man, and are treading of him

down, that he may sink into, and be swallowed up of, his

miry place (Job 41:30)—(Bunyan’s Saints’ Know ledge of

Christ’s Love, vol. 2, p. 6).

[15] In this Slough of Despond there were good and

firm steps, sound promises to stand upon, a causeway,

indeed, better than adamant, clear across the treacherous

quagmires; but mark you, fear followed Christian so hard,

that he fled the nearest way, and fell in, not stopping to

look for the steps, or not thinking of them. Now this is

often just the operation of fear; it sets the threatenings

against the promises, when it ought simply to direct the

soul from the threatenings to the promises. It is the object

of the threatenings to make  the promises shine, and to

make the soul lay hold upon them, and that is the purpose

and the tendency of a salutary fear of the Divine wrath on

account of sin, to make the believer flee directly to the

promises, and advance on them to Christ—(Cheever). [16]

Signifying that there is nothing but despondency and despair in the fallen nature of sinful man: the best that we

can do, leaves us in the Slough of Despond, as to any hope

in ourselves—(Mason).

[17] That is, the Lord Jesus Christ. We never find

good ground, nor safe sounding, nor comfortable walking, till we enter into possession of Christ by faith, and till

our feet are set upon Christ, who is the Rock of ages—

(Mason).

[18] And now you may think, perhaps, that Christian

having got out of the Slough of Despond, and fairly on his

way, it is all well with him; but not so, for now he comes

into a peril that is far greater than the last-a peril through

which we suppose that every soul that ever goes on

pilgrimage passes, and a peril in which multitudes that

get safely across the Slough of Despond, perish forever-

(Cheever).

[19] “Some inkling”; some intimation, hint, or slight

knowledge: obsolete—(ED).

[20] There is great beauty  in this dialogue, arising

from the exact regard to character preserved throughout.

Indeed, this forms one of our author’s peculiar excellencies; as it is a very difficult attainment, and always manifests a superiority of genius—(Scott).

[21] Mr. Worldly-wiseman prefers morality to Christ

the strait gate. This is the exact reasoning of the flesh.

Carnal reason ever opposes spiritual truth. The notion of

justification by our own obedience to God’s Law ever

works in us, contrary to the  way of justification by the

obedience of Christ. Self-righteousness is as contrary to

the faith of Christ as indulging the lusts of the flesh. The

former is the white devil of pride, the latter the black devil

of rebellion and disobedience. See the awful consequences

of listening to the reasonings of the flesh-(Mason).

[22] And “wotted”: and knew. From the Saxon witen,

to know; see Imperial Dictionary—(ED).

[23]Beware of taking men by their looks. They may

look as gentle as lambs, while the poison of asps is under

their tongue; whereby they infect many souls with pernicious errors and pestilent heresies, turning them from

Christ and the hope of full justification and eternal life

through Him ONLY, to look to, and rely upon, their own

works, in whole, or in part, for salvation—(Mason).

 [24] As the belief of the truth lies at the fountain of

the hope of eternal life, and is the cause of anyone becoming a pilgrim; so the belief of a lie is the cause of anyone’s

turning out of the way which leads to glory—(Mason).

[25] See the glory of Gospel grace to sinners. See the amazing love of Christ in dying for sinners. O remember the

price, which obtained the pardon of our sins, at nothing

less than His most precious blood! Believe His wonderful

love. Rejoice in His glorious salvation. Live in the love of

Him, in the hatred of your sins, and in humbleness of

mind before Him—(Mason).

[26] Legality is as great an enemy to the cross of

Christ as licentiousness; for it keeps the soul from coming

to, believing in, and trusting wholly in the blood of Christ

for pardon, and the righteousness of Christ for justification! so that it keeps the soul in bondage, and swells the

mind with pride, while licentiousness brings a scandal on

the cross-(Mason). [27] The straitness of this gate is not to

be understood carnally, but mystically. This gate is wide

enough for all the truly sincere lovers of Jesus Christ, but

so strait that it will keep all others out. The gate of Eden

was wide enough for Adam and his wife to go out at, yet

it  was  too  strait  for  them  to  go  in  at.  Why?  They  had

sinned; and the cherubim and the flaming sword made it

too strait for them. The gates of the temple were six cubits

wide, yet they were so strait that none who were unclean

might enter them—(Bunyan’s Strait Gate, vol. 1, p. 367).

[28] Here behold the love of Jesus, in freely and heartily receiving every poor sinner who comes unto Him; no

matter how vile they have been, nor what sins they have

committed, He loves them freely and receives them graciously; for He has nothing but GOOD-WILL to them.

Hence, the heavenly host sang at his birth, “Good-will

towards men” (Luke 2:14)-(Mason).

 [29] As sinners become more decided in applying to

Christ, and assiduous in the means of grace, Satan, if

permitted,  will  be  more  vehement  in  his  endeavours  to

discourage them, that, if possible, he may induce them to

desist, and so come short of the prize—(Scott). A whole

Heaven and eternal life is wrapped up in this little word-

”Strive to enter in”; this calls for the mind and heart.

Many professors make their striving to stand rather in an

outcry  of  words,  than  in  a  hearty labour against the lusts

and  love  of  the  world.  But  this  kind  of  striving  is  but  a

beating the air, and will come to nothing at last—

(Bunyan’s Strait Gate, vol.  1, p. 866). Coming souls will

have opposition from Satan. He casts his fiery darts at

them; wanderings in prayer, enticements to old sins, and

even blasphemous thoughts, assail the trembling penitent,

when striving to enter into the strait gate, to drive him

from “the way and the life”—(ED).

[30] “No betterment” is an admirable expression of

the Christian’s humility-he set out in company, but

reached the gate alone; still it is not unto me, but unto Thy

name be all the glory—(ED).

[31] “Carnal arguments” is altered to “carnal agreement,” in several of Mr. Bunyan’s editions: see third to the

ninth—(ED).

[32] Christian, when admitted at the strait gate, is directed in the narrow way; not in the broad fashionable

religion. In the broad road, every man may choose a path

suited to his inclinations, shift about to avoid difficulties,

or accommodate himself to circumstances; and he may be

sure of company agreeable to his taste. But Christians 80

must follow one another in the narrow way on the same

track, facing enemies, and  bearing hardships, without

attempting to evade them; nor is any indulgence given to

different tastes, habits, or propensities—(Scott).

[33] With gnat propriety Bunyan places the house of

the Interpreter beyond the strait gate; for the knowledge

of Divine things, that precedes conversion to God by faith

in Christ, is very scanty, compared with the diligent

Christian’s subsequent attainments—(Scott).

[34] It would be difficult to find 12 consecutive pages

in the English language, that contain such volumes of

meaning, in such beautiful and instructive lessons, with

such heavenly imagery, in so pure and sweet a style, and

with so thrilling an appeal to the best affections of the

heart, as these pages descriptive of Christian’s sojourning

in the house of the Interpreter. This good man of the

house, the Interpreter, we are, without doubt, to take as

the representative of the Holy Spirit, with His enlightening and sanctifying influences on the heart—(Cheever).

The order in which these heavenly lessons are taught, is

worthy of our admiration—(ED).

[35] As in creation, so in conversion, God’s command

is, “Let there be light”; it comes by the Word; no Bible, no

light. God divided the light from the darkness; a blessed

mystery to prove the Christian indeed-light in his mind at

variance with his native darkness—(Bunyan, on Genesis).

[36] The FIRST object presented by the Holy Spirit to

the mind of a young believer, is the choice of his minister;

not to be submissive to human orders, but to choose for

himself. The leading features are, that he be grave, devotional, a lover of his Bible, one who rejects error and

preaches the truth; uninfluenced by paltry pelf or worldly

honours; pleading patiently to win souls; seeking only his

Master’s approbation; souls, and not money, for his hire;

an immortal crown for his reward. With the laws of men

and friendship to mislead us, how essential is the guidance of the Holy Spirit in  this important choice!—(ED).

And whose portrait is Bunyan describing here? We think

he had only Mr. Gifford in his eye as a faithful minister of

Christ; but Bunyan too had been the pleader with men,

and over his own head the crown of gold was shining,

and while he wrote these words, you may be sure that his

spirit thrilled within him as he said, And I too am a minister of Jesus Christ—(Cheever).

[37]Christian well knew this in his own deep experience; for the burden of sin was on him still, and sorely did

he feel it while the Interpreter was making this explanation; and had it not been for his remembrance of the warning of the man at the gate, he would certainly have besought the Interpreter to take off his burden. The law

could not take it off; he had tried that; and grace had not

yet  removed  it;  so  he  was  forced  to  be  quiet,  and  to  wait

patiently. But when the damsel came and sprinkled the

floor, and laid the dust, and then the parlour was swept so

easily, there were the sweet influences of the Gospel imaged; there was Divine grace distilling as the dew; there

was the gentle voice of Christ hushing the storm; there

were the corruptions of the heart, which the law had but

roused into action, yielding under the power of Christ;

and there was the soul made clean, and fit for the King of

glory to inhabit. Indeed, this was a most instructive emblem. O that my heart might be thus cleansed, thought

Christian, and then I verily believe I could bear my burden with great ease to the end of my pilgrimage; but I

have had enough of that fierce sweeper, the Law. The

Lord deliver me from his besom!—(Cheever).

[38] This was a vivid and  striking emblem, and one

which, in its general meaning, a child could understand.

Passion stands for the men of this  world,  Patience  of  that

which is to come; Passion for those who will have all their

good things now, Patience for those who are willing, with

self-denial, to wait for something better; Passion for those

who are absorbed in temporal trifles, Patience for those

whose hearts are fixed upon eternal realities; Passion the

things which are seen, and the impatient eagerness with

which they are followed, Patience the things which are

unseen, and the faith, humility, and deadness to the world

exercised in order to enjoy them. It is a good commentary

upon Psalm 73-(Cheever).

 [39] This instructive vision springs from the author’s

painful, but blessed experience. The flame of love in a

Christian’s heart is like the fire of despair in Satan’s spiritunquenchable. Before Bunyan had been behind the wall,

the tempter suggested to him-”You are very hot for

mercy, but I will cool you, though I be seven years in chilling  your  heart,  I  can  do  it  at  last;  I  will  have  you  cold  before long”—(Grace Abounding, No. 110). He is the father

of lies. Thus he said to Christian in the fight, “Here will I

spill thy soul”; instead of which, Apollyon was put to

flight. We cannot fail with such a prop, That bears the

earth’s huge pillars up. Satan’s water can never be so

powerful to quench, as Christ’s oil and grace are to keep

the fire burning. Sinner, believe this, and love, praise, and

rejoice in thy Lord. He loves with an everlasting love; He

saves with an everlasting salvation; without His perpetual

aid, we should perish; Christ is the Alpha and Omega of

our safety; but how mysterious is the Saint’s perseverance

until we have seen the secret supply!-(ED).

 [40] For a man to fight his way through infernal

enemies, is in every age a fearful battle; but in addition to

this, to enter his name as a nonconformist in Bunyan’s

time, demanded intrepidity of no ordinary degree; their

enemies were the throne, the laws, and the bishops,

armed with malignity against these followers of Jesus

Christ. But there were noble spirits, “of very stout countenance,” that by the sword of the Spirit cut their way

through all opposition. Bunyan was one of these worthies—(Ivimey). [41] Verily thou didst, noble Christian!

And who is there that does not know the meaning of it,

and what heart so cold as not to be ravished by it! Yea, we

should think that this passage alone might set any man

out on this pilgrimage, might bring many a careless traveller up to the gate of this glorious palace to say, Set down

my name, Sir! How full of instruction is this passage! It set

Christian’s own heart on fire to run forward on his journey, although the battle was before him—(Cheever).

[42] All these deeply interesting pictures are intended

for every age and every clime. This iron cage of despair

has ever shut up its victims. Many have supposed that it

had a special reference to one John Child, who, under the

fear of persecution, abandoned his profession, and, in

frightful desperation, miserably perished by his own

hand. See Introduction, page 73; see also the sickness and

death of Mr. Badman’s brother—(ED).

[43] Bunyan intended not to represent this man as actually beyond the reach of mercy, but to show the dreadful consequences of departing from God, and of being 81

abandoned of Him to the misery of unbelief and despair—

(Cheever).

[44] “An everlasting caution”-”God help me to

watch.” The battle with Apollyon, the dread valley, the

trying scene at Vanity Fair, the exhilarating victory over

By-ends and Demas, dissipated the painful scene of the

iron cage; and want of prayerful caution led Christian into

the dominion of Despair, and he became for a season the

victim shut up in this frightful cage. Reader, may we be

ever found “looking unto Jesus,” then shall we be kept

from Doubting Castle and the iron cage—(ED).

[45] “In the midst of these heavenly instructions, why

in such haste to go? Alas! the burden of sin upon his back

pressed him on to seek deliverance—(ED).

[46] “Rack.” Driven violently by the wind—(ED).

[47] We go about the world in the day time, and are

absorbed in earthly schemes; the world is as bright as a

rainbow, and it bears for us no marks or predictions of the

judgment, or of our sins; and conscience is retired, as it

were, within a far inner circle of the soul. But when it

comes night, and the pall of sleep is drawn over the

senses, then conscience comes out solemnly, and walks

about in the silent chambers of the soul, and makes her

survey and her comments, and sometimes sits down and

sternly reads the record of  a life that the waking man

would never look into, and the catalogue of crimes that

are gathering for the judgment. Imagination walks tremblingly behind her, and they pass through the open gate

of the Scriptures into the eternal world-for thither all

things in man’s being naturally and irresistibly tend-and

there, imagination draws the  judgment, the soul is presented at the bar of God, and the eye of the Judge is on it,

and a hand of fire writes, “Thou art weighed in the balances, and found wanting!” Our dreams sometimes reveal

our character, our sins, our destinies, more clearly than

our waking thoughts; for by day the energies of our being

are turned into artificial channels, by night our thoughts

follow the bent that is most natural to them; and as man is

both an immortal and a sinful being, the consequences

both of his immortality and his sinfulness will sometimes

be  made  to  stand  out  in  overpowering  light,  when  the

busy pursuits of day are not  able to turn the soul from

wandering towards eternity—(Cheever). Bunyan profited

much by dreams and visions. “Even in my childhood the

Lord did scare and affright me with fearful dreams, and

did terrify me with dreadful visions.” That is a striking

vision of church fellowship in the Grace Abounding,

(Nos. 53-56); and an awful dream is narrated in the Greatness of the Soul-”Once I dreamed that I saw two persons,

whom I knew, in hell; and methought I saw a continual

dropping from Heaven, as of great drops of fire lighting

upon them, to their sore distress” (vol. 1, p. 148)—(ED).

[48] Our safety consists in a due proportion of hope

and fear. When devoid of hope, we resemble a ship without an anchor; when unrestrained by fear, we are like the

same vessel under full sail without ballast. True comfort is

the effect of watchfulness, diligence, and circumspection.

What lessons could possibly have been selected of greater

importance or more suited to establish the new convert,

than these are which our author has most ingeniously and

agreeably inculcated, under  the emblem of the Interpreter’s curiosities?—(Scott).

[49] This is an important lesson, that a person may be

in  Christ  and  yet  have  a  deep  sense  of  the  burden  of  sin

upon the soul—(Cheever). So also Bunyan-”Every height

is a difficulty to him that is loaden; with a burden, how

shall we attain the Heaven of heavens?”—(Knowledge of

Christ’s Love).

[50] This efficacious sight of the cross is thus narrated

in Grace Abounding, (No. 115)-”Traveling in the country,

and musing on the wickedness and blasphemy of my

heart,  that  scripture  came  in  my  mind-”Having  made

peace through the blood of His cross” (Col. 1:20). I saw

that day again and again, that God and my soul were

friends by His blood; yea, that the justice of God and my

soul could embrace and kiss each other. This was a good

day to me; I hope I shall not forget it.” He was glad and

lightsome, and had a merry heart; he was before inspired

with hope, but now he is a happy believer—(ED).

[51] None but those who have felt such bliss, can

imagine the joy with which this heavenly visitation fills

the soul. The Father receives the poor penitent with, “Thy

sins be forgiven thee.” The Son clothes him with a spotless

righteousness.  “The  prodigal  when  he  returned  to  his

father was clothed with rags; but the best robe is brought

out, also the gold ring and  the shoes; yea, they are put

upon him to his rejoicing” (Come and Welcome, vol. 1, p.

265). The Holy Spirit gives him a certificate; thus described  by  Bunyan  in  the  House  of  God-“But  bring  with

thee a certificate, To show thou seest thyself most desolate; Writ by the Master, with repentance seal’d; To show

also,  that  here  thou  would’st  be  healed  By  those  fair

leaves of that most blessed tree By which alone poor sinners healed be: And that thou dost abhor thee for thy

ways, And would’st in holiness spend all thy days; And

here be entertained; or thou wilt find To entertain thee

here are none inclined! (Vol. 2, p. 680). Such a certificate,

written upon the heart by the Holy Spirit, may be lost for

a season, as in the arbour on the hill, but cannot be stolen

even by Faith-heart, Mistrust, and Guilt. For the mark in

his forehead, see 2 Corinthians  3:2, 3; “not with ink, but

with the spirit of the living God, known and read of all

men”—(ED).

[52] He that has come to Christ, has cast his burden

upon Him. By faith he hath seen himself released thereof;

but he that is but coming, hath it yet, as to sense and feeling, upon his own shoulders—(Come and Welcome, vol.

1, p. 264).

[53] “Fat”; a vessel in which things are put to be

soaked, or to ferment; a vat—(ED).

[54] No sooner has Christian “received Christ” than

he at once preaches to the sleeping sinners the great salvation. He stays not for human calls or ordination, but attempts to awaken them to a sense of their danger, and

presently exhorts with authority the formalist and hypocrite. So it was in the personal experience of Bunyan; after

which, when his brethren discovered his talent, they invited him to preach openly and constantly. Dare anyone

find fault with that conduct, which proved so extensively

useful?—(ED).

 [55] The formalist has only the shell of religion; he is

hot for forms because it is all that he has to contend for.

The hypocrite is for God and Baal too; he can throw stones

with both hands. He carries fire in one hand, and water in

the other—(Strait Gate, vol. 1, p. 389). These men range

from sect to sect, like wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever. They are barren

trees; and the axe, whetted by sin and the law, will make 82

deep gashes. Death sends Guilt, his first-born, to bring

them to the King of terrors—(Barren Fig-tree).

[56] “We trow”; we believe or imagine: from the

Saxon. See Imperial Dictionary—(ED).

[57] These men occupied the seat of the scorner; they

had always been well dressed. His coat might do for such

a ragamuffin as he had been, but they needed no garment

but their own righteousness-the forms of their church. The

mark, or certificate of the new birth, was an object of scorn

to them. Probably they pitied him as a harmless mystic,

weak in mind and illiterate. Alas! how soon was their

laughter turned into mourning. Fear and calamity overwhelmed them. They trusted in themselves, and there was

none to deliver—(ED).

[58] The Christian can hold no communion with a

mere formal professor. The Christian loves to be speaking

of the Lord’s grace and goodness, of his conflicts and consolations, of the Lord’s dealings with his soul, and of the

blessed confidence which he is enabled to place in Him—

(J. B.).

[59] Such is the fate of those who keep their sins with

their profession, and will not  encounter difficulty in cutting them off. “Not all their pretences of seeking after and

praying to God will keep them from falling and splitting

themselves in sunder”—(A Holy Life the Beauty of Christianity). There are heights that build themselves up in us,

and exalt themselves to keep the knowledge of God from

our hearts. They oppose and contradict our spiritual understanding of God and His Christ. These are the dark

mountains at which we should certainly stumble and fall,

but for one who can leap and skip over them to our aid-

(Saints’ Knowledge of Christ’s Love, vol. 2, p. 8).

[60] Pleased with the gifts of grace, rather than with

the gracious giver, pride secretly creeps in; and we fall

first into a sinful self-complacence, and then into indolence and security. This is intended by his falling fast

asleep—(Dr. Dodd).

[61] Sinful sloth deprives the Christian of his comforts. What he intended only for a moment’s nap, like a

man asleep during sermon-time in church, became a deep

sleep, and his roll fell out of his hand; and yet he ran well

while there was nothing special to alarm him. Religious

privileges should refresh and not puff up—(Cheever).

[62] But why go back again? That is the next way to

hell. Never go over hedge and ditch to hell. They that

miss life perish, because they will not let go their sins, or

have no saving faith—(Bunyan’s Strait Gate, vol. 1, p.

388).

[63] To go forward is attended with the fear of death,

but eternal life is beyond. I must venture. My hill was

further: so I slung away, Yet heard a cry Just as I went,

“None goes that way And lives.” If that be all, said I, After

so foul a journey, death is fair And but a chair.— (G. Herbert’s Temple-The Pilgrimage)

[64] He is perplexed for his roll; this is right. If we

suffer spiritual loss, and are easy and unconcerned about

it, it is a sad sign that we indulge carnal security and vain

confidences—(Mason).

[65] The backslider is attended with fears and doubts

such a he felt not before, built on the vileness of his backsliding; more dreadful scriptures look him in the face,

with their dreadful physiognomy. His new sins all turn

talking devils, threatening devils, roaring devils, within

him. Besides, he doubts the truth of his first conversion,

and thus adds lead to his heels in returning to God by

Christ. He can tell strange stories, and yet such as are very

true. No man can tell what is to be seen and felt in the

whale’s belly but Jonah—(Bunyan’s Christ a Complete

Saviour, vol. 1, p. 224).

[66] “Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole

earth, is Mount Zion; God is known in her palaces for a

refuge.” Those who enter must joyfully submit to the laws

and ordinances of this house—(Andronicus).

[67] The two lions, civil despotism and ecclesiastical

tyranny, terrified many young converts, when desirous of

joining a Christian church, here represented by the Beautiful Palace. In the reign of the Tudors they committed sad

havoc.  In  Bunyan’s  time,  they  were  chained,  so  that  few

suffered martyrdom, although many were ruined, imprisoned, and perished in dungeons. When Faithful passed

they were asleep. It was a short cessation from persecution. In the Second Part, Great-heart slew Giant Bloodyman, who backed the lions; probably referring to the

wretched death of that monster, Judge Jefferies. And in

the experience of Mr. Fearing, it is clear that the Hill Difficulty and the lions were intended to represent temporal

and bodily troubles, and not  spiritual difficulties-”When

we came at the Hill Difficulty, he made no stick at that,

nor did he much fear the lions; for you must know that his

trouble was not about such things as these; his fear was

about his acceptance at last”—(ED).

[68] Christian, after feeling the burden of sin, entering

by Christ the gate, taught by the Holy Spirit lessons of

high concern in the Bible or House of the Interpreter; after

losing his burden by faith in his crucified Saviour, his sins

pardoned, clothed with his Lord’s righteousness, marked

by a godly profession, he becomes fit for churchfellowship; is invited by Bishop Gifford, the porter; and,

with the consent of the inmates, he enters the house called

Beautiful. Mark, reader, not as essential to salvation; it is

by the side of the road, not across it; all that was essential

had taken place before. Faithful did not enter. Here is no

compulsion  either  to  enter  or  pay:  that  would  have  converted it into the house of arrogance or persecution. It is

upon the Hill Difficulty, requiring personal, willing efforts

to scramble up; and holy zeal and courage to bear the

taunts of the world and the growling frowns of the lions.

Here he has new lessons to learn of Discretion, Piety, Prudence, and Charity, to bear with his fellow-members, and

they with him; and here he is armed for his journey. Many

are the blessed enjoyments of church-fellowship. “Esther

was had to the house of the women to be purified, and so

came to the king. God also hath appointed that those who

come into His royal presence should first go to the house

of the women, the church.” (See Bunyan’s Greatness of the

Soul, vol. 1, p. 145). Every soul must be fitted for the royal

presence, usually in church fellowship: but these lovely

maidens sometimes wait on and instruct those who never

enter the house Beautiful; who belong to the church universal, but not to any local body of Christians. John directs

his Revelations to the seven churches in Asia; Paul, his

epistles to the churches in Galatia, or to the church at Corinth-all distinct bodies of Christians; James to the 12

tribes; and Peter to the strangers, and “to them that have

obtained like precious faith,” of all churches—(ED).

[69] The true Christian’s inmost feelings will best explain these answers, which no exposition can elucidate to

those who are unacquainted  with the conflict to which 83

they refer, the golden hours, fleeting and precious, are

earnests of the everlasting holy felicity of Heaven—

(Scott). [70] The only true  mode of vanquishing carnal

thoughts is looking at Christ crucified, or dwelling upon

His dying love, the robe of righteousness which clothes

his naked soul, his roll or evidence of his interest, and the

glory and happiness of Heaven! Happy souls who THUS

oppose their corruptions!—(Dr. Dodd).

[71]This was the fact as it regards Bunyan when he

was writing the “Pilgrim.” He had a wife, two sons, and

two daughters. This conversation was first published in

the second edition, 1678; and if he referred to his own

family, it was to his second wife, a most worthy and heroic woman; but she and some of his children were fellow-pilgrims with him. His eldest son was a preacher 11

years before the Second Part of the “Pilgrim” was published—(ED).

[72] O soul! consider this deeply. It is the life of a

Christian that carries more conviction and persuasion

than his words—(Mason).

[73] Those that religiously name the name of Christ,

and do not depart from iniquity, cause the perishing of

many. A professor that hath not forsaken his iniquity is

like one that comes out of a pest-house to his home, with

all his plague-sores running. He hath the breath of a

dragon, and poisons the air round about him. This is the

man that slays his children, his kinsmen, his friends, and

himself. O! the millstone that God will shortly hang about

your necks, when you must be drowned in the sea and

deluge of God’s wrath-(Bunyan’s Holy Life, vol. 2, p. 530).

[74] How beautiful must that church be where Watchful is the porter; where Discretion admits the members;

where Prudence takes the oversight; where Piety conducts

the worship; and where Charity endears the members one

to another! They partake of the Lord’s Supper, a feast of

fat things, with wine well refined—(J.B.).

[75] Ah! theirs was converse such as it behooves Man

to maintain, and such as  God approves-Christ and His

character their only scope, Their subject, and their object,

and their hope. O days of Heaven, and nights of equal

praise! Serene and peaceful as those heavenly days When

souls drawn upwards in communion sweet, Enjoy the

stillness of some close retreat, Discourse, as if releas’d and

safe at home, Of dangers past, and wonders yet to come-

(Cowper).

[76] When Christiana and her party arrived at this

house Beautiful, she requested that they might repose in

the same chamber, called Peace, which was granted. The

author, in his marginal note,  explains the nature of this

resting-place by the words, “Christ’s bosom is for all pilgrims”-(ED).

[77] How suddenly that straight and glittering shaft

Shot ‘thwart the earth! In crown of living fire Up comes

the day! As if they, conscious, quaff’d The sunny flood,

hill, forest, city, spire,  Laugh in the wakening light. Go,

vain Desire! The dusky lights have gone; go thou thy way!

And pining Discontent, like them expire! Be called my

chamber Peace, when ends the day, And let me, with the

dawn, like Pilgrim, sing and pray. Great is the Lord our

God, And let His praise be great: He makes His churches

His abode,  His most delightful seat—(Dr. Watts).

[78] Should you see a man that did not go from door

to  door,  but  he  must  be  clad  in  a  coat  of  mail,  and  have  a

helmet of brass upon his head, and for his life-guard not

so few as a thousand men to wait on him, would you not

say, Surely this man has store of enemies at hand? If

Solomon used to have about  his bed no less than threescore of the most valiant of Israel, holding swords, and

being expert in war, what guard and safeguard doth

God’s people need, who are, night and day, roared on by

the unmerciful fallen angels? Why, they lie in wait for

poor Israel in every hole, and he is forever in danger of

being either stabbed or destroyed—(Bunyan’s Israel’s

Hope, vol. 1, p. 602).

[79] Christ himself is the Christian’s armoury. When

he puts on Christ, he  is  then  completely armed  from head

to foot. Are his loins girt about with truth? Christ is the

truth. Has he on the breastplate of righteousness? Christ is

our righteousness. Are his feet shod with the Gospel of

peace? Christ is our peace. Does he take the shield of faith,

and helmet of salvation? Christ is that shield, and all our

salvation. Does he take the sword of the Spirit, which is

the Word of God? Christ is the Word of God. Thus he puts

on the Lord Jesus Christ; by his Spirit fights the fight of

faith; and, in spite of men, of devils, and of his own evil

heart, lays hold of eternal life. Thus Christ is all in all—(J.

B.).

[80] The church in the wilderness, even her porch, is

full of pillars-apostles, prophets, and martyrs of Jesus.

There are hung up also the  shields that the old warriors

used, and on the walls are painted the brave achievements

they have done. There, also, are such encouragements that

one would think that none who came thither would ever

attempt to go back. Yet some forsake the place—

(Bunyan’s House of Lebanon).

[81] The Delectable Mountains, as seen at a distance,

represent those distinct views of the privileges and consolations, attainable in this  life, with which believers are

sometimes favoured. This is the pre-eminent advantage of

Christian communion, and can only be enjoyed at some

special seasons, when the Sun of Righteousness shines

upon the soul—(Scott).

[82] Thus it is, after a pilgrim has been favoured with

any special and peculiar blessings, there is danger of his

being puffed up by them, and exalted on account of them;

so was even holy Paul; therefore, the messenger of Satan

was permitted to buffet him (2 Cor. 3:7)—(Mason). We are

not told here what these slips were; but when Christian

narrates the battle to Hopeful, he lets us into the secret-

“These three villains,” Faint-heart, Mistrust, and Guilt,

“set upon me, and I beginning, like a Christian, to resist,

they gave but a call, and in came their master. I would, as

the saying is, have given my life for a penny, but that, as

God would have it, I was clothed with armour of proof.”

In the Second Part, Great-heart attributed the sore combat

with Apollyon to have arisen from “the fruit of those slips

that he got in going down the hill.” Great enjoyments

need the most prayerful watchfulness in going down from

them, lest those three villains cause us to slip. Christian’s

heavenly enjoyment in the communion of saints was followed by his humbling adventures in the valley-a needful

proof of Divine love to his soul. “Whom the Lord loveth

He chasteneth”—(ED). “A broken heart, O God, Thou wilt

not despise.” Has He given it to thee, my reader? Then He

has given thee a cabinet to hold His grace in. True, it is

painful now, it is sorrowful, it bleeds, it sighs, it sobs,

well, very well; all this is because He has a mind that thou 84

mayest rejoice in Heaven—(Bunyan’s Acceptable Sacrifice).

[83] “No armour for his back”; to desist is inevitable

ruin. He sees no safety except in facing his enemy. Fear

itself creates additional courage, and induces him to stand

his ground—(Drayton).

[84] The description of Apollyon is terrible. This

dreadful imagery is collected from various parts of Scripture, where the attributes of the most terrible animals are

given him; the attributes of leviathan, the dragon, the lion,

and the bear; to denote his strength, his pride, his rage, his

courage, and his cruelty—(Andronicus).

[85] In our days, when emigration is so encouraged

by the state, it may be difficult for some youthful readers

to understand this argument  of Apollyon’s. In Bunyan’s

time, every subject was deemed to be Crown property,

and no one dared depart the realm without a license.

Thus, when Cromwell and his heroes had hired ships, and

were ready to start for America, Charles II providentially

detained them, to work out the great Revolution—(ED).

[86] Promises or vows, whether made by us or by

others on our behalf, before we possessed powers of reason or reflection, cannot be binding. The confirmation or

rejection  of  all  vows  made  by  or  for  us  in  our  nonage,

should, on arriving at years of discretion, be our deliberate choice, for we must recollect that no personal dedication can be acceptable to God unless it is the result of solemn inquiry—(ED).

[87] Mark the subtlety of this gradation in temptation.

The profits of the world and pleasures of sin are held out

as allurements. The apostasy of others suggested. The

difficulties, dangers, and sufferings of the Lord’s people,

are contrasted with the prosperity of sinners. The recollections of our sins and backslidings, under a profession of

religion. The supposition that all our profession is

founded in pride and vain-glory. All backed by our own

consciences; as if Apollyon straddled quite across the

way, and stopped us from going on—(Andronicus).

[88]  This  dialogue  is  given,  in  different  words,  in  the

Jerusalem Sinner Saved, Volume 1, pages 79, 80. Satan is

loath to part with a great sinner. What, my true servant,

quoth he, my old servant, wilt thou forsake me now? Having so often sold thyself to me to work wickedness, wilt

thou forsake me now? Thou horrible wretch, dost not

know that thou hast sinned thyself beyond the reach of

grace, and dost thou think  to find mercy now? Art not

thou a murderer, a thief, a harlot, a witch, a sinner of the

greatest size, and dost thou look for mercy now? Dost

thou think that Christ will foul His fingers with thee? It is

enough  to  make  angels  blush,  saith  Satan,  to  see  so  vile  a

one knock at Heaven’s gates for mercy, and wilt thou be

so abominably bold to do it? Thus Satan dealt with me,

says the great sinner, when at first I came to Jesus Christ.

And what did you reply? saith the tempted. Why, I

granted the whole charge to be true, says the other. And

what, did you despair, or how? No, saith he, I said, I am

Magdalene, I am Zaccheus, I am the thief, I am the harlot,

I am the publican, I am the prodigal, and one of Christ’s

murderers-yea, worse than any of these; and yet God was

so far off from rejecting of me, as I found afterwards, that

there was music and dancing in His house for me, and for

joy that I was come home unto Him. When Satan charged

Luther with a long list of crimes, he replied, This is all

true; but write another line at the bottom, “The blood of

Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin”—(ED).

[89] The devil is that great and dogged leviathan, that

“spreadeth sharp pointed things upon the mire” (Job

40:30). For be the spreading nature of our corruptions

never so broad, he will find sharp pointed things enough

to stick in the mire of them for our affliction; they are

called fiery darts, and he has abundance of them with

which he can and will sorely prick and wound our spirits—(Bunyan on Christ’s Love, vol. 2, p. 65).

[90] When infidel thoughts prevail, so that doubts of

the truth of Scripture take hold of the mind, the sword of

the Spirit flies out of the hand. Unarmed before a ferocious enemy, it was an awful moment; but God revives

his faith in the Divine Word, he recovers his sword, and

gives his enemy a deadly plunge-I shall rise—(Drayton).

[91] “For a season,” is only found in the first edition.

These words may have been omitted, in Bunyan’s subsequent editions, by a typographical error, or have been

struck out by him. My impression is, that they were left

out by the printer in error;  because, in the Second Part,

when the pilgrims pass the spot and talk of the battle, we

are told that “when Apollyon was beat, he made his retreat to the next valley.” And there poor Christian was

awfully beset with him again—(ED).

[92] You will find, from the perusal of Bunyan’s own

spiritual life, that he has here brought together, in the assault of Apollyon upon Christian, many of the most

grievous temptations with which his own soul was beset,

as also, in Christian’s answers against them, the very

method of defence which he himself was taught by Divine

grace in the midst of the conflict. It is here condensed into

a narrow and vivid scene, but it extended over years of

Bunyan’s life; and the wisdom that is in it, and the points

of experience illustrated, were the fruit of many months of

painfulness, danger, and desperate struggle with the adversary, which he had to go through—(Cheever).

[93] The literal history of this terrific conflict may be

found in Bunyan’s experience recorded in Grace Abounding, (Nos. 131-173), when he recovered his sword, and put

his enemy to flight. He describes his agonies in the combat as if he were being racked upon the wheel, and states

that it lasted for about a year. Floods of blasphemies were

poured in upon him, but he was saved from utter despair,

because they were loathsome to him. Dr. Cheever eloquently says, “What made the fight a thousand times

worse for poor Christian was, that many of these hellish

darts were tipped, by Apollyon’s malignant ingenuity,

with sentences from Scripture”; so that Christian thought

the Bible was against him. One of these fiery darts penetrated his soul with the awful words, “no place for repentance”; and another with, “hath never forgiveness.” The

recovery of his sword was by a heavenly suggestion that

He BEGIN did not “refuse him that speaketh”; new vigour was communicated. “When I fall, I SHALL arise,” was

a home-thrust at Satan; who left him, richly to enjoy the

consolations of the Gospel after this dreadful battle—

(ED).

[94] By “leaves” here (Rev. 22: 2), we are to understand the blessed and precious promises, consolations,

and encouragements, that, by  virtue of Christ, we find

everywhere growing on the new covenant, which will be

handed freely to the wounded conscience that is tossed on

the reckless waves of doubt and unbelief. Christ’s leaves 85

are better than Adam’s aprons. He sent His Word, and

healed them—(Bunyan’s Holy City).

[95] However terrible these conflicts are, they are

what every Christian pilgrim has to encounter that is determined to win Heaven. Sin and death, reprobates and

demons, are against him. The Almighty, all good angels

and men, are for him. Eternal life is the reward. Be not

discouraged, young Christian! “If God be for us, who can

be against us?” We shall come off more than conquerors,

through him that hath loved us. Equal to our day so shall

be our strength. The enemies had a special check from our

Lord, while Mr. Fearing passed through. “Though death

and hell obstruct the way The meanest saint shall win the

day”—(ED).

[96] “Desired Heaven,” in  some  of  Bunyan’s  editions—(ED).

[97] The ditch on the right hand is error in principle,

into which the blind, as to spiritual truth, fall. The ditch

on the left hand means outward sin and wickedness,

which many fall into. Both are alike dangerous to pilgrims: but the Lord “will keep the feet of his saints” (1

Sam. 2:9)—(Mason). Dr. Dodd considers that by the deep

ditch is intended “presumptuous hopes,” and the no less

dangerous quag to be “despairing fears”—(ED).

[98] The sight of an immortal soul in peril of its eternal interests, beset with enemies, engaged in a desperate

conflict, with hell opening her mouth before, and fiends

and temptations pressing after, is a sublime and awful

spectacle. Man cannot aid him; all his help is in God only-

(Cheever).

[99] And as for the secrets of Satan, such as are suggestions to question the being of God, the truth of His

Word, and to be annoyed with devilish blasphemies, none

are more acquainted with these than the biggest sinners at

their conversion; wherefore thus also they are prepared to

be helps in the church to relieve and comfort others-

(Jerusalem Sinner Saved, vol. 1, p. 80). See also a very interesting debate upon this subject in Come and Welcome

to Jesus Christ, volume 1, page 250. O, no one knows the

terrors of these days but myself—(Grace Abounding, Nos.

100-102). Satan and his angels trouble his head with their

stinking breath. How many  strange, hideous, and amazing blasphemies have some, that are coming to Christ, had

injected upon their spirits against Him—(Christ a Complete Saviour, vol. 1, p. 209). He brought me up also out of

a horrible pit; a pit of noise of devils, and of my heart answering them with distrust and fear—(Saint’s Knowledge

of Christ’s Love).

[100] The experience of other saints is very encouraging; for the soul finds that others have gone before him in

dreadful, dark, and dreary paths—(Mason).

[101] To walk in darkness, and not be distressed for

it, argues stupidity of the soul. To have the light of God’s

countenance shine upon us, and not to rejoice and be

thankful for it, is impossible—(Mason).

[102] I would not be too confident, but I apprehend

that  by  this  second  part  of  the  valley  we  are  taught  that

believers are not most in danger when under the deepest

distress; that the snares and devices of the enemy are so

many and various, through the several stages of our pilgrimage, as to baffle all description; and that all the emblems of these valleys could not represent the thousandth

part of them. Were it not that the Lord guides His people

by the light of His Word and Spirit, they never could possibly escape them—(Scott).

[103] The wicked spirits have made and laid for us

snares, pits, holes, and what not, if peradventure by something we may be destroyed. Yea, and we should most

certainly be so, were it not for the Rock that is higher than

they—(Bunyan’s Saints’ Knowledge of Christ’s Love, vol.

2, p. 8).

[104] Alas, my dear country! I would to God it could

not be said to thee, since the departure of paganism and

popery, “The blood of the poor innocents is found in thy

skirts, not by a secret search, but upon thy kings, princes,

priests, and prophets” (Jer. 2:34, 26). Let us draw a veil

over the infamy of PROTESTANT PERSECUTION, and

bless Jehovah, who has broken the arrow and the bow—

(Andronicus). It may be questioned whether popery may

not yet so far recover its vigour as to make one more

alarming struggle against vital Christianity, before that

Man of Sin be finally destroyed. Our author, however, has

described no other persecution than what Protestants, in

his time, carried on against one another with very great

alacrity-(Scott).

[105] The quaint and pithy point of this passage

stamps it as one of Bunyan’s most felicitous descriptions.

We who live in a later age may, indeed, suspect that he

has somewhat antedated the death of Pagan, and the impotence of Pope; but his picture of their cave and its memorials, his delineation of the survivor of this fearful pair,

rank among those master-touches which have won such

lasting honour for his genius—(Bernard Barton).

[106] Christian having passed the gloomy whirlwind

of temptation to despair, now walks in the light of the Sun

of Righteousness, through the second part of the valley.

There he encounters the persecution of the state church.

Act after act of Parliament had been passed-full of atrocious penalties, imprisonments, transportation, and hanging-to deter poor pilgrims from the way to Zion. “The

way was full of snares, traps, gins, nets, pitfalls, and deep

holes.” Had the darkness of mental anguish been added

to these dangers, he must have perished. The butcheries

of Jefferies strewed the way with blood, bones, ashes, and

mangled bodies of pilgrims. Pope reared his ugly head,

and growled out, “More of  you must be burned.” The

desolating tyranny of the church was curbed by the King’s

turning papist, which paved  the way for the glorious

Revolution of 1688. It appears from the Grace Abounding,

that to the time of Bunyan’s imprisonment for preaching

the Gospel, he was involved frequently in deeplydistressing spiritual darkness; but, from his entering the

prison, be walked in the light of God’s countenance to his

dying day—(ED).

[107] We are now to be introduced to a new pilgrim,

and Christian is no more to go on his way alone. The

sweet Christian communion depicted in this book forms

one of the most delightful features in it, and Faithful and

Hopeful are both of them portraits that stand out in as

firm relief as that of Christian himself. Faithful is the Martyr Pilgrim, who goes in a chariot of fire to Heaven, and

leaves Christian alone; Hopeful springs, as it were, out of

Faithful’s ashes, and supplies his place all along the remainder of the pilgrimage. The communion between

these loving Christians, their sympathy and share in each

other’s distresses, their mutual counsels and encouragements, temptations and dangers, experience and disci-86

pline, their united joys and sorrows, and their very passing of the river of death together, form the sweetest of all

examples of the true fellowship of saints, united to the

same Saviour, made to drink into the same Spirit, baptized with the same sufferings, partakers of the same consolations, crowned with the same crown of life, entering

together upon glory everlasting—(Cheever). The author

has displayed great skill in introducing a companion to

his Pilgrim in this place. Thus far the personal adventures

of Christian had been of the most extraordinary kind, and

sufficient of themselves to  exercise the reader’s sympathies for him; but these feelings would have languished

from weariness, however intensely the sequel might have

been wrought, had attention been claimed for a solitary

wanderer to the end of the journey. Here then the history,

which had probably reached its climax in the preceding

scenes, revives, by taking a new form, and exciting a fresh

interest, rather doubled than divided, though two have

thenceforward to share it instead of one. Besides, the individual experience of one man, however varied, would not

have been sufficient to exemplify all the most useful lessons of the Gospel, unless the trials of many persons, of

different age, sex, and disposition, were interwoven. The

instance at hand will illustrate this point—(Montgomery).

[108] Ah, what a smile was that! How much sin was

there in it, instead of humble spiritual gratitude, and joy.

Now see how he that exalteth himself shall be abased, and

how surely, along with spiritual pride, comes carelessness, false security, and a grievous fall—(Cheever). The

very person’s hand we need to help us, whom we thought

we had exceeded—(Mason). When a consciousness of

superiority to other Christians leads to vain glory, a fall

will be the consequence; but while it excites compassion,

it also cements Christian friendship—(Ivimey).

[109] Mr. Anything became a brisk man in the broil;

but both sides were against him, because he was true to

none. He had, for his malapertness, one of his legs broken,

and he that did it wished it had been his neck—(Holy

War).

 [110] “I trow,” I believe or imagine (Imp. Dict.)—

(ED).

[111] If the experience of Christian is an exhibition of

Bunyan’s own feelings, the temptations of Madam Wanton are very properly laid in the way of Faithful, and not

of Christian. She would have had no chance with the man

who admired the wisdom of God in making him shy of

women, who rarely carried  it pleasantly towards a

woman, and who abhorred the common salutation of

women—(Grace Abounding, No. 316)-ED.

[112] “All” is omitted from every edition by Bunyan,

except the first; probably a typographical error.

[113] An awful slavery! “None that go unto her return again, neither take they hold of the paths of life”

(Prov. 2:19)-(ED).

[114] That sinner who never had a threatening fiery

visit from Moses, is yet asleep in his sins, under the curse

and wrath of the law of God—(C.C.V.G.).

[115] As the law giveth no strength, nor life to keep it,

so it accepteth none of them that are under it. Sin and Die,

is forever its language. There is no middle way in the law.

It hath not ears to hear, nor heart to pity, its penitent ones-

(Bunyan on Justification, vol. 1, p. 316).

[116] The delineation of this character is a masterly

grouping together of the arguments used by men of this

world against religion, in ridicule and contempt of it.

Faithful’s account of him, and of his arguments, is a piece

of vigorous satire, full of truth and life—(Cheever).

[117] Nothing can be a stronger proof that we have

lost the image of God, than  shame concerning the things

of  God.  This  shame,  joined  to  the  fear  of  man,  is  a  very

powerful enemy to God’s truths, Christ’s glory, and our

soul’s comfort. Better at once get out of our pain, by declaring boldly for Christ and His cause, than stand shivering on the brink of profession, ever dreading the loss of

our good name and reputation: for Christ says (awful

words): “Whosoever shall be ashamed of Me and of My

words, in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him

also shall the Son of man be ashamed when He cometh in

the glory of His Father” (Mark 8:38). It is one thing to be

attacked by shame, and another to be conquered by it—

(Mason).

[118] Christian in a great measure escaped the peculiar temptations that assaulted Faithful, yet he sympathized with him; nor did the latter deem the gloomy experiences of his brother visionary or imaginative, though

he had been exempted from them. One man, from a complication of causes, is exposed to temptations of which

another is ignorant; and in this case he needs much sympathy, which he seldom meets with; while they, who are

severe on him are liable to be baffled in another way,

which, for want of coincidence in habit, temperature, and

situation,  he  is  equally  prone  to  disregard.  Thus  Christians are often led reciprocally to censure, suspect, or dislike each other, on those very grounds which would render them useful and encouraging counsellors and companions!—(Scott).

[119] Bunyan, in his Pilgrim’s Progress, places the

Valley of the Shadow of Death, not where we should expect it, at the end of Christian’s pilgrimage, but about the

middle of it. Those who have studied the history of Bunyan and his times will hardly wonder at this. It was then

safer to commit felony than to become a Dissenter. Indeed, a felon was far surer of a fair trial than any Dissenting minister, after the restoration of Charles II. This Bunyan found. Simply and solely for preaching, he was condemned by Keeling to imprisonment. That was to be followed by banishment if he did not conform, and, in the

event of his return from banishment without license from

the King, the judge added, “You must stretch by the neck

for it; I tell you plainly.” Christian endured, in the first

portion of this dismal valley, great darkness and distress

of mind about his soul’s safety for eternity; and, in the

latter part of the valley, the dread of an ignominious, and

cruel, and sudden execution in the midst of his days-a fear

more appalling than the prospect of a natural death. This

he was enabled to bear, because he then enjoyed the light,

the presence, and the approbation of his God—(ED).

[120] The character now introduced under a most expressive name, is an admirable portrait, drawn by a masterly hand, from some striking original, but exactly resembling numbers in every  age and place, where the

truths of the Gospel are generally known. Such men are

more conspicuous than humble believers, but their profession will not endure a strict investigation—(Scott).

Reader, be careful not to judge harshly, or despise a real

believer, who is blessed with fluency of utterance on Divine subjects—(ED). 87

[121] As an outward profession, without a holy life, is

no evidence of religion, neither are excellent gifts any

proof that the persons who possess them are partakers of

grace: so it is an awful fact, that some have edified the

church by their gifts, who have themselves been destitute

of the spirit of life—(Ivimey). I concluded, a little grace, a

little love, a little of the true fear of God, is better than all

gifts—(Grace Abounding).

[122] The Pharisee goes on boldly, fears nothing, but

trusteth in himself that his  state is good; he hath his

mouth full of many fine things, whereby he strokes himself over the head, and calls himself one of God’s white

boys, that, like the Prodigal’s brother, never transgressed-

(Pharisee and Publican, vol. 2, p. 215).

[123] Talkative seems to have been introduced on

purpose that the author might have a fair opportunity of

stating his sentiments concerning the practical nature of

evangelical religion, to which numbers in his day were

too inattentive; so that this admired allegory has fully

established the important distinction between a dead and

a living faith, on which the whole controversy depends-

(Scott). “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of

angels, and have not charity, I am as sounding brass or a

tinkling cymbal” (1 Cor. 13:1). Just thus it is with him who

has gifts, but wants grace. Shall I be proud, because I am

sounding brass? Is it so much to be a fiddle? Hath not the

least creature that hath life, more of God in it than

these?—(Grace Abounding, No. 297-300). Some professors

are pretty busy and ripe, able to hold you in a very large

discourse of the glorious Gospel; but, if you ask them concerning heart work, and its sweet influences and virtues

on their souls and consciences, they may answer, I find by

preaching that I am turned from my sins in a good measure, and have learned [in tongue] to plead for the Gospel.

This is not far enough to prove them under the covenant

of grace—(Law and Grace, vol. 1, p. 515).

[124] Read this, and tremble, ye whose profession lies

only on your tongue, but who never knew the love and

grace of Christ in your souls. O how do you trifle with the

grace of God, with precious Christ, and with the holy

Word of truth! O what an awful account have you to give

hereafter to a holy, heart-searching God! Ye true pilgrims

of Jesus, read this, and give glory to your Lord, for saving

you from resting in barren notions, and taking up with

talking of truths; and that he has given you to know the

truth in its power, to embrace it in your heart, and to live

and walk under its constraining, sanctifying influences.

Who made you to differ?—(Mason).

[125] This spiritual application of the law of Moses is

found in the narrative of Bunyan’s experience in the Grace

Abounding, (No. 71): “I was also made, about this time, to

see something concerning the beasts that Moses counted

clean and unclean. I thought  those beasts were types of

men: the clean, types of them that were the people of God;

but the unclean, types of such as were the children of the

wicked one. Now, I read, that the clean beasts chewed the

cud;  that  is,  thought  I,  they  show  us  we  must  feed  upon

the Word of God; they also parted the hoof, I thought that

signified we must part, if we would be saved with the

ways of ungodly men.”

[126] True faith will ever show itself by its fruits; real

conversion, by the life and conversation. Be not deceived;

God is not to be mocked with the tongue, if the heart is

not right towards Him in love and obedience—(Mason).

[127] This distinction between speaking against sin,

and feeling a hatred to it, is so vastly important, that it

forms the only infallible test to distinguish between those

who are “quickened” by the Spirit of God, and those who

“have a name to live and are dead.” It is a very awful

statement, but, it is to be feared, strictly correct, that ministers may declaim against sin in the pulpit, who yet indulge it in the parlour. There may be much head knowledge, where there is no heart religion—(Ivimey).

[128] Christian faithfulness detects mere talkatives,

and they complain, “in so saying thou condemnest us

also”; they will bear no longer, but seek refuge under

more comfortable preachers, or in more candid company,

and represent those faithful monitors as censorious, peevish, and melancholy men-lying at the catch—(Scott).

[129] In the Jerusalem Sinner Saved, Bunyan explains

his meaning of “lying at the catch” in these solemn words,

referring to those who abide in sin, and yet expect to be

saved by grace: “Of this sort are they that build up Zion

with blood, and Jerusalem with iniquity; that judge for

reward, and teach for hire, and divine for money, and

lean upon the Lord (Micah 3:10, 11). This is doing things

with a high hand against the Lord our God, and a taking

Him,  as  it  were,  at  the  catch!  This  is,  as  we  say  among

men,  to  seek  to  put  a  trick  upon  God,  as  if  He  had  not

sufficiently fortified his proposals of grace by his Holy

Word, against all such kind of fools as these”—(Vol. 1, p.

93).

 [130] Blessed faithful dealing! O that it were more

practised in the world, and in the church! How then

would vain talkers be detected in the one, and driven out

of the other—(Mason).

[131] Heart searching, soul examining, and close

questioning of the conduct of life, will not do with talkative professors. Ring a peal on the doctrines of grace, and

many will chime in with you; but speak closely how grace

operates upon the heart, and influences the life to follow

Christ in self-denying obedience, they cannot bear it; they

are offended with you, and will turn away from you, and

call you legal—(Mason).

[132] I observe that, as there are trees wholly noble, so

there are also their semblance; not right, but ignoble.

There is the grape, and the wild grape; the rose, and the

canker rose; the apple and the crab. Now, fruit from these

wild trees, however it may please children to play with,

yet the prudent count it of no value. There are also in the

world a generation of professors that bring forth nothing

but wild olive berries; saints only before men, devils and

vipers at home; saints in word, but sinners in heart and

life. Well, saith God, this profession is but a cloak: I will

loose the reins of this man, and give him up to his own

vile affections. “I will answer him by Myself” (Ezek. 14:7).

Thou art too hard for the church: she knows not how to

deal with thee. Well, I will  deal with that man Myself-

(Bunyan’s Barren Fig-tree).

[133] Where the heart is rotten, it will ward off conviction, turn from a faithful reprover, condemn him, and

justify itself. Faithful dealing will not do for unfaithful

souls. Mind not that, but be faithful to the truth—(Mason).

[134] How they rejoiced again to meet Evangelist, and

listen to his encouraging and animating exhortations; of

which, as they were now near the great town of Vanity

Fair, they would stand in special need. Indeed, it was to

forewarn them of what they were to meet with there, and 88

to exhort them, amidst all persecutions, to quit themselves

like men, that Evangelist now came to them. His voice, so

solemn and deep, yet so  inspiring and animating,

sounded like the tones of a trumpet on the eve of battle—

(Cheever).

[135] The pilgrims are now about to enter upon a new

era-to leave their privacy in the wilderness, and commence a more public scene-perhaps alluding to Bunyan’s

being publicly set apart to the work of the ministry. It was

in the discharge of these public duties that he was visited

with such severe persecution. This interview with Evangelist reminds one of the setting apart of Dissenting ministers. It is usual, on these occasions, for the Christians

entering on such important duties, to give a short account

of what “had happened in the way,” and their reasons for

hoping that they were called by God to the work. They

receive the advice of their ministering elder, and the pastor prays for their peace and prosperity. Evangelist’s address would make a good outline of an ordination sermon. Bunyan’s account of his being thus set apart in 1656

(with seven other members of the same church) is narrated in Grace Abounding, Nos. 266-270. The second address of Evangelist peculiarly relates to the miseries endured by Nonconformist ministers in the reign of Charles

II—(ED).

[136] Shall the world venture their soul’s ruin for a

poor corruptible crown; and shall not we venture the loss

of a few trifles for an eternal crown? Shall they venture

the loss of eternal life for communion with base, drunken,

covetous wretches; and shall we not labour as hard, run as

fast, nay, a hundred times more diligently, for such glorious and eternal friends as God to love, Christ to redeem,

the Holy Spirit to comfort, and saints and angels in

Heaven for company? Shall it be said at the last day, that

the wicked made more haste to hell than you to Heaven?

O let it not be so, but run with all might and main! They

that will have Heaven must run for it, because the devil

will follow them. There is never a poor soul that is gone to

it, but he is after that soul. And I assure them the devil is

nimble; he is light of foot,  and can run apace. He hath

overtaken many, tripped up their heels, and given them

an everlasting fall-(Heavenly Footman).

[137] Bunyan illustrates the care of Christ for his afflicted ones with striking simplicity. “I love to play the

child with children. I have met with a child that had a sore

finger, so that it was useless. Then have I said, Shall we

cut off this finger, and buy my child a better, a brave

golden  finger?  At  this  he  started,  and  felt  indignation

against me. Now, if a child has such tenderness for a useless member, how much more tender is the Son of God to

his afflicted members?”—(Saint’s Privilege, vol. 1, p. 674).

The text here quoted forms  the foundation of Bunyan’s

admirable Advice to Sufferers, in which he delightfully

dwells upon the topics which Evangelist addresses to the

Pilgrims, when on the verge of bitter persecution—(ED).

[138] Vanity Fair is the City of Destruction in its gala

dress, in its most seductive and sensual allurements. It is

this world in miniature, with its various temptations.

Hitherto we have observed the pilgrims by themselves, in

loneliness, in obscurity, in the hidden life and experience

of the people of God. The allegory thus far has been that

of the soul, amidst its spiritual enemies, toiling towards

Heaven; now there comes a scene more open, tangible,

external; the allurements of the world are to be presented,

with the manner in which the true pilgrim conducts himself amidst them. It was necessary that Bunyan should

show his pilgrimage in its external as well as its secret

spiritual conflicts; it was necessary that he should draw

the contrast between the pursuits and deportment of the

children of this world and the children of light; that he

should show how a true pilgrim appears, and is likely to

be regarded, who, amidst the world’s vanities, lives above

the world, is dead to it, and walks through it as a stranger

and a pilgrim towards Heaven—(Cheever).

[139] A just description of this wicked world. How

many, though they profess to be pilgrims, have never yet

set one foot out of this fair; but live in it all the year round!

They “walk according to the course  of  this  world”  (Eph.

2:2); for “the god of this world hath blinded their minds”

(1 Cor. 4:4). But all those for whose sins Jesus hath died

“He delivers from this present evil world” (Gal. 1:4). You

cannot be a pilgrim, if you are not delivered from this

world and its vanities; for if you love the world, if it has

your supreme affections, the love of God is not in you, (1

John 2:15); you have not one grain of precious faith in

precious Jesus—(Mason).

[140] Mr. James, who, in 1815, published the “Pilgrim” in verse, conjectures that Bunyan’s description of

the Fair arose from his having been at Sturbridge Fair,

near Cambridge. It was thus described in 1786-”The shops

or  booths  are  built  in  rows  like  streets,  having  each  its

name; as Garlick Row, Bookseller’s Row, Cook Row, &c.

Here are all sorts of traders, who sell by wholesale or retail; as goldsmith’s toymen, braziers, turners, milliners,

haberdashers, hatters, mercers, drapers, pewterers, china

warehouses, and in a word, most trades that can be found

in London. Here are also taverns, coffee-houses, and eating-houses, in great plenty. The chief diversions are puppets, rope-dancing, and music booths. To this Fair, people

from Bedfordshire and the adjoining counties still resort.

Similar kinds of fairs are now kept at Frankfort and Leipzig. These mercantile fairs were very injurious to morals;

but not to the extent of debauchery and villainy, which

reign in our present annual fairs, near the metropolis and

large cities.” See an account of this fair in Hone’s Year

Book, page 1538—(ED). Our author evidently designed to

exhibit in his allegory the grand outlines of the difficulties, temptations, and sufferings, to which believers are

exposed in this evil world; which, in a work of this nature,

must  be  related  as  if  they  came  upon  them  one  after  another in regular succession; though in actual experience

several may meet together, many may molest the same

person again and again, and  some harass him in every

stage of his journey. We should, therefore, singly consider

the instruction conveyed by every allegorical incident,

without measuring our experience, or calculating our

progress, by comparing them with circumstances which

might be reversed or altered with almost endless variety.

In general, Vanity Fair represents the wretched state of

things in those populous places especially, where true

religion is neglected and persecuted; and, indeed, “in the

whole world lying in wickedness,” as distinguished from

the church of “redeemed sinners”—(Scott).

[141] Christ wiI1 not allow his followers to bury their

talent in the earth, or to  put their light under a bushel;

they are not to go out of the world, or to retire into cloisters, monasteries, or deserts; but they MUST all go

through this fair. Thus our Lord endured all the tempta-89

tions and sufferings of this evil world, without being impeded or entangled by them, or stepping in the least aside

to avoid them; and he was exposed to greater enmity and

contempt than any of His followers—(Scott).

[142] The world will seek to keep you out of Heaven

with mocks, flouts, taunts, threatenings, jails, gibbets, halters, burnings, and deaths. There ever was enmity between the seed of the serpent and the seed of the woman,

and no endeavours can reconcile them. The world says,

They will never come over to us; and we again say, By

God’s grace we will not go over to them.

[143] Holy Hunt of Hitchin, as he was called, a friend

of Bunyan’s, passing the market-place where mountebanks were performing, one cried after him, “Look there,

Mr. Hunt! Turning his head  another way, he replied,

“Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity”—(Ivimey).

[144] An odd reply. What do they mean? That they

are neither afraid nor ashamed to own what was the one

subject of their souls’ pursuit-the truth. Understand

hereby, that the whole world, which lieth in wickedness,

is deceived by a lie, and is under the delusion of the father

of lies. In opposition to this, all believers in Christ are said

to be of the truth (1 John 3:19). They know and believe

that capital truth with which God spake from Heaven,

“This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased”

(Matt. 3:17). This truth-that Jesus is the Son of God, and

our only Saviour-lies at the foundation of all their hope;

and to get more and more acquainted with Him, is the

grand object of their pursuits. For this the world hates

them; and Satan, who is an enemy to this truth, stirs up

the world against them. “For,” says our Lord, “they are

not of the world, even as I am not of the world” (John

17:16)—(Mason).

[145] In 1670, the town porters of Bedford being

commanded to assist in a brutal attack upon the Nonconformists, ran away, saying, “They would be hanged,

drawn, and quartered, before  they would assist in that

work”; for which cause the justices committed two of

them (which they could take) to the jail. The shops were

shut up, so that it seemed like a place visited with the

pest, where usually is written upon the door, “Lord, have

mercy upon us!”—(Narrative of Proceedings against

Nonconformists, p. 5. 4to, 1670).

[146] This is a true representation of what took place

in England in Bunyan’s time. It was a disgrace to our nation, that Englishmen, urged on by a fanatic church,

treated two young and interesting women with a barbarity that would make savages (so called) blush. It was at

Carlisle that two female pilgrims, Dorothy Waugh and

Ann Robinson, were dragged through the streets, with

each  an  iron  instrument  of torture, called a bridle, upon

their heads; and were treated with gross indecency—(ED).

[147] The great object of the Gospel is to fit man for

his active duties in this world, and prepare him for heavenly enjoyments in the world to come. Not like those lazy

creeping things that shut themselves up in nunneries or

monasteries to avoid the temptations and troubles, the

resistance or hearing of which glorifies God. Christians

are to be as lights-not hid under a bushel but seen of all

men. The prayer of their Lord was and is, not that they

should be taken out of the world, but kept from its evil

contaminations—(ED).

[148] In Bunyan’s account  of his imprisonment, he

closes it with these words-”Thus have I, in short, declared

the manner and occasion of my being in prison; where I

lie waiting the good will of God to do with me as He

pleaseth; knowing that not one hair of my head can fall to

the ground without the will  of my Father which is in

Heaven. Let the rage and malice of men be ever so great,

they can do no more, nor go any further, than God permits them. When they have done their worst, “we know

that all things work together for good to them that love

God” (Rom. 8:28).

[149] The description of the process against the pilgrims, is framed in such a manner as emphatically to expose the secret reasons which influence men thus to persecute their innocent neighbours. The very names employed declare the several corrupt principles of the heart

from whence this atrocious conduct results—(Scott).

[150] This is one of Satan’s lies, much used by his emissaries, to the present day. A Christian fears God, and

honours the king; he renders unto civil government that

which belongs to civil and temporal things, but he dares

not render unto Caesar the things that belong to God; and

for thus righteously doing he is called disloyal—(ED).

[151] Superstition, or false devotion, is a most bitter

enemy to Christ’s truth and his followers. This fellow’s

evidence is very true; for as  the lawyer said of Christ’s

doctrine, “Master, thus saying, thou reproachest us also”

(Luke 11:45). So false worshippers, who rest in forms, and

rites, and shadows, are stung to the quick at those who

worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have

no confidence in the flesh; such a conduct pours the utmost contempt upon all the will-worship, and doctrines,

and superstition of carnal men—(Mason). With such, traditions, human inventions, forms, and externals, appear

venerable and sacred; and they are mistaken with pertinacious ignorance for the substance of religion. What is

pompous and burdensome appears to such men meritorious; and the excitement of mere natural passions, as at a

tragedy, is falsely deemed a needful help to true devotion.

Their zeal hardens their hearts, and causes bitter rage,

enmity, and calumny, against the pious Christians—

(Scott).

[152] As soon as the poor sinner says, “O Lord our

God, other lords beside Thee have had dominion over us:

but by Thee only will we make mention of Thy name”

(Isa. 26:13), your officious Pickthanks are always ready to

bear testimony against him; and a blessed testimony this

is; it is well worth living to gain, and dying in the cause

of. If we are real disciples of Christ, we shall, as He did,

testify of the world that the works thereof are evil, and the

world will hate us for His sake (John 7:7)—(Mason). Pickthank has no real principle, but puts on zeal for any party

that will promote his interests; he inwardly despises both

the superstitious and the spiritual worshipper-(Scott).

[153] This is the Christian’s plea and glory. While he

knows “the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel” (Prov.

12:10), yet he also knows that the “merciful kindness of

the Lord is great, and the truth of the Lord endureth forever” (Psa. 118:2)—(Mason).

[154] A more just and keen satirical description of

such legal iniquities can scarcely be imagined, than that

contained in this passage. The statutes and precedents

adduced, with a humorous reference to the style in which

charges are commonly given to juries, show what patterns

persecutors choose to copy, and whose kingdom they

labour to uphold. Nor can any impartial man deny that 90

the inference is fair, which our author meant the reader to

deduce, namely, that nominal Protestants, enacting laws

requiring conformity to their own creeds and forms, and

inflicting punishments on such as peaceably dissent from

them, are actually involved in the guilt of these heathen

persecutors-(Scott).

[155] These words, and this trial, were quoted (January 25, 1848) by the Attorney-General, at Westminster

Hall, in answer to the manner in which Dr. Hampden was

then charged with heresy by the Puseyites—(ED).

[156] If the Lord were to leave us in the hands of men,

we should still find that their tender mercies are cruel.

Such a jury as tried Faithful might be found in every

county of Britain—(Burder). To this may be added, that

the witnesses are still living—(ED).

[157] Nothing can be more masterly than the satire

contained in this trial. The  judge, the witnesses, and the

jury, are portraits sketched to the life, and finished, every

one of them, in quick, concise, and graphic touches; the

ready testimony of Envy is  especially characteristic.

Rather than anything should be wanting that might be

necessary to despatch the prisoner, he would enlarge his

testimony against him to any requisite degree. The language and deportment of the judge are a copy to the life

of some of the infamous judges under King Charles, especially Jefferies. You may find, in the trial of the noble patriot Algernon Sidney, the abusive language of the judge

against Faithful almost word for word. The charge to the

jury, with the Acts and laws on which the condemnation

of the prisoner was founded, wax full of ingenuity and

meaning—(Cheever).

[158] Bunyan gives a good portrait of Faithful in his

Howe of Lebanon, referring to the character of Pomporius

Algerius, mentioned in Fox’s Book of Martyrs. “Was not

this man, think you, a giant? did he not behave himself

valiantly? was not his mind elevated a thousand degrees

beyond sense, carnal reason, fleshly love, and the desires

of embracing temporal things? This man had got that by

the end that pleased Him; neither could all the flatteries,

promises, threats, reproaches, make him once listen to, or

inquire after, what the world, or the glory of it could afford. His mind was captivated with delights invisible. He

coveted to show his love to his Lord, by laying down his

life for His sake. He longed to be where there shall be no

more pain, nor sorrow, nor sighing, nor tears, nor troubles. He was a man of a thousand!” Speaking of the pillars

in that house at Lebanon, he says, “These men had the

faces of lions, they have triumphed in the flames.”

[159] This is a most exquisitely beautiful sketch; it is

drawn  to  the  life  from  many  an  era  of  pilgrimage  in  this

world; there are in it the materials of glory, that constituted spirits of such noble greatness as are catalogued in

the eleventh of Hebrews-traits of cruel mockings and

scourgings, bonds and imprisonments—(Cheever).

[160] Political interests engage ungodly princes to

promote toleration, and chain up the demon of persecution. The cruelties they exercise disgust the people, and

they are disheartened by the ill success of their efforts to

extirpate the hated sect—(Scott).

[161] I have often recorded it with thankfulness, that

though in the dreary day of my pilgrimage, the Lord hath

taken away a dear and faithful Christian friend, yet he has

always raised up another. A very great blessing this, for

which Christians can never be thankful enough—(Mason).

[162] Is not this too much the case with professors of

this day? The Spirit of truth says, “All that will live godly

in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution” (2 Tim. 3:12). But

how many act as if they had found the art of making the

Spirit of truth a liar! for they can so trim and shape their

conduct, as they vainly think to follow Christ, and yet to

keep in with the world, which is at enmity against Him-a

most fatal and soul-deceiving error—(Mason).

[163] What is this something that By-ends knew more

than all the world? How to unite Heaven and hell-how to

serve God and Mammon-how to be a Christian and a

hypocrite at the same time. O the depth of the depravity

of the human heart; alas! how many similar characters

now exist, with two tongues in one mouth, looking one

way and rowing another-(ED).

[164] Fear not, therefore, in her for to abide, She keeps

her ground, come weather,  wind, or tide.—(Bunyan’s

House of God, vol. 2, p. 579). If we will follow Christ, He

tells us that we must take up our cross. The wind sets always on my face; and the foaming rage of the sea of this

world, and the proud and lofty waves thereof do continually beat upon the sides of the bark, or ship, that myself,

my cause, and my followers are in—(Bunyan’s Greatness

of the Soul, vol. 1, p. 107).

[165] Mind how warily these pilgrims acted to this

deceitful professor. They did not too rashly take up an ill

opinion against him; but when they had full proof of what

he was, they did not hesitate one moment, but dealt faithfully with him, and conscientiously withdrew from him-

(Mason). In a letter written in 1661, from Exeter jail, by

Mr. Abraham Chear, a Baptist minister of Plymouth, who

suffered greatly for nonconformity, and at length died in a

state of banishment, there is this remark, “We have many

brought in here daily, who go out again almost as soon,

for a week in a prison tries a professor more than a month

in a church”—(Ivimey).

[166] It might have been supposed that the persons

here introduced were settled inhabitants of the town of

Vanity, or the City of Destruction; but, indeed, they professed themselves pilgrims, and desired, during the “sunshine,” to associate with pilgrims, provided they would

allow them to hold the world, love money, and save all,

whatever became of faith and holiness, of honesty, piety,

truth, and charity?—(Scott).

[167] Pretended friends come with such expostulations as these: Why, dear Sir, will you give such offence?

How much would it be for your comfort and interest in

the world if you would but be a little more complying,

and give way in some particular points and phrases. O

what a syren’s song! May the Lord enable every faithful

servant to reply, “Get thee behind me, Satan”—(J. B.).

[168] These words of Solomon are thus wickedly misapplied by many to the present day. Ecclesiastes 7:16, 17

probably refers to the administration of justice which

should be tempered with mercy, but not with laxity; or it

may refer to the foolish opinions expressed upon the

characters of Pharisee and publican, exalting the one or

decrying the other overmuch. It cannot be meant to censure the utmost efforts after  true righteousness, nor to

sanction the slightest degree of wickedness—(ED).

[169]Woe unto them who wander from the way. Art

bound for hell, against all wind and weather? Or art thou

one agoing backward thither? Or dost thou wink, because

thou would’st not see? Or  dost thou sideling go, and 91

would’st not be Suspected Yet these prophets can thee

tell, Which way thou art agoing down to hell.—(Acts 7:20-

22. Bunyan’s House of God, vol. 2, p. 582).

 [170] Notwithstanding By-ends could be reserved

with faithful pilgrims, yet he can speak out boldly to those

of his own spirit sad character. O the treacherous deceivings of the desperate wickedness of the human heart!

Who can know it? No one but the heart-searching God—

(Mason).

[171] Some men’s hearts are narrow upwards, and

wide downwards: narrow as for God, but wide for the

world. They gape for the one, but shut themselves up

against the other. The heart of a wicked man is widest

downward; but it is not so with the righteous man. His

desires, like the temple Ezekiel saw in the vision, are still

widest upwards, and spread towards Heaven. A full

purse, with a lean soul, is a great curse. Many, while lean

in their estates, had fat souls; but the fattening of their

estates has made their souls as lean as a rake as to good—

(Bunyan’s Righteous Man’s Desires, vol. 1, p. 745).

[172] This dialogue is not in the least more absurd

and selfish than the discourse of many who now attend

on the preaching of the Gospel. If worldly lucre be the

honey, they imitate the bee, and only attend to religion

when they can gain by it; they determine to keep what

they have at any rate, and to get more, if it can be done

without open scandal—(Scott).

[173] There is a fund of satirical humour in the supposed case here very gravely stated; and if the author, in

his accurate observations on mankind, selected his example from among the mercenaries that are the scandal of

the Established Church, her most faithful friends will not

greatly resent this conduct of a dissenter—(Scott). Dr.

Paley would have done well to have read this chapter in

Bunyan before composing some of the chapters in his

Moral Philosophy, and his Sermon on the Utility of Distinctions in the Ministry—(Cheever).

[174] Here is worldly wisdom, infernal logic, and the

sophistry of Satan. We hear this language daily, from

money-loving professors, who are destitute of the power

of faith. But in opposition to all this, the Holy Ghost testifies, “The love of money is the root of all evil” (1 Tim.

6:10), and a covetous man is an idolater (Col. 3:5). Hear

this, and tremble, ye avaricious professors. Remember, ye

followers of the Lamb, ye are called to “let your conversation be without covetousness” (Heb, 13:5); your Lord testifies, “Ye cannot serve God and Mammon” (Luke 16:13)-

(Mason).

 [175] How doth this commend itself to those who

make merchandise of souls. What swarms of such locusts

are there in this day!—(J.B.).

[176] If thou art one who tradeth in both ways: God’s

now,  the  devil’s  then;  or  if  delays  Thou  mak’st  of  coming

to thy God for life; Or if thy light and lusts are at a strife

About who should be master of thy soul, And lovest one,

the other dost control; These prophets tell thee can which

way thou bendest, On which thou frown’st, to which a

hand thou lendest.—(Titus 1:16. See vol. 2, p. 582).

[177] Bunyan, in his Holy Life the Beauty of Christianity, thus addresses such characters: “This is the man

that hath the breath of a dragon; he poisons the air round

about him. This is the man that slays his children, his

kinsmen, his friend, and himself-he that offends God’s

little ones. O the millstone that God will shortly hang

about your neck, when the time is come that you must be

drowned in the sea and deluge of God’s wrath!—(See vol.

2, p. 539). The answer of Christian, though somewhat

rough,  is  so  conclusive  as  to fortify every honest mind

against all the arguments which the whole tribe of timeserving professors ever did, or ever can adduce, in support of their ingenious schemes and insidious efforts to

reconcile religion with covetousness and the love of the

world, or to render it subservient to their secular interests—(Scott).

[178] Here see the blessedness of being mighty in the

Scripture, and the need of that exhortation, “Let the Word

of Christ dwell in you richly” (Col. 3:16). For the Word of

God is quick and powerful, and sharper than a two-edged

sword; it pierces through all the subtle devices of Satan,

and the cunning craftiness of carnal professors; and divideth asunder the carnal reasonings of the flesh, and the

spiritual wisdom which cometh from above.

Teach me, my God and King,  In all things THEE to

see,  And what I do in any thing To do it as for THEE—

(Mason).

[179] The Hill Lucre stands somewhat out of the way,

but temptingly near. They that will profit by the mine

must turn aside for it (Prov. 28:20, 22). Sir J. Mandeville, in

his Travels, says, that in the Vale Perilous is plenty of gold

and silver, and many Christian men go in for the treasure,

but few come out again, for this are strangled of the devil.

But good Christian men, that are stable in the faith, enter

without peril—(ED).

[180] Eve expected some sweet and pleasant sight,

that would tickle and delight her deluded fancy; but, behold sin, and the wrath of God, appear to the shaking of

her heart; and thus, even to this day, doth the devil delude the world. His temptations are gilded with sweet and

fine pretences, that men shall be wiser, richer, more in

favour, live merrier, fare better, or something; and by such

like things the fools are easily allured. But when their eyes

are opened, instead of seeing what the devil falsely told

them, they see themselves involved in wrath—(Bunyan on

Genesis, vol. 2. p. 431).

[181] Here you see the end of double-minded men,

who vainly attempt to temper the love of money with the

love  of  Christ.  They  go  on  with their art for a season, but

the end makes it manifest what they were. Take David’s

advice, “Fret not thyself because of evil-doers” (Psa. 37:1)

“Be not thou afraid when one is made rich, when the

glory of his house is increased” (Psa. 49:16). But go thou

into the sanctuary of thy God, read His Word, and understand the end of these men—(Mason). Often, as the motley reflexes of my experience move in long processions of

manifold groups before me, the distinguished and worldhonoured company of Christian mammonists appear to

the eye of my imagination as a drove of camels heavily

laden, yet all at full speed; and each in the confident expectation of passing through the eye of the needle, without stop or halt, both beasts and baggage—(Coleridge).

[182] I have sometimes wondered at Lot. His wife

looked behind her, and died immediately; but he would

not so much as look behind  him to see her. We do not

read that he did so much as once look where she was, or

what was become of her. His heart was set upon his journey; and well it might. There were the mountains before

him, and the fire and brimstone behind him. His life lay at

stake; and had he looked behind him he had lost it. Do 92

thou so run, and “remember Lot’s wife”—(Bunyan’s

Heavenly Footman).

[183] In former times, the purse was carried hanging

to a girdle round the waist, and great dexterity was requisite to cut and carry it away without the knowledge of the

owner. Public executions for theft had so little effect in

repressing crime, that thefts were committed in sight of,

or even under the gallows—(ED).

[184] Alas! poor pilgrims, like Peter, you soon forgot

the judgment, although your sight of Lot’s wife had so

affected your spirits. How soon yon went into By-path

Meadow! “wherefore, let him that thinketh he standeth,

take heed lest he fall” (1 Cor. 10:12)—(ED).

[185] By this river, which is called “a pure river of

water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne

of God and of the Lamb” (Rev. 22:1), we may understand

clear and comfortable views of God’s everlasting love and

electing grace. They could see in it God’s glory shining in

the face of Jesus Christ, and view their own faces in it, to

their inexpressible joy. This is the river “the streams

whereof make glad the city of God” (Psa. 46:4). The

stream which flow from this  river of electing love, are

vocation to Christ, justification by Christ, sanctification in

Christ, perseverance through  Christ, glorification with

Christ, and all joy and peace in believing on Christ. All

this these pilgrims now enjoyed, and all this every fellowcitizen of the saints is called to enjoy in his pilgrimage to

Zion. God hath chosen us in Christ, and blessed us with

all spiritual blessings in Him. O how happy, peaceful, and

joyful are pilgrims, when the Spirit takes of the things of

Christ, shows them to us, and blesses us with a sense of

interest in all the love of God, and finished salvation of

Jesus!—(Mason).

[186] Blessed state indeed, but of short duration! Too

often these desirable consolations of the Spirit render the

Christian careless and unwatchful—(Burder).

[187] A scene to soothe and calm a mind fretted and

harassed with the cares and turmoils of this every-day

world; a sunny vista into the future, welcome in a weary

hour to the worn spirit, which longs, as for the wings of

the dove, that it may flee away, and be at rest; a glimpse

of Sabbath quietness on earth, given as a pledge and foretaste of the more glorious and eternal Sabbath of

Heaven—(Bernard Barton).

[188] Now had I an evidence, as I thought, of my salvation from Heaven, with many golden seals thereon, all

hanging in my sight. Now could I remember the manifestations of grace with comfort; and longed that the last day

were come, that I might forever be inflamed with the

sight, and joy, and communion with Him, whose soul was

made an offering for my sins. Before this I lay trembling at

the mouth of hell; now I had got so far therefrom that I

could scarce discern it. O, thought I, that I were fourscore

years old, that I might die quickly, and my soul be gone to

rest-(Grace Abounding, No. 128).

[189] They should have said, It is true this way is not

so pleasant as the meadow, but it is the Lord’s way, and

the best, doubtless, for us to travel in. A man speedily

enters into temptation when he becomes discontented

with God’s allotments; then  Satan presents allurements,

and from wishing for a better way, the soul goes into a

worse. The discontented wish is father to a sinful will; I

wish for a better is followed by, I will have a better, and so

the soul goes astray—(Cheever).

[190] The transition into the by-path is easy, for it lies

close to the right way; only you must get over a stile, that

is, you must quit Christ’s imputed righteousness, and

trust in your own inherent righteousness; and then you

are in By-path Meadow directly—(Mason).

[191] The best caution I can give to others, or take

myself, is, not to be guided in matters of faith by men, but

to make the Scriptures our only rule-to look to God for the

teaching of His blessed Spirit, that He may keep our feet

from the ways of death—(J.B.).

 [192] “There is a way that seems right unto a man,

but the end thereof are the ways of death” (Prov. 14:12).

Vain confidence is this very way. O how easy do professors get into it! yea, real pilgrims are prone also to take up

with it, owing to that legality, pride, and selfrighteousness, which work in their fallen mature. See the

end of it, and tremble; for it leads to darkness, and ends in

death. Lord, humble our proud hearts, and empty us of

self-righteousness, pride, and vain confidence—(Mason).

 [193] So, sometimes, real pilgrims take counsel and

example of strangers, of worldly men, and of presumptuous careless persons. Vain confidence is a sad guide anywhere, but especially when one has wandered out of the

way-(Cheever).

[194] If thou be prying into God’s secret decrees, or

entertain questions about nice curiosities, thou mayest

stumble and fall to thine eternal ruin. Take heed of that

lofty spirit, that, devil-like, cannot be content with its own

station-(Heavenly Footman).

[195] The thunder and lightning plainly show that

this by-path leads to Sinai, not to Zion. One step over the

stile, by giving way to a self-righteous spirit, and you enter the territories of despair—(J. B.).

[196] How varied is the experience of a Christian! he

had just before overcome Demas, and conquered By-ends

and his companions; is warned by Lot’s wife, and now

elated with the strength of his principles; boldness takes

the place of caution; he ventures upon an easier path, and

is involved in misery—(ED).

[197] When Bunyan pleaded, so energetically, for the

communion of saints, irrespective of water-baptism, one

of his arguments was, “The strongest may sometimes be

out of the way.” “Receive ye one another as Christ also

received us”—(Vol. 2, p. 610).

[198] Here see, that as Christians are made helpful, so

also, through prevailing corruptions, they are liable to

prove hurtful to each other. But observe how grace works:

it humbles, it makes the soul confess and be sorry for its

misfortunes. Here is no reviling one another; but a tender

sympathy and feeling concern for each other. O the

mighty power of that grace and truth which came by Jesus Christ! How does it cement souls in the fellowship of

love!-(Mason).

 [199] How easy it is to trace the path that led the pilgrims astray! To avoid the roughness of the way, they

entered the by-path, that by measures of carnal policy

they might avoid afflictions. Guided by Vain-confidence,

they were led from the road, and when this Vainconfidence was destroyed, they were involved in distress

and danger-(Ivimey).

[200] The personification of Despair is one of the most

instructive and beautiful portions of Bunyan’s allegory. It

appeals either to every man’s experience, or to every

man’s sense of what may come upon him, on account of 93

sin. It is at once, in some respects, the very gloomiest and

very brightest part of the “Pilgrim’s Progress”; for it

shows at once to what a depth of misery sin may plunge

the Christian, and also to what a depth the mercy of God

in Christ may reach. The colouring of the picture is extremely vivid, the remembrance of it can never pass from

the mind; and, as in a gallery of beautiful paintings, there

may often be one that so strongly reminds you of your

own experience, or that in itself is so remarkably beautiful

as to keep you dwelling upon it with unabated interest; so

it is with this delineation  of Giant Despair, among the

many admirable sketches of Bunyan’s piety and genius. It

is so full of deep life and meaning that you cannot exhaust

it, and it is of such exquisite propriety and beauty that

you are never tired with examining it—(Cheever).

[201] Sooner or later Doubting Castle will be the

prison, and Giant Despair the keeper of all those who turn

aside from Christ and His righteousness, to trust in any

wise in themselves, and to their righteousness. “Our God

is a jealous God,” ever jealous of His own glory, and of

the honour of His beloved Son—(Mason). So under the

old cut, illustrating the Pilgrims in Doubting Castle, are

these lines-“The pilgrims now, to gratify the flesh, Will

seek its ease; but O! how they afresh Do thereby plunge

themselves new griefs into! Who seek to please the flesh,

themselves undo.”

[202] Blessed sorrow! how many are there who never

tasted the bread of Heaven, nor the water of life from the

wells of salvation; who are strangers to the communion of

saints, but do not feel themselves to be “in evil case,” nor

have wept under a sense of their wretched state—(ED).

[203] What! such highly-favoured Christians in

Doubting Castle? After having travelled so far in the way

of salvation, seen so many glorious things in the way,

experienced so much of the grace and love of their Lord,

and having so often proved His faithfulness? Is not this

strange? No; it is common-the strongest Christians are

liable to err and get out of the way, and then to be beset

with very great and distressing doubts—(Mason). Despair, like a tremendous giant, will at last seize on the

souls of all unbelievers; and when Christians conclude,

from some misconduct, that they belong to that company,

they are exposed to be taken captive by him. They do not,

indeed, fall and perish with Vain-confidence; but for a

season they find it impossible to rise superior to prevailing gloomy doubts bordering on despair, or to obtain the

least comfortable hope of deliverance, or encouragement

to use the proper means of seeking it—(Scott).

[204] The wife of Despair is Diffidence, or a distrust

of God’s faithfulness, and a want of confidence in His

mercy. When a Christian follows such counsels, gloom

and horror of mind will be produced, and life become a

burden-(Ivimey).

[205] Bunyan, in one of his delightful treatises of comfort against despair, introduces the following striking colloquy-”Says Satan, Dost thou not know that thou art one

of the vilest in all the pack  of professors? Yes, says the

soul, I do. Says Satan, Dost thou not know that thou hast

horribly sinned? Yes, says the soul, I do. Well, saith Satan,

now will I come upon thee with my appeals. Art thou not

a graceless wretch? Yes. Hast thou an heart to be sorry for

this wickedness? No, not as I should. And albeit, saith

Satan, thou prayest sometimes, yet is not thy heart possessed with a belief that God will not regard thee? Yes,

says the sinner. Why, then, despair, and go hang thyself,

saith the devil. And now we  are at the end of the thing

designed and driven at by Satan. But what shall I now do,

saith the sinner? I answer, take up the words of the text

against him, “That ye may be able to comprehend the

breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know

the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge—(Saints’

Knowledge of Christ’s Love, vol. 2, p. 37).

[206] Giant Despair, it seems, has fits in sunshiny

weather; that is, a gleam of hope, from Christ the Sun of

righteousness, sometimes darted into their minds—

(Burder).

[207] Satan and his angels will not be wanting to help

forward the calamity of the man, who, in coming to

Christ, is beat out of breath, out of heart, out of courage,

by wind that blows him backward. They will not be wanting to throw up his heels in their dirty places, nor to trouble his head with the fumes of their foul breath. And now

it is hard coming to God; Satan has the art of making the

most of every sin; he can make every hair on the head as

big as a cedar. But, soul, Christ can save unto the uttermost! come, man, come. He can do exceeding abundantly

above all we can ask or think!—(Bunyan’s Complete Saviour, vol. 1, p. 209). Poor Christian! What! tempted to destroy thyself? Lord, what is man! But see, despairing

souls, mark the truth of that word, “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man; but God is

faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that

ye are able; but will, with the temptation, also make a way

to escape, that ye may be able to bear it” (1 Cor. 10:13)—

(Mason).

[208] Bunyan had an acute sense of the exceeding sinfulness of sin, and no saint had suffered more severely

from despair. One of his great objects, in most of his

works, is to arm poor pilgrims against desponding fears.

Thus, in his first treatise on Gospel Truths-”He (the devil)

will be sure to present to thy conscience the most sad sentences of the Scripture; yea, and set them home with such

cunning arguments, that if it be possible he will make thee

despair, and make away thyself as did Judas”—(Vol. 2,

p.132). Sin, when seen in its colours, and when appearing

in its monstrous shape and hue, frighteth all mortals out

of  their  wits,  away  from  God,  and,  if  He  stops  them  not,

also out of the world. This  is manifest by Cain, Judas,

Saul, and others. They fly from before God, one to one

fruit of despair, and one to another—(Pharisee and Publican, vol. 2, p. 260).

 [209] An admirable chain of reasoning, pointing out

the evils of despair, is to be found in the Jerusalem Sinner

Saved (vol. 1, pp. 91, 92), under the head Fifthly. “It will

make a man his own tormentor, and flounce and fling like

a wild bull in a net (Isa. 51:20). Despair! it drives a man to

the study of his own ruin, and brings him at last to be his

own executioner” (2 Sam. 17:3-5)—(ED).

[210] Alas, how chang’d! Expressive of his mind, His

eyes are sunk, arms folded,  head reclin’d; Those awful

syllables, hell, death, and sin, Though whisper’d, plainly

tell what works within.—(Cowper’s Hope).

“A wounded spirit who can bear?”

[211] To bring the state of Christian’s mind before us,

read the lamentations of the Psalmist, when he was a

prisoner in Doubting Castle, under Giant Despair, in

Psalm 88; and Bunyan’s experience, as narrated in No. 163

of Grace Abounding. Despair swallowed him up, and that 94

passage fell like a hot thunderbolt upon his conscience,

“He was rejected, for he found no place for repentance”—

(Ivimey).

[212] Dr. Donne, the celebrated Dean of St. Paul’s,

had recently published a thesis, to prove that suicide, under some circumstances, was justifiable. Hopeful answers

all his arguments, and proves it to be the foulest of murders. Bunyan, in his treatise on Justification, volume 1,

page 314, thus notices the jailer’s intent to commit suicide,

when the doors of the prison in which Paul was confined

were thrown open-”Even now, while the earthquake

shook the prison, he had murder in his heart-murder, I

say, and that of a high nature, even to have killed his own

body and soul at once”—(ED).

[213] Here is the blessing of a hopeful companion;

here is excellent counsel. Let vain professors say what

they may against looking back to past experiences, it is

most certainly good and right so to do; not to encourage

present sloth and presumption, but to excite fresh confidence of hope in the Lord. We have David’s example, and

Paul’s word to encourage us to this, “The Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of

the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine” (1 Sam. 17:37); and says Paul, “We had the sentence

of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead” (2 Cor. 1:9)—

(Mason).

[214] It is a curious picture which Bunyan has drawn

of the intercourse between the giant and his wife Diffidence.  They  form  a  very  loving  couple  in  their  way;  and

the giant takes no new step  in the treatment of the pilgrims without consulting Mrs. Diffidence over night, so

that the curtain lectures to which we listen are very curious. But Mrs. Diffidence ought rather to have been called

Dame Desperation, or Desperate Resolution; for she

seems, if anything, the more stubborn genius of the two—

(Cheever). By these conversations between Diffidence and

Despair, after they had retired to bed, Bunyan perhaps

designed to intimate that, as melancholy persons seldom

get rest at night, the gloominess of the season contributes

to the distress of their minds. So Asaph complains: “My

sore ran in the night, and ceased not: my soul refused to

be comforted” (Psa. 67:2)—(Ivimey).

 [215] How would the awful lesson of the man in the

iron cage, at the Interpreter’s house, now recur to poor

Christian’s mind: “I cannot get out, O now I cannot! I left

off  to watch,  and  am  shut  up  in  this  iron  cage,  nor  can  all

the men in the world let me out.” Christian’s answer to

the despairing pilgrim now soon broke upon his memory:

“The Son of the Blessed is very pitiful”—(ED).

[216] What! Pray in the custody of Giant Despair, in

the midst of Doubting Castle, and when their own folly

brought them there too? Yes; mind this, ye pilgrims, ye

are exhorted, “I will that men pray everywhere, without

doubting” (1 Tim. 2:8). We can be in no place but God can

hear, nor in any circumstance but God is able to deliver us

from.  And  be  assured,  that  when  the  spirit  of  prayer

comes, deliverance is nigh at hand—(Mason). Perhaps the

author selected Saturday at midnight for the precise time

when the prisoners began to  pray, in order to intimate

that the preparation for the Lord’s day, which serious

persons are reminded to make for its sacred services, are

often the happy means of recovering those that have

fallen into sin and despondency—(Scott).

[217] All at once, by a new revelation, which none but

the Saviour could make, Christian finds the promises.

Christ had been watching over his erring disciples-He

kept back the hand of Despair from destroying them-He

binds up the broken heart, and healeth all their wounds—

(Cheever). As a key enters all the intricate wards of a lock,

and throws back its bolts, so the precious promises of God

in  his  Word,  if  turned  by  the  strong hand of faith, will

open all the doors which unbelief and despair have shut

upon us-(Burder).

[218] Bunyan was a plain-spoken man, and feared not

to offend delicate ears when truth required honest dealing. In his treatise on the Law and Grace, he says: “And

therefore, my brethren, seeing God, our Father, hath sent

us, damnable traitors, a pardon from Heaven, even all the

promises of the Gospel, and hath also sealed to the certainty of it with the heart-blood of His dear Son, let us not

be daunted—(Vol. 1, p. 562).

[219] Precious promise!  The promises of God in

Christ are the life of faith, and the quickeners of prayer. O

how oft do we neglect God’s great and precious promises

in Christ Jesus, while doubts and despair keep us prisoners! So it was with these pilgrims; they were kept under

hard bondage of soul for four days. Hence see what it is to

grieve the Spirit of God: for He only is the Comforter: and

if He withdraws His influences, who or what can comfort

us? Though precious promises are revealed in the Word,

yet we can get no comfort from them but by the grace of

the Spirit—(Mason).

[220] It was Sabbath morning. The sun was breaking

over the hills, and fell upon  their pale, haggard countenances, it was to them a new creation; they breathed the

fresh, reviving air, and brushed, with hasty steps, the dew

from the untrodden grass, and fled the nearest way to the

stile, over which they had wandered. They had learned a

lesson by suffering, which nothing else could have taught

them, and which would remain with them to the day of

their death-(Cheever). The experience of these “three or

four” dreadful days is specially recorded in Grace

Abounding, (Nos. 261-263). The key which opened the

doors in Doubting Castle was these words, applied with

power to his soul, “I must go to Jesus,” in connection with

Hebrews 12:22-24. Of the first night of his deliverance he

says, “I could scarcely lie in my bed for joy and peace, and

triumph through Christ”—(ED).

[221] They fell to devising what soldiers, and how

many, Diabolus should go against Mansoul with, to take

it; and after some debate, it was concluded that none were

more fit for that expedition than an army of terrible

DOUBTERS. They therefore concluded to send against

Mansoul an army of sturdy doubters. Diabolus was to

beat up his drum for 20 or 30,000 men in the Land of

Doubting, which land lieth upon the confines of a place

called Hell-gate Hill. Captain Rage was over the election

doubters; his were the red colours; his standard-bearer

was Mr. Destructive; and the great red dragon he had for

his scutcheon. Captain Fury was over the vocation doubters; his standard-bearer was darkness; his colours were

pale; and his scutcheon the fiery flying serpent. Captain

Damnation was over the grace doubters; his were the red

colours; Mr. No-life bore them; his scutcheon was the

Black Den, &c.—(Holy War).

[222] When offending Christians are brought to deep

repentance, renewed exercises of lively faith, and willing 95

obedience in those self-denying duties which they had

declined, the Lord “restores to them the joy of His salvation,” and their former comforts become more abundant

and permanent. The Delectable Mountains seem intended

to represent those calm seasons of peace and comfort—

(Scott).

[223] O how many professors grow weary of the way,

fall short, and fail of coming to the end! Though the way

be too far, too strait, and too narrow for many who set

out, and never hold out to the end; yet all who are begotten  by  the  Word  of  grace,  and  born  of  the  Spirit  of  truth,

shall persevere to the end, being kept by the mighty

power of God, through faith, unto eternal salvation (1

Peter 1:5)-Mason).

[224] There is in this laconic description of the homely

dreamer a richness of beauty which no efforts of the artist

can adequately portray; and in the concise dialogue of the

speakers, a simple sublimity of eloquence which any

commentary could only weaken. While our feelings are

excited by this description, we cannot but remember that

“eye hath not seen nor ear heard, neither have entered

into the heart of man: the things which God hath prepared

for them that love Him”—(Bernard Barton).

[225] Precious names! What is a pilgrim without

knowledge? What is head-knowledge without heartexperience? And watchfulness and sincerity ought to attend us every step. When these graces are in us and

abound, they make delectable mountains indeed—

(Mason).

[226] Fine-spun speculations and curious reasonings

lead men from simple truth and implicit faith into many

dangerous and destructive errors—(Mason).

[227] It is well for us to be much on this mount. We

have constant need of caution. Take heed and beware,

says our Lord. Paul takes the Corinthians up to this

Mount Caution, and shows them what awful things have

happened  to  professors  of  old;  and  he  leaves  this  solemn

word for us, “Wherefore, let him that thinketh he

standeth, take heed lest he fall” (1 Cor. 10:12)—(Mason).

[228] O the unthought-of imaginations, frights, fears,

and terrors, that are effected by a thorough application of

guilt, yielding to desperation! This is the man that hath his

dwelling among the tombs with the dead, that is always

crying out, and cutting himself with stones (Mark 5:3). But

all in vain; desperation will not comfort him, the old

covenant will not save him—(Grace Abounding, No. 185).

 [229] Some retain the name of Christ, and the notion

of  Him  as  a  Saviour;  but  cast  Him  off  in  the  very  things

wherein the essential parts of His sacrifice, merits, and

priesthood consist. In this  lies the mystery of their iniquity. They dare not altogether deny that Christ doth save

His people, as a Priest; but then their art is to confound

His offices, until they jostle out of doors the merit of His

blood and the perfection of His justifying righteousness.

Such draw away the people from the cross (put out their

eyes), and lead them among the infidels-(Bunyan’s Israel’s

Hope, vol. 1, p. 615).

 [230] Probably to guard pilgrims against the Popish

doctrine of auricular confession—(ED).

[231] Those seem to shun the common broad road;

but having only the mark of religion, while their hearts

are not right with God, are as effectually ruined as the

most profligate and open offenders—(Burder).

[232] Thus we read of some who were once enlightened, and had tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made

partakers of the world to come (Heb. 6:6). It is hard to say

how far or how long a person may carry on a profession,

and yet fall away, and come short of the kingdom at last.

This should excite to diligence, humility, and circumspection, ever looking to Jesus to keep us from falling—

(Mason).

[233] It reflects the highest credit on the diffidence of

Bunyan’s genius-a genius as rich in its inventions, and as

aspiring in its imaginative flights, as ever poet could possess or lay claim to-that, after such an exordium, he

should have made no effort minutely to describe what

was in its own splendour of glory indescribable. How

beautifully, without exciting any disappointment in a

reader of taste, feeling, and judgment, does he, by a few

artless words, render most impressive and sublime, what

more elaborate description could only have made confused and unsatisfactory. Nothing can be more admirable

than this brief and indistinct report of the perspective

glass, it cannot offend the most fastidious taste, yet leaves

scope for the exercise of the most ardent and aspiring

imagination—(Bernard Barton). [234] Such mountains

round about this house do stand. As one from thence may

see the Holy Land.—(Bunyan’s House of God, vol. 2, p.

579).

[235] After going through the conflict with Apollyon,

the Valley of the Shadow of Death, the scenes in Vanity

Fair, and the dread experience of the pilgrims in Giant

Despair’s Castle, it is well to note what a gallery of solemn

REALITIES is here, what a system of Divine truth, commending itself to all men’s consciences. It is not so much

the richness of imagination, nor the tenderness of feeling

here exhibited, nor the sweetness and beauty of the imagery, with which this book is filled, as it is the presence

of these REALITIES that constitutes the secret of its unbounded power over the soul. Walk up and down in this

rich and solemn gallery. How simple are its ornaments!

How grave, yet beautiful, its architecture! Amidst all this

deep, serene beauty to the  imagination, by how much

deeper a tone do these pictures speak to the inner spiritual

being of the soul! When you have admired the visible

beauty of the paintings, turn again to seek their meaning

in that light from eternity  by which the artist painted

them, and by which he would have all men examine their

lessons, and receive and feel the full power of their colouring. In this light, the walls of this gallery seem moving

with celestial figures speaking to the soul. They are acting

the drama of a life which, by most men, is only dreamed

of; but the drama is the reality, and it is the spectators

only who are walking in a vain show—(Cheever).

[236] This is the first break in the dream, and, doubtless, had an important meaning. Perhaps the pilgrimage

may be divided into four parts: 1. The convert flying from

the wrath to come; instructed at the Interpreter’s house;

relieved of his burden at the cross; ascends the Hill Difficulty; overcomes his timidity; and, 2. Enters a church at

the House Beautiful; and, as a private member, continues

his journey, until, 3. He meets Evangelist, near Vanity

Fair, and is found fit to become an itinerant preacher; in

which calling he suffers persecution, and obtains that fitness which enables him, 4. On the Delectable Mountains,

to enter upon the responsible duties of a ministering elder

or pastor of a church, and is ordained by Knowledge, Ex-96

perience, Watchful, and Sincere. Is this commencement of

his public labours the important point when the author

“awoke from his dream”?—(ED).

[237] This country we are all born in; all are ignoramuses by nature. Some live long in the country of Conceit,

and many end their days in it. Are you come out of it? So

was Ignorance; but he breathed his native air. So long as a

sinner thinks he can do anything towards making himself

righteous before God, his name is Ignorance; he is full of

self-conceit, and destitute of the faith of Christ—(Mason).

[238] Now, is it not very common to hear professors

talk  at  this  rate?  Yes,  and  many  who  make  a  very  high

profession too; their hopes  are plainly grounded upon

what they are in themselves, and how they differ from

their former selves and other sinners, instead of what

Christ  is  to  us  and  what  we  are  in  Christ.  But  the  profession of such is begun with an ignorant, whole, selfrighteous heart; it is continued in pride, self-seeking, and

self-exalting, and ends in awful disappointment. For such

are called by our Lord thieves and robbers; they rob Him

of the glory of His grace and the gift of His imputed righteousness—(Mason).

[239] It is best not to converse much at once with persons of this character, but, after a few warnings, to leave

them to their reflections; for their self-conceit is often cherished by altercations, in which they deem themselves very

expert, however disgusting their discourse may prove to

others—(Scott).

[240] An awful scene was beheld by the pilgrims. A

professor, named Turn-away, bound with seven cords,

was led by devils to the by-way to hell. Let everyone inquire, Who is this wanton professor?-He who discovers a

trifling, worldly, wanton spirit, dreads not the appearance

of evil, complies with the fashions of the carnal world,

and associates with the enemies of our Lord; and, in time,

becomes a damnable apostate. Lord, keep us from such a

beginning and such an end!—(Burder).

[241] The “very dark lane” in which “Turn-away”

was met by the pilgrims, represents the total darkness of

the minds of such wicked professors; for “if the light that

is in them be darkness, how great is that darkness!” When

their characters are made manifest, they are ashamed to

look their former pious friends in the face. “The wicked

shall be holden with the cords of his sins” (Prov. 5:22)-

(Ivimey).

[242] O beware of a light trifling spirit and a wanton

behaviour. It is often the forerunner of apostasy from

God. It makes one tremble to hear those who profess to

follow Christ in the regeneration, crying, What harm is

there in this game and the other diversion? The warmth of

love is gone, and they are become cold, dead, and carnal.

O how many instances of these abound!—(Mason).

[243] In times of persecution, loose professors are

driven down Dead Man’s Lane to Broad-way Gate; thus

Satan murders the souls of men, by threatening to kill

their bodies. Believers that are weak in faith are betrayed

into sinful compliances; they sleep when they ought to

watch, they conceal or deny their profession, and thus

contract guilt; Faint-heart assaults them, Mistrust plunders them, and Guilt beats them down—(Scott).

[244] The fly in the spider’s net is the emblem of the

soul in such a condition. If the soul struggleth, Satan laboureth to hold it down. If it make a noise, he bites it with

blasphemous mouth; insomuch that it must needs die at

last in the net, if the Lord Jesus help not. Believing is sure

sweating work. Only strong faith can make Satan flee. O

the toil of a gracious heart in this combat, if faith be weak!

The man can get no higher than his knees, till an arm from

Heaven help him up—(Bunyan’s Holy City).

[245] When Bunyan was imprisoned, his sentence

was-To be transported, if he did not conform in three

months; and then, if found as a Nonconformist, in this

country, he should be hung. Determined at all hazards not

to be a traitor to his God, he anticipated being hung; and

was anxious, in such a cause, to meet death with firmness.

When his fears prevailed, he dreaded lest he should make

but a scrabbling shift to clamber up the ladder—(See

Grace Abounding, No. 334).

[246] Where there is a faint heart in God’s cause, and

mistrust of God’s truths, there will be guilt in the conscience, and but little faith. These rogues will prevail over,

and rob such souls of the comforts of God’s love and of

Christ’s salvation. By his jewels, we may understand

those radical graces of the Spirit-faith, hope, and love. By

his spending-money, the sealing and earnest of the Spirit

in his heart (2 Cor. 1:22). Of this Divine assurance, and the

sense of the peace and joy in the Holy Ghost, he was

robbed; so that, though he still went on in the ways of the

Lord, yet he dragged on but heavily and uncomfortably—

(Mason).

[247] Bunyan throws great light upon this subject in

his Christ a Complete Saviour, (vol. 1, p. 215)-”We are

saved by Christ; brought to glory by Christ; and all our

works are no otherwise made acceptable to God, but by

the person and excellencies of Christ. Therefore, whatever

the jewels are, and the bracelets and the pearls that thou

shalt be adorned with, as a reward of service done to God

in this world, for them thou must thank Christ, and, before all, confess that He was the meritorious cause

thereof.”

[248] What was this good thing? His precious faith,

whose author, finisher, and object is precious Jesus. And

where he gives this precious gift of faith, though it be but

little, even as a grain of mustard-seed, not all the powers

of earth and hell can rob the heart of it. Christ prayed for

His disciple that his faith should not fail, or be totally lost;

therefore, though Peter lost his comforts for a season, yet

not his faith totally, not his soul eternally; for, says Jesus,

of all his dear flock, yea, of those of little faith too, None

shall pluck them out of My hand. There is one blessed

security, not in ourselves, but in our Lord—(Mason).

[249] Hope, love, humility, meekness, patience, longsuffering, compassion, and mercy, are gracious dispositions wrought in the heart by the Holy Ghost. These are

the believer’s jewels; and it is his duty to keep them clean,

that their beauty and lustre may be apparent-

(Andronicus).

[250] Little-faith cannot come all the way without crying. So long as its holy boldness lasts, so long it can come

with peace, but it will go the rest of the way with crying-

(Bunyan’s Come and Welcome, vol. 1, p. 288).

[251] Bunyan shows the  difference between “his

spending-money,” or that treasure which the Christian

carries in his earthen vessel, and his jewels, in Grace

Abounding (No. 232)-”It was glorious to me to see His

[Christ’s] exaltation. Now I could look from myself to

Him, and should reckon that all those graces of God that

now were green in me, were yet but like those cracked 97

groats and fourpence-halfpennies, (Irish sixpences, which,

in the dearth of silver coin in England, were made current

at fourpence-halfpenny-ED), that rich men carry in their

purses, when their GOLD is in their trunks at home. Oh! I

saw that my gold was in my trunk at home, in Christ my

Lord and Saviour. Now, Christ was all; all my wisdom, all

my righteousness, all my sanctification, and all my redemption.”

[252] Hopeful was not the first pilgrim who has been

“almost made angry” while holding a friendly debate

upon that highly-important subject, the doctrine of the

saints’ final perseverance. Pilgrims ought to debate upon

those subjects without being angry—(ED).

[253] Hopeful here expresses himself as if he had read

Bunyan on Christ’s Love-”But to fear man is to forget

God.  He  taketh  part  with  them  that  fear  HIM;  so  that  we

may boldly say, “The Lord is my helper, and I will not

fear what man shall do unto me” (Heb. 13:6). Would it not

be amazing to see a man encompassed with chariots, and

horses, and weapons of defence, yet afraid of being sparrow-blasted, or overrun by  a grasshopper?”—(Vol. 2, p.

13).

 [254] Who can stand in the evil day of temptation,

when beset with Faint-heart, Mistrust, and Guilt, backed

by the power of their master, Satan? No one, unless armed

with the whole armour of God; and even then, the power

of such infernal foes makes it a hard fight to the Christian.

But this is our glory, the Lord shall fight for us, and we

shall hold our peace. We shall be silent as to ascribing any

glory to ourselves, knowing our very enemies are part of

ourselves, and that we are more than conquerors over all

these (only) through HIM who loved us (Rom. 8:37)—

(Mason).

[255] “One Great-grace”; a believer, or minister, who

having honourably stood his  ground, endeavours to restore the fallen. The remembrance of such, helps to drive

away despondency, and inspires the trembling penitent

with hope of mercy—(Scott).

[256] “I trow”; I imagine or believe: nearly obsolete—

(ED).

[257] Now here you see what is meant by Greatgrace, who is so often mentioned in this book, and by

whom so many valiant things were done. We read, “With

great power the apostles gave witness of the resurrection

of Jesus.” Why was it? Because “great grace was upon

them all” (Acts 4:33). So you see all is of grace, from first

to last, in salvation. If we do great things for Christ, yet,

not unto us, but unto the great grace of our Lord, be all

the glory-(Mason).

[258] If we saw our own weakness, we should never

court dangers, nor run in the way of temptation; yet, if

our temptations be ever so sharp and strong, and our dangers ever so great, if the Lord is our strength, we need not

fear—(J. B.).

[259] From this sweet and edifying conversation,

learn not to think more highly of yourself than you ought

to think; but to think soberly, according to the measure of

faith which God hath dealt to you (Rom. 12:3). Now, it is

of the very essence of faith to lead us out of all selfconfidence and vain vaunting. For we know not how soon

Faint-heart, Mistrust, and Guilt may spring up in us, and

rob us of our comforts, and spoil our joys—(Mason).

[260] Instead of saying, “Though all men deny thee,

yet will not I,” it behooves us to use all means of grace

diligently, and to be instant in prayer, that the Lord Himself may protect us by His power, and animate us by His

presence, and then only shall we be enabled to overcome

both the fear of man and the temptations of the devil-

(Scott).

[261] But how contrary to this is the walk and conduct of some who profess to be pilgrims, and yet can wilfully and deliberately go upon the devil’s ground, and

indulge themselves in carnal pleasures and sinful diversions! Such evidently declare in plain language, that they

desire not the presence of God, but that He should depart

from them; but a day will come which will bring on terrible reflections of mind for such things—(Mason).

[262] Mr. Ivimey’s opinion  is, that this “way which

put itself into their way,” and the flatterer, relates to Antinomianism. Of this I can form no accurate judgment,

never having met with an Antinomian, or one who professed to be against the law of God. I have met with those

who consider that believers are bound to prefer the law of

God as revealed by Jesus Christ, in Matthew 22:37-40, to

be their rule of life, instead of limiting themselves to the

law  of  God  as  given  by  Moses,  in  Exodus  20;  but  it  has

been for this reason, that the law proclaimed by Christ

unites in it the law given by Moses, and ALL the law and

the prophets. This law, as given by Christ, is in a few

words of beautiful simplicity, which can neither be misunderstood nor be forgotten. Mason says, “It is plain the

author means the way of self-righteousness,” into which

the flatterer enticed the pilgrims, out of the Scripture

highway to Heaven, in the righteousness of Christ. When

ministers differ, private Christians must think for themselves. My judgment goes with Mr. Mason—(ED). This

way, which seemed as straight as the right way, and in

entering on which there was no stile to be passed, must

denote some very plausible and gradual deviation from

the simplicity of the Gospel, in doctrine or practice. If, in

such a case, instead of a personal prayerful searching the

Scripture, we rely upon the opinion of our friends, and

listen to the flatterer, we shall certainly be misled—(Scott).

[263] Luther was wont to caution against the white

devil as much as the black one; for Satan transforms himself into an angel of light, and his ministers as ministers of

righteousness (2 Cor. 11:14, 15). And how do they deceive

souls? By flattery. Leading poor sinners into a fine notion

of some righteous character they have in themselves, what

great advances they have made, and what high attainments they have arrived to, even to be perfect in themselves, to be free from sin, and full of nothing but love.

These are black men clothed in white—(Mason).

[264] By this shining one understand the loving Lord

the Holy Ghost, the leader and guide of Christ’s people.

When they err and stray from Jesus the way, and are

drawn from Him as the truth, the Spirit comes with His

rod of conviction and chastisement, to whip souls for their

self-righteous pride and folly, back to Christ, to trust

wholly in Him, to rely only on Him, and to walk in sweet

fellowship with Him. So he acted by the Galatian church,

which was flattered into a notion of self-righteousness,

and self-justification. So David, when he found himself

nearly lost, cries out, “He restoreth my soul: He leadeth

me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake”

(Psa. 23:3)—(Mason). The devil, in his attempts after our

destruction, maketh use of the most suitable means. The

serpent, Adam knew, was subtle, therefore Satan useth 98

him, thereby to catch this goodly creature, man. Hereby

the devil least appeared [this fine-spoken man], and least

appearing, the temptation  soonest took the tinder—

(Bunyan on Genesis, vol. 2, p. 428).

[265] The backsliding of a Christian comes through

the overmuch persuading of Satan and lust; that the man

was mistaken, and that there was no such horror in the

things from which he fled; nor so much good in the things

to which he hosted. Turn again, fool, says the devil. I

wonder what frenzy it was that drove thee to thy heels,

and that made thee leave so much good behind thee as

other men find in the lusts of the flesh and the good of the

world. As for the law, and death, and the day of judgment, they are but mere scarecrows, set up by politic

heads, to keep the ignorant  in subjection. Well, he goes

back, fool as he is, conscience sleeps, and flesh is sweet;

but, behold, he again sees his own nakedness-he sees the

law whetting his axe-the world is a bubble. He also smells

the brimstone which begins to burn within him. Oh! saith

he, I am deluded! “Have mercy upon me, O God!”—

(Christ a Complete Saviour, vol. 1, p. 223).

[266] A wicked man, though he may hector it at times

with his proud heart, as though he feared neither God nor

hell; yet again, at times, his soul is even drowned with

terrors. If one knew the wicked, when they are under

warm convictions, then the bed shakes on which they be;

then the proud tongue doth falter in their mouth, and

their knees knock one against another. Then their conscience stares, and roars, and tears, and arraigns them. O!

none can imagine what fearful plights a wicked man is in

at times!—(Bunyan’s Desires of the Righteous, vol. 1, p.

746).

[267] On the Delectable Mountains, the pilgrims had

a sight of the Celestial City. No matter if it were but a

glimpse; still they saw it, they really saw it, and the

remembrance of that sight never left them. There it was in

glory! Their hands trembled,  their eyes were dim with

tears, but still that vision was not to be mistaken. There,

through the rifted clouds, for a moment, the gates of pearl

were shining, the jasper walls, the endless domes, the

jewelled battlements! The splendour of the city seemed to

pour, like a river of light, down upon the spot where they

were standing-(Cheever).

[268] See how we are surrounded with different enemies! No sooner have they escaped the self-righteous flatterer, but they meet with  the openly profane and licentious mocker-aye, and he set out, and went far too; yea,

further than they. But, behold, he has turned his back

upon all; and though he had been 20 years a seeker, yet

now he proves, that he has  neither faith nor hope, but

ridicules all as delusion. Awful to think of! O what a special mercy to be kept believing and persevering, and not

regarding the ridicule of apostates!—(Mason).

[269] “To round”; to be open, sincere, candid. “Maister Bland answered flatly and roundly”—(Fox’s Book of

Martyrs).

[270] Upon the declaration for liberty of conscience,

the church for a season was free from persecution. It was

like enchanted ground; and some, who had been watchful

in the storm, became careless and sleepy in this short deceitful calm—(ED).

[271] Ah, these short naps for pilgrims! The sleep of

death, in the enchanted air of this world, usually begins

with one of these short naps—(Cheever).

[272] The Enchanted Ground may represent worldly

prosperity; agreeable dispensations succeeding longcontinued difficulties. This powerfully tends to produce a

lethargic frame of mind; the man attends to religious duties more from habit, than from delight in the service of

God. No situation requires  so much watchfulness. Other

experiences resemble storms, which keep a man awake;

this is a treacherous calm, which lulls him to sleep—

(Scott).

[273] O Christian, beware of sleeping on this enchanted ground! When all things go easy, smooth, and

well, we are prone to grow drowsy in soul. How many are

the calls in the Word against spiritual slumber! and yet

how many professors, through the enchanting air of this

world, are fallen into the deep sleep of formality! Be

warned by them to cry to thy Lord to keep thee awake to

righteousness, and vigorous in the ways of thy Lord—

(Mason).

[274] Here you see, as our Lord says, “It is the Spirit

who quickeneth, the flesh profiteth nothing” (John 6:63).

Our carnal nature is so far from profiting in the work of

conversion to Christ, that it is at enmity against Him, and

opposes the Spirit’s work in showing us our want of Him,

and bringing us to Him. Man’s nature and God’s grace are

two direct opposites. Nature opposes, but grace subdues

nature, and brings it to submission and subjection. Are we

truly convinced of sin, and converted to Christ? This is a

certain and sure evidence of it-we shall say from our

hearts, Not unto us, nor unto any yieldings and compliances of our nature, free-will, and power, but unto Thy

name, O Lord, be all the glory. For it is by Thy free, sovereign, efficacious grace, we are what we are. Hence, see the

ignorance, folly, and pride of those who exalt free-will,

and nature’s power, &c. Verily they do not know themselves, even as they are known—(Mason).

 [275] Not the evil of sin in the sight of God, but the

remorse and fear of wrath, with which the convinced sinner is oppressed, and from which he, at times, seeks relief

by means which exceedingly increase his actual guilt.

Nothing but a free pardon, by faith in the atoning sacrifice

of Christ, can take away guilt; but the uneasiness of a

man’s conscience may be for a time removed by various

expedients-(Scott).

[276] In modern editions, this has been altered to “sin

enough in one day.” But in any period of time, selecting

that duty in the discharge of which we have felt the most

pure, there has been a mixture of sin. “For there is not a

day, nor a duty; not a day that thou livest, nor a duty that

thou dost, but will need that mercy should come after to

take away thy iniquity”—(Bunyan’s Saints’ Privilege, vol.

1, p. 679). These are solemn and humbling reflections-

(ED).

[277] Thus, you see, in conversion, the Lord does not

act  upon  us  as  though  we  were  mere  machines.  No,  we

have understanding; He enlightens it. Then we come to a

sound mind; we think right, and reason justly. We have

wills; what the understanding judges best, the will approves, and then the affections follow after; and thus we

choose Christ for our Saviour, and glory only in His righteousness and salvation. When the heavenly light of truth

makes manifest what we are, and the danger we are in,

then we rationally flee from the wrath to come, to Christ

the refuge set before us—(Mason). 99

[278] Pray mind this. The grand object of a sensible

sinner is righteousness. He has it not in himself; this he

knows.  Where  is  it  to  be  found?  In  Christ  only.  This  is  a

revealed truth; and without faith in this, every sinner

must be lost. Consider, it is at the peril of your soul that

you reject the righteousness of Christ; and do not believe

that God imputeth it without works for the justification of

the ungodly. O ye stout-hearted, self-righteous sinners, ye

who are far from righteousness, know this and tremble!—

(Mason).

 [279] The true nature of faith is to believe and rest

upon the Word of truth, and wait for the promised comfort. That faith which is the gift of God leads the soul to

wait upon and cry to God, and not to rest till it has some

blessed testimony from God of interest in the love and

favour of God in Christ Jesus. But O how many professors

rest short of this!—(Mason).

 [280] As I thought my case most sad and fearful,

these words did with great power suddenly break in upon

me, “My grace is sufficient for thee,” three times together.

O! methought every word was a mighty word for me; as

My, and grace, and sufficient, and for thee; they were

then, and sometimes are still, far bigger than others be—

(Grace Abounding, No. 206).

[281] The Lord’s dealings with his children are various, but all lead to the same end; some are shaken with

terror, while others are more gently drawn, as with cords

of love. In these things believers should not make their

experiences standards one for another; still there is a similarity in their being brought to the same point of rejecting

both sinful and righteous self, and believing on the Lord

Jesus Christ as their complete salvation—(Andronicus).

[282] Christ did not appear to Hopeful’s senses, but to

his understanding; and the words spoken are no other

than texts of Scripture taken in their genuine meaning-not

informing him, as by a new revelation, that his sins were

pardoned, but encouraging him to apply for this mercy,

and all other blessings of salvation—(Scott).

[283] Since the dear hour that brought me to Thy foot,

And cut up all my follies by the root, I never trusted in an

arm but Thine, Nor hoped, but in Thy righteousness Divine. My prayers and alms, imperfect and defiled, Were

but the feeble efforts of a child. Howe’er perform’d, it was

their brightest part That they proceeded from a grateful

heart. Cleans’d in Thine own all-purifying blood, Forgive

their evil, and accept their good. I cast them at Thy feetmy  only  plea  Is  what  it  was,  DEPENDENCE  UPON

THEE!—(Cowper).

[284] Not governed by the Word of God, but by his

own will, his grounds of confidence for salvation unfitted

him for Christian fellowship, unless he happened to fall in

with a man who had imbibed his own notions—(ED).

[285] The desire of Heaven-when its nature is not understood, the proper means of obtaining it are neglected,

other objects are preferred to it-is no proof that a man will

be saved. The expression, “The desire of grace is grace,” is

very fallacious. But to hunger and thirst for God, and His

righteousness, His favour, image, and service, as the supreme good, so that no other object can satisfy the heart, is

grace indeed, and shall be completed in glory—(Scott).

[286] Real Christians are often put to a stand, while

they find and feel the workings of all corruptions and sins

in their nature; and when they hear others talk so highly

of themselves, how full their hearts are of love to God,

and of good motions, without any complainings of their

hearts. But all this is from the ignorance of their own

hearts; and pride and self-righteousness harden them

against feeling its desperate wickedness—(Mason).

[287] I saw that it was not my good frame of heart

that made my righteousness better, nor yet my bad frame

that made my righteousness worse; for my righteousness

was Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, and today, and forever (Heb. 13:8)—(Grace Abounding, No. 229).

[288] Here we see how naturally the notion of man’s

righteousness blinds his eyes to, and keeps his heart from

believing, that Christ’s personal righteousness alone justifies a sinner in the sight of God; and yet such talk bravely

of believing, but their faith is only fancy. They do not believe unto righteousness; but imagine they have now, or

shall get, a righteousness of their own, some how or other.

Awful delusion!—(Mason).

[289] Here is the very essence of that delusion which

works by a lie, and so much prevails, and keeps up an

unscriptural hope in the hearts of so many professors. Do,

reader, study this point well; for here seems to be a show

of scriptural truth, while the rankest poison lies concealed

in it. For it is utterly subversive of, and contrary to, the

faith and hope of the Gospel—(Mason).

[290] The way of being justified by faith for which Ignorance pleads may well be called “fanatical,” as well as

“false”; for it is nowhere laid down in Scripture; and it not

only changes the way of acceptance, but it takes away the

rule and standard of righteousness, and substitutes a

vague notion, called sincerity, in its place, which never

was, nor can be, defined with precision—(Scott).

[291] Justification before God comes, not by imitating

Christ as exemplary in morals, but through faith in His

precious  blood.  To  feed  on  Jesus  is  by  respecting  Him  as

made of God a curse for our sin. I have been pleased with

observing, that none of the signs and wonders in Egypt

could deliver the children of Israel thence, until the lamb

was slain-(Bunyan on Justification, vol. 2, p. 330).

[292] Under these four heads, we have a most excellent detection of a presumptive and most dangerous error

which now greatly prevails, as well as a scriptural view of

the nature of true faith, and the object it flies on wholly

and solely for justification before God, and acceptance

with God. Reader, for thy soul’s sake, look to thy foundation. See that thou build upon nothing in self, but all upon

that sure foundation which God hath laid, even his beloved Son, and his perfect righteousness—(Mason).

[293] This, by all natural  men, is deemed the very

height of enthusiasm; but a spiritual man knows its blessedness, and rejoices in its comfort. It is a close question.

What may we understand by it? Doubtless, what Paul

means when he says, “It pleased God to reveal His Son in

me,” (Gal. 1:15, 16): that is, he had such an internal, spiritual, experimental sight, and knowledge of Christ, and of

salvation by Him, that his heart embraced Him, his soul

cleaved to Him, his spirit rejoiced in Him; his whole man

was  swallowed  up  with  the  love  of  Him,  so  that  he  cried

out in the joy of his soul, This is my Beloved and my

Friend-my Saviour, my God, and my Salvation. He is the

chief of ten thousand, and altogether lovely. We know

nothing of Christ savingly, comfortably, and experimentally, till He is pleased thus to reveal Himself to us (Matt.

11:27). This spiritual revelation of Christ to the heart is a

blessing and comfort agreeable to, and consequent upon, 100

believing on Christ, as revealed outwardly in the Word.

Therefore, every believer should wait, and look, and long,

and pray for it. Beware you do not despise it; if you do,

you will betray your ignorance of spiritual things, as Ignorance did-(Mason).

[294] Many of these revelations appear in the Grace

Abounding, as “that scripture fastened on my heart” (No.

201); “that sentence darted in upon me” (No. 204); “these

words did with great power break in upon me” (No. 206);

“suddenly this sentence fell upon my soul” (No. 229); and

many others—(ED).

[295] That sinner is not  thoroughly awakened, who

does not see his need of Christ’s righteousness to be imputed to him. Nor is he quickened, who has not fled to

Christ as “the end of the law for righteousness to every

one that believeth” (Rom. 10:4)—(Mason).

 [296] Ignorant professors cannot keep pace with

spiritual pilgrims, nor can they relish the doctrine of making Christ all in all, in the matter of justification and salvation, and making the sinner nothing at all, as having no

hand in the work, nor getting any glory to himself by

what  he  is  able  to  do  of  himself.  Free  grace  and  free  will;

Christ’s imputed righteousness, and the notion of man’s

personal righteousness, cannot accord—(Mason).

[297] Take heed of hardening thy heart at any time,

against convictions or judgments. I bid you before to beware of a hard heart; now I bid you beware of hardening

your soft heart. The fear of the Lord is the pulse of the

soul. Pulses that beat best are the best signs of life; but the

worst show that life is present. Intermitting pulses are

dangerous. David and Peter had an intermitting pulse, in

reference to this fear—(Bunyan on  the Fear of God, vol. 1,

pp. 487, 489). [298] Mark well Christian’s definition of

“fear.” It is one of those precious passages in which our

author gives us the subject matter of a whole treatise in a

few short and plain sentences. Treasure it up in your

heart, and often ponder it there. It will prove, through the

blessing of the Spirit, a special means of enlivening, when

spiritual languor, in consequence of worldly ease, is

creeping upon your soul—(Andronicus).

[299] “Pitiful old self-holiness.” Mind this phrase. Far

was it from the heart of good Mr. Bunyan to decry personal holiness. It is nothing but self-holiness, or the holiness of the old man of sin; for true holiness springs from

the belief of the truth, and love to the truth. All besides

this only tends to self-confidence, and self-applause-

(Mason).

 [300] It is good to call to mind one’s own ignorance,

when in our natural estate, to excite humility of heart, and

thankfulness to God, who made us to differ, and to excite

pity towards those who are walking in nature’s pride,

self-righteousness, and self-confidence—(Mason).

[301] “Temporary”; one who is doctrinally acquainted with the Gospel, but a stranger to its sanctifying

power. The reasons and manner of such men’s declensions and apostasy are very justly and emphatically

stated—(Scott).

[302] In Hoffman’s poetical version of the “Pilgrim,”

this sentence is, “And nature will return, like Pope, to

pork”; alluding to one of the Popes, who used daily to

have a dish of pork; but, being sick, his physicians forbade

it, when the Pope, in a rage, cried out, “Give me my pork,

in spite of God”—(ED).

[303] A true description of the state of some professors. Here see the reason why so many saints, as they are

called, fall away. From hence, some take occasion to deny

the scriptural, soul-comforting doctrine, of the certain

perseverance of God’s saints unto eternal glory. So they

display the pride of their own hearts, their ignorance of

God’s Word, while they make God’s promises of no effect,

and the Gospel of his grace, only much ado about nothing-(Mason).

[304] Three young fellows, Mr. Tradition, Mr. Human-wisdom, and Mr. Man’s-invention, proffered their

services to Shaddai. The captains told them not to be rash;

but, at their entreaty, they  were listed into Boanerges’

company, and away they went to the war. Being in the

rear, they were taken prisoners. Then Diabolus asked

them if they were willing to serve against Shaddai. They

told him, that as they did not so much live by religion as

by the fates of fortune, they would serve him. So he made

two of them sergeants; but he made Mr. Man’s-invention

his ancient-bearer [standard-bearer]—(Bunyan’s Holy

War).

[305] See how gradually, step by step, apostates go

back. It begins in the unbelief of the heart, and ends in

open sins in the life. Why is the love of this world so forbidden? Why is covetousness called idolatry? Because,

whatever draws away the heart from God, and prevents

enjoying close fellowship with him, naturally tends to

apostasy from him. Look well to your hearts and affections. “Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are

the issues of life” (Prov. 4:23). If you neglect to watch, you

will be sure to smart under the sense of sin on earth, or its

curse in hell. “See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as

fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days

are evil” (Eph. 5:15, 16)—(Mason).

 [306] O what a blessed state! what a glorious frame

of  soul  is  this!  Job  speaks  of  it  as  the  candle  of  the  Lord

shining upon his head (29:3). The church, in a rapture,

cries out, “Sing, O heavens; and be joyful, O earth; break

forth into singing, O mountains: for the Lord hath comforted His people” (Isa. 49:13). Paul calls this, “The fullness of the blessing of the Gospel of Christ” (Rom. 15:29).

O rest not short of enjoying the full blaze of Gospel peace

and spiritual joy—(Mason). During the last days of that

eminent man of God, Dr. Payson, he once said, “When I

formerly read Bunyan’s description of the Land of Beulah,

where the sun shines and the birds sing day and night, I

used to doubt whether there was such a place; but now

my own experience has convinced me of it, and it infinitely transcends all my previous conceptions.” The best

possible commentary on the glowing descriptions in Bunyan is to be found in that very remarkable letter dictated

by Dr. Payson to his sister, a few weeks before his death-

”Were I to adopt the figurative language of Bunyan, I

might date this letter from the Land Beulah, of which I

have been for some weeks a happy inhabitant. The Celestial City is full in my view. Its glories have been upon me,

its breezes fan me, its odours are wafted to me, its sounds

strike upon my ears, and its  spirit is breathed into my

heart. Nothing separates me from it but the River of

Death, which now appears but as an insignificant rill, that

may be crossed at a single step, whenever God shall give

permission. The Sun of Righteousness has been gradually

drawing nearer and nearer, appearing larger and brighter

as He approached, and now He fills the whole hemi-101

sphere, pouring forth a flood of glory, in which I seem to

float,  like  an  insect  in  the beams of the sun; exulting, yet

almost trembling, while I gaze on this excessive brightness, and wondering, with unutterable wonder, why God

should deign thus to shine upon a sinful worm”—

(Cheever). [307] In the immediate view of heavenly felicity,  Paul  “desired  to  depart  hence,  and  be  with  Christ,  as

far better” than life. David “fainted for God’s salvation.”

In the lively exercise of holy affections, the believer grows

weary of this sinful world, longs to have his faith changed

for sight, his hope swallowed up in enjoyment, and his

love perfected-(Scott).

[308] No other language than that of Bunyan himself,

perused in the pages of his own sweet book, could be successful in portraying this beauty and glory; for now he

seems to feel that all the dangers of the pilgrimage are

almost over, and he gives up himself without restraint so

entirely to the sea of bliss that surrounds him, and to the

gales of Heaven that are wafting him on, and to the

sounds of melody that float in the whole air around him,

that nothing in the English language can be compared

with this whole closing part of the “Pilgrim’s Progress,”

for its entrancing splendour, yet serene and simple loveliness. The colouring is that  of Heaven in the soul; and

Bunyan has poured his own Heaven-entranced soul into

it. With all its depth and power, there is nothing exaggerated, and it is made up of the simplest and most scriptural

materials and images. We seem to stand in a flood of light,

poured on as from the open gates of paradise. It falls on

every leaf and shrub by the way-side; it is reflected from

the crystal streams that, between grassy banks, wind

amidst groves of fruit-trees into vineyards and flowergardens. These fields of Beulah are just below the gate of

Heaven; and with the light of Heaven there come floating

down the melodies of Heaven, so that here there is almost

an open revelation of the things which God hath prepared

for them that love Him-(Cheever).

[309] This is the place, this is the state, Of all that fear

the Lord; Which men nor angels may relate With tongue,

or pen, or word. No night is here for to eclipse Its spangling rays so bright; Nor doubt, nor fear, to shut the lips

Of those within this light.

The strings of music here are timed For heavenly

harmony, And every spirit here perfumed With perfect

sanctity. Here run the crystal streams of life, Quite thorow

all our veins; And here by love we do unite With glory’s

golden chains.—(Bunyan’s One Thing Needful).

[310] Mr. Flavel, being on a journey, set himself to

improve the time by meditation; when his mind grew

intent, till at length he had such ravishing tastes of heavenly joys, and such full assurance of his interest therein,

that he utterly lost the sight and sense of this world and

all its concerns, so that for hours he knew not where he

was. At last, perceiving himself faint, he alighted from his

horse and sat down at a spring, where he refreshed himself, earnestly desiring, if it were the will of God, that he

might there leave the world. His spirit reviving, he finished his journey in the same delightful frame; and all that

night passed without a wink of sleep, the joy of the Lord

still overflowing him, so that he seemed an inhabitant of

the other world—(Pneumatologia, 4to, 2d edit. p. 210).

[311] Who are these ministering spirits, that the author calls “men”? Are they the glorified inhabitants of the

Celestial City? Moses and Elias appeared at the transfiguration; so the spirit who spake with John (Rev. 20:10), was

his fellow-servant. Are these  “spirits of just men made

perfect”-the angel-ministering spirits which are sent forth

to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation? (Heb.

1:14; 12:22, 23)—(ED).

 [312] What are these two  difficulties? Are they not

death without, and unbelief within? It is through the latter

that the former is all-distressing to us. O for a strong,

world-conquering, sin-subduing, death-overcoming faith,

in life and death! Jesus, Master, speak the word, unbelief

shall flee, our faith shall not fail, and our hope shall be

steady—(Mason).

[313] Well, now the pilgrims must meet with, and encounter, their last enemy, death. When he stares them in

the face, their fears arise. Through the river they must go.

What have they to look at? What they are in themselves,

or  what  they  have  done  and been? No. Only the same

Jesus who conquered death for us, and can overcome the

fear of death in us—(Mason).

[314] But tim’rous mortals start and shrink To cross

this narrow sea; They linger, shivering on the brink, And

fear to launch away—(Watts). Evodias could not join in

the petition of the Liturgy-”From sudden death, good

Lord, deliver us.” He had his wish; and expired suddenly

on a Lord’s-day morning,  while thousands were assembling to hear him preach—(Andronicus).

[315] Bunyan died in perfect peace, though it is probable that he expected darkness in the trying hour. Thus he

says, in his treatise on Paul’s Departure, “Aye, this will

make  thee  cry,  though  thou  be  as  good  as  David.  Wherefore learn by his sorrows to serve thy generation, by the

will of God, before falling asleep. God can pardon thy

sins, and yet make them a bitter thing and a burden at

death.  It  is  easy  to  HIM  to  pardon,  and  yet  break  all  thy

bones; or show Himself in such dreadful majesty, that

Heaven and earth shall tremble at His presence. Let the

thoughts of this prevail with thee to manage thy time and

work in wisdom, while thou  art well” (Vol. 1, p. 730)—

(ED).

[316] Satan is suffered to be very busy with God’s

people in their last moments, but he too, like death, is a

conquered enemy by our Jesus; therefore, amidst all his

attacks, they are safe. He cannot destroy them whom Jesus hath redeemed, for He is faithful to them, and almighty to save—(Mason).

[317] Hopeful, agreeably to his name, was not only

preserved from terror, but enabled to encourage his trembling companion telling him the welcome news that “he

felt the bottom, and it was good.” Blessed experience! If

Christ is our foundation, we have nothing to fear, even in

the swellings of Jordan, for death itself cannot separate us

from the love of Christ—((Burder).

[318] When you visit a sick or death bed, be sure that

you take God’s Word with you, in your heart and in your

mouth. It is from that only that you may expect a blessing

upon, and to the soul of, the sick or the dying; for it is by

the  Word  of  God  faith  came  at  the  first;  it  is  by  that,  faith

is strengthened at the last; and Jesus is the sum and substance of the Scriptures—(Mason).

[319] Jesus Christ, He is indeed the Alpha and

Omega, the first and the last, the beginning of our hope,

and the end of our confidence. We begin and end the

Christian pilgrimage with Him; and all our temptations

and trials speak loudly, and fully confirm to us that truth 102

of our Lord, “Without Me ye can do nothing” (John

15:5)—(Mason).

[320] The temporary distresses of dying believers often arise from bodily disease, which interrupt the free

exercise of their intellectual powers. Of this Satan will be

sure to take advantage, as far as he is permitted, and will

suggest gloomy imaginations, not only to distress them,

but to dishearten others by their example. Generally they

who, for a time, have been most distressed, have at length

died most triumphantly—(Scott).

[321] I cannot trust myself to read the account of

Christian going up to the Celestial Gate, after his passage

though the River of Death—(Arnold).

[322] Bunyan, in his Saint’s Knowledge of Christ’s

Love, describes the feelings of the pilgrim, while clothed

with mortality, looking up to the heights of Heaven.

Christ could mount up-Elijah had a chariot of fire-Enoch

was taken by God. But I, poor I, how shall I get thither?

How often are considering thoughts wanting in professors! The question is happily solved in Christian and

Hopeful’s experience; they left all their mortal garments

and burdens behind them in the river, and their free spirits for the first time felt the sweets of liberty in their perfection-(ED).

[323] I know that all who go to paradise, are conducted thither by these holy  ones; but yet, for all that,

such as die under the cloud, for unchristian walking with

God, may meet with darkness on that day, and go heavily

hence. But as for those who have been faithful to their

God, they shall see before them, or from earth see glory—

(Bunyan’s Paul’s Departure, vol. 1, p. 741).

[324] Ah, Christian! None can conceive or describe

what it is to live in a state separate from a body of sin and

death. Surely in some happy, highly-favoured moments,

we have had a glimpse, a foretaste of this, and could realize it by faith. O for more and more of this, till we possess

and enjoy it in all its fullness! If Jesus be so sweet to faith

below, who can tell what He is in full fruition above? This

we must die to know—(Mason).

 [325] Bunyan has, with great beauty and probability,

brought in the ministry of angels, and regions of the air, to

be passed through in their company, rising, and still rising, higher and higher, before they come to that mighty

mount on which He has placed the gates of the Celestial

City. The angels receive His  pilgrims as they come up

from the River of Death, and form for them a bright, glittering, seraphic, loving convoy, whose conversation prepares them gradually for that exceeding and eternal

weight of glory which is to be theirs as they enter in at the

gate. Bunyan has thus, in this blissful passage from the

river to the gate, done what no other devout writer, or

dreamer, or speculator, that we are aware of, has ever

done; he has filled what perhaps in most minds is a mere

blank, a vacancy, or at most a bewilderment and mist of

glory, with definite and beatific images, with natural

thoughts, and with the sympathizing communion of gentle spirits, who form, as it were, an outer porch and perspective of glory, through which the soul passes into uncreated light. Bunyan has thrown a bridge, as it were, for

the imagination, over the deep, sudden, open space of an

untried spiritual existence; where it finds, ready to receive

the soul that leaves the body, ministering spirits, sent

forth to minister unto them who are to be heirs of salvation-(Cheever).

[326] Glory beyond all glory ever seen By waking

sense, or by the dreaming soul! The appearance, instantaneously disclosed, Was of a mighty City-boldly say A

wilderness of building, sinking far, And self-withdrawn

into a wondrous depth, Far sinking into splendour without end! Fabric it seemed of diamond and of gold, With

alabaster domes and silver  spires, And blazing terrace

upon terrace, high Uplifted: here, serene pavilions bright,

In avenues disposed; there, towers begirt With battlements, that on their restless fronts Bore stars-illumination

of all gems!

—(Wordsworth).

[327]A certificate, To show thou seest thyself most

desolate; Writ by the Master, with repentance seal’d. To

show also that here [by Christ] thou would’st be healed. 

And that thou dost abhor thee for thy ways, And would’st

in holiness spend all thy days.—(Bunyan’s House of God,

vol. 2, p. 580).

[328] Blessed indeed is that man who, while encumbered with a sinful body, can truly say, “I live, yet not I,

but Christ liveth in me.” In Him all the commandments

are obeyed-all my sins washed away by His blood-and

my soul clothed with righteousness and immortality.

Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord: they enter the

Celestial City. This is the righteous nation, which keepeth

the truth. O my reader, would you be one of the glorified

inhabitants of that city whose builder and maker is God?

Then must you live the life of faith; so run that ye may

obtain; ever be found looking unto Jesus—(ED). Prepare

me, Lord, for Thy right hand, Then come the joyful day;

Come death, and some celestial hand, And fetch my soul

away.”

[329] O what acclamations of joy will there be, when

all the children of God meet together, without the fear of

being disturbed by Antichrist! How will the heavens echo

of joy, when the Bride, the Lamb’s wife, shall come to

dwell with her Husband! If you would be better satisfied

what the beatific vision means, my request is, that you

would live holily, and thus go and see. Christ is the desire

of all nations, the joy of angels, the delight of the Father.

What solace, then, must that soul be filled with, which

hath the possession of Christ to all eternity?—(Bunyan’s

Dying Sayings, vol.1, pp. 64, 65).

[330] When a formal visit from a minister, a few general questions, and a prayer, with or without the sacrament, calm the mind of a dying person, whose life has

been unsuitable to the Christian profession; no doubt,

could we penetrate the veil, we should see him wafted

across the river in the boat  of Vain-hope, and meeting

with the awful doom that is here described. From such

fatal delusions, good Lord, deliver us!—(Scott).

[331] Vain-hope ever dwells in the bosom of fools,

and is ever ready to assist Ignorance. He wanted him at

the last, and he found him. He had been his companion

through life, and will not forsake him in the hour of death.

You see Ignorance had no pangs in his death, no fears,

doubts, and sorrows, no terror from the enemy, but all

was serene and happy. Vain-hope was his ferryman; and

he, as the good folks say, died like a lamb. Ah, but did

such lambs see what was to follow, when Vain-hope had

wafted them over the river, they would roar like lions!—

(Mason).

 [332] This is a most awful conclusion. Consider it

deeply. Weigh it attentively, so as to get good satisfaction 103

from the Word to these important questions-Am I in

Christ, the way, the only way, to the kingdom, or not? Do

I see that all other ways, whether of sin or selfrighteousness, lead to hell? Does Christ dwell in my heart

by  faith?  Am  I  a  new  creature  in  Him?  Do  I  renounce  my

own righteousness, as well as abhor my sins? Do I look

alone to Christ for righteousness, and depend only on

Him for holiness? Is He the only hope of my soul, and the

only  confidence  of my  heart? And  do  I  desire  to  be  found

in Him; knowing by the Word, and feeling by the teaching

of His Spirit, that I am totally lost in myself? Thus, is

Christ formed in me, the only hope of glory? Do I study to

please  Him,  as  well  as  hope  to  enjoy  Him?  Is  fellowship

with God the Father, and His Son, Jesus Christ, so prized

by  me,  as  to  seek  it,  and  to esteem it above all things? If

so, though I may find all things in nature, in the world,

and from Satan, continually opposing this, yet I am in

Christ  the  way,  and  He  is in me the truth and the life—

(Mason). How far may such an one go? This important

question is very solemnly argued in Bunyan’s Law and

Grace. He may be received into church-fellowship-and,

like the foolish virgins, be clear from outward pollutionhave gone forth from the rudiments and traditions of

men-and had their lamps, but still lost their precious

souls. They may bear office in the church, as Judas carried

the bag, and as Demas! They may become preachers and

ministers of the Gospel, with rare gifts, and a fluent

tongue, like an angel, to speak of the hidden mysteries;

but may die under the curse. They may have the gifts of

the Spirit and prophecy, and be but a Balaam. They may

stand thus until Christ come and reveal them. They may,

with confidence, say, Lord, Lord, have we not eaten and

drank in Thy presence, and taught in Thy name, and in

Thy name have cast out devils? and yet, poor creatures, be

shut out!-(ED).