The Pilgrim’s Progress - John Bunyan (top 10 most read books in the world txt) 📗

shot. This beast is compared to the wild boar that comes out of the wood to devour the church of God (Psalms 80:13). The temporal sword will kill its body, but spirit can only be slain by spirit; the Lord the Spirit will slay its soul. —⁠Bunyan on Antichrist, vol. 2, p. 47 Is not Antichrist composed of all the State religions in the world? —⁠Editor ↩

Revelation 17:3. ↩

For this woman’s name and costume see Revelation 17:1⁠–⁠4. She has just sent one of her illegitimate sons to England, under the impudent assumption of Archbishop of Westminster. —⁠Editor ↩

And that you may be convinced of the truth of this, look back and compare Antichrist four hundred years ago, with Antichrist as he now is, and you shall see what work the Lord Jesus has begun to make with him; kingdoms and countries He hath taken from her. True, the fogs of Antichrist, and the smoke that came with him out of the bottomless pit, has eclipsed the glorious light of the Gospel; but you know, in eclipses, when they are recovering, all the creatures upon the face of the earth cannot put a stop to that course, until the sun or the moon have recovered their glory. And thus it shall be now, the Lord is returning to visit this people with His primitive lustre; he will not go back until the light of the sun shall be sevenfold. —⁠Bunyan’s Antichrist and His Ruin, vol. 2, p. 48 ↩

When nations have restored to the people the property of which they have been plundered, under the pretence of assisting to obtain the pardon of sin and the favour of God, the monster will soon die; when neither rule, nor honour, nor pelf is to be gained by hypocrisy. —⁠Editor ↩

This may refer to that noble band of eminent men who, in 1675, preached the morning exercises against Popery; among others were Owen, Manton, Baxter, Doolittle, Jenkyn, Poole, and many others. They were then, and ever will be, of great fame. —⁠Editor ↩

The plans of Charles II and James II, to reestablish Popery in England, were defeated by the union of the eminent Nonconformists with some decided enemies to Rome in the Established Church; this brought them into esteem and respect. Mr. Scott’s note on this passage is⁠—“The disinterested, and bold decided conduct of many dissenters, on this occasion, procured considerable favour both to them and their brethren, with the best friends of the nation; but the prejudices of others prevented them from reaping all the advantage from it that they ought to have done.” —⁠Editor ↩

Acts 28:10. ↩

David Hume, in his History of England, admitted the invaluable services of the Puritans, “By whom the precious spark of liberty was kindled and preserved, and to whom the English owe all the blessings of their excellent constitution.” —⁠Editor ↩

Psalms 23. ↩

Hebrews 5:2. ↩

Isaiah 40:11. ↩

This is a most encouraging view of the tender care of the Saviour, to the children of believers committed to His care, by godly parents. Not by any ceremonial observance, but by constant fervent supplications to the Throne of Grace on their behalf, and by a consistent pious example to train them up in the way in which they should go, that when they are old they should not depart from the new and living way. —⁠Editor ↩

Ezekiel 34:11⁠–⁠16. ↩

Jeremiah 23:4. ↩

Here we frequently find our author speaking of our God and Saviour as Man; he excels in this. It is to be wished that authors and preachers wrote and spake of the manhood of Jesus, who was a perfect Man, like unto us in all things except sin. The view and consideration of this is sweet to faith, and endears our Saviour to our hearts. —⁠Mason ↩

1 John 3:13, 14. ↩

Isaiah 11:6. ↩

What cannot Great-heart do? what feats not perform? what victories not gain? Who can stand before Great-heart? Diffidence shall fall, and Giant Despair be slain by the power of Great-heart, with “the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God” (Ephesians 6:17); even Despondency, though almost starved, shall be delivered, and his daughter Much-afraid shall be rescued. O for more of Great-heart’s company! —⁠Mason The struggle with Despair may be dangerous, and painful, and long-continued, but it shall be finally successful. “I am persuaded,” saith the Apostle, “that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Paul demolished the castle, and slew the giant; but,

Sin can rebuild the castle, make’t remain,
And make Despair the Giant live again.

—⁠Editor ↩

How well does Mr. Bunyan describe the experience of the Much-afraids, Ready-to-halts, and the Feeble-minds, in the Come and Welcome. “Poor coming soul, thou art like the man that would ride full gallop, whose horse will hardly trot! Now, the desire of his mind is not to be judged of by the slow pace of the dull jade he rides on, but by the hitching, and kicking, and spurring, as he sits on his back. Thy flesh is like this dull jade; it will not gallop after Christ, it will be backward, though thy soul and Heaven lie at stake. But be of good comfort, Christ judgeth according to the sincerity of the heart.” —⁠Vol. 1, p. 252 ↩

This is the work and aim of every faithful minister