[8] ‘To make both ends meet,’ is a proverbial expression, meaning that our expenses should not exceed our income; but, in this more solemn sense we should fulfil our daily duties as they approach, as all our moments have duties assigned to them. Omissions can never be recovered; hence the necessity of forgiveness for Christ’s sake, who fulfilled every duty, and hence the necessity of perpetual watchfulness.—Ed.
[9] How delightfully does this exclamation flow from the lips of the pious patriarch, overcome by his exertion in this solemn death-bed scene. He pauses, and then, with his recovering breath, appeals to heaven—‘I have waited for thy salvation, O Lord.’ Poor old man, the cold sweat of death is on thy brow, the angels stand ready to open the gate of the celestial city; finish thy solemn instructions to thy children, and then thou shalt enter upon the fruition of all thy patient waiting, thy fearing, fighting, trembling, doubting, shall be absorbed in immeasurable, eternal bliss.—Ed.
[10] This is a very illustrative allusion. When a spinner has wound up all his material, the technical term is, ‘The bottom is wound.’ When a poor spinner by age or infirmity, is incapable of work, it would be said, ‘Ah! his bottom is wound.’ In this text, Jacob had finally made an end of all his earthly duties, and had now only to close his eyes for the last time upon the world.—Ed.
[11] These are solemn and most weighty arguments to press upon us the fulfilment of our daily duties. How incomprehensible are the ways of God. His love is proved by bitterly convicting us of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment. Like Christian and Hopeful in Doubting Castle, sometimes so overwhelming as to drive us to the verge of despair and self-destruction. We fall not down the precipice, for still there is hope and pardon in his bosom, and at the proper time it will be revealed.—Ed.
[12] That preventeth; ‘letteth’ is from the old verb to let or hinder, as used Romans 1:13.—Ed.
[13] This language is probably founded on Revelation 22:14, ‘Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.’ Until the work that is assigned to us is done, we cannot cross the river and ascend to the New Jerusalem. ‘He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen.’ He who is diligent to finish his work may reply with truth, ‘Even so, come, Lord Jesus.’—Ed.
[14] Bunyan was in his politics a thorough loyalist. When a young man he even fought at the siege of Leicester, when it was besieged by the royal army. Probably the horrible cruelties practised upon the peaceful inhabitants, by the cavaliers, at the taking of that city, induced him to leave the service. His pastor, J. Gifford, had also served in the royal army as an officer; both of them narrowly escaped. This may account for Bunyan’s high monarchial principles, they appear very prominently in many of his works.—Ed.
[15] Many extraordinary tales are told of the nightingale, as to their great memory, and facility in imitating the human voice. Sitting in thorns is more for protection than penance. See Goldsmith’s Animated Nature. It was a generally received opinion that the nightingale, to keep himself awake in the night, sat on a tree of thorn, so that if he nodded he would be pricked in the breast. The learned and witty Dr. Thomas Fuller thus alludes to it:—‘I am sure the nightingale which would wake will not be angry with the thorn which pricketh her breast when she noddeth.’ How useful would it be if a thorn could be so placed as to prick those who nod at church!—Ed.
[16] A painted figure of a horse, behind which the sportsman stealthily approaches the game.
‘One underneath his horse, to get a shoot doth stalk
Another over dykes upon his stilts doth walk.’
—Drayton’s Polyolbion, vol. iii. p. 25.—Ed.