[15] Our holiest, happiest duties, IF they interfere with a simple and exclusive reliance upon Christ for justification, must be accursed in our esteem; while, if they are fulfilled in a proper spirit of love to him, they become our most blessed privileges. Reader, be jealous of your motives.—Ed.
[16] This is very solemn warning. But is it asked how are we to see that that is invisible, or to imagine bliss that is past our understanding? The reply is, treasure up in your heart those glimpses of glory contained in the Word. Be daily in communion with the world of spirits, and it may be your lot, with Paul, to have so soul-ravishing a sense of eternal realities, as scarcely to know whether you are in the body or not.—Ed.
[17] How characteristic of Bunyan is this sentence, 'the rich voyage.' God environing us about with his presence in time, and eternal felicity in the desired haven: 'the lumpish heart' at times apparently indifferent to the glorious harvest: 'a pair of spurs' to prick us on in the course. The word voyage (from via, a way) was in Bunyan's time equally used for a journey by sea or land, it is now limited to travelling by sea.—Ed.
[18] 'Scrubbed'; worthless, vile, insignificant in the sight of man, who judges from the outward, temporal condition; but, in the case of Lazarus, precious in the sight of God.—Ed.
[19] What an inexhaustible source of comfort is contained in this passage. Blessed carriage, in which the poorest, weakest of Christ's flock shall ride. Millions of gold could not purchase the privilege thus to ride in ease and safety, supported and guarded by Omnipotence, and guided by Omniscience.—Ed.
[20] Summed up by the Psalmist, 'Happy is that people that is in such a case. Happy is that people whose God is the Lord' (Psa 144:15).—Ed.
[21] How severe and cutting, but how just, is this reflection upon many, that wicked men, for the gratification of destructive propensities, should evince greater zeal and perseverance to light up the fire of hell in their consciences, than some professing Christians do in following after peace and holiness, 'Go to the ant, thou sluggard, consider her ways and be wise.'—Ed.
[22] How awful a warning is this to the backslider. A wicked professor is a practical atheist and a contemptible hypocrite. But the backslider is worse, he proclaims, in his downward course, the awful blasphemy that 'sin is better than Christ'; 'hell is preferable to heaven.' O! that some poor bewildered backslider may, by a Divine blessing upon the voice of Bunyan, be arrested in his mad career.—Ed.
[23] 'Passions'; the old English term for sufferings. It is used in Acts 1 emphatically, to express the last sufferings of the Saviour; as also in what is called 'passion week.'—Ed.
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