footnotes

[1] One of the types or signs.—Ed

[2] How universal is this feeling among Christians! ‘Why was I made to hear thy voice,’ while so many more amiable and less guilty ‘make a wretched choice?’ All are equally encouraged— ‘Whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.’—Ed

[3] ‘To oppose the customs of heathens, who made their chief gates towards the west, that these stupid worshippers, drawing nigh to their blind, deaf, and dumb deities, might have their idols, as it were, arising upon them out of the east.’—Lee’s Solomon’s Temple, p. 242.—Ed.

[4] ‘There were two pillars, which some resemble to the two states of the church—Jewish and Christian; others understand magistracy and ministry.’—Lee’s Temple, 1659, p. 281.—Ed.

[5] The height of these pillars was thirty-five cubits each, including the base and chapiter. The base, ornamented with lines or net-work, twelve cubits; the column eighteen cubits, and the chapiter five cubits, making the height thirty-five cubits; while the column or pillar, cast by itself, was only eighteen. This reconciles the apparent discrepancy between 1 Kings 7:15 and 2 Chronicles 3:15.—Ed.

[6] Immediately, or by Christ himself.—Ed.

[7] Pummil, or pommel, round like an apple.—Ed.

[8] In all the editions of this book published since the author’s death, these words are altered to ‘their preaching.’—Ed.

[9] Frowish, or frowzy, fetid, musty. Alas! how many ministers there are who are afflicted with this unsavoury smell.—Ed.

[10] This is a valuable lesson to the ministers and members of churches, to be ever ready to welcome the returning prodigal. The porch is never to be shut against the poor fugitive; and the only proper inquiry as to opening the door of the church, is, ‘If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest freely enter.’—Ed.

[11] Wealth and honours, when sanctified, are valuable aids to Christian usefulness; but unutterable woes will fall upon him who attempts to enter heaven with temporal or ecclesiastical pomps vain-gloriously carried upon his shoulders.—Ed.

[12] Every Christian pilgrim, if he journeys aright, must be entirely guided by prayerful personal inquiries at the holy oracles as to his way to heaven. How do sin and Satan strive to mislead him in this essential duty.—Ed.

[13] The simple-minded nature of Bunyan here appears conspicuously. He measures others by his own bushel, as if every pastor had as single an eye to the welfare of their flocks as he had over the Church at Bedford. How tenderly ought the churches of Christ to cherish such pastors as Bunyan, while they prayerfully watch over their ministrations.—Ed.

[14] This is one of those beautiful gems which sparkle all through Bunyan’s works, ‘As the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God!’—Ed.

[15] Ceiled is now only used with reference to the top of a room—the ceiling. It is an old English word, and means overlaid or lined with wood, wainscot, or plank, either roof, sides, or floor.—Ed.

[16] The line means the text. The marginal reading agrees with the puritan version ‘overlayed.’ Tyndale renders it, ‘And he paved the house with precious stones goodly.’ Coverdale, ‘And overlayed the house with precious stones to beautify it.’—Ed.

[17] A bath was a Hebrew measure containing about seven gallons and a half.—Ed.

[18] The moral law of ten commandments.—Ed.

[19] This is from the Genevan or puritan versions. Our translation has ‘on the right side.’—Ed.

[20] The candlesticks mentioned in 2 Chronicles 4:7, Zechariah 4, and Revelation 1, appear to have been of one pattern. A stem, with a bowl bearing a centre and six branches—three on each side. Of these there were ten in the temple. The prophets Zechariah and John, in their holy visions, saw but one, with its seven lamps secretly supplied by living olive trees. These lights ‘are the eyes of the Lord, which run to and fro through the whole earth’; the seven lamps ‘are the seven churches.’ What a source for reflection is here opened.—Ed.

[21] Oil called golden, from its representing that which is better than thousands of gold and silver. So pure that, in the golden bowl, it would look like liquid gold.—Ed.

[22] A malignant was a term of reproach given to those who, in the civil wars, opposed Divine truth, and promoted popery and arbitrary domination. Clarendon calls it ‘a term imposed upon those that the puritans wished to render odious to the people.’—Ed.

[23] A tenth deal is the tenth part of a Hebrew measure, called the ephah, containing about a bushel.—Ed.

[24] Daniel Burgess published a curious sermon, in 1697, on the golden snuffers, showing that they are a type or emblem of spiritual snuffing or reproving; and of pure gold, to show that reprovers should be holy and unblameable. His directions and cautions are valuable, but Bunyan says much more in his few lines than Burgess does in his eighty pages.—Ed.

[25] Great was the fatherly care felt by Bunyan for his own children, especially for his blind Mary; and judging by the lessons he draws from the temple spoons, those feelings extended to his church. It must be a severe trial to a minister’s temper, when teased with babes in religion at three score and ten years of age, especially if they are old professors. Thus Bunyan, in addressing the readers of his emblems, says—

‘We now have boys with beards, and girls that be
‘Huge as old women wanting gravity.’—Ed.

[26] The degraded state of the poor, when the religious houses (so called) distributed food to all comers, was long felt after the suppression of those hot-beds of vice, from the encouragement they gave to idleness, pauperism, and the most vicious habits. Even in Bunyan’s days the beggar, carrying a bowl to receive the fruit of their industrious neighbours’ toil, was still remembered. At intervals, plague and famine swept away the helpless wretches, to the terror of all classes. How severely is this curse still felt in Ireland.—Ed.

[27] How careful ought churches to be in casting out an offending member, seeing that their sentence should be as ‘the judicial judgment of God.’ It is not revenge, hatred, malice, or the mere exercise of power, that is to lead to it; it is the good of the individual that is to be pursued and sought. While the church endeavours to remain pure, its aim and object should be mainly to correct and reform the offender, that his spirit may be saved. When discipline is undertaken from any other motive than this; and when it is pursued from private pique, or rivalship, or ambition, or the love of power, it is wrong. The salvation of the offender, and the glory of God, should prompt to all the measures which should be taken in the case. ‘Restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted’ (Gal 6:1).—Ed.

[28] In Bunyan’s ‘now-a-days,’ it was much debated whether singing ought to be introduced in a mixed assembly. It was contended that a voice and talent for singing does not accompany the new birth; that it might tend to hypocrisy and vanity; and that it was not expressly commanded. The Quakers rejected it, but all other sects adopted that delightful part of public worship. See Keach’s Breach Repaired.—Ed.

[29] The olive wood is used, with ivory and mother of pearl, in ornamenting the most sumptuous apartments in oriental palaces. It is exceedingly durable and elegant. ‘The choosing olive out of every other kind of wood, for the adorning these sumptuous apartments, shows the elegance and grandeur of the taste in which Solomon’s temple was built, where the doors of the oracle, and some other parts, were of olive wood.’—Harmer, Scheuzer, Lady M. W. Montague.—Ed.

[30] As the mercy-seat covered the law deposited in the ark, so Christ covers the transgressions of his people; while Christ sits upon the mercy-seat, the law cannot rise up in judgment against them.—Jennings.

[31] In Bunyan’s edition this is called the ‘new tabernacle,’ a typographical error which is corrected by restoring the true reading.—Ed