SAVED BY GRACE Ft1 General course of manners, behavior, deportment, especially as it regards morals (see Philippians 1:27, 1 Peter 1:15).

Ft2 Their conduct proved to the living that they were dead, they themselves having no feeling or sense of spiritual life; but, when quickened, their penitence and good works were brought into existence by Divine power; they feel the joys of salvation, but feel also their total unworthiness of this new creating power, and sing, “O to grace how great a debtor!” — Ed.

Ft3 The hospital of St. Mary Bethlem, vulgarly called “Bedlam,” bestowed, in 1545, upon the citizens of London, who appropriated it to the reception of lunatics. It being the only public hospital for that class of the afflicted in England, it gave the name of “bedlam” to all whose conduct could only be accounted for on the score of madness. — Ed.

Ft4 The person who writes this, was a singular instance of the truth of our author’s remark; having been twice providentially preserved from drowning, and once from the fatal effects of a violent fever, before effectual saving grace had reached his soul. The same rich and abundant mercy follows all the elect, quickens them when dead, saves them when lost, and restores them when ruined. God hath chosen us unto salvation, and enables us to live holily on earth, in order to a life of happiness in heaven. The Father’s good will and pleasure is the only fountain from whence the salvation of believers flows; and such as are given to Christ by the Father he considers as his charge, and stands engaged for their preservation; and the death of Christ for sinners, is an evident demonstration of the love of God the Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ, towards them; this love manifested in time was in and upon the heart of God before the world began. — Mason . What a multitude of unseen dangers, both spiritual and temporal, the Christian escapes before he is called! — Ed.

Ft5 “Rarely,” finely, nicely.

Ft6 A safe-conduct is a military term, either a convoy or guard for protection in an enemy’s land, or a passport, by the sovereign of a country, to enable a subject to travel with safety. — Imperial Dict . — Ed.

Ft8 What heart can conceive the glorious worship of heaven? The new song shall be as the voice of many waters, and a great thunder, when the “ten thousand times ten thousand and thousand of thousands” shall sing, “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain, to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and blessing.” O that my poor voice may join that celestial choir! — Ed.

Ft9 The fear of the Lord — an ornament of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck, and life unto thy soul. — Solomon .

Ft10 “Their appearance and themselves”; this beautiful illustration might escape the reader’s notice, unless specially directed to it. The living creatures were always the same, although seen under different circumstances, and in diverse places. Inside and out they were the same; without deviation or turning, they went straight forward. It is well said that Bunyan has here snatched a grace beyond the reach of art, and has applied it to exalt and beautify consistency of Christian character. — Ed.

Ft11 This is one of Bunyan’s peculiarly affecting representations, which in preaching went to the heart, producing intense interest, and tears of contrition over the stubbornness of human nature. Reader, Bunyan, being dead, yet speaketh; can you feel unaffected under such an appeal? — Ed.

Ft12 “To stave,” to thrust, to push, to delay. — Ed.

Ft13 These terms are taken from Foxe’s Martyrology . It was frequently the brutal remark of the Judges, You must turn or burn. Bunyan here applies it to turning from sin or burning in hell. — Ed.

Ft14 This treatise having been written some years after the Pilgrim’s Progress , Bunyan very naturally refers to the well- known scene in the Interpreter’s House, where the fire is kept burning by oil from behind the wall, in spite of all the water thrown upon its flames. — Ed.

Ft15 “To tend,” to watch, to guard, to attend. — Ed.

Ft16 How pointedly, how admirably, does this illustrate the fond absurdities, the extreme follies of the human heart! “To serve God with such dainty dishes ,” the cleanest being befouled with sin. “A cleaner way to hell than our neighbors!” — Ed.

Ft17 O how humbling a consideration! Our sins are numberless, of omission, of commission, openly and secretly; nay, in a thousand cases they escape the sinner’s observation. “Cleanse thou me from secret faults.” — Ed.

Ft18 “Shuck,” to shake or start back. — Ed.

Ft19 In Bunyan’s time, the saints of God were sorely tormented by penalties, fines, and imprisonment’s. It required great faith in a mother, who saw all her goods seized, for not going to church, the incarnate devils throwing the milk that was warming for her infant on the dunghill, and the skillet in which it was contained into the cart, answering her prayers for mercy on her babe. Let the brat of a heretic starve. — Ed.

Ft20 How abasing and humbling to human pride is it thus to conceive, that all have sinned, and, in the sight of God, are hell- deserving. What! says the honorable man, must I take mercy upon no higher consideration than the thief on the cross? Or the highly virtuous dame, Must I sue for mercy upon the same terms as the Magdalene? The faithful answer to both is, YES, or you must perish. — Ed.

Ft21 “False apostles,” mentioned in Acts 15, who would have blended Jewish observances with Christianity, and have brought the converts into misery and thraldom. They are specially referred to in Corinthians 11:13, “false apostles,” deceitful workers, that devour you and take from you (verse 20). In contradistinction to Paul, who was “chargeable to no man” (verse 9). — Ed.

Ft22 We must not for a moment imagine that Bunyan was afraid of temporal consequences, which prevents his enlarging upon this part of his subject. His contemptuous answer to Fowler for attacking the doctrine of justification, although a great man with the state, and soon afterwards made a bishop, is a proof that he was a stranger to the fear of man. He had said enough, and therefore there was no need to enlarge. — Ed.

Ft23 How does Bunyan here exhibit the perfection as well as the freeness of the pardon that Micah celebrates! That which is sunk in the depths of the sea is lost for ever. — Ed.

Ft24 “Tang,” taste, touch, savor, flavor, relish, tone, sound. A word of extensive meaning, but now nearly obsolete. “No tang of prepossession or fancy appears in the morality of our Savior or his apostles.” — Locke . — Ed.

Ft25 What can I render unto thee, my God, for such unspeakable blessedness? The cattle upon a thousand hills, yea, all creation, all that I have and am, is thine: all that I can do is “to take the cup of salvation and call upon the name of the Lord.” Not unto us, but unto thy name, be all the praise and honor of salvation! — Ed.

Ft26 In the edition of 1692, this sentence is “subject to the Father of spirits and love.” It is a very singular mode of expression to call God “the Father of love.” God is love, and that author and source of all holy love. Bunyan was at all times governed by Scripture phrases, with which his mind was so richly imbued as to cause him, if we may so speak, to live in a scriptural atmosphere; and this sentence bears a great affinity to Hebrews 12:9, “Shall we not much rather be in subjection to the Father of spirits, and live.” I have been, for these reasons, induced to consider the letter o in “love” a typographical error, and have altered the word to “live,” but could not take such a liberty without a public notice. — Ed.