tice. Indeed the accurate observer of the church in his own days, and the learned student of ecclesiastical history, must be equally surprised to find, that hardly one remarkable character, good or bad, or mixed in any manner or proportion imaginable; or one fatal delusion, by-path, or injurious mistake can be singled out which may not be paralleled in the Pilgrim's Progress: that is, as to the grand outlines; for the minutiae, about which bigoted and frivolous minds waste their zeal and force, are, with very few exceptions, wisely passed over. This circumstance is not only very surprising, but it suggests an argument perhaps unanswerable, in confirmation of the divine authority of those religious sentiments which are now often derided under the title of orthodoxy for every part of this singular book exclusively suits the different descriptions of such as profess those doctrines; and relates the experiences, mistakes, falls, recoveries, distresses, temptations, and consolations of serious persons of this class in our own times, as exactly as if it had been penned from the observation of them, and for their immediate benefit: while, like the sacred scriptures it remains a sealed book to all who are strangers to evangelical religion.

These remarks may very properly be concluded with the words of a justly admired poet of our own times, who in the following lines has fully sanctioned all that has been here advanced.

O thou, whom, borne on fancy's eager wing
Back to the season of life's happy spring,
I pleas'd remember, and, while memory yet
Holds fast her office here, can ne'er forget;
Ingenious dreamer, in whose well-told tale
Sweet fiction and sweet truth alike prevail;

Whose humorous vein, strong sense, and simple style,
May teach the gayest, make the gravest smile;
Witty, and well employ'd, and, like thy Lord,
Speaking in parables his slighted word;
I name thee not, lest so despis'd a name
Should move a sneer at thy deserved fame ;
Yet, e'en in transitory life's late day

That mingles all my brown with sober grey,
Revere the man, whose Pilgrim marks the road,
And guides the Progress of the soul to God.
"Twere well with most, if books, that could engage
Their childhood pleas'd them at a riper age;
The man, approving what had charm'd the boy,
Would die at last in comfort, peace and joy;
And not with curses on his art, who stole
The gem of truth from his unguarded soul.'

Cowper, Tirocinium, v. 129. Several persons have indeed already favoured the public with illustrations of this work: but the editor, on mature deliberation, did not think himself precluded by this consideration from communicating his sentiments on a favourite book, according to a plan he had formed in his own mind. Every man who thinks for himself has his own views of a subject, which often vary, more or less, from the sentiments of others, whom he nevertheless esteems and loves with great cordiality and the great Head of the church has entrusted different talents to his servants, to qualify them for usefulness among distinct descriptions of persons. It is indeed incontrovertible, that some men will receive the great truths of Christianity with candour and docility, when exhibited in a style and manner suited to their peculiar taste, who disregard and reject them, when conveyed in language which numbers, perhaps justly, think far more interesting and affecting. It need

not, therefore, be apprehended, that the labours of different writers on the same subject should materially interfere with each other: rather we may indulge a hope, that, as far as they accord to the standard of divine truth, they will, in different circles, promote the common cause of vital godliness.

The editor's aim, in this attempt to elucidate the Pilgrim's Progress, is to give a brief key to the grand outlines of the allegory, from which the attentive reader may obtain a general idea of the author's design; to bestow more pains in fixing the precise meaning of those parts, which might most perplex the inquirer, and which seem to have most escaped the notice, or divided the sentiments, of expositors; to state and establish, compendiously but clearly, those doctrinal, practical, and experimental views of Christianity, which Mr. Bunyan meant to convey; to guard them carefully from those extremes and perversions which he never favoured, but which too frequently increase men's prejudices against them; to delineate the more prominent feature of his various characters, with a special reference to the present state of religious profession, distinguishing accurately what he approves, from the defects even of true pilgrims; and, in fine, to give as just a representation as may be of the author's sentiments concerning the right way to heaven, and of the many false ways and by-paths which prove injurious to all who venture into them, and fatal to unnumbered multitudes. In executing this plan, no information that the editor could procure has been neglected; but he does not invariably adhere to the senti

ments of any man; and, while his dependence is placed, as he hopes, on the promised teaching of the Holy Spirit, he does not think himself authorized to spare any pains in endeavouring to render the publication acceptable and useful.

It may be expedient to recommend to the reader not to consult the notes till after a previous attentive consideration of the text. It will furnish him with a pleasing and useful mental exercise to endeavour to unriddle for himself the enigmas of the ailegory. When successful, he will derive satisfaction from finding, on turning to the notes, that he has discovered the generally approved interpretation: and, should any part baffle his efforts, he will have a key at hand, by which he may be preserved from the discouragement of proceeding in uncertainty to another subject.

The text is printed as it stands in those older editions which may be supposed to contain the author's own terms, which later editors have frequently modernized. A few obsolete or unclassical words, and unusual phrases, seem to become the character of the Pilgrim: and they are often more emphatical than any which can be substituted in their stead. A few exceptions however have been admitted; as the author, if living, would probably have changed some expressions for such as are less offensive to modern ears; and in other instances the slips of his pen, while taken up with things of vastly superior importance, would now be mistaken for errors of the press. Great pains have been taken to collate different copies of the work, and to examine every scriptural reference; in order to render this edition, in all respects, as correct as

possible. The editor has the satisfaction of adding, that he has been favoured by Mrs. Gurney, of Holborn, with the use of the second edition of the first part of the Pilgrim, by which he has been enabled to correct many errors of subsequent editions.The author's marginal references seemed so essential a part of the work, that it was deemed indispensably requisite to insert them in their places. But, as the marginal notes do not appear to convey any material instruction distinct from that contained in the text, and to be principally useful in pointing out any passage to which the reader might wish to refer, it was thought most advisable to omit them; for, indeed, they so encumber the page, and break in upon the uniformity of printing, that all hope of elegance must be precluded while they are retained.

Mr. Bunyan prefaced each part of the Pilgrim's Progress with a copy of verses: but, as his poetry does not suit the taste of these days, and is by no means equal to the work itself, it has been deemed expedient to omit them. That prefixed to the first part is entitled 'The Author's Apology for his Book;' in which he informs the reader that he was unawares drawn into the allegory when employed about another work; that the further he proceeded the more rapidly did ideas flow into his mind; that this induced him to form it into a separate book; and that, shewing it to his friends,

'Some said, John, print it; others said, Not so;
Some said, It might do good; others said, No.'

-The public will not hesitate in determining which opinion was the result of the deeper penetration;