306. One of his anecdotes is remarkable, as exhibiting the state of medical knowledge in his neighbourhood. A poor wretch, who had taught his son to blaspheme, was affected with a nervous twisting of the muscles of his chest. This was supposed to arise from a Satanic possession. One Freeman, a more than ordinary doctor, attempted the cure. They bound the patient to a form, with his head hanging down over the end; set a pan of coals under his mouth, and put something therein that made a great smoke, to fetch out the devil. There they kept the man till he was almost smothered, but no devil came out of him [Vol. iii., p. 605]. The death-bed scene of the broken-hearted Mrs. Badman, is delicately and beautifully drawn.
307. Sutcliff"s History of Bunyan"s Church.
308. Vol. iii., p. 245.
309. A beautiful satire is contained in the account of the traitors--tradition, human wisdom, and man"s invention. This picture is drawn by an inimitable artist. Nor have we seen anything more admirably adapted to the present state of our Tractarian times.
Vol. iii. 277.
310. Vol. i., p. 22, No. 128.
311. Vol. ii., p. 574.
312. Life, 1692.
313. Grace Abounding (continued), vol. i., p. 63, and Life, 1692.
314. Vol. i., p. 505.
315. Vol. i., p. 719.
316. Vol. i., p. 753.
317. Some of the wax remains, but the coin is lost.
318. Vol. iii., p. 763.
319. Vol. i., p. 81.
320. Mr. Philip, Critique on Bunyan, p. vi. and xvi.
321. Vol. ii., p. 425.
322. Vol. iii., p. 766.
323. Grace Abounding, 1692.
324. No. 25, E.; 26, W.; 26, N.; 27, S.
325. As matters of curious interest to all lovers of Bunyan, we insert, in the accompanying page, engravings of these relics, from drawings by Mr. Edward Offor.
326. The chair is engraved above, and it will be seen that it has suffered some little dilapidation since the last published engraving of it. The legs have been cut down to suit the height of one of his successors in the ministry!! With regard to the pulpit, an old resident in Bedford says--The celebrated John Howard presented a new pulpit in the room of the old one, which was cut up. Of part of the wood a table was made, which now belongs to Mrs. Hillyerd.
327. Vol. iii., p. 297.
328. Vol. i., p. 714.
329. Vol. i., p. 686.
330. Vol. i., pp. 690, 691.
331. Vol. ii., p. 261.
332. Vol. iii., p. 748.
333. It is noticed, in a letter to the Secretary for Ireland, dated September 6, 1688--"On teusday last died the Lord Mayor Sir J. Shorter. A few days before died Bunnian his lordship"s teacher or chaplain a man said to be gifted that way though once a cobler"
[Ellis"s Cor., vol. ii., p. 161]. We can excuse the sarcasm of a Roman Catholic, and with equal good nature, and more truth, remark, that the great and eminent pope, Sixtus V., was once a swineherd--not a bad school in which to study how to keep up a despotic sway over the Papacy.
334. Vol. iii., p. 308.
335. Law and Grace, marg., vol. i., p. 524.
336. Vol. ii., p. 651.
337. Vol. i., pp. 634, 635.
338. Vol. ii., p. 653.
339. Vol. i., p. 647.
340. Vol. ii., p. 15.
341. Vol. ii., p. 497.
342. Vol. iii., p. 251.
343. Emblem xiv., vol. iii., p. 751.
344. Christ is made known by the sufferings of his saints, vol.
ii., p. 701, and note.
345. Vol. iii., p. 751, and note.
346. Vol. iii., p. 595.
347. Vol. ii., p. 22.
348. Vol. ii., p. 257.
349. Works, folio, 1693.
GRACE ABOUNDING TO THE CHIEF OF SINNERS:
A BRIEF AND FAITHFUL RELATION OF THE EXCEEDING MERCY OF G.o.d IN CHRIST TO HIS POOR SERVANT, JOHN BUNYAN;
WHEREIN IS PARTICULARLY SHOWED THE MANNER OF HIS CONVERSION, HIS SIGHT AND TROUBLE FOR SIN, HIS DREADFUL TEMPTATIONS, ALSO HOW HE DESPAIRED OF G.o.d"S MERCY, AND HOW THE LORD AT LENGTH THROUGH CHRIST DID DELIVER HIM FROM ALL THE GUILT AND TERROR THAT LAY UPON HIM.
Whereunto is added a brief relation of his call to the work of the ministry, of his temptations therein, as also what he hath met with in prison. All which was written by his own hand there, and now published for the support of the weak and tempted people of G.o.d.