I have been reading through John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress again and have enjoyed footnotes by a Rev. Mason that set forth the beauty of salvation by Christ and His righteousness imputed freely to believers.  Please read the three quotations below and be edified!

Mr. Worldly-wiseman prefers morality to Christ the strait gate.  This is the exact reasoning of the flesh. Carnal reason ever opposes spiritual truth.  The notion of justification by our own obedience to God’s law ever works in us, contrary to the way of justification by the obedience of Christ.  Self-righteousness is as contrary to the faith of Christ as indulging the lusts of the flesh.  The former is the white devil of pride, the latter the black devil of rebellion and disobedience.  See the awful consequences of listening to the reasonings of the flesh.

Another footnote on the glorious Gospel

See the glory of gospel grace to sinners.  See the amazing love of Christ in dying for sinners.  O remember the price, which obtained the pardon of our sins, at nothing less than his most precious blood! Believe his wonderful love.  Rejoice in hi glorious salvation.  Live in the love of him, in the hatred of your sins, and in humbleness of mind before him.

One more,

Legality is as great an enemy to the cross of Christ as licentiousness; for it keeps the soul from coming to, believing in, and trusting whole to the blood of Christ for pardon, and the righteousness of Christ for justification!  so that it keeps the soul in bondage, and swells the mind with pride, while licentiousness brings a scandal to the cross.

Finally, from the account itself, the words of Evangelist to Christian after Christian was turned out of the way by Worldly-wiseman,

Now there are three things in this man’s counsel, that thou must utterly abhor. 1. His turning thee out of the way.  2. His labouring to render the cross odious to thee. And 3. His setting thy feet in that way that leadeth unto the administration of death.