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Rh And seeks to find out what by Pins and Loops, By Calves, and Sheep, by Heifers, and by Rams, By Birds, and Herbs, and by the blood of Lambs, God speaketh to him. And happy is he That finds the light and grace that in them be. Be not too forward therefore to conclude That I want solidness, that I am rude : All things solid in shew not solid be ; All things in Parables despise not we ; Lest things most hurtful lightly we receive, And things that good are, of our souls bereave. My dark and cloudy words they do but hold The Truth, as Cabinets inclose the Gold. The prophets used much by Metaphors To set forth Truth ; yea, whoso considers Christ, his Apostles too, shall plainly see, That Truths to this day in such Mantles be. Am I afraid to say that Holy Writ, Which for its Stile and Phrase puts down all Wit, Is everywhere so full of all these things, Dark Figures, Allegories ? Yet there springs From that same Book that lustre, and those rayes Of light, that turns our darkest nights to days. Come, let my Carper to his Life now look, And find there darker lines than in my Book He findeth any ; Yea, and let him know, That in his best things there are worse lines too. May we but stand before impartial men, To his poor One I durst adventure Ten, That they will take my meaning in these lines Far better than his lies in Silver Shrines. 1. Bunyan alludes here to various details of the Mosaic ritual which have at various times been interpreted symbolically by preachers and commentators. The " pins " are the nails used in building the court of the Tabernacle, and the " loops " are the loops in the altar curtain.

31. Lies in Silver Shrines. In Acts xix. St. Paul speaks