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Worldly Wiseman Directs Christian to the Village of
Morality and Mr. Legality’s House
Worldly Wiseman has plenty of bad advice for Christian,
which will lead him astray. He had this to say about Evangelist.
I beshrew him for his
counsel! there is not a more dangerous and troublesome way in the world than is
that unto which he hath directed thee; and that thou shalt find, if thou wilt
be ruled by his counsel. Thou hast met with something, as I perceive, already;
for I see the dirt of the Slough of Despond is upon thee; but that slough is
the beginning of the sorrows that do attend those that go on in that way. Hear
me, I am older than thou; thou art like to meet with, in the way which thou
goest, wearisomeness, painfulness, hunger, perils, nakedness, sword, lions,
dragons, darkness, and, in a word, death, and what not! P. 16.
The burden on Christian’s
back came from reading the Book, so Worldly Wiseman directs him to the city of Morality,
to meet a gentleman called Civility. This passage echoes the warnings of Martin
Luther in the Galatians Lectures – and St. Paul himself – about the dangers of
righteousness through the Law. Christian is confused but wants to take the
burden off his back, so he heads up the hill where Civility lives. But the more
he climbed, the heavier the burden became. The Law by itself only increases the
experience of sin.
Evangelist had sent Christian to the Wicket Gate,
but the poor man was persuaded to comfort himself with the Law.
EVANGELIST.
Then, said Evangelist, stand still a little, that I may show thee the words of
God. So he stood trembling. Then said Evangelist, “See that ye refuse not him
that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth,
much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from
heaven.” [Heb. 12:25] He said, moreover, “Now the just shall live by faith: but
if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.” [Heb. 10:38] He
also did thus apply them: Thou art the man that art running into this misery;
thou hast begun to reject the counsel of the Most High, and to draw back thy
foot from the way of peace, even almost to the hazarding of thy perdition. P 20
Christian is allowed to
backtrack to the Wicket Gate, but he was also warned by Evangelist how bad it
was to trust in the wrong solution for his burden.
CHRISTIAN.
Here is a poor burdened sinner. I come from the City of Destruction, but am
going to Mount Zion, that I may be delivered from the wrath to come. I would
therefore, Sir, since I am informed that by this gate is the way thither, know if
you are willing to let me in?
GOOD-WILL.
I am willing with all my heart, said he; and with that he opened the gate.
So
when Christian was stepping in, the other gave him a pull. Then said Christian,
What means that? The other told him. A little distance from this gate, there is
erected a strong castle, of which Beelzebub is the captain; from thence, both
he and them that are with him shoot arrows at those that come up to this gate,
if haply they may die before they can enter in.
Once Inside the Wicket Gate
The Interpreter shows Christian a parable
Then he took him by the
hand, and led him into a very large parlor that was full of dust, because never
swept; the which after he had reviewed a little while, the Interpreter called
for a man to sweep. Now, when he began to sweep, the dust began so abundantly
to fly about, that Christian had almost therewith been choked. Then said the
Interpreter to a damsel that stood by, Bring hither the water, and sprinkle the
room; the which, when she had done, it was swept and cleansed with pleasure. P.
27.
What does this mean?
INTERPRETER.
The Interpreter answered, This parlor is the heart of a man that was never
sanctified by the sweet grace of the gospel; the dust is his original sin and
inward corruptions, that have defiled the whole man. He that began to sweep at
first, is the Law; but she that brought water, and did sprinkle it, is the
Gospel. Now, whereas thou sawest, that so soon as the first began to sweep, the
dust did so fly about that the room by him could not be cleansed, but that thou
wast almost choked therewith; this is to shew thee, that the law, instead of cleansing
the heart (by its working) from sin, doth revive, put strength into, and
increase it in the soul, even as it doth discover and forbid it, for it doth
not give power to subdue. [Rom. 7:6; 1 Cor. 15:56; Rom. 5:20] Again, as thou
sawest the damsel sprinkle the room with water, upon which it was cleansed with
pleasure; this is to show thee, that when the gospel comes in the sweet and
precious influences thereof to the heart, then, I say, even as thou sawest the
damsel lay the dust by sprinkling the floor with water, so is sin vanquished
and subdued, and the soul made clean through the faith of it, and consequently
fit for the King of glory to inhabit. [John 15:3; Eph. 5:26; Acts 15:9; Rom.
16:25,26; John 15:13] P. 28.
Here is goose-bump
inducing example, very much the efficacy of the Gospel Word, which brings
Christ to us –
So
he had him about to the backside of the wall, where he saw a man with a vessel
of oil in his hand, of the which he did also continually cast, but secretly,
into the fire. Then said Christian, What means this?
The
Interpreter answered, This is Christ, who continually, with the oil of his
grace, maintains the work already begun in the heart: by the means of which,
notwithstanding what the devil can do, the souls of his people prove gracious
still. [2 Cor. 12:9] And in that thou sawest that the man stood behind the wall
to maintain the fire, that is to teach thee that it is hard for the tempted to
see how this work of grace is maintained in the soul. P. 30.
There are many detailed
lessons. I enjoyed the professor in utter despair because the illustration perfectly
fits theologians who do not believe in God, but make their living talking about
Christian topics. Tillich and Pope Pius II fit very well, because they feared
death. Mother Theresa is another example. In those cases, we know how miserable
they were. We can assume the same with others, like Karl Barth and his mistress
Charlotte Kirschbaum, with her doing the heavy work and him strutting around
like a squawking peacock.
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| The burden fell off Christian's back and tumbled away until it was out of sight. |
The Burden Falls Away at the Cross
Then
said the Interpreter to Christian, Hast thou considered all these things?
CHRISTIAN.
Yes, and they put me in hope and fear. INTERPRETER. Well, keep all things so in
thy mind that they may be as a goad in thy sides, to prick thee forward in the
way thou must go. Then Christian began to gird up his loins, and to address
himself to his journey. Then said the Interpreter, The Comforter be always with
thee, good Christian, to guide thee in the way that leads to the City. So
Christian went on his way, saying—
“Here I have seen things rare and profitable;
Things pleasant, dreadful, things to make me stable In what I have
begun to take in hand; Then let me think on them, and understand
Wherefore they showed me were, and let me be Thankful, O good
Interpreter, to thee.” Now I saw in my dream, that the highway up which
Christian was to go, was fenced on either side with a wall, and that wall was
called Salvation. [Isa. 26:1] Up this way, therefore, did burdened Christian
run, but not without great difficulty, because of the load on his back. He ran
thus till he came at a place somewhat ascending, and upon that place stood a
cross, and a little below, in the bottom, a sepulchre. So I saw in my dream,
that just as Christian came up with the cross, his burden loosed from off his
shoulders, and fell from off his back, and began to tumble, and so continued to
do, till it came to the mouth of the sepulchre, where it fell in, and I saw it
no more.
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| Help said there are steps out of the Slough of Despond, such as Isaiah 40:2. |
