- This is a visual book - painting pictures to teach us the lessons.
- Dialogues are important for elaborating points (Beautiful Palace; Apolleon versus Christian).
- Ironic humor - human failings.
- Ideal for slow reading, re-reading.
Third Lesson
The benefits of the
Atonement, faith in the crucified Messiah are many –
Then
was Christian glad and lightsome, and said, with a merry heart, “He hath given
me rest by his sorrow, and life by his death.” Then he stood still awhile to
look and wonder; for it was very surprising to him, that the sight of the cross
should thus ease him of his burden. He looked therefore, and looked again, even
till the springs that were in his head sent the waters down his cheeks. [Zech.
12:10] Now, as he stood looking and weeping, behold three Shining Ones came to
him and saluted him with “Peace be unto thee”. So the first said to him, “Thy
sins be forgiven thee” [Mark 2:5]; the second stripped him of his rags, and
clothed him with change of raiment [Zech. 3:4]; the third also set a mark on
his forehead, and gave him a roll with a seal upon it, which he bade him look
on as he ran, and that he should give it in at the Celestial Gate. [Eph. 1:13]
So they went their way. P. 77.
The Pilgrim’s Progress
is especially good in teaching the cross, because it is central to the Gospels
and the New Testament, and taught by Luther. The book teaches about many
blessings, but the warnings and threats are detailed and frequent, all along
the way to the Celestial City. As the ending shows, one can be lost at the very
gates of Heaven, by turning away from the Faith.
I
saw then in my dream, that he went on thus, even until he came at a bottom,
where he saw, a little out of the way, three men fast asleep, with fetters upon
their heels. The name of the one was Simple, another Sloth, and the third
Presumption. P. 80.
Christian warned the
three men, and they answered accordingly –
With
that they looked upon him, and began to reply in this sort: Simple said, “I see
no danger”; Sloth said, “Yet a little more sleep”; and Presumption said, “Every
fat must stand upon its own bottom; what is the answer else that I should give
thee?” And so they lay down to sleep again, and Christian went on his way. P.
80.
“That Is Not a Hill I Would Die On”
The quotation above is
used by clergy to answer such issues as Justification by Faith – “Not a hill I
would die on,” and abortion – “Not a hill I would die on.”
Christian and others
came to a Hill – Difficulty. The way up was steep.
So
the one took the way which is called Danger, which led him into a great wood,
and the other took directly up the way to Destruction, which led him into a
wide field, full of dark mountains, where he stumbled and fell, and rose no
more. P. 87
Christian climbed the
steep trail but stopped at a pleasant arbor, where he stopped to rest and fell
asleep. “Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways and be wise. [Prov.
6:6] And with that Christian started up, and sped him on his way, and went
apace, till he came to the top of the hill.” P. 90.
Now,
when he was got up to the top of the hill, there came two men running to meet
him amain; the name of the one was Timorous, and of the other, Mistrust; to
whom Christian said, Sirs, what’s the matter? You run the wrong way. Timorous
answered, that they were going to the City of Zion, and had got up that
difficult place; but, said he, the further we go, the more danger we meet with;
wherefore we turned, and are going back again. P. 93.
This is brilliant
writing, reminding us of many popular narratives where people enjoy repeating
their favorite parts – Lucy in the candy factory, Bilbo facing Smaug, family
disasters that gain humor with time. This book reminds us of our own frailties
as we look at Christian – Everyman – and the characters he meets along the path
of life.
Christian left his scroll, the Scriptures, behind at the
peaceful arbor, where he fell asleep. Now he had no source of comfort to read,
so he went back to that arbor. Then he was able to climb the hill again
quickly. It was getting dark so he looked for a place to stay. Ahead was a
palace named Beautiful.
Now,
thought he, I see the dangers that Mistrust and Timorous were driven back by.
(The lions were chained, but he saw not the chains.) Then he was afraid, and
thought also himself to go back after them, for he thought nothing but death
was before him. But the porter at the lodge, whose name is Watchful, perceiving
that Christian made a halt as if he would go back, cried unto him, saying, Is
thy strength so small? [Mark 8:3437] Fear not the lions, for they are chained,
and are placed there for trial of faith where it is, and for discovery of those
that had none. Keep in the midst of the path, no hurt shall come unto thee. P.
100.
Weapons Museum
Christian has an
extensive conversation with the sisters - Discretion, Piety, Charity, and Prudence -
living at the palace called Beautiful, placed there for pilgrims to rest, to
recuperate, and to have spiritual conversation.
They
also showed him some of the engines with which some of his servants had done
wonderful things. They shewed him Moses’ rod; the hammer and nail with which
Jael slew Sisera; the pitchers, trumpets, and lamps too, with which Gideon put
to flight the armies of Midian. Then they showed him the ox’s goad wherewith
Shamgar slew six hundred men. They showed him also the jaw-bone with which
Samson did such mighty feats. They showed him, moreover, the sling and stone
with which David slew Goliath of Gath; and the sword, also, with which their
Lord will kill the Man of Sin, in the day that he shall rise up to the prey.
They showed him, besides, many excellent things, with which Christian was much
delighted. This done, they went to their rest again. P. 116.
Delectable Mountains, Valley of Humiliation, Apollyon
The Delectable
Mountains (Isaiah 33:16-17) would be the next stop, so Pilgrim went to the
armory to be fitted for the journey (Ephesians 6). He would be closer to his
goal by going there and hoped to meet other pilgrims. One of them, Faithful,
was from his hometown. But first he had to travel
through the Valley of Humiliation, where he faced the hideous monster,
Apollyon, the Destroyer.
APOLLYON. Whence come
you? and whither are you bound?
CHRISTIAN.
I am come from the City of Destruction, which is the place of all evil, and am
going to the City of Zion.
APOLLYON.
By this I perceive thou art one of my subjects, for all that country is mine,
and I am the prince and god of it. How is it, then, that thou hast run away
from thy king? Were it not that I hope thou mayest do me more service, I would
strike thee now, at one blow, to the ground.
CHRISTIAN.
I was born, indeed, in your dominions, but your service was hard, and your
wages such as a man could not live on, “for the wages of sin is death” [Rom
6:23]; therefore, when I was come to years, I did, as other considerate persons
do, look out, if, perhaps, I might mend myself.
APOLLYON.
There is no prince that will thus lightly lose his subjects, neither will I as
yet lose thee; but since thou complainest of thy service and wages, be content
to go back: what our country will afford, I do here promise to give thee.
CHRISTIAN.
But I have let myself to another, even to the King of princes; and how can I,
with fairness, go back with thee?
APOLLYON.
Thou hast done in this, according to the proverb, “Changed a bad for a worse”;
but it is ordinary for those that have professed themselves his servants, after
a while to give him the slip, and return again to me. Do thou so too, and all
shall be well.
CHRISTIAN.
I have given him my faith, and sworn my allegiance to him; how, then, can I go
back from this, and not be hanged as a traitor?
APOLLYON. Thou didst
the same to me, and yet I am willing to pass by all, if now thou wilt yet turn
again and go back.
CHRISTIAN.
What I promised thee was in my nonage; and, besides, I count the Prince under
whose banner now I stand is able to absolve me; yea, and to pardon also what I
did as to my compliance with thee; and besides, O thou destroying Apollyon! to
speak truth, I like his service, his wages, his servants, his government, his
company, and country, better than thine; and, therefore, leave off to persuade
me further; I am his servant, and I will follow him. P. 124
After the dialogue was
finished, Apollyon attacked Christian, who fought back with the weapons from
the armory at the palace called Beautiful. Christian was almost finished when
he drew out the Sword of the Spirit and won the battle.
Ahead Lay the Valley of the Shadow of Death
