THE PILGRIM’S PROGRESS
FROM THIS WORLD, TO THAT WHICH IS TO COME
CHAPTER 9
WEEK 3 – MONDAY
Read and pray: "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 6:23)
THEN it was resolved that our pilgrim should depart, with the consent of the inhabitants of the palace; but before he left, they took him once more to the armory, where he was equipped with armor of finest temper, to defend himself on the way, should he be attacked. Then they accompanied him to the gate, where he asked the porter whether any traveler had passed during his stay at the palace. The porter answered affirmatively.
Christian – Do you know him?
Porter – No, but I asked his name, and he told me it was Faithful.
Christian – Ah! I know who he is! I know him very well; he’s my countryman and neighbor, and he comes from my hometown. Has he gone far?
Porter – He must be at the end of the slope.
Christian – Thank you, good man; may the Lord be with you and increase His blessings upon you for the kindness you've shown me.
And he departed. Discretion, Piety, Charity, and Prudence wished to accompany him to the end of the ravine, and they all conversed about the matters they had already discussed.
When they reached the slope, he said:
Christian – The climb seemed hard to me, but the descent will be no less dangerous.
Prudence – Indeed. There is always danger for the man who descends into the Valley of Humiliation, where you are going, of slipping; and the obstacles found there are also perilous. That’s why we came to accompany you.
Christian descended very carefully, yet not without stumbling more than once. When they reached the bottom of the hill, the companions took their leave of him, gave him a loaf of bread, a bottle of wine, and a cluster of grapes.
As soon as he entered the valley, Christian began to find himself in trouble. He had scarcely taken a few steps when a dreadful demon named Apollyon came out to meet him. Christian was afraid, and he began to reflect on whether it would be better to flee or to stand his ground. But he remembered that his armor did not protect his back, and therefore, to turn his back on the enemy would give him a great advantage, for he could wound him with his darts.
So he resolved to be courageous and to stand firm, the only option left to preserve his life.
He took a few more steps and found himself face to face with the enemy. The monster’s appearance was dreadful; he was covered with scales like those of a fish; he had wings like a dragon and bear’s feet; smoke and fire came out of his belly, and his mouth was like the mouth of a lion. As he approached Christian, he cast on him a look of disdain and spoke in these terms:
Apollyon – Where do you come from, and where are you going?
Christian – I come from the City of Destruction, the abode of all evil, and I am going to the City of Zion.
Apollyon – Do you mean to say that you were my subject? For all that land belongs to me, and I rule it as prince and god. And you dared to rebel against the dominion of your king? Ah! If I did not hope you would still be of great use to me, I would crush you with one blow!
Christian – It’s true that I was born in your domain; but your service was so hard, and the wages so miserable, that I could scarcely live, for the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). So when I came to my senses, I did what any sensible person would do – I sought to better my condition.
Apollyon – No prince likes to lose his subjects for so little; and for my part, I do not wish to lose you. So, since you complain about the service and the pay, return willingly to your homeland, and I promise to give you all that can be offered in my domains.
Christian – I am now in the service of the King of kings, so I cannot go back with you.
Apollyon – You've gone from bad to worse, as the saying goes; but usually, those who claim to serve such a king quickly free themselves from his yoke, and, taking better counsel, return to me. Do as they do, and all will be well with you.
Christian – I gave him my word and swore my allegiance; if I turned back now, would I not deserve to be hanged as a traitor?
Apollyon – That’s what you did to me, and yet I’m willing to forget it all if you agree to return.
Christian – The promises I made to you were before I reached maturity and hold no value. Moreover, I trust that the Prince under whose banner I now serve will absolve me and forgive all I did to please you. And, above all, I want to speak to you frankly: His service, His wages, His servants, His government, His company, and His country please me far more than yours. You lose your ground if you try to persuade me otherwise; I am His servant, and I am determined to follow Him.
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