THE PILGRIM’S PROGRESS
FROM THIS WORLD,
TO THAT WHICH IS TO COME
CHAPTER 17
WEEK 6 – SUNDAY
Read and pray: “Then hear in heaven, and forgive the sin of Your servants and of Your people Israel, when You teach them the good way in which they should walk; and send rain on Your land which You have given to Your people as an inheritance.” (2 Chronicles 6:27)
Christian and Hopeful fall
into the power of the Flatterer
Hopeful – I wish Great-Grace had appeared for our benefit.
Christian – But notice that even Great-Grace would have had quite a task with them; for although he handles his weapons well and keeps them at bay [brief pause], when they attack from a distance, if they get close – that is, if Distrust, Cowardice, and the other manage to seize him – it doesn’t take much strength to bring him down. And when a man is down, you know he is of little use.
The scars and wounds that furrow the face of Great-Grace are clear witnesses of what I say. I even heard that in a certain battle, he despaired of life. How many groans, how many laments, those three villains drew from David (Psalm 88)!
Heman and Hezekiah, though champions, also had to struggle greatly when assaulted by them, and they suffered much. Peter, whom some call the prince of the apostles, wanted to prove how strong he was, but they subdued him so thoroughly that even a poor servant girl made him tremble (Luke 22:55-57).
Besides, their king is always nearby, where he can hear them, and if any danger threatens, he instantly comes to their aid. Of that king it is said: “Though the sword reaches him, it does not avail, nor the spear, the dart, or the javelin. He regards iron as straw, and bronze as rotten wood. The arrow cannot make him flee; slingstones become like stubble for him. Clubs are counted as stubble; he laughs at the rattling of the javelin.” (Job 41:26–29)
What then can man do in such circumstances? Truly, if a man could always ride a horse like Job’s, and had the courage and skill to handle it, he would do amazing things, for “the snorting of his nostrils is terrifying. He paws the ground fiercely, rejoicing in his strength, and charges into the fray. He laughs at fear, and is not dismayed; he does not turn back from the sword. The quiver rattles at his side, along with the flashing spear and lance. In frenzied excitement he eats up the ground; he cannot stand still at the sound of the trumpet. As soon as he hears the trumpet, he says, ‘Aha!’ He smells the battle from afar, the shout of commanders and the battle cry.” (Job 39:20–25)
But footmen like you and me should never wish to meet such an enemy, nor boast over others’ defeats, nor trust in our own strength, for those who do so are often the ones who fail the worst. Peter, whom I just mentioned, wanted to boast – he even said, following what his heart whispered to him, that he would do more for his Master and defend Him better than all the others. And who was more humbled and brought down by those three villains than he? So when we know that such things happen on the King’s Highway, we should do the following:
Let us go out armed, not forgetting the shield, for it was the lack of this that caused Leviathan to be defeated by his attacker. When the monster sees us without a shield, he has no fear of us. The ultimate Danger said: “Above all, take up the shield of faith, with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one.” (Ephesians 6:16)
It is also good to ask the King for a guard. Even better is to ask Him to come with us Himself. Because of His presence, David rejoiced even in the Valley of the Shadow of Death. Moses preferred to die rather than take one more step without his God (Exodus 33:16). Ah! My brother! If He is with us, what shall we fear from ten thousand who rise against us? (Psalm 3:5–8). But without Him, the proud will fall among the dead (Isaiah 10:4).
As for me, I’ve been in battle, and if I’m still alive, it is by the kindness of the One who is Supreme Good. I have nothing to boast about in terms of courage, and I’d be glad never to see such encounters again – though I fear we may not yet be entirely out of danger. And since neither lion nor bear has devoured me so far, I hope in God that He will also deliver us from any uncircumcised Philistine who comes our way.
Engaged in this conversation, they continued their journey, going ahead of Ignorance, until they came to a place where the path split, which especially confused them, for both roads before them appeared equally straight. They stopped for a moment to reflect on what they should do, and just then, a man approached. His skin was very black, but he was clothed in a very bright robe. He asked them why they were standing still.
– We are heading to the Celestial City, but we do not know which of these two roads to take.
– Come with me, for I too am going to that city.
So the pilgrims followed the stranger along the path he chose. But as they went forward, they noticed that the road was curving and heading in the opposite direction from the city they desired to reach. Though they observed this, they kept walking.
Soon after, without realizing it, they found themselves trapped in a net, unable to get free, just as the white robe fell from the shoulders of the black-skinned man. Then they understood where they were, and wept for some time, realizing they could not escape.
Christian – Now I see that we have made a mistake. Didn’t the shepherds warn us to beware of the Flatterer? Today we experience, just as the Wise Man says, that “a man who flatters his neighbor spreads a net for his feet.” (Proverbs 29:5)
Hopeful – The shepherds also gave us a note with directions for the way, to ensure we could avoid the snare of the destroyer. David acted more wisely than we did, for he said: “By the words of Your lips, I have kept away from the paths of the destroyer.” (Psalm 17:4)
While they were still trapped in the net, they saw one of the Shining Ones approaching with a small whip in his hand. When he reached them, he asked where they had come from and what they were doing there. They answered that they were poor pilgrims on their way to Zion, but that a black man dressed in white had led them astray, saying, “Follow me, for I too am going to that city.”
Then the one with the whip said: – That was the Flatterer, a false apostle, transformed into an angel of light. (Daniel 11:32; 2 Corinthians 11:13–14). Then he tore the net, released them, and said: – Follow me, and I will set you back on the right path. And so he led them again to the road they had left in order to follow the Flatterer.
They then told the Shining One that the night before, they had been on the Delectable Mountains, that the shepherds had given them a guide for the road, but that they had forgotten to read it, and that although they had been warned about the Flatterer, they did not think he was the one they had met (Romans 16:17–18).
I then saw in my dream that the Shining One ordered them to lie down, and he punished them severely, to teach them the good path they should never have left (Deuteronomy 25:2; 2 Chronicles 6:27). And while he punished them, he said: “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent.” (Revelation 3:19)
After that, he told them to continue on their way, earnestly reminding them to obey the other instructions of the shepherds – which the two pilgrims greatly appreciated. And so they continued on the right path, striving not to forget the stern lesson they had just received and giving thanks to the Lord, who had shown them such great mercy.
Enjoy more:
Hymn – Experience of Christ – “As the One Who is Subjective”
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