Church: Reformed Baptist Church of Franconia | Text: — | Date: January 16, 2011 | Speaker: Fred Zaspel

If you saw my post on Facebook last night, you will understand what I mean when I say that I would like to have Pastor Boyd preach more often on television as he relates both to men and women. I thought that was an excellent part of the sermon this morning. He needs to expand on that a little bit more. For those of you who don’t have Facebook, it went like this: Last evening I sat down with Kim and Gina to watch some television. They put in a DVD of Charlotte’s Web. And by the time we got to the talking spider, I was back in my study, studying Pilgrim’s Progress again. And I’ve got to find a way to maintain my status as king of the remote, as my last vestige of authority has been lost.

Pilgrim’s Progress. Many of you know that for a number of years I hosted the John Bunyan Conference, which is a pastor’s conference, and one couple of years we had a man by the name of Barry Horner speak for us. Barry is a friend of mine. He’s an Australian. He lives in Arizona now, and he is certainly one of the world’s leading authorities on the works of John Bunyan and Pilgrim’s Progress in particular. His knowledge of it seems exhaustive, and I’ve been in touch with him. But Barry spoke for us on Pilgrim’s Progress a few times, and when he would get up to speak, he would start off by saying, “I’m going to speak to you tonight from the second greatest book in all the world.” Well, he did that, and then up after him was Don Carson. And Don Carson got up and said, “I’m going to speak to you from the greatest book in all the world.”

And of course, he had a point to make, both of them did, and Don was certainly up one on him. But the humorous way in which it was said partly obscured, I think, a very important point that Barry was making. Not only that Pilgrim’s Progress was the most published, most widely published, most widely read, most enduring book in all the history of the world except for the Bible, but the reason Pilgrim’s Progress is the second greatest book in all the world is because it is so very much like the greatest book in all the world. And what he has for us there is a dramatic presentation of the essential teachings on the Christian life.

You remember we saw last time Charles Spurgeon’s remarks about John Bunyan, where you prick him anywhere and he bleeds “bibline.” He had a mind so saturated with the scriptures that every time he speaks, virtually every line of Pilgrim’s Progress is threading together another verse of scripture into a dramatic presentation. Well, I wouldn’t do this every Sunday. Normally, we open the scriptures; we look specifically at the greatest book in all the world. But at the same time, I don’t feel a need to apologize for doing this, because it is so helpful in helping us understand what the scriptures teach us about the Christian life. And if this will help encourage you to read Pilgrim’s Progress, then I feel like we’ve done a great service for you spiritually.

What Is Pilgrim’s Progress?

Quickly then, what is Pilgrim’s Progress? We saw last time that it’s a classic of all classics, but what is it? It was Mark Twain that said, “A classic is a book that everyone’s heard of and no one has read.” In the history of the world, this has been read more, but at the same time, in our generation, it’s become pretty well unknown outside of Christian circles. And particularly within Reformed circles, it is still very well known. But it’s become less known, although it still sells quite a bit.

I think a reading of the title will help a little bit in that regard. We know it as The Pilgrim’s Progress. But here’s the title that Bunyan gave it originally. It’s a longer title: The Pilgrim’s Progress, From This World to That Which Is to Come, Delivered Under the Similitude of a Dream, wherein is discovered the manner of his setting out, his dangerous journey, and his safe arrival at the desired country. I didn’t read that well, so let me do it again: The Pilgrim’s Progress from this world to that which is to come, delivered under the similitude of a dream, wherein is discovered the manner of his setting out, his dangerous journey, and his safe arrival at the desired country.

The Pilgrim’s Progress. In one sense, that’s a tautology, a needless repetition. If you’re a pilgrim, you are by definition traveling from point A to point B, and so “Pilgrim’s Progress,” in a sense, is a repetition. But Bunyan puts it there for a reason. It’s not just traveling from one point to another. Every pilgrim does that. But there is, in Pilgrim’s Progress, the notion of advance. The advance from the City of Destruction, where we begin—we’ll see more of that in a minute—he’ll finally hear rhymes of the Celestial City. Progress from the burden of sin to his rest from that burden and his final rest in bliss. Progress from Doubting Castle to the land of Beulah where Giant Despair is out of reach and where he can’t even see Doubting Castle. Progress in his understanding of Christian doctrine, progress in the working out of his salvation, progress in his sanctification, progress in corresponding wisdom. We find various conversations through the book where he gives mature analysis to other people by the name of Little-Faith and so on, describing to them what the Christian life is about.

There is some biblical precedent for that kind of analogy. We have, of course, Abraham, who is the one who was the traveler par excellence in the scriptures in a sense, the one who journeyed to promise; his journey of faith is well known. The Psalms very often speak of the Christian life as a journey, a traveling. In the New Testament, we come to Paul and the writer of the Hebrews, who both describe the Christian life as a race that is to be run, and Paul at the end of his life describing his life as a course that has been finished. So this is with some biblical precedent that he speaks under the figure of a travel or a journey.

Now, he does this by means of an allegory. Pilgrim’s Progress is known as the great allegory of the English language. A dictionary defines an allegory as a story in which the meaning or message is represented symbolically. A story in which the meaning or the message is represented symbolically. Well, that’s good enough, but we should note here before we go on that Bunyan himself describes his book in his concluding poem with the words allegory, similitude, metaphor, parable, figure, type, fable, and shadow. He uses all of these to describe his work.

So here’s a symbolic presentation of the Christian life, or a symbolic portrayal of the Christian life. More than that, it is, first of all, not just a portrayal of a Christian life, but it’s a symbolic portrayal of Bunyan’s own experience. And that’s why I thought it would be helpful last week to start with just a brief overview of his own life, his own experience in grace. One writer wrote that the allegory is the life of its author cast in imaginative form. Every step in Christian’s journey has first been trodden by Bunyan himself.

Some others have done some extensive work on Bunyan’s work, some analysis of it. In Bunyan’s famous Come and Welcome to Jesus Christ, we have his exposition, a theological exposition of his understanding of conversion. Wonderful work. But that’s his Come and Welcome to Jesus Christ, a theological exposition of the doctrine of conversion. In his Grace Abounding, Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners, we have his own spiritual autobiography in which he describes his own experience in grace in coming to Christ. Now in Pilgrim’s Progress, what we have is his graphic allegorical portrayal of his own experience in grace within that theological understanding. And so it is a helpful thing to work through Bunyan’s works in that regard, seeing how all of these work together. But he does this graphic portrayal or allegorical portrayal in order, of course, to teach us, to encourage us regarding the Christian life. So it’s a journey, a journey from being lost in the City of Destruction, to conversion, to progress and experience in the Christian life, until finally he arrives in the Celestial City.

Samplings Of The Allegory

Well, there it is in a nutshell. Let’s give some samplings. We’ll try to hurry through this this evening, just to give you a flavor for the book. If you haven’t read it, I just cannot encourage you strongly enough to get a copy of it soon and read through it, and this will help in that regard. Well, I hope it does.

Let’s have an example of his allegory. The main character in the book is a man by the name of Christian. He is the pilgrim. We find out later in the book that originally his name was Graceless. You can see where the allegory is going already. He arrives on the scene with a book in his hand, dressed in rags, with a burden on his back, and living in the City of Destruction. His burden came on his back as a result of his reading the book that was in his hand.

And Bunyan begins: “As I walked through the wilderness of this world, I lighted on a certain place where was a den, and I laid me down in that place to sleep.” This probably is his prison that he’s speaking of. “And as I slept, I dreamed a dream. I dreamed, and behold, I saw a man clothed with rags, standing in a certain place with his face from his own house, a book in his hand, and a great burden upon his back. I looked and saw him open the book, and read therein, and as he read, he wept and trembled, and not being able longer to contain, he’d break out with lamentable cries, saying, ‘What shall I do?'”

Well, he’s overcome with conviction for sin, and he describes that at some length. He’s torn up by a recognition of this impending doom because of his sin, and that is the burden that is on his back. He returns home to his family. He’s overcome with his burdens and tries to conceal it from them, but finally he just breaks out, and he unloads to his family about what is bothering him, and this burden that’s on his back, and the fear that he has that they’ll be destroyed. Well, they think he’s sick. They think he has a distemper, or something. And so, they’re very patient with him, and they try to put him to bed and assure him that he’ll be better in the morning.

He does not sleep well. He wakes up in the morning worse than what he was. He still has this grief, and, well, of course, then they are not so patient with him at this point; they begin to rebuke him and tell him he’s crazy, things like that. Well, then Evangelist shows up on the scene, and he points him to the book. And the book says, “Flee from the wrath to come.” Obviously a reference to John the Baptist, who preached that. “Flee from the wrath to come.” And he points Pilgrim then, or Graceless at this point, points him to a wicket gate. “Can you see the gate?” He says, “No, I can’t.” “Well, do you see the shining light?” “I see the shining light.” “You make your way to that shining light, there is the gate, and there you will find how to be rid of your burden.”

And so he leaves his home, he leaves this City of Destruction behind him, seeking to find relief from his burden. His family calls after him, and in fact, they run after him, trying to bring him back. They’re sure he’s just out of his mind, trying to bring him back in desperation. He puts his fingers in his ears. He says, “Life, life, eternal life!” Marvelous presentation of irresistible grace. In fact, Bunyan writes here, “He looked not behind him.” Obviously, a reference to Genesis 19 and Lot’s wife. When neighbors came after him, trying to talk some sense into his head—he’s obviously disturbed, he’s not right—two neighbors in particular come after him, one named Obstinate, the other named Pliable. Obstinate argues with him and just berates him and belittles him for the silly journey that he’s taking. And Pliable comes with him for the same purpose, and then he hears the Pilgrim speaking, he hears Graceless speaking, and, well, maybe he’s got something after all. A perfect example of the simpleton in Proverbs, you know, who’s sort of either way—whoever’s talking is who he listens to—and he ends up going then with Pilgrim on his journey. Evangelist shows up several times in the story, always faithfully directing the Christian in the way that he should go.

Well, it’s not difficult already to see what is being portrayed in all of this: the burden on his back, there’s a conviction of sin; the condition of the world, the City of Destruction; the offer of hope that is given in the gospel; the role of scriptures, and that it’s essential not only in pointing out the burden and bringing the burden about in the first place, but also pointing to the relief for that burden. The spiritual blindness of the world is graphically displayed in this. The opposition of the world, the division that is brought about by the gospel, and the efficacious power of divine grace. All of these kinds of things are playing into this story.

And the story proceeds along these corresponding lines. On the surface, there’s the story itself, with its graphic portrayal of these memorable scenes of what’s happening, such that any child reading it, or hearing it read to him, is going to enjoy the story itself. And then, just beneath the surface—not far—just beneath the surface, there’s a corresponding biblical and theological level, corresponding to the description and teachings of the Scripture regarding the Christian life.

Well, Christian soon reaches the Slough of Despond. This is the place of fears and unbelief, he calls it. This is not just the place of conviction of sins. What he says is the fears and unbelief that often attend the conviction of sin. It is not necessary to go through the Slough of Despond. There are stepping stones that he could have taken, and Faithful, later on in the story we learn, takes those steps. But Christian himself, and Pliable, who is with him, fall into the Slough of Despond. It’s the experience of those who wallow in their despondency when they are convicted of sin, or because of unbelief, will not follow after the way that they should. And so, they’re in the Slough of Despond, in the swamp of trouble. Pliable gets caught in there; he scrambles back out from the way he came, and he makes his way back to the City of Destruction, where he is mocked. Some say, “You’re a fool for going with him”; some say, “You’re a fool for coming back, you should have stuck it out, you started something.” But he is mocked, and of course Christian himself is being mocked now, back in the City of Destruction as well. Graphic portrayal of the world, isn’t it?

Soon along the line, Christian meets up with Mr. Worldly Wiseman. And he counsels Christian. “You need to get rid of that burden.” “No doubt. That’s what I’m doing. That’s what I’m trying to do. I want to get rid of this burden. Can you tell me how?” “Well, how did you get the burden in the first place?” “Well, I got it by reading this book in my hand.” “Yeah, the book that’s giving you the burden is going to relieve the burden, right? How stupid can you be? Now, look, I know these things. I understand things better than you do. I understand the ways of the world. You need to listen to me.” So, he seeks to dissuade Christian from going on the way to the gate. And he warns him that there are dangers of all kinds along that way, and Christian responds, “Why, sir, this burden on my back is more terrible to me than all those things which you have mentioned.” Then he thinks, “I care not what I meet with in the way, if so be it, I can also meet with deliverance from my burden.”

Well, Mr. Worldly Wiseman has “better ideas” for Christian as he directs him to the Town of Morality. He instructs him, “When you go to the Town of Morality, you need to see and speak with a man named Legality.” Well, these, again, are reflective of Bunyan’s own attempts at self-reform before his conversion. So he goes off to the Town of Morality to see Mr. Legality. But he finds that he cannot get there. He cannot get there, because on the way to the Town of Morality, there is this steep hill. In fact, the side is almost overhanging on him, he says. And from this hill are coming these loud thunders and flashes of light, clearly representative of Sinai. You cannot make it by way of the law. And this is a huge teaching in John Bunyan, not just in Pilgrim’s Progress, but in others of his works as well. Well, he’s fearful now, and he’s ashamed that he has stepped out of the way, and Evangelist shows up, and he’s ashamed before Evangelist, but Evangelist directs him again in the way and insists that he must go to that wicket gate. Christian says, very ashamed, “Will he forgive my sins?” And Evangelist says, “Your sin is great, but he will receive you, for he has good will for men.”

Well, finally, and I’m trying to condense this briefly, finally Christian makes his way to the wicket gate. And maybe I could read a quick selection here. At last there came a grave person to the gate, after he was knocking, a man named Goodwill, who very clearly is Jesus, who asked who was there, and whence he came, and what he would have. The Christian says, “Here is a poor, burdened sinner. I come from the City of Destruction, but I 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.” Goodwill says, “I am willing with all my heart.” And with that, he opened the gate. Well, he pulls him through the gate quickly to spare him from the arrows of Beelzebub, who are coming after him—that Christian at this point doesn’t even see—and then Goodwill directs him on the narrow way.

He directs him to the house of Interpreter, which we don’t have time to look at at all. I’ll just skip that entirely, but there at the house of the Interpreter, he’s instructed in the ways of grace and some marvelous lessons that will just wonderfully increase your understanding of the scriptures. And then finally he arrives at a place, he says, that was somewhat ascending, upon which was the cross, to the sepulcher below. And as he looks up to the cross, his burden of itself falls off and rolls down into the sepulcher where Bunyan says, “It fell and I saw it no more.” He’s given new clothes. A mark is put on his forehead. He’s given a sealed roll. I was willing to give some explanations here of the coat and so on, but just say briefly that the coat very clearly in Bunyan’s imagery is the coat of the righteousness of Christ. And here Bunyan has come to grasp the significance of imputed righteousness.

There’s often a lot of confusion in reading Pilgrim’s Progress. Is his conversion at the wicket gate, or is it at the place of Deliverance Hill here, where he sees the cross? I’m convinced now that the place of conversion is at the wicket gate, but the story is representative of Bunyan’s own experience, where for a couple of years after his conversion, he struggled deeply with this problem of assurance, where he just could not grasp that he truly was one of God’s. And until he comes to understand—and we said this last week—where he comes to understand the doctrine of imputed righteousness, that his standing before God rests entirely on what Christ has done for him. And so, here at the place of deliverance, he grasps that. And so, what seems to be a point of conversion, then, is for him the point where all of this finally comes together and he’s delivered from the bondage of doubts.

Well, when Christian comes to an understanding of the cross, then, and is relieved of his burden, he’s clearly profoundly moved by all of it. He’s amazed that the King would sacrifice himself to relieve him of his burden. He’s amazed at the freeness of it all. He’s amazed at the new raiment that he was given, the righteousness given to him. He’s thrilled with the promises that he’s given freely, the promise of eternity. And we have just a brief account of the hill of deliverance where he sees the cross. It’s just a brief paragraph. But then he ends it up with this: “Then he stood,” speaking of Christian, “then he stood still a while 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, until even the springs that were in his head sent waters down his cheeks.” He is grasping the significance of the cross that has moved him deeply, and this is the event in Christian’s life.

He has a great sense of peace now, and from here on he just adores the King who has relieved him and rescued him. And he longed deeply from this point onward through the rest of the story to see the King and to be with him in the Celestial City. And so his pursuit here for the rest of the story is to reach the Celestial City. And we have in the story several times some scenes of great longing to see the city. It is always the object of hope and always the object of pursuit. And to reach that city, he is willing to endure any hardships that are necessary and endure any opposition that may come.

Let me give you one example of that. Later in the story, he gets up to the top of the hill. There are two men running amain. The name of the one was—and you’ll get what’s going on here with these men as well—the name of the one was Timorous, the other was Mistrust, to whom Christian said, “Sirs, what’s the matter? You’ve run the wrong way.” Timorous—it’s the Hill of Difficulty—Timorous answered that they were going to the City of Zion, and had got up to a difficult place. “But,” said he, “the further we go, the more danger we meet with. Wherefore we turned, and are going back again.” “Yes,” said Mistrust, “for just before us lie a couple of lions in the way. Whether sleeping or waking, we know not, and we could not think, if we came within reach, but they would presently pull us in pieces.” Then said Christian, “You make me afraid. But whither shall I fly to be safe? If I go back to my own country, that is prepared for fire and brimstone, and I shall certainly perish there. If I can get to the Celestial City, I am sure to be in safety there. I must venture. To go back is nothing but death. To go forward is fear of death, and life everlasting beyond it. I will yet go forward.”

Well, we have a hint here of what lies ahead for the rest of the story, and that is the difficulties that he faces throughout his journey on his way to the Celestial City. One of the most moving scenes in the story is a town called Vanity. In the town called Vanity, they maintain a fair there, Vanity Fair, with a marvelously graphic portrayal of the world. Let me read this paragraph: “It is a fair wherein should be sold all sorts of vanity, and that it should last all the year long. Therefore, at this fair are all such merchandise sold as houses, lands, trades, places, honors, preferments, titles, countries, kingdoms, lusts, pleasures, and delights of all sorts, as whores, bawds, wives, husbands, children, masters, servants, lives, blood, bodies, souls, silver, gold, pearls, precious stones, and what not. And moreover at this fair is at all times to be seen juggling cheats, games, plays, fools, apes, knaves, and rogues, and that of every kind here to be seen too; and that for nothing: thefts, murders, adulteries, false swearers, and that of a blood-red color.”

A graphic picture of what the world is like, and this Vanity Fair, this fair in the town of Vanity, is situated right on the road to the Celestial City. There is no avoiding it. Well, Pilgrim and Faithful, who is with him, go to the city. They are wearing clothing that is distinctive to them, and it doesn’t fit into the city. They also speak a language that the people in Vanity Fair don’t understand, because, Bunyan writes, they speak the language of Canaan. And so they’re gazed at, and they’re mocked. And most significantly, the pilgrims, Faithful and Christian, have no use for the wares that are being sold in Vanity Fair. They don’t purchase any, and this stirs up a real hubbub. Funniest words: “stirs a hubbub.” Finally, there’s an interrogation of the men, and the men told them that they were pilgrims and strangers in the world, and that they were going to their own country. But because they would not buy the merchandise in Vanity Fair, and because they had no interest in the things being sold there, they were considered criminals, a menace to society, and they were put in cages.

And then we come to the trial of Faithful. Both of them are brought up for trial. You’ll know how this trial will go when you hear the list of characters. The prince of the realm, his name is Beelzebub. Nobility of the land is, well, people like Lord Old Man, Lord Carnal Delight, Lord Love-Lust, Lord Desire-of-Vain-Glory, Lord Lechery, and Sir Having Greedy. The statutes of the realm are acts which have come down from Pharaoh, Darius, and Nebuchadnezzar. The judge’s name is Hate-Good. The witnesses are Envy, Superstition, and Pickthank. And the jury—you’ve got to love this—the jury, men of the jury: Mr. Blind-man, the foreman; Mr. No-good; Mr. Malice; Mr. Love-lust; Mr. Live-loose; Mr. Heady; Mr. High-mind; Mr. Enmity; Mr. Liar; Mr. Cruelty; Mr. Hate-light; and Mr. Implacable.

Well, no doubt this is reflective of Bunyan’s own experience in court, but more than that, it’s illustrative of what the world is like in its approach to Christians. Well, as a result of the trial, Faithful is there convicted; Faithful is beaten and put to death. And they’re made to remember the words that Evangelist gave them, which are, of course, the words of the Apostle Paul: “Be thou faithful even unto death.” Bunyan writes, “Now I saw that there stood behind the multitude a chariot and a couple of horses waiting for Faithful, who, so soon as his adversaries had dispatched him, was taken up into it. And straightway he was carried up through the clouds with the sound of trumpet, the nearest way to the Celestial City. But as for Christian, he had some respite, and was remanded back to prison. So he there remained for a space. But he that overrules all things, having the power of their rage in his own hand, so wrought it about, that Christian for the time escaped them, and went his way. And as he went, he sang, saying, ‘Well, Faithful, thou hast faithfully professed unto thy Lord, with whom thou shalt be blessed, when the faithless ones and all their vain delights are crying out under their hellish plights. Sing, Faithful, sing, and let thy name survive, for though they killed thee, thou art yet alive.'”

Well, as a result of the testimony of Faithful and Christian, another man by the name of Hopeful is joined to Christian as his companion. And Bunyan writes, out of the ashes of the death of one comes another. Well, one of the fascinating scenes in the book—and we’ll just have to just touch it—is Christian and Hopeful go to By-path Meadow. They meet a man there by the name of Vain-Confidence, who leads them off of the way that they should go through this By-path Meadow. Vain-Confidence, of course, is very confident that this is the way they can go safely, and so Vain-Confidence leads them. Eventually, Vain-Confidence falls off into a pit and is destroyed. Christian and Hopeful have to make their way back to the Way, and later, falling asleep, they find that they’ve been in the land of a giant by the name of Despair, who has a castle, Doubting Castle. He captures the men, throws them into his prison, keeps them for a couple of days, and beats them. He asks his wife, “What should I do?” “Beat them.” So he beats them. Giant Despair in Doubting Castle. You get the imagery here: beating these men with their doubts and their despair. Finally, after being there for some time, Christian realizes—feels like a fool—”I have this key in my bosom.” And he pulls it out. “This surely will unlock the door.” The key is the promises of God. And so the key of the promises of God frees them from Doubting Castle and from the affliction of Giant Despair.

There are, through these scenes, several different conversations between Christian and Hopeful which are just particularly good. I may come back next week with more of that. I’m thinking about next time looking at Bunyan’s own struggle with doubts and how he came to be freed from those doubts and his own experience in the scriptures and how they play a role in freeing him from his doubts. And some of that is expressed now with his conversations with Hopeful. We may come back to that next time, I’m not sure.

Finally, they come to the Delectable Mountains, where there are four shepherds. They’re shown some wonderful things; they’re taught important lessons. This is clearly the local church that’s being illustrated, with the shepherds teaching them so much, giving them peace. Most importantly, from there they can see the gates of the city. Their hearts are filled with more hope, and they proceed along their way. Eventually they reach the land of Beulah, lying just on the borders of heaven. The land of Beulah is the place of, evidently, the place of Christian advance, the place of Christian maturity. Here they’re out of the reach of Giant Despair, and you can’t even see Doubting Castle from this point. Here there is great rejoicing in the bridegroom, and the bridegroom rejoicing over them. Here’s a place of satisfaction and joy and contentment. And while they’re here, they find themselves increasingly longing for glory. Here they catch a glimpse of the splendor of the city, and they’re increasingly longing for that city. In fact, from here in the land of Beulah, they hear the voices of that city wafting across the waters, saying, “Salvation comes, and his reward is with him.” So here they grasp as never before that to depart and be with Christ truly is a better thing. Their hearts are filled with longing to be in that great city.

Let me just read a paragraph here. I have to leave so much out. “Now as they walked in this land, they experienced more rejoicing than in other parts where they were more remote from the kingdom to which they were headed. But now drawing nearer to the city, they had a much more perfect view of it. It was built of pearls and precious stones, while the streets were paved with gold. As a result of the natural glory of this city, and the reflection of the sunbeams upon it, Christian became sick with longing. Hopeful also suffered periodic bouts of the same disease. Therefore, they lay for a while in front of this vista and continued to cry out because of recurring pangs.” Here they cite Solomon: “If you see my beloved, tell him that I am sick by reason of love.” Their longing is to be in the city and to see the King.

And then finally we come to just this amazing passage in Bunyan, which is the crossing of the River of Death and their entrance into the Celestial City. I would just love to just take the time and read through those few pages. We don’t have time for it, but it’s just one of the finest and most moving depictions of a Christian passing through death and his arrival into heaven that you’ll ever find anywhere. Death is still a fearful thing. Death is still very repulsive. It’s still very difficult, but because Christian is Christian, he approaches it with great courage, and he arrives on the other side with this glorious welcome, with the trumpet sounding. It’s just a marvelous, marvelous scene, and every time I read it, I think of the words of 2 Peter 1, verse 11, where the apostle tells us that a rich welcome will be given to us into the eternal kingdom. And so finally, they are comforted from their trials; they’re given joy, rewards, and finally, they’re in the presence of the King.

Well, Bunyan is still not done. They’ve reached their goal. But to give a note of warning, I’m going to read the last paragraph of the book: “Now while I was gazing upon all these things, I turned my head to look back, and I saw Ignorance come up to the riverside. But he soon got over.” I didn’t mention him this evening yet, but earlier they had spoken with Ignorance. I’ll start again. “Now, while I was gazing upon all these things, I turned my head to look back, and I saw Ignorance coming up to the riverside, but he soon got over. And that without half of the difficulty which the other two men met with. For it happened that there was then in the place one Vain-hope, a ferryman, that with his boat helped him over. So he, as the others I saw, did ascend the hill to come up to the gate. Only he came alone, neither did any man meet him with the least encouragement, as it happened with the others. When he was come up to the gate, he looked up to the writing that was above the wall, and he began to knock, supposing that entrance should have been quickly administered to him. But he was asked by the men that looked over the top of the gate, ‘Whence came you, and what would you have?’ He answered, ‘I have ate and drank in the presence of the King, and he has taught in our streets.’ And then they asked him for his certificate, that they may go and show it to the King. So he fumbled in his bosom for one, and he found none. And then they said, ‘Have you none?’ But the man answered never a word. So they told the King, but he would not come down to see him. They commanded the two shining ones that conducted Christian and Hopeful into the city to go out and take Ignorance, and bind him hand and foot, and have him away. Then they took him up, and carried him through the air to the door that I saw on the side of the hill, and put him in there. Then I saw that there was a way to hell, even from the gates of heaven, as well as from the City of Destruction. So I awoke, and, behold, it was a dream.”

What Does Bunyan Want Us To See?

I think it’s a marvelous, marvelous presentation of scriptural teaching. I’ll just mention these things quickly, then we don’t have time to expand on them, but what does Bunyan want us to see in this?

Number one, of course, is the Gospel itself. His own grasp of the Gospel, the substitutionary work of Christ, the imputed righteousness of Christ, is just profound, and it’s just bound to help any Christian who reads it. He is so Christocentric all through the book. He meets up early in the story with Formalist and Hypocrisy. They tumble in over the wall at one point. “Wow, it’s too far to go around to go by way of the gate.” And Christian very carefully tells them that those who don’t come by the door are a thief and a robber, and “you’ve violated the law of the King of the land, and you will offend him.” The Gospel is just prominent throughout the entire story.

Two, the nature of the Christian life. It’s one of progressive sanctification. It’s one of continuous struggle throughout. It demands vigilance, watchfulness, but yet it’s a life for which we have been well equipped. We have been given the Gospel. We have been given the promises of God. We’ve been given the armor. It’s full of difficulties and opposition. The way is narrow and it’s hard, but we’ve been given every provision for success in it.

Number three, the role of Scripture in the Christian life is a dominant theme through Pilgrim’s Progress. The scriptures give him his burden. The scriptures point him to relief, point him to a cross for relief of that burden. Scripture gives the promises, the armor, the sword. The scriptures and its promises are what free him from Giant Despair and Doubting Castle and so on.

Number four, another point that Bunyan stresses throughout the Pilgrim’s Progress is the character of the world. Each of these points would be good for a study for some of you. Maybe we’ll do that at some point. The character of the world: blind, can’t understand, just can’t get it. In fact, so blind that they think Christian is the one who is deranged. They’re in opposition. They’re hostile, full of false religion. Closely related to that is not only the character of the world, but the reality of Satan. Apollyon, in the story, shows up at many times with different faces. He might be Obstinate. He might be a Worldly Wiseman. He might be a lion. He might be Judge Hate-good. It might be Giant Despair, but the reality of Satan in the Christian life as an opposition is a prominent theme of Bunyan.

Five, we didn’t have time to look at this really at all this evening, but church fellowship under the faithful pastoral leadership. The only sure place of earthly refuge and support for the pilgrims in transit is at the place where there is instruction from the Word and the fellowship of the saints. Interpreter’s house, the Palace Beautiful, the Delectable Mountains. This pictures Bunyan’s own experience being taught by John Gifford in the church there in Bedford.

And then finally, this is dominant through the book, and that is the Christian’s hope, the anticipation of final deliverance from evil and the trials of the world. Anticipation of glory in the presence of Christ in the Celestial City is just pulsing through the entire work. If I can jump ahead to part two of Pilgrim’s Progress, part two is a study of Christiana, that is, Christian’s wife, who follows after him. When Mr. Stand-fast, before he crosses the river, says, “I’m going to see that head which was crowned with thorns, and that face which was spit upon for me. I have formerly lived by hearsay and faith, but now I go where I shall live by sight, and shall be with him in whose company I delight myself.” Amen.

I’d like to take time for questions, discuss it further, but we’re late already. Let’s stand and be dismissed in prayer. Our Father, we thank You for Your Word that has instructed us so well and given us all that we need to be equipped well for life in this world. We’re thankful for teachers that You’ve given us to make that Word more plain to us. We thank You for John Bunyan that You’ve given to us who has taught us so plainly, so graphically, and so well. We pray that You’ll encourage us with these thoughts this evening. We ask, like as You have done with John Bunyan, and as we read of Christian in Pilgrim’s Progress, You will provide for us in every time of need. Equip our minds with a thorough understanding of the Gospel and the promises that You’ve given to us in Christ. Keep us faithful until the end, we pray, in Jesus’ name. Amen.