John Bunyan and the Wayfaring Life Concluding article (Part 4)

In the course of that description which Valiant for Truth gave of Madam Bubble, he makes mention of "Demas", as one whom the world had lured away; and that's not the only time that Bunyan uses Demas as a warning to each and every Pilgrim who would ever make their way to the Celestial City. Just after Christian moved on from the town of Vanity, he met up with several parties along the way who endeavoured to move him off the way; and one of these was Demas. Bunyan makes Demas - the Keeper of a Silver Mine, which is located on a hill called Lucre, which stands on a plain called Ease; and you don't have to be a genius to put that whole picture together. Demas called out to Christian, and Hopeful, who had now joined him on the pilgrimage - to come and do some "digging" in the mine, so that they might "richly provide" for themselves. But, said Christian to Demas - "Is not the place dangerous? Hath it not hindered many in their pilgrimage?" "Not very dangerous," says Demas, "except to those who are careless; But withall," says Bunyan - "He blushed as he spake!"

Some of the others that he met up with at that time, or that he was told about, were people like Mr Smooth-Man, Mr Facing-Both-Ways, Mr Anything; - and a couple called Mr and Mrs Bye-Ends, who tell the Pilgrim about how they view the things of religion for their life. "'Tis true," says Bye-Ends, "we somewhat differ in religion from those of the stricter sort; yet, but in two small points: First, we never strive against wind and tide; secondly, we are always most zealous when Religion goes in silver slippers; we love much to walk with him in the street, if the sun shines, and the people applaud him." As Pilgrim assures him, however, that will never get him to the Celestial City: "If you will go with us," he tells him, "you must go against wind and tide..you must also own Religion in his rags, as well as in his silver slippers; and stand by him too," he tells him, "when bound in irons, as well as when he walks the streets with Applause." "Then I saw in my dream," says Bunyan, "that Christian and Hopeful forsook him, and kept their distance from him."

Christian and Hopeful eventually get to the Celestial City, of course, but there are a few ups and downs which they still have to face on their journey.

I'm sure we're all familiar with Bunyan's "Bye-path Meadow", and "Doubting Castle", and "Giant Despair" who locked the two Pilgrims away in that castle for that period of time. Very simply, what happened was this: - the road on which they were travelling began to get very rough in places, and as they looked over the hedge that ran alongside the road, they saw a very "pleasant Meadow" on the other side. The path through the meadow seemed to run parallel with the path that they were finding so much difficulty with, and so, when they had found a way into the meadow, they began to take that path. The decision seemed to be a good one, for, says Bunyan, "They found (the path) very easy to their feet." And not only that - but they met another traveller on the way, who assured them that the path through the meadow led to the Celestial City. The trouble was, that traveller's name was "Vain Confidence"; but the two Pilgrims drank in his assurance for all that. After a period of time, they begin to realise that the path through the meadow isn't going in the same direction as the path which they have just left - but it's beginning to get dark now; - they can't find their way back to the original path - and all they can do is to sit down and wait for the daybreak, and hopefully retrieve their steps once again. They fall asleep, of course, because, says Bunyan (in fact) although they thought they had found an easier road for their journey, they had, in fact, wearied themselves! When the day does eventually break, they have a rude awakening, indeed. Bye-Path Meadow was part of the grounds of Giant Despair; and when they opened their eyes, it was Giant Despair who was glowering down upon them. "They had but little to say," says Bunyan, "for they knew themselves to be at fault!"

"...from Wednesday morning till Saturday night," we're told, they lay in "a very dark dungeon" in Doubting Castle: "nasty, and stinking to the spirit of these two men." They were starved, and beaten, and intimidated by the Giant and his Wife, and might have lain there for ever, if Christian hadn't remembered a key that was in his bosom. The key was called Promise: - calculated to open any dungeon door and as Christian put it in the lock - "the door flew open with ease," and the two men began to run for their lives, until they found themselves on the narrow path that leads to life, once more. One thing that you'll always notice about John Bunyan's "true" Pilgrims is this: - that although, they do get themselves into some difficulties at times, they always know where to go to get themselves out of them; and that is simply a reflection of Bunyan's own life, as he walked the Pilgrim pathway. In the "Grace abounding to the Chief of Sinners" - his own account of the Lord's dealings with him - we have a priceless example of this very thing. "About this time," he says, "I took an opportunity to break my mind to an ancient Christian, and told him all my case; I told him also, that I was afraid that I had sinned the sin against the Holy Ghost; and he told me, he thought so too: Here, therefore, I had but cold comfort; but talking a little more with him, I found him, though a good man, a stranger to much combat with the devil. Wherefore - I went to God Again..." "What a fool I am to lie in this stinking dungeon," said Christian, "I have a key in my bosom called Promise." and with that key he opened the door and they went on their way.

They come to the delectable mountains, and to the four shepherds who give them such good advice: - Knowledge, Experience, Watchful, Sincere; that's what the four shepherds are called. They fall to the Flatterer - in spite of what one of the Shepherds had told them - "Beware of the flatterer." Hopeful begins to "swagger" when he hears of the plight of a man called Little-Faith. Gospel Hope can turn into carnal presumption, if we don't keep our eyes on the Lord. They meet up with Ignorance - and Atheist, who begins to ridicule them for ever setting out on such a Pilgrimage. Hopeful goes over all of the Lord's dealings with him; .. and then, eventually, they come to tread the verge of Jordan.

As they begin to cross over, of course, it is Hopeful who holds the head of Christian above the water - the river of death. Right to the end, the old serpent the devil was endeavouring to cast the Christian down, but Hopeful was with him to the end. "Be of good cheer," he tells him, "Jesus Christ maketh thee whole." "And with that, Christian brake out with a loud voice, 'Oh, I see Him again; and He tells me, When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee.' Then they both took courage; and the enemy - after that - was as still as a stone, until they were gone over."

On the other side of the river, they were met by two shining men - Ministering spirits, who were to conduct them to the Gate of the City. They went towards the Gate "with ease", we're told, on account of these two Shining Men helping them on their way, and because "they had left their mortal garments behind them in the river." "For though they went in with them," says Bunyan, "they came out without them." Now they were among the "spirits of the justified made perfect", awaiting the resurrection morn. Just as they were "drawing towards the gate," we're told, "a company of the heavenly host came out to meet them," and the Two Shining Ones told them - "these are the men that have loved our Lord, when they were in the world, and have left all for His Holy Name..." And then - as they entered in through the gate, they were "transfigured", and given garments of "gold", and "harps and crowns", "and all the bells of the City rang with joy, and it was said unto them - 'Enter ye into the joy of your Lord." And the men themselves also sang says Bunyan, "Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever."