Redimete Diem!

Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise,
making the most of the time, because the days are evil. (Eph. 5:15-16, ESV)

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Notes Regarding the Characters in Pilgrim's Progress

Lesson #7

Hill Difficulty - “It is hard to counterfeit spiritual graces, such as love for Christ, sincere striving for the glory and honor of God, etc.  Many are the forms of the hill called Difficulty in the Christian life in which true grace is exhibited.  Often we think of physical difficulties that come our way, but just as difficult are acts of self-denial, the experiences of humbling our proud hearts, not seeking the praise of men, overcoming sinful habits of the flesh, and graciously forgiving ingratitude and injury done to us.  With both physical and spiritual difficulties our faith is proved to be genuine and made to grow, so up the hill Difficulty the Christian must go.” (Bradley, p. 32)

"The hill Difficulty represents circumstances which require peculiar self-denial and exertion, that commonly prove the believer's sincerity, after he has first obtained ‘a good hope through grace.’  The opposition of the world, the renunciation of temporal interests, or the painful task of overcoming [habitual] evil habits or [tendencies toward weaknesses] (which during his first anxious earnestness seemed perhaps to be destroyed, though in fact they were only suspended) these and such like trials prove a severe test; but there is no hope, except in pressing forward; and the encouragements, received under the faithful ministry of the Gospel, prepare the soul for every conflict and effort.  There are, however, by-ways; and the difficulty may be avoided without a man's renouncing his profession: he may decline the self-denying duty, or refuse the demanded sacrifice, and find some plausible excuse to his own conscience, or among his neighbours.  But the true believer will be suspicious of these easier ways, on the right hand or the left: his path lies straight forward, and cannot be travelled without ascending the hill: which he desires to do, because his grand concern is to be found right at last.  On the contrary, they who chiefly desire, at a cheap rate, to keep up their credit and confidence, will venture into perilous or ruinous paths, till they either openly apostatize, or get entangled in some fatal delusion, and are heard of no more among the people of God." (Scott, p. 127-8)

            "The difficulties of believers often seem to increase as they proceed; this damps their spirits, and they find more painful exertion requisite in pressing forward, than they expected, especially when they were rejoicing in the Lord: he however helps them and provides for their refreshment, that they may not faint." (Scott, p. 129)

The Arbor - “We forget that we must grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ and that we must press forward towards the mark for the prize of the high call of God in Christ.  This is what happens to Christian at the arbor.  He becomes so well satisfied with himself, his roll, his robe, and his acceptance with God that he sleeps in an arbor not designed for sleep but for rest and refreshment.

            “Christian is mercifully awakened with a warning and runs up to the top of the hill.  In his haste and because of his carelessness he leaves his roll (assurance).  This leaves him vulnerable to distress and anguish when the first trial comes his way.  A great deal of sorrow could have been avoided if Christian had not let himself indulge in sleep.  Watchfulness is at all times necessary on this side of heaven, for our enemies are ever awake and seeking to do us harm.  It seems that many times we are wide awake when it comes to temporal interests but sleepy and slothful when it comes to the much more important matter of our eternal souls.  Eternity will reveal how much spiritual profit our souls have missed by our sleepiness, how many quiet times were slept through, Sunday services were drowsily attended, prayer times were missed, and opportunities for witnessing or discipleship were lost, and how much preparedness for Bible studies forfeited because of our spiritual slumber.  We see the sad result of this sleepiness (lack of communion with God) in the loss of power, zeal, and joy in the lives of so many Christians.  May God grant us the realization of what we have lost and enable us to mend our pace. (Bradley, pp. 32-33)

Timorous and Mistrust - "Some persons are better prepared to struggle through difficulties, than to face dangers; alarming convictions will induce them to exercise a temporary self-denial, and to exert themselves with diligence; yet the very appearance of persecution will drive them back to their forsaken courses and companions.  Through unbelief, distrust, and timidity, they fear the rage of men more than the wrath of God; and never consider how easily the Lord can restrain or disarm the fiercest persecutors." (Scott, p. 130)

Recovering His Scroll - “This is what Christians are often doing, and this evil is certainly a great one, of using for indulgence and ease to the flesh what God has given us to minister to the advancement of our spirits.  We are not anxious enough to be making progress towards heaven; we are too fond of comfort, and too averse from labor.” (Cheever, p. 292)

            “By means of extraordinary diligence, with renewed application to the blood of Christ, the believer will in time recover his warranted confidence, and God will ‘restore to him the joy of his salvation’: but he must, as it were, pass repeatedly over the same ground with sorrow, which, had it not been for his negligence, he might have passed at once with comfort. ... Believers may recover their evidences of acceptance, and yet suffer many troubles as the effects of their past unwatchfulness.  The Lord rebukes and chastens those whom he loves; genuine comfort springs immediately from the vigorous exercise of holy affections in communion with God, which may be suspended even when no doubts are entertained of final salvation; and the true penitent is least disposed to forgive himself, when most satisfied that the Lord hath forgiven him.” (Scott, p. 132-23)

Christian recovers his roll.

Lions at the Gate - "A public profession of faith exposes a man to more opposition from relatives and neighbours than a private attention to religion; and in our author's days[!], it was commonly the signal for persecution; for which reason he places the lions in the road to the house Beautiful." (Scott, p. 134)

Beautiful Palace - By placing the house Beautiful early in Christian’s journey, Bunyan shows the importance he places on a Christian’s uniting with a local body of believers.  When a person becomes a Christian, he or she becomes a member of Christ’s body, the invisible church. ... [And] every member of the invisible church should be a member of a visible church congregation, for it is Christ himself who desires this and joins believers to the visible church (Acts 2:47).” (Bradley, p. 34)

Porter Watchful - "The porter's inquiries and Christian's answers exhibit our author's sentiments on the caution with which members should be admitted into the communion of the faithful; and it very properly shows, how ministers, by private conversation, may form a judgment of a man's profession, whether it be intelligent and the result of experience, or notional and formal." (Scott, p. 135)

------------------------------------

notes taken from:

                Bunyan Characters in the Pilgrim's Progress by Alexander Whyte, London:Oliphant Anderson and Ferrier, 1902.

                Lectures on the Pilgrim’s Progress and on the life and Times of John Bunyan by George Cheever, New York:Robert Carter & Bros., 1875.

                The Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan with Explanatory Notes by Thomas Scott, Swengel, PA:Reiner Pub., 1976.

                The Pilgrim’s Progress Study Guide by Maureen L. Bradley, Phillipsburg, NJ:P&R, 1994.

Redimete Diem! Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the most of the time, because the days are evil. (Eph. 5:15-16, ESV)

Home  |  The Pilgrim's Progress  |  Worship  |  Sermons | Courses Christian Ethics  |  Miscellany  | Family |  Questions, etc.

Notes Regarding the Characters in Pilgrim's Progress Lesson #7 Hill Difficulty - “It is hard to counterfeit spiritual graces, such as love for Christ, sincere striving for the glory and honor of God, etc.  Many are the forms of the hill called Difficulty in the Christian life in which true grace is exhibited.  Often we think of physical difficulties that come our way, but just as difficult are acts of self-denial, the experiences of humbling our proud hearts, not seeking the praise of men, overcoming sinful habits of the flesh, and graciously forgiving ingratitude and injury done to us.  With both physical and spiritual difficulties our faith is proved to be genuine and made to grow, so up the hill Difficulty the Christian must go.” (Bradley, p. 32) "The hill Difficulty represents circumstances which require peculiar self-denial and exertion, that commonly prove the believer's sincerity, after he has first obtained ‘a good hope through grace.’  The opposition of the world, the renunciation of temporal interests, or the painful task of overcoming [habitual] evil habits or [tendencies toward weaknesses] (which during his first anxious earnestness seemed perhaps to be destroyed, though in fact they were only suspended) these and such like trials prove a severe test; but there is no hope, except in pressing forward; and the encouragements, received under the faithful ministry of the Gospel, prepare the soul for every conflict and effort.  There are, however, by-ways; and the difficulty may be avoided without a man's renouncing his profession: he may decline the self-denying duty, or refuse the demanded sacrifice, and find some plausible excuse to his own conscience, or among his neighbours.  But the true believer will be suspicious of these easier ways, on the right hand or the left: his path lies straight forward, and cannot be travelled without ascending the hill: which he desires to do, because his grand concern is to be found right at last.  On the contrary, they who chiefly desire, at a cheap rate, to keep up their credit and confidence, will venture into perilous or ruinous paths, till they either openly apostatize, or get entangled in some fatal delusion, and are heard of no more among the people of God." (Scott, p. 127-8)             "The difficulties of believers often seem to increase as they proceed; this damps their spirits, and they find more painful exertion requisite in pressing forward, than they expected, especially when they were rejoicing in the Lord: he however helps them and provides for their refreshment, that they may not faint." (Scott, p. 129) The Arbor - “We forget that we must grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ and that we must press forward towards the mark for the prize of the high call of God in Christ.  This is what happens to Christian at the arbor.  He becomes so well satisfied with himself, his roll, his robe, and his acceptance with God that he sleeps in an arbor not designed for sleep but for rest and refreshment.             “Christian is mercifully awakened with a warning and runs up to the top of the hill.  In his haste and because of his carelessness he leaves his roll (assurance).  This leaves him vulnerable to distress and anguish when the first trial comes his way.  A great deal of sorrow could have been avoided if Christian had not let himself indulge in sleep.  Watchfulness is at all times necessary on this side of heaven, for our enemies are ever awake and seeking to do us harm.  It seems that many times we are wide awake when it comes to temporal interests but sleepy and slothful when it comes to the much more important matter of our eternal souls.  Eternity will reveal how much spiritual profit our souls have missed by our sleepiness, how many quiet times were slept through, Sunday services were drowsily attended, prayer times were missed, and opportunities for witnessing or discipleship were lost, and how much preparedness for Bible studies forfeited because of our spiritual slumber.  We see the sad result of this sleepiness (lack of communion with God) in the loss of power, zeal, and joy in the lives of so many Christians.  May God grant us the realization of what we have lost and enable us to mend our pace. (Bradley, pp. 32-33) Timorous and Mistrust - "Some persons are better prepared to struggle through difficulties, than to face dangers; alarming convictions will induce them to exercise a temporary self-denial, and to exert themselves with diligence; yet the very appearance of persecution will drive them back to their forsaken courses and companions.  Through unbelief, distrust, and timidity, they fear the rage of men more than the wrath of God; and never consider how easily the Lord can restrain or disarm the fiercest persecutors." (Scott, p. 130) Recovering His Scroll - “This is what Christians are often doing, and this evil is certainly a great one, of using for indulgence and ease to the flesh what God has given us to minister to the advancement of our spirits.  We are not anxious enough to be making progress towards heaven; we are too fond of comfort, and too averse from labor.” (Cheever, p. 292)             “By means of extraordinary diligence, with renewed application to the blood of Christ, the believer will in time recover his warranted confidence, and God will ‘restore to him the joy of his salvation’: but he must, as it were, pass repeatedly over the same ground with sorrow, which, had it not been for his negligence, he might have passed at once with comfort. ... Believers may recover their evidences of acceptance, and yet suffer many troubles as the effects of their past unwatchfulness.  The Lord rebukes and chastens those whom he loves; genuine comfort springs immediately from the vigorous exercise of holy affections in communion with God, which may be suspended even when no doubts are entertained of final salvation; and the true penitent is least disposed to forgive himself, when most satisfied that the Lord hath forgiven him.” (Scott, p. 132-23) Christian recovers his roll. Lions at the Gate - "A public profession of faith exposes a man to more opposition from relatives and neighbours than a private attention to religion; and in our author's days[!], it was commonly the signal for persecution; for which reason he places the lions in the road to the house Beautiful." (Scott, p. 134) Beautiful Palace - By placing the house Beautiful early in Christian’s journey, Bunyan shows the importance he places on a Christian’s uniting with a local body of believers.  When a person becomes a Christian, he or she becomes a member of Christ’s body, the invisible church. ... [And] every member of the invisible church should be a member of a visible church congregation, for it is Christ himself who desires this and joins believers to the visible church (Acts 2:47).” (Bradley, p. 34) Porter Watchful - "The porter's inquiries and Christian's answers exhibit our author's sentiments on the caution with which members should be admitted into the communion of the faithful; and it very properly shows, how ministers, by private conversation, may form a judgment of a man's profession, whether it be intelligent and the result of experience, or notional and formal." (Scott, p. 135) ------------------------------------ notes taken from:                 Bunyan Characters in the Pilgrim's Progress by Alexander Whyte, London:Oliphant Anderson and Ferrier, 1902.                 Lectures on the Pilgrim’s Progress and on the life and Times of John Bunyan by George Cheever, New York:Robert Carter & Bros., 1875.                 The Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan with Explanatory Notes by Thomas Scott, Swengel, PA:Reiner Pub., 1976.                 The Pilgrim’s Progress Study Guide by Maureen L. Bradley, Phillipsburg, NJ:P&R, 1994.

David G. Barker dave@ephesians515.com