Required reading
Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan (available from Amazon or free on the internet,
here for example)
- Up to the paragraph that begins: 'And I slept and dreamed again, and saw the same two pilgrims going down the Mountains along the highway towards the City. Now a little below these Mountains, on the left hand, lieth the country of Conceit...'
My notes and thoughts
Today our pilgrims spend some time at Doubting-Castle and then at the Delectable Mountains.
The Giant Despair at Doubting-Castle is a formidable foe for the Christians. Despair not only harms them but drives them toward suicide: '...he told them that since they were never like to come out of that place their only way would be forthwith to make an end of themselves, either with knife, halter or poison.' Thankfully Christian makes a stand against suicide: '...yet let us consider, the Lord of the country to which we are going hath said, Thous shalt do no murther, no not to another man's person; much more then are we forbidden to take his counsel to kill ourselves.' May we as Christians today learn from Bunyan to deplore any thought of suicide, no matter how trying the circumstances.
The time with the Shepherds on the Delectable Mountains is refreshing and yet a time of warning as well - kind of like the earlier pit-stop at the House of the Interpreter. Upon leaving the pilgrims sing the song:
'Thus by the shepherds, secrets are revealed,
Which from all other men are kept concealed:
Come to the shepherds then, if you would see
Things deep, things hid, and that mysterious be.'
As the shepherd of my little flock here in Australia, I pray that I am able to reveal the secrets of the kingdom as these shepherds did for Christian and Hopeful.
Now it's your turn
Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.
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