Be Not Proud

Now, as Christian went on his way, he came to a little ascent, which was cast up on purpose that pilgrims might see before them. Up there, therefore, Christian went, and looking forward, he saw Faithful before him upon his journey. Then said Christian aloud, ‘Ho! ho! So-ho! Stay, and I will be your companion.’ At that Faithful looked behind him; to whom Christian cried again, ‘Stay, stay, till I come up to you.’ But Faithful answered, ‘No, I am upon my life, and the avenger of blood is behind me.’ “

“At this Christian was somewhat moved, and putting to all his strength, he quickly got up with Faithful, and did also overrun him; so, the last was first. Then did Christian vain-gloriously smile, because he had gotten the start of his brother; but not taking good heed to his feet, he suddenly stumbled and fell, and could not rise again until Faithful came up to help him.

“Then I saw in my dream they went very lovingly on together, and had sweet discourse of all things that had happened to them in their pilgrimage” (quoted from Pilgrim’s Progress, John Bunyan).

Here, a whole new part of Pilgrim’s Progress begins. Various people have been met with so far upon the way, but they were either hypocrites or they had only temporary convictions. One, named Hypocrisy, was pictured as a man that quickly retreated as soon as oppressions came. Others who were pictured appeared to be quite advanced, yet they perished. These were, of course, not true pilgrims, but they were set forth by John Bunyan as a warning.

We now have another person presented. He is also a man who, by grace, had fled from the City of Destruction and is traveling to the heavenly Mount Zion. That this part contains much instruction can be seen by the fact that Bunyan depicts such a remarkable difference between Christian and the other pilgrim, Faithful.

It is a discriminating portrayal. Certainly, there were points that these two wholeheartedly would have agreed upon, but still they had various personal differences. Faithful had spiritual experiences which Christian did not. Also, there were experiences in the life of Christian that Faithful had not received. The way is not always the same for each pilgrim. It is as if Bunyan pictures this with all earnestness. We should not take the conversion and experiences of Christian as a benchmark. That the Lord leads some of His children differently becomes clear in what is portrayed through Faithful.

Christian had been in the Valley of the Shadow of Death, and afterward it pleased the Lord to grant some comfort unto him. It is stated, “He came to a little ascent, which was cast up on purpose that pilgrims might see before them.” There are times that God’s people cannot perceive the way before them. Neither could Christian do so while he was walking in the dark valley where the fear of death compassed him and he had to fight a most awful battle. Yet, it does not always remain this way for God’s Church. There are times, as pictured here, when the Lord places their feet on “a little ascent.” After Christian had been in the depths, the Lord brought him to a place where he could see the way. He saw not only what lay behind but also, by the light of the Lord, the way that lay before him. It is not always a life of darkness and of strife. God’s people are not always in the depths; there are also times that they can sing praises to the Lord.

While Christian was upon this ascent, he saw Faithful walking ahead and called out to him, “I want to be your companion.” Christian had heard this man’s voice when he had been in the Valley of the Shadow of Death. When he later saw him, it was his desire to have fellowship with him, figuratively speaking, but Faithful answered with, “No.” He had no desire to turn about, not even for a moment. This man was filled with all earnestness; he knew what lay behind him, and that is what gave him the perseverance to continue onward, for what lay behind him was death. He spoke about the “avenger of blood” who was pursuing him. Do you see the difference between Faithful and Christian? Christian did not speak about the avenger of blood pursuing him continually while on his pilgrimage. Because of what had happened at the cross of Golgotha, he knew that the avenger of blood had lost his right to pursue him.

Upon the hill of Golgotha, Christian had seen Him who had taken all his guilt for His account, and the burden fell from his back. Then there was no more mention made of an avenger of blood. God’s seal had been pressed upon him, and he received peace with God although strife would remain in his life. However, Faithful, who also had been taken out of the City of Destruction, was upon the way with the avenger of blood continually pursuing him. Herein we can see, as it were, a man pictured who had not received the same spiritual knowledge that Christian, by God’s grace, had received. Such is the way also in God’s Church. There may be those who, by God’s grace, have been led further, growing in the knowledge of God and the Lord Jesus Christ. There are others in whom God’s work has begun but who must struggle more with the avenger of blood; so it was with Faithful.

There are differentiations in God’s kingdom as Bunyan here beautifully describes. At the moment Christian and Faithful met, they did not receive an opening to speak one to another and were not spiritually bound to each other. This is possible. Will the one then render the other suspect? It is sad when a person, merely because of a difference of experiences, speaks against God’s work in another. However, there are, at times, people of God within the congregations who do not speak together because they do not understand each other’s life or the different ways the Lord leads His people. This was also the case with Christian and Faithful.

Faithful was one who feared the avenger of blood who was pursuing him. Bunyan pictures this very strikingly: “At this was Christian somewhat moved.” Nothing was mentioned, as of yet, about an accord. He felt touched by the words of the man who ran so persistently, but Faithful did not desire a companion like Christian at that time. What took place then? “Putting to all his strength, he quickly got up with Faithful and did also overrun him.” Christian did not stay and walk with Faithful, but Bunyan writes, “did also overrun him.” There is no mention of fellowship or being bound together, for then one would not have run past the other. “So, the last was first. Then did Christian vaingloriously smile.” Vain-gloriously…Christian? The same man who had been in the dark valley? He who had been in such great strife? He who had received so much grace from God? Yes, that is who proud man is. Oh, Christian, what do you have that you did not receive? Have you become proud with the grace you have received from God in your life? Will you just pass Faithful by, he who fears that the avenger of blood is on his heels? Christian vain-gloriously smiled.

That also happens with God’s children, at times. They set their grace above another. They look down upon the place where others are, and they become rich, converted, and justified with what has been given them. And then? It is stated so simply, “because he had gotten the start of his brother;” the Lord will repay this evil, for while this was happening, “not taking good heed to his feet, he suddenly stumbled and fell and could not rise again.”

What should we read in this? Oh, if God’s people become such proud ones, then the Lord may allow them to fall into sin and not rise again. It can be a sin within that catches them or an outward sin that literally traps them. Christian did not pay attention to his feet, and not seeing a stone in the way, he fell and could not rise again. There lay the proud, vainly-smiling one who passed Faithful by—stumbled, fallen, and unable to arise. The meaning here is—condemned. Even if you have received much grace, you can also stumble in this same way. Then the hiding of God’s countenance will become your portion, and you will go about with a condemning conscience. Your mouth will be silent about what has formerly taken place.

Then a great wonder occurred—Faithful came. He did not possess the big things—let me just state it that way— which Christian had learned. Faithful, he who had a little beginning of God’s true work, found the highly experienced Christian fallen and unable to get up. Faithful, the small one in grace, was a help to Christian, the more experienced one. Oh, he was enabled to serve a condemned, fallen, wounded, and helpless one in love.

This follows: “Then I saw in my dream, they went very lovingly on together, and had sweet discourse of all things that had happened to them in their pilgrimage.” They had found each other. The one did not stand above the other. Christian no longer smiled vain-gloriously with pride. He was jealous of Faithful, and Faithful was jealous of Christian. There was a bond of love. It says they “had sweet discourse of all things that had happened to them in their pilgrimage.” First, Christian related what he went through, and then Faithful talked about his experiences. Christian did not stand above Faithful, and Faithful was no longer hindered by the intim idation that otherwise would have hindered him from speaking from his heart. How good it is when God’s people can meet in this way, to find one another often at such places where the one is humbled, once again made small before God, and the little one is made a help and strength to him.

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