Latest / Reformed Thinking / The Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan - The Hill of Difficulty

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The Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan - The Hill of Difficulty · Reformed Thinking

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  Welcome back to Reformed thinking.
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  Glad. To be here.
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  Today we're doing another deep dive into the Pilgrim's
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  Progress. That's right.
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  We're looking specifically at, well, a really significant part,
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  Christian getting up the hill difficulty and then his stay at
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  the palace. Beautiful.
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  Yeah, it's quite a sequence. We've been looking closely at
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  the text itself, the original source, and some notes around
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  it. And the goal, as always, is to
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  really unpack what Bunion's showing us here.
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  We want to pull out the key insights from this section to
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  help you better understand Christian's path and, well, what
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  it might mean. OK, so let's get into it.
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  Christian shows up at the foot of this hill and Bunyan calls it
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  difficulty. Pretty straightforward name.
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  And he's not alone when he arrives, there are a couple
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  other guys with him, and there's a spring there too.
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  The text mentions for refreshment.
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  Christian drinks from it, right? Refreshment before the climb.
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  But then there's this choice, isn't there?
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  Right there at the bottom. Exactly a critical choice.
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  The main path, the right way, goes straight up this very steep
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  hill difficulty. But then there are these two
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  other paths sort of branching off to the sides.
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  They look easier. They look easier and they have
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  names too. Oh yes, danger and destruction.
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  Bunion isn't subtle about where those paths lead.
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  No, not at all. So Christian sees this steep
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  path the official way and these alternatives.
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  What's his move? He picks the hard one go
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  straight up the hill, and the text gives his reason pretty
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  clearly. He figures the way to life lies
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  here. He understands this is the
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  appointed way, even if it's hard.
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  Makes sense. What about the other two?
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  The ones who arrived with him. Well, they see how steep it is
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  and they bail. They take the easier looking
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  options. The one who picks danger, he
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  wanders off into some woods and gets lost.
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  Never heard from again. Basically OK.
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  And the other one? Destruction.
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  He heads off towards some dark mountains, stumbles, falls, and
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  the text says he rose no more. So yeah, those easy ways weren't
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  so easy in the end. Wow, that paints a stark
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  picture. Right away, the choice matters
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  immensely, so Christian starts climbing the difficulty.
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  It's not just a walk in the park, though.
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  Oh. Definitely not.
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  Bunyan describes it really vividly.
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  He starts off trying to run up it, but it's too steep.
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  He has to slow down to a walk and then before long it's so
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  steep he's actually scrambling on his hands and knees.
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  Hands and knees, it really conveys that physical effort the
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  the struggle involved. This does it shows this isn't
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  just a mental ascent, it's a hard climb.
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  But there is some relief part way up the Arbor.
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  Yes, about midway up there's this pleasant little shelter in
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  Arbor, and the text specifically says the Lord of the Hill built
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  it for tired travellers, a place of intended rest.
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  Sounds like just what Christian needed after that climb for
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  sure. He stops there, sits down, takes
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  out his role. You know that certificate he got
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  of the cross and reads it for comfort.
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  He also looks over his coat, the one the shiny ones gave him.
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  He's reflecting, seeking some spiritual encouragement.
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  OK, so he takes a breather, reads his role, remembers the
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  grace he received. Seems like a good pause.
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  What happens then? Well, this is where things go a
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  bit wrong. While he's resting there, he
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  nods off. It starts as just a light sleep,
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  a slumber, but then he falls into a really deep sleep.
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  A deep sleep in this resting place, yes.
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  And the crucial thing is, while he's a slick, he loses his role.
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  It must have fallen from his hand or his pocket.
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  And he sleeps for a long time until it's almost dark.
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  He. Loses the role.
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  Oh, that's bad. That's his assurance, isn't it?
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  His pass, essentially. How could he sleep so soundly?
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  He'd lose that. It's a cautionary moment, right?
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  It shows the danger of, well, spiritual carelessness.
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  Maybe even in a placement Forrest, you can let your guard
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  down too much. Someone wakes him up actually
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  quoting proverbs about the sluggard and the Ant A.
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  Sharp wake up call. Yeah, and the consequence is
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  pretty serious. It's delayed and hugely.
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  The day is almost gone. So he gets himself together,
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  finally reaches the top of the hill after that scramble, but
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  the day's almost over. And his welcome isn't exactly
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  peaceful either, is it? No, not immediately.
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  As soon as he crests the hill, he sees two men running
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  frantically back towards him down the path he just came up.
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  Ah, these must be timorous and mistrust fitting names again.
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  What's got them so spooked? They tell Christian they're
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  hightailing it out of there because of danger.
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  Just ahead they saw and I quote a couple of lions in the way and
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  they were convinced the lions were going to pull us in pieces.
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  Fear just completely overtook them.
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  OK, seeing two guys running for their lives yelling about lions,
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  that probably shakes Christian up a bit too.
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  It definitely does, the text says.
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  Fear grips him. He pauses, but then he thinks it
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  through. If he goes back, he's heading
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  back to the City of Destruction. Certain doom if he goes forward,
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  OK, there's this fear of death, these lions, but beyond that is
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  the goal. Life everlasting.
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  So he weighs the options. Fear of death versus certainty
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  of destruction. Right.
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  And he chooses to press on. He resolves to face the danger
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  ahead rather than turn back. That takes courage.
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  After that decision, what does he do?
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  Does he try to comfort himself? Yes, that's exactly his
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  instinct. Yeah, after that scary
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  encounter, he reaches into his pocket or wherever he kept it
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  for his role. He wants to read it for
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  reassurance, and it's gone. He feels around, checks himself
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  and realizes his role is missing.
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  Oh man, first a scare with Timorous and mistrust.
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  Now he realizes his assurance is gone.
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  That must have been a terrible moment.
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  Absolutely devastating. Bunyan describes him as being in
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  great distress, utterly perplexed.
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  He calls the role his comfort, his pass into the social city,
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  his assurance of his life and acceptance.
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  Losing it feels like losing everything.
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  Does he figure out where he lost it?
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  Yeah. His mind goes back.
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  He remembers falling asleep in that Arbor, halfway down the
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  hill, and it clicks. That must be where he dropped.
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  It So he's just climbed this incredibly steep hill, reach the
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  top, face down his fear of turning back and now he has to
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  go back down. He has to.
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  There's no other way. He decides he must retrace his
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  steps, find that role. And he asked God to forgive him
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  for the foolish act of sleeping like.
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  That that trip back down must have felt very different from
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  the climb up. Oh completely.
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  The text really emphasizes his sorrow, his self blame.
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  He's beating himself up over the waste of time, the extra steps,
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  and now he's really worried about night falling completely
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  before he can get back up the hill again.
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  Being benighted, as Bunion puts it.
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  So he makes it back down to the Arbor.
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  He does. He gets back there, sits down
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  again, but this time he's weeping, just full of regret for
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  his carelessness. Does he find it?
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  Yes. Finally, after weeping and
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  searching, he looks down under the settle, under the bench
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  basically, And there it is, his role.
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  What a relief that must have been.
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  Huge relief, the text says. He grabs it quickly, trembling
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  but also full of joy and gratitude.
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  He thanks God for directing his eye to it.
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  And then? Does he linger?
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  No, he gets going right away. He heads back up the rest of the
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  hill and interestingly, the source says he goes much more
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  nimbly the second time. Maybe the relief gives him
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  energy. Makes sense, he's got his
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  assurance back, but that sleep still cost him time, didn't it?
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  It did. By the time he reaches the top
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  of the hill for the second time, the sun has set.
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  It's dark, and that darkness immediately brings his sinful
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  sleep back to mind. He remembers why it's dark,
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  because he wasted daylight sleeping, and that renews his
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  fear about those lions you heard about.
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  OK, so it's dark. He's just recovered his role,
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  he's worried about lions. But then he sees something
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  hopeful. Yes.
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  Just as he's feeling that fear in the darkness, he looks up and
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  sees this stately palace right beside the road.
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  It's called beautiful. He hurries towards it, hoping he
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  can get lodging there for the night.
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  A palace named Beautiful sounds promising, but getting there
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  isn't straightforward either, is it?
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  He runs into the very thing Timorous and Mistrust warned him
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  about. Exactly as he gets near the
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  entrance near the Porter's lodge, he sees them, two lions,
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  one on each side of the path, in a narrow passage.
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  OK, there they are, real lions. How does he react this time?
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  Well, he's definitely scared again.
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  He actually thinks about turning back, just like Timorous and
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  mistrusted. And Bunyan adds a crucial detail
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  here. Christian saw the lions, but he
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  saw not the chains. He perceived the threat, but not
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  the restraint on the threat. He didn't see they were chained,
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  but someone helps him see that, Yes.
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  There's a Porter at the gate of the palace.
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  His name is Watchful, another great name.
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  He sees Christian hesitating, looking like he's about the
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  Bolt. What does watchful the Porter
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  do? Watchful calls out to him, tells
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  him not to be afraid, explains the lions are chained.
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  They've been placed there specifically for trial of faith,
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  to test pilgrims. They can roar, but they can't
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  reach anyone who stays on the path.
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  And he gives him instructions. Yes, Watchful tells him very
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  clearly. Keep in the midst of the path,
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  stay right in the center, and you'll be safe.
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  And Christian does it. He walks between roaring lion.
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  Yes, he follows Watchful's instructions, keeps to the
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  middle of the path and walks right between them, the text
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  says. They roared and he was still
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  trembling with fear, but he passed safely.
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  That's a powerful image. Understanding the situation
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  following guidance allows him to pass a danger that seemed
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  overwhelming. Right.
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  It shows fear can be managed with the right knowledge and
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  obedience. So he makes it past the Lions
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  and gets to the gate where he starts talking with Watchful.
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  OK, safe past the Lions. Finally at the gate, he has a
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  chat with Watchful the Porter. What do they talk about?
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  It's kind of an initial screening, you could say.
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  Watchful asks the standard questions.
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  Where are you from? City of Destruction?
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  Where you headed? Mount Zion?
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  What's your name? Christian, though, he adds, he
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  used to be called graceless. Does he have to explain why he's
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  showing up after dark? Yes, Watchful asks about that.
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  Christian tells him the whole story.
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  Falling asleep in the Arbor, losing his role, having to go
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  all the way back down the hill to find it.
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  And that's why he's so late. Watchful accepts his story.
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  Seems so after hearing him out, Watchful rings a bell and this
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  calls out one of the residents of the palace, a woman named
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  Discretion. Discretion.
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  Another significant name. What does she do?
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  She comes out and talks with Christian too.
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  Ask him more about his travels, what he's seen, who he's met
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  along the way. Confirms his name again.
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  She wants to understand his pilgrimage so far.
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  And once she's satisfied? She calls for others from the
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  household, prudence, piety and charity.
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  It's quite the welcoming committee.
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  And they welcome him. In yes, they bring him into the
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  palace. Beautiful.
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  They explained that the Lord of the Hill built this place
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  specifically for the relief and security of pilgrims.
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  It's designed to entertain and support people like Christian on
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  their way. It's a place of spiritual
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  community and rest. Before they even eat, they sit
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  down and talk. It sounds quite structured.
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  Very intentional, Bunion says. They engage in discourse before
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  supper for the best improvement of time.
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  They want to use this time for spiritual benefit.
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  Piety, prudence and charity each talk with him.
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  OK, what does Piety ask about? Piety focuses on his journey so
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  far, what got him started? He mentions the dread of
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  destruction and evangelists pointing him to the Wicked Gate.
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  She asks about the interpreter's house.
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  He talks about seeing Christ maintaining grace despite sin,
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  the man of despair, the judgement dream, the man
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  fighting his way into the palace.
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  Kind of reviewing the key lessons he's learned.
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  Exactly. She also asks what he saw at the
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  cross, burden falling, the shining ones, forgiveness, the
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  coat, the mark, the roll. He also mentions the sleepers
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  simple sloth and presumption and the hypocrites formality and
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  hypocrisy. Climbing the wall.
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  He wraps up by acknowledging how hard the hill was, the scare
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  with the Lions and thanking the Porter.
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  So piety covers the external journey and foundational
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  experiences. What about prudence?
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  Prudence probes more into his internal state.
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  Does he still think about his home country?
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  He says yes, but with shame and disgust.
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  Now desiring the heavenly 1, she asks about those inward and
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  carnal quagitations, those sinful thoughts that linger.
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  He admits they grieve him and are hard to shake off.
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  Does he ever get victory over them?
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  Prudence asks that too. He says rarely, only during what
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  he calls golden hours, And he explains how he gets that
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  victory by thinking about the cross, looking at his coat,
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  reading his role or focusing on his destination, Mount Zion.
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  So specific spiritual practices help him fight internal battles.
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  Right. And finally, Prudence asks why
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  he wants to get to Mount Zion so badly.
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  He lists several reasons. To see Christ alive, to be free
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  from all his current troubles and sins, to live forever
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  without death, To be with like minded people, and ultimately to
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  be fully eased of his burden by Christ himself.
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  That gives a real insight into his motivations and struggles.
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  Then Charity speaks with him. Yes, Charity asks about the
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  family he left behind, his wife and four children.
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  He gets quite emotional, explaining they were completely
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  against him coming. He tried warning them, sharing
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  his fears, praying for them, showing his distress, but they
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  just mocked him or didn't believe.
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  Why wouldn't they come? He explains his wife was afraid
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  of losing the things of this world and his children were
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  caught up in youthful pleasures. Charity then asked a tough
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  question. Did his own life, maybe his own
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  failings, put them off? How does he answer that?
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  He's honest. He admits he can't boast about
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  his own perfection. He knows he had failings, but he
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  says he tried hard not to give unnecessary offense.
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  He actually thinks if anything turned them off, it was his
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  change, his great tenderness in sinning against God, which they
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  saw as him being overly strict or too precise.
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  So his attempt at holiness was seen as a negative.
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  That's how he perceives it and charities conclusion from this
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  is rather stark. She says it shows they are
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  implacable to good, basically set against it.
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  That's heavy. After all this intense
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  conversation, they finally have supper.
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  Yes, and the conversation continues, but the focus shifts.
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  The text says all their talk was about the Lord of the Hill.
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  What specifically about him? They discuss his deeds, how he
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  was a great warrior who fought and defeated the one who had the
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  power of death, shedding his own blood out of pure love.
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  They talk about why he built this very house, his love for
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  pilgrims, how he humbled himself, leaving glory, wanting
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  companions in Zion, making pilgrims into Princess.
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  Some even mention having spoken with him after his resurrection.
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  It's all centered on Christ. Wow, what a contrast to the
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  struggles and fears outside. So after that he finally gets
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  some proper rest. Yes, they commit themselves to
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  God's care, and Christian is shown to a large upper room
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  called Peace. It has a window facing the east
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  towards the sunrise, and there he sleeps soundly until morning.
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  So the next morning arrives. Does Christian head straight
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  out? Not immediately, there's more
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  conversation 1st and then the family offers to show him some
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  of the rarities of the palace. Beautiful things worth seeing.
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  OK, like a tour? Where do they take him first?
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  First they go to the study. There they show him ancient
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  records, really important documents, things like the
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  family history, the pedigree of the Lord of the Hill, showing
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  he's the son of the Ancient of Days.
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  So establishing Christ's divine identity.
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  What else? They show records of his
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  actions, his mighty deeds, also lists of his faithful servants
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  where they live securely, and accounts of their own amazing
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  acts. Things like subduing kingdoms,
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  stopping lions mouths. You know, echoes of Hebrews 11.
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  Right. The history of faith.
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  Yeah, and records showing the Lord's willingness to forgive
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  even those who had really opposed him.
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  Plus other histories, prophecies about the future, predictions.
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  It's like a deep dive into salvation, history and God's
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  faithfulness. Sounds like powerful
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  encouragement. Where next?
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  The Armory. Yes, and they take him to the
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  Armory, and this is significant. They show him all manner of
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  furniture, meaning equipment provided for pilgrims,
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  everything needed for spiritual warfare.
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  What kind of equipment? Sword, shield, helmet,
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  breastplate, all prayer, which likely means prayer itself as a
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  weapon, or maybe something facilitating prayer and shoes
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  that wouldn't wear out. The text makes a point that
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  there was enough there for vast numbers of people, not just him.
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  So God's provision is abundant. Do they show him anything else
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  there? Yes, they also show him some
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  specific, maybe unusual, engines or rules that God's servants
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  used in the past to do amazing things, like Moses's rod, Jail's
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  hammer and nail, Gideon's pitchers and trumpets, Shamgar's
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  ox code, Samson's jawbone, David's sling and stone.
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  Wow, examples of God using ordinary or maybe unexpected
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  things for great victory. Exactly, and they also show him
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  the sword that the Lord himself will eventually use to defeat
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  the man of sin. It's a display of God's power
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  and the means he provides. Christian was ready to leave
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  after this, wasn't he? But they convinced him to stay
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  longer. They do.
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  They suggest he stay one more day so they can show him the
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  delectable mountains. They say seeing them will be a
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  further comfort as they're closer to his final destination,
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  the desired haven. The delectable mountains sounds
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  nice. Do they show him?
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  Yes. The next morning they take him
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  up to the roof of the palace. From there, looking S he can see
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  this beautiful range of mountains in the distance.
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  They tell him this is Emmanuel's Land, a place pilgrims often
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  visit. And what's special about these
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  mountains? From there, they tell him,
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  Shepherds will eventually show him the very gate of the
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  Celestial City. It's a preview, a vision to
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  strengthen him for the roads still ahead.
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  OK, so he's seen the history, seen the armor, gotten a glimpse
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  of the goal. Now is he ready to leave?
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  Now he's ready, but before he goes they take him back to the
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  Armory, and this time they don't just show him the armor, they
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  harnessed him from head to foot with what was of proof.
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  They fully equip him for the dangers and assaults that are
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  sure to come. They dress him in spiritual
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  armor. That seems vital.
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  Absolutely presented as essential preparation.
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  So, fully kitted out, he heads for the gate.
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  Yes, his new friends walk with him to the gate.
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  He has another word with Watchful the Porter.
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  He asks if any other pilgrims have come through recently.
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  And watchful mentions someone Christian knows.
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  Yes, Watchful says. Oh yes.
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  A man named Faithful passed by not long ago.
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  Christian recognizes the name immediately.
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  Faithful is from his same hometown, a neighbor.
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  Watchful adds that Faithful has probably already gotten down the
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  other side of the hill by now. Ah.
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  So he's not entirely alone on the path ahead.
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  That must be encouraging too. Could be.
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  Christian then says his goodbyes, thanks, watchful for
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  all the kindness he was shown at the palace, and steps out
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  equipped and heading towards those mountains.
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  OK, let's try to pull some threads together from this whole
• 18:32
  section, looking back at Christian's experience from the
• 18:35
  bottom of difficulty to leaving the palace beautiful.
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  What are some key things that jump out from the source?
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  Well, one clear point is that Bunyan shows the path is tough.
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  It's called difficulty for a reason.
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  Yeah, it's not supposed to be easy.
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  And because it's tough, setbacks can happen.
• 18:52
  That whole episode in the Arbor, falling asleep, losing the role,
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  shows that even when you're trying to rest appropriately,
• 18:58
  you can slip up. Spiritual drowsiness is a real
• 19:01
  danger. But it also shows that losing
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  that assurance, the role isn't necessarily permanent.
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  He had to go back, faces mistake with sorrow, but he could find
• 19:10
  it again. Regaining assurance is possible.
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  That's a hopeful note. And then there's the fear aspect
• 19:15
  with Alliance. Bunion seems to show that fear
• 19:18
  is definitely a test, but often the reality behind the fear is
• 19:23
  less threatening than it first appears if you have the right
• 19:25
  perspective and guidance. Knowing the lions were chained
• 19:29
  changed everything. Right.
• 19:30
  And the Palace Beautiful itself stands out as this model of,
• 19:33
  well, essential support for pilgrims.
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  The fellowship, the focus, teaching, looking back at God's
• 19:39
  acts, talking through personal struggles, getting equipped with
• 19:42
  spiritual armor, getting that vision of the goal.
• 19:44
  All these things are presented as vital resources for keeping
• 19:48
  going on that difficult path. You need community instruction,
• 19:51
  equipment, and vision. And that conversation with
• 19:54
  Prudence about the carnal cogitations, that those
• 19:56
  unwanted, is a reminder too, isn't it, that the internal
• 19:59
  battle doesn't just stop. Bunyan shows Christian having
• 20:02
  specific ways to fight back, focusing on the cross, his
• 20:06
  standing, his assurance, the destination.
• 20:08
  So as you think about these challenges Christian faced, the
• 20:11
  steep climb, the sleepiness, the fear, the internal battles, and
• 20:15
  then the help he received at the palace, maybe consider how these
• 20:18
  map onto things in your own life or ideas you grapple with.
• 20:22
  What kind of support? What spiritual resources help
• 20:24
  you most when things get difficult?
• 20:27
  And maybe one last thought to chew on.
• 20:28
  Based just on what Bunyan gives us here, we see several people
• 20:32
  turn back or fall away. Those two guys at the bottom of
• 20:34
  the hill? Timorous and mistrust.
• 20:37
  Given that reality, what is it about the specific package of
• 20:40
  support Christian gets at the palace?
• 20:41
  Beautiful. That combination of community
• 20:44
  teaching, armor, and vision that Bunyan seems to suggest is
• 20:47
  uniquely fitted to help a person actually persevere and keep
• 20:50
  moving towards the Celestial City despite the difficulties.