sloughdespond

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Slough of Despond

As they had ended this talk, they drew near to a very miry slough, that was in the midst of the plain; and they, being heedless, did both fall suddenly into the bog. The name of the slough was Despond. Here they wallowed for a time, being grievously bedaubed with the dirt; and Christian, because of the burden that was on his back, began to sink in the mire.Pliable made a desperate struggle and got out of the mire on that side of the slough which was next to his own house: so away he went, and Christian saw him no more. Christian was left to tumble in the Slough of Despond alone; but still he endeavoured to struggle to that side of the Slough that was still further from his own house, and next to the Wicket-gate. Though he succeeded, he could not get out, because of the burden that was upon his back. At that time, a man came to him, whose name was Help, and asked him, What he did there? Christian replied that he was bidden to go that way by a man called Evangelist, who directed him also to yonder Gate, that he might escape the wrath to come; and as he was going thither, he fell into that. Help wondered, why he did not look for the steps.

Christian replied that due to fear that followed him so hard, he fled the next way, and fell in.

Then Help gave him his hand, and he drew him out, and set him upon sound ground, and bid him go on his way.

Christian wanted to know from Help as to why that place, the way from the City of Destruction to yonder Gate, was not mended so that poor travellers might go thither with more security. Help replied that that miry Slough was such a place as could not be mended; it was the descent whither the scum and filth that attended conviction for sin did continually run, and therefore it was called the Slough of Despond; for still as the sinner was awakened about his lost condition, there arose in his soul many fears and doubts, and discouraging apprehensions, which all of them got together, and settled in this place: And that was the reason of the badness of that ground.

Help further added that it was not the pleasure of the King that that place should remain so bad. His labourers also had, by the direction of His Majesty's surveyors, been for above these sixteen hundred years employed about this patch of ground, if perhaps it might have been mended: yea, and to his knowledge, at least twenty thousand cart-loads, the best materials from all places of the King's dominions to make good ground of the place had been swallowed up but it was the Slough of Despond still. By the direction of the Lawgiver, certain good and substantial steps, were placed even through the very midst of this Slough; but at such time as that place did much spew out its filth, as it did against change of weather, those steps were hardly seen; or if they were men through the dizziness of their heads, step besides; and then they would be mired, notwithstanding the steps but the ground would be good when they were once got in at the Gate.

Pliable was got home to his house again. So his Neighbours came to visit him: and some of them called him wise man for coming back, and some called him fool for hazarding himself with Christian: others again did mock at his cowardliness. So Pliable sat sneaking among them. But at last he got more confidence, and then they all turned their tales, and began to deride poor Christian behind his back.

Interpretation:

Christian reaches this miry slough as he does not follow the footsteps of his Master. This slough contains only a mire of distrust and fear. You may be in this state as you have not received the answers to your prayers or the prayers of intercession made by some servant of God. You did fall into this slough as you had not bothered to see the Christ of the Song of Solomon. But your sins and iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear (Isaiah 59:2).

Even if you tell the other Christians that you are bound for the Celestial City and do not want to make this world as your permanent home, they would mock at you calling you a fool.

Christian was bidden to go this way by the Evangelist, who directed him to yonder Gate, that he might escape the wrath to come; and as Christian was going thither, he fell in there. In the Pilgrim's Progress, the Evangelist guides the Christian at every critical stage till he reaches the Celestial City. Nowadays, we hardly find any such evangelist in our midst who constantly guides us towards the Celestial City. Modern evangelists just make use of the souls reached by them for promoting their ministries.

Help asked the Christian to look for the steps. But since fear followed Christian so hard, he fled the next way, and fell in. Help gave him his hand, and he drew him out, and set him upon sound ground, and bid him go on his way. The Holy Spirit, the Helper comes to your rescue when you fall into the Slough of Despond. The Holy Spirit indwelling you bears witness to your spirit even when you have been deceived by the false teachers or the false prophets. The Holy Spirit abides in us to reveal what is true and what is false. He speaks with a still, small voice, deep within the heart. The early apostles believed in this operation of the Spirit in believers.

When you are being distracted by Obstinate and Pliable, God sends you the Evangelist, a true servant of God to exhort you to run towards the yonder Gate.

You have fallen into the Slough of Despond as you had not looked for the steps leading you to the yonder Gate. It is the despond of confusion and fear as you are unable to unlearn the false doctrines and to learn the truths from the Word of God. Fear should not overwhelm you as you stay in the Slough. God does send you Help to get you out of the Slough. The Holy Spirit does send you a help either through the word of God or through a servant of God on time.

Are you in the Slough of Despond today having been taught by the false teachers who had caused you to deviate from the path leading to the Celestial City? Identify such preachers and flee from them.

There are some people in our midst who would ask you not to believe as the repentant Christian who set his heart on the Celestial City. Neighbour Obstinate believes in the false doctrines being preached by his pastor and mocks at the Christian. Neighbour Pliable is in double mind. Today's Christians do not believe that the world in which they live is the City of Destruction. They spend their whole time acquiring movable and immovable assets and earning money for their families. They do not live as pilgrims keeping their eyes on the Celestial City. A believer’s neighbours who also travel with him/her in the same boat are likened to Obstinate and Pliable. The believer bound for the Celestial City does find these two types of neighbours in Christendom. Majority of the Christian ministers and pastors do behave like these two neighbours. No doubt, they preach the gospel but are either obstinate or pliable for setting their hearts on the Celestial City but would like us to live in the City of Destruction. They preach a gospel which is different from the gospel of Christ. They exhort us to acquire all the material blessings quoting from the Bible from one angle.

The Slough of Despond into which Christian fell was not created by the King of the Celestial city but was made by false teachers and false prophets who, by distorting the original gospel make us stumble and fall into the Slough of Despond. Though Martin Luther had brought reformation in the Church during the 15th century, the Church was not restored to the first century model as some unscriptural practices like the Leviticus priesthood continued to be followed even today in all the churches including the charismatic churches.

The “certain good and substantial steps”, were placed even through the very midst of this Slough are the apostolic doctrines which are not taught in our churches which exhort us to believe in the triune God for our salvation and spiritual growth and not to believe in the intermediary Christian preachers. Though these steps are hidden to our prophetic eyes, if we are equipped to walk on these steps, we would not fall into the Slough of Despond.

According to John Bunyan, slough is such a place as cannot be mended; it is the descent whither the scum and filth that attends conviction for sin doth continually run, and therefore is it called the Slough of Despond: for still as the sinner is awakened about his lost condition, there arises in his soul many fears, and doubts, and discouraging apprehensions, which all of them get together, and settle in this place; and this is the reason of the badness of this ground.

When a false gospel is preached, the hearers of this false gospel are not convicted of their sin but fall into a deep pit of despondency as they start believing in the preachers of this gospel for salvation and for spiritual growth. In this pit, they continue for some time believing in the rituals for removing the burden of sin or the burden of the cares for this life. They repose faith in the preachers and accept the preachers as the intermediaries of God. They also believe in Jesus to some extent for miracles or healing but continue to bear the burden of the cares for this life and sin. Many fears, and doubts, and discouraging apprehensions are not addressed while hearing the false gospel. However, the Evangelist delivered Christian from this Slough of Despond.

We need preachers like the Evangelist of the Pilgrim’s Progress to guide us to go to the Yonder Gate without falling into the Slough of Despond created by the false teachers/false prophets.

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