Season 5 Podcast 85 John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress, Episode 24 Chapter 5 C, “The Wages of Sin.”

A New Voice of Freedom

Season 5 Podcast 85 John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress, Episode 24 Chapter 5 C, “The Wages of Sin.”

In last week’s episode, Christian meets Faithful who tells him of his trials with Wanton, and his meeting with Adam the First who lived in the town of Deceit. He symbolized the Wages of Sin which was death or the deeds of the flesh. This all occurred on the Hill Difficulty where Christian had lost the scroll. The old man wanted Faithful to marry his three daughters, Lust of the Flesh, Lust of the Eyes, and Pride of Life. When Faithful refuses to marry his daughters, the old man took hold of his flesh and nearly pulled him apart. Faithful jerked free; however, when he got half way up the hill difficulty, another man, a very powerful man caught up with him.

Faith. But, good brother, hear me out. So soon as the man overtook me, he was but a word and a blow; for down he knocked me, and laid me for dead. But, when I was a little come to myself again, I asked him wherefore he served me so. He said, because of my secret inclining to Adam the First. And, with that, he struck me another deadly blow on the breast, and beat me down backwards; so I lay at his feet as dead as before. So, when I came to myself again, I cried him mercy; but he said, "I know not how to show mercy;" and, with that, he knocked me down again. He had doubtless made an end of me, but that One came by, and bid him forbear.

Christian asks Faithful who saved him from his attacker.

Chris. Who was that that bid him forbear?

The answer is not a big surprise.

Faith. I did not know him at first; but, as He went by, I perceived the holes in His hands and His side; then I concluded that He was our Lord. So I went up the hill.

Christian, who himself had been saved when he laid his burden down at the cross, explains to Faithful who the man was who beat him in such an unmerciful way.

Chris. That man that overtook you was Moses. He spareth none, neither knoweth he how to show mercy to those that disobey his law.

Bunyan is teaching us the difference between the law of justice and the law of mercy. For example, the one who mercilessly beat Faithful symbolized the Law of Moses which shows no mercy. The one who saved Faithful from more punishment was, of course, the risen Christ, thus teaching us the Law of Mercy. Without Christ we would have to pay for our own sins. This is explained by a parable of Christ.

“Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison. Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing.” (Matthew 5: 25-26)

6 RON

Christ is speaking of hell. The “uttermost farthing” symbolizes the exactness of the law. In other words, the law of justice must be satisfied. Those who do not repent of their sins and call upon Christ must pay for their own sins. Only after they have paid ‘the uttermost farthing’ is the prison house opened. Read, for example, the words of John the Revelator.

“1 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.