"...
But I beheld in my dream that a man came to him, whose name was Help, and asked him what he did there.
CHRISTIAN: Sir, I was bid to go this way by a man called Evangelist, who directed me also to yonder gate, that I might escape the wrath to come. And as I was going thither, I fell in here.
HELP: But why did not you look for the steps?
CHRISTIAN: Fear followed me so hard, that I fled the next way, and fell in.
HELP: Give me thine hand.
So he gave him his hand, and he drew him out (Psalm 40:2), and set him upon sound ground, and bid him go on his way.
Then I stepped to him that plucked him out and said: Sir, wherefore, since over this place is the way from the city of Destruction to yonder gate, is it that this plat is not mended, that poor travelers might to thither with more security?
HELP: This miry Slough is such a place as cannot be mended. It is descent whither the scum and filth that attends conviction for sin doth continually run, and therefore it is called the Slough of Despond; for still as the sinner is awakened about his lost condition, there arise 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.
It is not the pleasure of the Kind that this place should remain so bad (Isaiah 35:3-4). His laborers also have, 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 my knowledge, here have been swallowed up at least twenty thousand cartloads, yea, millions of wholesome instructions, that have at all seasons been brought from all places of the King's dominions (and they that can tell, say they are the best materials to make good ground of the place), if so be it might have been mended; but it is the Slough of Despond still, and so will be when they have done what they can.
True, there are, by the direction of the Lawgiver, certain good and substantial steps, placed even through the very midst of this Slough; but at such time as this place doth much spew out its filth, as it doth against change of weather, these steps are hardly seen; or it they be, men, through the dizziness of their heads, step beside, and then they are bemired to purpose, notwithstanding the steps be there; but the ground is good when they are once got in at the gate (1 Samuel 12:23).
Now I saw in my dream that by this time Pliable was got home to his house. So his neighbors 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, saying: Surely, since you out for a few difficulties; so Pliable sat sneaking among them. But at last he got more confidence, and then they all turned their tails, and began to deride poor Christian behind his back. And thus much concerning Pliable.
..."
As we read about how the King, had ordered his labourers to maintain the place, yet, the Slough of Despond is still a slough! It's sad to know how hard God's prophets had worked, how hard they warned people, still...
And looking at what happened to Pliable back home, others joined in to deride Christian behind his back, sounds awfully familiar..
Well, I AM a Christian, and I know what the character has been going through..
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
The Slough of Despond
"...
Now I saw in my dream, that just as they had ended this talk, they drew nigh 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, therefore, 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: Ah, neighbor Christian, where are you now?
CHRISTIAN: Truly, I do not know.
At this Pliable began to be offended, and angrily said to his fellow:
PLIABLE: Is this the happiness you have told me all this while of? If we have such ill speed at our first setting out, what may we expect between this and our journey's end? May I get out again with my life, and you shall possess the brave country alone for me!
And with that he gave a desperate struggle or two, 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.
Wherefore, Christian was left to tumble in the Slough of Despond alone; but still he endeavored to struggle to that side of the Slough that was farthest from his own house, and next to the wicket gate; the which he did, but could not get out because of the burden that was upon his back.
..."
from Dictionary.com
Now I saw in my dream, that just as they had ended this talk, they drew nigh 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, therefore, 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: Ah, neighbor Christian, where are you now?
CHRISTIAN: Truly, I do not know.
At this Pliable began to be offended, and angrily said to his fellow:
PLIABLE: Is this the happiness you have told me all this while of? If we have such ill speed at our first setting out, what may we expect between this and our journey's end? May I get out again with my life, and you shall possess the brave country alone for me!
And with that he gave a desperate struggle or two, 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.
Wherefore, Christian was left to tumble in the Slough of Despond alone; but still he endeavored to struggle to that side of the Slough that was farthest from his own house, and next to the wicket gate; the which he did, but could not get out because of the burden that was upon his back.
..."
from Dictionary.com
de·spond
–verb (used without object)
1.
to be depressed by loss of hope, confidence, or courage.
Origin:
1670–80; < L dēspondēre to give up, lose heart, promise, equiv. to dē- de- + spondēre to promise
1670–80; < L dēspondēre to give up, lose heart, promise, equiv. to dē- de- + spondēre to promise
here, we see how PLIABLE easily gave up and left without helping Christian. However, even though Christian was stuck, he still MOVE AWAY from this house and towards the promised Kingdom..
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