We now follow the adventures of the pilgrim
whose name was changed from Graceless to Christian
as he leaves the cross and makes his
way toward the Castle Beautiful.
In our last talk we showed how Graceless
had his name changed to Christian.
He came to the cross and when the
Bible speaks of the word cross it doesn't
mean a piece of wood shaped like a
cross but rather the person who hung on
that cross and the work he accomplished on
the cross when the Son of God loved
us and gave himself for us.
The preaching of the cross is to them
that perish foolishness to us which are saved
it is the power of God.
Only those who have come as sinners and
had a personal dealing with the Christ who
hung and suffered and bled and died and
rose again are Christians.
Let us make certain of this.
You recall as he stood before that cross
three shining ones came to him.
The first shining one said, Son, thy sins
are forgiven thee.
The second one stripped him of the filthy
garments of his own self-righteousness and clothed
him with a garment of spotless purity which
speaks of that righteousness of God which is
given to all who put their trust in
the Lord Jesus.
The righteousness of God which is unto all
and upon all then to believe on his
name.
The third shining one put a seal upon
his forehead speaking of the indwelling and the
sealing of the Holy Spirit of God which
takes place when a sinner trusts in God's
beloved Son.
Imparts to him a new nature in the
strength and power of which he can now
live a life to the glory of the
Lord Jesus.
And the third shining one also gave to
him a roll, a piece of paper which
speaks of the joy and the assurance of
salvation.
And then you recall his name was changed.
Instead of Graceless, his name now is Christian.
And when Christian realized his blessedness he gave
three leaps for joy And this is what
he sang As
Christian went on the straight and the narrow
path he discovered on either side of that
pathway there was a wall.
The names of these walls were the walls
of salvation.
As he walked along singing and making melody
in his heart to the Lord presently he
saw three men lying alongside of the pathway
fast asleep.
And while they slept Satan had come and
placed chains around their legs and made them
his prisoners.
But of course they didn't know this they
were fast asleep.
When Christian realized their dreadful state what did
he do?
Did he say well thank God I'm a
Christian and on my way to heaven and
I'm not going to worry about anybody else
going to a lost eternity?
Why of course not.
When the love of Christ enters the heart
that love goes out to all those for
whom Christ died.
And so when he saw those men in
that perilous plight he shook them by the
shoulders and shouted, wake up!
Wake up!
You are like men who sleep on the
mast with a dead sea beneath you.
Do you not realize that while you were
sleeping Satan came and placed chains around your
legs and made you his prisoners?
Wake up!
And I'll help you off with your fetters.
The first man whose name was Simple awakened,
stretched himself looked this way and that way
and finally murmured I don't see any danger
and he went to sleep again.
The second man whose name was Slow gave
a terrific yawn and then said I want
a little more sleep and he went to
sleep again.
The third man whose name was Presumption got
angry with Christian for having wakened him and
he snarled What did you wake me up
for?
You mind your own business and I'll mind
mine.
Every tub must stand on its own bottom
and he went to sleep again.
Were these men wise or foolish?
Oh, you reply they were very foolish indeed.
Indeed they were.
Do you think there are any people like
this living in the world today?
Yes.
I wonder if any are in this room
this very moment.
We'll see.
The first man whose name was Simple said
I don't see any danger and he thought
because he didn't see any danger or feel
any danger that he was in no danger.
Many people are like that.
They say but Mr. Preacher I don't see
that I'm the lost and guilty sinner you
try and make me out to be.
I'm not afraid of death.
I'm not afraid of eternity.
I don't see any danger and these people
foolishly imagine because they do not see or
feel their danger that there is no danger.
What a mistake that is.
I had a little friend some years ago
only five years of age.
He was playing tag with some of his
little companions around an open well a ground
around which was loose and treacherous.
This little fellow not realizing his danger went
too close to the edge of that well.
The ground broke underneath him.
He fell into that well and before he
could be taken out he was drowned.
Did that little boy see his danger?
Feel his danger?
As he played around the edge of that
open well?
No.
Was he in danger?
Indeed he was.
The fact he didn't see it or feel
it was just too bad.
It didn't save him.
He was lost.
We are told the God of this age
the devil has blinded the minds of them
to believe not.
Lest they should believe and the light of
the gospel should shine unto them.
And the devil's great object is to blind
people's minds to the truth of their real
condition in the sight of God as being
lost and ruined and guilty sinners and to
keep them in a state of false peace
to amuse them so that they will not
think upon eternal realities.
And thus he rocks them to sleep for
we are told the whole world lies in
the arms of the wicked one.
The second man named Sloth said I want
a little more sleep.
He was enjoying that sleep of his.
Just as people do today.
If they were quite honest they'd sometimes say
Mr. Preacher I appreciate very much you coming
along and waking me up but you know
I love my sins.
I love the sinful pleasures of this world.
And if you don't mind I'd enjoy them
a little bit longer.
Come along sometime later on and wake me
up.
But just now I want a little more
sleep.
The third man, Presumption was the most foolish
of all.
He got angry with Christian for having wakened
him.
I hope none of you will get angry
with me for having wakened you up.
For the fact remains if you're not yet
saved you are asleep.
Sleep in the arms of the wicked one.
And when a person is asleep his eyes
are shut to his privileges to his responsibilities
and to any danger that threatens.
Our purpose in these meetings is to very
kindly but faithfully take you by the shoulder
and say to you as Christian said to
those three men Wake up!
Wake up!
But Presumption got angry with Christian.
He said in effect You mind your own
business and I'll mind mine.
I'll take my chance with the rest.
I've got my own ideas and I don't
relish you interfering with my affairs.
He went to sleep again.
I wonder if there's anyone like that in
this meeting who resists the truth of God
being preached in such a way as to
wake him up to a sense of his
need and to a sense of his danger.
The tragedy is this.
Christian had to leave those three men lying
there fast asleep with the chains which the
devil had placed around their legs still there.
What a dreadful awakening will be theirs.
As Christian continued his journey he heard someone
climbing up from the other side of the
wall Looking back to his astonishment he saw
two men climbing up from the other side
until they reached the top of that wall
and then they jumped down into the narrow
path and started to follow Christian.
Christian inquired Excuse me Who are you?
Where are you from?
And where do you think you're going?
They replied Our names are Formalist and Hypocrisy
We've come from the city of vainglory and
we hope like everybody else we're on our
way to the celestial city.
Well, replied Christian one thing is certain and
that is this You'll never get there the
way you've started out.
Why, what do you mean?
The only way to enter the straight and
the narrow path and make sure that you'll
end in the celestial city is to come
in through the gate that lies at the
beginning of the way and that gate is
the Lord Jesus who said I am the
door by me if any man enter in
he shall be saved and shall go in
and out and find pasture He also said
he that entereth not by the door into
the sheepfold but climbeth up some other way
the same as a thief and a robber
They looked at him incredulously What?
You mean to say we've got to go
all the way round to that teeny weeny
bit of a door that lies at the
beginning of the way?
Nothing doing.
All the people that come from our city
take a short cut across the field and
climb over the wall saves them the trouble
of going all the way round to that
little door and they added no doubt such
a time honored custom will be honored by
the Lord of the celestial city Christian replied
not by the word of God stands for
the word of God distinctly declares there is
a way that seemeth right unto a man
but the end thereof are the ways of
death My advice to you is to climb
back over that wall enter in by the
straight and the narrow gate that lies at
the beginning of this pathway and then you'll
have the assurance from the word of God
that you will end in the celestial city
to this good advice they replied with just
a loud contemptuous laugh and then inquired are
you on the narrow path?
yes replied Christian thank God I am well
they said so are we you came in
by the way you thought best we came
in by the way that we thought best
and after all it doesn't matter what a
man believes providing he's sincere in his belief
doubtless he'll get to heaven the same as
everybody else not while the word of God
lasts replied Christian and with this he had
to leave both formalist and hypocrisy formalist represents
those people today who instead of trusting in
the Lord Jesus as their savior and his
finished work as the alone foundation of their
hopes of heaven trust in some form or
ceremony performed upon them by somebody else such
as baptism confirmation taking communion church membership there
are literally thousands of men and women today
who if you were to ask are you
a Christian would reply yes I hope so
what makes you hope so?
well I was baptized confirmed I joined a
church and take communion regularly and these people
vainly imagine that this will take the place
of personal faith and trust in the Lord
Jesus what a mistake hypocrisy represents those who
make a mere empty profession but there's no
reality to it they pretend to be what
they do not intend to be on Sunday
they attend divine service to look at them
you would imagine they were Christians but on
Monday and Tuesday and Wednesday and Thursday and
Friday and Saturday their lives deny what their
lips profess and God says the hope of
the hypocrite shall perish let each person here
ask himself seriously the question am I a
real, genuine, born again Christian or am I
merely trusting in some outward form or ceremony
or trusting in a mere empty profession that
lacks reality let the fate of these two
men which we shall see later on be
a warning make sure that you are really
saved that you've come in by the door
for only those that come in at the
door shall end in the celestial city as
Christian travelled along presently he came to a
great hill very steep indeed called the hill
of difficulty he noticed that the straight and
the narrow path led right up that hill
and so first refreshing himself at a spring
which the Lord had provided at the foot
of that hill Christian started to climb that
steep pathway when formalist and hypocrisy came along
and saw the straight and narrow path leading
right up that hill and saw Christian climbing
up that rugged pathway they looked at one
another and laughed ha!
if that fellow had any sense he'd hunt
around for a nice shortcut to avoid those
difficult things let's hunt around and presently hypocrisy
found a little pathway leading to the left
called danger which he thought went all around
the base of the hill of difficulty and
left the road in the valley on the
other side and thus he'd be able to
avoid climbing that very steep hill of difficulty
look said hypocrisy I found a road here
called danger I found a road called destruction
replied formalist doubtless this leads around the other
side of the hill and meets the straight
and narrow path in the valley beyond hypocrisy
you take the road called danger I'll take
the road called destruction and we'll wait for
each other at the intersection of the narrow
way what do you say?
good!
well goodbye hypocrisy goodbye formalist and so they
started on their several ways but instead of
the road danger leading around the foot of
the hill into the valley and meeting the
narrow path beyond this pathway called danger led
into a great plain filled with dark mountains
where hypocrisy was miserably lost and after wandering
to and fro trying to find but in
vain the way back he fell a victim
to his own bad folly and died in
that great plain of dark mountains formalist on
the contrary took the road to the right
instead of that track leading around the foot
of the hill into the valley beyond it
led him into a great forest where very
soon he lost the track and he too
wandered around for several days with nothing to
eat until at last he too died a
victim of his mad folly and thus shall
every mere hypocrite and formalist perish for remember
Jesus said to one of the most religious
and moral of men verily verily I say
unto thee except a man be born again
he cannot see the kingdom of God ye
must be born again except ye be converted
and become as little children ye shall in
no case enter into the kingdom of heaven
except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish
only those who have come to Christ only
those who have received Him by faith as
their Saviour and rely upon His finished work
only those that own Christ as the Lord
of their lives shall find their way through
the pearly gates of the glorious celestial city
take warning from these two men and remember
there is a way that seemeth right unto
a man but the end thereof are the
ways of death but Christian found that hill
very difficult indeed first running then walking until
by and by the path became so difficult
all he could do was to clamber up
on his hands and knees now the hill
of difficulty as its name indicates illustrates those
difficulties in the Christian life which the child
of God must face don't ever get the
idea that becoming a Christian is an end
to all difficulty the Christian life is not
an easy life Christian pathway is not a
nice smooth level even pathway it leads uphill
and those difficulties will appear as formidable as
did that hill of difficulty to Christians but
what is the child of God to do
under those circumstances go right ahead for in
climbing the hill of difficulty in facing the
difficulties of the Christian life the child of
God develops spiritual muscle which will stand him
in good stead for the still further difficulties
that lie ahead fight manfully onward dark passions
subdue look ever to Jesus he'll carry you
through and so the child of God goes
onward and upward in the strength of the
Lord God seeking by God's grace to grow
in his knowledge and to appreciate his love
as he makes his upward, homeward and heavenward
way halfway up this hill of difficulty Christian
noticed an arbor or shady resting place in
that arbor there was a bench and he
seated himself on that bench this shady arbor
had been built by the Lord of the
hill for the refreshment of weary pilgrims for
their light refreshment so that they could start
on their way again Christian entered very thankful
indeed to be able to sit down on
that bench and rest from his weary labors
by and by he felt quite refreshed thought
to himself well it's time I started on
my way again but you know that bench
felt just as comfortable as that bed of
yours feels early in the morning when mother
tells you it's time to get up I
know I should be starting on my way
said Christian but I think I'll just sit
here a little longer I think I'll look
at my robe realize afresh the assurance of
my salvation I'll examine my robe and see
it in it my perfect standing in Christ
Jesus and as Christian became occupied both with
his robe and with his robe a spirit
of drowsiness came over him he became so
occupied with his believing he forgot about his
behaving so occupied with his standing he neglected
his state so occupied with his position in
Christ which was perfect he forgot all about
his condition and before he realized what was
happening he soon fell fast asleep and as
he slept his robe, picture of the joy
and the assurance of his salvation fell from
his nerveless fingers to the ground and of
course Christian didn't realize this he was fast
asleep and there he slept for several hours
until presently he was awakened by a voice
which said go to the ant thou sluggard
consider her ways and be wise that startled
him another voice said it is high time
to awake out of sleep for now is
our salvation nearer than when we believed rubbing
his eyes he jumped up and another voice
said awake thou that sleepest and arise from
amongst the dead and Christ shall give thee
light and now thoroughly alarmed and realizing he'd
wasted many precious hours in that harbor which
was only intended for the light refreshment of
weary pilgrims Christian rushed up the remainder of
that hill as hard as his legs could
carry him he had almost reached the top
to his astonishment he saw two men wild
eyed and fearful running down the hill as
hard as they could go Christian inquired who
are you where have you come from and
why are you running in the wrong direction
they replied we're running in the right direction
if you had only seen what we have
seen you'd be joining us going down this
hill what are your names our names are
Timorous and Mistrust what are you looking so
frightened about they replied as we reached the
top of this hill away in the distance
we saw a castle a beautiful castle and
as we approached closer suddenly to our dismay
right in the middle of the road were
two huge lions and when these lions saw
us they lifted up their voices and they
opened their mouths and they gave a terrific
roar we thought our last moment had come
and without waiting to investigate any further we
turned tail and ran and we intend to
keep on running till we get back again
to the good old city of destruction Christian
answered you talk like men who climbed over
the wall not like people who came in
through the gate at the beginning of the
way that may be as you wish they
replied this we know the further we go
on this journey the more the dangers increase
we're going home and they ran down that
hill and left Christian alone now I can
assure you Christian didn't feel very pleased at
the prospect of meeting two lions so in
order to comfort himself he felt in his
pocket for his role but alas it wasn't
there he felt in other pockets it wasn't
there my role is gone well poor Christian
I've lost my role I can't go one
step without that role oh what shall I
do oh what shall I do I've lost
the joy and the assurance of my salvation
what's the best thing for any Christian to
do who loses the joy and the assurance
of salvation well you should do what Christian
did and what's that Christian got down on
his knees in the middle of the king's
highway and he prayed the same prayer that
David prayed when he lost his role about
this same spot many years before he said
oh Lord I've been a lazy good for
nothing Christian in that arbor only intended for
the light refreshment of weary pilgrims I slothfully
wasted many hours of precious time and now
my role is gone and I cannot walk
this path without that role oh God restore
unto me I beg of you that role
restore unto me the joy of thy salvation
and uphold me with thy free spirit then
will I teach transgressors thy ways and sinners
shall be converted unto thee and then what
did he do after he confessed his sin
did he sit down and wait for that
role to jump back again into his pocket
no indeed he retraced his steps and as
he walked down the pathway feet upon his
breast crying sadly I am now made to
walk with sorrow where I might have trodden
with joy oh wretched good for nothing lazy
Christian that I am to lose my role
oh what shall I do what shall I
do Lord restore unto me I beg of
you that role his search brought him back
again to the arbor where he had so
slothfully slept and as he looked in to
his surprise and great joy there he saw
the role just where it had fallen from
his hands as he slept quicker than he
takes to tell he retrieved his role placed
it back again in his pocket and then
fell down upon his knees and thanked God
for having restored to him the role picture
of the joy and the assurance of his
salvation now what does all this mean did
Christian lose his salvation in that arbor by
going to sleep of course not no person
can lose his salvation why not because a
Christian salvation is in a person and that
person is the Lord Jesus who lives in
the power of an endless life who is
the same yesterday and today and forever the
Christian's joy the Christian's peace, the Christian's hope
the Christian's righteousness everything is in Christ and
can never be lost what then did Christian
lose, he lost the joy of that salvation
he lost the assurance of that salvation and
many and many a Christian has done the
same thing and under similar circumstances a Christian
has gone to sleep on the job spirit
of drowsiness has come over him, he has
set his eyes to his responsibilities and to
his privileges as a child of God, for
when you become a Christian you have certain
responsibilities did Christian lose his salvation in that
arbor by going to sleep, of course not
no person can lose his salvation, why not
because a Christian's salvation is in a person
and that person is the Lord Jesus who
lives in the power of an endless life
who is the same yesterday and today and
forever the Christian's joy the Christian's peace, the
Christian's hope the Christian's righteousness everything is in
Christ and can never be lost what then
did Christian lose, he lost the joy of
that salvation he lost the assurance of that
salvation and many and many a Christian has
done the same thing and under similar circumstances
a Christian has gone to sleep on the
job, spirit of drowsiness has come over him
he has set his eyes to his responsibilities
and to his privileges as a child of
God for when you become a Christian you
have certain responsibilities to serve the Lord Jesus
to live for his glory to deny ungodliness
and worldly lusts and live soberly and righteously
and godly in this present evil age, but
many a child of God begins to go
to sleep he fails to study his Bible,
fails to keep in touch with God by
prayer as he should, fails to witness to
the saving and keeping power of the Lord
Jesus to others, fails to attend the meetings
provided by the assembly the prayer meeting and
the Bible reading and the gospel meeting and
the meeting for the remembrance of the Lord
Jesus and the breaking of bread and the
child of God shuts his eyes and soon
is fast asleep to his privileges and responsibilities
and it's during that period that very often
the Christian loses both the joy and sometimes
the assurance of his salvation two things we
must ever keep distinct in our minds first,
relationship second, fellowship never confound these two terms
relationship depends on birth fellowship depends on behavior
my relationship to God depends upon the new
birth to as many as received him, Christ
to them gave me the right, the power
and the privilege to become the children of
God even to such as believe on his
name so it's one thing to be a
child of God and another thing to enjoy
fellowship with God, for fellowship depends on my
behavior my appreciation of this relationship and the
discharging of my responsibilities that this relationship brings
I am the child of my earthly father
by a physical birth and nothing can alter
the relationship of a boy to his father
or mother, he's always the son of his
father or mother, nothing can alter that relationship,
but a great deal can alter his fellowship
with his father and mother if a boy
is disobedient in the home if he's got
the kind of father and mother he ought
to have, that father and mother will punish
that boy chastise him and not until that
boy apologizes to his father and mother and
says he is sorry for what he has
done can that fellowship once again be restored,
but the relationship has not been affected in
the slightest degree relationship is forever fellowship depends
on communion and the enjoyment of that relationship
and our obedience to our heavenly father as
we seek to live to his glory am
I speaking to anyone here who has lost
the joy and the assurance of salvation how
can it be restored in the same way
the Christian had his joy and the assurance
of his salvation restored he went back to
the place where he had lost his role,
he confessed his sin, he judged his sin
in the presence of God and then he
had the role restored to him so as
the Christian confesses his sin to his father
owns it to be what it is indeed
and in truth, departure in heart from God
turns from that sin with loathing and detestation
then once again the joy of the Lord
shall be his strength and the assurance of
salvation if he has lost that, shall be
restored to him again and now Christian as
he reached the top of that hill saw
away in the distance the beautiful castle, the
castle beautiful as John Bunyan calls it now
this castle beautiful illustrates an assembly of the
Lord's people that gathers together in the name
of the Lord Jesus either for the remembrance
of the Lord and the breaking of bread
or for prayer or for the ministry of
the word or whatever it may be God
wants his people to link themselves in happy
assembly fellowship with the company of born again
believers gather my saints together unto me, says
God those who have made a covenant with
me by sacrifice forsake not the assembling of
yourselves together as the manner of some is
so much the more as you see the
day approaching the Lord Jesus said where two
or three are gathered together in my name
there am I in the midst of them
they that believed were together God wants his
people to meet together in church fellowship or
assembly fellowship to meet in the name of
the Lord Jesus with those of like mind
and like heart and thus enjoy that strength
and fellowship that comes through association with those
who know the same Lord and Savior but
as Christian approached this castle suddenly he saw
right before him what had scared timorous and
mistrust so much there standing in the middle
of the king's highway barring his approach were
two great big lions and as they glimpsed
Christian they opened their mouths and they let
out a terrifying roar which shook the earth
and poor Christian didn't know what to do
he was scared stiff he didn't go forward
for the lions seemed to block the path
at the same time he didn't want to
run away as timorous and mistrust had done
for he knew it was God's will according
to his word that he should meet with
the people of God who gathered in the
assembly fellowship in that castle and not knowing
what to do he stood there presently the
keeper of the castle a man named Watchful
picture of a godly shepherd of souls seeing
the dilemma of Christian shouted to him Christian,
Christian is thy strength so small keep in
the middle of the king's highway man the
lions cannot harm you attached to the neck
of each of those lions is a strong
chain that allows them to go thus far
and no further and providing you keep in
the middle of the king's highway the lions
cannot harm you and now Christian's eyes were
opened to notice what he hadn't previously seen
a good strong chain was attached to the
neck of each of these lions, fastened to
a stake and believe me Christian kept right
in the center of the king's highway and
though the lions strained at their chains he
felt their hot breath upon his cheeks he
was unable to successfully pass between these lions
when he reached the other side he inquired
of Watchful to whom do these lions belong
they replied these lions belong to the enemy
of the lord of the castle then why
does the lord of the castle allow those
lions almost to scare pilgrims to death for
a very good reason replied Watchful what's the
reason Watchful replied those lions are allowed to
remain there chained in order to test the
reality of the faith and the love and
the obedience of all professing pilgrims some professing
pilgrims the moment they see those lions turn
and run away showing that they were not
real pilgrims but only mere empty professors said
Watchful two men came not long ago one
named Timorous and the other named Mistrust and
without waiting to investigate they turned and ran
yes replied Christian I saw them and they
were still running well doesn't that prove that
those lions in that case served a good
purpose it frightened away the mere empty professors
but you when you saw those lions you
didn't turn and run yet you didn't know
what to do those lions then tested the
reality of your faith and your love and
your obedience oh I see replied Christian I
see the purpose for those lions that God
uses the enemy to test his people Watchful
said but you notice these lions are chained
so that in them is fulfilled the promise
of the word of God which reads there
hath no temptation taken you but such as
is common to man and God is faithful
who will not suffer you to be tempted
above that you are able but will with
the temptation make a way of escape that
you may be able to endure it then
Christian said thank God for the lions so
when a child of God seeks to associate
himself with a scripturally gathered company of God's
people he'll discover as Christian did there are
lions barring the way one of those lions
could represent the world the other could represent
the devil and neither the world nor the
devil have any desire whatever for a child
of God to link himself with a scripturally
gathered company of God's people for the devil
knows full well once a child of God
gets into an assembly of that character he'll
learn God's word he'll grow in the grace
and knowledge of the Lord Jesus he'll learn
to worship and pray and serve as he
should and consequently he will bring harm to
the devil's cause and so both the world
with its ridicule and the devil with his
testings and temptations will seek to hinder the
child of God but the true child of
God in spite of the difficulty will by
God's grace be enabled to successfully pass between
those lions and thank God for the trial
that tested the reality of his faith and
now watchful took Christian to the gate of
the castle rang a bell and a beautiful
woman responded whose name was discretion or carefulness
a great deal of care needs to be
exercised in admitting a person into an assembly
of the Lord's people in other words that
Christian who seeks the fellowship of God's people
should be able to give a good reason
for the hope that is within him and
we in turn should be privileged to ask
him questions so that we can find out
for ourselves whether he is a real true
believer or not so discretion began to talk
with him, what is your name?
he replied my name used to be graceless
but it is now Christian and what do
you desire?
I desire to enter your castle to enjoy
fellowship with the people of God in this
place to remember the Lord in the breaking
of bread to meet together with the people
of God for the ministry of the word
of God and for prayer may I come
in?
are you a true Christian?
yes thank God I am how do you
know?
inquired discretion Christian answered as a poor lost
and guilty sinner I came to the Lord
Jesus the son of God who loved me
and bore my sins and died to me
to receiving him by faith as my saviour
and owning him as the Lord of my
life, the word of God assures me that
I am now saved by his grace, born
again by his spirit and cleansed by his
precious blood and when discretion saw he was
indeed a true Christian she extended to him
the right hand of fellowship, then she rang
a bell and in response to that bell
down the steps of the castle came quite
a number of the inmates, old and young,
rich and poor for they were all equal
in this castle and my what a warm
welcome they gave to Christian, they said Christian
we are so glad you have come we
are so glad you have seen from the
word of God that this is your place
of meeting simply in the name of the
Lord Jesus, welcome welcome to our castle and
they overcame him with a warmth of their
welcome this is what reception into a scripturally
gathered company of God's people really means as
we realize that this person or that person
is indeed a child of God, sound in
life and doctrine, we should extend to him
warmly the right hand of our fellowship, make
him feel at home that he is a
member of the family alas in some cases
this is not so instead of being warmly
welcomed a believer who seeks fellowship in such
a place instead of being received is viewed
with suspicion and made to feel very much
not at home while supper was being prepared
the three sisters of discretion prudence piety and
charity or love had a very interesting conversation
with Christian, we won't go into that conversation
now but you may read it for yourself
in the Pilgrim's Progress I hope you all
read that wonderful allegory, read it again and
again and again until the lessons that John
Bunyan sought to implant upon the hearts of
his readers really becomes part and parcel of
your whole being here then we see Christian
with those three sisters now the four sisters
discretion, prudence piety and love illustrate four graces
four virtues that ought to be seen in
every scripturally gathered company of God's people first
there should be carefulness second there should be
prudence or common sense third there should be
piety or godliness and fourth there should be
love any assembly that has these four things
in good measure is an assembly to which
God will add many of his blood-bought
people for he knows in that atmosphere they
will grow in grace and in the knowledge
of the Lord Jesus supper was announced and
John Bunyan beautifully observes at this supper I
perceived that all the conversation was of the
Lord of the castle and by their conversation
I perceived he was a mighty man of
valor this of course illustrates the Lord's Supper
instituted by the Lord Jesus on the eve
of his betrayal he gathered his weak potter
and disciples around him he took the bread
gave them the cup and said this is
my body this is my blood which is
shed for you this do for a remembrance
of me and so each Lord's day the
Lord's people meet together in the Lord's name
and in the Lord's own appointed way remember
the Lord Jesus and show forth the Lord's
death until the Lord comes back again there
is no greener spot this side of heaven
than each Lord's day to meet together with
the people of God and thus take that
bread symbol of his body given the cup
symbol of that precious blood by which our
redemption was secured as we sit there in
his presence to muse upon the Lord Jesus
and then to lift up our hearts and
our voices to him in thanksgiving and praise
and worship for all that he is, for
all that he has done, for all that
he is doing, for all that one day
he will yet accomplish when he comes to
call his people home to be with him
forever then Christian was shown to his room,
a chamber called Peace where he slept peacefully
early the next morning he was awakened with
the singing of the birds as he rose
he read a portion from the word of
God for that's how the Lord speaks to
his people as we study the word he
communes with us through the divinely inspired record
and then Christian got down on his knees
and with worship and praise and prayer and
supplication enjoyed communion with God and then he
went to the window, look out through that
window and there a wonderful vista spread before
his gaze way in the far distance he
could see the delectable mountains and between those
mountains and the castle all sorts of olive
yards, vineyards gardens the melody of birds and
the fragrance of flowers filling the air and
as Christian saw this beautiful sight again he
praised God this is what Bible study will
do for the child of God it will
unfold to him the eternal riches of those
marvelous counsels of God and let the child
of God enter the secret of that which
God has been pleased to reveal through the
pages of his holy words following day the
sister said to him would you like to
see some of the rarities of this place
indeed I would so they took him into
the museum showed him some of the curiosities
of the place, they showed him for instance
the sling and the stone by which David
stunned that giant and then slew the giant
with a giant's own sword they showed him
the hammer and the nail by which Dael
slew Sisera they showed him the jawbone of
the ass with which Samson overcame the great
army of the Philistines they showed him the
pitchers and the lamps by which Gideon and
his small army of 300 men overcame the
great army of the Midianites they showed him
many wonderful things what Christian was especially struck
with was this God used small things to
accomplish great ends and that encouraged Christian he
realized he was only a small Christian only
weak he didn't know very much but he
said to himself by God's grace I let
the Lord use me even as he used
those small things and from his heart he
said Lord Jesus take my life and let
it be consecrated Lord to thee take my
moment and my days and let them flow
in ceaseless praise as thou didst use David
in his sling Gael and her hammer and
nail Samson and the jawbone of the ass
and Gideon and his pitchers and lamps so
take my life glorify thyself through me and
use me to thy glory he learned that
little is much when God is in it
next day they took him to the top
of the castle showed him some of the
wonderful sights in that vicinity amongst other things
they pointed out to him the delectable mountains
and they said one of these days you'll
see those mountains for yourself and not very
far from those mountains is the gate of
the celestial city and thus those four sisters
encouraged Christian to go on for God as
Christian would have left that day the sister
said no Christian don't go yet you're not
ready for your journey outside of this castle
the enemy of your soul is waiting to
attack you Satan and his host of wicked
spirits are going to try and turn you
back if they possibly can therefore in order
to stand against the wiles of the devil
you must put on the whole armor of
God so they took him into the armory
there they showed him the various pieces of
armor the belt of truth the breastplate of
righteousness the shoes of the preparation of the
gospel of peace the shield of faith the
helmet of salvation the sword of the spirit
which is the word of God and that
mighty unseen weapon called prayer and Christian took
those pieces of armor placed them upon himself
for we are told in the word of
God put on the whole armor of God
God will not put this armor on us
we must place this armor on ourselves God
provides the armor but we must appropriate that
armor otherwise we shall be defeated in the
fight that will ensue so first he placed
upon himself the belt of truth that speaks
of the necessity for the Christian to be
truthful in his words therefore putting away lying
let every man speak truth with his neighbor
Christians word should be his bond second he
placed upon himself the breastplate of righteousness that
was right in front where everybody could see
it that speaks of a righteous life which
a Christian must live if he is going
to bring glory to Christ and stand against
the wiles of the devil honesty morality purity
all these form the breastplate of righteousness righteous
deeds and a righteous life third he put
on him the shoes of the preparation of
the gospel of peace so that everywhere he
went he carried the good news of a
dying savior's love, a risen savior's power and
a coming savior's glory how beautiful upon the
mountains are the feet of them that publish
glad tidings of good things then he took
the shield of faith wherewith the quench all
the fiery darts of the devil faith in
the word of God faith in the power
of God, faith in the love of God
these are the things that stand the child
of God in good stead as he fights
the good fight of faith this is the
victory that overcometh the world even our faith
so we need to take the shield of
faith behind which we can turn aside the
fiery darts of the devil then he placed
upon his head the helmet of salvation that
guarded the most delicate part of his being
the mind how necessary for the Christian to
have right thoughts of the great fundamental doctrines
of our most holy faith right thoughts as
to the deity of Christ as to the
inspiration and integrity of the holy scriptures right
thoughts as to regeneration and redemption the child
of God therefore must store his mind with
the word of God so when the devil
comes in like a flood the spirit of
the Lord can use that word to raise
up a standard against him then he took
that weapon the sword of the spirit the
word of God our savior took that weapon
when Satan tempted him in the wilderness to
all Satan's temptations he replied it is written
it is written and through the word of
God he overcame his adversary so we too
must use the sword of the spirit which
is the word of God and lastly he
took that great weapon unseen to human eyes
but mighty through God to the pulling down
of the strongholds of Satan the weapon of
prayer Satan trembles when he sees the weakest
Christian on his knees so here are the
seven pieces of armor if you are a
child of God see to it you put
them on get into God's armory be pampered
in the armor of God and then you
can stand against the wiles of the devil
and having done all you can stand having
your loins girded up with truth the breastplate
of righteousness the shoes of the preparation of
the gospel of peace the shield of faith
the helmet of salvation the sword of the
spirit which is the word of God and
that mighty mighty weapon prayer but remember if
you are not a Christian you cannot place
this armor on you the armor is only
for those who have been born again only
for those who are truly saved by God's
grace if you have never been truly saved
by God's grace come to the Lord Jesus
now in all your burden and rags and
filth come to the Savior who loved you
who died for you who rose again to
save you put your trust in Him take
Him as your Savior now and be saved
by His grace and then put on the
whole armor of God and fight the good
fight of faith and lay hold upon that
life which is life indeed may He grant
it for His name's sake