Finding the Middle Ground – Part 1: John Bunyan and the Slough Despond

“They drew nigh to a very miry slough that was in the midst of a 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 dirt; and Christian, because of the burden that was on his back, began to sink in the mire.

“Ah, neighbor Christian, where are you now?” Pliable called.

“Truly, I do not know.” Christian replied.” – John Bunyan, The Pilgrim’s Progress

Introducing The Pilgrim's Progress

A familiar tale to many, The Pilgrim’s Progress, tells of a journey filled with obstacles and trials. The pilgrim, Christian, faces giants called Despair and Diffidence, the fearful dragon, Apollyon, Vanity Fair and many other challenges. 

The author, John Bunyan, did not write of these difficulties just to entertain, but rather to impart to his readers lessons he himself had learned. Each of the difficulties Christian encountered was an analogy of a spiritual obstacle Christians face, obstacles that John Bunyan had to overcome in his own walk of faith. 

In this way, The Pilgrim’s Progress tells the story of John’s own pursuit of the Celestial city and the working out of his own salvation (Philippians ii.12). In it is contained the lessons that he desired to pass on to us.

  In this series, we will look at just a couple of these obstacles. Two difficulties that Christian encountered before he had even entered the narrow, wicket gate (which represents salvation) - the slough that is called Despond and the hill on which Mr. Legality’s house sits. 

These first two challenges took the burdened pilgrim by surprise. Few of us are better prepared to face them. However, with the help of real-life examples from John Bunyan’s autobiography, Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners, we can decipher the allegory and learn the lessons John recorded for us. Thus, preparing ourselves to handle these obstacles properly and help others to as well!


Now, without further ado, we shall continue!


What is the Slough Despond?

“Pliable began to be offended and angrily said to his fellow:

“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 you shall poses that brave country alone for me!” With that he gave a desperate struggle or two, and got out of the mire on the side of the slough that 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 endeavoured 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 on his back.” - John Bunyan, The Pilgrim’s Progress

The first step of every person’s journey to Calvary comes when our eyes are opened to see our own sinful state. It is only when we come to believe that we are sinful and in dire straights that we can understand the glorious news of the salvation God purchased for us. 

The bad news comes to prepare us for the good! This is the how Christian’s story began. He was first enlightened to the danger in which he lived and then instructed by Evangelist to flee from the City of Destruction and go to the wicket gate.

 The knowledge of our sin and the salvation from it should fill us with comfort and expectation and it often does…at first. But following this initial happiness many of us have been beset by a feeling of despondence. 

The word 'despondent' means to ‘be in low spirits from a lack of hope or courage’. 

Following the news of so great a salvation, it is no wonder that such a feeling catches us by surprise.  The emotion is strangely out of place. Why should such good news be accompanied by sorrow in our souls?

This problem is due to a ploy that our enemy, the devil, regularly plays upon the soul that is seeking its Savior. 

We have become aware of our sinfulness, of our wretched fate and the presence of ‘the wicket gate’ (a means of Salvation). The devil is unable to keep us oblivious any longer. So he begins to lie to us in hopes of trapping us in a bog of falsehood that will cause us to despair. 

The devil is in the habit of whispering all sorts of lies in our ears:

 “Others have been saved but they were not so bad as you.”

 “You lost your chance to repent!”

“God would never want you.”

“If you believe salvation is true, why are you still sinning?” 

He employs a variety of doubts and lies but they all come down to the same conclusion – there is a way of salvation, but you can not follow it. 

By this means, many have become stuck in the Slough of Despond, believing in the power of Jesus Christ to save but doubting His ability to save them. 

This is a temptation. An invitation to put faith in the power of your sins instead of in the power of the Jesus Christ to rescue you from them. 


Despondence, as John Bunyan Experienced It 

This was exactly the difficulty that John Bunyan experienced in his own life:

“A voice did suddenly dart from heaven into my soul, which said,

“Wilt thou leave thy sins and go to heaven, or have them and go to hell?”

At this I was put to an exceeding maze; wherefore I looked up to heaven and was as if I had, with the eyes of my understanding, seen the Lord Jesus looking down upon me, as being hotly displeased with me, and as if He did severely threaten me with some grievous punishment for these and other ungodly practices.

I had no sooner thus conceived in my mind, but suddenly, this conclusion was fastened on my spirit, that I had been a great and grievous sinner, and that it was now too late for me to look after heaven; for Christ would not forgive me, nor pardon my transgressions. Then I fell to musing on this also; and while I was thinking of it, and fearing lest it should be so; I felt my heart sink in despair, concluding it was too late; and therefore I resolved in my mind I would go on in sin: for, thought I, if the case be thus, my state is surely miserable; miserable if I leave my sins, and miserable if I follow them; I can be but damned, and if I be so, I had as good be damned for many sins, as be damned for few….having made this conclusion, I returned desperately to my sport again; and well I remember, that presently this kind of despair did so posses my soul, that I was persuaded I could never attain to other comfort than that which I could get in sin; for heaven was gone already, so that on I must not think; wherefore I found within me great desire to take my fill of sin, still studying what sin was yet to be committed, that I might taste the sweetness of it; and I made as much haste as I could to fill my belly with it’s dedicates, lest I should die before I had my desire; for that I feared greatly…

I am very confident, that this temptation of the devil is more usual among poor creatures, than many are aware of, even to over run the spirits with a scurvy and seared frame of heart, and benumbing of conscience, which frame he supplieth with such despair that, though not much guilt attendeth souls, yet they have a secret conclusion within them, that there is no hope for them;  “for they have loved sins, therefore after them they will go.” (Jeremiah ii.25 and xviii.12)” – John Bunyun, Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners

Two Options

Pliable turned around and was able to regain the ground from which they had come. Christian remained caught in the slough because he desperately desired to gain the other side.

 It is the desire Christian felt that distinguishes the Christian to be from the one who turns back.

 A truly repentant sinner, though convinced of their ineligibility to receive salvation, finds that they will forever be miserable without it. There is no going back – try as they might to find comfort in sin. 

The Slough of Despond traps its victims by the weight of their own sin. It is their sins that accuse them, cause them to doubt God’s mercy towards them, to see a diminished version of Christ’s power to save and to remember the love they hold towards the pleasures they have indulged in. 

By these means the devil hopes to prevent us from further pursuit of the Saviour, Jesus Christ.


Help

 Still the state of those caught in the depths of Despond and ‘grievously bedaubed with dirt’ is not as helpless as it may appear. For truly the Saviour is greater than the sin they bear – no matter how great that may be - and He is faithful to send help.

“But I beheld in my dream that a man came to him, whose name was Help, and asked him what he did there.

“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. As I was going thither, I fell in here.” Christian explained.

“But why did you not look for the steps?”

“Fear followed me so hard, that I fled the next way, and fell in.”

Help nodded. “Give me thine hand.” So Christian gave him his hand, and he drew him out (Psalm xl. 20), and set him upon solid ground, and bid him go on his way.

“But, Sir,” said Christian, “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 go thither with more security?”

“This miry slough is such a place as cannot be mended. It is a descent whither the scum and filth that attends the conviction of 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. This is the reason for the badness of this ground.” - John Bunyan, The Pilgrim’s Progress

As Help explained, this bog is a peril that can not be helped. Any of us can fall into it’s trap if we are not looking for the steps by which we are to cross it. 

But if you do fall in there yet remains a way out. 

As Christian discovered, escape is most easily gained through the help of another. To gain it the pilgrim must admit that he is stuck and confess how he came to be so, that another might help him to see where he went wrong and remind him of the ability of Christ to save to the uttermost all those who come to God through Him (Hebrews vii.25). To speak so to others requires us to put aside our pride and admit our shame, but with the aid of a helping hand we can soon be freed from the Slough Despond. To fix our eyes again on the goal – the wicket gate.

…to be continued…

In Christ

Quiana