Christian's Conversion

It is important that we spend time studying the portrayal of Christian's conversion in Pilgrim's Progress. Although the general theme of the book is our sanctification, there can be no growth in holiness without being saved; and approximately 10% of the first part of Pilgrim's Progress is taken up with Christian's journey from the city of Destruction to the wicket-gate.

The events are these: Christian meets Evangelist, who engages with him about his condition, and who says to him that he must 'fly from the wrath to come'. When Christian asks where he should go, Evangelist asks him to follow the light until he comes to the wicket-gate, where directions would be given him.

As Christian makes his way there, Obstinate and Pliable try to prevent him. Pliable goes further than Obstinate, but falls with Christian into the Slough of Despond. That is enough for Pliable, who turns back. A man called Help takes Christian out of the Slough. When Christian resumes his journey he meets Mr Worldly Wiseman, who tries to undermine what Evangelist has said, and to point out the dangers that lie ahead. Mr Worldly Wiseman counsels him to avoid some of these dangers by going to the village of Morality instead of the way Evangelist pointed out. Christian takes his advice, but finds his burden become heavier.

Evangelist again meets him and asks 'What dost thou here, Christian?' When Christian tells his story [one of the techniques by which Bunyan spins his tale is to have Christian recount some of his experiences], Evangelist sends him again on his way. He comes to the wicket-gate, over which are the words 'Knock and it shall be opened unto you'. As he ponders what to do, a man called Good-Will appears, and helps him through, lest Beelzebub, the captain of a nearby castle, will wound him with his arrows before he enters in. The journey is again recounted between Christian and Good-Will.

Christian continues until he comes to the house of the Interpreter, where he learns some valuable lessons and doctrines which Interpreter asks him to remember. He leaves the house and goes up a highway fenced on either side with a wall, called Salvation. On an elevated plane of the highway stands a cross; when Christian comes to it, a remarkable thing happens:

So I saw in my dream, that just as Christian came up with the cross, his burden loosed from off his shoulders, and fell from off his back, and began to tumble, and so continued to do, till it came to the mouth of the sepulchre, where it fell in, and I saw it no more. (p37).

At that point three Shining Ones came to him: the first said that his sins were forgiven; the second changed his clothing and the third set a mark in his forehead.

Then Christian gave three leaps for joy, and went on, singing:

Thus far I did come laden with my sin;
Nor could aught ease the grief that I was in
Till I came thither; what a place is this!
Must here be the beginning of my bliss?
Must here the burden fall from off my back?
Must here the strings that bound it to me crack?
Blest cross! Blest sepulchre! Blest rather be
The man that there was put to shame for me! (p38)

This, then, is the story of Christian's conversion. There are several elements to it that deserve analysis; we will look at five of these: the advice of evangelist, the slough of despond, the village of morality, the house of the interpreter, and the meeting with the cross.

The Advice of Evangelist

We have already noted that for Bunyan, as for all the Puritans, the preaching of the Gospel was the supreme means of grace and aid to faith. The book convicts Christian: it shows him his need, but he is unable to find a remedy. For that, he needs the preacher of the Gospel. In the allegory, Evangelist speaks personally to Christian. But this is an allegory: and I think Bunyan's point is much more profound than that this man under conviction receives personal guidance from Evangelist. I think the point is that when the Holy Spirit blesses the preaching of the Gospel, it becomes a very personal engagement. Until it does become a personal engagement, there is little blessing to be had in the preaching. But once the Spirit enlightens, the blessing is what the soul needs.

My interest in Evangelist in this point is to highlight what Spurgeon says about this.. The following excerpt is from a sermon on 1 Corinthians 2:2, 'Christ and him crucified':

By the way, let me tell you a little story about Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress. I am a great lover of John Bunyan, but I do not believe him infallible; and the other day I met with a story about him which I think is a very good one.

There was a wise young man; so he thought, 'If I am to be a missionary, there is no need for me to transport myself far away from home; I may as well be a missionary in Edinburgh.' ... Well, this young man started, and determined to speak to the first person he met. He met one of those old fishwives; those of us who have seen them can never forget them, they are extraordinary women indeed. So, stepping up to her, he said, 'Here you are, coming along with your burden on your back; let me ask you if you have got another burden, a spiritual burden.'

'What!' she asked; 'do you mean that burden in John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress? Because if you do, young man, I got rid of that many years ago, probably before you were born. But I went a better way to work than the pilgrim did. The evangelist that John Bunyan talks about was one of your parsons that do not preach the gospel; for he said, "Keep that light in thine eye, and run to the wicket gate". Why, man alive! That was not the place for him to run to. He should have said, "Do you see that cross? Run there at once!" But instead of that, he sent the poor pilgrim to the wicket-gate first; and such good he got by going there! He got tumbling into the slough, and was like to have been killed by it.'

'But did not you,' the young man asked, 'go through any Slough of Depond?' 'Yes I did; but I found it a great deal easier going through with my burden off from the commencement of the pilgrimage.'

If he [Bunyan] meant to show what usually happens, he was right; but if he meant to show what ought to have happened, he was wrong. We must not say to the sinner, 'Now, sinner, if thou wilt be saved, go to the baptismal pool; go to the wicket-gate, go to the church; do this or that.' No, the cross should be right in front of the wicket-gate; and we should say to the sinner, 'Throw thyself down there, and thou art safe; but thou art not safe till thou canst cast off thy burden, and lie at the foot of the cross, and find peace in Jesus'. [quoted Horner 131-2].

I think this is a brilliant story, which raises an interesting question. Spurgeon, after all, says that Evangelist is not preaching the Gospel, because Bunyan places the cross after the wicket-gate, rather than before. Is Spurgeon right? Are we to have to decide between Bunyan and Spurgeon in this matter?

There is, undoubtedly, a factor that feeds into this discussion, and that is John Bunyan's own spiritual experience. Spurgeon hints at this when he says that Bunyan may well be describing what often happens when the Spirit works in people's lives; Bunyan is probably reflecting what happened in his own. From the time of the first stirrings of grace in his soul, until he got light and liberty and understanding of the Gospel, Bunyan passed through much spiritual darkness and turmoil. Several chapters of his spiritual autobiography detail the anguish of his heart until he found peace.

But there is a difference between prescription and description. It is one thing to describe something; another to prescribe it. Perhaps Bunyan's description is accurate: but is it a good prescription for those concerned about their souls? Did Evangelist give Christian good advice? Should he have said 'go to the cross' instead of 'go to the wicket-gate'?

For all my admiration of Spurgeon, I do think he is too hard on Bunyan, and that he is neglecting the very feature of this book that is essential to an understanding of it: that is, that it is allegorical. As we have already noted, one of the features of the allegorical method is that it uses composite pictures to build up the image. What is the wicket-gate? It is Christ, who says 'I am the way'. The light which Christian is told to follow is the Christ he needs in his darkness. And the cross, of course, represents Christ in his death and atonement. Evangelist is not making access to the cross difficult, or contingent upon reaching the wicket-gate. Nor does the gate represent the church or church ordinances. The picture is composite: Christian is being pointed to Christ as the provision God has made for us, the way, the truth and the life. The allegory is not designed to show me how to preach, but it is designed to show me WHAT to preach. If Pilgrim's Progress shows anything, it is that every evangelist must point the way to Jesus Christ, in all the glory of his person and work.