Lesson 13

Christian's escape from difficulties was very short, and the open country soon became another valley.  This was very narrow and dark and is described the Prophet Jeremiah as a "wilderness...a land of deserts and pits...a land of drought, and of the shadow of death."  Therefore it was called the Valley of the Shadow of Death.  Christian drew near it with trembling and dread but with a firm determination to go through since the way to his eternal destination led the way to his eternal destination led that way.  Remembering his encounter with Apollyon in the Valley of Humiliation, he walked cautiously with his sword drawn and his eyes ready to detect the enemy.

The difficulties he met in this dark valley were of an altogether different character than any he had encountered.  here was not an enemy to be banished with a sword, but a narrow, slippery path with a deep ditch on one side and a quagmire on the other.  There were strange and terrible whisperings in his ears, and dreadful sounds emerged from the earth around him.  he remembered having heard that David, the great king, had once passed this way and had slipped into the mire.  He had soon become so imbedded in it that if God had not lifted him out he would never have escaped.  Christian walked carefully but sometimes it was so dark that he could not see one step ahead of him.

For several miles Christian walked this dangerous path and then came upon something even worse.  It was called the Mouth of Hell.  Smoke and flames arose from the earth, and there were terrible noises which so frightened Christian that he almost wished to go back.  But this he could not do, and so crying out to God for deliverance, he pushed on.  He thought he heard a great company of demons approaching him and he cried, "I will walk in the strength of the Lord God."  He went unhurt and safely passed the burning pit. 

Suddenly he heard a man's voice in front of him saying, "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me."   Christian thrilled with joy.  He knew then that someone else who feared the Lord was walking through the valley, and he was reminded that God had promised to be with him.  With fresh courage he pushed on and soon the darkness began to lessen as the day dawned.

Christian looked back to see the valley by the light of day, and he trembled at the dangers which he had passed.  The way ahead was far from easy, but in the light Christian could see the pitfalls and snares, and so he was more at ease.

As the weary traveler emerged from the valley he came to a little hill from which he saw a man on the road ahead of him.  Christian guessed that it was Faithful who, he knew, had passed on the way while he was at the Palace Beautiful.

"Ho, Faithful!" he called.  "Wait and I'll go with you."

"I cannot wait," answered Faithful.  "I have no time to waste."

This annoyed Christian and he decided to catch up with him, anyway, and even go around him.  So Christian began to run very fast.  He overtook Faithful easily and passed him without a word, but  smiled as he left Faithful behind.

So delighted was Christian because he had shown Faithful that he was better than he, that he forgot to watch where he was going, and suddenly he stumbled and fell headlong in the road.  There he lay, unable to rise, until Faithful came and helped him to his feet.  Christian was ashamed of the way he had acted and said, "I should have remembered what I read in my roll: 'Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.' "

Then Faithful and Christian traveled happily together and talked of the things they had seen along the way.  They had had different experiences but both had seen trail and blessing.  They walked several miles together, but the way seemed short for they enjoyed each other's company.

Glancing up, Faithful saw, a short distance away, a tall, handsome man traveling in the same direction and called out to him, "Hello, friend, are you bound for the Heavenly Country?"

"That's where I am going," replied the other.

"Good, said Faithful.  "We can all go together, and have a profitable time talking of good things."

"That will be splendid," answered the newcomer.  "There is nothing I enjoy more than talking."

He proceeded to prove that very thing for he talked and talked, and Faithful began to wonder about his new companion.  Then he realized that Christian had dropped some distance behind and had not been listening to the other man talk.  So, dropping back a little, he waited for Christian and said, "This is a good man.  He will make an excellent companion."

"Do you think so?" asked Christian.  "I am not surprised, for with his much talking he persuades many that he is very wise."

"Do you know him?" asked Faithful in surprise. 

"Yes, indeed," replied Christian.  "His name is Talkative and he is rightly named.  Thee is nothing he likes better than to talk, but his life does not agree with his conversation.

"Well, if that is the kind of man he is," said faithful, "we do not want to travel with him.  But how shall we get rid of him?  He seems inclined to walk with us."

"I do not believe it will be hard," said Christian.  "Ask him plainly about the power of salvation as shown in his heart and home.  I think he will soon be ready to leave you."

"Very well," agreed Faithful.  "I will try it."  Hastening his steps, he again walked beside Talkative.

"Well," said Talkative, "we could have had a good deal of talking by this time if you had not waited for your fellow traveler."

"Let's get started at once," said Faithful.  "Let's talk about the  power of salvation.  How do you think it shows itself in a man's heart?"

This pleased Talkative and he answered at once:  "In two ways.  First, by a great outcry against sin, and secondly, by a great knowledge of great Gospel truth."

Faithful did not agree with him.  " First of all," he said, "a man who is truly saved will not only cry against it but will hate it.  Some men talk a great deal about the dreadfulness of sin while at the same time, they are practicing it and loving it.  It is not only knowing God's will that shows a man's salvation, but doing it.  John 13:17 says, 'If you know these things, happy are you if you do them.'  Many people know what they should do but fail to do it."

"We cannot agree," said Talkative.  "Let us talk of something else." 

Soon, he became angry and decided not to walk with Faithful at all. "Goodbye," said Talkative, angrily.  Walking off by himself, he left Faithful to walk again with Christian.

"it is just as you said," Faithful told Christian. "When we spoke of the effect of the Gospel on his own life he had nothing to say.

The two friends walked on together talking of the city to which they were journeying, and of the Lord who welcome them there.  The way did not seem long for they were happy in their salvation.

Let's be like Christian and Faithful and receive the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior and live for Him everyday; let's not be like Talkative who "talked the talk" but did not "walk the walk."