Lesson 20

The day after Christian and Hopeful had leaned the lesson of Error Hill they went out again with the shepherds.  This time they went first to Caution Hill.  When they reached the summit of the hill they reached the summit they could see a great distance.  They saw what appeared to be a cemetery, for there were many tombs.  They also saw men walking among the tombs.  They walked as if they were blind men and stumbled often.

One of the shepherds said, "Did you see a stile that led into By-path Meadow?"

"Indeed we did," answered Christian and Hopeful.

"Just over that stile," the shepherd continued, "lies the land of the Giant Despair who owns Doubting Castle.  He is a terrible person.  Those men you see over there trespassed on his grounds and were captured.  They were very cruelly treated and at last he put out their eyes and took them to the tombs.  there he left them to wander about in their darkness.

"The man who wanders out of the way of understanding shall remain in the congregation of the dead,' " he added solemnly.

Christian and Hopeful found themselves weeping as the shepherd finished his story.  But for the promise of God which they had claimed, and for His faithfulness, they would probably have suffered this same punishment.

Then the shepherds showed them a doorway in the side of one of the hills.  It was a dark, smoky place and smelled of fire and brimstone.  There were terrible sounds coming faintly from the interior.  They sounded like the cries of people in torment.

"This," explained the shepherds, "is a side door to hell.  This is the way taken by hypocrites such as Judas, who make a pretense of being Christians but really do not trust the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior.  They walk along with those who are really going to heaven but they do not reach the same end, for the 'Lord knows them that are His.' "

The shepherds wished to show the pilgrims one more hill before they continued their journey.  It was a beautiful day and they guided them to the top of the Hill Clear.  From this vantage point they could see in every direction."  Looking in the direction from which they came, they could see Doubting Castle in the valley, and like a mere dot on the landscape, they could see the place where they had left the highway to walk in By-Path Meadow.  They could see the beautiful place where they had rested beside the quiet waters, and beyond that, the valleys that had been so full of trials.  Still farther in the distance they could see the hill where Christian knew the Palace Beautiful stood, although he could not see the house itself.

Looking at the way ahead was even more interesting than looking backward, and so Christian and Hopeful turned their attention to the way they had to travel.  Here spots and places were not so distinguishable as they were in the other direction.  The shepherds allowed them to look through a telescope and as they held it to their eyes they could see a beautiful gate and a wonderful, shining glory surrounding it.  They did not need to ask what it was.  They knew it was the Celestial City.

It was the destination toward which they had traveled.  They could not see it clearly, but the glimpse they had made their hearts burn with longing for the end of their journey.

"Oh, thank you so much," they said to the shepherds, "for giving us this vision of the city to which we are traveling.  That is a marvelous glass you have that enables one to see what lies ahead."

"It is the Word of God," replied the shepherd.  "it is the only thing which allows one to see with certainty what lies in the future.  Others may take a guess or draw a logical conclusion, but only the Word of God can give us definite information about that which is ahead.  And in His Word, the Bible, He gives us a glimpse of the Heavenly City.  He tells us there is no sin there, no sickness, no sorrow, no pain and no crying.  He also tells us that there is no darkness there, for the glory of God does brighten it, and the Lord Jesus Christ is there, who is the Light.

:Even more, He tells us that it is a very beautiful place which words cannot describe.  The inhabitants are very happy there, and spend their time in singing praises to the One who has redeemed them and washed them from their sins."

"We did indeed see all these things," said Christian and Hopeful, "and it made us desire to hasten on our way that we might arrive soon at this beautiful place."

So the shepherds were willing that they should go and sent them away with a blessing.  One of them gave to the pilgrims a note of direction for the way from the mountains to the Celestial City.  Another warned them to beware of the Flatterer.  The third shepherd cautioned them not to sleep on the Enchanted Ground.  The fourth prayed for God's blessing upon them as they journeyed.  So they set forth once more. 

The nearer they came to the end of their journey the more eager they became to be there.  The glimpse of the glory which they had enjoyed from Mount Clear made their hearts burn with longing.

So it is with everyone who has trusted the Lord Jesus Christ.  The more we look into His Word and learn of the glory that awaits all the redeemed, the more real heaven becomes to us, and we rejoice to know that we shall be there, in the presence of our Lord, for all eternity.

"But oh! the more we learn of Thee,
And Thy rich mercy prove,
The more we long Thy face to see,
And fully prove Thy love."

--Tregelles