Pilgrim’s Progress: The Enchanted Ground

Our readings take us this Sunday to the final leg of Christian and Hopeful’s journey. One of the best things that our Savior has given us for that journey is the support of fellow like-minded travelers and a good testimony of God’s grace in us. As is illustrated here, let us make good use of both to shake off the “drowsyness” of this world.

We will probably read on past the listed passage today, as summer is creeping up, and I want to start a study of the Baptist Faith and Message soon. Besides, my wife and her girls have already finished PP, as they are faster readers than my boys.

I saw then in my dream, that they went till they came into a certain country, whose air naturally tended to make one drowsy, if he came a stranger into it. And here HOPEFUL began to be very dull and heavy of sleep; wherefore he said unto CHRISTIAN, “I do now begin to grow so drowsy, that I can scarcely hold up mine eyes; let us lie down here and take one nap.”
Chr. “By no means,” said the other; “lest sleeping, we never awake more.”
Hope. Why, my brother, sleep is sweet to the labouring man; we may be refreshed if we take a nap.
Chr. Do you not remember that one of the shepherds bade us beware of the Enchanted Ground? He meant by that, that we should beware of sleeping; wherefore let us not sleep as do others, but let us watch and be sober. (1 Thessalonians 5:6 )
Hope. I acknowledge myself in a fault; and had I been here alone, I had, by sleeping, run the danger of death. I see it is true that the wise man saith, “Two are better than one”. (Ecclesiastes 4:9) Hitherto hath thy company been my mercy; and thou shalt have a good reward for thy labour.
Chr. “Now,” then said CHRISTIAN, “to prevent drowsiness in this place, let us fall into good discourse.”
Hope. “With all my heart,” said the other.
Chr. Where shall we begin?
Hope. Where God began with us.

This entry was posted in Uncategorized. Bookmark the permalink.