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After Christian catches up with Faithful he asks about their old home, the city of Destruction:
Chr. How long did you stay in the city of Destruction before you set out after me on your pilgrimage?
Faith. Till I could stay no longer; for there was great talk presently, after you were gone out, that our city would in short time, with fire from heaven, be burned down to the ground.
Chr. What! did your neighbours talk so?
Faith. Yes; ‘t was for awhile in everybody’s mouth.
Chr. What! and did no more of them but you come out to escape the danger?
Faith. Though there was, as I said, a great talk thereabout, yet I do not think they did firmly believe it.
Today many people do not believe in the wrath of God. This could be for any number of reasons, all connected with either a wrong view of the nature of God, or a wrong view of the corrupt nature of mankind. The Scriptures are replete with references to the wrath of God and the final judgment: Romans 2:5, Ephesians 5:6, 1 Thessalonians 1:10, and Revelation 6:16 are just a few.
Faith. [Pliable] hath, since his going back, been had greatly in derision, and that among all sorts of people: some do mock and despise him, and scarce will any set him on work. He is now seven times worse than if he had never gone out of the city.
Chr. But why should they be so set against him, since they also despise the way that he forsook?
Faith. “Oh,” they say, “hang him: he is a turncoat; he was not true to his profession!” I think God has stirred up even his enemies to hiss at him, and make him a proverb, because he hath forsaken the way.
It is interesting how the godless will mock and ridicule Christians, but sometimes they will treat the fresh apostate even worse. See counting the cost of discipleship at Luke 14:27-30.
Tell me now what you have met with in the way as you came; for I know you have met with some things, or else it may be writ for a wonder.
At this point Faithful begins to recount his experiences while on their journey. Here again we find the recurring theme of two brothers sharing experiences, and by so doing, encouraging one another. Faithful begins with his temptation to sexual sin, represented by the woman Wanton, and he describes how he resisted those temptations. Notice how he brings to mind scripture (Proverbs 5:5 and Job 31:1).
Catch part 2 of “Christian Meets Faithful” later this week as Faithful relates his encounter with Adam the First.