Nurtured, advised and armed by the Four Maidens, Christian goes forth to what he knows will be his greatest trial. As he walks through the dark valley of humiliation, he meets the lord of this world, Appolyon, who claims Christian for his own. Undaunted (though afraid), Christian avows his faith in God, and, unmoving in that, Appolyon sets on him with his full force.
The strife is fierce, the warfare long, and whilst he is wounded and wishes to flee, Christian knows all his armour is to the front, and if he flees he is defenceless. He fights the whole day and is sore-pressed, even unto the edge of destruction, as he loses his faithful sword and is grasped by Appolyon in a death grip. But God rewards His faithful servant:
Christian nimbly reached out his hand for his sword, and caught it, saying, Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise, Mic. 7:8; and with that gave him a deadly thrust, which made him give back, as one that had received his mortal wound. Christian perceiving that, made at him again, saying, Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors, through Him that loved us. Rom. 8:37. And with that Apollyon spread forth his dragon wings, and sped him away, that Christian saw him no more. James 4:7.
When I first read this story, this episode thrilled me the most. I always linked it (rightly) with Bunyan’s great hymn, ‘He who would valiant be’, – ‘no foe shall stay his might, though he with giants fight’ – and I imagined myself as Christian, sword in hand. It’s not a bad way to engage a young boy’s mind in Christian teaching. I always found the bit with the Four Maidens deadly dull, and used to skip over it to get to the great fight. Only life and experience taught me the folly of that; still, it engaged my imagination as David and Goliath, or as Samson did. We’d do better now if we engaged the imagination of lads the way they did back when I were one.
Bunyan was a great homespun philosopher, as well a great story teller, for he keeps the tension ratcheted up. No sooner has Christian escaped Appolyon than he finds himself in the Valley of Death, near Hell’s mouth – so close he can hear the demons calling for him. Only by crying to the demons that he walks in the strength of the Lord can he fight them off – and he was sore afraid. But he recalled the words of the Psalmist and rallied: ‘Though I walk through the Valley of the Shadow of Death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me.’ Psa. 23:4.
As the morning dawns, Christian looks back and marvels that he has come through the goblins and foul fiends – but it is well that it is day – for there is more to come. Passing the bones of dead pilgrims in the valley, he passes the mouth of the caves wherein dwell the great foes, Pagan and Pope. The former’s power has long waned, but the latter remains awake – ready to burn Christians if need be – but Christian passes by him.
A century’s passing had not been sufficient for free-born Englishmen to forget the fires of Smithfield; though sufficient to forget the ones their forefathers had lit in revenge.
I am enjoying these posts very much. The Apollyon story reminds me to plug Vaughan Williams’s Opera/Oratorio “Pilgrim’s Progress”, where this episode is portrayed in one of the most powerful pieces of music. VW wasn’t particularly religious, but the whole work came out as a great piece of Christian music. Some of the music was recycled for his 5th symphony (written during WW2), which is a magnificent abstract work in its own right.
Apologies if this has been mentioned in the comments to another post somewhere.
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Good to see you here Hamish. I shall have to listen to that – thank you.
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If I may be permitted to post the YouTube link to Vaughn William’s Appolyon scene. Geoffrey and Hamish:
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Thank you for this, dear lady, and it is good not to have lost contact with you.
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Yes brother Hamish, let me be the first to extend you a warm welcome.
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bozoboy87 – It’s lovely to see peace and reconciliation, because I was under the impression that you and Hamish didn’t exactly get on like a house on fire.
Anway, it’s good to see you again. I’m your friend – I’m not like the others.
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Well done, I too had no problem imagining myself as Christian fighting Appolyon, and also suspect I wouldn’t find the maidens as dull now. Enjoyed the hymn as well, one I hadn’t heard before.
I will also have to chase down the Williams, have heard his 5th once or twice but not the opera. Great series, here.
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Hello Geoffrey, and it’s grand to be able still to follow your very competent posts, thank you. Please keep them up.
With Pilgrim’s Progress I can honestly say “I haven’t read the book but I’ve seen the opera”. When I saw it, it was with the composer’s widow, Ursula, also in attendance, She was a co-writer of the libretto for Pilgrim’s Progress and died only a few years ago, I think.
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I am happy to see you here. One of the folk I liked the most on that other place – which I think most decent folk have now left behind them – and so it is good to have you here.
That must have been a splendid thing to have done – to have seen the opera with VW’s widow. I spent part of last evening listening to the opera and found it very moving.
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Thanks again, Geoffrey. Truth be told, I only visited the other place to see posts of yours and others, such as malcolm.
I wanted to say it much earlier, but I admired the way you always made it clear there, in both word and deed, that you were always more than happy to discuss matters of religion with those who would be reasonable. Of course. nearly all of them were not able to handle that challenge and instead behaved even more childishly. The internet really is full of such ridiculous people, even more than in “real life”.
Thanks for the next Pilgrim instalment you’ve already put up.
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I am glad you liked it – and that you, and others, appreciated what I was there for. It was very revealing that so few of the atheists there could take up the challenge.
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Golden and Jock, what a pleasure to welcome you both
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Geoffrey RS Sales – I’m enjoying the series on Pilgrim’s Progress – but as you well know, the anti-Catholic connotations with ‘Pagan’ and ‘Pope’ are more sinister than you make out, based on their understanding of Revelation at the time (and not simply a reaction against the fires of Smithfield).
I’m intrigued by the way you reconcile the various conflicting factors.
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Your’re not wrong, of course. Bunyan was a child of his time and thought as many did then – and since. Indeed, on my own blog I am exploring some of these things.
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Comment deleted, due to hysterical ranting
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A good idea then, Bosco.
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Geoffrey – Ah ha – I just clicked on your blog and I see that there is an Irish connection. Fortunately, I missed all of that – I don’t have any Irish connections.
This sectarianism is such a pity and does cast rather a stain on the country. I now live and work in a very Catholic country and, despite not being Catholic, I have been very well received. I have had zero difficulties; in fact, quite the opposite.
But it’s important not to ‘throw the baby out with the bath water’. Some of Bunyan’s theological views on Salvation are just plain inconsistent with Catholicism (and, indeed, with most modern Protestantism).
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We can escape such influences, but only with Grace. Some of Bunyan’s views on salvation are the mirror image of those held by some of the more rigid Catholics and Orthodox – that they are the only ones guaranteed salvation; whatever the theological divides, the mindset is the same.
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actually, there is no view of salvation. When one is saved, he or she is drowning and god reaches down and pulls you out of the sewer. The only thing you can think is…. wow… thanks.
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Just as Christian does in the final chapter of the book.
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Gosh, how interesing. i take back everything i said about that book.
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It’s a powerful testimony, Bosco. The name above all names is the one that saves. And yes, he will pluck us from the stream of filth which drowns us and he will set us on the road.
The question for us is whether we will stay on that road or be misled by the Devil. For he is like a roaring lion seeking whom he might devour.
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