Season 5 Podcast 148 John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress, Episode 45 Chapter 9 B “The Three Sturdy Rogues.”

In last week’s episode from the country of Conceit, Christian and Hopeful meet a pilgrim called Ignorance, who is also on his way to the Celestial City. As they continue their journey, they meet Turn-away, a wicked man who claimed to be virtuous.

“So they both went on, and Ignorance he came after. Now, when they had passed him a little way, they entered into a very dark lane, where they met a man whom seven devils had bound with seven strong cords, and were carrying of him back to the door that they saw on the side of the hill. Now good Christian began to tremble, and so did Hopeful his companion; yet, as the devils led away the man, Christian looked to see if he knew him; and he thought it might be one Turn-away, that dwelt in the town of Apostasy. But he did not perfectly see his face, for he did hang his head like a thief that is found; but being gone past, Hopeful looked after him, and espied on his back a paper with this inscription, "One who was wicked while claiming to be good, and turned away from God."”

The classes of those whom Christian meets on his journey to the Celestial City fall under the following categories:

1. Those who help him on his way such as Evangelist, The Shining Ones, The Interpreter, Piety, Prudence, and Charity.

2. Those who try to prevent him from continuing his journey such as Worldly Wiseman, Mr. Legality, the giants Pope & Pagan, and the ogre Despair.

3. Demons who want to destroy him such as Apollyon, Abaddon, and Beelzebub

4. Other Pilgrims who fall away because they did not enter the strait gate or who otherwise were not prepared for the journey or who gave in to temptation such as Obstinate, Pliable, Simple, Sloth, Presumption, Formalist, Hypocrisy, and Ignorance.

5. Those close companions who join him and endure his trials such as Faithful and Hopeful.

6. Those who are so much in the world that they symbolize the temptations of the flesh such as Wanton, Talkative, Lust of the Flesh, Lust of the Eyes, and Pride of Life.

7. And miscellaneous others who were in one form of captivity or another and could not get loose such as Man of Despair locked in a cage and Turn-away who was possessed of seven devils.

We also must consider the journey itself which presents either obstacles or support in Christian’s pilgrimage to the Celestial City. Some of the obstacles are

1. The City of Destruction where Christian is from

2. The Slough of Despond,

3. The Town of Morality

4. The Hill of Difficulty

5. The Delectable Mountains

6. The Valley of Humiliation

7. The Valley of the Shadow of Death

8. The Wilderness

9. Vanity Fair

10. By-Path Meadow

11. Doubting Castle

12. By-way to Hell

13. The Enchanted Ground

Then, of course, there are the places where Christian finds comfort and support.

1. The House of the Interpreter

2. Before the Cross

3. The Palace

The obstacles appear to outnumber the supporters. Next we meet the Three Sturdy Rogues.

“Then said Christian to his fellow, "Now I call to remembrance that which was told of a thing that happened to a good man hereabout. The name of that man was Little-Faith, but a good man, and dwelt in the town of Sincere.