Season 5 Podcast 124 John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress, Episode 37 Chapter 7 D, “Mammon.”

Season 5 Podcast 124 John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress, Episode 37 Chapter 7 D, “Mammon.” 

In last week’s episode, we met Mr. Gripe-man who taught that the ends justify the means. In this week’s episode we come upon the plain called Ease and a hill called Lucre and meet the men of Love-gain.

John Bunyan holds tight to the scriptures and takes the Holy Bible literally. He teaches absolute values. He condemns Mr. Save-all’s approach to unconditional salvation. Bunyan also condemns Mr. Hold-the world who symbolizes those who claim that they can be of the world and still be saved. Also notice that the citizens of Fair Speech freely quote scripture to secure their philosophy.

“HOLD. Ay, and hold you there still, good Mr. By-ends; for, for my part, I can count him but a fool, that, having the liberty to keep what he has, shall be so unwise as to lose it. Let us be wise as serpents. It is best to make hay while the sun shines. You see how the bee lieth still all winter, and bestirs her only when she can have profit and pleasure. God sends sometimes rain and sometimes sunshine; if they be such fools to go through the rain, yet let us be content to take fair weather along with us. For my part, I like that religion best that will stand with the safety of God's good blessings unto us; for who can imagine, that is ruled by his reason, since God has bestowed upon us the good things of this life, but that He would have us keep them for His sake? Abraham and Solomon grew rich in religion; and Job says that "a good man should lay up gold as dust;" but he must not be such as the men before us, if they be as you have described them.." 

Bunyan cleverly emphasizes that those from the town of Fair Speech are far behind on the pilgrimage to the Celestial City while Christian and Hopeful are far ahead.

“SAVE. I think that we are all agreed in this matter, and therefore there needs no more words about it.

MONEY. No, there needs no more words about this matter, indeed; for he that believes neither Scripture nor reason (and you see we have both on our side), neither knows his own liberty nor seeks his own safety.

And so these four men, Mr. By-ends, Mr. Money-love, Mr. Save-all, and old Mr. Hold-the-world, walked on together, while Christian and Hopeful were far in advance.” 

Christian and Hopeful now come upon another obstacle to their journey. When Christ said you cannot serve God and Mammon, he meant you cannot serve God and money. On the plain of Ease Our two pilgrims are tempted by the lure of wealth. 

“Then Christian and Hopeful went on till they came to a delicate plain, called Ease, where they went with much content; but that plain was but narrow, so they were quickly got over it. Now at the farther side of that plain was a little hill, called Lucre, and in that hill a silver mine, which some of them that had formerly gone that way, because of the rarity of it, had turned aside to see; but going too near the brink of the pit, the ground, being deceitful under them, broke, and they were slain; some also had been maimed there, and could not to their dying day be their own men again.

The journey to the Celestial City is a very difficult one. On the one hand you have servants of God waiting to help such as Evangelist, Goodwill, The Interpreter, The Shining Ones, Watchful, Discretion, Piety, Prudence, Charity, and Faithful. 

On the other hand, you have incredible obstacles that try to divert Christian at nearly every turn. There are the demons: Beelzebub, the evil one; Apollyon, the destroyer; the great Satan himself; and Abaddon, which means destruction or doom; and even a Company of Fiends. 

Next you have giants such as Pope, which, of course, symbolizes the great rift between Catholicism and early Protestantism.