Christian Meets Faithful, part 2

Faithful next relates his trip over the hill Difficult, first meeting Adam the first, and then Moses. One tries to enslave him, and the other tries to beat him to death, but in the end one comes to his rescue.

When I came to the foot of the hill called "Difficulty," I met with a very aged man, . . . Then I asked him his name, and where he dwelt? He said his name was Adam the first; and that he dwelt in the town of Deceit. . . He told me that his work was many delights; and his wages, that I should be his heir at last. . . So he told me that his house was maintained with all the dainties in the world; and that his servants were those of his own begetting. . . . He said that he had but three daughters,--the lust of the flesh; the lust of the eyes; and the pride of life; . . . Then it came burning hot into my mind, whatever he said, and however he flattered, when he got me home to his house he would sell me for a slave. As heirs of Adam: We are slaves of sin: Galatians 4:3; We are in bondage: Romans 6:6; We are spiritually dead: Ephesians 2:1-6; his wages: Romans 6:23, For the wages of sin is death. three daughters: 1 John 2:16 . . . not of the Father, but of the world. sell me for a slave. John 8:34, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin. 1st Adam/2nd Adam: Romans 5:12-21; 1 Corinthians 15:42-50 . . . so soon as the man overtook me, he was but a word and a blow; for down he knocked me, and laid me for dead. But when I was a little come to myself again, I asked him wherefore he served me so? He said, because of my secret inclining to Adam the first; and with that he struck me another deadly blow on the breast, and beat me down backward, so I lay at his foot as dead as before. So when I came to myself again, I cried him mercy; but he said, "I know not how to show mercy," and with that knocked me down again. He had doubtless made an end of me, but that one came by, and bade him forbear. . . . I did not know him at first; but as he went by, I perceived the holes in his hands and in his side; then I concluded that He was our Lord.
The man beating Christian is later identified as Moses, who represents the law given on Mt. Sinai, the Ten Commandments which require perfect obedience by the Law Giver. See Galatians 3:10 Christ our savior is the only One who can deliver us from the sin nature we have inherited from our federal head, Adam, and the only One who can fulfill the demands of God's law. The section continues by Faithful relating his encounter with Discontent and then Shame. Yes, I met with one Discontent, who would willingly have persuaded me to go back with him; his reason was, for that the valley was altogether without honour. He told me moreover, that there to go was the way to disobey all my friends, as Pride, Arrogancy, Self-conceit, Worldly-glory, with others; who he knew, as he said, would be very much offended if I made such a fool of myself as to wade through this valley. Contentment: 1 Timothy 6:6; Romans 11:33-36, . . . how unsearchable are his ways . . .The Cross is foolishness to the world: 1 Corinthians 1:18-31 And I thought again, this Shame tells me what men are; but tells me nothing what God or the word of God is. And I thought moreover, that at the day of doom we shall not be doomed to death or life according to the blustering spirits of the world; but according to the wisdom and law of the highest. Therefore, thought I, what God says is best, indeed is best; though all the men in the world are against it. Seeing, then, that God prefers his religion; seeing God prefers a tender conscience; seeing they that make themselves fools for the kingdom of heaven are wisest; and that the poor man that loves Christ is richer than the greatest man in the world that hates him-- SHAME, depart! thou art an enemy to my salvation! Think God's thoughts: Romans 12:1,2 Romans 1:16, For I am not ashamed . . . 2 Timothy 2:12, . . . if we deny Him . . . (to be continued)