Season 5 Podcast 157 John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress, Episode 48 Chapter 9 E “Flatterer.”

A New Voice of Freedom

Season 5 Podcast 157 John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress, Episode 48 Chapter 9 E “Flatterer.”

In last week’s podcast Bunyan completed the cautionary tale of Little-Faith. In this week’s episode as Ignorance follows them from a distance, we meet Flatterer.

“So they went on, and Ignorance followed. They went then till they came to a place where they saw a way put itself into their way, and seemed withal to lie as straight as the way which they should go; and here they knew not which of the two to take, for both seemed straight before them; therefore here they stood still to consider. And, as they were thinking about the way, behold, a man, black of flesh, but covered with a very light robe, came to them, and asked them why they stood there. They answered they were going to the Celestial City, but knew not which of these ways to take. "Follow me," said the man; "it is thither that I am going.”

Christian and Hopeful were uncertain of the way when they suddenly were offered help by a total stranger. They immediately fell for the man’s appearance. The man they met, described as “black of flesh,” was nicely dressed, confident, smooth talking, and presented himself as one who knew the way to the Celestial City. Without questioning him, they blindly followed. Within but a short time, they were led from the straight and narrow path. Still they followed him.

“So they followed him to the way that but now came into the road, which by degrees turned and turned them so from the city that they desired to go to, that, in a little time, their faces were turned away from it; yet they followed him. But by-and-by, before they were aware, he led them both within the folds of a net, in which they were both so entangled that they knew not what to do; and with that, the white robe fell off the black man's back. Then they saw where they were. Wherefore, there they lay crying some time, for they could not get themselves out.”

It turned out that the man who lured them off the correct path was Flatterer, an angel of darkness dressed as an angel of light.

2 Corinthians 11:13-14

“For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.”

It is strange, given their experience, they could be so easily deceived, but the cunning of Satan knows no bounds. Christian and Hopeful were fooled by appearances. They judged the Flatterer by his outward appearance. He led them astray only by small degrees until suddenly they were caught in his net. It was only then that The Flatterer revealed his true nature. Only after the fact did Christian recognize why they fell into the net.

“CHRIS. Then said Christian to his fellow, "Now do I see myself in an error. Did not the shepherds bid us beware of flatterers? As is the saying of the Wise Man, so we have found it this day: 'A man that flattereth his neighbor, spreadeth a net at his feet.”

First they had been warned by the Shepherds. Secondly they failed to read the note. Hopeful observed.

“HOPE. They also gave us a note of directions about the way, for our more sure finding thereof; but therein we have also forgotten to read, and have not kept ourselves from the paths of the destroyer. Thus they lay bewailing themselves in the net."

The note for them was like scripture. Remember the Roll that Christian lost on the Hill Difficulty. Christian, his mind at ease, fell asleep on a bench and the Roll fell out of his hand. The Roll served two purposes. First, he read from it daily for it was scripture. Second, it was his pass into the Celestial City.