The Slough of Despond
John G. Reisinger

Pilgrim's Progress opens with a picture of a man under terrible conviction of sin. "I saw a man clothed with rags, standing in a certain place, with his face from his own house, a book in his hand, and a great burden upon his back. I looked, and saw him open the book and read therein; and as he read, he wept and trembled; and, not being able any longer to contain, he brake out with a lamentable cry, saying, What shall I do?"

The Book the man is reading is the Bible, the pack on his back is conviction of sin, and his cry is that of a man deeply convinced of his lost condition. This section does not mention the "law" since Pilgrim's confrontation with Mt. Sinai came a bit later. It is doubtful that we are to understand this as the typical "essential law work" so often described in other Puritan literature. Regardless, one thing is certain, the man is well aware that he is lost and condemned.

Christian's family, his friends, and especially one individual named Obstinate, try in vain to get him to turn back. Another man named Pliable is persuaded to accompany Christian to the Celestial city. The men are no sooner started on their journey when they both fall into a "very miry slough." It is called the Slough of Despond and from this experience we learn a lot about John Bunyan's view of conviction of sin. The Slough of Despond is a very important and very much misunderstood section of Pilgrim's Progress. The Slough is not mentioned in Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners but the same experience is certainly being described. What does the experience of the Slough of Despond represent? Here is the text:

Pliable. "Well, my good companion, glad am I to hear of these things; come on, let us mend our pace."

Christian. "I cannot go so fast as I would, by reason of this burden that is on my back."

Now, I saw in my dream, that just as they had ended this talk, they drew nigh to a very miry slough, that was in the midst of the plain; and they, being heedless, did both fall suddenly into the bog. The name of the slough was Despond. Here, therefore, they wallowed for a time, being grievously bedaubed with the dirt; and Christian, because of the burden that was on his back, began to sink into the mire.

Then said Pliable, "Ah! neighbor Christian, where are you now?"

"Truly," said Christian, "I do not know."

At this Pliable began to be offended, and angrily said to his fellow, "Is this the happiness you have told me all this while of? If we have such ill speed at our first setting out, what may we expect between this and our journey's end? May I get out again with my life, you shall possess the brave country alone for me." And with that, he gave a desperate struggle or two, and got out of the mire on that side of the slough which was next to his own house: so away he went, and Christian saw him no more.

Wherefore Christian was left to tumble in the Slough of Despond alone; but still he endeavored to struggle to that side of the slough which was farthest from his own house, and next to the wicked gate; the which he did, but could not get out because of the burden that was upon his back; but I beheld in my dream, that a man came to him whose name was Help, and asked him what he did there?

"Sir," said Christian, "I was bid to go this way by a man called Evangelist, who directed me also to yonder gate, that I might escape the wrath to come; and as I was going there, I fell in here."

Help. "But why did you not look for the steps"?

Christian. " Fear followed me so hard, that I fled the next way, and fell in"

Help. Then said he, "Give me thine hand." So he gave him his hand, and he drew him out, and set him upon sound ground, and bid him go on his way.

What is Bunyan teaching us in the Slough of Despond experience?

Exactly what does the Slough represent in Christian experienced?

Bunyan tells us that the Slough is the "scum and filth" of the "fears, doubt, and unbelief" that attend conviction of sin. Here is Bunyan's meaning:

"This miry slough is such a place as cannot be mended; it is the descent whither the scum and filth that attend conviction for sin do continually run, and therefore it is called the Slough of Despond;"

We will first list some things that Bunyan does not mean by this experience.

1. The Slough of Despond is NOT conviction of sin. Bunyan says it is "scum and filth that attendeth conviction." The pack on Christian's back is conviction of sin. Preachers who emphasize a necessary "deep law work" before there can be true conversion often allude, quite incorrectly, to this section of Pilgrim's Progress as an example of the "necessary deep law work."

2. The Slough of Despond is NOT a necessary experience. Again, many law preachers insist that a sinner is not even a candidate for salvation until he goes through this experience. Bunyan makes it clear that there were stones through the slough to walk on. Conviction of sin is essential to conversion, but the Slough of Despond is NOT conviction of sin. Great confusion has resulted from equating these two things.

3. The Slough of Despond is NOT even a desirable experience. It was, and is today, an enemy and hindrance of true faith and salvation. This experience hindered salvation coming to Pilgrim's heart.

4. The Slough of Despond is NOT the proof of a real "law work." Let me insist that we neither oppose the need for genuine conviction of sin nor the use of the clear commandments of Scripture to help produce the needed conviction. We are saying that we, like Bunyan, should never make the Slough of Despond to be either a necessary or desirable experience, and we must certainly never confuse it with true conviction of sin. Christian was deeply convicted of sin long before falling into the Slough, and his falling in actually hindered, instead of helped, him come to Christ.

Bunyan makes it abundantly clear that the Slough of Despond experience only occurs to some, not all, people, and it happens only because of their foolish fear, carelessness, and unbelief. As long as unbelief prevails in a convicted sinner's heart, he will wallow in the Slough of Despond. This experience is often caused by bad directions in preaching. When Christ is not clearly and plainly set forth as an able and willing Savior, the Slough is a natural result. This is especially true when the law and its terror are relentlessly pressed on a sinner's conscience. Sinners, especially when under conviction, need both good directions (clear gospel preaching) and faith to look to the promises (the sure stepping stones to God).

Let's look at some clear facts that substantiate our statements.

First, Pliable and Christian both fell into the slough. However, Pliable was never convicted of sin. Christian "sank" because of the weight of conviction on his back. Pliable wanted to "mend their pace" and go faster but poor Christian could not "go fast by reason of the burden on my back." It is clear that Pliable experienced the Slough of Despond but it is just as clear he was never convicted of sin. Do not ever minimize the need for conviction of sin, but don't exalt or promote the "need for the Slough of Despond experience!" We must see these are two different things.

Second, Faithful did not fall into the slough. Here is his testimony: "I escaped the slough that I perceive you fell into, and got up to the gate without that danger." Bunyan is using Faithful's testimony to show us at least two things: (1) The Slough of Despond should be avoided, and (2) an understanding faith will avoid it. True faith will look alone to the promises. Faithful saw the promises and therefore clearly saw Christ. He was not controlled by fear as Christian was and therefore he totally avoided the whole Slough of Despond experience. The kind of law preaching that produces only fear and no true faith will land pilgrims in the slough every time. Such preaching neither glorifies Christ and the gospel nor does it help poor sinners find true forgiveness.

Third, Mercy led Christiania and her children over the slough without anyone falling in. Here is the account:

Now my old friend proceeded, and said, "But when Christiania came to the Slough of Despond, she began to be at a stand; "For," said she, "this is the place in which my dear husband had like to have been smothered with mud" . . . Here Christiania, therefore, with her boys, did make a stand. But said Mercy, "Come, let us venture, only let us be wary." Then they looked well to their steps, and made shift to get staggeringly over. Yet Christiania had like to have been in, and that not once nor twice.

Fourth, Mr. Fearing is a real study of his own. It took him a month to get enough courage to pass over the slough, but even he made it "on a sunny day" without falling in.

Five, the most important proof that the Slough of Despond is a totally unnecessary and unprofitable experience is the presence of the stepping stones through the Slough. The "good and substantial" stepping stones through the Slough represent the sure promises of God. They were put there deliberately by "the Lawgiver" for the Pilgrim's help. Notice again Bunyan's own explanation as to why he fell into the Slough, "Fear followed me so hard, that I fled the next way, and fell in."

A man named Cheevers wrote an excellent commentary on Pilgrim's Progress. His comments on why Christian fell into the Slough are excellent.

In this Slough of Despond there were good and firm steps, sound promises to stand upon, a causeway indeed, better than adamant, clear across the treacherous quagmires; but mark you, fear followed Christian so hard, that he fled the nearest way, and fell in, not stopping to look for the steps, or not thinking of them. Now this is often just the operation of fear; it sets the threatening against the promises, when it ought simply to direct the soul from the threatening to the promises. That is the object of the threatening to make the promises shine, and to make the soul lay hold upon them, and that is the purpose and the tendency of a salutary fear of the divine wrath on account of sin, to make the believer flee directly to the promises, and advance on them to Christ.

Flying from our fears, we fly only into greater guilt and fear, if we do not flee to Christ. This is why we must clearly declare Free Gospel!! We must preach justification. Struggling to be rid of our burden, it only sinks us deeper in the mire, if we do not rest by faith upon the promises, and so come indeed to Christ. Precious promises they are, and so free and full of forgiveness and eternal life, that certainly the moment a dying soul feels its guilt and misery, that soul may lay hold upon them, and find Christ in them; and were it not for unbelief, there need be no Slough of Despond for the soul to struggle and plunge in its mire of depravity. [Lectures on The pilgrim's progress, and on the life and times of John Bunyan by George Barrell Cheever]

Bunyan raises the logical question? Why isn't this awful slough mended? The answer is clear and very instructive:

Then I stepped to him that plucked out, and said, "Sir, wherefore, since over this place is the way from the City of Destruction to yonder gate, is it that this plat is not mended, that poor travelers might go thither with more security?" And He said unto me, "This miry slough is such a place as cannot be mended; it is the descent whither the scum and filth that attend conviction for sin do continually run, and therefore it is called the Slough of Despond; for still, as the sinner is awakened by his lost condition, there arises in his soul many fears, and doubts, and discouraging apprehensions, which all of them get together, and settle in this place; and this is the reason of the badness of the ground."

"It is not the pleasure of the King that this place should remain so bad.His laborers also have, by the direction of His Majesty's surveyors, been for about these sixteen hundred years employed about this patch of ground, if perhaps it might have been mended; yea, and to my knowledge," said he, "here have been swallowed up at least twenty thousand cartloads, yea, millions, of wholesome instructions, that have at all seasons been brought from all places of the King's dominions (and they that can tell say they are the best materials to make good ground of the pace), if so be it might have been mended; but it is the Slough of Despond still, and so will be when they have done what they can."

"True, there are, by the direction of the Lawgiver, certain good and substantial steps, placed even through the very midst of this slough; but, at such time as this place doth much spew out its filth, as it doth against change of weather, these steps are hardly seen; or, if they be, men, through the dizziness of their heads, step aside, and then they are bemired to purpose, notwithstanding the steps be there; but the ground is good when they are got in at the gate."

Christiania also raises the same question as Christian. Here is Bunyan's description of her experience as she stood looking at the slough:

". . .this is the place in which my dear husband had like to have been smothered with mud." She perceived also that, notwithstanding the command of the King to make this place for pilgrims good, yet it was rather worse than formerly." So I asked if that was true.

"Yes," said the old gentleman, "too true, for many there be that pretend to be the King's laborers, and say they are for mending the King's highway, that bring dirt and dung instead of stones, and so mar instead of mending."

We should note several things from the above quotations. First of all, it is impossible to mend the Slough of Despond as long there is the foul results of unbelief in the hearts of pilgrims. Secondly, it is not from lack of truth being given that men fall into this slough. The gospel has been clearly and powerfully preached for centuries by great men of God, but sinners will not believe and walk on the stones until the Holy Spirit gives real saving faith in the heart. Thirdly, the "change of weather" is different personal temperaments in experiencing varying degrees of conviction. There are different temperaments among pilgrims. The Mr. Fearings will always have trouble because they carry a slough in their own heads.

The biggest problem with the Slough of Despond is the people who, in the Name of the King, pretend to mend the highway but really bring "dung and dirt instead of stones, and so mar instead of mending." These are the preachers who do not preach the truth of free and sovereign grace. They labor to keep men under the threat of the law. That type of preacher will point men every place but to Christ Himself. Years ago, I wrote in my copy of Pilgrim's Progress alongside this section the following comment: "The preaching of Arminian easybelievism will always give sinners false directions." Since that time, I have seen how wrong I was. I have learned that some forms of Calvinism give directions that are just as bad, if not much worse, than Arminians. Bunyan was not describing the Arminians at this point. He was talking about the hyper Calvinists. He is talking about the same kind of "dung" that Paul was talking about in Philippians 3:8

In preparing this article, I erased that note. Easy believism never even comes close to encouraging a Slough of Despond experience. In fact they do the exact opposite. It does everything possible to avoid such an experience. However, one form of distorted Calvinism, by a wrong use of the law, makes the Slough of Despond an experience which is necessary to true conversion. These are the preachers who, under the pretense of "protecting the gospel," press the law on the conscience in such a way that poor pilgrims are not only pushed into the slough, but they are deliberately kept struggling and wallowing in it until the preacher thinks they are "sufficiently convicted and humbled enough."

Most of the many books about "Directions to Seeking Souls" usually tell sinners to do everything except, "only" and "immediately," believe the gospel promise of free and sovereign grace. These preachers act as if there were no sure stones through the slough. Or if there are stones, it is not their duty to constantly point them out to sinners. Such preachers labor to get everyone into the slough as deeply as possible but give no help at all in getting anyone out of the slough. Someone has said, "I know some preachers who do not believe in counseling depressed people simply because they believe that their people are supposed to feel that way." The law preachers give tons of advise that is mostly dung and dirt but give precious little that has the fragrance of Calvary.

Alexander Whyte has some excellent remarks about Help, the man who helped Christian out of the Slough:

"What are you doing there?" the man whose name was Help demanded of Christian, as he still wallowed and plunged to the hither side of the slough, "and why did you not look for the steps?" And so saying he set Christian's feet upon sound ground again, and showed him the nearest way to the gate.

Help is one of the King's officers who are planted all along the way to the Celestial City, in order to assist and counsel all pilgrims. Evangelist was one of those officers; this Help is another; Goodwill will be another, unless, indeed, he is more that a mere officer; Interpreter will be another, and Greatheart, and so on. All these are preachers and pastors and evangelists who correspond to all those names and all their offices. Only some unhappy preachers are better at pushing poor pilgrims into the slough, and pushing them down to the bottom of it, than they are at helping a sinking pilgrim out.

I once read the above quotation from Whyte at a Bible conference. Many people smiled and nodded in agreement. After the meeting one lady said to me, "John, you understated the case. Our pastor pushed us into the slough, shoved our head under, and when we tried to claw our way out he tramped on our fingers while beating us over the head with the law."

The only solution for the slough is the preaching of the free grace of God. Too many preachers corrupt the grace of God under the very pretense of protecting it. Anytime a "Slough of Despond" experience is in any way encouraged, or equated with conviction of sin through the law in the conscience, we have misunderstood the gospel and corrupted the free and sovereign grace of God. We have become better representatives of Moses than we are of Christ.

I love the story of the Puritan interviewing a very young girl concerning her professed conversion. He said to her, "Describe your experience in the Slough of Despond." This was one of the standard questions among a certain type of preachers in the Puritan era. "Please, Sir," the girl responded, "I did not come that way. I walked on the stones." I wonder what his response was to that?

Who is Bunyan talking about when he described certain men who falsely pretend to mend the slough? Who, in his generation, could be accused of bringing "dirt and dung" while claiming to be the king's laborers? Actually, a correct understanding of the Slough of Despond was at the heart of the law/grace controversy in Spurgeon's day and it still is today. The problem is not with "the law" itself but the right and wrong "use" of the law.

This was one of the great controversies in Spurgeon's day. There were sincere Godly men diligently laboring to mend the King's highway with a wrong preaching of the law. The following quotation from Spurgeon's famous sermon entitled "The Warrant of Faith" makes this point very clear:

And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ." 1 John 3:23.

The old law shines in terrible glory with its ten commandments. There are some who love that law so much, that they cannot pass over a Sabbath without its being read in their hearing, accompanied by the mournful petition, "Lord, have mercy upon us, and incline our hearts to keep this law." Nay, some are so foolish as to enter into a covenant for their children, that "they shall keep all God's holy commandments, and walk in the same all the days of their life." Thus they early wear a yoke which neither they nor their fathers can bear, and daily groaning under its awful weight, they labor after righteousness where it never can be found. Over the tables of the law in every Church, I would have conspicuously printed these gospel words, "By the deeds of the law shall no flesh living be justified." The true believer has learned to look away from the killing ordinances of the old law.

Oh, when will all professors, and especially all professed ministers of Christ, learn the difference between the law and the gospel? Most of them make a minglemangle, and serve out deadly potions to the people, often containing but one ounce of gospel to a pound of law, whereas, but even a grain of law is enough to spoil the whole thing. It must be gospel, and gospel only. "If it be of grace, it is not of works, otherwise grace is no more grace; and if it be of works, then it is not of grace, otherwise work is no more work."

To tell the sinner that he is to believe on Christ because of some warrant in himself, is legal, I dare say it; legal. Though this method is generally adopted by the higher school of Calvinists, they are herein unsound, uncalvinistic, and legal; it is strange that they who are so bold defenders of free grace should make common cause with Baxterians and Arminians. . .

The warrant for a sinner to believe in Christ is not in himself in any sense or in any manner, but in the fact that he is commanded there and then to believe on Jesus Christ. Some preachers in the Puritan times, whose shoe latches I am not worthy to unloose, erred much in this matter. I refer not merely to Alleyne and Baxter, who are far better preachers of the law than of the gospel, but I include men far sounder in the faith than they, such as Rogers of Dedham, Shepherd, the author of "The Sound Believer," and especially the American, Thomas Hooker, who has written a book upon qualifications for coming to Christ. These excellent men had a fear of preaching the gospel to any except those whom they styled "sensible sinners," and consequently kept hundreds of their hearers sitting in darkness [Spurgeon could have said "wallowing in the Slough of Despond"] when they might have rejoiced in the light. They preached repentance and hatred of sin as the warrant of a sinner's trusting to Christ. According to them, a sinner might reason thus; "I possess suchandsuch a degree of sensibility on account of sin, therefore I have a right to trust in Christ." Now, I venture to affirm that such reasoning is seasoned with fatal error. Whoever preaches in this fashion may preach much of the gospel, but the whole gospel of the free grace of God in its fullness he has yet to learn. . .

How dangerous is the sentiment I am opposing? My hearers, it may be so mischievous as to have misled some of you. I solemnly warn you, though you have been professors of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ for twenty years, if your reason for believing in Christ lies in this, that you have felt the terrors of the law; that you have been alarmed, and have been convinced; if your own experience be your warrant for believing in Christ, it is a false reason, and you are relying upon your own experience and not upon Christ . . .

Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Vol.9, p. 529,533,537