Led Astray by Vain-Confidence

He, therefore, that went before, (Vain-confidence by name), not seeing the way before him, fell into a deep pit, which was on purpose there made, by the Prince of those grounds, to catch vain-glorious fools withal, and was dashed in pieces with his fall.

Now Christian and his fellow heard him fall. So they called to know the matter, but there was none to answer, only they heard a groaning. Then said Hopeful, Where are we now? Then was his fellow silent, as mistrusting that he had led him out of the way; and now it began to rain, and thunder, and lighten in a very dreadful manner; and the water rose amain.

Then Hopeful groaned in himself, saying, Oh, that I had kept on my way!

Christian: Who could have thought that this path should have led us out of the way?

Hopeful: I was afraid on it at the very first, and therefore gave you that gentle caution. I would have spoken plainer, but that you are older than I.

Vain-ConfidenceIn the last post Christian and Hopeful strayed into By-Path Meadow. When God’s Way became difficult, they sought a more comfortable course. In his self-confidence, Christian believed he could find a better way. And so he led Hopeful over the stile and into what appeared to be a more pleasant yet parallel path.

At first it seemed as if they had made the right choice. The meadow was a welcome relief and the way was easier. They fell in behind another traveler who assured them that he also was on his way to the Celestial Gate. But as night came they realized their error. They were walking into great peril. They were trusting in themselves rather than God, and the one they now followed was Vain-Confidence.

We are warned in Scripture not to lean on our own understanding, but to trust in God to guide us in the Way.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths.
(Proverbs 3:5–6)

When we think ourselves to be wiser than God and forsake His Word to devise our own way, there can only be one end.

Pride goes before destruction,
And a haughty spirit before a fall.
(Proverbs 6:18)

We see several examples of pride leading to a fall in Scripture: King Saul (1 Samuel 15), Jezebel (2 Kings 9), and Haman (Esther 7). Jesus asked the Pharisees, the prideful religious leaders of His day: “Can the blind lead the blind? Will they not both fall into the ditch?” (Luke 6:39).

Vain-Confidence is not a trustworthy guide. He is unable to see the way before him. Lost in the darkness, he falls “into a deep pit” and is “dashed in pieces with his fall.” Christian and Hopeful hear him fall and try calling out to him, but there is no answer.

Hopeful then asks Christian, “Where are we now?” But Christian also has no answer. He comes to the fearful realization that he is responsible for their present danger. The error is his and he has led Hopeful out of the way.

For the leaders of this people cause them to err,
And those who are led by them are destroyed.
(Isaiah 9:16)

Just as the pilgrims realize the danger they are in, their trouble worsens. It begins to rain and thunder. The water rises “amain” (quickly, in haste without warning). Hopeful laments: “O that I had kept on my way!” When Christian first suggested that they enter the meadow, Hopeful was hesitant to object. Now he regrets not speaking more plainly, when he feared that Christian was making a mistake. He should have had the courage to offer correction, even though Christian was an older brother in Christ. Though Christian made the greater error, Hopeful accepts some of the blame for their present troubles.

Though Christian’s error is obvious, he is still surprised that his plan did not work the way he had hoped. He asks: “Who could have thought that this path should have led us out of the way?” The answer is he should have thought so, but he was not careful, and was blinded by his own pride, and lead astray by vain confidence.

The dangers faced by Christian and Hopeful are a warning to us to flee from pride and vain-confidence. Scripture warns us:

Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall (1 Corinthians 10:12).

We must not seek our own way or think we can find a better way. We must learn to trust God and walk in His ways, even when His Way is difficult.

David exhorts us in the psalms:

Commit your way to the Lord,
Trust also in Him,
And He shall bring it to pass.
(Psalm 37:5)

And he prays, as we should pray:

Show me Your ways, O Lord;
Teach me Your paths.
Lead me in Your truth and teach me,
For You are the God of my salvation;
On You I wait all the day.
(Psalm 25:4–5)

A Guide to John Bunyan’s The Pilgrim’s Progress
See TOC for more posts from this commentary

The text for The Pilgrim’s Progress and images used are public domain
Notes and Commentary ©2017 Ken Puls
Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from the New King James Version (NKJV) ©1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.

I Greet Thee Who My Sure Redeemer Art

One of my favorite hymns from the Reformation is “I Greet Thee Who My Sure Redeemer Art.” The words are attributed to John Calvin, from the Strasbourg Psalter, 1545. The tune (TOULON) was composed by Claude Goudimel, one of the musicians in Calvin’s church in Geneva. It was originally composed as the melody for Psalm 124 and included in the 1551 edition of the Genevan Psalter.

I Greet Thee Who My Sure Redeemer Art

Calvin has been criticized regarding his convictions about music. One historian (Münz) wrote:

“The Pope of Geneva, that dry and hard spirit, Calvin, lacked the warmth of heart which makes Luther so lovable … is the foe of all pleasure and of all distraction, even of the arts and music.”

A closer look at Calvin’s thoughts on music, however, reveals that this harsh judgment is unfounded. During his ministry Calvin came to appreciate music as a valuable part of worship. He learned that music is a useful means to point our minds and hearts to Christ. He desired the church to sing Scripture and employed the gifts of renowned French poets in his congregation to set all 150 psalms, some of the canticles, and the Ten Commandments into metrical French. Clement Marot began the work on the Genevan Psalter and Theodore Beza completed the work. Louis Bourgeois, Claude Goudimel and other musicians in the church composed tunes to fit the psalms. The first complete edition of the Genevan Psalter was published in 1562 and was widely used. By 1565 it had gone through at least 63 editions.

Calvin recognized the devotional value of music. He encouraged his congregation to sing praise to God, not just in the worship services at church, but in their homes and places of work. In the preface to the 1543 edition of the Genevan Psalter, he wrote:

The use of singing may be extended further: it is even in the houses and fields an incentive for us, like an organ, to praise God and to lift our hearts to Him, for consoling us in meditating upon His virtue, goodness, wisdom and justice, which is more necessary than can be expressed. Firstly, it is not without reason that the Holy Spirit exhorts us so carefully in the Holy Scriptures to rejoice in God that all our joy may be reduced to its true purpose, for He knows how much we are inclined to rejoice in vanity. So our nature causes us to look for all means of foolish and vicious rejoicing. On the contrary, our Lord, to distract us and draw us away from the desires of the flesh and of this world gives us every possible way to occupy ourselves in that spiritual joy which He desires for us. Among all other things which are proper for recreation of man and for giving him pleasure, music is the first or one of the principal and we must esteem it as a gift of God given to us for that purpose.

Calvin’s hymn “I Greet Thee Who My Sure Redeemer Art” is a wonderful encouragement to remember and meditate on the gospel. It embodies a major theological emphasis of the Reformation: Solus Christus (Christ Alone). Our salvation is accomplished only by the mediatorial work of Christ. His sinless life and substitutionary atonement are alone sufficient for our justification and reconciliation with God. Indeed, “our hope is in no other save in Thee!”

I Greet Thee Who My Sure Redeemer Art

I greet Thee, who my sure Redeemer art,
My only Trust and Savior of my heart,
Who pains didst undergo for my poor sake;
I pray Thee from our hearts all cares to take.

Thou art the King of mercy and of grace,
Reigning omnipotent in every place:
So come, O King, and our whole being sway;
Shine on us with the light of Thy pure day.

Thou art the life, by which alone we live,
And all our substance and our strength receive;
O comfort us in death’s approaching hour,
Strong-hearted then to face it by Thy pow’r.

Thou hast the true and perfect gentleness,
No harshness hast Thou and no bitterness:
Make us to taste the sweet grace found in Thee,
And ever stay in Thy sweet unity.

Our hope is in no other save in Thee;
Our faith is built upon Thy promise free;
O grant to us such stronger hope and sure,
That we can boldly conquer and endure.

“I Greet Thee Who My Sure Redeemer Art”
Words from the Strasbourg Psalter, 1545
Attributed to John Calvin
Translated by Elizabeth Smith, 1868, alt. 1961
Music by Claude Goudimel (Genevan Psalter, 1551)
©Public Domain

Download free sheet music for this hymn, including chord charts and an arrangement of the tune TOULON for classical guitar.

See more Hymns from History

Behold, My Soul

Sunlight on Mountains

Behold, my soul, what God has wrought
When by His grace my heart He sought,
When in His love and sovereign plan
He chose to save a wretched man.
When God made heav’n and earth below
He simply spoke and it was so,
But when He sought my soul to save
E’en Christ, His only Son, He gave.

Before God spoke and it was light,
Before men fell in sin’s dark night,
The Lord set forth redemption’s plan
That grace might find this wretched man.
That God would choose for Christ a wife,
And Christ would die to save her life;
The Spirit then would call the bride
And draw her to her Master’s side.

Christ left the glories of heav’n above
And took the form of those He loved.
He shared our suff’ring and our strife
And lived a holy, perfect life.
He found us dead and vile within,
Rebels to God, condemned for sin,
Destined for wrath and hell’s torment,
Yet blinded and in sin content.

Yet in our sin, Christ loved us still
And bore the cross on Cal’vry’s hill.
He took the judgment we had earned
And died as God’s fierce wrath did burn.
Our debt was great, none would suffice
Except a perfect sacrifice,
And as the cross drew forth His blood,
An off’ring rose before our God.

His death has full atonement made!
The debt we owed in full is paid!
He purchased us with His own blood;
Such love! Behold the Lamb of God!
When death and sin defeated fell,
He trampled down the gates of hell
And rose victorious o’er the grave
To live for those He came to save.

He then ascended to the throne,
Now interceding for His own,
And for our comfort, help, and cheer;
He sent His Holy Spirit near,
To open hearts, convict of sin,
To lead to Christ and dwell within,
To daily bring supplies of grace
And hold us fast to Christ’s embrace.

When by His grace my heart He sought,
Behold, my soul, what God has wrought!
The measures to fulfill His plan!
The cost to save a wretched man!
He now prepares for me a place
And soon I’ll see Him face to face,
And wonder through eternity,
How great His mercy shown to me!

Words ©1992 Ken Puls

I wrote this hymn after traveling on May 15, 1991 to attend a Wednesday evening service at Grace Church in Denton, Texas. John Marshall, who was the guest preacher that evening, spoke from John 1 on the theme: Behold, the Lamb of God. He contrasted the simplicity of becoming a Christian (our responding in faith and repentance) with the difficulty (God’s vast work accomplished through Jesus Christ to bring us salvation). I wrote in my notes:

When God created the world, He spoke,
But when He redeemed men:
He came down—He was born of a virgin—He lived a perfect life—He died upon a cross—He rose from the dead—He ascended to glory—He sent His Spirit—He promised to come again!
“It is a simple though difficult thing for one to become a Christian.”

I began writing the hymn the following day with these lines (that became the end of verse 1):

When God made heav’n and earth below
He simply spoke and it was so,
But when He sought my soul to save
E’en Christ, His only Son, He gave.

The hymn is a celebration of the gospel, patterned after the psalms where the psalmist would address his soul and sing to encourage and remind himself of truth (Psalm 16:2, 42:5, …). The verses are my reflections on the message and effort to preach it to my own soul.

Download the lyrics and free sheet music for this hymn, including an arrangement of the tune DUANE STREET for classical guitar.

More Hymns and Songs from Ken Puls Music

More Hymn tunes arranged for classical guitar