A Plymouth's Progress 17

And now time for Christian Car Guy Theater. Today's episode of Plymouth's Progress, Episode 17. Now Jimmy saw in his dream that Plymouth Valiant was now totally arrayed in his full armor with the assistance of the Lord of the Hill and the stainless sedamsels. Valiant asked the porter, Good Packard Porter, have you seen any other Plymouth pilgrims pass by?

Why yes, I did see one. Pray, did you know him? I asked him his name and he told me it was Plymouth Fury Faithful. Oh, I know him. He is my townsman, a close neighbor.

He comes from the place where I was born. How far ahead do you think he is? By this time I think he should be below the hill.

Well, Good Porter, the Lord be with you and increase your blessings for all the kindness that you have shown me. Then Valiant began to pull forward, but the stainless sedamsels, Prudence De Elegance, Piety Ltd, and Charity Deluxe wanted to accompany him down to the foot of the hill. And they continued driving on together, remembering and repeating their former discourses with joy until they came down the hill. Huh, it appears that going down the hill is going to be as difficult and dangerous as it was climbing up the hill.

Yes, so it is. For it is a hard matter for Plymouth to go down into the valley of humiliation, which is where you are headed. It is difficult to go down the hill without slipping and crashing. Oh yes, and therefore we wish to accompany you down the hill.

We can help you. So Valiant began to go down very carefully and yet, even with all his caution and assistance, he almost slipped a time or two. Then Jimmy saw in his dream that the sedamsels drove along with Valiant to the bottom of the hill. And upon arrival, Piety said, Dear, dear Valiant, we want to further provision you with these elements so that you may have communion with the Lord of the hill along the way.

A loaf of bread and a bottle of wine. May your communion with him be sweeter than we have enjoyed with you, dear Plymouth. May your destination and ours be the celestial city and that we may see the Lord together. The Lord strengthen you in this valley of humiliation most valiant of Plymouth.

Oh, for I already long for all of us to be together again. The three sedamsels honked as they drove off, but now in this valley of humiliation poor Valiant was hard put to it. For he had gone but a little way before he espied a foul fiend driving over the field to meet him. The name of this evil one is Apollyon Intenza-Emazine. Then did Valiant begin to be afraid and to cast his mind whether to go back or stand his ground.

He spoke to himself. Oh, my, I have no armor for my trunk. And therefore to turn the back might give that fiend the greater advantage with ease to pierce me with his darts. Therefore I will stand my ground, for I believe that even if it does not save my life, it would be the best way to stand.

Yes. So Valiant pulled forward and Apollyon Intenza-Emazine met him. Now the Intenza-Emazine was a hideous thing to behold. He was clothed with scales like a fish, and they are his pride. He had wings like a dragon, wheels like a Stutz Bearcat, and out of his undercarriage came fire and smoke. His grill was as the mouth of a lion when he came up to Valiant.

Apollyon beheld him with a disdainful look, and then began to question him. Where did you come from, and where are you going? I am come from the city of destruction, which is the place of all evil, and I am going to the city of Zion. By this I perceive you are one of my subjects, for all that country is mine, and I am the prince and god of it. How is it, then, that you have driven away from your king? Were it not that I hoped you might do me more service, I would strike you now with one blow to the road. I was born indeed in your dominions, but your service was hard, and a sedan cannot live on the wages you pay, for the wages of sin is death.

Therefore, when I grew into a greater understanding, I did as other thoughtful sedans have done, I searched to see if there was a way to make myself into the sedan I should be. There is no prince who will so easily lose his subjects, nor will I lose you. But since you complained about your service and wages, be content to go back.

What our country can afford, I can promise to give to you. But I have given myself to another, even to the king of princes. And how can I in fairness go back with you?

As the proverb says, change the bad for worse. But it is very common for those who have professed themselves his servants to give him the slip after a while and return to me. And if you return to me, everything will be well with you. I have given him my faith and sworn my allegiance to him. How can I change my mind now without being hanged as a traitor?

You did the same to me, and yet I'm willing to let it pass if you will now turn and come back. Well, what I promised you was done in ignorance. And besides, I believe that the prince under whose banner I now stand is able to absolve me and to pardon me for those things I did while in your service. And besides, oh you destroy Apollyon. To speak truth, I like his service.

His wages, his servants, his governments, his company and country. Better than yours, Apollyon. And therefore, you can stop trying to persuade me otherwise. I am his servant, and I will follow him.

Consider again when your engine has cooled down what you are likely to meet up with on the way you have chosen. You know that for the most part, his servants come to an ill end because they are transgressors against me in my ways. How many of them have been put to shameful deaths? And besides, you count his service better than mine, and yet he has never come out of the place where he dwells to deliver from my hands any who served him. But as for me, how many times, as the world very well knows, have I delivered from him and his, either by power or fraud, those who have faithfully served me? Likewise, I will deliver you.

Tune in soon for another exciting adventure in The Plymouth Progress. Now here's Danny Dipstick and Randy Radiator to review today's episode. Uh-huh, Randy. At least Apollyon would be easy to weigh. He comes with his own scales. Yes, Danny. That jump shirt is heavy. Here's one that's not so heavy. Okay, watch it.

Here it comes. Why did the snail put an S on the hood of his car? So people would say, look at that S car go as he drove by. See, Danny, he's a snail.

S car go. But seriously, Danny, John Funyan described Apollyon just as in the book of Job, God described the dragon Leviathan. Apollyon represents the devil and the spiritual forces of evil that oppose God. You know, isn't it just like Satan to be constantly reminding us of our own failures, to try to get us to agree with this lie that we can't really be saved?

That's his lie. You know, this is where Valiant will need to put on that helmet of salvation and grab hold of that shield of faith. Uh-huh, Randy. You know, I gotta say, I'm a big fan of shields.

They're really something I can get behind. Yes, Danny. Oh, here's one, Danny, about shields and armor. Okay, what does the mighty Thor wear beneath his armor? Underwear. Say goodbye, Danny. See you later, radiator.