Garden of flowers

After this he led them into his Garden, where was great variety of flowers, and he said, Do you see all these? So Christiana said, Yes. Then said he again, Behold the flowers are diverse in stature, in quality and colour and smell and virtue, and some are better than some; also where the Gardener has set them there they stand, and quarrel not with one another.

Again, he had them into his field, which he had sowed with wheat and corn; but when they beheld, the tops of all was cut off, only the straw remained. He said again, This ground was dunged and plowed and sowed, but what shall we do with the crop? Then said Christiana, Burn some, and make muck of the rest. Then said the Interpreter again, Fruit you see is that thing you look for, and for want of that you condemn it to the fire, and to be trodden under foot of men; beware that in this you condemn not yourselves.

Interpretation:

In the body of Christ, God has set the disciples of Jesus as flowers radiating His glory which are distinct from one another. God has given them appropriate and suitable places for ministry. He has set some as apostles, some as prophets, some as teachers, etc. They should abide in their respecting calling without quarrelling with one another. Nowadays, prophets are not accepted by the other ministers by not giving them due importance.

There are many as straw without any profit to God. Those ministries which do not function in tandem with the blueprint of God or which have deviated from their appointed paths without yielding the fruit desired by God would be treated as straw to be destroyed by His fiery judgment

A little robin with a great spider

Then as they were coming in from abroad, they espied a little robin with a great spider in his mouth. So the Interpreter said, Look here. So they looked, and Mercy wondered; but Christiana said, What a disparagement is it to such a little pretty bird as the robin-red-breast is, he being also a bird above many that loveth to maintain a kind of sociableness with man; I had thought they had lived upon crumbs of bread, or upon other such harmless matter. I like him worse than I did.

The Interpreter then replied, This robin is an emblem very apt to set forth some Professors by; for to sight they are as this robin, pretty of note, colour and carriage. They seem also to have a very great love for Professors that are sincere; and above all other to desire to associate with, and to be in their company, as if they could live upon the good man's crumbs. They pretend also that therefore it is that they frequent the house of the godly, and the appointments of the Lord: but when they are by themselves, as the robin, they can catch and gobble up spiders, they can change their diet, drink iniquity, and swallow down sin like water.

So when they were come again into the house, because supper as yet was not ready, Christiana again desired that the Interpreter would either shew or tell of some other things that are profitable.

Interpretation:

There are many Christians looking very religious and pious on the outside but whenever they get opportunities to commit sin, they do so without hesitation. They are theologically learned but do not practise righteousness. They have head knowledge of Christ but do not have Him in their lives. They look very beautiful as robins. But their hidden lives are sinful. They are hypocrites.

Diverse parables

Then the Interpreter began and said,

The fatter the sow is, the more she desires the mire; the fatter the ox is, the more gamesomely he goes to the slaughter;

and the more healthy the lusty man is, the more prone he is unto evil.

There is a desire in woman to go neat and fine and it is a comely thing to be adorned with that that in God's sight is of great price.

'Tis easier watching a night or two, than to sit up a whole year together; so 'tis easier for one to begin to profess well, than to hold out as he should to the end.

Every ship-master when in a storm, will willingly cast that overboard that is of the smallest value in the vessel; but who will throw the best out first? None but he that feareth not God.

One leak will sink a ship, and one sin will destroy a sinner.

He that forgets his friend is ungrateful unto him, but he that forgets his Saviour is unmerciful to himself.

He that lives in sin, and looks for happiness hereafter, is like him that soweth cockle, and thinks to fill his barn with wheat or barley.

If a man would live well, let him fetch his last day to him, and make it always his company-keeper.

Whispering and change of thoughts proves that sin is in the world.

If the world which God sets light by, is counted a thing of that worth with men, what is Heaven which God commendeth?

If the Life that is attended with so many troubles, is so loathe to be let go by us, what is the life above?

Everybody will cry up the goodness of men; but who is there that is, as he should, affected with the goodness of God?

We seldom sit down to meat, but we eat and leave; so there is in Jesus Christ more merit and righteousness than the whole world has need of.

When the Interpreter had done, he takes them out into his Garden again, and had them to a tree whose inside was all rotten and gone, and yet it grew and had leaves. Then said Mercy, What means this? This tree, said he, whose outside is fair, and whose inside is rotten, it is to which many may be compared that are in the Garden of God; who with their mouths speak high in behalf of God, but indeed will do nothing for him; whose leaves are fair, but their heart good for nothing but to be tinder for the Devil's tinder-box.

Interpretation:

Interpreter took special care of Christiana and Mercy to explain to them in his garden the vanity of outside beauty sans inside beauty. in modern local churches, such messages need to be explained through parables but messages are given glorifying churches and ministries.

Next.....Supper and Music at Table