Previous.....Marriage of Matthew with Mercy
Marriage of James and ministry to the weak and feeble-heated
Now about this time Matthew and Mercy were married. Also Gaius gave his daughter Phebe to James, Matthew's brother, to wife; after which time they yet stayed above ten days at Gaius' house, spending their time and the seasons like as Pilgrims use to do.
When they were to depart, Gaius made them a feast, and they did eat and drink and were merry. Now the hour was come that they must be gone, wherefore Mr Great-heart called for a reckoning. But Gaius told him that at his house it was not the custom for Pilgrims to pay for their entertainment. He boarded them by the year, but looked for his pay from the good samaritan, who had promised him at his return, whatsoever charge he was at with them faithfully to repay him. Then said Mr Great-heart to him,
Great-heart: Beloved, thou dost faithfully whatsoever thou dost to the brethren and to strangers, which have borne witness of thy charity before the Church; whom if thou (yet) bring forward on their journey after a godly sort, thou shalt do well.
Then Gaius took his leave of them all, and of his children, and particularly of Mr Feeble-mind. He also gave him something to drink by the way.
Now Mr Feeble-mind, when they were going out to the door, made as if he intended to linger. The which when Mr Great-heart espied, he said, Come Mr Feeble-mind, pray do you go along with us, I will be your conductor, and you shall fare as the rest.
Feeble-mind: Alas, I want a suitable companion, you are all lusty and strong, but I, as you see, am weak. I choose therefore rather to come behind, lest by reason of my many infirmities I should be both a burden to myself and to you. I am, as I said, a man of a weak and feeble mind, and shall be offended and made weak at that which others can bear. I shall like no laughing, I shall like no gay attire, I shall like no unprofitable questions. Nay I am so weak a man, as to be offended with that which others have liberty to do. I do not yet know all the Truth. I am a very ignorant Christian man. Sometimes if I hear some rejoice in the Lord, it troubles me because I cannot do so too. It is with me as it is with a weak man among the strong, or as with a weak man among the strong, or as with a sick man among the healthy, or as a lamp despised, (He that is ready to slip with his feet, is as a lamp despised in the thought of him that is at ease.) So that I know not what to do.
Great-heart: But Brother, said Mr Great-heart, I have it in Commission to comfort the feeble-minded, and to support the weak. You must needs go along with us; we will wait for you, we will lend you our help, we will deny ourselves of some things both opinionative and practical for your sake, we will not enter into doubtful disputations before you, we will be made all things to you rather than you shall be left behind.
Ready-to-Halt and the spiritual discourse
Now all this while they were at Gaius' door; and behold as they were thus in the heat of their discourse Mr Ready-to-halt came by with his crutches in his hand, and he also was going on Pilgrimage.
Feeble-mind: Then said Mr Feeble-mind to him, Man, how camest thou hither? I was but just now complaining that I had not a suitable companion, but thou art according to my wish. Welcome, welcome, good Mr Ready-to-halt, I hope thee and I may be some help.
Ready-to-halt: I shall be glad of thy company, said the other; and good Mr Feeble-mind, rather than we will part, since we are thus happily met, I will lend thee one of my crutches.
Feeble-mind: Nay, said he, tho' I thank thee for thy goodwill, I am not inclined to halt before I am lame. Howbeit, I think when occasion is, it may help me against a dog.
Ready-to-halt: If either myself or my crutches can do thee a pleasure, we are both at thy command, good Mr Feeble-mind.
Thus therefore they went on, Mr Great-heart and Mr Honest went before, Christiana and her children went next, and Mr Feeble-mind and Mr Ready-to-halt came behind with his crutches. Then said Mr Honest,
Honest: Pray Sir, now we are upon the road, tell us some profitable things of some that have gone on Pilgrimage before us.
Great-heart: With a good will. I suppose you have heard how Christian of old did meet with Apollyon in the Valley of Humiliation, and also what hard work he had to go through the Valley of the Shadow of Death. Also I think you cannot but have heard how Faithful was put to it with Madam Wanton, with Adam the First, with one Discontent, and Shame, four as deceitful Villains as a man can meet with upon the road.
Honest: Yes, I have heard of all this; but indeed good Faithful was hardest put to it with Shame, he was an unwearied one.
Great-heart: Nay, for as the Pilgrim well said, he of all men had the wrong name.
Honest: But pray Sir, where was it that Christian and Faithful met Talkative? That same was also a notable one.
Great-heart: He was a confident fool, yet many follow his ways.
Honest: He had like to a beguiled Faithful.
Great-heart: Nay, but Christian put him into a way quickly to find him out. Thus they went on till they came at the place where Evangelist met with Christian and Faithful, and prophesied to them of what should befall them at Vanity Fair.
Great-heart: Then said their Guide, Hereabouts did Christian and Faithful meet with Evangelist, who prophesied to them of what troubles they should meet with at Vanity Fair.
Honest: Say you so? I dare say it was a hard Chapter that then he did read unto them.
Great-heart: 'Twas so; but he gave them encouragement withal. But what do we talk of them? they were a couple of lion-like men, they had set their faces like flint. Don't you remember how undaunted they were when they stood before the Judge?
Honest: Well, Faithful bravely suffered.
Great-heart: So he did, and as brave things came on't, for Hopeful and some others, as the story relates it, were converted by his death.
Honest: Well, but pray go on, for you are well acquainted with things.
Great-heart: Above all that Christian met with after he had passed through Vanity Fair, one By-ends was the arch one.
Honest: By-ends, What was he?
Great-heart: A very arch fellow, a downright hypocrite. One that would be religious which way ever the world went, but so cunning that he would be sure neither to lose nor suffer for it. He had his mode of Religion for every fresh occasion, and his wife was as good at it as he. He would turn and change from opinion to opinion, yea, and plead for so doing too. But so far as I could learn, he came to an ill end with his by-ends, nor did I ever hear that any of his children were ever of any esteem with any that truly feared God.
Interpretation:
Please take time to read the spiritual discourse between Mr. Great-heart and Mr. Honest. Spiritual discourse is very important for our spiritual growth as we learn from one another.
Gaius did not take a single penny for the food and entertainment given to pilgrims in his house. He simply said he looked for his pay from the good samaritan, who had promised him at his return, whatsoever charge he was at with them faithfully to repay him. This doctrine teaches us that we should not charge any fee or any service charges from pilgrims to whom we minister in our various ministries. We would be paid by the good samaritan who had promised to reimburse our expenses on his return. There are indeed good samaritans in our midst who pay for us for the services that we provide to pilgrims.
Here, we can learn another cardinal truth that all the pilgrims including Mr. Feeblemind and Mr. Ready-to-halt (with his crutches) were taken on board while setting out on the onward journey. None of them was left out. Nowadays, those who are weak in faith or who are not able to understand the Biblical doctrines are relegated to the background in our churches. Special care should be taken of them so that they can be a part of the church.