Place of the faithful
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Place of the Faithful
Now I saw that they went to the ascent that was a little way off cast up to be a prospect for Pilgrims, (that was the place from whence Christian had the first sight of Faithful his brother) wherefore here they sat down and rested, they also here did eat and drink and make merry, for that they had gotten deliverance from this so dangerous an enemy. As they sat thus and did eat, Christiana asked the Guide if he had caught no hurt in the battle. Then said Mr Great-heart, "No. save a little on my flesh; yet that also shall be so far from being to my determent, that it is at present a proof of my love to my Master and you, and shall be a means by grace to increase my reward at last".
Christiana: But were you not afraid, good Sir, when you see him come out with his club?
Great-Heart: It is my duty, said he, to disrust mine own ability that I have reliance on Him that is stronger than all.
Christiana: But what did you think when he fetched you down to the ground at the first blow?
Great-Heart: Why I thought, quoth he that so my Master Himself was served, and yet He it was that conquered at the last.
Matthew: When you all have thought what you please, I think God has been wonderful good unto us, both in bringing us out of this valley, and in delivering us out of the hand of this enemy; for my part I see no reason why we should distrust our God any more, since He has now, and in such as place as this, given as such testimony of His love as this.
Meeting Mr. Honest, a old pilgrim
Then they got up and went forward. Now a little before them stood an oak, and under it when they came to it, they found an old Pilgrim fast asleep; they knew that he was a Pilgrim by his clothes and his staff and his girdle.
So the Guide Mr Great-heart awaked him, and the old gentleman as he lift up his eyes, cried out, What's the matter? who are you? and what is your business here?
Great-Heart: Come man be not so hot, here is none but friends: yet the old man gets up and stands upon his guard, and will know of them what they were. Then said the Guide, My name is Great-heart, I am the Guide of these Pilgrims which are going to the Celestial Country.
Honest: Then said Mr Honest, I cry you mercy, I fear'd that you had been of the company of those that some time ago did rob Little-faith of his money; but now I look better about me, I perceive you are honester people.
Great-Heart: Why, what would or could you have done to help yourself, if we indeed had been of that company?
Honest: Done! why I would have fought as long as breath had been in me; and had I so done, I am sure you could never have given me the worst on't; for a Christian can never be overcome, unless he shall yield of himself.
Great-Heart: Well said, Father Honest, quoth the Guide, for by this I know thou art a cock of the right kind, for thou hast said the truth.
Honest: And by this also I know that thou knowest what true Pilgrimage is, for all others do think that we are the soonest overcome of any.
Great-Heart: Well now we are so happily met, pray let me crave your name, and the name of the place you came from.
Honest: My name I cannot, but I came from the Town of Stupidity, it lieth about four degrees beyond the City of Destruction.
Great-Heart: Oh! are you that countryman then? I deem I have half a guess of you, your name is Old Honesty, is it not? So the old Gentleman blushed, and said, Not Honesty in the abstract, but Honest is my name, and I wish that my nature shall agree to what I am called.
Honest: But Sir, said the old Gentleman, how could you guess that I am such a man, since I came from such a place?
Great-Heart: I had heard of you before, by my Master, for He knows all things that are done on the earth; but I have often wondered that any should come from your place, for your Town is worse than is the City of Destruction itself.
Honest: Yes, we lie more off from the sun, and so are more cold and senseless; but was a man in a Mountain of Ice, yet if the Sun of Righteousness will arise upon him his frozen heart shall feel a thaw; and thus it hath been with me.
Great-Heart: I believe it, Father Honest, I believe it, for I know the thing is true.
Then the old Gentleman saluted all the Pilgrims with a holy kiss of charity, and asked them of their names, and how they had fared since they set out on their Pilgrimage.
Christiana: Then said Christiana, My name I suppose you have heard of, good Christian was my husband, and these four were his children. But can you think how the old gentleman was taken, when she told them who she was! He skipped, he smiled, and blessed them with a thousand good wishes, saying,
Honest: I have heard much of your husband, and of his travels and wars which he underwent in his days. Be it spoken to your comfort, the name of your husband rings over all these parts of the world: his faith, his courage, his enduring, and his sincerity under all, has made his name famous. Then he turned him to the boys, and asked them of their names, which they told him. And then said he unto them, Matthew, be thou like Matthew the Publican, not in vice but in virtue. Samuel, said he, be thou like Samuel the Prophet, a man of faith and prayer. Joseph, said he, be thou like Joseph in Potiphar's house, chaste, and one that flies from temptation. And James "be thou like James the Just and like James the brother of our Lord".
Then they told him of Mercy, and how she had left her Town and her kindred to come along with Christiana and with her sons. At that the old honest man said, Mercy is thy name? by mercy shalt thou be sustained, and carried through all those difficulties that shall assault thee in thy way, till thou shalt come thither where thou shalt look the fountain of mercy in the face with comfort.
All this while the Guide Mr Great-heart was very much pleased, and smiled upon his companion.
Interpretation:
Great-heart during his discourse with Christiana confessed that it was only through the power of God he was able to overcome the giant Maul. Nowadays, many evangelists fail to attribute the power of deliverance to God and covet praises when the people delivered by their ministries testify to the incidents of deliverance in their lives.
Great-heart gazed at Mr. Honest and said, "I have often wondered that any should come from your place, for your Town is worse than is the City of Destruction itself". Many Christians live in the Town of Stupidity. Mr. Honest confessed truthfully to Great-heart "We lie more off from the sun, and so are more cold and senseless; but was a man in a Mountain of Ice, yet if the Sun of Righteousness will arise upon him his frozen heart shall feel a thaw; and thus it hath been with me".
Ninety percent of Christians, especially in the Christian nations, do not bother about pilgrimage as they are cold-hearted. They just lead a mediocre Christian life and their hearts are frozen to receive the gospel and to get saved from the wrath to come.
The oldman Mr.Honest prophesied to the pilgrims Christiana and her children and Mercy individually telling them about the significance of their Christian names. Today, we do not name our children and grand-children after the characters of the Bible. The so-called prophecies of our modern prophets are not scriptural concerning our spiritual heritage but are focused on materialism.