Great Heart leads the Pilgrims to the Porter's Gate (we're at the House Beautiful now), and introduces them. He then begs leave of them in order to return to the Interpreter's house, his mission being fulfilled. Christiana expresses regret at his having to leave, and Mercy and James express similar sentiments. Great Heart replies that he has to be obedient to his Lord, but he would be willing to accompany them, if the Interpreter will send him. He then tells Christiana that she could have asked for this back when they were at the Interpreter's house -- but he has to return now, and will return if called for.
Christiana then identifies herself as Christian's widow, and the Porter leads everyone into the house where the Pilgrims are introduced to the family. They are greeted with joy and thanksgiving, a much easier reception than the one Christian received. After dinner, Christiana asks to have Christian's old room, and she shares the room with Mercy. Mercy has a dream that evening, where she is lamenting the hardness of her heart, and she sees someone with wings coming to her. Mercy is asked what troubles her, and when she tells her complaint, she is told "Peace be to you," and she is dressed in fine clothes, adorned with beautiful jewelry and a crown, and is led to One sitting on a throne, where she is welcomed. She laughs out loud in her dream, and Christiana asks her about the dream in the morning. Christiana assures her that the latter part of the dream will come true just as the first part.
Christiana and Mercy decide to stay with the Family for about a month, learning all they can from them. Prudence asks Christiana's permission to test hers sons. She asks James, "Can you tell me who saves you?" James replies, "God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit."
Prudence: "How does God the Father save you?"
James: "By His grace."
Prudence: "How does God the Son save you?"
James: "By His righteousness, death, blood, and life."
Prudence: "And how does God the Holy Spirit save you?"
James: "By His illumination, by His renovation, and by His preservation."
Prudence commends Christiana for the quality of James' learning.
Prudence questions Joseph, "What is assumed by this word 'saved'?"
Joseph: "That by sin Man has brought himself into a state captivity and misery."
Prudence: "What is assumed by his being saved by the Trinity?"
Joseph: "That sin is so great and mighty a tyrant, that no one but God can pull us out of its clutches, and that God is so good and loving to people as to indeed pull them out of this miserable state."
Joseph is commended for learning well.
Prudence questions Samuel, "Why do you want to go to Heaven?"
Samuel answers, "So I may see God and serve Him without weariness, so I may see Christ and love Him forever, and so I may have a fullness of the Holy Spirit in me suc as I can't enjoy here."
Prudence commends Samuel, "You are a good young man, also, and one who has learned well."
Prudence now questions the oldest, Matthew, "What do you think of the Bible?"
Matthew: "It is the Holy Word of God"
Prudence: "Is there anything written in it that you don't understand?"
Matthew: "Yes, a great deal"
Prudence: "What do you do when you come across in it places that you don't understand?"
Matthew: "I think that God is wiser than I. I also pray that He will please let me know everything in it that He knows will be for my good."
Prudence: "What do you believe regarding the resurrection of the dead?
Matthew: "I believe the same people who were buried shall rise the same in nature but not in corruption. And I believe this for two reasons. First--because God has promised it. Second--because He is able to perform it."
Prudence then tells the boys that they must continue to learn from their mother, and to observe what the heavens and earth teach them, and to pay special heed to the Book which led Christian to become a Pilgrim.
Mercy has a gentleman caller while staying at the house, a man named Brisk, who has designs on marrying her. Mercy asks the girls of the family about him, and is told that he is a man who pretends to be religious, but is actually stuck very closely to the world. She wonders what to do, for she does not want to continue the relationship. She is told to do what is in her nature, and Brisk will stop calling. The next time Brisk comes by, he finds Mercy making clothes for the poor. He asks how much money she makes doing this, and Mercy replies that she is doing this out of compassion, there is no profit. Brisk is discouraged and leaves.
Now finally, the bad effects of Beelzebub's fruit is felt (back from when the boys picked up the fruit on the path, right inside the Gate several days ago). Matthew becomes very ill. A Physician is called for, and after some questioning the cause is found. A laxative is made, which is found to be too weak, so stronger medicine is called for, "Ex Carne et Sanguine Christi (you know, physicians give strange medicines to their patients)" A footnote on this passage, from Hazelbaker, says "This Latin phrase means 'of the flesh and blood of Christ.' John 6:53-58 Hebrews 9:14 [Bunyan's scripture reference] The medicine of the Law was not enough to cure the sickness. The blood and flesh of Christ is the only medicine strong enough to overcome the effects of sin. Romans 8:3" Matthew reluctantly takes the medicine and recovers. Christiana asks for some of this medicine to take with her. The Physician gives her some of it and she is told that she must administer it in the same fashion, or it will have no effect.
During the remaining part of the month, the boys have several questions to ask Prudence, and the Pilgrims are shown a few artifacts, such as the fruit that Eve ate from, and the altar, wood, and knife used by Abraham when he was told to sacrifice his son Isaac, and finally they are shown Jacob's ladder, with angels ascending and descending upon it.
They finally send for Great Heart, who returns to accompany them on their Pilgrimage, to the end this time, and they depart.
Thoughts on this chapter
This chapter is full of questions and answers on basic theology. I've included only some of them, the ones I felt to be most significant. Once again, Mercy is reassured that she will be welcome at the end of the Pilgrimage. The boys are growing in wisdom. We will see later that they are growing in stature as well, the Pilgrimage is an allegorical type of a full and entire Christian life, from childhood to adulthood. Christian's journey as described, seemed to be only several months long, in Part Two, it encompasses an entire lifetime.
How long do mercy and christiana stay at the Porter's?
Posted by: jeremy at April 14, 2004 07:08 PM