Again, he had them into his field, which he had sowed with wheat and corn; but when they beheld, the tops of all were cut off, only the straw remained. He said again, “This ground was dunged, and ploughed, 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.”
Notes and Commentary
The Interpreter then shows the pilgrims his field. The field is in sharp contrast to the garden. Whereas the garden is lush and vibrant, the field is dry and barren. Though the ground was at one time well prepared and sown with good seed, all that remains are stalks and chaff. Like the garden, the field is another representation of a church. But this is a church that has imbibed the world and lost its spiritual vitality. Though it once may have born fruit and produced a harvest, now it stands dry and dead.
Continue Reading Notes and Commentary
The text for The Pilgrim’s Progress is public domain.
Notes and Commentary for Part II ©2014, 2023 Ken Puls
Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from
the New King James Version (NKJV) ©1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
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