Notes and Commentary

by Ken Puls

on John Bunyan's The Pilgrim's Progress

Part Two

9. Visited by Neighbors

But while they were thus about to be gone, two of the women that were Christiana’s neighbors came up to her house, and knocked at her door. To whom she said, as before, “If you come in God's name, come in.” At this the women were stunned; for this kind of language they used not to hear, or to perceive to drop from the lips of Christiana. Yet they came in; but behold, they found the good woman preparing to be gone from her house.

So they began, and said, “Neighbor, pray what is your meaning by this?”

Christiana answered and said to the eldest of them, whose name was Mrs. Timorous, “I am preparing for a journey.” (This Timorous was daughter to him that met Christian upon the Hill Difficulty, and would have had him go back for fear of the lions.)

Timorous: “For what journey, I pray you?”

Christiana: “Even to go after my good husband. And with that she fell a-weeping.”

Timorous: “I hope not so, good neighbor. Pray, for your poor children's sakes, do not so unwomanly cast away yourself.”

Christiana: “Nay, my children shall go with me; not one of them is willing to stay behind.”

Timorous: “I wonder, in my very heart, what or who has brought you into this mind.”

Christiana: “Oh, neighbor, knew you but as much as I do, I doubt not but that you would go with me.”

Timorous: Prithee, what new knowledge have you got that so turns your thoughts from your friends, and that tempts you to go nobody knows where?

Then Christiana replied, “I have been sorely afflicted since my husband's departure from me; but specially since he went over the river. But that which troubles me most is, my churlish carriages to him when he was under his distress. Besides, I am now as he was then; nothing will serve me but going on pilgrimage. I was dreaming last night that I saw him. Oh that my soul was with him! He dwells in the presence of the King of the country; he sits and eats with him at his table; he is become a companion of immortals; and has a house now given him to dwell in, to which the best palaces on earth if compared, seem to me to be but as a dunghill.”

“The Prince of the place has also sent for me, with promise of entertainment if I shall come to him. His messenger was here even now, and has brought me a letter, which invites me to come.” And with that she plucked out her letter, and read it, and said to them, “What now will you say to this?’"

Timorous: “Oh, the madness that has possessed you and your husband, to run yourselves upon such difficulties! You have heard, I am sure, what your husband did meet with, even in a manner at the first step that he took on his way, as our neighbor Obstinate, can yet testify; for he went along with him. Yea, and Pliable too, until they, like wise men, were afraid to go any farther. We also heard, over and above, how he met with the lions, Apollyon, the Shadow of Death, and many other things. Nor is the danger that he met with at Vanity Fair to be forgotten by you. For if he, though a man, was so hard put to it, what can you, being but a poor woman, do? Consider, also, that these four sweet babes are your children, your flesh and your bones. Wherefore, though you should be so rash as to cast away yourself, yet, for the sake of the fruit of your body, keep yourself at home.”

But Christiana said unto her, “Tempt me not, my neighbor; I have now a price put into mine hand to get gain, and I should be a fool of the greatest size if I should have no heart to strike in with the opportunity. And for that you tell me of all these troubles that I am like to meet with in the way, they are so far off from being to me a discouragement, that they show I am in the right. The bitter must come before the sweet; and that also will make the sweet the sweeter. Wherefore, since you came not to my house in God's name, as I said, I pray you to be gone, and not to disquiet me further.”

Then Timorous also reviled her, and said to her fellow, “Come, neighbor Mercy, let's leave her in her own hands, since she scorns our counsel and company.”

 

Notes and Commentary

Soon after Secret wishes Christiana and her children well on their journey, there is another knock at the door. Two neighbors, Mrs. Timorous and Mercy, stop by to visit. Upon hearing the knock, Christiana replies, “If you come in God's name, come in.” This was the same greeting she had given when Secret came to visit. Secret’s reply was “Amen,” and “Peace be to this house!” But the two women are stunned by the greeting. These are not the words they expected to hear! They were accustomed to hearing complaints and laments from Christiana. They were expecting her to still be bitter towards God. After all, Christian, her husband, fled Destruction in search of eternal life, though she had cried after him to return. Now Mrs. Timorous and Mercy enter the house and find Christiana and her children preparing to leave on a journey of their own.

As soon as Mrs. Timorous realizes Christiana’s intentions, she tries to convince her to stay. Bunyan explains that “this Timorous was daughter to him that met Christian upon the Hill Difficulty, and would have had him go back for fear of the lions.” In Part I, Christian was met by Timorous and Mistrust, who encouraged Christian to turn back for fear of the lions who were near the entrance to House Beautiful. Timorous and Mistrust represent the fear of man, cowering to social and political pressures of the day. Mrs. Timorous represents a different kind of fear—a fear to which Christiana, as a mother of four children, would be more susceptible. Mrs. Timorous represents the fear of losing stability and security in this life, especially the comforts and provisions needed to provide for the care and nurture of children. She tries to get Christiana to reconsider for the sake of her children, tempting Christiana: “do not so unwomanly cast away yourself.” Mrs. Timorous is convinced that Christiana is making a rash decision that will have dire consequences. But Christiana is unswayed. She assures Mrs. Timorous, “my children shall go with me; not one of them is willing to stay behind.”

The aversion of Mrs. Timorous to Christiana’s plans are similar to how Christiana had responded to Christian. In Part 1 at Palace Beautiful, Christian explained to Charity that his wife and children were “all of them utterly averse to my going on pilgrimage.” Though he warned them, over and over, of the danger of staying in Destruction, he lamented: “my wife was afraid of losing this world, and my children were given to the foolish delights of youth. So what by one thing, and what by another, they left me to wander in this manner alone."

Christiana had refused to set out on a journey with Christian to the Celestial City. She thought the idea of giving up the tangible comforts of this life, in order to flee from danger that she could not see, was ludicrous. She could not understand why Christian would risk the well-being of his family to run after unseen promises. Now some of the same arguments she had made with Christian are aimed at her.

Christiana then tries to explain her change of heart. She shares the guilt she is feeling as well as the assurance she has that her King will forgive and receive her at journey’s end. She tells Mercy and Mrs. Timorous of her longings for heaven where she will have a dwelling place with God.

For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven, if indeed, having been clothed, we shall not be found naked. For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, not because we want to be unclothed, but further clothed, that mortality may be swallowed up by life (2 Corinthians 5:1–4).

And she shows them her letter of assurance, telling them: “The Prince of the place has also sent for me, with promise of entertainment if I shall come to him.” Bunyan uses the word “entertainment” here to describe our reception in heaven. He does not mean an amusement or performance to enjoy, as we often use the word. Rather, he is speaking of warm welcome, abundant provision, and gracious hospitality. Such a reception awaits us upon our arrival in glory.

Mrs. Timorous is unconvinced by Christiana’s testimony. She believes it is madness for Christiana and her children to leave, knowing all the dangers they may face on the Way. She recounts the troubles and trials that she had heard about from Timorous (her father), Obstinate, Pliable, and others who have shared stories of the many hazards faced by Christian. Her advice to Christiana is “keep yourself at home.”

But Christiana is determined to go. She cannot and will not stay! Her children cannot and will not stay. But Christiana recognizes that Mrs. Timorous doesn’t understand the true danger of staying in Destruction nor grasp the true hope of the gospel. Christiana is sharing words of life and hope, but Mrs. Timorous does not believe.

But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned (1 Corinthians 2:14).

Mrs. Timorous believes she is wise and thinks Christiana to be foolish. But the opposite is true. “Professing to be wise, they became fools” (Romans 1:22). Mrs. Timorous thinks it safe to “keep at home” in Destruction, while Christiana is “preparing to be gone.” Mrs. Timorous has had nor stirrings of grace in her life: her heart remains dark and unchanged. Christiana has had a glimpse of glory and she will not be held back.

See how differently the world sees the “dangers, toils, and snares” of this life, compared to those who are heavenly minded! We have a gracious invitation from the King. No risk is too great. No trial is too heavy. If difficulties and dangers lie on the pathway that takes us to glory, they will all be worth it at the journeys end.

The journey may seem long and arduous. But it is momentary compared to the joys that awaits us. A thousand years—ten thousand years from now (if we are even counting time the same way), when we are enjoying the eternal joys of heaven in the presence of our King, all the trials and troubles of this life will seem but a vapor. Even the greatest comforts and treasures we can amass in this life are too brief to measure in comparison to the our eternal reward.

Christiana already has her eyes fixed on the reward. So she tells Timorous, “Tempt me not, my neighbor; I have now a price put into mine hand to get gain, and I should be a fool of the greatest size if I should have no heart to strike in with the opportunity.” Christiana’s response echoes Proverbs 17:16

Why is there in the hand of a fool the purchase price of wisdom,
Since he has no heart for it?
(Proverbs 17:16)

She repeats the counsel of Secret, “The bitter must come before the sweet; and that also will make the sweet the sweeter.” Recalling the dangers that Christian faced (and that she and the children may yet face) only increases Christiana’s resolve. Secret told her, “You must through troubles, as did he that went before you, enter this Celestial City.” She tells Timorous, “they are so far off from being to me a discouragement, that they show I am in the right.”

In Part 1, as soon as Christian determined to leave for the Celestial City, he was confronted by two of his neighbors, Obstinate and Pliable. They sought to dissuade him from going on his journey. Obstinate ridiculed Christian and turned back, but Pliable walked with Christian awhile. Sadly, he was discouraged at the Slough of Despond and turned back as well.

Now Christiana sees the reaction of her neighbors. Mrs. Timorous is offended that Christiana will not agree with her assessment and heed her neighborly advice. She reviles Christiana and leaves, but Mercy, as we shall see, has a different response.

Continue reading 10. Mercy's Reply

Return to 08. Christiana Prepares for Her Journey

 

The text for The Pilgrim's Progress
and images used are public domain
Notes and Commentary for Part II ©2014, 2021 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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