Guide to The Pilgrim's Progress Part Two - Refreshment at the Spring

Thus they went on, till they came at the foot of the Hill Difficulty, where, again, their good friend, Mr. Great-heart, took an occasion to tell them of what happened there when Christian himself went by. So he had them first to the spring. Lo, said he, this is the spring that Christian drank of, before he went up this hill; and then it was clear and good, but now it is dirty with the feet of some that are not desirous that pilgrims here should quench their thirst. Thereat Mercy said, And why so envious, trow? But, said their guide, it will do, if taken up, and put into a vessel that is sweet and good; for then the dirt will sink to the bottom, and the water come out by itself more clear. Thus, therefore, Christiana and her companions were compelled to do. They took it up, and put it into an earthen pot, and so let it stand till the dirt was gone to the bottom, and then they drank thereof.

Notes and Commentary

Great-Heart continues to guide the pilgrims, retracing the steps of Christian in Part 1, to the “foot of Hill Difficulty.” Hill Difficulty represents the difficulties and struggles we as believers experience in this life. In a world that is fallen and marred by sin, the Way is often hard, especially as we seek to honor God and walk in the light of His Word.

Before going up the hill, Great-Heart takes the pilgrims to a spring. The spring represents God’s gracious provision to prepare and strengthen us to face life’s troubles and trials. As we live as pilgrims in the world making our way to the Celestial City, God is faithful to sustain us and provide for our needs. While God certainly provides for our physical needs, He also fortifies us spiritually. This is primarily accomplished through the preaching and teaching of God’s Word.

When Christian drank from the stream in Part 1 “it was clear and good.” The truth of God’s Word was proclaimed with clarity. But now the stream is polluted and impure. The imagery of a stream comes from the Old Testament where God judges the spiritual leaders of Israel who have not faithfully shepherded His people.

And as for you, O My flock, thus says the Lord God: “Behold, I shall judge between sheep and sheep, between rams and goats. Is it too little for you to have eaten up the good pasture, that you must tread down with your feet the residue of your pasture—and to have drunk of the clear waters, that you must foul the residue with your feet? And as for My flock, they eat what you have trampled with your feet, and they drink what you have fouled with your feet” (Ezekiel 34:17–19).

As in Ezekiel’s day, the pilgrims find that the clear water of God’s Word has been fouled and polluted. False shepherds have defiled it with false doctrine. Those intent on clinging to this world have passed by and trampled it with their own erroneous opinions and ideas. They “are not desirous that pilgrims here should quench their thirst,”and so they hinder others, casting doubt on God’s promises and deriding His commandments.

Mercy asks, “and why so envious, trow?” Which is to say, “why do you think they are so bitter and resentful?

Their bitterness comes from darkened hearts that are unable to comprehend the truth.

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).

They lack the spiritual discernment needed to recognize and lay hold of truth. And so they turn away from truth and “will not endure sound doctrine.”

For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables (2 Timothy 4:3–4).

When they are confronted with truth, they find it convicting and resent being made to feel guilty and judged. They trample it and obscure it, in an effort to assuage the fear and dread that weighs upon their conscience.

The Spring has been polluted, but Great-Heart instructs the pilgrims to take the water and put it in a vessel that is sweet and good. They put the water into an earthen pot and let it stand until the dirt settles to the bottom. In this way the water becomes clear once again.

Bunyan here used the processes of sedimentation to emphasize an essential spiritual discipline. In sedimentation, particles are removed from water by means of gravity. The particles are foreign to the water and the water will not uphold them when it is stilled and contained with the the vessel.

In Bunyan’s allegory the vessel, an earthen pot, represents the mind and heart of a believer. It is “a vessel that is sweet and good” because the believer has been made alive and sanctified by the Holy Spirit. The sedimentation represents spiritual discernment. Spiritual discernment is the ability to recognize truth from error and good from evil. Only a believer who has the Word of God and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit is equipped for spiritual discernment. In 2 Corinthians 2:15, Paul continues:

But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one. For “who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:14–16).

The Word of God exposes error and dispels darkness. The Spirit of God guides us in truth (John 16:13). That which is false and evil will not hold up in the purity of God’s Word.

We must take care not to believe everything that purports to be true. We have an enemy who would deceive and destroy us. There are false teachers who would lead us astray. Before affirming if something is true, we must practice discernment. We must take time to ponder, think, and test.

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world (1 John 4:1).

Test all things; hold fast what is good.
Abstain from every form of evil.
(1 Thessalonians 5:21–22)

We live in a day when discernment is greatly needed. Truth is attacked and degraded on every side. Our technology has made it necessary to question the genuineness of most everything we read, see, and hear. Even photos and videos are suspect. While tools such as the Internet, AI, and Photoshop can be used to create and accomplish good things, they are also a means of disseminating error. They are used in ways that have allowed evil intentions and false beliefs to flourish and spread.

When engaging the world around you, be thoughtful and wise. In the Way that leads to the Celestial City, difficulties and challenges are ahead. As you prepare to face those difficulties and challenges, be discerning. When you come to a spring that promises refreshment for your soul, take time to ensure that the water is clear. Ask: Is it true? Is it good? Is it genuine? Is it helpful? Follow the example of the Bereans who “received the word with all readiness” yet “searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so” (Acts 17:11). Be eager and engaging as you pursue the truth, but be also cautious and careful to drink what is wholesome and pure.

Return to 42. The Demise of Simple, Sloth and Presumption

The text for The Pilgrim's Progress
and images used are public domain
Notes and Commentary for Part II ©2014, 2021–2025 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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