In Part 2 of The Pilgrim's Progress, Christiana decides to follow her husband and join him in heaven. People warn her that the journey will be dangerous, but she is determined to go. She and her four sons begin following Christian’s example.
As Christiana is leaving the City of Destructions, a pretty woman, named Mercy, from the town joins the travelers. They go through the Slough of Despond to reach the Wicket Gate, which is the entrance to the Holy Way. This narrow and straight path will take them to Mount Zion.
Christiana and the young men are admitted, but Mercy temporarily is left outside. Finally the gatekeeper admits her as well, and the six start on the Holy Way.
Christiana and Mercy are attacked by men who try to rape them, but they are rescued by some other visitors at the Wicket Gate. The attackers escape to Satan’s garden.
When they reach the Interpreter’s House, the Interpreter has Great-heart, a powerful Christian warrior, join them in order to protect them on the rest of the journey.
Great-heart chops off the head of an evil giant at the Palace Beautiful. The travelers stay at the palace for almost a month before continuing on the Holy Way. A man named Mr. Brisk wants to marry Mercy, but he changes his mind when he realizes she is giving away the clothes she is making to the poor and not selling them. Mercy is engaged to Christiana’s eldest son instead.
They pass through the Valley of Humiliation and into the Shadow of the Valley of Death. Here Great-heart decapitates another giant and drives away a lion and a few devils.
They meet a pilgrim named Gaius and stay at his inn for a time. Mercy is married to Matthew and Gaius’ daughter Phoebe marries another son, James. Great-heart chops off the head of another giant. Two more travelers join their group: Mr. Feeble-mind and Mr. Right-to-halt, who travels on crutches.
Continuing on their journey, the group stays at the home of a man named Mnason in the city of Vanity Fair. Mnason’s two daughters are wedded to Christiana’s two remaining unwed sons. Great-heart attacks a monster with the body of a dragon and seven heads. He injures it severely and it is implied that it will die from the wounds later.
At By-path Meadow and Doubting Castle, Great-heart decimates another giant and they tear his castle to the ground. They rescue two people from the dungeon and they join the group. They are Mr. Despondency and his daughter called Much-afraid.
The group of travelers is quite large now. They cross the Celestial Mountains and meet Valiant-for-truth immediately after he defeats three attackers. He becomes part of the group. Moving on, they come across Mr. Stead-fast, who is praying to resist the temptations of Madam Bubble, a seductress. He joins them on the Holy Way.
The pilgrims finally arrive in Beulah Land, the place where they must wait to be called to the Celestial City in Heaven. Once they are called they must cross the River of Death. On the other side a chariot driven by angels flies them to Heaven.
Christiana is called first, and then the others. However, Christiana’s four sons and their now-pregnant wives are not called, since they must go “increase the Church.”
Comments
Post a Comment