The House of Interpreter
is the house where Christian knows Evangelist as his ideal pastor; becomes
allegorically purified with Gods greace, with water; prefers patience to
passion; knows about the constant conflict between the good and the evil,
between Christ and Satan in one’s mind; learns that ‘despair’ is the most
harmful thing for him. Above all, all of these increase Christian’s faith in
God and God’s grace. Thus the house plays an important role in the spiritual
development of Christian. Now some more detail description of this house:
First, Christian is
shown a picture of Evangelist as an ideal paster ao that he might not be
misguided by any other one. Second, he is led in to “a very large parlour
that was full of dust”, and before him it is swept with water. This dusty
parlour means the dusty mind of Christian with the burden of original sin that
is allgorically swept with the grace of God. So, soon he will be free from his
burden. In fact, Purification and deep faith and commitiment are essential for
a pilgrim to reach the Celestial city or Heaven. God elects some ones on the
basis of the depth of faith. So, a disbeleiver can not reach the Celestial city
while a beleiver comes very much closer to God. For example, Obstinate and
Pliable have failed while Christian is setting for that. Third, he is shown two
boys, Passion and Patience, respresenting two mental status of men, one wanting
all in this world but another being patient not to grasp the worldlly things.
Christian receivers the second one. Fourth, there is a buring fire,
representing God's grace and two ones- one representing Christ who is trying to
keep up the fire and another representing Devil who is trying to put off it. So
it shows the constant conflict in one’s mind between good and evil. At last, he
is shows a man in ‘an iron cage’ symbolising despair who says-
“ I have so hardened my heart,
that I can not repent.”
Seeing it, Christian’s
faith increases and he understands that ‘despair’ is such a bad thing that
prevents repentance which brings a man very close to God. Actually all
everything in the house Christian experiences explains the aspects of ideal
Christian life.