One of the great Christian classics that I have always admired is John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress. I was reading it recently and came across the part where Faithful and Christian (formally known as Pilgrim) were walking along the way with a man named Talkative. At first faithful is quite taken with how much he seems to have in common with Mr Talkative, but Christian informs him of Talkative’s reputation. He has a reputation for acting quite differently than he talks. So Faithful confronts Talkative in a loving, but straightforward way and this is how Talkative responds…
Talkative: Since you are so ready to take up reports, and to judge so rashly as you do, I cannot but conclude you are some peevish or melancholy man, not fit to be discoursed with; and so adieu. Then up came Christian, and said to his brother, I told you how it would happen; your words and his lusts could not agree. He had rather leave your company than reform his life. But he is gone, as I said: let him go; the loss is no man's but his own. He has saved us the trouble of going from him; for he continuing (as I suppose he will do) as he is, would have been but a blot in our company: besides, the apostle says, "From such withdraw thyself." Faithful: But I am glad we had this little discourse with him; it may happen that he will think of it again: however, I have dealt plainly with him, and so am clear of his blood if he perisheth. Christian: You did well to talk so plainly to him as you did. There is but little of this faithful dealing with men now-a-days, and that makes religion to stink so in the nostrils of many as it doth; for they are these talkative fools, whose religion is only in word, and who are debauched and vain in their conversation, that (being so much admitted into the fellowship of the godly) do puzzle the world, blemish Christianity, and grieve the sincere. I wish that all men would deal with such as you have done; then should they either be made more conformable to religion, or the company of saints would be too hot for them. Then did Faithful say, "How Talkative at first lifts up his plumes! How bravely doth he speak! How he presumes To drive down all before him! But so soon As Faithful talks of heart-work, like the moon That's past the full, into the wane he goes; And so will all but he that heart-work know."
May we be doers of the word and not talkers only. I hope we relish the people in our lives that love us enough to encourage us to that “heart-work”.
