THE
PILGRIM'S PROGRESS
JOHN
BUNYAN
Section
6
Evangelist
overtakes Christian and Faithful - Vanity Fair - the
Pilgrims brought to trial - Faithful's martyrdom
VANITY
FAIR
Then
I saw in my dream,
that when they were got out of the wilderness, they presently saw a town
before them, and the name of that town is "Vanity"; and at the
town there is a fair kept, called "Vanity Fair"; it is kept all
the year long. It bears the name of Vanity Fair, because the town where 'tis
kept is lighter than vanity; and also because all that is there sold, or
that comes thither is vanity. As is the saying of the wise, "All that
comes is vanity."
"All
nations before him are as nothing; and they are counted to him less
than nothing, and vanity." Isaiah 40:17
"Vanity
of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is
vanity." Ecclesiastes 1:2
"I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold,
all is vanity and vexation of spirit." Ecclesiastes 1:14
"Then
I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that
I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of
spirit, and there was no profit under the sun." Ecclesiastes
2:11
"Therefore
I hated life; because the work that is wrought under the sun is
grievous unto me: for all is vanity and vexation of spirit."
Ecclesiastes 2:17
"But
if a man live many years, and rejoice in them all; yet let him
remember the days of darkness; for they shall be many. All that cometh is
vanity." Ecclesiastes 11:8
This fair is no new erected business; but a
thing of ancient standing. I will show you the original of it.
Almost five thousand years agone, there were
pilgrims walking to the Celestial City, as these two honest persons are; and
BEELZEBUB, APOLLYON, and LEGION, with their companions, perceiving by the
path that the pilgrims made, that their way to the City lay through this
town of Vanity, they contrived here to set up a fair; a fair wherein should
be sold of all sorts of vanity, and that it should last all the year long.
Therefore at this fair are all such merchandise sold: as houses, lands,
trades, places, honours, preferments, titles, countries, kingdoms; lusts,
pleasures, and delights of all sorts – as whores, bawds, wives, husbands, children,
masters, servants, lives, blood, bodies, souls, silver, gold, pearls,
precious stones, and what not.
And moreover, at this fair there is at all times
to be deceivers, cheats, games, plays, fools, apes, knaves, and rogues and
that of every kind.
Here are to be seen, too – and that for
nothing – thefts, murders, adulteries, false-swearers, and that of a blood
red colour.
And as in other fairs of less moment, there are
the several rows and streets, under their proper names, where such and such
wares are vended; so here likewise you have the proper places, rows, streets
(viz., countries and kingdoms), where the wares of this fair are soonest to
be found: here is the Britain row; the French row; the Italian row; the
Spanish row; the German row – where several sorts of vanities are to be
sold. But as in other fairs, some one commodity is as the chief of all the
fair, so the ware of Rome and her merchandise is greatly promoted in this
fair: only our English nation, with some others, have taken a dislike
thereat.
Now, as I said, the way to the
Celestial
City
lies
just through this town, where the lusty fair is kept; and he that will go to
the City, and yet not go through this town, must needs go out of the world.
"Yet
not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or
extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the
world." 1 Corinthians 5:10
The Prince of princes himself, when here, went
through this town to his own country, and that upon a fair day too; and as I
think, it was BEELZEBUB, the chief lord of this fair, that invited him to
buy of his vanities; yea, would have made him lord of the fair, would he but
have done him reverence as he went through the town. Yea, because he was
such a person of honour, BEELZEBUB had him from street to street, and showed
him all the kingdoms of the world in a little time, that he might, if
possible, allure that Blessed One to cheapen and buy some of his vanities.
But he had no mind to the merchandise; and therefore left the town without
laying out so much as one farthing upon these vanities.
"Again,
the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all
the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;" Matthew 4:8
"And
the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the
kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said unto him, All
this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered
unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it. If thou therefore wilt worship
me, all shall be thine." Luke 4:5-7
This fair, therefore, is an ancient thing, of
long standing, and a very great fair.
Now these pilgrims, as I said, must needs go
through this fair: well, so they did; but behold, even as they entered into
the fair, all the people in the fair were moved, and the town itself as it
were in a hubbub about them; and that for several reasons. For –
First, the pilgrims were clothed with such kind
of raiment as was diverse from the raiment of any that traded in that fair.
The people, therefore, of the fair made a great gazing upon them: some said
they were fools; some they were lunatics; and some they are outlandish men.
Secondly: and as they wondered at their apparel, so they did likewise at
their speech; for few could understand what they said. They naturally spoke
the language of Canaan; but they that kept the fair were the men of this
world: so that from one end of the fair to the other, they seemed barbarians
each to the other.
"But
we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom,
which God ordained before the world unto our glory: Which none of the
princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not
have crucified the Lord of glory." 1 Corinthians 2:7, 8
Thirdly: but that which did not a little amuse
the merchandisers was, that these pilgrims set very light by all their wares
– they cared not so much as to look upon them; and if they called upon
them to buy, they would put their fingers in their ears, and cry, "Turn
away mine eyes from beholding vanity;" and look upwards, signifying
that their trade and traffic was in heaven.
"Turn
away mine eyes from beholding vanity; and quicken thou me in thy
way." Psalm 119:37
"(Whose
end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose
glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.) For our
conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the
Lord Jesus Christ:" Philippians 3:19, 20
One chanced mockingly, beholding the carriages
of the men, to say unto them, "What will ye, buy?" but they,
looking gravely upon him, said, "We buy the truth".
"Buy
the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and
understanding." Proverbs 23:23
At that there was an occasion taken to despise
the men the more: some mocking; some taunting; some speaking reproachfully;
and some calling upon others to smite them. At last, things came to a hubbub
and great stir in the fair, insomuch that all order was confounded. Now was
word presently brought to the great one of the fair, who quickly came down,
and deputed some of his most trusty friends to take these men into
examination, about whom the fair was almost overturned. So the men were
brought to examination: and they that sat upon them, asked them whence they
came; whither they went; and what they did there in such an unusual garb?
The men told them that they were pilgrims and strangers in the
world; and that they were going to their own country, which was the heavenly
Jerusalem
;
"These
all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them
afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and
confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For they that
say such things declare plainly that they seek a country. And truly, if they
had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they
might have had opportunity to have returned. But now they desire a better country,
that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God:
for he hath prepared for them a city." Hebrews 11:13-16
and that they had
given none occasion to the men of the town, nor yet to the merchandisers,
thus to abuse them, and to let them in their journey. Except it was, for
that when one asked them what they would buy, they said they would buy the
truth. But they that were appointed to examine them did not believe them to
be any other than lunatics and mad, or else such as came to put all things
into a confusion in the fair. Therefore they took them and beat them, and
besmeared them with dirt; and then put them into the cage, that they might
be made a spectacle to all the men of the fair. There, therefore, they lay
for some time, and were made the objects of any man's sport, or malice, or
revenge; the great one of the fair laughing still at all that befell them.
But the men being
patient, and not rendering railing for railing, but contrariwise blessing,
and giving good words for bad, and kindness for injuries done, some men in
the fair that were more observing and less prejudiced than the rest, began
to check and blame the baser sort for their continual abuses done by them to
the men. They, therefore, in angry manner, let fly at them again: counting
them as bad as the men in the cage, and telling them that they seemed
confederates, and should be made partakers of their misfortunes. The other
replied, that for aught they could see, the men were quiet and sober, and
intended nobody any harm; and that there were many that traded in their fair
that were more worthy to be put into the cage, yea, and pillory too, than
were the men that they had abused. Thus after divers words had passed on
both sides – the men behaving themselves all the while very wisely and
soberly before them, – they fell to some blows among themselves, and did
harm one to another.
Then were these two
poor men brought before their examiners again, and there charged as being
guilty of the late hubbub that had been in the fair. So they beat them
pitifully, and hanged irons upon them, and led them in chains up and down
the fair for an example and a terror to others, lest any should further
speak in their behalf, or join themselves unto them. But CHRISTIAN and
FAITHFUL behaved themselves yet more wisely; and received the ignominy and
shame that was cast upon them with so much meekness and patience, that it
won to their side – though but few in comparison of the rest – several
of the men in the fair. This put the other party yet into a greater rage;
insomuch that they concluded the death of these two men. Wherefore they
threatened that the cage nor irons should serve their turn; but that they
should die for the abuse they had done, and for deluding the men of the
fair.
Then were they
remanded to the cage again, until further order should be taken with them.
So they put them in, and made their feet fast in the stocks.
Here therefore they
called again to mind what they had heard from their faithful friend,
EVANGELIST; and were the more confirmed in their way and sufferings by what
he told them would happen to them. They also now comforted each other, that
whose lot it was to suffer, even he should have the best of it; therefore
each man secretly wished that he might have that preferment; but committing
themselves to the all wise disposal of him that rules all things, with much
content they abode in the condition in which they were, until they should be
otherwise disposed of.
The
Pilgrim's Progress - The pilgrims brought to trial - Faithful's martyrdom
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Pilgrim's Progress - Contents
