A Fair of Vanity

Journey to the Celestial City #51. In our continuing look at John Bunyan’s “Pilgrim’s Progress,” today we find the man, Christian, along with his companion, Faithful, having received the prediction of the suffering that awaits them from their good friend, Evangelist, they now come upon a town called: Vanity. In this town is a fair that takes place year round. It’s name is: “Vanity Fair.” It’s founders include Beelzebub, Apollyon and Legion who have seen fit to allow each and every pleasure of sin that a man or woman could dream of or desire to embrace to be a part of the Fair. Take a look at some of the merchandise sold there, but don’t look too long or set your own heart upon it or you, too, will be enticed: “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 is there a better description of the world that we live in and apart from God? It has been set up to distract us away from Him. It has been set up to take His place in our lives. Have you sold your soul to the Fair? “Do not love the world, nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. And the world is passing away and also its lusts.” (1 John 2:15-17a) More to come in the next blog post. Check back soon. (To read this entire blog post series, scroll down to “Pilgrim’s Progress Series” in the left sidebar.) pp 80-81