House of Mnason

Now by this time they were come within sight of the Town of Vanity where Vanity Fair is kept. So when they saw that they were so near the Town, they consulted with one another how they should pass through the Town, and some said one thing and some another. At last Mr Great-heart said, I have, as you may understand, often been a conductor of Pilgrims through this Town, now I am acquainted with one Mr Mnason, a Cyprusian by Nation, an old disciple, at whose house we may lodge. If you think good, said he, we will turn in there.

Content, said old Honest, Content, said Christiana, Content said Mr Feeble-mind, and so they said all. Now you must think it was eventide by that they got to the outside of the Town, but Mr Great-heart knew the way to the old man's house. So thither they came; and he called at the door, and the old man within knew his tongue so soon as ever he heard it; so he opened, and they all came in. Then said Mnason their Host, How far have ye come to-day? so they said, From the house of Gaius our Friend. I promise you, said he, you have gone a good stitch, you may well be a weary, sit down. So they sat down.

Great-heart: Then said their Guide, Come, what cheer Sirs? I dare say you are welcome to my Friend.

Mnason: I also do bid you welcome, and whatever you want, do but say, and we will do what we can to get it for you.

Honest: Our great want a while since was harbour and good company, and now I hope we have both.

Mnason:. For Harbour, you see what it is, but for good company, that will appear in the trial.

Great-heart: Well, will you have the Pilgrims up into their lodging?

Mnason: I will, said Mr Mnason.

So he had them to their respective places; and also shewed them a very fair dining-room, where they might be and sup together, until time was come to go to rest.

Now when they were set in their places, and were a little cheery after their journey, Mr Honest asked his landlord if there were any store of good people in the Town?

Mnason: We have a few, for indeed they are but a few when compared with them on the other side.

Honest: But how shall we do to see some of them? for the sight of good men to them that are going on Pilgrimage, is like to the appearing of the moon and the stars to them that are sailing upon the seas.

Then Mr Mnason stamped with his foot, and his daughter Grace came up; so he said unto her, Grace, go you tell my friends, Mr Contrite, Mr Holy-man, Mr Love-saint, Mr Dare-not-lye, and Mr Penitent, that I have a friend or two at my house that have a mind this evening to see them.

So Grace went to call them, and they came and after salutation made, they sat down together at the table.

Then said Mr Mnason their Landlord, My Neighbors, I have, as you see, a company of strangers come to my house, they are Pilgrims, they come from afar, and are going to Mount Sion. But who, quoth he, do you think this is, pointing with his finger to Christiana, it is Christiana the wife of Christian that famous Pilgrim, who with Faithful his brother were so shamefully handled in our Town.

At that they stood amazed, saying, We little thought to see Christiana, when Grace came to call us, wherefore this is a very comfortable surprise. Then they asked her of her welfare, and if these young men were her husband's sons? And when she had told them they were, they said, The King whom you love and serve, make you as your Father, and bring you where he is in peace.

Then Mr Honest (when they were all sat down) asked Mr Contrite and the rest in what posture their Town was at present?

Contrite: You may be sure we are full of hurry in fair-time. 'Tis hard keeping our hearts and spirits in any good order, when we are in a cumbered condition. He that lives in such a place as this is, and that has to do with such as we have, has need of an item, to caution him to take heed every moment of the day.

Honest: But how are your Neighbors for quietness?

Contrite: They are much more moderate now than formerly. You know how Christian and Faithful were used at our Town; but of late, I say, they have been far more moderate. I think the blood of Faithful lieth with load upon them till now, for since they burned him they have been ashamed to burn any more. In those days we were afraid to walk the streets, but now we can shew our heads. Then the name of a Professor was odious, now, specially in some parts of our Town (for you know our Town is large) Religion is counted honourable. Then said Mr Contrite to them, Pray how fareth it with you in your Pilgrimage? How stands the Country affected towards you?

Honest: It happens to us as it happeneth to wayfaring men; sometimes our way is clean, sometimes foul, sometimes up hill, sometimes down hill. We are seldom at a certainty, the wind is not always on our backs, nor is every one a friend that we meet with in the way. We have met with some notable rubs already, and what are yet behind we know not, but for the most part we find it true that has been talked of cold, A good man must suffer trouble.

Contrite: You talk of rubs, what rubs have you met withal?

Honest: Nay, ask Mr Great-heart our Guide, for he can give the best account of that.

Great-heart: We have been beset three or four times already. First Christiana and her children were beset with two ruffians, that they feared would take away their lives. We were beset with Giant Bloody-man, Giant Maul and Giant Slay-good. Indeed we did rather beset the last, than were beset of him. And thus it was:

After we had been some time at the house of Gaius, mine host and of the whole Church, we were minded upon a time to take our weapons with us, and so go see if we could light upon any of those that were enemies to Pilgrims, (for we heard that there was a notable one thereabouts). Now Gaius knew his haunt better than I, because he dwelt thereabout, so we looked and looked till at last we discerned the mouth of his cave, then we were glad and plucked up our spirits. So we approached up to his den, and lo when we came there, he had dragged by mere force into his net this poor man Mr Feeble-mind, and was about to bring him to his end. But when he saw us, supposing as we thought he had had another prey, he left the poor man in his hole, and came out. So we fell to it full sore, and he lustily laid about him; but in conclusion he was brought down to the ground, and his head cut off, and set up by the way-side for a terror to such as should after practise such ungodliness. That I tell you the truth, here is the man himself to affirm it, who was as a lamb taken out of the mouth of the lion.

Feeble-mind: I found this true to my cost and comfort, to my cost when he threatened to pick my bones every moment, and to my comfort when I saw Mr Great-heart and his friends with their weapons approach so near for my deliverance.

Holy-man: There are two things that they have need to be possessed with that go on Pilgrimage, courage, and an unspotted life. If they have not courage, they can never hold on their way, and if their lives be loose, they will make the very name of a Pilgrim stink.

Love-saint: I hope this caution is not needful amongst you. But truly there are many that go upon the road, that rather declare themselves strangers to Pilgrimage than strangers and Pilgrims in the earth.

Dare-not-lye: "Tis true, they neither have the Pilgrim's weed, nor the Pilgrim's courage; they go not uprightly, but all awry with their feet; one shoe goes inward, another outward, and their hosen out behind; there a rag, and there a rent, to the disparagement of their Lord.

Penitent: These things they ought to be troubled for, nor are the Pilgrims like to have that Grace put upon them and their Pilgrim's Progress as they desire, until the way is cleared of such spots and blemishes. Thus they sat talking and spending the time, until supper was set upon the table; unto which they went and refreshed their weary bodies; so they went to rest.

Now they stayed in this fair a great while at the house of this Mr Mnason, who in process of time gave his daughter Grace unto Samuel Christiana's son to wife, and his daughter Martha to Joseph. The time as I said, that they lay here was long, (for it was not now as in former times).

Wherefore the Pilgrims grew acquainted with many of the good people of the Town, and did them what service they could. Mercy, as she was wont, laboured much for the poor, wherefore their bellies and backs blessed her, and she was there an ornament to her profession. And to say the truth for Grace Phebe and Martha, they were all of a very good nature, and did much good in their place. They were also all of them very fruitful, so that Christian's name, as was said before, was like to live in the world.

While they lay here, there came a monster out of the woods, and slew many of the people of the Town. It would also carry away their children, and teach them to suck its whelps. Now no man in the Town durst so much as face this monster, but all men fled when they heard of the noise of his coming. The monster was like unto no one beast upon the earth; its body was like the dragon, and it had seven heads and ten horns. It made great havoc of children, and yet it was governed by a woman. This monster propounded conditions to men, and such men as loved their lives more than their souls, accepted of those conditions. So they came under.

Interpretation:

There is yet another house of true fellowship for pilgrims which is located right in the heart of the vanity fair where all sorts of unscriptural and ungodly things take place. This is the house of Mnason which is different from the house of Gaius. Here we learn deeper truths and doctrines concerning the Antichrist. In this house, we are taught to be holy so as to lead an unspotted life and to be courageous. We are taught to be always with a contrite heart so that if we sin, we may be penitent and repent sincerely. We are also taught to love and minister to the saints. We are also taught to dare not lie under any circumstances as a lie proceeds from the father of lies. Any false doctrine contrary to the doctrines of the Bible is a lie.

Who is Mnason whose name was used by John Bunyan in this chapter?

Described as “an old disciple,” Mnason came into the life of Paul at a needy hour. Friends tried to dissuade him from going up to Jerusalem where bonds awaited him, but like his Master before him, he steadfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem. Thus this early disciple from Cyprus accompanied Paul on his last journey, and Paul lodged at his hospitable home.

There went with us also certain of the disciples of Caesarea, and brought with them one Mnason of Cyprus, an old disciple, with whom we should lodge (Acts 21:16).

A disciple of old standing, Mnason was ready for service although aged. While Mnason was not able to undertake all of the long, arduous and perilous missionary journeys Paul faced, he could help those who were called and qualified to do so. He was content to fill a little space even though it was only to give a night’s lodging for God’s workers. Mnason felt it a privilege to entertain Paul and his companions. Here was one given to ungrudging hospitality, and who remained until the end of his day an effective witness to God’s faithfulness.

John Bunyan compares the Antichrist of the Revelation (the dragon, and it had seven heads and ten horns) with a monster who came out of the woods and slew many of the people of the Town. Nowadays, the spirit of the Antichrist is very active in almost all the churches where vanity shows take place. He has already slain many of them. I have created a unique website on the Antichrist.

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