In the 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 beareth 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 cometh thither, is Vanity. As is the saying of the wise, All that cometh is vanity.
This Fair is no new-erected business, but a thing of ancient standing; I will shew 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 all sorts of vanity, and that it should last all the year long: therefore at this Fair are all such merchandize 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 seen jugglings, 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 Merchandize 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 this lusty Fair is kept; and he that will go to City, and yet not go through this Town, must needs go out of the world. The Prince of Princes himself, when here, went through this Town to His own Country, and that upon a fair-day too; yea, 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 shewed 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 merchandize, and therefore left the Town, without laying out so much as one farthing upon these vanities. 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 bedlams, and some they are outlandishmen.
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.
Thirdly, but that which did not a little amuse the merchandizers 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.
Interpretation:
The vanity fair is part of this world set by the god of this world, the devil, to attract the saints from their path of righteousness and justice. The devil desires us to spend more time in this vanity fair. We spend most of our time in worldly entertainments like cinema, sports, clubs, malls, etc. Children were addicted to online games like Blue Whales, etc. and were forced to commit suicide. In the cyber world, people are tempted to watch pornography and to commit adultery and fornication in their mind by fantasies. Many saints have also fallen as such in the cyber world.
Even saints are spending more time on Facebook, etc, to update their profile pictures and photos and to socialize with their friends. They do not use social media for fellowship with other saints in the Body of Christ but to boast of their ministries. They spend their money to buy merchandise which they do not require for their living but for flaunting their social status. Joining with the people of this world, they also speak the language of Canaan and not the heavenly language.
In the century in which John Bunyan lived, the vanity fair was distinguishable from the stately palace, the church. But in this century, the Apollyon has brought the vanity fair into our churches. Our churches spend their lot of time and energy in raising funds by way of fairs, sales, etc. Precious money required for supporting missionaries in foreign nations is spent in converting existing churches into Babylonian structures to give more comfort and luxuries to church attendees.
We have millionaire evangelists and pastors owning jets and palatial mansions who have their tabernacles in this vanity fair. Mega-churches have become citadels of vanity fair where we find the preachers with their talents and oratories attract the people to their earthly tabernacles. There is rock music in the vanity show of some of such churches. Live-in relationships are dubbed as marriages in these churches. Pastors divorce their wives and remarry their girl friends. Millions flock to such churches to be entertained by the pulpit shows. Many auditoriums housing thousands of onlookers for entertaining them are found in this vanity fair. John the Baptist is not allowed in these churches. Preachers with doctorate degrees on theology are eulogized and honoured. Preachers who preach on sin and righteousness are shown the door. Deceptions and extra-biblical revelations are galore in such churches.