Pilgrim's progress - Bunyan - IX

Required reading
Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan (available from Amazon or free on the internet, here for example) - Up to the paragraph that begins: 'Now I saw in my dream, that Christian and Hopeful forsook him, and kept their distance before him, but one of them looking back saw three men following Mr By-ends...'

My notes and thoughts
Today Pilgrim and Faithful enter into the town called Vanity and its fair.  Our travelers get into hot water when they refuse to partake of any of the merchandise sold there (e.g. houses, lands, trades, places, honours, preferments, titles, countries, kingdoms, lusts, pleasures, delights of all sorts, whores, bawds, wives, husbands, children, masters, servants, lives, blood, bodies, souls, silver, gold, pearls, precious stones).  While Christian escapes, sadly Faithful is tortured and then burnt to death after a trial before the judge known as Lord Hategood. Yet from the terrible ordeal Hopeful is born: 'Now I saw in my dream, that Christian went not forth alone, for there was one whose name was Hopeful (being made so by the beholding of Christian and Faithful in their words and behaviour, in their sufferings at the Fair) who joined himself unto him, and entering into a brotherly covenant, told him that he would be his companion.  Thus one died to make testimony to the truth, and another rises out of his ashes to be a companion with Christian.  This Hopeful also told Christian that there were many more of the men in the Fair that would take their time and follow after.'  I love the hope that Bunyan is giving to those who are persecuted - a legacy is left that will last for eternity.

We also today meet with Mr By-Ends who represents all those ministers who compromise on truth to make their lives comfortable: 'Tis true, we somewhat differ in religion from those of the stricter sort, yet but in two small points: first, we never strive against wind and tide; secondly, we are always most zealous when religion goes in his silver slippers; we love much to walk with him in the street if the sun shines and the people applaud it.'  Such men are still here today, sucking the church dry as they advance their own kingdom instead of Christ's.

Now it's your turn
Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.