FURTHER ACCOUNT OF VANITY FAIR.

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where 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 the town where this 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." 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 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. (a) 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

The doctrine of the church of Rome. It is much to be wished, that the vile presumption of man's bartering with God, and purchasing a title to heaven, by his performing terms and conditions of salvation, meriting heaven by his good works, and procuring justification by his own obedience, to the exalting his pride, and the debasing the work and glory of Christ, was totally rejected by us. But alas? these proud, unscriptural notions too much prevail.

(a) Matt. iv. 8, 9. Luke iv 5-7.

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A HUBBUB IN THE FAIR.

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;(a) some, they were bedlams; and some, they were 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.

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 ;"(a) and look upwards, signifying, that their trade and traffic was in heaven.

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."*(c) At that, there was an occasion taken

An odd reply. What do they mean? That they are neither afraid nor ashamed to own, what was the one object of their soul's pursuit. The Truth. Understand hereby, that the whole world, which lieth in wickedness, suffer themselves to be deceived by a lie, and are under the delusion of the father of lies. In opposition to this, all believers in Christ are said to be of the truth. 1 John iii. 19. They know and believe that capital truth with which God speaks from heaven, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Matt. iii. 17 This truth-that Jesus is the Son of God, and our only Saviour, lies at the foundation of all their hope and to get more acquainted with him, is the grand object of their pursuit. For this, the world hates them; and Satan, who is an enemy to this truth, stirs up the world against them. "For (says our Lord) they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world." John xvii. 16.

(a) 1 Cor. iv. 9. 10. (b) Ps. cxix. 37.

:

(c) Prov. xxiii. 29.

THE PILGRIMS APPREHENDED, AND EXAMINED. 159

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 those 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; (a) and that they had given no occasion to the men of the town, nor yet to the merchandisers, thus to abuse them, and to stop 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 bedlams 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.* 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

If we possess nothing to distinguish us from the rest of the world, which lieth in wickedness, and for which they will hate and despise us, we have no reason to conclude that we are new creatures in Christ Jesus. If we are Christ's, we must become fools for Christ, and be counted as mad by those who know not Christ; for if alive to Christ, we shall be crucified to the world. "Woe be unto you, if all men speak well of you," saith Christ, Luke vi. 26.

(a) Heb. xi. 13-16.

160 THEIR CONFINEMENT AND MEEK BEHAVIOUR.

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 misfortune. The others 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 terror to others, lest any should 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 f 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 con

It is common for the world to be divided in their opinions about pil. grims. A Christian conduct and behaviour will put to silence the gainsaying of some wicked men ; and sometimes win others to become followers of Christ. O pilgrims, look well to your spirit, temper, and conduct towards the men of this world, who keep vanity fair all the year.

It is acting in the spirit and temper of Christ that will gain adversaries over to him; whereas a contrary spirit is a dishonour to Christ, a reproach to his cause, never did good to others, nor left the soul in the solid possession of the peace of God.

THEIR INDICTMENT.

161

cluded the death of these two men. Wherefore they threatened, that neither 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 ways 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 ruleth all things, with much content they abode in the condition in which they were, until they should be otherwise disposed of.

Then a convenient time being appointed, they brought them forth to their trial, in order to their condemnation. When the time was come, they were brought before their enemies, and arraigned. The judge's name was Lord Hate-good: their indictment was one and the same in substance, though somewhat varying in form; the contents whereof was this:

"That they were enemies to, and disturbers of, their trade that they had made commotions and divisions in the town, and had won a party to their own most dan gerous opinions, in contempt of the law of their prince."*

* You see your calling, brethren. Has no such indictment been ever brought against you? Then it is to be feared, what Pharaoh said to the Israelites may be said to you: Ye are idle, ye are idle, in the ways of the Lord; ye want love to his name, fervency for his truth, and zeal for his glory, and the good of precious souls.