thou made thy proposals already, nor is this last a whit better than they, Cor. 11. 14. And failing to deceive when thou shewest thyself in thy black, thou hast now transformed thyself into an angel of light, and wouldest, to deceive, be now as a minister of righteousness.* "But know thou, O Diabolus, that nothing must be regarded that thou canst propound, for nothing is done by thee but to deceive; thou neither hast conscience to God, nor love to the town of Mansoul; whence then should these thy sayings arise, but from sinful craft and deceit? He that can list and will propound what he pleases, and that therewith he may destroy them that believe him, is to be abandoned, with all that he shall say. But if righteousness be such a beautyspot in thine eyes now, how is it that wickedness was so closely stuck to by thee before? But this by the bye. "Thou talkest now of a reformation in Mansoul, and that thou thyself, if I please, will be at the head of that reformation; all the while knowing, that the greatest proficiency that man can make in the law, and the righteousness thereof, will amount to no more, for the taking away of the curse from Mansoul, than just nothing at all; for a law being broken by Mansoul, that had before, upon a supposition of the breach thereof, a curse pronounced against him for it of God, can never, by his obeying the law, deliver himself therefrom. (To say nothing of what a reformation is like to be set up in Mansoul, when the devil is become the corrector of vice.) Thou knowest that all thou hast now said in this matter is nothing but guile and deceit ; and * A dependence upon a mere form of godliness and piety is a most dangerous state. Beware of self-righteousness; this fair-looking spirit is apt to persuade sinners they are too holy to need Christ for their sanctification, and too healthy to need him as a physician. See Luke xviii. 9, and Matt. xxiii. 13. & seq. By the law, the knowledge of our sin and misery is revealed; but grace and truth cometh by Christ Jesus, through faith which worketh by love, Gal. v. 6. and as it was the first, so is it the last card that thou hast to play. Many there be that discern thee, when thou shewest them thy cloven foot; but in thy white, thy light, and in thy transformation, thou art seen but of a few. But thou shalt not do thus with my Mansoul, O Diabolus, for I do still love my Mansoul. Besides, I am not come to put Mansoul upon works, to live thereby; should I do so, I should be like unto thee; but I am come, that by me, and by what I have and shall do for Mansoul, they may be reconciled to my Father, though by their sin they have provoked him to anger, and though by the law they cannot obtain mercy. "Thou talkest of subduing this town to good, when none desirest it at thy hands. I am sent by my Father to possess it myself, and to guide it, by the skilfulness of my hands, into such a conformity to him as shall be pleasing in his sight. I will therefore possess it myself: I will disposess and cast thee out: I will set up mine own standard in the midst of them: I will also govern them by new laws, new officers, new motives, and new ways: yea, I will pull down this town, and build it again, and it shall be as though it had not been, and it shall be the glory of the whole universe."* When Diabolus heard this, and perceived that he was discovered in all his deceits, he was confounded, and utterly put to a nonplus: but having in himself the fountain of iniquity, rage, and malice against both Shaddai and his Son, and the beloved town of Mansoul, what doth he but strengthen himself what he could to give fresh battle to the noble Prince Emanuel. So then, now we must have another fight before the town of Mansoul is taken. Come up then to the mountains, you that love to see military actions, and behold by both When regeneration has taken place in the soul, and Christ exists in the heart, the buyers and sellers are cast out; old things pass away, and all become new; the desires, affections, hopes, fears, pursuits, ends, and aims, all happily tend to the glory of God, and the praise of his discriminating grace. both sides how the fatal blow is given; while one seeks to hold, and the other seeks to make himself master of, the famous town of Mansoul. Diabolus therefore withdrew himself from the walls. to his fort that was in the heart of the town of Mansoul; Emanuel also returned to the camp; and both of then, after their divers ways, put themselves into a posture fit to give battle one to another. Diabolus, as filled. with despair of retaining in his hands the famous town. of Mansoul, resolved to do what mischief he could (if indeed he could do any) to the army of the Prince, and to the famous town of Mansoul; for afas! it was not; the happiness of the silly town of Mansoul that was. designed by Diabolus, but the utter ruin and overthrow. thereof, as now is enough in view, Mark xxvi. 27.Wherefore he commands his officers that they should then, when they saw that they could hold the town no longer, do it what harm and mischief they could, rending and tearing men, women, and children; for, said he, we had better quite demolish the place, and leave it a ruinous heap, than that it should be an habitation for Emanuel. Emanuel again, knowing that the next battle would issue in his being made master of the place, gave out a royal commandment to all his officers, high captains, and men of war, to be sure to shew themselves men of war against Diabolus and all Diabolonians; but favourable, merciful, and meek to the old inhabitants of Mansoul. Bend therefore, said the noble Prince, the hottest front of the battle against Diabolus and his men, So the day being come, the command was given, and the Prince's men stood bravely to their arms; nor did, as before, bend their forces against Ear gate and Eyegate. The word was then, MANSOUL IS WON: SO they * Thus is the Devil's enmity to man pourtrayed: for whom he can no longer rule, he will persecute, distress, and tempt: but our Jesus is almighty and must prevail, and his precious promises are infallible. they made their assault upon the town. Diabolus also, as fast as he could, with the main of his power, made resistance from within, and his high lords and chief captains for a time fought very cruelly against the Prince's army. But, after three or four notable charges by the Prince and his noble captains, Ear-gate was broke open, and the bars and bolts, wherewith it was used to be fast shut up against the Prince, were broken into a thousand pieces. Then did the Prince's trumpets sound, the captains shout, the town shake, and Diabolus retreat to his hold. Well, when the Prince's forces had broke open the gate, himself came up, and did set up his throne in it; also he set his standard near it, upon a mount that his men had before cast up to place the mighty slings thereon. The mount was called mount Hear-well; there therefore the Prince abode, to wit, hard by the going in at the gate. He commanded also that the golden slings should yet be played upon the town, especially against the castle, because for shelter thither was Diabolus retreated. Now from Eargate the street was strait, even to the house of him who was the recorder before Diabolus took the town; and hard by his house stood the castle, which Diabolus for a long time had made his irksome den. The captains therefore quickly cleared the street by the use of their slings, so that way was made up to the heart of the town. Then the Prince commanded that captain Boanerges, captain Conviction, and captain Judgment, should forthwith march up to the town to the old gentleman's (d) gate. Then did the captain's in most warlike manner enter into the town of Mansoul, and, marching in with flying colours, they came up to the Recorder's house (and that was almost as strong as the castle). Battering-rams they took also with them, to plant (d) Conscience. *These are the promises which are brought home to the heart the Spirit of God. plant against the castle gates. When they were come to the house of Mr. Conscience, they knocked, and demanded entrance.* Now the old gentleman, not knowing as yet fully their design, kept his gates shut all the time of this fight. Wherefore Boanerges demanded entrance at his gates; and no man making answer, he gave it one stroke with the head of a ram, and this made the old gentleman shake, and his house tremble and totter. Then came Mr. Recorder down to the gate, and as well as he could, with quivering lips, he asked who was there? Boanerges answered, We are the captains and commanders of the great Shaddai, and of the blessed Emanuel his Son, and we demand possession of your house, for the use of our noble Prince. And with that the battering ram gave the gate another shake: this made the old gentleman tremble the more, yet durst he not but open the gate: then the King's forces marched in, namely, the three brave captains mentioned before. Now the Recorder's house was a place of much convenience for Emanuel, not only because it was near, and fronted the castle,the den where now Diabolus was; for he was now afraid to come out of his hold. As for Mr. Recorder, the captains carried it very reservedly to him as yet he knew nothing of the great designs of Emanuel; so that he did not know what judgment to make, nor what would be the end of such thundering beginnings. It was noised in the town, how the Recorders house was possessed, his rooms taken up, and his palace made the seat of war; and no sooner was it noised abroad, but they took the alarm as warmly, and gave it out to others of his friends; and as, you know, * Conscience is undoubtedly a faithful monitor, a witness for God in the soul; when awakened, it discerns, loves, and approves the ways of God. May we not reject it's friendly admonitions! The consciences of the unconverted are in a state of torpor; some cannot be roused but by the thundering terrors of the law; and, when wounded by the arrows of conviction, nothing but the love of God, the balm of the divine Physician, can heal or comfort them. |