such a ministry among them, as might teach them botí law and judgment, statute and commandment; that they might be documented in all good and wholesome things. So he told them he would grant their requests; and would establish two among them, one that was of his Father's court, and one that was a native of Mansoul.

He that is from the court, said he, is a person (p) of no less quality and dignity than my Father and I, 2 Pet. i. 21. 1 Cor. ii. 10. John i. I. v. 7. And he is the Lord chief Secretary of my Father's house; for he is, and always has been, the chief dictator of all my Father's laws; a person well skilled in all mysteries, and knowledge of mysteries, as is my Father, or as myself is. Indeed he is one with us in nature, and also as to loving of, and being faithful to, and in the eternal concerns of, the town of Mansoul.

And this is he, said the Prince, that must be your chief teacher; for it is he, and he only, that can teach you clearly in all high and supernatural things: he, and he only, it is, that knows the ways and methods of my Father's court; nor can any, like him shew how the heart of my Father is at all times, in all things, upon all occasions, towards Mansoul; for "as no man knows the things of a man, but the spirit of a man which is in him," John xiv. 26. xvi. 13. 1 John ii. 27; so the things of my Father knows no man, but this his high and mighty Secretary; nor can any (as he) tell Mansoul, how and what they shall do, to keep themselves in the love of my Father. He also it is that can bring lost things to come. This teacher, therefore, must have the pre-eminence (both in your affections and judgment) before your other teacher; his personal dignity, the excellency of his teaching, also the great dexterity that he hath to assist you to make and draw up petitions to my Father for your help, and to his pleasing, must lay obligations upon you to love him, fear him, and to take heed that you grieve him not, 1 Thess. i. 5, 6.

(p) The Holy Spirit.

This Person can put life and vigour (q) into all he says; yea, and can also put it into your heart, Acts xxi. 10. 11. This person can make seers of you, and can make you tell what shall be hereafter, Jude 20. Eph. vi. 18. Rom. viii. 16. Rev. ii. 7, 11, 17, 29. Eph. iv. 30. Isaiah Ixiii. 10. By this Person, you must frame all your petitions to my Father and Me; and without his advice and counsel first obtained, let nothing enter into the town or castle of Mansoul, for that may disgust and grieve this noble Person.*

Take heed, I say, that you do not grieve this minister; for if you do, he may fight against you: and should he once be moved by you to set himself against you in battle array, that will distress you more than if twelve legions should be sent from my Father's court to make war upon you.

But (as I said) if you shall hearken unto him, and shall love him: if you shall devote yourselves to his teaching, and shall seek to have converse, and to maintain communion with him; you shall find him ten times. better than the whole world to any, 1 Cor. xiii. 14. Rom. v. 5. Yea, he will shed abroad the love of my Father in your hearts, and Mansoul will be the wisest and most blessed of people.

Then did the Prince call unto him the old gentleman, who afore had been the recorder of Mansoul, Mr. Conscience by name, and told him, that forasmuch as he was well skilled in the law, and government of the town of Mansoul, and was also well spoken, and could pertinently deliver to them his Master's will in all terrene and domestic matters, therefore he would also make him a minister for, in, and to the goodly town of Mansoul,

(q) The office of the Holy Spirit.

of Truth is

and he will

* Christ says, John xvi. 13. "When he the Spirit come, he will guide you into all truth; for he shall not speak of him. self; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall be speak shew you things to come."

Mansoul, in all the laws, statutes, and judgments of the famous town of Mansoul. And thou must, said the Prince, confine thyself to the teaching of moral virtues, to the civil and natural duties; but thou must not attempt to presume to be a revealer of those high and supernatural mysteries that are kept close in the bosom of Shaddai my Father, for those things knoweth no man, nor can any reveal them but my Father's Secretary only. Thou art a native of the town of Mansoul, but the Lord Secretary is a native with my Father; wherefore as thou hast knowledge of the laws and customs of the corporation, so he of the things and will of my Father.

Wherefore, Oh Mr. Conscience, although I have made thee minister and a preacher to the town of Mansoul, yet as to the things which the Lord Secretary knoweth, and shall teach to this people, there thou must be his scholar, and a learner, even as the rest of Mansoul are.* Thou must, therefore, in all high and supernatural things, go to him for information; for though there be a spirit in man, this Person's inspiration must give him understanding, Job xxviii. 8. Wherefore, O thou Mr. Recorder, be humble, and remember, that the Diabolonians, that kept not their first charge, but left their own standing, are now made prisoners in the pit. Be therefore content with thy station.

I have made thee my Father's vicegerent on earth, in such things of which I have made mention before. And take thou power to teach them to Mansoul, yea, and to impose upon them with whips and chastisements, if they shall not willingly hearken to thy commandments. And Mr. Recorder, because thou art old and feeble, therefore I give thee leave and licence to go when thou wilt to my fountain, my conduit, and there to drink freely

of

Conscience must be in subordination, no doubt, to the all-wisc Spirit of God; but happiness cannot ensue where our actions have not the approbation of our conscience. Conscience is, in fact, the inward Justice of peace.

of the blood of my grape,* for my conduit doth always run wine, Heb. ix. 14. Thus doing, thou shalt drive from thy heart and stomach all foul, gross, and hurtful humours. It will also lighten thine eyes, and strengthen thy memory for the reception and keeping of all that the King's most noble Secretary teacheth.

When the Prince had thus put Mr. Recorder (that once so was) into the place and office of a minister of Mansoul, and the man had thankfully accepted thereof, then did Emanuel address himself to the townsmen themselves.

Behold' (said the Prince to Mansoul) my love and care towards you; I have added to all that is past this mercy, to appoint you preachers, the most noble Secretary, to teach you in all sublime mysteries: and this. gentleman' (pointing to Mr. Conscience) is to teach you in all things human and domestic, for therein lieth his work. He is not, by what I have said, debarred of telling to Mansoul any thing that he hath heard from the lord high Secretary; only he shall not attempt, or presume to pretend, to be a revealer of those high mysteries himself; for the breaking of them up, and the discovery of them to Mansoul, lieth only in the power, authority, and skill of the lord high Secretary himself. Talk of them he may, and so may the rest of the town of Mansoul, as they have opportunity, press them upon each other for the benefit of the whole. These things I would have you observe and do; for it is for your life, and the lengthening of your days.

'And one thing more to my beloved town of Mansoul: You must not dwell in, nor stay upon, any thing of that which he hath in commission to teach you as to your trust and expectation of the next world: of the next world, I say; for I propose to give another to Mansoul,

According to the Christian dispensation, no mortal can be saved but by the blood of Christ; but this must not be understood in its absolutely literal meaning.

† Obedience to God's commands is the duty of every mortal, and without this true happiness can never be attained.

nians that are sturdy and implacable, and that do already while I am yet with you, and that will yet more when I am from you, study, plot, contrive, invent, and jointly attempt to bring you to desolation, and so to a state far worse than that of Egyptian bondage; they are the avowed friends of Diabolus, therefore look about you, Matt. vii. 21, 22. They used, therefore, to lodge with their Prince in the castle, when Incredulity was lord-mayor of this town; but since my coming hither, they lie more in the outsides and walls, and have made themselves dens, and caves, and holes, and strong holds therein, Rom. vii. 18. Wherefore, Oh Mansoul, thy work as to this, will be so much the more difficult and hard; that is, to take, mortify, and put them to death, according to the will of my Father. Nor can you utterly rid yourselves of them, unless you should pull down the walls of your town, the which I am by no means willing you should. Do you ask me, What shall we then do? Why, be you diligent, and quit you like men; observe their holds, find out their haunts, assault them, and make no peace with them: wherever they haunt, lurk, or abide, and what terms of peace soever they offer to you, abhor: and all shall be well betwixt you and me. And that you may the better know them from the natives of Mansoul, I will give you this brief schedule of the names of the chief of them; and they are these that follow: The lord Fornication, the lord Adultery, the lord Murder, the lord Anger, the lord Lascivious ness, the lord Deceit, the lord Evil-Eye, Mr. Drunkenness, Mr. Revelling, Mr. Idolatry, Mr. Witchcraft, Mr. Variance, Mr. Emulation, Mr. Wrath, Mr. Strife, Mr. Sedition, and Mr. Heresy. These are some of the chief, O Mansoul, of those that will seek to overthrow thee for ever: these, I say, are the skulkers in Mansoul: but look well into the law of thy King, and thou shalt find their physiognomy,

*For a further elucidation of this we refer the reader to Gal. v. 19-21.