Then said Mr. Carnal-security, Fie! Fie! Mr. Godly-fear, Fie! Will you never shake off your timorousness? Are you afraid of being sparrow blasted? Who hath hurt you? Behold, I am on your side; only you are for doubting, and I am for being confident. Besides, is this a time to be sad in? A feast is made for mirth; why then do you now, to your shame and our trouble, break out into such passionate, melancholy language, when you should eat and drink, and be merry?

Then said Mr. Godly-fear again, I may well be sad, for Emanuel is gone from Mansoul: I say again he is gone, and you, Sir, are the man that has driven him away; yea, he is gone without so much as acquainting the nobles of Mansoul of his going: and if that is not a sign of his anger, I am not acquainted with the me-thods of godliness.

'And now my lords and gentlemen, my speech is still to you. You gradually declining from him, provoked him to depart from you; the which he did gradually, if perhaps you would have been made sensible thereby, and have been renewed by humbling yourselves; but when he saw that none would regard, or lay these fearful beginnings of his anger and judgment to heart, he went away from this place; and thus I saw with mine own eyes. Wherefore now, while you boast, your strength is gone; you are like the man that had lost his locks which before waved about his shoulders.* You may, with this lord of your feast, shake yourselves, and think to do as at other times; but since without him you can do nothing, and he is departed from you, turn your feast into a sigh, and your mirth into la

mentation.'

Then the subordinate preacher, old Mr. Conscience by name, he that of old was recorder of Mansoul, being startled at what was said, began to second it thus:

Conscience. Indeed, my brethren, quoth he, I fear

Sampson. See Judges xvi. 9.

that

that Mr. Godly-fear tells true: I, for my part, have not seen my prince a long season. I cannot remember the day, for my part: nor can I answer Mr. Godly-fear's question. I am afraid that all is naught with Man

soul.

Godly-fear. Nay, I know that you will not find him in Mansoul, for he is departed and gone: yea, and gone for the faults of the elders, and for that they rewarded his grace with unsufferable unkindnesses.

Then did the subordinate preacher look as if he would fall down dead at the table; also all there present, except the man of the house, began to look pale and wan. But having a little recovered themselves, and jointly agreeing to believe Mr. Godly-fear and his sayings, they began to consult what was best to be done [now Mr. Carnal-security was gone into his with-drawingroom, for he liked not such dumpish doings] both to the man of the house, for drawing them into evil, and also to recover Emanuel's love.

Then the saying of their Prince came very hot into their minds, concerning the false prophets that should arise to delude the town of Mansoul. So they took Mr. Carnal-security (concluding that he was the person) and burnt his house upon him with fire, for he also was a Diabolonian by nature.

When this was past and over, they besped themselves to look for Emanuel their prince, Cant. v. 6. and " they sought him, but they found him not:" then were they more confirmed in the truth of Mr. Godly-fear's sayings, and began also severely to reflect upon themselves for their vile and ungodly doings; for they concluded now, that their Prince had left them.

Then they agreed and went to my lord Secretary, whom before they refused to hear, and had grieved with their doings, to know of him, (for he was a seer, and

could

* Sin grieves the holy Spirit, and causes the Lord to hide his face: -in humble, close walking with God, is our safety, comfort, and peace; but to depart from the ways of God is to part with our safety, and by that means expose ourselves to everlasting perdition.

could tell where Emanuel was,) how they might direct a petition to hm. But the lord Secretary would not admit them to a conference about this matter, nor would admit them to his royal palace, nor come out to them, Isa. Ixiii. 10. Eph. iv. 30. Thess. v. 19.

Now it was a gloomy and dark day, a day of clouds and of thick darkness with Mansoul. Now they saw that they had been foolish, and began to preceive what the company and prattle of Mr. Carnal-security had done, and what desperate damage his swaggering words had brought poor Mansoul into: but what further it was likely to cost them, that they were ignorant of. Now Mr. Godly-fear began to be in great repute with the men of the town; yea, they were ready to look upon him as a prophet.

Well, when the sabbath-day was come, they went to hear their subordinate preacher; but Oh how did it thunder and lighten this day! His text was that in the prophet Jonah, "They that observe lying vanities, forsake their own mercies," ch. ii. 8. But there was then such power and authority in that sermon, and such a dejection seen in the conntenances of the people that day, that the like had seldom been heard or seen. The people, when sermon was done, were scarce able to go to their homes, or to betake themselves to their employs the week after; they were so sermon-smitten, and also so sermon-sick, that they knew not what to do.,* Hos. vi. 13. He not only shewed Mansoul their sin, but trembled before them under the sense of his own, still crying out of himself, as he preached to them, "Unhappy man that I am! that I should do a wicked thing! that I, a preacher! whom the Prince did set up to teach Mansoul his law, should myself live senseless and sottishly!

* Ordinances tending to promote and preserve good morals, and encourage virtue, are certainly highly commendable, and cannot be two well supported; but it must be a matter of DOUBT, at least, in the mind of any man of reflection, whether supporting a set of men in a sort of affluence and laziness, for preaching a kind of mechanist sermon, probably once a week, is of any benefit to the community at large or not?

tishly here, and be one of the first found in trangression ! This transgression also fell within my precincts: I should have cried out against the wickedness; but I let Mansoul lie wallowing in it, until it had driven Emanuel from its borders. With these things he also charged all the lords and gentry of Mansoul, to the almost distracting of them, Ps. lxxxviii.

About this time also there was a great sickness in the town of Mansoul, and most of the inhabitants were greatly afflicted: yea, the captains also and men of war were brought thereby to a languishing condition, and that for a long time together; so that in case of an invasion, nothing could to purpose now have been done, either by the townsmen or field officers, Heb. xii. 12, 13. Rev. iii. 2. Isa. iii. 24. Oh how many pale faces, weak hands, feeble knees, aed straggering men, were now seen to walk the streets of Mansoul! Here were groans, there pants, and yonder lay those that were ready to faint.*

The garments too, which Emanuel had given them, were but in a sorry case; some were rent, some were torn, and all in a nasty condition; some also hung so loosely upon them, that the next bush they came at was ready to pluck them off.

After some time spent in this sad and desolate condition, the subordinate preacher called for a day of fasting, and to humble themselves for being so wicked against the great Shaddai and his Son: and he desired that captain Boanerges would preach; which he consented to do: and the day being come, his text was this, "Cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground?" and a very smart sermon he made upon the text. First, he shewed what was the occasion of the words, to wit, "because the fig-tree was barren." Then he shewed what was contained in the sentence, to wit, repentance or utter desolation. He next shewed by whose authority

this

Those, who in this life pursue the path of carnal security, oh scure the eye of faith, whose evidences become weaker, until revived by the word and Spirit of God.

this sentence was pronounced, and that was by Shaddai himself. And lastly, he shewed the reasons of the point: and then concluded his sermon. But he was very pertinent in the application, insomuch that he made poor Mansoul tremble: for this sermon, as well as the former, wrought much upon the hearts of the men of Mansoul; yea, it greatly helped to keep awake those that were roused by the preaching that went before * so that now throughout the whole town there was little or nothing to be heard or seen but sorrow and mourning and woe.

Now after sermon they got together, and consulted what was best to be done. But, said the subordinate preacher, I will do nothing of my own head, without advising with my neighbour Mr. Godly-fear. So they called and sent for Mr. Godly fear, and he forthwith appeared. Then they desired that he would further shew his opinion about what they had best to do: whereupon the old gentleman said as followeth: "It is my opinion that this town of Mansoul should in this day of her distress, draw up and send an humble petition to their offended Prince Emanuel, that he, in favour and grace, will turn again unto them, and not keep his anger for ever.

When the townsmen had heard this speech, they unanimously agreed to his advice; so they presently drew up their request: and the next question was, But who shall carry it? At last they all agreed to send it by my lord-mayor, who accepted the service, and addressed himself to his journey; after which, he came to the court of Shaddai, whither Emanuel the Prince of Mansoul was gone, Lam, iii. 8, 44; but the gate was shut, and a strict watch kept thereat; so that the petitioner was forced to stand without for a great while together. Then he desired that some would go in to the Prince, and tell him who stood at the gate, and also what his business

* Such is the fickle and inconstant nature even of the regenerate, that they have continual need that the gospel trumpet should alarm and awaken them.