to them, saying, "Alas, my poor Mansoul! I have done thee indeed this service, as to promote thee to honour, and to greaten they liberty; but alas! alas! poor Mansoul, thou wantest now one to defend thee; for assure thyself, when Shaddai shall hear what is done, he will come; for sorry will he be that thou has broken his bonds, and cast his cords away from thee. What wilt thou do? Wilt thou, after enlargement, suffer thy privileges to be invaded and taken away? or what wilt thou resolve for thyself? Then they all with one consent said to this Bramble, "Do thou reign over us." So he accepted the motion, and became the king of the town of Mansoul. This being done, the next thing was, to give him possession of the castle, and so of the whole strength of the town. Wherefore into the castle he goes (it was that which Shaddai built in Mansoul, for his own delight and pleasure :) this was now become a den and hold for the giant Diabolus. Now having got possession of this stately palace or castle, what doth he, but make it a garrison for himself, and strengthens and fortifies it with all sorts of provisions against king Shaddai, or those that should endeavour the regaining of it to him and his obedience again. This done, but not thinking himself yet secure enough, in the next place he bethinks himself of newmodelling the town: and so he does, setting up one, and putting down another at pleasure. Wherefore my lord mayor, whose name was my lord Understanding, and Mr. Recorder, whose name was Mr. Conscience, these he put out of place and power.* As * Thus the holiness of God being obliterated, Satan, with all his horrid crew of lusts and vile affections, gained admittance: the understanding was perverted, and the affections estranged; the dreadful result was, "Foul distrust, and breach Disloyal on the part of man; revolt And in my hearing, that he had lived a thousand miles off them; his company, his words, yea, the sight of him, and especially when they remembered how in old times he did use to threaten and condemn them (for all he was now so debauched,) did terrify and afflict them sore. But all their wishes were vain; for I don't know how, unless by the power of Shaddai, and his wisdom, he was preserved in being amongst them. Besides, his house was as strong as a castle, and stood hard by a stronghold of the town: moreover, if at any time any of the crew or rabble(k) attempted to make him away, he could pull up the sluices, () and let in such floods as would drown all round about him. But to leave Mr. Recorder, and to come to my lord Will-be-will, (m) another of the famous town of Mansoul. This Will-be-will was as high born in Mansoul, and was as much, if not more, a freeholder, than many of them were: besides, if I remember my tale aright, he had some privileges peculiar to himself in the famous town of Mansoul, Now, together with these, he was a man of great strength, resolution, and courage, nor in his occasion could any turn him away. But I say, whether he was proud of his estate, privileges, strength, or what, (but sure it was through pride of something,) he scorns now to be a slave in Mansoul;* and therefore resolves to bear office under Diabolus, that he might (such a one as he was) be a petty ruler and governor in Mansoul; and (headstrong man that he was) thus he began betimes; for this man, when Diabolus (k) Ill thoughts. (1) of fears. (m) The will. did *The wickedness of human nature arises from the rebellion of the will against God's righteous word and way. Man lost every good by following his own will, and in order to regain it, he must deny himself. Our will is naturally sinful, corrupt, and perverse. Jesus, for our sakes, came not to do his own will, John vi. 38. May the same mind be in us! that so we may be disposed, by divine grace, to do and suffer the whole will of God; and "no longer live in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God," 1 Pet. iv. 2. did make his oration at Ear-gate, was one of the first that was for consenting to his words, and for accepting of his counsel as wholesome, and that was for opening the gate, and letting him into the town; wherefore Diabolus had a kindness for him, and for that reason designed him for a place; and, perceiving the valour and stoutness of the man, he coveted to have him for one of his great ones, to act and do in matters of the highest concern. So he sent for him, and talked with him of that secret matter which lay in his breast; but there needed not much persuasion in the case: for as at first he was willing that Diabolus should be let into the town, so now he was as willing to serve him there. When the tyrant, therefore perceived the willingness of my lord to serve him, and that his mind stood bending that way, he forthwith made him captain of the castle,* governor of the wall, and keeper of the gates of Mansoul: yea, there was a clause in his commission, that nothing without him should be done in all the town of Mansoul: so that now, next to Diabolus himself, who but my lord Will-be-will, in all the town of Mansoul! nor could any thing be now done, but at his will and pleasure, throughout the town of Mansoul, Rom. viii. 7. He had also one Mr. Mind for his clerk; a man, to speak on, every way like his master; for he and his lord were in principle one, and in practice not far asunder, Eph. ii. 2, 3, 4. And now was Mansoul brought under the purpose, and made to fulfil the lusts of the will, and of the mind. But By this, and the two following places, we are to understand, the heart, the flesh, and the senses. The judgment, whereby we distinguish between good and evil; it is the source of ideas, sensation, and recollection: it is also that faculty which acts in subordination to the will, and determines on the mode of conduct to be pursued. This arbitrary principle may not improperly be termed the eye of the soul. E As for my lord mayor, though he was an understanding man, and one too that had complied with the rest of the town of Mansoul in admitting the giant into the town, 2 Cor. x. 4. 5. yet Diabolus thought not fit to let him abide in his former lustre and glory, because he was a seeing man, Eph. iv. 18. 19. wherefore he had darkened him not only by taking from him his office and power, but by building of an high and strong tower, just between the sun's reflections and the windows of my lord's palace; by which means the house, and the whole of his habitation, was made as dark as darkness itself and thus, being aleniated from the light, he became as one that was born blind. To this house my lord was confined, as to a prison; nor might he, upon his parole, go further than within his own bounds. And now, had he had an heart to do for Mansoul, what could he do for it, or wherein could he be profitable to her? So then, so long as Mansoul was under the power and government of Diabolus (and so long it was under him, as it was obedient to him; which was even until by a war it was rescued out of his hand ;) so long my lord mayor was rather an impediment in, than an advantage to, the famous town of Mansoul. As for Mr. Recorder, before the town was taken, he was a man well read in the laws of his King, and also a Man of courage and faithfulness to speak truth on every occasion; and he had a tongue as bravely hung as he had an head filled with judgment. Now this man, Diabolus could by no means abide, because, though he gave his consent to his coming into the town, yet he could And disobedience: on the part of heaven, MILTON. Sin expelled the angels from heaven, man from paradise, and, if unatoned for, through hardness of heart, impenitence, and unbelief, will shut up both soul and body in the prison of hell for ever. could not, by all wiles, trials, stratagems, and devices. that he could use, make his own. True, he was much degenerated from his former king, and also much pleased with the giant's service, and many of his laws. But this would not do, for as much as he was not wholly his; he would now and then think upon Shaddai, and have a dread of his law upon him, and then he would speak against Diabolus with a voice as great, as when a lion roareth:* yea, and would also at certain times, when his fits were upon him (for you must know, that sometimes he had terrible fits,) make the whole town of Mansoul shake with his voice: and therefore the new king of Mansoul could not abide him. Diabolus therefore feared the Recorder more than any that was left alive in the town of Mansoul, because, as I said, his words did shake the whole town! they were like the rattling of thunder, and also like thunder-claps. Since therefore the giant could not make him wholly his own, what doth he do, but studies all that he could to debauch the old gentleman, and by debauchery, to stupify his mind, and more harden his heart in the ways of vanity. And as he attempted, so he accomplished his design: he debauched the man, and by little and little so drew him into sin and wickedness, that at last he was not only debauched as at first, * The principal reason why such multitudes live and die in their sins, is, because they stifle the friendly checks and warnings of conscience, which if encouraged, might, through divine grace, point the way to self-knowledge, and an interest in the Redeemer: but alas! poor, blind, obstinate sinners, by mistaking the benevolent end in◄ tended by this inward consciousness of good and evil, endeavour by vain pleasures, to suppress all thoughts as might lead to the momen tous duty of consideration; till by continuance in sin their consciences are seared as with a hot iron, 1 Tim. iv. 6. But this is the condemnation," saith our Lord," that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil." To such Dr. Young has given most excellent advice: "O give it leave to speak; For it will speak ere long! O hear it now, |