Mansoul yet more vile ;* no way to destroy a soul like this; our old friend Balaam went this way, and prospered many years ago, Numb. xxxi. 16. Rev. ii. 14. Let this therefore stand with us for a maxim, and be to Diabolonians for a general rule in all ages: for nothing can make this to fail but grace, in which I would hope that this town has no share. But whether to fall upon them on a market-day, because of their cumber in business, that I would should be under debate. And there is more reason why this head should be debated, than why some other should; because upon this will turn the whole of what we shall attempt. If we time not our bussiness well, our whole project may fail. Our friends the Diabolonians say, that a market-day is best, for then will Mansoul be most busy, and have fewest thoughts of a surprise. But what if they should doubt their guards on those days, (and methinks nature and reason should teach them to do it?) and what if they should keep such a watch on those days, as the necessity of their present case requires? Yea, what if their men should be always in arms on those days? Then you' may, my lords, be disappointed in your attempts, and may bring our friends in the town to utter danger of unavoidable ruin. Beelzebub. Then said the great Beelzebub, There is something in what my lord hath said, but his conjecture may, or may not fall out. Nor hath my lord laid it down as that which must not be receded from: for I know that he said it only to provoke a warm debate thereabout. Therefore we must understand, if we can, whether the town of Mansoul has such sense and knowledge of her decayed state, and of the designs that we have on foot against her, as to set watch and ward at her gates, and to double them on market-days. But if, after Sin is of an hardening nature; God will bring back his people who forsake his ways, with scourges; they may fall foully, hut not finally. Sceptics are dangerous and potent enemies; they are dishonourable to God's free, sovereign, unasked, unmerited, and everlasting love and mercy. after inquiry made, it shall be found that they are asleep, then any day will do, but a market-day is best; and this is my judgment. Diabolus. Then quoth Diabolus, How should we know this? And it was answered, Inquire about it at the mouth of Mr. Profane. So Profane was called in, and asked the question, and he made his answer as follows: Profane. My lords, so far as I can gather, this is at present the condition of the town of Mansoul: they are decayed in their faith and love; Emanuel, their Prince, has given them the back; they send often by petition to fetch him again, but he makes no haste to answer their request; nor is there much reformation among them. Diabolus. I am glad that they are backward to a reformation, but yet I am afraid of their petitioning.However, their looseness of life is a sign that there is not much heart in what they do, and without the heart, things are little worth. But go on, my masters, I will divert you, my lords, no longer. Beelzebub. If the case be so with Mansoul, as Mr. Profane has described it to be, it will be no great matter what day we assail it; not their prayers nor their power, will do them much service. When Beelzebub had ended his oration, then Apollyon began. My opinion, said he, concerning this matter, is, that we go on fair and softly, not doing things in a hurry. Let our friends in Mansoul go on still to pollute and defile it, by seeking to draw it yet more into sin (for there is nothing like sin to devour Mansoul.) If this be done, and take effect, Mansoul itself will leave off to watch, petition, or any thing else, that should tend to her security and safety; for she will forget her Emanuel, she will not desire his company; and can she be gotten thus to live, her Prince will not come to her in haste. Our trusty friend, Mr. Carnal * Unless our services are the pure dictates of the heart, they are not worthy of being accepted by the Great Sovereign of the Universe, Carnal-security, with one of his tricks, drove him out of the town, and why may not my lord Covetousness, and my lord Lasciviousness, by what they may do, keep him out of the town? * And this I will tell you (not because you know it not, but) that two or three Diabolonians if entertained and countenanced by the town, of Mansoul, will do more to the keeping of Emanuel from them, and towards making the town our own, than an army or a legion that should be sent out from us to withstand him. Let therefore this first project that our friends in Mansoul have set on foot, be strongly and diligently carried on with all cunning and craft imaginable; and let them send continually under one guise or other, more and other of their men to play with the people of Mansoul; and then perhaps we shall not need to be at the charge of making a war upon them; or if that must of necessity be done, yet the more sinful they are, the less able will they be to resist us, and then the more easily shall we overcome them. And besides, suppose (and that is the worst that can be supposed) that Emanuel should come to them again, why may not the same means (or the like) drive him from them once more? Yea, why may he not, by their lapse into that sin again be driven from them for ever, for the sake of which he was at the first driven from them for a season? And if this should happen, then away will go with him his rams, his slings, his captains, his soldiers, and he leaveth Mansoul naked and bare. Yea, will not this town, when she sees herself utterly forsaken of her Prince, of her own accord open her gates again unto you? But. this must be done by time, a few days will not effect so great a work as this. When Apollyon had made an end of speaking, Diabolus began to blow out his own malice, and plead his own cause; and he said, My lords and powers of the cave, * A careless conduct will be destructive to human peace: but close walking is comfortable walking, and ensures God's presence. cave, my true and trusty friends, I have with much impatience, as becomes me, given ear to your long and tedious orations. But my furious gorge and empty paunch so lusteth after a repossession of my famous town of Mansoul, that whatever comes on't, I can wait no longer to see the events of lingering projects.* I must, and that without further delay, seek by all means I can to fill my insatiable gulf with the soul and body of the town of Mansoul. Therefore lend me your heads, your hearts, and your helps; now I am going to recover my town of Mansoul. When the lords and princes of the pit saw the flaming desire that was in Diabolus to devour the miserable town of Mansoul, they left off to raise any more objections, but consented to lend him what strength they could: though had Apollyon's advice been taken, they had far more fearfully distressed the town of Mansoul. But I say they were willing to lend him what strength they could, not knowing what need they might have of him, when they should engage for themselves, as he. Wherefore they fell to devising about the next thing propounded, to wit, what soldiers they were, and also how many, with whom Diabolus should go against the town of Mansoul, to take it; and, after some debate, it was concluded, according as in the letter the Diabolonians had suggested, that none was more fit for that expedition, than an army of terrible Doubters. They therefore concluded to send against Mansoul an army of sturdy Doubters. The number thought fit to be employed in that service, was between twenty and thirty thousand. So then the result of that great council of those high and mighty lords was, That Diabolus should even now out of hand beat up his drum for men in the land of Doubting, which land lieth upon the confines of the place called Hell-gate-hill, for men that might be employed *The malice of Satan never abates. Be it our concern to resist him; looking to God for armour, strength, and victory. Sceptics are dangerous and potent enemies; they are dishonourable to God's free, sovereign, unasked, unmerited, and everlasting love and mercy. employed by him against the miserable town of Mansoul. It was also concluded, that these lords themselves. should help him in the war, and that they would, to that end, head and manage his men. So they drew up a letter, and sent it back to the Diabolonians that lurked in Mansoul, and that waited for the coming back of Mr. Profane, to signify to them into what method they had put their design. The contents whereof follow. "From the dark and horrible dungeon of hell, Diabolus, with all the society of the prince of darkness, sends to our trusty ones, in and about the walls of the town of Mansoul, now impatiently waiting for our most devilish answer to their venomous and most poisonous design against the town of Mansoul. "Our native ones, in whom from day to day we boast, and in whose actions all the year long we greatly delight ourselves: We received your welcome, because highly esteemed letter, at the hand of our trusty and greatly beloved, the old gentleman, Mr. Profane; and do give you to understand, that when we had broken it up, and had read the contents thereof (to your amazing memory be it spoken) our yawning hollow-bellied place where we are, made so hideous and yelling a noise for joy, that the mountains that stand round about Hellgate-hill had like to have been shaken to pieces at the sound thereof. "We also could do no less than admire your faithfulness to us, with the greatness of that subtilty that now hath shewed itself to be in your heads to serve us against the town of Mansoul. For you have invented for us so excellent a method for our proceeding against that rebellious people, that a more effectual cannot be thought of by all the wits of hell. The proposals therefore which now at last you have sent us, since we saw them, we have done little else but highly approved and admired them. |