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Mr.

But when all came to all, his parley was turned into a
summons to the town, to deliver up themselves: but
they gave him neither heed nor hearing, for they re-
membered what at first it cost them to hear him a few
words.

The next night he sends again, and then who should be his messenger to Mansoul, but the terrible captain Sepulchre; so captain Sepulchre came up to the walls of Mansoul, and made this oration to the town:

But if

"O ye inhabitants of the rebellious town of Mansoul? I summons you in the name of the prince Diabolus, that without any more ado you set open the gates of your town, and admit your lord to come in. you shall still rebel, when we have taken the town by force, we will swallow you up as the grave; wherefore if you will hearken to my summons, say so; and if not, then let me know.

"The reason of this my summons, quoth he, is, for that my lord is your undoubted prince and lord, as you yourselves have formerly owned. Nor shall that assault that was given to my lord, when Emanuel dealt so dishonourably by him, prevail on him to lose his Fight, and to forbear to attempt to recover his own. Consider then, O Mansoul, with thyself, wilt thou shew thyself peaceably, or not? If thou wilt quietly yield up thyself: then our old friendship shall be renewed; but if thou wilt yet refuse, then expect nothing but fire and sword."*

When the languishing town of Mansoul had heard this summoner, and his summons, they were yet more put to their dumps, but made the captain no answer at all; so away he went as he came.

After some consultations among themselves, as also with some of their captains, they applied themselves afresh to the Lord Secretary for counsel and advice from him; for this Lord Secretary was their chief preacher

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* Satan and corrupt nature will to the last breathe war against the soul. Be it our determination not to lay down our spiritual arms but with our lite.

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(as mentioned before) only now he was ill at ease; and of him they begged favour in these two or three things.

1. That he would look comfortably upon them, and not keep himself so much retired from them as formerly. Also that he would be prevailed with to give them a hearing while they should make known their miserable condition to him. But to this he told them as before, That as yet he was but ill at ease, and therefore could not do as he had formerly done.

2. The second thing they desired, was, that he would be pleased to give them his advice about their now so important affairs, for that Diabolus was come and set before the town with no less than twenty thousand Doubters. They said moreover, that both he and his captains were cruel men, and that they were afraid of them. But to this he said, You must look to the law of the Prince, and there see what is laid upon you to do.*

3. Then they desired that his highness would help them to frame a petition to Shaddai, and unto Emanuel his Son, and that he would set his own hand thereto, as a token that he was one with them in it: For, said they, my Lord, many a one have we sent, but can get no answer of peace, but now surely one with thy hand unto it, may obtain good for Mansoul.

But all the answer he gave to this, was, That they had offended Emanuel, and had also grieved himself, and that therefore they must as yet partake of their own devices.

This answer of the Lord Secretary fell like a millstone upon them; yea, it crushed them so, that they could not tell what to do, yet they durst not comply with the demands of Diabolus, nor with the demands of his captain, Lam. i. 3. So then here were the straits that

We are here shewn into what a dangerous state a man may be drawn by leading a sort of a heedless unthinking life. This cannot be too much impressed on the human mind: let us watch and be sober, in order that we may be able to repel the attacks of Satan.

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that the town of Mansoul was in when the enemy came upon her: her foes were ready to swallow her up, and her friends forbore to help her.

Then stood up my lord-mayor, whose name was my lord Understanding, and he began to pick and pick, until he had picked comfort out of that seemingly bitter saying of the Lord Secretary; for thus he descanted upon it: First, said he, This unavoidably follows upon the saying of my Lord, That we must yet suffer for our sins. 2. But, quoth he, the word " yet" sounds as if at last we should be saved from our enemies, and that, after a few more sorrows, Emanuel will come and be our help. Now the lord-mayor was the more critical in his dealing with the Secretary's words, because my lord was more than a prophet, and because none of his words were such, but that at all times they were most exactly significant, and the townsmen were allowed to pry into them, and to expound them to their best advantage.*

So they took their leaves of my Lord, and returned to the captains, to whom they told what my Lord Secretary had said, who, when they had heard it, were all of the same opinion as was my lord-mayor himself; the captains therefore began to take courage, and prepared to make some brave attempt upon the camp of the enemy, and to destroy all that were Diabolonians, with the roving Doubters that the tyrant had brought with him to ruin the poor town of Mansoul.

So all betook themselves forthwith to their places, the captains to their's, the lord-mayor to his, the subordinate Preacher to his, and my lord Will-be-will to his. The captains longed to be at some work for the Prince, for they delighted in warlike achievements. The next day, therefore, they came together and consulted; and after consultation had, they resolved to give

A divinely enlightened mind may be compared to the oracle of God: it will ever seek his glory. Let us pray for a right understand ing in all things.

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give an answer to the captain of Diabolus with slings; and so they did at the rising of the sun on the morrow; for Diabolus had ventured to come nearer again, but the sling-stones were to him and his, like hornets. For as there is nothing to the town of Mansoul so terrible as the roaring of Diabolus's drum, so their is nothing to Diabolus so terrible as the well playing of Emanuel's slings. Wherefore Diabolus was forced to make another retreat, yet further off from the famous town of Mansoul. Then did the lord mayor of Mansoul cause the bells to be rung, and that thanks should be sent to the Lord High Secretary, by the mouth of the subordinate Preacher; for that by his words the captains and elders of Mansoul had been strengthened against Diabolus. When Diabolus saw that his captains and soldiers, high lords, and renowned, were frightened and beaten down by the stones that came from the golden slings of the Prince of the town of Mansoul, he bethought himself, and said, I will try to catch them by fawning, I will try to flatter them into my

net.

Wherefore after a while he came down again to the wall, not now with his drum, nor with captain Sepulchre, but having all so besugared his lips, he seemed to be a very smooth-mouthed, peaceable prince, designing nothing for honour-sake, nor to be revenged on Mansoul for injuries done by them done to him; but the welfare, and good, and advantage of the town and people therein, was now, as he said, his only design. Wherefore, after he had called for audience, and desired that the townsfolk would give it to him, he proceeded in his oration: and said,

"Oh! the desire of my heart, the famous town of Mansoul, how many nights have I watched, and how many weary steps have I taken, if perhaps I might do

thee

By Emanuel's slings is meant the Prayer of faith; holy breathings and ejaculations of the soul to the Lord, who has promised not to cast out the prayer of the poor and destitute.

thee good! 1 Pet. v. 8. Rev. xii. 10. Far be it, far be it from me to desire to make war upon you; if ye will but willingly and quickly deliver up yourselves unto me. You know that you were mine of old, Matt. iv. 8. Luke iv. 6, 7. Remember also, that so long as you enjoyed me for your lord, and that I enjoyed you for my subjects, you wanted for nothing of all the delights of the earth, that I, your lord and prince, could get for you or that I could invent to make you bonny and blithe withal. Consider, you never had so many hard, dark, troublesome, and heart-afflicting hours, while you were mine, as you have had since you revolted from me, nor shall you ever have peace again until you and I become one as before. Be but prevailed with to embrace me again, and I will grant, yea, enlarge your old charter with abundance of privileges, so that your licence and liberty shall be to take, hold, enjoy, and make your own, all that is pleasant from east to west.* Nor shall

any of those incivilities, wherewith you have offended me, be ever charged upon you by me, so long as the sun and moon endure. Nor shall any of those dear friends of mine, that now, for the fear of you, lie lurking in dens, and holes, and caves, in Mansoul, be hurtful to you any more; yea, they shall be your servants, and shall minister unto you of their substance, and of whatever shall come to hand. I need speak no more, you know them, and have some time since been much delighted in their company; why then should we abide at such odds? Let us renew our old acquaintance and friendship again.

"Bear with your friend, I take the liberty at this time to speak thus freely unto you. The love that I have to you, presses me to do it, as also does the zeal of my heart for my friends with you; put me not therefore to further trouble, nor yourselves to further frights.

* Satan is conscious of the weakness of the human heart, and will incessantly hold out every lucre which he thinks may be likely to ensnare it; but grace is almighty. "Ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full."

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