could, kept any that would from going out abroad, or that fought to bring these tidings to Manfoul, from coming into the Town. Secondly, This done, in the next place, Diabolus, that he might make Manfoul as fure as he could, frames A new oath and imposes a new oath and horrible covenant impofed upon upon the townsfolk, to wit, "That they should Manfoul. never defert him nor his government, nor yet betray him, nor feek to alter his laws: but that they fhould own, confefs, ftand by, and acknowledge, him for their rightful King, in defiance to any that do, or hereafter shall, by any pretence, law, or title whatever, lay claim to the town of Manfoul." Thinking, belike, that Shaddai had not power to absolve them If. xxviii. 15. from this covenant with death, and agreement with hell. Nor did the filly Manfoul stick or boggle at all this most monftrous engagement, but, as if it had been a fprat in the mouth of a whale, they fwallowed it without any chewing. Were they troubled at it? nay, they rather bragged and boasted of their fo brave fidelity to the tyrant their pretended king, fwearing that they would never be changelings, nor forfake their old lord for a new. Thus did Diabolus tie poor Mansoul faft. But Jealoufy, that never thinks itself strong enough, put him, in the next place, upon another exploit, which was yet more, if poffible, to debauch this town of Manfoul: wherefore he caused, by the hand of one Mr Filth, an odious, nafty, lafcivious piece of beastliness, ftical pamph- to be drawn in writing, and to be fet upon lets and filthy the Caftle gate; whereby he granted, and romances full gave licence to all his true and trufty fons in of ribaldry. Manfoul to do whatfoever their lustful appe tites prompted them to do; and that no man was to Odious athei ballads and let, let, hinder, or controul them, upon pain of incurring the displeasure of their prince. Now this he did for thefe reasons : 1. That the town of Manfoul might be yet made weaker and weaker, and fo more unable, Reafons of his fhould tidings come that their redemption thus doing. was defigned, to believe, hope, or confent to the truth thereof. For Reafon fays, the bigger the finner, the lefs grounds of hopes of mercy. 2. The fecond reafon was, If perhaps Emmanuel, the Son of Shaddai their King, by feeing the horrible and profane doings of the town of Manfoul, might repent, though entered into a covenant of redeeming them, of pursuing that covenant of their redemption; for he knew that Shaddai was holy, and that his Son Emmanuel was holy: yea, he knew it by woeful experience: for, for the iniquity and fin of Diabolus, was he caft from the higheft orbs. Wherefore, what more rational than for him to conclude that thus, for fin, it might fare with Manfoul? But, fearing alfo, left this knot should break, he, bethinks himself of another, to wit, 3. To endeavour to poffefs all hearts in the town of Manfoul, that Shaddai was raising of an army to come to overthrow and utterly to deftroy this town of Manfoul; (and this he did, to foreftall any tidings that might come to their ears of their deliverance): for, thought he, if I first bruit this, the tidings that might come after will all be fwallowed up of this; for what elfe will Mansoul say, when they fhall hear that they must be delivered, but that the true meaning is, Shaddai intends to deftroy them? Wherefore he fummons the whole Town into the market-place, and there, with a deceitful tongue, thus he addreffes him- confidering. felf unto them: F The place of hearing and of "Gen "Gentlemen, and my very good Friends, you are all, as you know, my legal fubjects, and men of the famous town of Manfoul; you know how, from the first day that I have been with you until now, I have behaved myself among you, and what liberty and great privileges you have enjoyed under my government, I hope to your honour and mine, and alfo to your content and delight: Now, my famous Manfoul, a noise of trouble there is abroad, of trouble to the town, of Manfoul; forry I am, therefore, for your fakes; for I received but now by the poft from my Lord Lucifer, (and he useth to have good intelligence) that your old King Shaddai is raifing of an army to come againft you, to deftroy you root and branch. And this, O Manfoul, is now the cause that, at this time, I have called you together; namely, to advise what, in this juncture, is best to be done: for my part, I am but one, and can with ease shift for myself, did I lift to feek my own eafe, and to leave my Manfoul in all danger; but my heart is fo firmly united to you, and fo unwilling am I to leave you, that I am willing to stand and fall with you, to the utmost hazard that shall befal me. What fay you, O my Manfoul? Will you now defert your old friend, or do you think of standing by me?" Then, as one man, with one mouth, they cried out together," Let him die the death that will not. Then faid Diabolus again, "It is in vain for us to hope for quarter; for this King knows not how to fhew it. True, perhaps, he, at his firft fitting down before us, will talk of, and pretend to mercy, that thereby, with the more eafe, and less trouble, he may again make himself the mafter of Manfoul: whatever, therefore, he fhall fay, believe not one fyllable or tittle of it; for all fuch language Very deceiv able lan guage. is but to overcome us, and to make us, while we wallow in our blood, the trophies of his merciless victory. My mind is, therefore, that we refolve to the laft man to refift him, and not to believe him upon any terms; for, in at that that door will come our danger. But, fhall we be flattered out of our lives? I hope you know more of the rudiments of politics, than to fuffer yourselves fo pitifully to be ferved. "But fuppofe he should, if he get us to yield, fave fome of our lives, or the lives of fome of them that are underlings in Manfoul, what help will that be to you that are the chief of the Town, especially of you whom I have fet up, and whose greatness has been procured by you through your faithful fticking to me? And, fuppofe again, that he should give quarter to every one of you, be fure he will bring you into that bon- Lying landage under which you were captivated be- guage. fore, or a worfe; and then, what good will your lives do you? Shall you with him live in pleasure as you do now? No, no; you must be bound by laws that will pinch you, and be made to do that which at present is hateful to you. I am for you, if ye are for me; and it is better to die valiantly than to live like He is afraid of pitiful flaves; but I fay, the life of a flave lofing of Manwill be counted a life too good for Manfoul now. foul. Blood, blood, nothing but blood, is in every blast of Shaddai's trumpet against poor Manfoul now. Pray be concerned, I hear he is coming up; and stand. to your arms, that now, while you have any leifure, I may learn you fome feats of war. Armour He puts them for you I have, and by me it is; yea, and it upon arming is fufficient for Manfoul from top to toe: can you be hurt by what his force can do, if you shall keep it well girt and faftened about you. Come there 2 F themfelves. fore fore, to my caftle and welcome, and harness yourselves for the war: there is helmet, breaft-plate, fword, and fhield, and what not, that will make you fight like men. "1. My helmet, otherwife called an bead-piece, is His helmet, hope of doing well at laft, what lives foever Deut. xxix. 19. you live. This is that which they had, who faid, that they should have peace, though they walked, in the wickednefs of their heart, to add drunkenness to thirft. A piece of approved armour this is; and whoever has it, and can hold it, fo long no arrow, dart, fword, or fpear, can hurt him: This, therefore, keep' on, and thou wilt keep off many a blow, my Manfoul. 2. My breaft-plate is a breaft-plate of iron; I had it forged in mine own country, and all my plate, Rev. foldiers are armed therewith. In plain language, it is an hard heart, an heart as hard as iron, and as much paft feeling as a stone; the which, if you get and keep, neither mercy fhall win you, nor judgment fright you. This, therefore, is a piece of armour moft neceffary for all to put on that hate Shaddai, and that would fight against him under my banner. His breaft ix. 9. His fword,Pfal. 3. My fword is a tongue that is fet on fire of hell, and that can bind itself to speak evil of vii. 4. & Ixiv. Shaddai, his Son, his ways and people: ufe it has been tried a thousand times twice told; whoever hath it, and makes that use of it, keep it, as I would have him, can never be conquered 3. Jam. iij. this; by mine enemy. His fhield, Job 4. My fhield is unbelief, or calling into queftion the truth of the word, or all the fayings that xv. 26. Pfalm fpeak of the judgment that Shaddai has apIxxvi. 3. Mark pointed for wicked men; ufe this fhield: many attempts he has made upon it, and fome vi. 5. |