"Secondly, O thou master of the lie, this town Emmanuel's of Mansoul is mine :— “1. For that I am my Father's heir, his firstborn, and the only delight of his heart. I am therefore come up against thee in mine own right, even to recover mine own inheritance out of thine hand. answer to Diabolus. Heb. 1. 2. John 16. 15. 66 2. But further, as I have a right and title to Mansoul by being my Father's heir, so I have also by my Father's donation. His it was, and he gave John 17. it me; nor have I at any time offended my Father, that he should take it from me, and give it to thee. Isa. 50. 1. Nor have I been forced, by playing the bankrupt, to sell or set to sale to thee my beloved town of Mansoul. Mansoul is my desire, my delight, and the joy of my heart. But "3. Mansoul is mine by right of purchase. I have bought it, O Diabolus, I have bought it to myself. Now, since it was my Father's, and mine, as I was his heir, and since also I have made it mine by virtue of a great purchase, it followeth that, by all lawful right, the town of Mansoul is mine, and that thou art a usurper, a tyrant, and traitor, in thy holding possession thereof. Now, the cause of my purchasing of it was this: Mansoul had trespassed against my Father; now my Father had said, that in the day that they broke his law they should die. Now, it is more possible for heaven Matt. 5. 18 and earth to pass away than for my Father to break his word. Wherefore, when Mansoul had sinned indeed by hearkening to thy lie, I put in and became a surety to my Father, body for body, and soul for soul, that I would make amends for Mansoul's trans O sweet Emmanuel! A word from Emmanuel to Mansoul. gressions, and my Father did accept thereof. So, when the time appointed was come, I gave body for body, soul for soul, life for life, blood for blood, and so redeemed my beloved Mansoul. 66 4. Nor did I do this by halves: my Father's law and justice, that were both concerned in the threatening upon transgression, are both now satisfied, and very well content that Mansoul should be delivered. "5. Nor am I come out this day against thee, but by commandment of my Father; it was he that said unto me, 'Go down and deliver Mansoul.' "Wherefore be it known unto thee, O thou fountain of deceit, and be it also known to the foolish town of Mansoul, that I am not come against thee this day without my Father. "And now," said the golden headed Prince, "I have a word to the town of Mansoul." But so soon as mention was made that he had a word to speak to the besotted town of Mansoul, the gates were double-guarded, and all men commanded not to give him audience. So he proceeded and said, -“O unhappy town of Mansoul, I cannot but be touched with pity and compassion for thee. Thou hast accepted of Diabolus for thy king, and art become a nurse and minister of Diabolonians against thy sovereign Lord. Thy gates thou hast opened to him, but hast shut them fast against me; thou hast given him a hearing, but hast stopped thine ears at my cry. He brought to thee thy destruction, and thou didst receive both him and it: I am come to thee bringing salvation, but thou regardest me not. Besides, thou hast, as with sacrilegious hands, taken thyself, with all that was mine in thee, and hast given all to my foe, and to the greatest enemy my Father has. You have bowed and subjected yourselves to him, you have vowed and sworn yourselves to be his. Poor Mansoul! what shall I do unto thee? Shall I save thee?—shall I destroy thee? What shall I do unto thee? Shall I fall upon thee, and grind thee to powder, or make thee a monument of the richest grace? What shall I do unto thee? Hearken, therefore, thou town of Mansoul, hearken to my word, and thou shalt live. I am merciful, Mansoul, and thou shalt find me so: gates. shut me not out of thy Cant. 5. 2. "O Mansoul, neither is my commission nor in- John 12. 47. clination at all to do thee any hurt. Why fliest thou so fast from thy friend, and stickest so close to thine enemy? Indeed, I would have thee, because it becomes thee to be sorry for thy sin; but do not despair of life: this great force is not to hurt thee, but to deliver thee from thy bondage, and to reduce thee to thy obedience. "My commission, indeed, is to make a war upon Diabolus thy king, and upon all Diabolonians with him; for he is the strong man armed that keeps the house, and I will have him out: his spoils I must divide, his armour I must take from him, his hold I must cast him out of, and must make it a habitation for myself. And this, O Mansoul, shall Diabolus know when he shall be made to follow me in chains, and when Mansoul shall rejoice to see it SO. "I could, would I now put forth my might, cause G A word from Em manuel to Mansoul. Emmanuel prepares to make war upon Mansoul. that forthwith he should leave you and depart; but I have it in my heart so to deal with him, as that the justice of the war that I shall make upon him may be seen and acknowledged by all. He hath taken Mansoul by fraud, and keeps it by violence and deceit, and I will make him bare and naked in the eyes of all observers. "All my words are true. I am mighty to save, and will deliver my Mansoul out of his hand." This speech was intended chiefly for Mansoul, but Mansoul would not have the hearing of it. They shut up Ear-gate, they barricaded it up, they kept it locked and bolted, they set a guard thereat, and commanded that no Mansoulonian should go out to him, nor that any from the camp should be admitted into the town. All this they did, so horribly had Diabolus enchanted them to do, and seek to do for him, against their rightful Lord and Prince; wherefore no man, nor voice, nor sound of man that belonged to the glorious host, was to come into the town. So when Emmanuel saw that Mansoul was thus involved in sin, he calls his army together, (since now also his words were despised,) and gave out a commandment throughout all his host to be ready against the time appointed. Now, forasmuch as there was no way lawfully to take the town of Mansoul but to get in by the gates, and at Ear-gate as the chief, therefore he commanded his captains and commanders to bring their rams, their slings, and their men, and place them at Eye-gate and Ear-gate, in order to his taking the town. When Emmanuel had put all things in readiness to give Diabolus battle, he sent again to know of the town of Mansoul, if in peaceable manner they would yield themselves, or whether they were yet resolved to put him to try the utmost extremity ? They then, together with Diabolus their king, called a council of war, and resolved upon certain propositions that should be offered to Emmanuel, if he will accept thereof, so they agreed; and then the next was, who should be sent on this errand. Now, there was in the town of Mansoul, an old man, a Diabolonian, and his name was Mr Loth-to-Stoop, a stiff man in his way, and a great doer for Diabolus: him, therefore, they sent, and put into his mouth what he should say. So he went and came to the camp to Emmanuel, and when he was come, a time was appointed to give him audience. So at the time he came, and, after a Diabolonian ceremony or two, he thus began and said, "Great sir, that it may Tit. 1. 15. be known unto all men how good-natured a prince my master is, he hath sent me to tell your Lord Diabolus hand of his sends by the servant, M Stoop, and propounds Loth-to by him he conditions of peace. ship that he is very willing, rather than go to war, Mrk this! to deliver up into your hands one half of the town of Mansoul. I am therefore to know if your Mightiness will accept of this proposition." Then said Emmanuel, "The whole is mine by gift and purchase, wherefore I will never lose one half." Luke 13. 25. Then said Mr Loth-to-Stoop, "Sir, my master hath Mark this! said that he will be content that you shall be the nominal and titular Lord of all, if he may possess but a part." Then Emmanuel answered, "The whole is mine really, not in name and word only; wherefore I |