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Mansoul; you knowu bow from the first day that I bave been with you until now, I have bebaved myself among you, and what liberty and great privileges you have enjoyed under my government, I hope to your honour, and mine, and also to your content and delight. Now, my famous Mansoul, a noise of trouble there is abroad, of trouble to the town of Mansoul, sorry I am therefore for your sakes; for I received but now, by the post, from my Lord Lucifer (and be useth to bave good intelligence) that your old king Shaddai is raising of an army to come against you, to destroy you root and branch: And this, O Mansoul! is now the cause, that at this time I bave 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 list to seek my own ease, and to leave my Mansoul in all danger ; but my beart is so firmly united to you, and so unwilling am I to leave you, that I am willing to stand and fall with you, to thẻ utmost bazard that shall befall me. What say you? O my Mansoul! will you now desert 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.

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Then said Diabolus again, 'Tis in vain for us to hope for quarter, for this King knows not how to shew it. True, perhaps, he at his first sitting down before us, will talk of, and pretend to mercy, that thereby with the more ease, and less trouble, he may again make himself master of Mansoul; whatever therefore be should say, believe not one syllable or tittle of it, for all such language is but to overcome us, and to make us, while we wallow in our blood, the trophies of bis merciless victory. My mind is therefore, that we resolve to the last man, to resist him, and not to believe him on any terms; for in at that door will come our danger. But shall we be flattered out of our lives? I hope you know more of the rudiments of politics than to suffer yourselves so pitifully to be served.

But

But suppose he should, if he get us to yield, save some of our lives, or the lives of some of them that are underlings in Mansoul, what help will that be to you that are the chief of the town, especially you whom I have set up, and whose greatness has been procured by you through your faithful sticking to me? And suppose again, that he should give quarter to every one of you, be sure he will bring you into that bondage under which you were captivated before, or a worse, 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 you are for me, and it is better to die valiantly, than to live like pitiful slaves. But I say, the life of a slave will be accounted a life too good for Mansoul now. Blood, blood, nothing but blood is in every blast of Shaddai's trumpet against poor Mansoul now. Pray be concerned, I hear he his coming up, and stand to your arms, that now while you have any leisure, I may learn you some feats of war. Armour for you I have, and by me it is; yea, and it is sufficient for Mansoul from top to toe; nor can you be hurt by what his force can do, if you shall keep it well girt and fastened about you. Come, therefore, to my Castle, and harness yourselves for the war. There is helmet, breast-plate, sword, shield, and what not, that you will fight like men.

1. My Helmet, otherwise called an Head-piece, is hope of doing well at last, what lives soever you live, Deut. xxix. 19. This is that which they had, who said, that they should have peace, though they walked in the zvickedness of their heart, to add drunkenness to thirst; a piece of approved armour is this, and whoever has it, and can hold it, so long no arrow, dart, sword or shield can hurt him; this therefore keep on, and thou wilt keep off many a blow, my MansonÎ.

2. My breast-plate is a breast-plate of iron, Rev. ix. 9. I had it forged in mine own country, and all my soldiers are armed therewith; in plain language it is an hard heart, an heart as hard as iron, and as much past feeling as a stone; the which if you get and keep, neither mercy shall win you, nor judgment fright you. This therefore is a piece of armour, most necessary for all to put on that hate Shaddai, and that would fight against him under my banner.

3. My sword is a tongue that is set on fire of bell, Psa. Ivii. 4. and lxiv. 3, James iii. And that can bend itself to speak evil of Shaddai, his Son, his ways, and people. Use this, it has been tried a thousand times twice told; whoever bath it, keeps it, and makes that use of it as I would have him, can never be conquered by mine enemy.

4. My shield is unbelief, Job xv. 26. Psa. lxxvii. 3. Mark vi. 5, 6. or calling into question the truth of the word, or all the sayings that speak of the judgment that Shaddai has appointed for wicked men. Use this shield, many attempts he has made upon it, and sometimes, 'tis true, it has been bruised, but they that have writ of the wars of Emanuel against my servants, have testified that he could do no mighty work there, because of their unbelief: Now to handle this weapon of mine aright, it is not to believe things because they are true, of what sort, or by whomsoever asserted: if he speaks of judgment, care not for it; if he speaks of mercy, care not for it; if he promises, if he swears he would do to Mansoul, if it turns, no hurt, but good, regard not what is said, question the truth of all; for it is to yield the shield of unbelief aright, and as my servants ought and do: And he that does otherwise loves me not, nor do I count him but an enemy to me.

5. Another part or piece, said Diabolus, of mine excellent armour, is a dumb and prayerless spirit, a spirit

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that

that scorns to cry for mercy; wherefore be you, my Mansoul, sure that you make use of this. What, cry for quarter! Never do that if you would be mine; I know you are stout men, and am sure that I have clad you with that which is armour of proof; wherefore to cry to Shaddai for mercy, let that be far from you: Besides all this, I have a maul, fire-brands, arrows, and death, all good hand weapons, and such as will do execution.

After he had thus furnished his men with armour and arms, he addressed himself to them in such like words as these: Remember, quoth he, that I am your rightful King, and that you have taken an oath, and entered into covenant to be true to me and to my cause; I say, remember this, and shew yourselves stout and valiant men of Mansoul. Remember also the kindness I have always shewed to you, and that without your petition. I have granted to you external things, wherefore the privileges, grants, inraunities, profits, and honours wherewith I have endowed you, do call forth at your hands, returns of loyalty, my lion-like men of Mansoul: And when so fit a time to shew it, as when another shall seek to take my dominion over you into their own hands? One word more, and I have done: Can we but stand, and overcome this one shock or brunt, I doubt not but in little time all the world will be ours. And when that day comes, my true hearts, I will make you kings, princes, and captains, and what brave days shall

we have then!

Diabolus having thus armed and fore-armed his servants and vassals in Mansoul, against their good and lawful King Shaddai, in the next place he doubleth his guards at the gates of the town, and betakes himself to the castle, which was his strong hold: His vassals also, to shew their wills, and supposed (but ignoble) gallantry, exercise them in their arms every day, and teach

one

one another feats of war; they also defied their enemies, and sung up the praises of their tyrant; they threatened also what men they would be, if ever things should rise so high as a war between Shaddai and their king.

Now all this time, the good King Shaddai, was preparing to send an army to recover the town of Mansoul again from under the tyranny of their pretended king Diabolus: But he thought good at the first, not to send them by the hand and conduct of brave Emanuel his Son, but under the hand of some of his servants, to see first by them the temper of Mansoul; and whether by them they would be won to the obedience of their King. The army consisted of above forty thousand, all true men: For they came from the King's own court, and were those of his own choosing.

They came up to Mansoul under the conduct of four stout Generals, each man being captain of ten thousand men, and these are their names, and their signs. The name of the first was Boanerges; the name of the second was Captain Conviction; the name of the third, Captain Judgment; and the name of the fourth was Captain Execution. These were the captains that Shaddai sent to regain Mansoul.

These four captains, as was said, the King thought fit in the first place to send to Mansoul, to make an attempt upon it; for indeed, generally in all his wars, he did use to send these four captains in the van, for they were very stout and rough hewn men (Psa, lx. 4.); men that were fit to break the ice, and to make their way by dint of sword, and their men were like themselves.

To each of these captains the King gave a banner, that it might be displayed, because of the goodness of his cause, and because of the right that he had to Mansoul. First to Capt. Boanerges, for he was the chief, to him, I say was given ten thousand men ;

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