that will do no good, which yet he propounds for the health of Manfoul.

He knows that against him for it of God, can never, by his obeying the law, deliver himfelf therefrom. (a) (To fay nothing of what a reformation is like to be fet up in Manfoul, when the devil is become the corrector of vice.) Thou knoweft that all that thou haft now faid in this matter is nothing but guile and deceit; and as it was the firft, fo is it the laft card that thou haft to play. Many there be that difcern thee, when thou fheweft them thy cloven foot; but in thy white, thy light, and in thy transformation, thou art feen but of a few. But thou shalt not do thus with my Manfoul, O Diabolus, for I do ftill love my Manfoul.

"Befides, I am not come to put Manfoul upon works, to live thereby; fhould I do fo, I fhould be like unto thee; but I am come, that by me, and by what I have and fhall do for Manfoul, they may be reconciled to my Father, though by their fin they have provoked him to anger, and though by the law they cannot obtain mercy.

"Thou talkeft of subjecting this town to good, when none defireth it at thy hands. I am fent by my Father to poffefs it myself, and to guide it, by the fkilfulness of my hands, into fuch a conformity to him as shall be pleafing in his fight. I will therefore poffefs it myself: I will dipoffefs and caft thee out: I will fet up mine own ftandard in the midst of them: I will alfo govern them by new laws, new officers, new motives, and new ways yea, I will pull down this town, and build it again, and it shall be as though

All things muft be new in Manfoul,

it

(a) Man having tranfgreffed the divine law in Adam his progenitor, there has, ever fince that fatal period, been an end of his righteoufnefs for ever; fee Gal. iii. 10. a better was then needful, to juftify him. By the law, the knowledge of our fin and mifery is revealed; but grace and truth comes by Chrift Jefus, through faith which worketh by love, Gal. v. 6.

it had not been, and it fhall be the glory of the whole universe." (a)

When Diabolus heard this, and perceived Diabolus conthat he was difcovered in all his deceits, he founded. was confounded, and utterly put to a non

plus; but having in himself the fountain of iniquity, rage, and malice against both SHADDAI and his Son, and the beloved town of Manfoul, what doth he but ftrengthen himself what he could to give fresh battle to the noble prince EMANUEL. So then, now we must have another fight before the town of Manfoul is taken. Come up then to the mountains, you that love to fee military actions, and behold by both fides how the fatal blow is given; while one seeks to hold, and the other feeks to make himself master of, the famous town of Manfoul.

New preparations for fight.

Diabolus defpairs of holding Mansoul, contrives to do it what mischief

and therefore

Diabolus therefore withdrew himself from the walls to his fort that was in the heart of the town of Mansoul; EMANUEL alfo returned to the camp; and both of them, after their divers ways, put themselves into a pofture fit to give battle one to another. Diabolus, as filled with despair of retaining in his hands the famous town of Manfoul, refolved to do what mischief he could (if indeed he could do any) to the army of the Prince, and to the famous town of Manfoul; for alas! it was not the happiness of the filly town of Manfoul that was defigned by Diabolus, but the utter ruin and overthrow thereof, as now is enough in view, Mark xxvi. 27. Wherefore he commands his officers that they fhould then, when they saw that they could hold the town no longer, do it what harm and mischief they could, rending and tearing

.

he can.

(a) When Chrift takes poffeffion of the foul by regene ration, he cafts out the buyers and fellers; old things pafs away, and all things become new; the defires, affections, hopes, fears, pursuits, ends, and aims, all happily tend to the glory of God, and the praife of his difcriminating grace,

tearing men, women, and children; (a) for, faid he, we had better quite demolish the place, and leave it a ruinous heap, than that it fhould be an habitation for EMANUEL.

EMANUEL again, knowing that the next battle would iffue in his being made mafter of the place, gave out a royal commandment to all his officers, high captains, and men of war, to be fure to fhew themselves men of war against Diabolus and all Diabolonians; but favourable, merciful, and meek to the old inhabitants of Manfoul. Bend therefore, faid the noble Prince, the hottest front, of the battle against Diabolus and his men.

The battle

joined, and they fight on both Tides fiercely.

So the day being come, the command was given, and the Prince's men ftood bravely to their arms; nor did, as before, bend their forces against Ear-gate and Eye-gate. The word was then, MANSOUL IS WON: fo they made their affault upon the town. Diabolus alfo, as fast as he could, with the main of his power, made refiftance from within, and his high lords and chief captains for a time fought very cruelly against the Prince's army.

Ear-gate broke open.

But, after three or four notable charges by the Prince and his noble captains, Ear-gate was broke open, and the bars and bolts, wherewith it was used to be faft shut up against the Prince, were broken into a thousand pieces. (b) Then did the Prince's trumpets found, the captains shout, the town shake, and Diabolus retreat to his hold. Well, when the Prince's forces had broke open the gate, himself came up, and did fet up his throne in it; alfo he fet his

The Prince's Itandard fet up, and the flings are played ftill at the caftle.

standard

(a) Hereby Satan's malice, and his enmity to man's felicity, appears; for whom he can no longer rule, he will perfecute, diftrefs, and tempt: but our Jefus is almighty and muft prevail, and his precious promifes are infallible.

(b) O bleffed event! A fure token for good, is an attentive ear! Saints and angels rejoice at it. See Ifa. xlii. 18. ly. Jer. xi. 2. James i. 16.

3.

*

* Confcience.

standard near it, upon a mount that his men had before caft up to place the mighty flings thereon. The mount was called mount Hear-well; there therefore the Prince abode, to wit, hard by the going in at the gate. He commanded alfo that the golden flings (a) fhould yet be played upon the town, efpecially against the caftle, becaufe for fhelter thither was Diabolus retreated. Now from Ear-gate the ftreet was ftrait, even to the houfe of him who was the recorder before, Diabolus took the town; and hard-by his houfe ftood the caftle, which Diabolus for a long time had made his irkfome den. The captains therefore quickly cleared the street by the use of their flings, fo that way was made up to the heart of the town. Then the Prince commanded that captain Boanerges, captain Conviction, and captain Judgment, fhould forthwith march up the town to the old gentleman's gate. Then did the captains in moft warlike manner enter into the town of Mansoul, and, marching in with flying colours, they came up to the Recorder's houfe (and that was almost as ftrong as the caftle). Battering-rams they took alfo with them, to plant against the caftle-gates. When they were come to the houfe of Mr. Confcience, they knocked, and demanded entrance. (b) Now the old gentleman, not knowing as yet fully their defign, kept his gates fhut all the time of this fight. Wherefore Boanerges demanded entrance at his and gates; no' man making anfwer, he gave it one stroke with the head of a ram, and this made the old gentleman shake, and his houfe tremble and totter. Then came Mr. Recorder down to the gate, and as well as he could, with quivering lips, he asked who was there? Boanerges anfwered,

They go to the
Recorder's

house.

They demand.

entrance.

(a) The promises, brought home to the heart by the Spirit of God.

(b) Confcience is a faithful monitor, a witness for God in the foul; when awakened, it difcerns, loves, and approves the word, ways, and will of God in a reconciling Saviour. May we not reject it's friendly admonitions!

fwered, We are the captains and commanders of the great SHADDAI, and of the bleffed EMANUEL his Son, and we demand poffeffion of your house for the use of our noble Prince. And with that the battering-ram gave the gate another shake this made the old gentleman tremble the more, yet durft he not but open the gate: then the King's forces marched in, namely, They go in. the three brave captains mentioned before. Now the Recorder's houfe was a place of much convenience for EMANUEL, not only because it was near and fronted the caftle, the den where now Diabolus was; for he was now afraid to come out of his hold. As for Mr.

They keep themselves refervedly from the Recorder.

1

His house the feat of war.

Recorder, the captains carried it very refervedly to him: as yet he knew nothing of the great defigns of EMANUEL ; fo that he did not know what judgment to make, nor what would be the end of fuch thundering beginnings. (a) It was noifed in the town, how the Recorder's house was poffeffed, his rooms taken up, and his palace made the feat of war; and no fooner was it noifed abroad, but they took the alarm as warmly, and gave it out to others of his friends; and as, you know, a fnow-ball lofes nothing by rolling, fo in little time the whole town was poffeffed, that they muft expect nothing from the Prince but deftruction; and the ground of the business was this, the Recorder trembled, and the captains carried it ftrangely to him: fo many came to fee; but when they with their own eyes beheld the captains in the palace, and their battering rams ever played at the caftle-gates to beat them down, they were riveted in their fears, and it made them as in amaze. And, as I

faid,

(a) The confciences of the unconverted are in a profound lethargy; fome cannot be roufed but by the thundering terrors of the law; and, when wounded by the arrows of conviction, nothing but the blood of the Lamb of God, the balm of the divine Phyfician, can heal or comfort them.