Then faid Mr. Godly-fear as follows: (a) Sir, if you were not deftitute of an honest heart, you could not do as you have done, and do.'

Then faid Mr. Carnal-fecurity, Why?"

It is true,

Godly-fear. Nay, pray interrupt me not. the town of Manfoul was ftrong, and (with a provifo) impregnable; but you have weakened it, and it now lies obnoxious to it's foes; nor is it a time to be filent; it is you, Mr. Carnal-fecurity, that have ftripped Mansoul, and driven her glory from her; you have pulled down her towers, you have broken down her gates, you have fpoiled her locks and bars.

And now to explain myfelf: From that Mr. Godly-fear time that my lords of Manfoul, and you, explains himSir, grew fo great, from that time the felf.

Strength of Manfoul has been offended, and now he is rifen and is gone. If any fhall question the truth of my words, I will answer him by this and fuch-like questions: Where is the Prince EMANUEL? When did a man or woman in Mansoul see him? When did you hear from him, or taste any of his dainty bits? You are now a feasting with this Diabolonian monfter, but he is not your prince; I say therefore, tho' enemies from without, had you taken heed, could not have made a prey of you, yet fince you have finned against your Prince, your enemies within have been too hard for you.'

Then faid Mr Carnal-fecurity, Fie! Fie! Mr. Godly-fear, Fie! Will your never thake off your timoroufnefs? Are you afraid of being fparrow-blafted? Who hath hurt you? Behold, I am on your fide; only you are for doubting, and I am for being confident. Befides, is this a time to be fad in? A feaft is made for mirth; why then do you now, to your fhame and our trouble, break out into fuch paffionate, melancholy language, when you fhould eat and drink, and be merry?'

Then

(a) The whole of this converfation between Mr. Godly. fear and Mr. Carnal-fecurity is interesting, and teaches the true christian an useful lesson of watchfulness.

Then faid Mr. Godly-fear again, I may well be fad, for EMANUEL is gone from Manfoul: I fay again, he is gone, and you, Sir, are the man that has driven him away; yea, he is gone without fo much as acquainting the nobles of Manfoul with his going; and if that is not a fign of his anger, I am not acquainted with the methods of godlinefs.

His fpeech to the elders of

Manfoul.

And now, my lords and gentlemen, my fpeech is ftill to you. You gradually declining from him, provoked him to depart from you; the which he did gradually, if perhaps you would have been made fenfible thereby, and have been renewed by humbling yourfelves; but when he faw that none would regard, or lay thefe fearful beginnings of his anger and judgment to heart, he went away from this place; and this I faw with mine own eyes. Wherefore now, while you boaft, your ftrength is gone; you are like the man that had loft his locks which before waved about his fhoulders. (a) You may, with this lord of your feast, fhake yourselves, and think to do as at other times; but fince without him you can do nothing, and he is departed from you, turn your feast into a figh, and your mirth into lamentation.'

Confcience

Then the fubordinate preacher, old Mr. Confcience by name, he that of old was recor fartled. der of Manfoul, being ftartled at what was faid, began to fecond it thus:

Confcience. Indeed, my brethren, quoth he, I fear that Mr. Godly-fear tells us true: I, for my part, have not feen my Prince a long feafon. I cannot remember the day, for my part: nor can I anfwer Mr. Godly-fear's question. I am afraid that all is naught with Manfoul.'

Godly-fear. Nay, I know that you will not find him in Manfoul, for he is departed and gone; yea, and gone

(a) Namely, Samfon. See Judges xvi. 9.

for

for the faults of the elders, and for that they rewarded his grace with unfufferable unkindnesses.

Then did the fubordinate preacher, look as

if he would fall down dead at the table; alfo They are all aghaft. all there prefent, except the man of the house, began to look pale and wan. But having a little recovered. themselves, and jointly agreeing to believe Mr. Godly-fear and his fayings, they began to confult what was beft to be done [now Mr. Carnal-fecurity was gone into his withdrawing room, for he liked not fuch dumpifh doings] both to the man of the houfe, for drawing them into evil, and alfo to recover EMANUEL's love.

Then the faying of their Prince came very hot into their minds, concerning the falfe prophets that fhould arise to delude the town of Manfoul. So they took Mr. Carnal-fecurity (concluding that he was the perfon), and burnt his houfe upon him with fire, for he alfo was a Diabolonian by

nature.

and burn their They confult, feaft-maker.

When this was paft and over, they befpeed themselves to look for EMANUEL their prince, themselves to They apply Cant. v. 6, and "they fought him, but they the Holy Ghost; found him not," then were they more con- but he is griev firmed in the truth of Mr. Godly-fear's sayings, and began alfo feverely to reflect upon themfelves for their vile and ungodly doings; for they concluded now, that their Prince had left them. (a)

ed, &c.

Then they agreed and went to my lord Secretary, whom before they refused to hear, and had grieved with their doings, to know of him, (for he was a feer, and could tell where EMANUEL was,) how they might direct a petition to him. But the lord Secretary would not admit them to a conference about this matter, nor would admit them

to

(a) Sin grieves the holy Spirit, and caufes the Lord to hide his face-in humble, close walking with God, is our fafety, comfort, and peace; but departing from the Lord's ways brings darkness and distress to the foul.

No. 6.

Ea

to his royal palace, nor come out to them, Ifa. Ixiii, 10, Eph. iv. 30. 1 Theff. v. 19.

Now was it a day gloomy and dark, a day of clouds and of thick darkness with Manfoul. Now they faw that they had been foolish, and began to perceive what the company and prattle of Mr. Carnal-fecurity had done, and what defperate damage his fwaggering words had brought poor Manfoul into: but what further it was likely to coft them, that they were ignorant of. Now Mr. Godly-fear began to be in great repute with the men of the town; yea, they were ready to look upon him as a prophet.

Well, when the fabbath-day was come, they A thundering went to hear their fubordinate preacher; but fermon. Oh how did it thunder and lighten this day! His text was that in the prophet Jonah, "They that obferve lying vanities, forfake their own mercies," ch. ii. 8. But there was then fuch power and authority in that fermon, and fuch a dejection feen in the countenances of the people that day, that the like hath feldom been heard or feen. The people, when fermon was done, were scarce able to go to their homes, or to betake themselves to their employs the week after; they were fo fermon-fmitten, and alfo fo fermon-fick, that they knew not what to do, (a) Hof. vi. 13. He not only fhewed Manfoul The fubordinate preacher actheir fin, but trembled before them under the knowleges his fenfe of his own, ftill crying out of himself, fault, and beas he preached to them, "Unhappy man wails his comthat I am! that I fhould do a wicked thing! pliance with Mr. Carnal-fe that I, a preacher! whom the Prince did curity. fet up to teach Manfoul his law, fhould myfelf live fenfelefs and fottifhly here, and be one of the first found in tranfgreffion! This tranfgreffion alfo fell within

my

(a) Ordinances muft not be flighted; but are the most effectual means, under divine influence, for recovering the Lord's forfeited favour.

my precincts: I fhould have cried out against the wickednefs; but I let Manfoul lie wallowing in it, until it had driven EMANUEL from it's borders. With these things he also charged all the lords and gentry of Manfoul, to the almoft diftracting of them, Pf. lxxxviii.

in Manfoul.

About this time alfo there was a great ficknefs in the town of Manfoul, and most of Agreat fickness the inhabitants were greatly afflicted: yea, the captains alfo and men of war were brought thereby to a languishing condition, and that for a long time together; fo that in cafe of an invafion, nothing could to purpose now have been done, either by the townsmen or field officers, Heb. xii. 12, 13. Rev. iii. 2. Ifa. iii, 24. Oh how many pale faces, weak hands, feeble knees, and staggering men, were now feen to walk the streets of Manfoul! Here were groans, there pants, and yonder lay those that were ready to faint. (a)

The garments too, which EMANUEL had given them, were but in a forry cafe; fome were rent, fom were torn, and all in a nafty condition; fome alfo hung fo loosely upon them, that the next bush they came at was ready to pluck them off.

After fome time spent in this fad and defolate condition, the fubordinate preacher called for a day of fafting, and to humble themselves for being fo wicked against the great SHADDAI and his Son: and he defired that captain Boa nerges would preach; which he confented to do: and the day being come, his text was this, "Cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground?" and a very smart fermon he made upon the text. First, he fhewed what was the occafion of the words, to wit, "because the fig-tree was barren." Then he fhewed what was contained in the fentence, to

Boanerges
preaches in
Manfoul.

wit,

(a) A carnal careless walk obfcures the eye of faith, whose evidences become weaker, till revived by the word and Spirit of God.