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town, and admit your lord to come in. But if you fhall still rebel, when we have taken the town by force, we will swallow you up as the grave; wherefore if you will hearken to my fummons, fay fo; and if not, then let me know.

"The reason of this my fummons, quoth he, is, for that my lord is your undoubted prince and lord, as you yourfelves have formerly owned. Nor fhall that a fault that was given to my lord, when EMANUEL dealt fo dishonourably by him, prevail with him to lose his right, and to forbear to attempt to recover his own. Confider then, O Manfoul, with thyfelf, wilt thou fhew thyfelf peaceably. or not? If thou wilt quietly yield up thyfelf, then our old friendship fhall be renewed; but if thou wilt yet refuse and rebel, then expect nothing but fire and sword.” (a)

When the languishing town of Manfoul had heard this fummoner, and his fummons, they were yet more put to their dumps, but made the captain no answer at all; fo away he went as he came.

ans apply for
advice to their

After fome confultation among themselves, as also with The Manfouli fome of their captains, they applied themfelves afresh to the Lord Secretary for counsel. and advice from him; for this Lord SecreLord-Secretary. tary was their chief preacher (as mentioned before) only now he was ill at eafe; and of him they begged favour in these two or three things.

1. That he would look comfortably upon them, and not keep himself fo much retired from them as formerly. Alfo that he would be prevailed with to give them a hearing while they fhould make known their miserable condition to him. But to this he told them as before, That

(a) Satan and corrupt nature will to the laft breathe war against the foul. Be it our determination, through gracę, no to lay down our spiritual arms but with our life.

That as yet he was but ill at ease, and therefore could not do as he had formerly done.

2. The fecond thing they defired, was, that he would be pleased to give them his advice about their now fo important affairs, for that Diabolus was come and set before the town with no less than twenty thousand Doubters. They faid moreover, that both he and his captains were cruel men, and that they were afraid of them. But to this he said, You must look to the law of the Prince, and there fee what is laid upon you to do. (a)

3. Then they defired that his Highness would help them to frame a petition to SHADDAI, and unto EMANUEL his Son, and that he would fet his own hand thereto, as a token that he was one with them in it: For, faid they, my Lord, many a one have we fent, but can get no answer of peace, but now furely one with thy hand unto it, may obtain good for Manfoul,

But all the answer he gave to this, was, That they had offended EMANUEL, and had alfo grieved himself, and that therefore they must as yet partake of their own devices.

This answer of the Lord Secretary fell like a mill-stone upon them; yea, it crushed them fo, that they could not tell what to do, yet they durft not comply with the demands of Diabolus, nor with the demands of his captain, (b) Lam, i. 3. So then here were the ftraits that the town of Manfoul was in when the enemy of Manfoul. came upon her: her foes were ready to fwallow her up, and her friends forbore to help her,

The fad ftraits

Then

(a) We fhould fearch the Scriptures, plead the promises, and humbly wait on the Lord, in all his ways, for direction, trength, and comfort.

(6) The foul who has tafted that the Lord is gracious, though caft down, would not give up his little hope, nor return to fin and folly, for ten thoufand worlds.

Then ftood up my lord-mayor, whose name was my lord Understanding, and he began to pick and pick, until he had picked comfort out of that feemingly bitter faying of the Lord Secretary; for thus he defcanted upon it: Firft, faid he, This unavoidably follows upon the faying of my Lord, That we must yet fuffer for our fins. 2. But, quoth he, the word " yet" founds as if at last we should be faved from our enemies, and that, after a few more forrows, EMANUEL will come and be our help. Now the lord-mayor was the more critical in his dealing with the Secretary's words, because my Lord was more than a prophet, and because none of his words were fuch, but that at all times they were most exactly fignificant, and the townfmen were allowed to pry into them, and to expound them to their best advantage. (a)

So they took their leaves of my Lord, and returned to the captains, to whom they told what my Lord Secretary had faid, who, when they had heard it, were all of the fame opinion as was my lord-mayor himself; the captains therefore began to take courage, and prepared to make fome brave attempt upon the camp of the enemy, and to deftroy all that were Diabolonians, with the roving Doubters that the tyrant had brought with him to ruin the poor town of Manfoul.

The town of
Manfoul in

order.

So all betook themfelves forthwith to their places, the captains to their's, the lord-mayor to his, the fubordinate Preacher to his, and my lord Will-be-will to his. The captains longed to be at fome work for their Prince, for they delighted in warlike atchievements. The next day, therefore, they came together and confulted; and after confultation had, they refolved to give an answer to the captain of Diabolus with flings; and fo they did at the rifing of the fun on the morrow; for Diabolus had adventured to come nearer again,

(a) A divinely enlightened understanding is as the oracle of God: it will ever feek his glory. Let us pray for a right understanding in all things.

again, but the fling-ftones were to him and his, like hornets. For as there is nothing to the town of Manfoul fo terrible as the roaring of Diabolus's drum, fo there is nothing to Diabolus fo terrible as the well playing, of EMANUEL'S flings. (a) Wherefore Diabolus was forced to make another retreat, yet further off from the famous town of Manfoul. Then did the lord mayor of Manfoul caufe the bells to be rung, and that thanks fhould be fent to the Lord High Secretary by the mouth of the fubordinate Preacher; for that by his words the captains and elders of Manfoul had been strengthened against Diabolus.

When Diabolus faw that his captains and foldiers, high lords, and renowned, were frightened and beaten down by the ftones that came from the golden. flings of the Prince of the town of Manfoul, he bethought himself, and faid, I will try to catch them by fawning, I will try to flatter them into my net.

Diabolus chan

Wherefore after a while he came down again to the wall, not now with his drum, nor with captain Sepulchre, but having all ges his way, fo befugar'd his lips, he feemed to be a very fweet-mouthed, peaceable prince, defigning nothing for honour-fake, nor to be revenged on Manfoul for injuries by them done to him; but the welfare, and good, and advantage of the town and people therein, was now, as he faid, his only design. (b) Wherefore, after he had called for audience, and defired that the townsfolk would give it to him, he proceeded in his oration: and faid,

"Oh! the defire of my heart, the famous town of Manfoul, how many nights have I watched, and how many weary steps have I taken, if perhaps I might do thee good! I Pet. v. 8. Rev. xii. 10. Far be it, far be it from

(a) The prayer of faith: holy breathings and ejaculations of the foul to the Lord, who has promised not to caft out the prayer of the poor deftitute.

(b) Satan flatters to deceive, and then devours. Watch and pray.

Diabolus exerts himself to bring the townsfolk over to him.

from me to defire to make war upon you; if ye will but willingly and quickly deliver up yourselves unto me. You know that you were mine of old, Matt. iv. 8. Luke iv. 6, 7. Remember alfo, that fo long as you enjoyed me for your lord, and that I enjoyed you for my fubjects, you wanted for nothing of all the delights of the earth, that I, your lord and prince, could get for you; or that I could invent to make you bonny and blithe withal. Confider, you never had fo many hard, dark, troublefome, and heart-afflicting hours, while you were mine, as you have had fince you revolted from me, nor fhall you ever have peace again until you and I become one as before. Be but prevailed with to embrace me again, and I will grant, yea, enlarge your old charter with abundance of privileges, fo that your licence and liberty fhall be to take, hold, enjoy, and make your own, all that is pleasant from east to weft. (a) Nor fhall any of thofe incivilities, wherewith you have offended me, be ever charged upon you by me, fo long as the fun and moon endure. Nor fhall any of thofe dear friends of mine, that now, for the fear of you, lie lurking in dens and holes and caves in Manfoul, be hurtful to you any more; yea, they fhall be your servants, and fhall minifter unto you of their fubftance, and of whatever shall come to hand. I need fpeak no more, you know them, and have fome time fince been much delighted in their company; why then fhould we abide at fuch odds? Let us renew our old acquaintance and friendship again.

"Bear with your friend, I take the liberty at this time. to speak thus freely unto you. The love that I have to you, preffes me to do it, as alfo does the zeal of my heart for my friends with you; put me not therefore to further

(a) The temptations of Satan, the allurements of the world, and the corruptions of the heart, are subtle and powerful ene mies: but grace is almighty. "Afk, and ye fhall receive, that your joy may be full."