Then faid Diabolus, "O ye ftout Diabolonians, be it known unto you, that there is treachery hatched against us in the rebellious town of Man foul; for albeit the town is in our poffeffion, as you fee, yet thefe miferable Manfoulians have attempted to dare, and have been fo hardy as yet to fend to the court of EMANUEL for help. This I give you to underftand, that ye may yet know how to carry it to the wretched town of Manfoul. Wherefore, O my trusty Diabolonians, I command that yet more and more ye diftrefs this town of Manfoul, and vex it with your wiles, ravish their women, deflower their virgins, flay their children, brain their ancients, fire their town, and do what other mischief you can; (a) and let this be the reward of the Manfoulians from me, for their defperate rebellion against me."

Diabolus is en

raged against the
town of Man-

foul.

This you fee was the charge, but fomething stept in betwixt that and execution, for as yet there was but little more done than to rage.

Moreover, when Diabolus had done thus, he went the next day up to the castle gates, and demanded that, upon pain of death, the gates fhould be opened to him, and that entrance fhould be given him and his men that followed after. To whom Mr. Godly-fear replied (for he it was that had the charge of that gate,) "That the gate fhould not be opened unto him, nor to the men that followed after him." He said moreover, "That Manfoul, when fhe had fuffered awhile, fhould be made perfect, ftrengthened, and fettled.”

Satan cannot

Then faid Diabolus, "Deliver me then the men that have petitioned against me, efpeci- abide faith. ally captain Credence that carried it to your

Prince, deliver that varlet into my hands, and I will depart from the town.”

Then

(a) When temptations befet, fin invades, lufts rage, and evil tempers rife, and we are in danger of falling, let us look up, and say, "Lord fave, or I perish."

Then upstarts a Diabolonian, whofe name was Mr. Fooling, and faid, "My lord offereth you fair, it is better for you that one man perish, than that your whole Manfoul fhould be undone."

"How

But Mr. Godly-fear made him this replication, long will Manfoul be kept out of the dungeon, when she hath given up her faith to Diabolus! As good lofe the. town as lofe captain Credence; (a) for if one be gone, the other must follow." But to that Mr. Fooling faid nothing.

Then did my lord-mayor reply, and faid, "O thou devouring tyrant, be it known unto thee, we fhall hearken to none of thy words; we are refolved to refift thee as long as a captain, a man, a fling, and a stone to throw at thee, fhall be found in the town of Mansoul.”

But Diabolus anfwered, "Do you hope, Diabolus rages. do you wait, do you look for help and deli

but your

verance? You have fent to EMANUEL, wickednefs sticks too clofe in your fkirts, to let innocent prayer come out of your lips. Think you, that you fhall be prevailers, and profper in this defign? You will fail in your with, you will fail in your attempts; for it is not only I, but your EMANUEL is against you. Yea, it is he that hath fent me against you to fubdue you; for what then do you hope, or by what means will you escape?

The lord-mayor's fpeech juft at the time of the return of captain Credènce.

Then faid my lord-mayor, "We have finned indeed, but that shall be no help to thee, for our EMANUEL hath faid it, and that in great faithfulness," And him that cometh to me, I will in no wife caft out." He hath alfo told us (O our enemy) that "all manner of fin and blafphemy fhall be forgiven to the

fons

(a) When the fhield of faith is wanting, the foul is expofed to all the fiery darts of the wicked-one; "this is the victory

fons of men." Therefore we dare not defpair, but will look for, and wait for mercy. (a)

And now by this time captain Credence was come from the court from EMANUEL to the caftle of Manfoul, and he returned to them with a packet. So my lord-mayor, hearing that captain, Credence was come, withdrew himself from the noise of the roaring of the tyrant, and left him to yell at the wall of the town, or against the gates of the caffle. He then came up to the captain's lodgings, and, faluting him, asked him of his welfare, and what was the best news at court? But when he asked captain Credence that, the water ftood in his eyes. Then faid the captain, Chear up, my lord, for all will be well in time. And with that he first produced his packet, and laid it by, but that the lord-mayor and the rest of the captains took for a fign of good tidings. (Now a feafon of grace being come, he fent for all the captains and elders of the town that were here and there in their lodgings, in the caftie, and upon their guard, to let them know that captain Credence was returned from the court, and that he had fomething in general, and fomething in fpecial to communicate to them.) So they all came up to him, and faluted him, and afked him concerning his journey, and what was the best news at court? And he answered them as he had done the lordmayor before, that all would be well at aft

opened.

Now when the captain had thus faluted them, he opened his packet, and thence drew The packet out of it feveral notes for those that he had fent for. And the first note was for my lord-mayor, wherein was fignified: "The Prince EMANUEL had taken it well, that my lord-mayor had A note for my been fo true and trufty in his office, and the great concerns that lay upon him for the town and people

lord-mayor.

of

(a)" The vifion is for an appointed time-though it tarry, wait for it-in the Lord's best time, it shall come, and not tarry," Hab. ii. 3.

of Manfoul. Alfo he bid him to know that he took it well that he had been fo bold for his Prince EMANUEL, and had engaged fo faithfully in his cause against Diabolus. He alfo fignified at the clofe of his letter, that he should fhortly receive his reward." (a)

A note for my lord Will-bewill.

The fecond note that came out, was for the noble lord Will-be-will, wherein there was fignified, "That his Prince EMANUEL did well understand how valiant and courageous he had been for the honour of his Lord, now in his abfence, and when his name was under contempt by Diabolus. There was fignified alfo, that his Prince had taken it well that he had been fo faithful to the town of Manfoul, in his keeping of so strict a hand and eye over, and fo ftrict a reign upon the necks of the Diabolonians that ftill were lurking in their feveral holes in the famous town of Manfoul."

He fignified moreover, "that he understood that my lord had with his own hand done great execution upon some of the chief of the rebels there, to the great difcouragement of the adverse party, and to the good example of the whole town of Manfoul, and that fhortly his lordship fhould have his reward."

A note for the fubordinate Preacher.

The third note came out for the fubordinate Preacher, wherein was fignified, "That his Prince took it well from him, that he had fo honestly and fo faithfully performed his office, and executed the truft committed to him by his Lord, while he exhorted, rebuked, and forewarned Manfoul according to the laws of the town." He fignified moreover, "that he took it well at his hand, that he called to fafting, to fackcloth and afhes, when Manfoul was under her revolt. (b) Alfo

(a) The Lord will furely reward every good word and work. O that we may poffefs our fouls in patience, faith, hope, humility, and godly fear!

(b) If we humble ourselves under the mighty (though afflicting) hand of God, he will exalt us in due time; fee Pet. v. 6,

1

Also that he called for the aid of the captain Boanerges to help in fo mighty a work, and that fhortly he also should receive his reward."

Godly-fear.

The fourth note came out for Mr. Godly-fear, wherein his Lord thus fignified: A note for Mr. "That his Lordship obferved, that he was the first of all the men in Manfoul that detected Mr. Carnal-fecurity, as the only one that through his fubtlety and cunning had obtained for Diabolus a defection and decay of goodness in the bleffed town of Manfoul. Moreover, his Lord gave him to understand, that he still remembered his tears and mourning for the state of Manfoul." It was alfo obferved by the fame note, "that his Lord took notice of his detecting of this Mr. Carnal-fecurity at his table among his guests, in his own houfe, and that in the midst of his jollinefs, even while he was feeking to perfect his villainies against the town of Manfoul. EMANUEL alfo took notice, that this reverend perfon, Mr. Godly-fear, ftood ftoutly to it at the gates of the caftle against all the threats and attempts of the tyrant, and that he had put the townsmen in a way to make their petition to their Prince, fo as that he might accept thereof, and as that they might obtain an answer of peace; and that therefore fhortly he fhould receive his reward."

After all this, there was yet produced a note A note for the which was written to the whole town of town of ManManfoul, whereby they perceived, "That foul.

their Lord took notice of their fó often repeating petitions to him, and that they should see more of the fruits of fuch their doings in time to come."(a) Their Prince alfo therein told them, "that he took it well, that their heart and mind now at last abode fixed upon him and his ways, though

(a) If we perfevere in the ways of the Lord, not one jot or tittle fhall fail of all his promifes, which will furvive heaven and earth, and be fulfilling toward them that love him to all eternity.