though Diabolus had made fuch inroads upon them, and that, neither flatteries on the one hand, nor hardships on the other, could make them yield to ferve his cruel defigns. (a) There was alfo inferted at the bottom of this note, "That his Lordship had left the town of Manfoul in the hands of the lord Secretary, and under the conduct of captain Credence, faying, Beware that you yet yield yourfelves unto their governance, and in due time you shall receive your reward."

After the brave captain Credence had delivered his notes to thofe to whom they belonged, he retired himself to my lord Secretary's lodgings, and there fpends his time in converfing with him; for they two were very great one with another, and indeed knew more how things would go with Manfoul, than all the townfmen befides. The lord Secretary alfo loved captain Credence dearly, yea, many a good bit was fent him from my lord's table; alfo he might have a fhew of countenance when the reft of Manfoul lay under the clouds; so after fome time for converse was fpent, the captain betook himself to his chamber to rest. But not long after my lord fent for the captain again; fo the captain came to him, and they greeted one another with ufual falutations. Then faid the captain to the lord Secretary, "What hath my lord to say to his fervant?" So the lord Secretary took him and had him aside, and after a fign or two of more favour, he said, “ I have Captain Cremade thee the lord-lieutenant over all the forces in Manfoul; fo that from this day forward all men in Manfoul fhall be at thy word, and thou shalt be he that fhall lead in, and that fall lead out Manfoul. Thou fhalt therefore manage, according to thy place, the war for thy Prince, and for the town of Manfoul, against

dence made lord-lieutenant over all the

forces in Manfoul.

the

(a) For our encouragement to hope for victory, let us rely on the promife, that "God will give grace and glory to his people, and withhold from the upright no manner of thing that is good," Pf, lxxxiv. 11.

the force and power of Diabolus, and at thy command fhall the reft of the captains be." (a)

intereft the

defire to be put under the g vernment of captain Cre

The townfmen

Now the townfmen began to perceive what captain had, both with the court and alfo with the lord Secretary in Manfoul; for no man before could fpeed when fent, nor bring fuch good news from EMANUEL as he. Wherefore what do they (after fome lamentation that they made no more use of him in their diftreffes), but fend by their fubordinate Preacher to the lord Secretary, to defire him that all that ever they were and had might be put under the government, care, cuftody, and conduct of captain Credence.

dence.

So their Preacher went and did his errand, and received this answer from the mouth of his Lord, that captain Credence should be the great doer in all the king's army against the king's enemies, and alfo for the welfare of Manfoul. So he bowed to the ground, and thanked his Lordship, and returned and told his news to the townsfolk. But all this was done with all imaginable fecrefy, because the foes had yet great ftrength in the town. But to return to our story again ›

When Diabolus faw himself thus boldly confronted by the lord-mayor, and perceived the ftoutnefs of Mr. Godly fear, he fell into a rage, and forthwith called a council of war, that he might be revenged on Manfoul. So all the princes of the pit came together, and old Incredulity at the head of them, with all the captains of his army. So they confulted what to do. Now the effect and conclufion of the council that day was, how they might take the caftle, because they could not conclude themselves masters of the town fo long as that was in the poffeffion of their enemies.

(a) Every profeffor fhould examine whether they have the faith which works by love, and opposes fin and Satan : if not, afk of God, who giveth liberally, and upbraidech pot," James i. 5.

of war.

enemies. (a) So one advised this way, and another advised that; but when they could not agree in their verdict, ApolDifferent judg. lyon the prefident of the council ftood up, ments in Dia- and thus he began: " My brotherhood (quoth bolus's council he), I have fome things to propound unto you; and my firft is this: Let us withdraw ourfelves from the town into the plain again, for our prefence here will do us no good, because the caftle is yet in our enemies hands; nor is it poffible that we fhould take that, fo long as so many brave captains are in it, and this bold fellow Godly-fear is made the keeper of the gates

of it.

"Now when we have withdrawn ourselves into the plain, they of their own accord will be glad of fome little. eafe, and it may be of their own accord they again may begin to be remifs, and even their fo being will give them a bigger blow than we can poffibly give them ourselves. But if that fhould fail, our going forth of the town may draw the captains out after us, and you know what it coft them when we fought them in the field before. Befides, can we but draw them out into the fields, we may lay an ambush behind the town, which fhall, when they are come forth abroad, rufh in and take poffeffion of the caftle." But Beelzebub ftood up and replied, faying, It is impoffible to draw them all off from the castle; fome you

Beelzebub ha- may be fure will lie there to keep that;

rangues.

wherefore it will be but in vain thus to attempt, unless we were fure that they will all come out. He therefore concluded, that what was done must be done by fome other means. And the most likely means that the greatest of their heads could invent, was, that which Apollyon had advised to before, to wit, to get the townfinen again

(a) When the heart is on the Lord's fide, all is well; but the heart is deceitful and wicked: may the blood of Jefus. cleanse our's, and make it an habitation of God through the Spirit!

Manfoul can

not be taken, while the inhabitants do

not content to fin.

again to fin. (a) For, faid he, it is not our being in the town, nor in the field, nor our fighting, nor our killing of their men, that can make us the maflers of Manfoul; for fo long as one in the town is able to lift up his finger against us, EMANUEL will take their parts; and if he thall take their parts, we know what time a day it will be with us. Wherefore for my part, quoth he, there is in my judgment no way to bring them into bondage to us, like inventing a way to make them fin, 2 Pet. ii. 18, 19, 20, 21. Had we, faid he, left all our Doubters at home, we had done as well as we have done now, unlefs we could have made them the masters and governors of the castle; for Doubters at a distance are but like objections repelled with arguments. Indeed, can we but get them into the hold, and make them poffeffors of that, the day will be our own. Let us therefore withdraw ourfelves into the plain (not expecting that the captains in Manfoul thould fellow us), but yet I fay, let us do this, and before we fo do, let us advife again with our trufty Diabolonians that are yet in the holds of Manfoul, and fet them to work to betray the town to us; for they indeed must do it, or it will be left undone for ever. By these fayings of Beelzebub (for I think it was he that gave this counfel) the whole conclave was forced to be of his opinion, to wit, that the way to get the castle, was, to get the town to fin. Then they fell to inventing by what means they might do this thing.

Then Lucifer ftood up and faid, "The counfel of Beelzebub is pertinent; now the way to bring this to pafs, in mine opinion, is this: Let us withdraw our force

from

(a) A delight in fin will prove a dreadful evil to a believer, and caufe the holy Spirit to depart: on the contrary, a ha tred thereof, even in thought, denominates a child of God,

Lucifer propofes another ftrata

from the town of Manfoul; (a) let us do this, and let us terrify them no more, either with fummonfes or threats, or with the noife of our drum, or any other awakening means, Only let us lie in the field at a diftance, and be as if we regarded them not (for frights I fee do but awaken them, and make them ftand more to their arms). Į have also another ftratagem in my head: you know Manfoul is a market-town, a town gem for the tak- that delights in commerce; what therefore if ing of Manfoul, fome of our Diabolonians fhall feign themfelves far country-men, and fhall go out and bring to the market of Manfoul fome of our wares to fell; and what matter at what rates they fell their wares, though it be but for half the worth? Now let thofe that thus trade in their market, be those that are witty and true to us, and I will lay my crown to pawn, it will do. There are two that are come to my thoughts already, that I think will be arch at this work, and they are Mr. Penny-wife-pound-foolish, and Mr. Get-i'th'-hundred-and-lofe-i'th'-fhire; nor is this man with the long name at all inferior to the other, What alfo if you join with them Mr. Sweet-world, and Mr. Prefent-good, they ase men that are civil and cunning, but our true friends and helpers, Rev. iii. 17. Let thefe, with as many more engage in this bufinefs for us, and let Manfoul be taken up in much business, and let them grow full and rich, and this is the way to get ground of them; remember ye not, that thus we prevailed upon Laodicea, and how many at prefent do we held in this fnare? Now when they begin to grow full, they will forget their mifery, and, if we fhall not affright them,

may

(a) A ftate of fpiritual ease and profperity is dangerous; for we must, by the word and Spirit, in the strength of Jefus, fight every inch of our way to heaven and glory.