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may happen to fall asleep, and fo be got to neglect their town-watch, their caftle-watch, as well as their watch at the gates.

The deceitful

nefs of riches,

"Yea, may we not by this means fo cumber Manfoul with abundance, that they fhall be forced to make of their caftle a warehouse, instead of a garrifon fortified against us, and a receptacle of men of war? Thus if we get our goods and commo dities thither, I reckon that the caftle is more that half our's. Befides, could we fo order it, that they fhould be filled with fuch kind of wares, then, if we made a fudden affault upon them, it would be hard for the captains to take a shelter there. Do you know that of the parable, Luke viii. 14. "The deceitfulness of riches choaks the work." And again, "When the heart is overcharged with furfeiting and drunkenness, and the cares of this life, all mifchief comes upon them unawares," Chap. xxi. 34 35, 35,

"Furthermore, my lords, (quoth he), you very well know that it is not eafy for a people to be filled with our things, and not to have fome of our Diabolonians as retainers to their houses and fervices. Where is a Manfoulian that is full of this world, that has not for his fervants and waiting-men, Mr. Profufe, or Mr. Prodigality, or fome other of our Diabolonian gang, as Mr. Voluptuoufnefs, Mr. Pragmatical, Mr. Oftentation, or the like? Now thefe can take the caftle of Manfoul, or blow it up, or make it unfit for a garrifon for EMANUEL, and any of thefe will do. (a) Yea thefe, for aught I know, may do it for us fooner than an army of twenty thousand men. Wherefore, to end as I began, my ad

vice

(a) Let believers beware of mixing with the carnal world; and alfo avoid idle difcourfe: but rather attend to reading, exhortation, doctrine, and prayer, for growth in grace.

vice is, that we quietly withdraw ourselves, not offering any further force or forcible attempt upon the castle, at least at this time, and let us fet on foot our new project, and let us fee if that will not make them destroy themselves.

Lucifer's advice

all.

A note from
Emanuel.

This advice was highly applauded by them is applauded by all, and was accounted the very mafter-piece of hell, to wit, to choak Manfoul with a fulness of this world, and to furfeit her heart with the good things thereof. But fee how things meet together. Juft as this Diabolonian council was broken up, captain Cre dence received a letter from EMANUEL, the contents of which were thefe: "That upon the third day he would meet him in the field, in the plains about Manfoul." Meet me in the field! queth the captain. What meaneth my Lord by this? I know not what he meaneth by meeting me in the field. So he took the note in his hand, and carried it to my lord Secretary, to afk his thoughts thereupon (for my lord was a feer in all matters concerning the King, and alfo for the good and comfort of the town of Manfoul). So he fhewed my lord the note, and defired his opinion thereon: For my part, quoth captain Credence, I know not the meaning thereof. So my lord read it, and after a little paufe, he said, "The Diabolonians have had against Manfoul a great confultation to-day; they have, I fay, this day been contriving the utter ruin of the town; and the refult of their counfel is, to fet Manfoul into fuch a way, which, if taken, will furely make her destroy herfelf. (a) And to this end they are making ready for their own departure out of the town, intending to betake themfelves to field again, and there to lie till they fhall fee whether this their project will take or no. But be thou

ready

(a) Such being the continual danger believers are in from their reftlefs enemy, they fhould cry with David, "Hold up my goings in thy way, that my footsteps flip not," Pf. xvii. 5.

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ready with the men of thy Lord (for on the third day they will be in the plain), there to fall upon the Diabolonians; for the Prince will by that time be in the field; yea, by that it is break of day, fun-rifing, or before, and that with a mighty force against them. So he shall be before them, and thou shalt be behind them, and betwixt you both their army fhall be destroyed."

When captain Credence heard this, away goes he to the reft of the captains, and tells them what a note he had a while fince received from the hand of EMANUEL. And, faid he, that which was dark therein has my lord Secre tary expounded unto me. He told them moreover, what by himself and by them must be done to answer the mind of their Lord. Then were the captains glad, and captain Credence commanded, that all the King's trumpe

The king's

trumpeters

caftle.

ters should ascend on the battlements of the castle, and there in the audience of Diabolus, commanded to and of the whole town of Manfoul, make found from the the best music that heart could invent. The trumpeters then did as they were commanded: they got themfelves up to the top of the caftle, and thus they began to found. Then did Diabolus ftart, and faid, What can be the meaning of this? they neither found Boot-and-faddle, nor Horfe-and-away, nor a Charge. What do these madmen mean, that yet they fhould be fo merry and glad? Then anfwered him one of themfelves, and faid, This is for joy that their Prince EMANUEL is coming to relieve the town of Manfoul; that to this end he is at the head of an army, and that this relief is near. (a)

The men of Manfoul alfo were greatly concerned at this melodious charm of the trumpets; they faid, yea, they answered one another, faying, This can be no harm

to

(a) Thus are thefe gracious promifes fulfilled: "When the enemy cometh in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord will lift up a ftandard against him;" and, I will keep it might and day." Ifa. lix. 19. xxvii. 3.

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Then faid the

So

to us; furely this can be no harm to us. Diabolonians, What had we best to do? And it was anfwered, It was best to quit the town; and that, faid one, ye may do in purfuance of your laft counfel, and by fo doing alfo be better able to give the enemy battle, should Diabolus with an army from without come upon us. draws from the on the fecond day they withdrew themselves town, and why. from Manfoul, and abode in the plains withbut; but they encamped themselves before Eye-gate, in what terrene and terrible manner they could. The rea fon why they could not abide in the town (befides the rea fons that were debated in their late conclave), was, for that they were not poffeffed of the ftrong hold, and because, faid they, we fhall have more convenience to fight, and alfo to fly, if need be, when we are encamped in the open plain. Befides, the town would have been a pit for them, rather than a place of defence, had the Prince come up and inclofed them faft therein. Therefore they betook themfelves to the field, that they might alfo be out of the reach of the flings, by which they were much annoyed all the while they were in the town.

The time come

Well, the time that the captains were to for the captains fall upon the Diabolonians being come, o fight them. they eagerly prepared themfelves for action; for captain Credence having told the captains over-night, that they should meet their Prince in the field to-morrow, was like oil to a flaming fire; for of a long time they had been at a distance; they therefore were for this the more. earneft and defirous of the work. (a) So, as I faid, the hour being come, captain Credence, with the reft of the men of war, drew out their forces before it was day by the fally-port of the town. And being all ready, captain Credence went

They draw out to the field.

up

(a) When the graces of the Spirit are in exercise (and not before), then the renewed foul can both act and fight for God, who giveth will, power, and victory.

up to the head of the army, and gave to the reft of the captains the word, and they to the under officers and foldiers, which was; "The fword of the Prince EMANUEL, and the fhield of captain Credence !" which is in the Manfoulian tongue, "The word of God and Faith." Then the captains fell on, and began roundly to front and flank and rear Diabolus's camp.

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Now they left captain Experience in the town, becaufe he was ill of his wounds which the Diabolonians had given him in the last fight. But when he perceived that the captains were at it, what does he but, calling for his crutches in hafte, gets up, and away he goes to the battle, faying, "Shall I lay here when my brethren are in the fight, and when EMANUEL the Prince will thew himself in the field to his fervants?" But when the enemy faw the man come with his crutches, they were daunted yet the more, fors thought they, what fpirit has poffeffed thefe Mansoulians, that they fight us upon their crutches! Well, the captains, as I faid, fell on, and bravely handled their weapons, ftilk crying out, and fhouting as they laid on blows, "The fword of the Prince EMANUEL, and the shield of captain Credence!" (a)

Now when Diabolus faw that the captains were come out, and that so valiantly they furrounded his men, he concluded, that for the prefent nothing from them was to be looked for but blows, with the dints of their two-edged fwords. Wherefore he alfo falls upon the Prince's army, with all his deadly force. So the battle was joined. Now who was it that at first Diabolus met with in the fight, but captain Credence on the one hand, and the lord Will-be-will on the

The battle

joined.

other

(a) Every believer is kept, by the mighty power of God, through faith, unte everlasting falvation, 1 Pet, i. 5.

No. 8.

Pp

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