he had done them an injury; therefore, I fay (that they might fee that he did not intend to leffen their grandeur, or to take from them any of their advantageous things), he did chufe for them a lord-mayor and a recorder to himself; and fuch as contented them to the heart, and fuch alfo as pleased him wonderous well. The new lordmayor. The name of the mayor that was of Diabolus's making, was the lord Luftings. A man that had neither eyes nor ears; all that he did, whether as a man or an officer, he did it naturally as doth the beaft; (a) and that which made him yet more ignoble, though not to Manfoul, yet to them that beheld, and were grieved for it's ruin, was, that he could never favour good, but evil. The new re korder. The recorder was one whofe name was Forget-good; and a very forry fellow he was; he could remember nothing but mischief, and to do it with delight. (6) He was naturally prone to do things that are hurtful; even hurtful to the town of Manfoul, and to all the dwellers there. These two, therefore, by their power and practice, examples, and fmiles upon evil, did much more mifchief, and fettled the common people in hurtful ways; for who doth not perceive, that (a) A fhocking, but true picture of every man by the fall! a compound of devilish and beaftly lufts and appetites. If we look around, we may see that irregular aims and defires deluge the world. Moft men have no higher object or purfuit than the narrow limits of this vain, perifhing world, and are therefore led captive by Satan at his will. Thus it will be, till fovereign grace effects a change; for at that happy period, a new world arifes in the regenerate foul. But they who live and die flaves to their lufts and paffions, must perish everlaftingly; fo reafon and scripture evince. "If ye live after the flesh, ye fhall die," Rom. vii. 13. (6) Ever fince the fall, the memory is become fo depraved, that it naturally retains evil, but lets flip that which is good; and the imagination is more apt to be taken with the former, than with the latter: be it therefore our daily prayer for a fanctified memory to retain divine things, and that we may grow up in the knowledge, belief, and love of the truth. that when thofe that fit aloft are vile and corrupt themfelves, they corrupt the whole region and country where they are. (a) He doth make them new al dermen. Befides thefe, Diabolus made feveral burgeffes and aldermen in Manfoul; fuch as out of whom the town, when it needed, might chufe them officers, governors, and magiftrates; and these are the names of the chief of them: Mr. Incredulity, Mr. Haughty, Mr. Swearing, r. Whoring, Mr. Hard-heart, Mr. Pitilefs, Mr. Fury, Mr. No-truth, Mr. Stand-tolyes, Mr. Falfe-peace, Mr.. Drunkennefs, Mr. Cheating, Mr. Atheism; thirteen in all. Mr. Incredulity is the eldeft, and Mr. Atheism the youngest of the company. There was alfo an election of common-council-men, and others as bailiff, ferjeants, conftables, &c. but all of them, like thofe afore-named, being either fathers, brothers, cousins, or nephews, to them, whofe names, for brevity-fake, I omit to mention. holds. He buildeth When the giant had thus far proceeded in three ftrong his work, in the next place he betook him to build fome ftrong holds in the town; and he built three that feemed to be impregnable. The first he called the hold of Defiance, because it was made to command the whole town, and to keep it from the knowledge of it's ancient King. The fecond he called Midnight hold, because it was built on purpose to keep Manfoul from the true knowledge of itself. The third was called Sweet (a) Attend to the following friendly cautions and admonitions: "Evil communications corrupt good manners," 1 Cor. XV, 33"Abstain from the leaft appearance of evil," a Theff. v. 22. "Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation," Matt. xxvi. 41. Ever keep a good watch over the thoughts of your heart, which, our Lord tells us, is the fource of every abomination, Matt. xv. 19.—' Our thoughts are heard in heav'n.' YOUNG. "Chrift purg'd his temple: fo must thou thy heart. HERBERT. Sweet-fin-hold, because by that he fortified Manfoul against all defires of good. The first of these holds stood close by Eye-gate, that the light might as much as poffible be darkened there. The fecond was built hard by the old caftle, to the end that that might be made more blind, if poffible. And the third flood in the (a) marketplace. He that Diabolus made governor over the firft of these, was one Spite-God, a moft blafphemous wretch. He came with the whole rabble of them that came against Manfoul at first, and was himself one of themselves. He that was made the governor of Midnight hold was one Love-no-light, he was alfo one of them that came first against the town. And he that was made the governor of the hold called Sweet-fin-hold, was one whose name. was Love-fleth; he was also a very lewd fellow, but_not of that country from whence the others are bound. This fellow could find more feetnefs when he was fucking a luft, than he did in the Paradife of God. (b) Diabolus has And now Diabolus thought himself fafe; made his nest. he had taken Manfoul; he had ingarrifoned himself therein; he had put down the old officers, and fet up new ones; he had defaced the image of SHADDAI, and had fet up his own; he had fpoiled the old law-books, and had promoted his own vain lyes; he had made him new magiftrates, and fet up new aldermen; he had built his (a) Thus Satan fixes his empire in the foul: 1. by means of it's enmity and averfenefs to divine inftruction; 2. by the blindness of the understanding, and perverfenefs of the will, whereby the knowledge of it's lanentable ftate, and of God, are concealed; and, 3. by a habit and delight in fin, rolling it as a sweet morfel under the tongue; all which, if grace prevent not, drown men in destruction and perdition. (b) The language of the depraved fenfualift's heart is, Depart from me, O God, I defire not the knowledge of thy ways" let others take Christ and heaven; pleasures and hell fhall be my portion. "Evil, be thou my good." MILTON. 1 his new holds, and had man'd them for himself. And al this he did to make himself secure, in cafe the good SHADDAI, or his Son, fhould come to make an incurfion upon him. Tidings carried to the court, of what had happened to Manfoul. Now you may well think, that, long before this time, word by fome or other could not but be carried to the good king SHADDAI, how his Manfoul on the continent of Universe was loft; and that the giant Diabolus, once one of his Majesty's fervants, had, in rebellion against the King, made fure thereof for himself, and that to a very circumstance. (a) At first, How Diabolus came upon Manfoul (they being a fimple people and innocent) with craft, fubtlety, lyes, and guile: Item, That he had treacherously flain their right noble and valiant captain, the captain Refist ance, as he stood upon the gate with the rest of the townfmen: Item, How my brave lord Innocent fell down dead (with grief, fome fay; or with being poifoned with the ftinking breath of one Ill-paufe, as fay others) at the hearing of his juft lord and rightful prince SHADDAI so abufed by the mouth of fo filthy a Diabolonian as that varlet Ill-paufe was. The meffenger further told, that after this Ill-paufe had made a fhort oration to the townfmen, in behalf of Diabolus his master, the fimple town, believing to be true what was faid, with one confent did open Ear (a) God forefaw and foreknew the fall, and it's fatal conLequences; "for what can 'scape the eye Of God all-feeing, or deceive his heart But, eternal praises to redeeming love! a remedy was from everlasting provided in Chrift Jefus, for repairing the breach fin had made; whereby God's darling attribute, mercy, might be for ever glorified in his creature's falvation, reinstatement in the divine favour, and delivery from all evil. Ear-gate, the chief gate of the corporation, and did let him with his crew into the poffeffion of the famous town of Manfoul. He further thewed how Diabolus had ferved the Lord-mayor and Mr. Recorder, to wit, that he had put them from all place of power and truft. Item, He thewed alfo, that my lord Will-be-will was turned a very rebel and runnagate, and that so was one Mr. Mind, his clerk; and that they two did range and revel it all the town over, and teach the wicked ones their ways. He faid moreover, that this Will-be-will was put into great truft, and particularly that Diabolus had put into Will-bewill's hand all the strong places in Manfoul; and that Mr. Affection was made my lord Will-be-will's deputy, in his moft rebellious affairs. Yea, faid the meffenger, this monster, lord Will-be-will, has openly difavowed the king SHADDAI, and hath given his faith and plighted troth to Diabolus. New officers Alfo, faid the messenger, besides, this the appointed by new king, or rather rebellious tyrant, over Diabolus. the once famous, but now perifhing town of Manfoul, has fet up a lord-mayor and recorder of his own. For mayor, he has fet up one Mr. Luftings; and, for recorder, Mr. Forget-good; two of the vileft of all the town of Mansoul. This faithful meffenger alfo pro ceeded, and told what a fort of new burgeffes Diabolus had made; alfo. that he had built feveral ftrong forts, towers, and ftrong-holds in Manfoul. He told too, the which I had almoft forgot, how Diabolus had put the town of Manfoul into arms, (a) the better to capacitate them, on his behalf, to make resistance against SHADDAI their (a) Every fin is a rebellious weapon lifted up against the God of heaven. May the Lord take the love of it out of all our hearts, and make us truly fenfible that it will be an evil and bitter thing to depart from the living God, who alone can make us happy in time and eternity, and whofe favour is better than the life itself |