.

what thou doft in this matter; for if you once yield, you give up yourselves to another, and fo you are no more your own: wherefore to give up yourfelves to an unlimited power, is the greatest folly in the world; for now indeed you may repent, but can never juftly complain. But do you indeed know, when you are his, which of you he will kill, and which of you he will fave alive? or whether he will not cut off every one of us, and send out of his coun try another new people, and caufe them to inhabit this town (a)

This speech un

did all.

This fpeech of the lord-mayor undid all, and threw flat to the ground their hopes of an accord wherefore the captains returned to their trenches, to their tents, and to their men, as they were; and the mayor to the caftle, and to his king.

Now Diabolus had waited for his return, for he had heard that they had been at their points. So when he was come into the chamber of ftate, Diabolus,faluted him with,Welcome, my lord; how went matters betwixt you to-day? Then the lord Incredulity (with a low congé) told him the whole of the matter, faying, Thus faid the captain of SHADDAI, and thus and thus faid I. The which as it was told to Diabolus, he was very But it pleafed glad to hear; and faid, My lord-mayor, my the devil. faithful Incredulity, I have proved thy fide

lity above ten times already, but never found thee false. I do promise thee, if we rub over this brunt, to prefer thee

to

(a) Thefe hard fpeeches against God, are the genuine fuggeftions of an evil heart of unbelief; inafmuch as God, who is love, intends no evil, but only good to man. God delighteth in mercy; and in the return of finners to himself, the fountain of blifs: and therefore he fays, Deut. xxxii. 47, "It is not a vain thing for you [to forfake fin, and serve the Lord because it is your life:" q. d. it is effential to the happinefs of your foul; and is the only means of your escaping mifery both here and for ever. This scriptural truth all real chriftians will fubfcribe to, as their own happy experience.

to a place of honour, a place far better than to be lordmayor of Manfoul: I will make thee my univerfal deputy; and thou fhalt, next to me, have all nations under thy hand; yea, and thou fhalt lay hands upon them, that they may not refift thee; nor fhall any of our vaffals walk more at liberty, but those that shall be content to walk in thy fetters. (a)

The lord-mayor

motion.

Now came the lord-mayor out from Diain hopes of pro- bolus, as if he had obtained a favour indeed; wherefore to his habitation he goes in great ftate, and thinks to feed himself well enough with hopes, until the time came that his greatnefs fhould be enlarged.

The understanding and confci

ceive conviction,

But now, though th lord-mayor and Diabolus did thus well agree, yet this repulfe to the brave captains put Manfoul into a mutiny; for while old Incredulity went into the castle, to congratulate with his lord on what had paffed, the old lord-mayor that was fo before Diabolus came to the town, to wit, my lord Understanding, and the old recorder Mr. Confcience begin to re ence, getting intelligence of what had paffed at Ear-gate (for you must know that they might not be fuffered to be at that debate, left they should then have mutinied for the captains); but I fay, they got intelligence what had paffed there, and were much concerned therewith; wherefore they getting fome of the town together, began to poffefs them with the reasonablenefs of the noble captains demands, and with the bad confequences that would follow upon the fpeech of old Incredulity the lord-mayor: to wit, how little reverence he fhewed therein, either to the captains, or their

and fet the foul in a hubbub.

(a) As the fervice of God is perfect freedom, fo a difpofition to serve fin, through unbelief, expofes to the worst of flavery; because the fubjects of it, conscious that God is their enemy, and judgment at hand, "are, through fear of death, all their life-time fubject to bondage," Heb. ii. 15. Such Chrift came to deliver, by his blood-fhedding and righteoufnefs, having conquered death and hell, and obtained eternal redemption for them.

1

A mutiny in
Manfoul.

their King; alfo how he implicitly charged them with unfaithfulness and treachery: for what lefs, quoth he, could be made of his words, when he faid he would not yield to their propofition? and added moreover, a fuppofition that he would destroy us, when before he had fent us word, that he would fhew us mercy?' (a) The multitude, being now poffeffed with the con viction of the evil old Incredulity had done, began to run together by companies in all places, and. in every corner of the ftreets of Manfoul; and firft they began to mutter, then to talk openly; and after that they ran to and fro, and cried as they ran, O the brave captains of SHADDAI! Would we were under the government of the captains, and of SHADDAI their King! When the lord mayor had intelligence, that Manfoul was. in an uproar, down he comes to appeafe the people, and thought to have quafhed their heat with the bigness and the fhew of his countenance. But when they faw him, they came running upon him, and had doubtlefs done him mifchief, had he not betaken himself to his house. However, they ftrongly affaulted the house where he was, to have pulled it down about his ears; but the place was too Incredulity feeks ftrong, fo they failed of that. Then he, to quiet the peo- taking fome courage, addreffed himself out of a window to the people in this manner. • Gentle

ple.

(a) The minifters of the gofpel of reconciliation are very unjustly flandered, as though they proclaimed nothing but wrath and damnation to finners in general; whereas they only denounce inevitable destruction to the obftinately rebellious; but free, fovereign, boundless mercy, and everlasting love, through the Lord Jefus Chrift, to fenfible, returning finners, who are enabled to obey the gracious invitation.-May the divine Spirit quicken many dead fouls, and difpofe them to accept the offers of peace and falvation, in this their day; for

"Mercy and grace arreft the thunder now,

But cannot long avert the threaten'd blow."

Gentlemen, what is the reafon that there is fuch an uproar here to-day?"

him.

1

My lord Under- Understanding. Then anfwered my lord ftanding anfwers Understanding: It is,even because thou and thy mafter have carried it not rightly, and as you fhould, to the captains of SHADDAI; for in three things you are faulty: (a) First, in that you would not let Mr. Confcience and myfelf be at the hearing of your difcourfe. Secondly, in that you propounded fuch terms of peace to the captains, which could by no means be granted, unless they had intended that their SHADDAI fhould have been only a titular prince; and that Manfoul should still have had power, by law, to have lived in all lewdnefs and va nity before him, and fo by confequence Diabolus fhould ftill here be king in power, and the other only king in name. Thirdly, For that thou didst thyfelf, after the captains had fhewed us upon what conditions they would have received to mercy, even undo all again with thy unfavoury, unfeasonable, and ungodly fpeech,'

at odds.

Incredulity. When old Incredulity had Sir and the foul heard this fpeech, he cried out, • Treafon ! Treafon! To your arms! To your arms! O ye, the trufty friends of Diabolus in Manfoul !'

Underflanding. Sir, you may put upon my words what. meaning you please, but I am fure that the captains of fuch an high Lord as their's is deserved a better treatment at your hands,'

Incredulity.

(a) Thus we fee what infurmountable obftacles, were it not for almighty grace, unbelief throws in the way, to hinder poor finners from coming to Chrift: the motions of confcience are fuppreffed, the understanding not fuffered to exert it's powers; terms of reconciliation propofed that are difhonourable to God, and his righteous law, as well as de grading to the glory of Chrift's complete work; and, laftly, the falle and ungodly fuggeftions of an evil and unbelieving heart, keep back the foul from clofing with the tenders of mercy and grace in the gofpel. Lord, give faith, and increase it!

They chide on

Incredulity. Then faid old Incredulity,
This is but little better. But, Sir, quoth both fides.
he, what I fpake, I fpake for my prince,

for his government, and the quieting of the people, whom,
by your unlawful actions, you have this day fet to mutiny
against us.'

Confcience. Then replied the old recorder, whofe name was Mr. Confcience, and faid, Sir, you Mr. Confcience ought not thus to retort upon what my lord reproaches Old Understanding hath faid: it is evident enough Incredulity. that he hath spoken the truth, and that you are an enemy to Manfoul; (a) be convinced, then, of the evil of your faucy and malapert language, and of the grief that you have put the captains to; yea, and of the damages that you have done to Manfoul thereby. Had you accepted of the conditions, the found of the trumpet and the alarm of war had now ceafed about the town of Manfoul; but that dreadful found abides, and your want of wifdom in your Speech has been the cause of it.

Incredulity. Then faid old Incredulity, Sir, if I live, I will do your errand to Diabolus, and there you fhall have an answer to your words. Meanwhile we will feek the good of the town, and not ask counsel of you.' Understanding. Sir, your prince and you are foreigners to Manfoul, and not the natives thereof. And who can tell but that when you have brought us into greater straits (when you also fhall fee that yourselves can be fafe by no other means than by flight), you may leave us, and shift for yourselves, or fet us on fire, and go away in the smoke, or by the light of our burning, and fo leave us in our

ruins.'

Incredulity.

(a) Happy they, who are in their inmost fouls convinced of the excellence of truth, and the importance of eternal concerns: their fouls will then acquiefce in all God's dealings, become humble and thankful receivers out of the fullnefs af Jefus, and rejoice in his precious and finished falva