it is an hard heart; an heart as hard as iron, and as much past feeling as a stone; the which if you get and keep, neither Mercy shall win you, nor Judgment fright you. This, therefore, is a piece of armour most necessary for all to put on that hate Shaddai, and that would fight against him under mv banner.

3. "My sword is a tongue that is set on fire of hell,* and that can bend itself to speak evil of Shaddai, his Son, his ways, and people; use

My soul is among lions: and I lie even among them that are set on fire, even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword. Psalm lvii. 4. Who whet their tongue like a sword, and bend their bows to shoot their arrows, even bitter words; lxiv. 3. And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among the members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell. James iii. 6.

this, it has been tried a thousand times twice told; whoever hath it, keeps it, and makes use of it as I would have him, can never be conquered by

mine enemy.

4. "My shield is unbelief, or calling into question the truth of the word, or all the sayings that speak of the judgment that Shaddai has appointed for wicked men; use this shield: many attempts he has made upon it, and sometimes, 'tis true, it has been bruised; but they that have writ of the wars of Emanuel against my servants have testified that "he could do no mighty work there, because of their unbelief."* Now to handle this weapon of mine aright, is not to believe things because they are true, of what sort, or by whomsoever asserted. If he speaks of judgment, care not for it; if he speaks of mercy, care not for it; if he promises, if he swears, that he would do for Mansoul, if it turns to no hurt, but good, regard not what is said; question the truth of all; for this is to wield the shield of unbelief aright, and as my servants ought and do; and he that does otherwise, loves me not, nor do I count him but an enemy to me.

5. “Another part or piece," said Diabolus, "of mine excellent armour is, a dumb and prayerless spirit, a spirit that scorns to cry for mercy, let the danger be ever so great: wherefore be you, my Mansoul, sure that you make use of this. What! cry for quarter? Never do that, if you would be mine. I know you are stout men; and I am sure that I have clad you with that which is armour of proof: wherefore to cry to Shaddai for mercy, let that be far from you. Besides all this I have a maul, fire-brands, arrows, and death, all good hand-weapons, and such as will do execution."

After he had thus furnished his men with armour and arms, he addressed himself to them in such like words as these: "Remember," quoth he, "that I am your rightful king; and that you have taken an oath, and entered into covenant, to be true to me and my cause: I say, remember this, and show yourselves stout and valiant men of Mansoul. Remember, also, the kindness that I have always showed to you; and that, without your petition, I have granted to you external things: wherefore the privileges, grants, immunities, profits, and honours, wherewith I have endowed you, do call forth, at your

* He runneth upon him, even on his neck, upon the thick bosses of his bucklers. Job xv. 26. There brake he the arrows of the bow, the shield, and the sword, and the battle. Selah. Psalm lxxvi. 3. And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them. And he marvelled because of their unbelief. Mark vi. 5, 6.

hands, returns of loyalty, my lion-like men of Mansoul: and what so fit a time to show it, as when others shall seek to take my dominion over you into their own hands? One word more, and I have done: Can we but stand, and overcome this one shock or brunt, I doubt not but in a little time all the world will be ours; and when that day comes, my true hearts, I will make you kings, princes, and captains, and what brave days shall we have then!"

Diabolus, having thus armed and fore-armed his servants and vassals in Mansoul, against their good and lawful King Shaddai, in the next place he doubleth his guards at the gates of the town, and betakes himself to the castle, which was his strong hold. His vassals, also, to show their wills, and supposed (but ignoble) gallantry, exercise them in their arms every day, and teach one another feats of war; they also defied their enemies, and sung up the praises of their tyrant; they threatened also what men they would be, if ever things should rise so high as a war between Shaddai and their king. Now all this time the good King, the King Shaddai, was preparing to send an army to recover the town of Mansoul again from under the tyranny of their pretended king, Diabolus: but he thought good, at the first, not to send them by the hand and conduct of brave Emanuel, his Son, but under the hand of some of his servants, to see first by them the temper of ManThe words of soul, and whether by them they would be won to the obedience God. of their King. The army consisted of above forty thousand, all true men; for they came from the King's own court, and were those of his own choosing.

They came up to Mansoul under the conduct of four stout generals, each man being captain of ten thousand men; and these are their names and ensigns:-The name of the first was Captain Boanerges; the name of the second was Captain Conviction; the name of the third was Captain Judgment; and the name of the fourth was Captain Execution. These were the captains that Shaddai sent to regain Mansoul.

These four captains (as was said) the King thought fit, in the first place, to send to Mansoul to make an attempt upon it; for indeed, generally, in his wars, he did not use to place these four captains in the van; for they were very stout and rough-hewn men, men that were fit to break

Psalm lx. 4. the ice, and to break their way by dint of sword, and their men

were like themselves.

To each of these captains the King gave a banner,* that it might be displayed, because of the goodness of his cause, and because of the right he had to Mansoul.

First, To Captain Boanerges, for he was the chief, to him, I say, were given ten thousand men: his ensign was Mr. Thunder: he bore the black colours, and his scutcheon was the three burning thunderbolts.†

The second captain, was Captain Conviction: to him were given ten

CAPTAIN EXECUTION.

thousand men his ensign's name was Mr. Sorrow: he did bear the pale colours, and his scutcheon was the book of the law wide open, from whence issued a flame of fire. ‡

The third captain was Captain Judgment; to him were given ten thousand men: his ensign's name was Mr. Terror: he bare the red colours, and his scutcheon was a burning fiery furnace.§

his

The fourth captain was Captain Execution; to him were given ten thousand men ensign was one Mr. Justice: he also bare the red colours, and his scutcheon was a fruitless tree, with an axe lying at the root thereof.||

These four captains, as I said, had every one of them under his command ten thousand men, all of good fidelity to the King, and stout at their military actions.

Well, the captains and their forces, their men and under-officers, being had upon a day by Shaddai into the field, and there called over by their

• Thou hast given a banner to them that fear thee, that it may be displayed because of the truth. Selah. Psalm lx. 4.

† And James the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James; (and he surnamed them Boanerges, which is, The sons of thunder.) Mark iii. 17.

And he said the Lord came from Sinai, and rose up from Seir unto them; he shined forth from mount Paran, and he came with ten thousands of saints; from his right hand went a fiery law for them. Deut. xxxiii. 2.

§ The son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity, and shall cast them into a furnace of fire; there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Matt. xiii. 41, 42.

|| And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees; therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit, is hewn down and cast into the fire. Matt. iii. 10.

F

names, were then and there put into such harness as became their degrees, and that service which now they were going about for their King.

Now, when the King had mustered his forces, (for it was he that mustered the host to the battle,) he gave unto the captains their several commissions, with charges and commandment, in the audience of all the soldiers, that they should take heed faithfully and courageously to do and execute the same. Their commissions were, for the substance of them, the same in form, though, as to name, title, place, and degree of the captains, there might be some, but very small, variation: and here let me give you an account of the matter and sum contained in their commission.

A Commission from the great King Shaddai, King of Mansoul, to his trusty and noble captain, the Captain Boanerges, for making war upon the town of Mansoul.

"Oh, thou Boanerges, one of my stout and thundering captains, over one ten thousand of my valiant and faithful servants, go thou in my name, with this thy force, to the miserable town of Mansoul; and when thou comest thither, offer them first conditions of peace ;* and command them, that, casting off the yoke an tyranny of the wicked Diabolus, they return to me, their rightful prince and lord: command them, also, that they cleanse themselves from all that is his in the town of Mansoul (and look to thyself, that thou hast good satisfaction touching the truth of their obedience). Thus, when thou hast commanded them, (if they in truth submit thereto,) then do thou, to the uttermost of thy power, what in thee lies, to set up for me a garrison in the famous town of Mansoul; nor do thou hurt the least native that moveth or breatheth therein, if they will submit themselves to me; but treat thou such as if they were thy friends or brethren; for all such I love, and they shall be dear unto me; and tell them that I will take a time to come unto them, and to let them know that I am merciful.+

"But if they shall, notwithstanding thy summons, and the producing of my authority, resist, stand out against thee, and rebel; then I do command

:

* And into whatsoever city or town ye shall enter, inquire who in it is worthy and there abide till ye go hence. Matt. x. 11. And into whatsoever house ye enter, first say, Peace be to this house. Luke x. 5.

+ But we are gentle among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children: so, being affectionately desirous of you, we were willing to have imparted unto you, not the gospel of God only, but