out his Trumpeter again to fummon Manfoul to a Hearing of the Meffage that they had brought from Shaddai, Zech. vii. 11. fo he went and founded, and the Townsmen came up, but made Ear-gate as fure as they could. Now, when they were come up to the Top of the Wall, Captain Boanerges defir'd to fee the Lord Mayor, but my Lord Incredulity was then Lord Mayor, for he came in the Room of my Lord Luftings. So Incredulity, he came up and fhewed himself over the Wall. But when the Captain Boanerges had fet his Eyes upon him, he cried out aloud, This is not he; where is my Lord Understanding, the ancient Lord Mayor of the Town of Manfoul, for to him I would deliver my Meffage ?

Boanerges refafes to make

Incredulity a Judge of what' he had to deliver

to the famous Town of Man

foul.

Then faid the Giant, (for Diabolus was alfo come down) to the Captain: Mr. Captain, You have by your Boldness given to Mansoul, at leaft four Summons, to fubject herself to your King; by whofe Authority I know not; nor will I difpute that now. I ask therefore, what is the Reafon of all this ado? Or what would you be at if you knew yourselves.

Boanerges his Speech.

Then Captain Boanerges, whofe was the Black Colours, and whofe Scutcheon was Three Burning Thunder-bolts, (taking no Notice of the Giant, or of his Speech) thus address'd himself to the Town of Manfoul: Be it known unto you, O unhappy and rebellious Manfoul! That the most Gracious King, the Great King Shaddai, my Mafter hath fent me unto you, with Commiffion (and fo he fhewed to the Town his Broad Seal) to reduce you to his Obedience. And as he hath commanded me, in Cafe you yield upon my Summons, to carry it to you as if you were my Friends or Brethren; but he also hath bic that if after Summons to fubmit, you still stand out and rebel, we should endeavour to take you by Force.

Then flood forth Captain Conviction, and said (his was the Pale Colours, and for a Scutcheon he had the Book

Captain Conviction his Speech.

Book of the Law wide open, &c.) Hear, O Manfoul! Thou, O Mansoul, was once famous for Innocency, but now thou art degenerated into Lies and Deceit ; Rom. iii, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 23. Chap. xvi. 17, 18. Pfal. 1. 21, 22. Thou haft heard what my Brother, the Captain Boanerges, hath faid, and it is your Wisdom, and will be your Happinefs, to ftoop to, and accept of Conditions of Peace and Mercy, when offered; efpecially when offered by one, against whom thou haft rebelled, and one who is of Power to tear thee in Pieces, for fo is Shaddai our King, nor when he is angry, can any Thing ftand before him. If you fay you have not finned, or acted Rebellion against our King, the whole of your Doings, fince the Day that you caft off his Service (and there was the Beginning of your Sin) will fufficiently teftify against you; what elfe means your hearkening to the Tyrant, and your receiving him for your King? What means elfe your rejecting the Laws of Shaddai, and your obeying of Diabolus? Yea, what means this of your taking up Arms againft, and the fhutting of your Gates upon us, the faithful Servants of your King? Luke xii. 58, 59. Be ruled then, and accept of my Brother's Invitation, and overstand not the Time of Mercy, but agree with thine Adverfary quickly. Ah! Manfoul, fuffer not thyfelf to be kept from Mercy, and to be run into a Thousand Miferies, by the flattering Wiles of Diabolus: Perhaps that Piece of Deceit may attempt to make you believe that we feek our own Profit in this our Service: But know, it is Obedience to our King, and Love to our Happiness, that is the Caufe of this Undertaking of ours.

Again, I fay unto thee, O Manfoul, confider if it be not amazing Grace, that Shaddai fhould fo humble himfelf as he doth, 2 Cor. v. 18, 19, 20, 21. Now he by us reafons with you, in a Way of Intreaty and sweet Perfuafions, that you would fubject yourselve to him. Has he that need of you, that we are fo you have of him? No, no, but he is merciful, and

C-3

will

will not that Mansoul should die, but turn to him and

live.

Captain Judg ment's Speech.

Then flood forth Captain Judgment, whofe was the Red Colours, and for a

Scutcheon had the Burning Fiery Furnace, and he said, O ye Inhabitants of the Town of Manfoul ! that have lived fo long in Rebellion and Acts of Treafon against the King Shaddai: Know, that we come not Today to this Place, in this Mannér, with our Meflage of our own Minds, or to revenge our own Quarrel; it is the King our Mafter that hath fent us to reduce you to your Obedience to him, the which if you refufe, in a peaceable Way to yield, we have Commiffion to compel you thereto. And never think of yourselves, nor yet fuffer the Tyrant Diabolus to perfuade you to think thị: our King by his Power, is not able to bring you down, and lay you under his Feet, for he is the Former of all Things, and if he touches the Mountains they fmoak. Nor will the Gate of the King's Clemency ftand always open, for the Day that shall burn ye like an Oven, is before him; yea, it hafteth greatly, and flumbereth not, Mal. iv. 1. 1 Pet. ii. 3. O Manfoul! Is it little in thine Eyes, that our King does offer thee Mercy, and that after fo many Provocations? Yea, he ftill holdeth out his golden Sceptre to thee, and will not fuffer his Gate to be fhut against thee, wilt thou provoke him to do it? Confider of what I fay; To thee it fhall be opened no more for ever, Job xxxvi. 14. Ch. xxxvi. 18. PS. ix. 7. Ifa. Ixvi. 15. If thou fayeft thou shalt not fee him, Judgment is before him; therefore truft thou in him : Yea, because there is Wrath, beware, left he take thee away with his Stroke; then a great Ranfom cannot ' deliver thee. Will he esteem thy Riches! No, not Gold, nor all the Forces of Strength. He hath pre"pared his Throne for Judgment; for he will come with Fire, and with his Chariots, like a Whirlwind, to render his Anger with Fury, and rebukes with Flames of Fire. Therefore, O Manfoul, take heed, lést after ⚫ thou haft fulfilled the Judgment of the Wicked, Ju

yet

• ftice

ice and Judgment fhould take hold of thee.' Now that Captain Judgment was making of this Crason to the Town of Mansoul, it was obferved by fome, that Diabolus trembled: But he proceeded in his Parable, and faid, O thou woeful Town of Manfoul! wilt thou not yet fet open the Gate to receive us, the Deputies of the King, and thofe that would rejoice to fee thee live? Ezek. xxii. 14. Can thine Heart endure, or can thy Hands be ftrong in the Day that he fhall deal in Judgment with thee?' I fay, canft thou endure to be forced to drink, as one would drink fweet Wine, the Sea of Wrath that our King has prepared for Diabolus and his Angels? Confider, betimes confider.

the Noble

Captain Exe *cution his

Then food forth the fourth Captain, Captain Execution, and faid: O Town ⚫ of Manfoul! once famous, but now like the fruitless Bough; once the Delight of the high Ones, but now a Den for 'Diabolus: Hearken alfo to me, and to the Words

Speech.

' that I fhall speak to thee, in the Name of the Great Shaddai, Behold the Axe is laid to the Root of the Tree, every Tree therefore that bringeth not forth good Fruit, is hewn down and caft into the Fire, 'Matt. iii. 7, 8, 9, 10.

Thou, O Town of Manfoul! haft hitherto been this 'fruitless Tree, thou bareft nought but Thorns and Briars, Deut. xxxii. 32. Thy evil Fruit forefpeaks thee not to be a good Tree: Thy Grapes are Grapes of Gall, thy Clufters are bitter. Thou haft rebelled against thy King, and lo we, the Power and Force of Shaddai, are the Axe that is laid to thy Roots; what 'fay'ft thou, wilt thou turn? I fay again, tell me be'fore the first Blow is given; wilt thou turn? Our Axe 'must first be laid to thy Root before it be laid at thy Root; it must first be laid to thy Root in a Way of Threatning, before it is laid at thy Root by Way of Execution; and between these two is required th Repentance, and this is all the Time thou haft. Wha wilt thou do? Wilt thou turn, Or, fhall I fmite? If • I fetch

C 4

I fetch my Blow, Manfoul, down you go! For I have Commiffion to lay my Axe at, as well as to, thy Root; nor will any Thing, but yielding to our King, prevent doing of Execution. What art thou fit for, O Manfoul, if Mercy preventeth not, but to be hewn down and caft into the Fire and burnt?

O Manfoul! Patience and Forbearance, do not act for ever: A Year or two, or three they may, but if thou provoke by a three Years Rebellion, and thou haft already done more than this, then what follows, but cut it down, nay, after that, thou shalt cut it down, Luke xiii. And doit thou think that these are but Threatnings, or that our King has not Power to execute his Words? O Manfoul! thou wilt find that in the Words of our King, when they are by Sinners made little or light of, there is not only Threatning, but Burning Coals of Fire.

Thou haft been a Čumber ground long already, and wilt thou continue fo ftill? Thy Sin has brought his Army to thy Walls, and fhall it bring in Judgment to do Execution to thy Town? Thou haft heard what the Captains have faid, but as yet thou fhutteft thy Gates, speak out Manfoul, wilt thou do so still? Or wilt thou accept of Conditions of Peace?

Manfoul defires Time to make Anfwer.

These brave Speeches of thefe four noble Captains, the Town of Manfoul refused to hear, yet a Sound thereof did beat against Ear-gate, though the Force thereof could not break it open. In fine, the Town defired a Time to prepare their Answer to thefe Demands. The Captains then told them, That if they would throw out to them one Ill-pause, that was in the Town, that they might reward him according to his Works, then they would give them Time to confider: But if they would not caft him to them over the Wall of Mansoul,

Upon what Conditions the Captains would

give them time.

then they would give them none: For, faid they, we know that fo long as Ill-pause draws Breath in Manfoul, all good Confiderations will be confounded, and nothing

but Mifchief will come thereon.

Then