he was at first one of the Servants of King Shaddai, made and taken, put by him into moft high and mighty Place, yea, and was put into fuch Principalities as belonged to the belt of his Territories and Dominions, Ifaiab xiv. 12. This Diabolus was made Son-of the Morning, and a brave Place he had of it: It brought him much Glory, and gave him much Brightnefs, an Income that might have contented his Luciferian Heart, had it not been infatiable, and enlarged as Hell itself. Well, he feeing himself thus exalted to "Greatnefs and Honour, and raging in his Mind for higher State and Degree, what doth he but begins to think with himfelf, how he might be fet up as Lord over all, and have the fole Power under Shaddai, 2 Pet. ii, 4. Jude vi. (Now that did the King referve for his Son, yea, and had already bestowed it upon him) wherefore he first confults with himfelf what had beft to be done, and then breaks his Mind to fome other of his Companions, to the which they alfo agreed. So in fine, they came to this Ifiue, that they should make an Attempt upon the King's Son to deftroy him, that the Inheritance might be theirs. Well, to be fhort, the Treafon (as I faid) was concluded, the Time appointed, the Word given, the Rebels rendesvouzed, and the Affault attempted. Now the King and his Son being all, and always Eye, could not but difcern all Paffages in his Dominions; and he having always a Love for his Son, as for himself, could not, at what he faw, but he greatly provoked and offended.: Wherefore what does he, but takes them in the very Nick, and firft Trip that they made towards their Defign, convids them of the Treafon, horrid Rebellion and Confpiracy that they had devifed, and now attempted to put into Practice, and calls them altogether out of all Place of Tryft, Benefit, Honour, and Preferment; this done, he banishes them the Court, turns them down into the horrid Pits, and as faft bound in Chains; never more to expect the leaft Favour from his Hands, but to abide the Judgment that that he had appointed; and that for ever and ever. Now they being thus caft out of all Place of Truft, Profit, and Honour, and alfo knowing that they had loft their Prince's Favour for ever, being banished his Court and caft down to the horrible Fits, you may be fure they would now add to their former Pride, what Malice and Rage againft Shaddai, and againft his Son they could, 1 Pet. v. 8. Wherefore roving and ranging in much Fury from Place to Place, (if perhaps they might find something that was the King's) to revenge, by spoiling of that, themselves on, him. At last they happened into this fpacious Country of Universe, and feer their Courfe towards the Town of Manfoul; and confidering that that Town was one of the chief Works and Delights of King Shaddai; what do they, but after Council taken, make an Afault upon that. I fay they knew that Manjul belonged unto Shaddai, for they were there when he bunt it, and beautified it for himself. So when they had found the Place, they fhouted horribly for Joy, and roared on it like as a Lion upon the Prey; Saying, Now we have found the Prize, and how to be revenged on King Shaddai, for what he hath done to us. they fat down and called a Council of War, and confidered with themfelves what Ways and Methods they had best to engage in, for the winning to themselves this famous Town of Manfoul: And these four Things were then propounded to be confidered of. So A Council of War held by First, Whether they had best all of them to fhews themfelves in this Defign to the Town of Manfoul? Secondly, Whether they had best to go and fit down against Manfoul, in their now ragged and beggarty Guife? Thirdly, Whether they had beft few to Manfoul their Intentions, and what Defign they came about, or whether to affault it with Words and Ways of Deceit ? Fourthly, Whether they had not beft, by fome of their Companions, to give out private Orders to take t vantage, if they fee cne or more of the principal 7 men to shoot them; if thereby they hall judge their Caufe and Defign will the better be promoted. It was answered to the firft of these Proposals, in the Negative, to wit, that it would not be best that all should fhew themfelves before the Town, because the Appearance of many of them might alarm and fright the Town, whereas, a few, or but one of them, was not fo likely to do it. And to inforce this Advice to take place, 'twas ad. ded further, that if Mansoul was frighted or did take the Alarm, 'tis impoffible faid Diabolus (for he spake now) that we fhould take the Town: For that none can enter into it without its own Confent. Let therefore but a few, or but one affault Mansoul, and in my Opinion, faid Diabolus, let me be he. Wherefore to this they all agreed, and then to the fecond Propofal they came, namely, Whether they had beft to go and fit down before Manfoul, in their now ragged and beggarly Guife? To which it was anfwer'd alfo in the Negative, by no means; and that because, tho' the Town of Manfoul had been made to know, and to have to do before now, with Things that are invifible; they did never as yet fee any of their fellow Creatures in fo bad and Rafcal Condition as they. And this was the Advice of the fierce Alecto. Then faid Apollyon. Alecto. the Advice is pertinent, for even one of us Apollyon. appearing to them as we are now, muft needs both beget and multiply fuch Thoughts in them, as will both put them into a Confternation of Spirit, and neceflitate them to put themselves upon their Guard : And if so, said he, then, as my Lord Electo faid but now, 'tis in vain for us to think of taking the Town. Then faid that mighty Giant Belzebub. The Advice that already is given is fafe; for though the Men of Man-foul have feen fuch Things as we once were, yet hitherto they did never behold fuch Things as we now are. And 'tis beft in mine Opinion, to come upon them in fuch a Guife as is common to, and most familiar among them. To this when they had confented: The next Thing to be confidered was, in what Shape, Hue, or Guife, Diabolus had beft to fhew himself, when he went went about to make Manfoul his own. Then one faid one thing, and another the contrary. At laft Lucifer anfwered, That in his Opinion, 'twas beft that his Lordship should affume the Body of fome of thofe Creatures that they of the Town had Dominion over. For, quoth he, thofe are not only familiar to them, but being under them, they will never imagine that any Attempt. should by them be made upon the Town; and to blind all, let him affume the Body of one of those Beasts that Manfoul deems to be wiser than any of the rest, Gen. i. Rev. xx. 1, 2. This Advice was applauded of all, fo it was determined that the Giant Diabolus fhould affume the Dragon, for that he was in those Days, as familiar with the Town of Manfoul, as now is the Bird with the Boy. For nothing that was in its primitive State was at all amazing to them. Then they proceeded to the third Thing, which was, 3. Whether they had beft fhew their Inclinations, or the Defign of his coming to Manfoul, or no? This alfo was anfwered in the Negative, because of the Weight that was in their former Reasons, to wit, for that Manfoul were a ftrong People, a ftrong People in a frong Town, whofe Wall and Gates were impregnable, (to fay nothing of their Caftle) nor can they by any means be won but by their own Confent. Befides, faid Legion, (for he gave anfwer to this) A Discovery of our Intentions, may make them fend to their King for Aid, and if that be done, I know, quickly what Time of Day 'twill be with us: Therefore let us affault them in all pretended Fairnefs, covering of our Intentions with all manner of Lies, Flatteries, delufive Words feigning of Things that will never be, and promifing of that to them, that they fhall never find: This is the Way to win Manfoul, and to make them of themselves to open their Gates to us; yea, and to defire us too, to come in to them. And the Reafon why I think that this Project will d is, because the People of Mansoul are now every one Simple and Innocent; all Honeft and True: Nor do they as yet know what it is to be affaulted with 1 Fraud, Fraud, Guile, and Hypocrifie. They are Strangers to Lying and diffembling Lips; wherefore we cannot, if thus we be difguifed, by them at all be difcerned; our Lies fhall go for true Sayings, and our Diffimulation, fer upright Dealings. What we promife them, they will in that believe us; efpecially, if in all our Lies and 'feigned Words, we pretend great Love to them, and that our Defign is only their Advantage and Honour. Now there was not one Bit of a Reply againt this, this went as current down, as doth the Water down a fteep Defcent: Wherefore they go to confider of the last Propofal, which was, 4. Whether they had not beft to give out Orders to. Some of their Company, to fhcot fom: one or more of the principal of the Townjinen: If they judge that their Cauje may be promoted thereby. This was carried in the Affirmative; and the Man that was defigned by this Stratagem to be destroyed, Of Captain Refiftance. was one Mir. Refflance, otherwife called Captain Refiftance, and a great Man' in Manfoul this Captain Refiftance was; and a Man that the Giant Diabolus, and his Band, more feared, than they feared the whole Town of Manfoul befides. Now who should be the Actor to do the Murder; that was the next; and they appointed one Tifiphone, a Fury of the Lake, to do it. The Refult of their Coun. ch They thus having ended the Council of War, rofe up, and affay'd to do as they had determined; they marched towards Manfoul, but all, in a Manner invisible, nor did he approach the Town in his own Likeness, but under the Shape, and in the Body of the Dragon. faxe only one; So they drew up,, and fet down before Ear-gate, for that was the Place of Hearing for all without the Town, as Eye-gate was the Place of Perfection. So as I faid, he came up with his Train to the Gate, and laid his Ambuscade for Captain Refiftence, within Bow-fhot of the Town. This done, the Giant afcended up close Diabolus marches up to the Town. to |