and were ready to lick the dust of his feet. They also wished a thousand times over that he would become their Prince and Captain, and would become their protection. They would also one to another talk of the comeliness of his person, and how much for glory and valour he outstripped the great ones of the world. But, poor hearts, as to themselves, their thoughts would change, and go upon all manner of extremes. Yea, through the working of them backward and forward, Mansoul became as a ball tossed, and as a rolling thing Isa. 17. 13.; before the whirlwind. Now, when he was come to the castle gates, he commanded Diabolus to appear, and to surrender himself into his hands. But, oh! how loath was the beast to appear! how he stuck at it! how he shrunk! ay, how he cringed! yet out he came to the Prince. Then Emmanuel commanded, and they took Diabolus and bound him fast in chains, the better to reserve him to the judgment that he had appointed for him. But Diabolus stood up to entreat for himself that Emmanuel would not send him into the deep, but suffer him to depart out of Mansoul in peace. 22. 18. He comes up and combolus to to the castles, mands Dia surrender himself. and bound in chains. When Emmanuel had taken him and bound him He is taken in chains, he led him into the market-place, and there, before Mansoul, stripped him of his armour in which he boasted so much before. This now was one of the acts of triumph of Emmanuel over his enemy; and all the while that the giant was stripping, the trumpets of the golden Prince did. sound amain; the captains also shouted, and the soldiers did sing for joy. Mansoul must behold it. to his chariot wheels. Then was Mansoul called upon to behold the beginning of Emmanuel's triumph over him in whom they so much had trusted, and of whom they so much had boasted in the days when he flattered them. Thus having made Diabɔlus naked in the eyes of Mansoul, and before the commanders of the Prince, in the next place, he commands that DiaHe is bound bolus should be bound with chains to his chariot wheels. Then leaving of some of his forces, to wit, Captain Boanerges and Captain Conviction, as a guard for the castle-gates, that resistance might be made on his behalf, (if any that heretofore followed Diabolus should make an attempt to possess it,) he did ride in triumph over him quite through the town of Mansoul, and so out at and before the gate called Eye-gate, to the plain where his camp did lie. The Prince rides in triumph over him in the sight of Mansoul. They sing. Eph. 4. 8. The angels. Luke 15. 7, 10. But you cannot think, unless you had been there, as I was, what a shout there was in Emmanuels camp when they saw the tyrant bound by the hand of their noble Prince, and tied to his chariot wheels! And they said, "He hath led captivity captive, he hath spoiled principalities and powers. Diabolus is subjected to the power of his sword, and made the object of all derision." Those also that rode reformades, and that came down to see the battle, they shouted with that greatness of voice, and sung with such melodious notes, that they caused them that dwell in the highest orbs to open their windows, put out their heads, and look down to see the cause of that glory. issue of things Mansoul Emmanuel. The townsmen also, so many of them as saw The men of this sight, were, as it were, while they looked, taken with betwixt the earth and the heavens. True, they could not tell what would be the as to them; but all things were excellent methods, and I cannot tell how, but things in the management of them seemed to cast a smile towards the town, so that their eyes, their heads, their hearts, and their minds, and all that they had, were taken and held while they observed Emmanuel's order. So, when the brave Prince had finished this part of his triumph over Diabolus his foe, he turned him up in the midst of his contempt and shame, having given him a charge no more to be a possessor of Mansoul. Then went he from Emmanuel, and out of the midst of his camp, to inherit the parched places in a salt land, seeking Matt. 12. 43 rest, but finding none. Now, Captain Boanerges and Captain Convic tion were, both of them, men of very great ma 28. jesty; their faces were like the faces of lions, and 1 Chron. 12. their words like the roaring of the sea; and they Isa. 5. 29, still quartered in Mr Conscience's house, of whom 30. mention was made before. When, therefore, the high and mighty Prince had thus far finished his triumph over Diabolus, the townsmen had more leisure to view and to behold the actions of these most noble captains. But the captains carried it with that terror and dread in all that they did, (and you may be sure that they had private instructions so to do,) that they kept the town under continual heart-aching, and caused (in their appre The carri age of Boanerges and of Caption crushes the spirit of Mansoul. tain Convic The Prince and the cap tains put the three chief of Mansoul in ward. hension) the well-being of Mansoul for the future to hang in doubt before them, so that for some considerable time they neither knew what rest, or ease, or peace, or hope meant. Nor did the Prince himself as yet abide in the town of Mansoul, but in his royal pavilion in the camp, and in the midst of his Father's forces. So, at a time convenient, he sent special orders to Captain Boanerges to summon Mansoul, the whole of the townsmen, into the castle-yard, and then and there, before their faces, to take my Lord Understanding, Mr Conscience, and that notable one, the Lord Will-be-will, and put them all three commands, in ward, and that they should set a strong guard upon them there, until his pleasure concerning them was further known: the which orders, when the captains had put them in execution, made no small addition to the fears of the town of Mansoul; for now, to their thinking, were their former fears of the ruin of Mansoul confirmed. Now, what death they should die, and how long they should be in dying, was that which most perplexed their heads and hearts; yea, they were afraid that Emmanuel would command them all into the deep, the place that the prince Diabolus was afraid of, for they knew that they had deserved it. Also to die by the sword in the face of the town, and in the open way of disgrace, from the hand of so good and so holy a Prince, that, too, troubled them sore. The town was also greatly troubled for the men that were committed to ward, for that they were their stay and their guide, and for that they believed that, if those men were cut off, their execution Mansoul greatly dis tressed. |
