seized on against the townfmen's will; what they could they hid from them, and what they could not they had with an ill will. They, poor hearts, had rather have had their room than their company, but they were at present their captives, and their captives for the prefent they were forced to be, Rom. vii. But I fay, they discountenanced them as much as they were able, and fhewed them all the diflike that they could.

The captains alfo from the caftle held them in continual play with their flings, to the chafing and fretting of the minds of the enemies. True, Diabolus made a great many attempts to have broken open the gates of the caftle, Mr. Godly-fear but Mr. Godly-fear was made the keeper of is made keeper that; and he was a man of courage, conduct, and valour, so that it was in vain, as long as life lafted within him, to think to do that work, though moftly defired; wherefore all the attempts that Diabolus made against him, were fruitlefs (I have wifhed sometimes that that man had had the whole rule of the town of Manfoul). (a)

of the castle

gates.

The town of Manfoul the feat of war.

Well, this was the condition of the town of Manfoul, for about two years and an half; the body of the town was the seat of war; the people of the town were driven 'into holes, and the glory of Manfoul was laid in the duft; what rest then could be to the inhabitants, what peace could Manfoul have, and what fun could fhine upon it? Had the enemy lain fo long without in the plain against the town, it had been enough to famith them; but now when they fhall be within, when the town shall be their tent, their trench, and fort against the castle that was in the town, when the town fhall be against the town, and fhall ferve to be a defence to

the

(a) The fear of God is a fovereign prefervative against fin: let us befeech the Lord, according to his promise, to put his fear in our hearts, that we depart not from him; Jer, xxxii. 40.

the enemies of her ftrength and life; I fay, when they fhall make ufe of the forts and town-holds to fecure themfelves in, even till they fhall take, fpoil, and demolish the castle, this was terrible, and yet this was now The heart.

the state of the town of Manfoul.

Mr. Godlyfear's advice

about drawing

up a petition to

the Prince.

After the town of Manfoul had been in this fad and lamentable condition for fo long a time as I have told you, and no petitions that they had presented their Prince with (all this while) could prevail; the inhabitants of the town, to wit, the elders and chief of Manfoul, gather together, and after fome time fpent in condoling their miserable state, and this miferable judgment coming upon them, they agreed together to draw up yet another petition, and to fend it away to EMANUEL for relief. But Mr. Godly-fear stood up, and answered, "That he knew his Lord the Prince never did, nor ever would receive a petition for these matters from the hand of any whoever, unless the lord Secretary's hand was to it (and this, quoth he, is the reafon you prevailed not all this while)." Then they faid they would draw up one, and get the lord Secretary's hand to it. (a) But Mr. Godly-fear anfwered again," That he knew alfo that the lord Secretary would not fet his hand to any petition that himself had not an hand in compofing and drawing up; and befides, faid he, the Prince doth know my lord Secretary's hand from all the hands in the world; wherefore he cannot be deceived by any pretence whatever; wherefore my advice is, that you go to my lord, and implore him to lend you his aid." (Now he abode in the caftle, where all the captains and men at arms were.) So they heartily thanked Mr. Godly-fear, took his counfel, and did as he had bidden them; fo they departed and

came

(a) We are exhorted to pray with the Spirit and the understanding alfo: the prayer of faith only, in the name of Chrift, is available.

came to my lord, and made known the cause of their coming to him: to wit, that fince Manfoul was in fo deplorable a condition, his Highness would be pleased to undertake to draw up a petition for them to EMANUEL, the Son of the mighty SHADDAI, and to their King and his Father, by him.

The Secretary requested to draw up a peti

Then faid the Secretary to them, "What petition is it that you would have me draw up for you?" But they said, Our Lord knows beft the ftate and condition of the town of Mansoul, and how we are backslidden and degenerated from the Prince; thou also knoweft who is come up to war against us, and how Manfoul is now the feat of war. (a) My Lord knows moreover, what barbarous ufage our men, women, and children have fuffered at their hands, and how our home-bred Diabolonians walk now with more boldness than dare the townsmen in the streets of Manfoul. Let our Lord therefore, according to the wisdom of God that is in him, draw up a petition for his poor fervants to our Prince EMANUEL. "Well (faid the lord Secretary,) I will draw up a petition for you, and will alfo fet my hand thereto." Then faid they, "But when fhall we call for it at the hand of our Lord!" He answered, "Yourselves must be present at the doing of it. Yea, you muft pat your defires to it. True, the hand and pen fhall be mine, but the ink and paper must be your's, elfe how can you fay, it is your petition? Nor have I need to petition for myself, because I have not offended."

tion for Manfoul.

He also added as followeth: "No petition goes from me in my name to the Prince, and fo to his Father by him, but when the people, that are chiefly concerned therein, join in heart and foul in the matter, for that must be inferted therein."

So

(a) Thus it will ever be. The chriftian life is a warfare against the world, the flesh, and the devil: but an evil heart of unbelief is that fpiritual Goliath, which we should constantly intreat the Captain of our falvation to subdue,

So they heartily agreed with the fentence of the Lord, and a petition was forthwith drawn up for them. But now who shall carry it, that was the next. But the Secretary advised that captain Credence fhould carry it, for he was a well-fpoken man. They therefore called for him, and propounded to him the bufinefs. Well, faid the cap. tain, I gladly accept of the motion; and though I am lame, I will do this business for you, with as much speed, and as well as I can. (a) The contents of the petition were to this purpose:

The petition of
Manfoul to the
Prince EMA-

NUEL.

"O our Lord and Sovereign Prince EMANUEL, the potent, the long-fuffering Prince: Grace is poured into thy lips, and to thee belong mercy and forgiveness, though we have rebelled against thee. We who are no more worthy to be called thy Manfoul, nor yet fit to partake of common benefits, do befeech thee, and thy Father by thee, to

do away our tranfgreffions. We confefs that thou mightest caft us away for them, but do it not for thy name's fake; let the Lord rather take an opportunity, at our miserable condition, to let out his bowels of compaffion to us; we are compaffed on every fide; Lord, our own backflidings reprove us, our Diabolonians within our town fright us, and the army of the angel of the bottomlefs pit diftrefs us. Thy grace can be our falvation, and whither to go but to

thee we know not.

"Furthermore, O gracious Prince, we have weakened our captains, and they are difcouraged, fick, and of late. fome of them grievously worsted, and beaten out of the field by the power and force of the tyrant. Yea, even those of our captains, in whofe valour we formerly used to put most of our confidence, they are as wounded men. Befides,

(a) The prayer of faith, how feeble foever, grounded on the word of promise, will not return void to the waiting foul.

fides, Lord, our enemies are lively, and they are ftrong, they vaunt and boast themselves, and threaten to part us among themselves for a booty. They are fallen alfo upon us, Lord, with many thoufand Doubters, fuch as with whom we cannot tell what to do; they are all grimlooked, and unmerciful ones, and they bid defiance to us and thee.

"Our wisdom is gone, our power is gone, because thou art departed from us, nor have we what we may call our's, but fin, fhame, and confufion of face for fin. (a)` Take pity upon us, O Lord, take pity upon us thy miferable town of Mansoul, and fave us out of the hands of our enemies. Amen."

This petition, as was touched afore, was handed by the lord Secretary, and carried to the court by the brave and moft ftout captain Credence. Now he carried it out at Mouth-gate, for that, as I faid, was the fally-port of the town; and he went, and came to EMANUEL with it. Now how it came out, I do not know, but for certain it did, and that fo far as to reach the ears of Diabolus. Thus I conclude, because that the tyrant had it prefently by the end, and charged the town of Manfoul with it, faying, "Thou rebellious and ftubborn-hearted Manfoul, I will make thee to leave off petitioning; art thou yet for petitioning? I will make thee to leave off." Yea, he also knew who the meffenger was that carried the petition to the Prince, and it made him both fear and rage. Wherefore he commanded that his drum fhould be beat again, a thing that Manfoul could not abide to hear; but when Diabolus would have his drum beat, Manfoul must abide the noise. Well, the drum was beat, and the Diabolonians were gathered together.

Satan cannot abide prayer.

Then

(a) All our addreffes to the throne should be cloathed with the profoundest felf-abafement and humility: nevertheless, let us remember our God is more ready to hear, and bestow bleffings, that we are to afk or receive them.