The fecond captain was captain Conviction; to him were given ten thousand men: his enfign's name was Mr. Sorrow; he did bear the pale colours, and his fcutcheon was the book of the law wide open, from whence issued a flame of fire, Deut. xxxiii. 2.

The third captain, was captain Judgment; to him were given ten thousand men: his enfign's name was Mr. Ter ror; he bare the red colours, and his fcutcheon was a burning fiery furnace, Matt. xiii. 40, 41,

The fourth captain was captain Execution; to him were given ten thoufand men: his enfign was one Mr. Juftice; he alfo bare the red colours, and his fcutcheon was a fruitless tree, with an ax lying at the root thereof, Matt. iii. 10.

The four captains have each ten thoufand men under them.

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

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

Now when the King had mustered his forces (for it was he that mustered the hoft to the battle), he gave unto the captains their feveral commiffions, with charge and commandment, in the audience of all the foldiers, that they hould take heed faithfully and courageously to do and ex ecute the fame. Their commiffions were, for the fubstance

(a) Though the above-recited are the ordinary means by which the Lord works favingly upon the hearts of finners, yet he is not confined to these, but can make the flightest incident inftrumental to the accomplishing of his blessed pur poses: "in à dream, in a vision of the night, when deep Deep falleth upon men; then he openeth the ears of men, and fealeth their inftruction," &c. Job xxxiii. 15, 16.

ftance of them, the fame in form, though as to name, title, place, and degree of the captains, there might be fome, but very small variation: and here let me give you an account of the matter and fum contained in their com miffion.

A COMMISSION from the great King SHADDAI, (a) King of Manfoul, to his trufty and noble captain, the captain BOANERGES, (b) for making war upon the town of Manfoul.

Commiffion

from the great

THOU Boanerges, one of my ftout :0 and thundering captains, over one King Shaddai. ⚫ten thousand of my valiant and faithful fervants, Matt. x. 11. Luke x. 5. go thou in my name, ⚫ with this thy force, to the miserable town of Mansoul; ⚫ and when thou comeft thither, offer them first conditions of peace; and command them, that, cafting off the yoke and tyranny of the wicked Diabolus, they return to me, their rightful prince and lord; command them alfo, that they cleanfe themfelves from all that is in the town of Manfoul, (and look to thyself, that thou have good • fatisfaction touching the truth of their obedience.) Thus when

(a) Shall love and mercy fue to the wretched to accept deliverance, and they not liften? Shall goodness itself not inwite the hopeless and helpless to embrace fubftantial and permanent happiness, and invite in vain? Nay rather, thou priToner of hope,

"Turn thou thine eyes on wifdom's fairer plan,
To frailty fuited, and defign'd for man:

To teach him wisdom, and, in that, to know,
His fall how great, his wretchedness how low!
To fave from ruin, as she makes him wife,

And hide deftruction from the ftranger's eyes."

(b) Literally, fons of thunder; meaning, properly, pow. erful preaching of the gofpel, made effectual in the heart by the operation of the Holy Ghoft, by which it becomes the power of God to falvation. Figuratively, it may mean the quickening influences of the Spirit of God. The two fons of Zebedee are thus furnamed by Chrift, Mark iii, 17.

when thou haft commanded them (if they in truth • fubmit 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 Manfoul; nor do thou hurt the • least native that moveth or breatheth therein, if they • will submit themselves to me, but treat thou fuch as if they were thy friends or 'brethren; for all fuch I love, and they fhall 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, (a) 1 Theff. ii. 7-II.

But if they fhall, notwithstanding thy fummons, and the producing of my authority, refift, ftand out against thee, and rebel; then I do command thee to make use of all thy cunning, power, might, and force, to bring them under by ftrength of hand, Farewel.'

Thus you fee the fum of their commiffions; for, as I faid before, for the fubflance of them, they were the fame that the rest of the noble captains had,

Wherefore they having received each commander his authority at the hand of their king; the day being appointed, and the place of their rendezvous prefixed, each commander appearing in fuch gallantry as his caufe and cal They prepare ling required; fo after a new entertainment for a march. from SHADDAI, with flying colours they fet forward to march towards the famous town of Manfout. Captain Boanerges led the van, captain Conviction and captain Judgment made up the main body, and captain Execu+

tion

(a) May. the confideration of fuch ftupendous, unmerited goodnefs, ever produce ftrains of the livelieft gratitude in the hearts of those whom the Lord hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy! Struck with a consciousness of our demerits, who can refrain from saying,

"Ah, Father, author, God of boundless grace,

What, what is man, with all his recreant race,"
That he with thine own Jefus fhould be weigh'd;
And, for their ranfom, 'fuch'a price be paid!"

'BROOK'E.'

tion brought up the rear. They then having a great way to go (for the town of Manfoul was far off from the court of SHADDAI, (a) Eph. ii. 13, 17.) marched through the regions and countries of many people, not hurting or abufing any, but bleffing wherever they came. They alfo lived upon the King's coft, all the way they went.

Having travelled thus for many days, at laft they came within fight of Manfoul; the which when they faw, the captains could for their hearts do no less than for a while bewail the condition of the town; for they quickly faw that it was proftrate to the will of Diabolus, and to his ways and designs.

Well, to be fhort, the captains come up before the town, march up to Ear-gate, and fit down there (for that was the place of hearing). So when they had pitched their tents, and intrenched themselves, they addreffed themselves to make their affault.

The world are convinced by the well-order

ed life of the godly.

Now the townsfolk at first, beholding fo gallant a company, fo bravely accoutred, and fo excellently difciplined, (b) having on their glittering armour, and difplaying their colours, could not but come out of their houfes

(a) The immenfe diftance of the foul from God, by ori ginal fin, is very juftly fet forth in the church homily on Chrift's nativity: "Inftead of the image of God, he was now become the image of the devil; inftead of the citizen of heaven, he was now become the bond-flave of hell; having in himself no one part of his former purity and cleanness, but being altogether fpotted and defiled infomuch that he now feemed to be nothing elfe but a lump of fin, and therefore, by the just judgment of God, was condemned to everlafting death." A pride-humbling picture! which intirely demolifhes the towering fabric of the dignity of human nature, fo much boafted of and extolled.

(6) Though the world approve of and commend the godly converfation of fincere chriftians, yet their rebellious nature revolts against the way, nor can they be prevailed on to chuse it, till almighty and irrefiftible grace removes the enmity, and makes them willing in the day of God's power.

houses and gaze. But the cunning fox Diabolus, fearing that the people, after this fight, fhould, on a fudden fummons, open the gates to the captains, came down with all hafte from the castle, and made them retire into the body of the town; who, when he had them there, made this lying and deceivable speech unto them. (a)

Diabolus alien- • Gentlemen, quoth he, although you ates their minds are my trufty and well-beloved friends, yet from them. I cannot but (a little) chide you for your late uncircumfpect action, in going out to gaze on that great and mighty force that but yefterday fat down before (and have now intrenched themselves, in order to the maintaining of the fiege againft) the famous town of Manfoul. Do you know who they are? whence they came? and what is their purpose in fitting down before the town of Manfoul? They are they of whom I have told you long ago, that they would come to destroy this town, (b) and againft whom I have been at the coft to arm you cap-a-pié for your body, befides great fortifications for Satan greatly your mind. Wherefore then did you not afraid of God's rather, even at the first appearance of them, minifters, that cry out, Fire the beacons, and give the whole they will fet Manfoul against town an alarm concerning them, that we him, might all have been in a pofture of defence, and have been ready to have received them with the highest acts of defiance? then had you fhewed yourfelves

(a) As "faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God," Rom. x. 17. fo the enemy of souls, aware of the danger his kingdom is in by the conviction of finners, through the miniftry of the word, ftrives by every ftratagem his art and cunning can fuggeft, to divert them from the use of these means of falvation, by caufing them to be defpifed and neglected; while riches, honours, and fading joys, are preferred to heavenly wifdom and eternal good. But, in ipite of his utmost efforts to prevent it, God will work, and none fhall let it; and the innumerable company of the clea fhall be accomplished, to glorify him for ever.

(6) That's falfe, Satan.