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grace

should be set upon Mount Gracious in sight of the Diabolus's town of Mansoul, to show that yet Emmanuel had new prank for the wretched town of Mansoul. When Diabolus saw the white flag hung out again, and knowing that it was not for him, but Mansoul, he cast in his mind to play another prank ; to wit, to see if Emmanuel would raise his siege and begone, upon promise of reformation. So he comes down to the gate one evening, a good while after the sun was gone down, and calls to speak with Emmanuel, who presently came down to the gate, and Diabolus saith unto him :—

"Forasmuch as thou makest it appear by thy white flag that thou art wholly given to peace and quiet, I thought meet to acquaint thee that we are ready to accept thereof upon terms which thou mayst admit. I know that thou art given to devotion, and that holiness pleaseth thee; yea, that thy great end in making a war upon Mansoul is, that it may be an holy habitation. Well, draw off thy forces from the town, and I will bend Mansoul to thy bow.

"First, I will lay down all acts of hostility against thee, and will be willing to become thy deputy, and will, as I have formerly been against thee, now serve thee in the town of Mansoul. And more particularly—

"1. I will persuade Mansoul to receive thee for their Lord; and I know that they will do it the sooner when they shall understand that I am thy deputy.

"2. I will show them wherein they have erred, and that transgression stands in the way to life.

"3. I will show them the holy law into which they must conform, even that which they have broken.

The "4. I will press upon them the necessity of a Prince reformation according to thy law.

uncovers his deceit

"5. And, moreover, that none of these things may fail, I myself, at my own proper cost and charge, will set up and maintain a sufficient ministry, besides lectures, in Mansoul.

"6. Thou shalt receive, as a token of our subjection to thee continually, year by year, what thou shalt think fit to lay and levy upon us in token of our subjection to thee."

Then said Emmanuel to him, “O full of deceit, how moveable are thy ways! How often hast thou changed and re-changed, if so be thou mightest still keep possession of my Mansoul, though, as has been plainly declared before, I am the right heir thereof! Often hast thou made thy proposals already, nor is this last a whit better than they. And failing to deceive when thou shewedst thyself in thy black, thou hast now transformed thyself into an angel of light,1 and wouldest, to deceive, be now as a minister of righteousness.

"But know thou, O Diabolus, that nothing must be regarded that thou canst propound, for nothing is done by thee but to deceive. Thou neither hast conscience to God, nor love to the town of Mansoul; whence, then, should these thy sayings arise but from sinful craft and deceit? He that can of list and will propound what he pleases, and that wherewith he may destroy them that believe him, is to be abandoned, with all that he shall say. But if righteousness be such a beautyspot in thine eyes now, how is it that wickedness was so closely stuck to by thee before? But this is by the by. 1 2 Cor. xi. 14.

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"Thou talkest now of a reformation in Mansoul, and and that thou thyself, if I will please, wilt be at answers him with the head of that reformation; all the while knowing that the greatest proficiency that man can make in the law, and the righteousness thereof, will amount to no more, for the taking away of the curse from Mansoul, than just nothing at all; for a law being broken by Mansoul, that had before, upon a supposition of the breach thereof, a curse pronounced against him for it of God, can never, by his obeying of the law, deliver himself therefrom (to say nothing of what a reformation is like to be set up in Mansoul when the devil is become the corrector of vice). Thou knowest that all that thou hast now said in this matter is nothing but guile and deceit; and is, as it was the first, so it is the last card that thou hast to play. Many there be that do soon discern thee when thou showest them thy cloven foot; but in thy white, thy light, and in thy transformation, thou art seen but of a few. But thou shalt not do thus with my Mansoul, O Diabolus; for I do still love my Mansoul.

"Besides, I am not come to put Mansoul upon works to live thereby should I do so, I should be like unto thee; but I am come that by me, and by what I have and shall do for Mansoul, they may to my Father be reconciled, though by their sin they have provoked him to anger, and though by the law they cannot obtain mercy.

"Thou talkest of subjecting of this town to good, when none desireth it at thy hands. I am sent by my Father to possess it myself, and to guide it by the skilfulness of my hands into such a conformity to him as shall be pleasing in his

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Diabolus sight. I will therefore possess it myself; I will con- dispossess and cast thee out; I will set up mine founded own standard in the midst of them; I will also

govern them by new laws, new officers, new motives, and new ways; yea, I will pull down this town, and build it again, and it shall be as though it had not been, and it shall then be the glory of the whole universe."

When Diabolus heard this, and perceived that he was discovered in all his deceits, he was confounded, and utterly put to a nonplus; but having in himself the fountain of iniquity, rage, and malice against both Shaddai and his Son, and the beloved town of Mansoul, what doth he but strengthen himself what he could to give fresh battle to the noble Prince Emmanuel. So, then, now we must have another fight before the town of Mansoul is taken. Come up, then, to the mountains, you that love to see military actions, and behold by both sides how the fatal blow is given, while one seeks to hold, and the other seeks to make himself master of the famous town of Mansoul.

Diabolus, therefore, having withdrawn himself from the wall to his force that was in the heart of the town of Mansoul, Emmanuel also returned to the camp; and both of them, after their divers ways, put themselves into a posture fit to bid battle one to another.

Diabolus, as filled with despair of retaining in his hands the famous town of Mansoul, resolved to do what mischief he could (if, indeed, he could do any) to the army of the Prince and to the famous town of Mansoul; for, alas! it was not the happiness of the silly town of Mansoul that was designed

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mischief against

by Diabolus, but the utter ruin and thereof, as now is enough in view. he commands his officers that they should then, when they see that they could hold the town no Mansoul longer, do it what harm and mischief they could, rending and tearing men, women, and children.1 "For," said he, "we had better quite demolish the place, and leave it like a ruinous heap, than so leave it that it may be an habitation for Emmanuel."

Emmanuel again, knowing that the next battle would issue in his being made master of the place, gave out a royal commandment to all his officers, high captains, and men of war, to be sure to show themselves men of war against Diabolus and all Diabolonians; but favourable, merciful, and meek to all the old inhabitants of Mansoul. "Bend, therefore," said the noble Prince, "the hottest front of the battle against Diabolus and his men."

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So the day being come, the command was given, and the Prince's men did bravely stand to their arms, and did, as before, bend their main force against Ear-gate and Eye-gate. The word was then, "Mansoul is won;' so they made their assault upon the town. Diabolus also, as fast as he could, with the main of his power, made resistance from within; and his high lords and chief captains for a time fought very cruelly against the Prince's army.

But after three or four notable charges by the Prince and his noble captains, Ear-gate was broken open, and the bars and bolts wherewith it was used to be fast shut up against the Prince, were broken into a thousand pieces. Then did the Prince's 1 Mark ix. 26, 27.

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