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النشر الإلكتروني

THE

HOLY WAR.

CHAP. I.

The original Beauty of the Town of Mansoul, while under the Dominion of SHADDAI....A dreadful Revolution effected in it by the Subtilty of Diabolus....Captain Resistance, and my Lord Innocency slain.

IN

the world.

A

N my travels, as I walked through many regions and countries, it was my chance to arrive at that famous continent of Universe1. very large and spacious country it Description of is: it lieth between the two poles, and just amidst the four points of the heaven. It is a place well watered, and richly adorned with hills and vallies, bravely situated; and for the most part (at least where I was) very fruitful; also well peopled, and a very sweet air.

The people are not all of one complexion, nor yet of one language, mode, or way of religion;

1 Universe: The world at large is here intended, displaying the wisdom, power, and goodness of the great Creator.

B

but differ as much (it is said) as do the planets themselves: some are right, and some are wrong, even as it happeneth to be in lesser regions3.

In this country, as I said, it was my lot to travel; and there travel I did, and that so long, even till I had learned much of their mothertongue, together with the customs and manners of them among whom I was. And, to speak A natural state truth, I was much delighted to see pleasing to the and hear many things which I saw and heard among them: yea, I had, to be sure, even lived and died a native among them (I was so taken with them and their doings), had not my Master sent for me home to his house, there to do business for him, and to oversee business done3.

flesh.

Now there is, in this gallant country of Universe, a fair and delicate town, a corporation called MANSOUL; a town for its building so curious, for its situation so commodious, for its privileges so advantageous (I mean with reference to its original), that I may say of it, as was said before of the continent in which it is placed, "There is not its equal under the whole heaven"."

As to the situation of this town, it lieth between the two worlds: and the first founder and

2 Sin has introduced universal disorder into the world. Its original harmony and beauty are lost.

3 The author refers to his own experience before his conversion, and his being called by grace to serve the Lord Christ as a minister in his church.

4 By the town of Mansoul, as every reader must perceive, is intended The Soul of Man; figuratively represented, throughout this work, as a town. Just commendation is here given of it; for the human soul, in its original state, was truly glorious, bearing the holy and happy image of God himself.

Scriptures.

He

builder of it, so far as by the best and most authentic records I can The Almighty. gather, was one SHADDAI; and he built it for his own delight, Gen. i. 26. made it the mirror and glory of all that he made, even the top-piece, beyond any thing else that he did in that country. Yea, so goodly a town was Mansoul, when first built, that it is

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Created angels. said by some, the gods, at the setting up thereof, came down to see it, and sung for joy. And as he made it goodly to behold, so also mighty to have dominion over all the country round about. Yea, all were commanded to acknowledge Mansoul for their metropolitan, all were enjoined to do homage to it. Aye, the town itself had positive commission, and power from her King, to demand service of all, and also to subdue those that any-ways denied it.

There was reared up in the midst of this town, a most famous and stately palace: for

The heart. strength, it may be called a castle; for pleasantness, a paradise; for largeness, a place so copious as to contain all the world, Eccles. iii. 11. This place, the King Shaddai intended but for himself alone, and not another with him: partly because of his own delights, and partly because he would not that the terror of strangers should be upon the

The powers

of the soul.

town. This place Shaddai made also a garrison of; but he committed the keeping of it only to the men of the town.

5 Shaddai. This is a name of God often used in the Old Testament, but translated ALMIGHTY. It is a Hebrew word, signifying All-sufficient, or Almighty. It is derived from the Hebrew word for the breast, which affords nourishment to young creatures; and so, intimates, that we derive all our sup

The walls of the town were well built; yea, so fast and firm were they knit and comThe body. pacted together, that, had it not been for the townsmen themselves, they could not have been shaken or broken for ever. For here lay the excellent wisdom of him that built Mansoul, that the walls could never be broken down nor hurt, by the most mighty adverse potentates, unless the townsmen gave consent thereto. This famous town of Mansoul had five

The five senses.

gates, at which to come out, and at which to go in; and these were made likewise answerable to the walls, to wit, impregnable, and such as could never be opened nor forced, but by the will and leave of those within. The names of the gates are these: Ear-gate, Eyegate, Mouth-gate, Nose-gate, and Feel-gate".

Other things there were that belonged to the town of Mansoul, which, if you adjoin to these, will yet give further demonstration to all, of the glory and strength of the place. It had always a sufficiency of provision within its

The state of

walls; it had the best, most whole

Mansoul at first. some and excellent law, that was

then extant in the world. There was not a rogue, rascal, or traitorous person then within its walls: they were all true men, and fast joined together; and this, you know, is a great matter. And to all these, it had always, so long as it had the good

port from God, as the helpless infant from the mother's breast. This name is, in this work, applied to God the Father.

6 The powers of the soul are very capacious, and the body itself, before the introduction of sin, was firm and strong. Nothing but sin, voluntarily admitted, could have injured either.

7 The five senses are very properly described as so many gates of the city, for these are the doors by which good or evil

must enter.

ness to keep true to Shaddai, the king, his countenance, his protection, and it was his delight, &c.

Well, upon a time there was one Diabolus, a mighty giant, made an assault upon the famous town of Mansoul, to take it, and make it his own habitation. This giant was king of the Blacks or Negroes, and a most raving prince he was. We will, if you please, first discourse of the original of this Diabolus, and then of his taking of this famous town of Mansoul.

Devils the fallen angels. The origin of Diabolus.

This Diabolus is indeed a great and mighty prince, and yet both poor and beggarly. As to his original, he was at first one of the servants of king Shaddai, by whom he was made, and raised to a most high and mighty place, yea, and was put into such principalities as belonged to the best of his territories and dominions, Isa. 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 brightness: an income that might have contented his Luciferian heart, had it not been insatiable, and enlarged as hell itself.

Pride kindles

in Diabolus.

Well, he seeing himself thus exalted to greatness and honour, and raging in his mind for higher state and degree, what doth he but begin to think with himself, how he might be set up as lord over all, and have the sole power under Shaddai, 2 Pet. ii. 4.

8 God made man upright, and entered into a covenant of life with him, the condition of which was his perfect obedience.

9 Diabolus is the Greek and Latin name for the Devil, and properly signifies the Calumniator or Accuser. The word is used, in Scripture, collectively, for the whole body of fallen spirits, whose original state of holiness and happiness the author describes.

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