صور الصفحة
PDF
النشر الإلكتروني

CHAP. VII.

Immanuel prepares to make War upon Mansoul.... Diabolus sends Mr. Loth-to-stoop with Proposals for accommodating the Difference.... His disho nourable Proposals are rejected by Immanuel.... Again he proposes to be Immanuel's Deputy, and turn Reformer; this Proposal also rejected.... New Preparations for Battle....A violent Assault upon Ear-gate with the Battering Rams....The Gate broken to Pieces; the Troops enter the Town; take Possession of Mr. Conscience's House....Several Diabolonians are killed.

WHEN Immanuel saw that Mansoul was thus

W involved in sin, he called his army together,

Immanuel prepares to make war upon Man

(since now all his words were despised), and gave out a commandment throughout all his hosts, to be ready against the time appointed. Now forasmuch as there was no way lawfully to take the town of Mansoul, but to get in by the gates, and at Ear-gate as the chief, therefore he commanded his captains and commanders to bring their rams, their slings, and their men, and place them at Eye-gate and Ear-gate, in order to his taking the

soul.

town.

When Immanuel had put all things in readiness to bid Diabolus battle, he sent again to know of the town of Mansoul, if in peaceable manner they would yield themselves; or whether they were yet resolved to put him to try the utmost extremity? They then, together with Diabolus the king, called a council of war, and resolved upon certain propositions that should be offered Immanuel, if he will

accept thereof: so they agreed; and then the next was, who should be sent on this errand. Now there

Diabolus sends by the hand of his servant, Mr. Loth-tostoop, and by him he propounds conditions of peace.

was in the town of Mansoul an old man, a Diabolonian, and his name was Mr. Loth-to-stoop; a stiff man in his way, and a great doer for Diabolus; him therefore they sent, and put into his mouth what he should say. So he went, and came to the camp to Immanuel; and when he was come, a time was appointed to give him audience. So at the time he came; and after a Diabolonian ceremony or two, he thus began, and said, Tit. i. 16. "Great Sir, that it may be known unto all men, Diabolus wishes how good-natured a prince my masto retain the ter is, he hath sent me to tell your half of Man- lordship, that he is very willing, rather than go to war, to deliver up into your hands one half of the town of Mansoul. I am therefore to know if your Mightiness will accept of this proposition?"

soul.

Then said Immanuel, "The whole is mine by gift and purchase, therefore I will never lose one half."

And will allow

Then said Mr. Loth-to-stoop, "Sir, my master hath said, that he will be content that you shall be the nominal and titular lord of all, if he may possess but a part," Luke xiii. 25.

Immanuel to be called Lord of

all.

Then Immanuel answered, "The whole is mine really, not in name and word only; wherefore I will be the sole lord and possessor of all, or of none at all, in Mansoul."

Then Mr. Loth-to-stoop said again, "Sir, behold the condescension of my master! He says, that he will be content if he may but have assigned to him some place in Man

Mark this.

soul, as a place to live privately in, and you shall be lord of all the rest. Acts v. 1-5.

[ocr errors]

Then said the Golden Prince, "All that the Father giveth me, shall come to me; and of all that he hath given me I will lose nothing, no not the least corner in Mansoul to dwell in, I will have all to myself."

Then Loth-to-stoop said again, " But, Sir, suppose that my Lord should resign the Mark this well. whole town to you only with this proviso, that he sometimes, when he comes into this country, may, for old acquaintance sake, be entertained as a wayfaring man for two days, or ten days, or a month, or so; may not this small matter be granted?”

Then said Immanuel, No. He came as a wayfaring man to David, nor did he stay long with him, and yet it had like to have cost David his soul, 2 Sam. xii. 1—5. I will not consent that he ever should have any harbour more there." Then said Mr. Loth-to-stoop, "Sir, you seem to be very hard. Suppose my master Sin and car- should yield to all that your lordship nal lust. hath said, provided that his friends and kindred in Mansoul may have liberty to trade in the town, and to enjoy their present dwellings; may not that be granted, Sir?"

24.

Then said Immanuel," No; that is contrary to my father's will, Rom. vi. 13. Col. iii. 5. Gal. v. For all, and all manner of Diabolonians that now are, or that at any time shall be found in Mansoul, shall not only lose their lands and liberties, but also their lives."

Then said Mr. Loth-to-stoop again, "But, Sir, may not my master and great lord, Mark this. by letters, by passengers, by accidental opportunities, and the like, maintain, if he shall

deliver up all unto thee, some kind of old friendship with Mansoul?" John x. 8.

or

Immanuel answered, "No, by no means; forasmuch as any such fellowship, friendship, intimacy, or acquaintance, in what way, sort, mode soever maintained, will tend to the corrupting of Mansoul, the alienating of their affections from me, and the endangering their peace with my father."

Mr. Loth-to-stoop yet added further, saying, "But, great Sir, since my master hath Mark this. many friends, and those that are dear to him in Mansoul, Rom. vi. 12, 13, may he not, if he depart from them, even of his bounty and good nature, bestow upon them, as he sees fit, some Delight in the tokens of his love and kindness that recollection of he had for them, to the end that Manpast sins. soul, when he is gone, may look upon such tokens of kindness once received from their old friend, and remember him who was once their king, and the merry times that they sometimes enjoyed one with another, while he and they lived in peace together?"

Then said Immanuel, "No; for if Mansoul come to be mine, I shall not admit of, nor consent that there should be the least scrap, shred, or dust of Diabolus left behind, as tokens or gifts bestowed upon any in Mansoul, thereby to call to remembrance the horrible communion that was betwixt them and him."

"Well, Sir, said Mr. Loth-to-stoop, I have one thing more to propound, and then I Mark this. am got to the end of my commission ; 2 Kings i. 3, 6, 7. Suppose that when my master is gone from Mansoul, any that yet shall live in the town, shall have such business of high concerns to do, that, if they be neglected, the party

shall be undone and suppose, Sir, that nobody can help, in that case, so well as my master and lord; may not now my master be sent for upon so urgent an occasion as this? Or if he may not be admitted into the town, may not he and the persons concerned meet in some of the villages near Mansoul, and there lay their heads together, and there consult together?"

All the proposi

tions of Loth-tostoop in behalf of

Diabolus reject

ed.

This was the last of those ensnaring propositions that Mr. Loth-to-stoop had to propound to Immanuel on behalf of his master Diabolus: but Immanuel would not grant it; for he said, "There can be no case, or thing, or matter, fall out in Mansoul, when thy master shall be gone, that may not be solved by my father, 1 Sam. xxviii. 15. Besides, it will be a great disparagement to my father's wisdom and skill, to admit any from Mansoul to go out to Diabolus for advice, when they are bid before, in every thing, by prayer and supplication, to let their requests be made known to my father, 2 Kings i. 2, 3. Further, this, should it be granted, would be to grant that a door should be set open for Diabolonians in Mansoul, to hatch and plot and bring to pass treasonable designs, to the grief of my father and me, and to the utter destruction of Mansoul1."

1 The proud heart of man is loth to stoop to that absolute and entire obedience to Christ which he justly requires. There are many who would call themselves Christians on some of the conditions here proposed. They would resign half their hearts to Christ, and so serve two masters. Or, they would allow him to be titular lord, a lord in name, but not in authority. Others would serve Jesus, in general, if permitted to enjoy the pleasures of sin occasionally. Others would submit to become religious, yet entertain some darling lusts; or maintain corres

« السابقةمتابعة »