are now made prisoners in the pit. Be therefore content with thy station. Mansoul. I have made thee my father's vicegerent on His power in earth, in such things of which I have made mention before. And take thou power to teach them to Mansoul, yea, and to impose them with whips and chastisements, if they shall not willingly hearken to do thy commandments. And, Mr. Recorder, because thou art old and feeble, therefore I give thee leave and licence to go when thou wilt to my fountain, my conduit, and there to drink freely of the blood of my grape, for my conduit doth always run wine, Heb. ix. 14. Thus doing, thou shalt drive from thy heart and stomach all foul, gross, and hurtful humours. It will also lighten thine eyes and strengthen thy memory for the reception and keeping of all that the king's most noble secretary teacheth. When the prince had thus put Mr. Recorder (that once so was) into the place and office of a minister of Mansoul, and the man had thankfully accepted thereof, then did Immanuel address himself to the townsmen themselves. soul. "Behold (said the prince to Mansoul) my love The prince's and care towards you; I have added speech to Man- to all that is past this mercy, to appoint you preachers, the most noble secretary, to teach you in all sublime mysteries; and this gentleman (pointing to Mr. Conscience) is to teach you in all things human and domestic, for therein lieth his work. He is not, by what I have said, debarred of telling to Mansoul any thing that he hath heard from the lord high secretary; only he shall not attempt, or presume to pretend, to be a revealer of those high mysteries himself; for the breaking of them up, and the discovery of them to Mansoul, lieth only in the power, authority, and skill of the lord high secreA licence to tary himself. Talk of them he may, Mansoul. and so may the rest of the town of Mansoul, as they have opportunity, press them upon each other for the benefit of the whole. These things I would have you observe and do; for it is for your life, and the lengthening of your days. "And one thing more to my beloved town of Mansoul: You must not dwell in, nor stay upon, any thing of that which he hath in commission to teach you as to your trust and expectation of the next world of the next world, I say; for I propose to give another to Mansoul when this with them is worn out, but for that you must wholly and solely have recourse to, and make stay upon his doctrine, that is your teacher after the first order. Yea, Mr. Recorder himself must not look for life from that which he himself revealeth; his dependence for that must be founded in the doctrine of the other preacher. Let Mr. Recorder also take heed that he receive not any doctrine, or point of doctrine, that is not communicated to him by his superior teacher, nor yet within the precincts of his own formal knowledge"." 5 Admirably judicious is this charge to the Rev. Mr. Conscience, ordained a preacher in Mansoul. The office of conscience is to compare the heart and walk of the Christian with the word of God, and so to judge whether it be good or bad: but conscience is not to decide on the secret decrees of God, nor pretend to reveal new doctrines; conscience is not the legislator, but the minister of the law, and must ever look up to the Holy Spirit for his teaching. Yet conscience is here armed with great authority, and permitted to chastise the soul when it offends. But conscience itself needs purifying by the blood of Christ, and refreshment also from the same source. Heb. ix. 14. Now after the prince had thus settled things in the famous town of Mansoul, he He gives them procaution about ceeded to give the elders of the corthe captains. poration a necessary caution; to wit, how they should carry it to the noble captains that he had sent or brought with him, from his father's court, to the famous town of Mansoul. "These captains," said he, "love the town of Mansoul, and they are men picked out of abundance, as men that best suit, and that will most faithfully serve in the wars of Shaddai against the Diabolonians, for the preservation of the town of Mansoul. Í charge you, therefore, said he, O ye inhabitants of the now flourishing town of Mansoul, that you carry it not untowardly to my captains or their men; since they are picked and choice men, men chosen out of many for the good of the town of Mansoul. I say, I charge you, that you carry it not untowardly to them; for though Mansoul must they have the hearts and faces of libehave kindly ons, when at any time they shall be to the captains. called forth to engage and fight with the king's foes, and the enemies of the town of Mansoul, yet a little discountenance cast upon them from the town of Mansoul will deject and cast down their faces, will weaken and take away their courage. Do not, therefore, carry it unkindly to my valiant captains and courageous men of war, but love them, nourish them, succour them, and lay them to your bosoms, and they will not only fight for you, but cause to fly from all those Diabolonians that seek, and will, if possible, prove your utter destruction. The citizens of you "If, therefore, any of them should at any tinie be sick, or weak, and so not able to perform that office of love which with all their hearts they are willing to do (and will do also when well and in health) Heb. xii. 12. Isa. xxxv. 3, slight them not, nor despise them, but rather strengthen and encourage them, though weak and ready to die; for they are your fence and your guard, your walls, gates, locks, and bars, Rev. iii. 2. 1 Thess. v. 14. And although when they are weak they can do but little, but rather need to be helped by you, than that you should then expect great things from them; yet when well, you know what exploits and warlike atchievements they can do, and will perform for you. "Besides, if they be weak, the town of Mansoul cannot be strong; if they be strong, then Mansoul cannot be weak: your safety therefore doth lie in their health, and in your countenancing them. Remember also, that if they be sick, they catch that disease of the town of Mansoul itself". "These things I have said unto you, because I love your welfare, and your honour; observe, therefore, oh my Mansoul, to be punctual in all things that I have given in charge unto you, and that not only as a town corporate, and so to your officers and guard and guides in chief, but to you as you are a people whose well-being, as single persons, depends on the observation of the or ders and commandments of their Lord. Next, oh my Mansoul! I warn you of that, of which, A caution about notwithstanding the reformation that the Diabolonians is at present wrought among you, that yet remain you have need to be warned about; wherefore hearken diligently unto in Mansoul. The instructions given to Mansoul respecting their beha viour to the ministers of the gospel is perfectly scriptural. They are to be "esteemed very highly in love for their works sake;" they are to be encouraged and strengthened; for this is profitable to the people, as well as a debt of love due to God and them. me. I am now sure, and will know hereafter, you that there are yet some Diabolonians remaining in the town of Mansoul; Diabolonians that are sturdy and implacable, and that do already while I am yet with you, and that will yet more when I am from you, study, plot, contrive, invent, and jointly attempt to bring you to desolation, and so to a state far worse than that of Egyptian bondage; they are the avowed friends of Diabolus, therefore look about you, Matt. vii. 21, 22. They used, therefore, to lodge with their prince in the castle, when Incredulity was lord-mayor of this town; but since my coming hither, they lie more in the outsides and walls, and have made themselves dens, and caves, and holes, and strong holds therein, Rom. vii. 18. Wherefore, oh, Mansoul! thy work as to this will be so much the more difficult and hard; that is, to take, mortify, and put them to death, according to the will of my father. Nor can you utterly rid yourselves of them, unless you should pull down the walls of your town, the which I am by no means willing you should. Do you ask me, What shall we then do? Why, be you diligent, and quit you like men; observe their holds, find out their haunts, assault them, and make no peace with them: wherever they haunt, lurk, or abide, and what terms of peace soever they offer you, abhor; and all shall be well betwixt you and me. And that you may the better know them from the natives of Mansoul, I will give you this brief schedule of the names of the chief of them; and they are these that follow: The Lord Fornication, The names of abolonians in Mansoul. some of the Di- the Lord Adultery, the Lord Murder, the Lord Anger, the Lord Lasciviousness, the Lord Deceit, the Lord Evil-eye, Mr. Drunkenness, Mr. Revelling, |