again (for ever) be able to creep into thy skirts, burrow in thy walls, or be seen within thy borders all the days of eternity. Life shall there last longer than here you are able to desire it should, and yet it shall always be sweet and new, nor shall any impediment attend it for ever.

"There, O Mansoul, thou shalt meet with many of those that have been like thee, and that have been partakers of thy sorrows; even such as I have chosen and redeemed, and set apart, as thou, for my father's court and city royal. All they will be glad in thee; and thou, when thou seest them, shalt be glad in thine heart.

you

"There are things, O Mansoul, even things of thy father's providing and mine, that never were seen since the beginning of the world, and they are laid up with my father, and sealed up among his treasures for thee, till thou shalt come thither to them. I told before that I would remove my Mansoul, and set it up elsewhere, and where I will set it, there are those that love thee, and those that rejoice in thee now, but much more when they see thee exalted to honour. My father will then send them for you to fetch you; and their bosoms are chariots to put you in. And thou, O my Mansoul, shalt ride upon the wings of the wind, Psal. lxviii. 17. They will come to convey, conduct, and bring you to that, when your eyes see more, that will be your desired haven.

"And thus, O my Mansoul, I have shewed unto thee, what shall be done to thee hereafter, if thou canst understand; and now I will tell thee what at present must be thy duty and practice, until I shall come and fetch thee to myself, according as is related in the scriptures of truth.

First, I charge thee that thou dost hereafter keep more white and clean the liveries which Į

Fine linen, the

the saints.

gave thee before my last withdrawing from thee. Do it, I say, for this will be thy wisdom. They are in themselves fine linen, but thou righteousness of must keep them white and clean. This will be your wisdom, your honour, and will be greatly for my glory. When your garments are white, the world will count you mine. Also when your garments are white, then I am delighted in your ways; for then your goings to and fro will be like a flash of lightning, that those that are present must take notice of, also their eyes will be made to dazzle thereat. Deck thyself therefore according to my bidding, and make thyself by my law straight steps for thy feet, so shall thy king greatly desire thy beauty, for he is thy Lord, and worship thou him.

"Now that thou mayest keep them as I bid thee, I have, as I before told thee, provided for thee an open fountain to wash thy garments in. Look therefore that thou wash often in my fountain, and go not in defiled garments; for as it is to my dishonour, and my disgrace, so it will be to thy discomfort, when you shall walk in filthy garments, Zech. iii. 3, 4. Let not therefore my garments, your garments, the garments that I gave thee, be defiled or spotted by the flesh, Jude ver. 23. Keep thy garments always white, and let thy head lack no

Purity of life recommended.

ointment.

"My Mansoul, I have oft-times delivered thee from the designs, plots, attempts, and conspiracies of Diabolus, and for all this I ask thee nothing, but that thou render not to me evil for my good, but that thou bear in mind my love, and the continuation of my kindness to my beloved Mansoul, so as to provoke thee to walk, in thy measure, according to the benefit bestowed on thee. Of old the

sacrifices were bound with cords to the horns of the golden altar. Consider what is said to thee, O my blessed Mansoul.

"O my Mansoul, I have lived, I have died; I live, and will die no more for thee; I live, that thou mayest not die. Because I live, thou shalt live also. I reconciled thee to my father by the blood of my cross, and being reconciled thou shalt live through me. I will pray for thee, I will fight for thee, I will yet do thee good.

"Nothing can hurt thee but sin, nothing can grieve me but sin; nothing can make Sin their great thee base before thy foes but sin: Take heed of sin, my Mansoul.

enemy.

"And dost thou know why I at first, and do still suffer Diabolonians to dwell within thy walls, O Mansoul? It is to keep thee waiting, to try thy love, to make thee watchful, and to cause thee yet to prize my noble captains, their soldiers, and my mercy.

"It is also that yet thou mayest be made to remember what a deplorable condition thou once wast in, I mean when, not some, but all did dwell, not in thy wall, but in thy castle, and in thy stronghold, O Mansoul.

Watchfulness recommended.

"O my Mansoul, should I slay all them within, many there be without that would bring thee into bondage; for were all these within cut off, those without would find thee sleeping, and then as in a moment they would swallow up my Mansoul. I therefore left them in thee, not to do thee hurt (the which they yet will, if thou hearken to them, and serve them), but to do thee good, the which they must, if thou watch and fight against them. Know therefore, that whatever they shall tempt thee to, my design is, that they should drive thee, not further

off, but nearer to my father, to learn thee war, to make petitioning desirable to thee, and to make thee little in thy own eyes. Hearken diligently to this, my Mansoul.

"Shew me then thy love, my Mansoul, and let not those that are within thy walls, take thy affections off from him that hath redeemed thy soul. Yea, let the sight of a Diabolonian heighten thy love to me. I came once, and twice, and thrice, to save thee from the poison of those arrows that would have wrought thy death; stand for me, my friend, my Mansoul, against the Diabolonians, and I will stand for thee before my father, and all his court. Love me against temptation; and I will love thee, notwithstanding thine infirmities.

"O my Mansoul, remember what my captains, my soldiers, and mine engines have done for thee. They have fought for thee, they have borne much at thy hands to do thee good, O Mansoul. Hadst thou not had them to help thee, Diabolus had certainly made a hand of thee. Nourish them therefore, my Mansoul. When thou dost well, they will be well; when thou dost ill, they will be ill, and sick and weak. Make not my captains sick, O Mansoul; for if they be sick, thou canst not be well; if they be weak, thou canst not be strong; if they be faint, thou canst not be Mansoul is to live by the stout and valiant for thy king, O word of God. Mansoul. Nor must thou think always to live by sense, thou must live upon my word. Thou must believe, O my Mansoul, when I am for thee, that yet I love and bear thee upon mine heart for ever.

"Remember therefore, O my Mansoul, that thou art beloved of me; as I have therefore taught thee to watch, to fight, to pray, and to make war against my foes, so now I command thee to believe.

that my love is constant to thee. O my Mansoul, now have I set my heart, my love upon thee, watch: "Behold I lay none other burden upon thee, than what thou hast already, hold fast till I come," Rev. ii. 24, 256."

6 In this sweet and truly evangelical speech, the dear Lord Jesus is represented as making a recapitulation of his gracious dealings with the souls of his people. Salvation is uniformly ascribed to the free mercy of the father, and the precious blood of the son. Every gracious soul will cordially say, Not unto me, not unto me, O Lord, but to thy name be all the glory.

Immanuel then informs them of his intention to take down the present town of Mansoul, and to rebuild it in a more glorious manner; in other words, to remove the believer to glory, and raise up his mortal body to everlasting honour and happiness, when sin, sorrow, and temptation shall never more be known.

Till this event take place, he directs his people to keep their garments white and clean—that is, to be holy in all manner of conversation and godliness; to watch carefully against sin, which is the only thing that can hurt them, and to live every day by faith in the word of God.

Thus have we followed the ingenious and judicious author through this truly excellent work, making use of his own marginal key to unlock the curious cabinet, and expose the valuable contents. May every reader be found among those who are restored by grace to the kingdom of Immanuel, and who, having overcome, shall sit down with him on his throne of glory. To Him, even to the Lamb that was slain, who hath redeemed us to God by his blood; to Him be glory, in all the churches, world without end. Amen.

FINIS.

C. WHITTINGHAM, Printer, Dean Street, Fetter Lane.