صور الصفحة
PDF
النشر الإلكتروني
[graphic][merged small][merged small][subsumed][merged small][merged small]

they could, Zech. vii. 11. Now when they were come up to the top of the wall, Captain Boanerges desired to see the lord mayor; but my Lord Incredulity was then lord mayor, for he came in the room of my Lord Lustings: so Incredulity came up and shewed himself over the wall. But when the captain Boanerges had set his eyes upon him, he cried out aloud, This is not he; where is my Lord Understanding, the ancient lord mayor of the town of, Mansoul? for to him I would deliver my message.

Boanerges refuses to make Incredulity a judge of what he had to deliver to the famous town of

Mansoul.

Then said the Giant (for Diabolus was also come down) to the captain: Mr. Captain, you have, by your boldness, given to Mansoul at least four summonsés, to subject herself to your king: by whose authority, I know not; nor will I dispute that now. I ask, therefore, what is the reason of all this ado? or what would you be at, if you know yourselves?

Then Captain Boanerges, whose were the black colours, and whose escutcheon was three Boanerges's burning thunderbolts (taking no notice speech. of the giant, or of his speech) thus ad

dressed himself to the town of Mansoul: Be it known unto you, O unhappy and rebellious Mansoul! that the most gracious king, the great King Shaddai, my master, hath sent me unto you, with commission (and so he shewed to the town his broad seal) to reduce you to his obedience. And he hath commanded me, in case you yield upon my summons, to carry it to you as if you were my friends or brethren; but he also hath

9 The ministers of Christ wish to address themselves to the Understanding, but instead of this Unbelief presents himself. Ear-gate is also secured to prevent a candid attention to the word.

bid, that if, after summons to submit, you still stand out and rebel, we should endeavour to take you by force.

Then stood forth Captain Conviction, and said, (his were the pale colours, and for Captain Convican escutcheon he had the book of tion's speech. the law wide open, &c.) Hear, O Mansoul: Thou, O Mansoul, wast once famous for innocency, but now thou art degenerated into lies and deceit; Rom. iii. 10-19. 23. chap. xvi. 17, 18. Psalm 1. 21, 22. Thou hast heard what my brother, the Captain Boanerges, hath just now said, and it is your wisdom, and will be your happiness, to stoop to, and accept of, conditions of peace and mercy, when offered; especially when offered by one against whom thou hast rebelled, and one who is of power to tear thee in pieces, for so is Shaddai our king; nor, when he is angry, can any thing stand before him. If you say you have not sinned, or acted rebellion against our king, the whole of your doings, since the day that you cast off his service (and there was the beginning of your sin), will sufficiently testify against you; what else means your hearkening to the tyrant, and your receiving him for your king? What means else your rejecting the laws of Shaddai, and your obeying Diabolus? Yea, what means this your taking up arms against, and the shutting your gates upon us the faithful servants He invites them of your king? Luke xii. 58, 59. to return to their Be ruled, then, and accept of my lawful sovereign. brother's invitation, and overstand not the time of mercy, but agree with thine adversary quickly. Ab, Mansoul! suffer not thyself to be kept from mercy, and to be run into a thousand miseries, by the flattering wiles of Diabolus: perhaps that piece of deceit may attempt to make you believe, that we seek our own profit

in this our service: but know, it is obedience to our king, and love to your happiness, that is the cause of this undertaking of our's.

Again, I say unto thee, O Mansoul, consider if it be not amazing grace, that Shaddai should so humble himself as he doth, 2 Cor.v. 18-21. Now he, by us, reasons with you, in a way of intreaty and sweet persuasion, that you would subject yourselves to him. Has he that need of you, that we are sure you have of him? No, no; but he is merciful, and will not that Mansoul should die, but turn to him and live"..

Then stood forth Captain Judgment, whose

were the red colours, and for a scutCaptain Jude cheon had the burning fiery furnace; ment's speech. and he said, "O ye inhabitants of the town of Mansoul, that have lived so long in rebellion and acts of treason against the King Shaddai; know, that we come not to-day to this place, in this manner, with our message, of our own minds, or to avenge our own quarrel; it is the king our master that hath sent us to reduce you to your obedience to him; the which if you refuse in a peaceable way to yield, we have commission to compel you thereto. And never think of yourselves, nor yet suffer the tyrant Diabolus to persuade you to think, that our king, by his

10 Conviction, whose scutcheon is the book of the law wide open, here addresses Mansoul, declaring their rebellion and transgressions, and tracing them to the original apostacy, charging home their sins upon their conscience. Such addresses as these are likely, under God, to be very useful, accompanied, as this is, with a declaration of the good will which dictates them, and the condescension of grace in sending such messages of mercy.

It is proper to set before sinners "Judgments to come," warning every man against the fearful wrath of God. Thus did the Apostle Paul. warn and beseech the Ephesians night and day with tears.

1

« السابقةمتابعة »