I told you but now, that they of the king's army had this winter sent three times to Mansoul, to submit herself.

The contents

summons.

The first time the trumpeter went, he went with words of peace; telling them, that the captains, the noble captains of Shaddai, pitied and bewailed the misery of the now perishof the first ing town of Mansoul, and were troubled to see them stand so much in the way of their own deliverance. He said moreover, that the captains bid him tell them, that if now poor Mansoul would humble herself, and turn, her former rebellions and most notorious treasons, should, by their merciful king, be forgiven them, yea, and forgotten too. And having bid them beware that they stood not in their own way, that they opposed not themselves, nor made themselves their own losers; he returned again into the camp.

summons.

The second time the trumpeter went, he treatThe contents ed them a little more roughly; for, afof the second ter sound of trumpet he told them, that their continuing in their rebellion did but chafe and heat the spirit of the captains, and that they were resolved to make a conquest of Mansoul, or lay their bones before the town walls.

He went again the third time, and dealt with The contents them yet more roughly; telling them, of the third that now, since they had been so horribly profane, he did not know, not certainly know whether the captains were inclined to mercy or judgment; only, said he, they com

summons.

their message, and press home on the mind the great concerns of salvation. But still Satan retains his power through the influence of unbelief.

manded me to give you a summons to open the gates unto them: so he returned, and went into the camp.

These three summons, and especially the two last, so distressed the town, that they The town sounds presently called a consultation, the for a parley. result of which was this, that my Lord Will-be-will should go up to Ear-gate, and there, with sound of trumpet, call to the captains of the camp for a parley. Well, the Lord Willbe-will sounded upon the wall; so the captains came up in their harness, with their ten thousands at their feet. The townsmen then told the captains that they had heard and considered their and would come to an They propound summons; conditions of agreement with them and with their agreement. king Shaddai, upon such certain ' terms, articles, and propositions, as, with and by the order of their prince, they to them were appointed to propound: to wit, they would agree upon these grounds to be one people with them. 1. "If that those of their own company, as the now lord-mayor, and their Mr. ForFirst proposition. get-good, with their brave Lord Willbe-will, might, under Shaddai, be still the governors of the town, castle, and gates of Mansoul.

2. "Provided that no man, that now served under the great giant Diabolus, be by Second pro- Shaddai cast out of house, harbour, or position. the freedom that he hath hitherto enjoyed in the famous town of Mansoul. 3. "That it shall be granted them, that they of the town of Mansoul enjoy certain of Third propo- their rights and privileges; to wit, such as have formerly been granted them, and that they have long lived in the enjoyment of, under the reign of their king Diabolus,

sition.

that now is, and long has been, their only lord and great defender.

4." That no new law, officer, or executioner of law or office, shall have any power over them, without their own choice and consent.

Fourth proposition.

"These be our propositions, or conditions of peace; and upon these terms, said they, we will submit to your king.

But when the captains had heard this weak and feeble offer of the town of Mansoul, and their high and bold demands, they made to them again, by their noble captain, the Captain Boanerges, this speech following:

answer.

"O ye inhabitants of the town of Mansoul, when I heard your trumpet sound for Boanerges's a parley with us, I can truly say, I was glad; but when you said you were willing to submit yourselves to our Lord and King, then was I yet more glad: but when, by your silly provisoes and foolish cavils, you laid the stumbling-block of your iniquity before your faces, then was my gladness turned into sorrow, and my hopeful beginnings of your return into languishing and fainting fears.

"I count, that old Ill-pause, the ancient enemy of Mansoul, drew up these proposals that now you present us with, as terms of an agreement; but they deserve not to be admitted to sound in the ear of any man that pretends to have service for Shaddai, 2 Tim. ii. 19. We do therefore jointly,

* Sinners, when alarmed by fears of hell, are sometimes willing to become religious externally, provided they may retain their lordly lusts; they are ready to assume the form of godliness, but dislike its power.

and that with the highest disdain, refuse and reject such things, as the greatest of iniquities.

"But, O Mansoul, if you will give yourselves into our hands, or rather into the hands of our king, and will trust him to make such terms with you and for you, as shall seem good in his eyes (and I dare say they will be such as you shall find to be most profitable to you), then we will receive you, and be at peace with you: but if you like not to trust yourselves in the arms of Shaddai our king, then things are but where they were before, and we know also what we have to do"." Then cried out old Incredulity, the lord-mayor,

Old Incredulity's reply.

Unbelief never is

profitable in talk, but always speaks mischievously.

and said, " And who, being out of the hands of their enemies, as ye see ye are now, will be so foolish as to put the staff out of their own hands, into the hands of they know not who? I, for my part, will never yield to so unlimited a proposition. Do you know the manner and temper of their King? 'Tis said by some, that he will be angry with his subjects, if but the breadth of an hair they chance to step out of the way: and by others, that he requireth of them much more than they can perform. Wherefore it seems, O Mansoul, to be thy wisdom to take good heed what thou dost in this matter; for if you once yield, you give up yourselves to another, and so you are no more your own: wherefore to give up yourselves to an unlimited power, is the greatest folly in the world; for now indeed you may repent, but can

9 Terms, like those proposed, can never be admitted by Jesus Christ; for it is his will, that “ every one who nameth his name must depart from iniquity."

never justly complain. But do you indeed know, when you are his, which of you he will kill, and which of you he will save alive? or whether he will not cut off every one of us, and send out of his country another new people, and cause them to inhabit this town 19?"

This speech undid all.

10

This speech of the lord-mayor undid all, and threw flat to the ground their hopes of an accord: wherefore the captains returned to their trenches, to their tents, and to their men, as they were; and the mayor to the castle, and to his king.

Now Diabolus had waited for his return, for he had heard that they had been at their points. So when he was come into the chamber of state, Diabolus saluted him with, 'Welcome, my lord; how went matters betwixt you to-day?' Then the Lord Incredulity (with a low congé) told him the whole of the matter, saying, Thus said the captain of Shaddai, and thus and thus said I.

The which as it was told to Diabolus, But it pleased he was very glad to hear; and said, the devil. My lord-mayor, my faithful Incredulity, I have proved thy fidelity _above_ten times already, but never found thee false. I do promise thee, if we rub over this brunt, to prefer thee to a place of honour, a place far better than to be lord-mayor of Mansoul: I will make thee my universal deputy; and thou shalt, next to me, have all nations under thy hand; yea, and thou shalt lay hands upon them, that they may not resist thee; nor shall any of our vassals walk more at

10 Unbelief ever suggests hard thoughts of God, and represents his service as an intolerable burden. This is hateful to God, but pleaseth the devil.