John xvii. Father's donation. His it was, and he gave it me; nor have I at any time offended my Father, that he should take it from me, and give it to thee: nor have I been forced, by playing the bankrupt,` to fell, or set to fale to thee, my beloved Ifa.1. 1. town of Mansoul. Manfoul is my defire, my delight, and the joy of my heart. But, 3. Manfoul is mine by right of purchase; I have bought it, (O Diabolus) I have bought it to myself. Now, fince it was my Father's, and mine, as I was his heir, and fince also I have made it mine by virtue of a great purchase; it followeth, that, by all lawful right, the town of Mansoul is mine, and that thou art an usurper, a tyrant, and traitor, in thy holding poffeffion thereof. Now, the caufe of my purchafing of it was this: Manfoul had trefpaffed against my Father; now my Father had faid, that in the day that they broke his law they should die. Now, it is more pof- Mat. v. 18. fible for heaven and earth to pass away, than for my Father to break his word. Wherefore, when Manfoul had finned indeed, by a hearkening to thy lie, I put in and became a furety to my Father, body for body, and foul for foul, that I would make amends for Manfoul's trangreffions; and my Father did accept thereof. So when the time appointed was come, I gave body for body, foul for foul, life for life, blood for blood, and fo redeemed my beloved Manfoul. O fweet Prince Emmanuel. 4. Nor did I do this to the halves; my Father's law and juftice, that were both concerned in the threatening upon tranfgreffion, are both now fatisfied, and well content that Manfoul fhould be delivered. 5. Nor am I come out this day against thee, but by very No IV. N com commandment of my Father; it was he that faid unto me, Go down and deliver Manfoul. "Wherefore, be it known unto thee, (O thou fountain of deceit) and be it alfo known to the foolish town of Manfoul, that I am not come against thee this day without my Father. "And now, (faid the golden-headed Prince) I have word to the town of Manfoul." (But fo foon as men vas made that he had a word to speak to the betown of Manfoul, the gates were double guarded, dolmen commanded not to give him audience.) So I proceeded and faid, "O unhappy town of Manfoul, I cannot but be touched with pity and compaffion for the Thou haft accepted of Diabolus for thy king, and art become a nurse and a minister of Diabolonians against thy Sovereign Lord. Thy gates thou haft opened to him, but haft fhut them faft against me; thou haft given him a hearing, but haft ftopt thine ears at my cry; he brought to thee thy deftruction, and thou didft receive both him and it: I am come to thee bringing falvation, but thou regardeft me not. Besides, thou haft, as with facrilegious hands, taken thyfelf, with all that was mine in thee, and haft given all to my foe, and to the greatest enemy my Father has. You have bowed and fubjected yourselves to him; you have vowed and fworn yourselves to be his. Poor Manfoul! what fhall I do unto thee? Shall I fave thee? fhall I deftroy thee? What shall I do unto thee? Shall I fall upon thee and grind thee to powder, or make thee a monument of the richeft grace? What fhall I do unto thee? Hearken, therefore, thou town of Manfoul, hearken to my word, and thou fhalt live. I am merciful, Man Cant. v. 2. foul, and thou shalt find me fo; fhut me not out at thy gates. "O Manfoul, neither is my commiffion or inclination at all to do thee hurt; why fleeft thou fo faft from thy friend, and stickeft fo clofe to thine John xii. 47. enemy! Indeed I would have thee, because Luke ix. 56. it becomes thee to be forry for thy fin; but do not despair of life: This great force is not to hurt thee, but to deliver thee from thy bondage, and to reduce thee to thy obedience. ແ My commiffion indeed is to make a war g Diabolus thy king, and upon all Diabolonians with it for he is the ftrong man armed that keeps the hous and I will have him out; his fpoils I must divide, his mour I muft take from him, his hold I must caft him out of, and must make it an habitation for myself. And this, O Manfoul, fhall Diabolus know, when he fhall be made to follow me in chains, and when Manfoul fhall rejoice to fee it fo. "I could, would I now put forth my might, cause that forthwith he fhould leave you and depart; but I have it in my heart fo to deal with him, as that the juftice of the war that I fhall make upon him may be feen and acknowledged by all. He hath taken Manfoul by fraud, and keeps it by violence and deceit ; and I will make him bare and naked in the eyes of all obfervers. All my words are true; I am mighty to fave, and will deliver my Manfoul out of his hand." This fpeech was intended chiefly for Manfoul, but Manfoul would not have the hearing of it. They fhut up Ear-gate, they barricadoed it up, they kept it locked and bolted, they fet a guard thereat, and commanded that no Manfoulonian fhould go out to him, nor that any from the camp fhould be admitted into the Town. ! this they did, fo horribly had Diabolus inchanted to do, and feek to do for him, against their h N 2 Lord Lord and Prince; wherefore no man, nor voice, nor found of man, that belonged to the glorious hoft, was to come into the Town. Emmanuel prepares to make war upen Manfoul. So, when Emmanuel faw that Manfoul was thus involved in fin, he calls his army together, (fince now alfo his words were defpifed) and gave out a commandment throughout all his holl to be ready gainft the time appointed. Now, forafuch as there was no way lawfully to take the town of upload but to get in by the gates, and at Ear-gate he chief; therefore he commanded his captains and manders to bring their rams, their flings, and their men, and place them at Eye-gate and Ear-gate, in order to his taking the Town. his fervant Mr propounds When Emmanuel had put all things in a readiness Diabolus fends to bid Diabolus battle, he fent again to by the hand of know of the town of Manfoul, if in a Loth-to-ftoop, peaceable manner, they would yield themand by him he felves; or whether they were yet refolved conditions of to put him to try the uttermoft extremity. peace. They then, together with Diabolus their king, called a council of war, and refolved upon certain propofitions that should be offered to Emmanuel, if he would accept thereof; fo they agreed. And then the next was, who fhould be fent on this errand? Now, there was in the town of Manfoul an old man, a Diabolonian, and his name was Mr Loth-to-ftoop, a ftiff man in his way, and a great doer for Diabolus; him, therefore, they fent, and put into his mouth what he should fay: fo he went, and came to the camp to Emmanuel; and, when he was come, a time was appointed to give audience. So at the time he came; and, after a bolonian ceremony or two, he thus began and said, it. i. 16.. "Great Sir, that it may be known unto all men, 7 men, how good-natured a prince my mafter is, he hath fent me to tell your Lordship, that he is very willing, rather than go to war, to deliver up into your hands one half of the town of Manfoul: I am, there fore, to know if Mark this. Then faid Emmanuel, "The whole is mine by gift and purchase, wherefore I will never lofe one half." Then faid Mr Loth-to-ftoop, "Sir, my mafter hath faid that he will be content that you fhall be Mark this. the nominal titular Lord of all, if he Luke xiii. 29. may poffefs but a part." Then Emmanuel anfwered, "The whole is mine. really, not in name and word only; wherefore I will be the fole Lord and Poffeffor of all, or of none at all, of Manfoul." Then Mr Loth-to-ftoop faid again, "Sir, behold the condefcenfion of my mafter! He fays, that he will be content if he may but have af Mark this. A&ts v, 1, 5, figned to him fome place in Mansoul as a place to live privately in, and you fhall be Lord of all the reft." Then faid the golden Prince, "All that the Father giveth me fhall come to me; and of all that he hath given me I will lofe nothing, no not a hoof, nor a hair: I will not therefore grant him, no not the leaft corner in Manfoul to dwell in; I will have all to myself." Then Loth-to-ftoop faid again, But, Sir, fuppofe that my lord fhould refign the whole Town to you, only with this provifo, that he fometimes, when he comes into this country, may, for old acquaintance' fake, be entertained as a way-faring man for two days, or ten days, or a month, or fo; may not this fmall matter be granted ?" Mark this. Then faid Emmanuel, "No; he came as a way |