A RELATION OF THE HOLY WAR (27)

Then the subordinate preacher, old Mr. Conscience by name, he that of old was Recorder of Mansoul, being startled at what was said, began to second it thus:—

‘Indeed, my brethren,’ quoth he, ‘I fear that Mr. Godly-Fear tells us true: I, for my part, have not seen my Prince a long season.  I cannot remember the day, for my part; nor can I answer Mr. Godly-Fear’s question.  I doubt, I am afraid that all is nought with Mansoul.’

Godly.  Nay, I know that you shall not find him in Mansoul, for he is departed and gone; yea, and gone for the faults of the elders, and for that they rewarded his grace with unsufferable unkindness.

Then did the subordinate preacher look as if he would fall down dead at the table; also all there present, except the man of the house, began to look pale and wan.  But having a little recovered themselves, and jointly agreeing to believe Mr. Godly-Fear and his sayings, they began to consult what was best to be done, (now Mr. Carnal-Security was gone into his withdrawing-room, for he liked not such dumpish doings,) both to the man of the house for drawing them into evil, and also to recover Emmanuel’s love.

And, with that, that saying of their Prince came very hot into their minds, which he had bidden them do to such as were false prophets that should arise to delude the town of Mansoul.  So they took Mr. Carnal-Security (concluding that he must be he) and burned his house upon him with fire; for he also was a Diabolonian by nature.

So when this was passed and over, they bespeed themselves to look for Emmanuel their Prince; and they sought him, but they found him not.  Then were they more confirmed in the truth of Mr. Godly-Fear’s sayings, and began also severely to reflect upon themselves for their so vile and ungodly doings; for they concluded now that it was through them that their Prince had left them.

Then they agreed and went to my Lord Secretary, (him whom before they refused to hear—him whom they had grieved with their doings,) to know of him, for he was a seer, and could tell where Emmanuel was, and how they might direct a petition to him.  But the Lord Secretary would not admit them to a conference about this matter, nor would admit them to his royal place of abode, nor come out to them to show them his face or intelligence.

And now was it a day gloomy and dark, a day of clouds and of thick darkness with Mansoul.  Now they saw that they had been foolish, and began to perceive what the company and prattle of Mr. Carnal-Security had done, and what desperate damage his swaggering words had brought poor Mansoul into.  But what further it was likely to cost them they were ignorant of.  Now Mr. Godly-Fear began again to be in repute with the men of the town; yea, they were ready to look upon him as a prophet.

Well, when the Sabbath day was come, they went to hear their subordinate preacher; but oh, how he did thunder and lighten this day!  His text was that in the prophet Jonah: ‘They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy.’  But there was then such power and authority in that sermon, and such a dejection seen in the countenances of the people that day, that the like hath seldom been heard or seen.  The people, when sermon was done, were scarce able to go to their homes, or to betake themselves to their employs the week after; they were so sermon-smitten, and also so sermon-sick by being smitten, that they knew not what to do.

He did not only show to Mansoul their sin, but did tremble before them, under the sense of his own, still crying out of himself, as he preached to them, ‘Unhappy man that I am! that I should do so wicked a thing!  That I, a preacher! whom the Prince did set up to teach to Mansoul his law, should myself live senseless and sottishly here, and be one of the first found in transgression!  This transgression also fell within my precincts; I should have cried out against the wickedness; but I let Mansoul lie wallowing in it, until it had driven Emmanuel from its borders!’  With these things he also charged all the lords and gentry of Mansoul, to the almost distracting of them.

About this time, also, there was a great sickness in the town of Mansoul, and most of the inhabitants were greatly afflicted.  Yea, the captains also, and men of war, were brought thereby to a languishing condition, and that for a long time together; so that in case of an invasion, nothing could to purpose now have been done, either by the townsmen or field officers.  Oh, how many pale faces, weak hands, feeble knees, and staggering men were now seen to walk the streets of Mansoul!  Here were groans, there pants, and yonder lay those that were ready to faint.

The garments, too, which Emmanuel had given them were but in a sorry case; some were rent, some were torn, and all in a nasty condition; some also did hang so loosely upon them, that the next bush they came at was ready to pluck them off.

After some time spent in this sad and desolate condition, the subordinate preacher called for a day of fasting, and to humble themselves for being so wicked against the great Shaddai and his Son.  And he desired that Captain Boanerges would preach.  So he consented to do it; and the day being come, and his text was this, ‘Cut it down, why cumbereth it the ground?’  And a very smart sermon he made upon the place.  First, he showed what was the occasion of the words, namely, because the fig-tree was barren; then he showed what was contained in the sentence, namely, repentance, or utter desolation.  He then showed, also, by whose authority this sentence was pronounced, and that was by Shaddai himself.  And, lastly, he showed the reasons of the point, and then concluded his sermon.  But he was very pertinent in the application, insomuch that he made poor Mansoul tremble.  For this sermon, as well as the former, wrought much upon the hearts of the men of Mansoul; yea, it greatly helped to keep awake those that were roused by the preaching that went before.  So that now throughout the whole town, there was little or nothing to be heard or seen but sorrow, and mourning, and woe.

Now, after sermon, they got together and consulted what was best to be done.  ‘But,’ said the subordinate preacher, ‘I will do nothing of mine own head, without advising with my neighbour Mr. Godly-Fear.  For if he had aforehand understood more of the mind of our Prince than we, I do not know but he also may have it now, even now we are turning again to virtue.’

So they called and sent for Mr. Godly-Fear, and he forthwith appeared.  Then they desired that he would further show his opinion about what they had best to do. Then said the old gentleman as followeth: ‘It is my opinion that this town of Mansoul should, in this day of her distress, draw up and send an humble petition to their offended Prince Emmanuel, that he, in his favour and grace, will turn again unto you, and not keep anger for ever.’

When the townsmen had heard this speech, they did, with one consent, agree to his advice; so they did presently draw up their request, and the next was, But who shall carry it?  At last they did all agree to send it by my Lord Mayor.  So he accepted of the service, and addressed himself to his journey; and went and came to the court of Shaddai, whither Emmanuel the Prince of Mansoul was gone.  But the gate was shut, and a strict watch kept thereat; so that the petitioner was forced to stand without for a great while together.  Then he desired that some would go into the Prince and tell him who stood at the gate, and what his business was.  So one went and told to Shaddai, and to Emmanuel his Son, that the Lord Mayor of the town of Mansoul stood without at the gate of the King’s court, desiring to be admitted into the presence of the Prince, the King’s Son.  He also told what was the Lord Mayor’s errand, both to the King and his Son Emmanuel.  But the Prince would not come down, nor admit that the gate should be opened to him, but sent him an answer to this effect: ‘They have turned their back unto me, and not their face; but now in the time of their trouble they say to me, Arise, and save us.  But can they not now go to Mr. Carnal-Security, to whom they went when they turned from me, and make him their leader, their lord, and their protection now in their trouble; why now in their trouble do they visit me, since in their prosperity they went astray?’

The answer made my Lord Mayor look black in the face; it troubled, it perplexed, it rent him sore.  And now he began again to see what it was to be familiar with Diabolonians, such as Mr. Carnal-Security was.  When he saw that at court, as yet, there was little help to be expected, either for himself or friends in Mansoul, he smote upon his breast, and returned weeping, and all the way bewailing the lamentable state of Mansoul.

Well, when he was come within sight of the town, the elders and chief of the people of Mansoul went out at the gate to meet him, and to salute him, and to know how he sped at court.  But he told them his tale in so doleful a manner, that they all cried out, and mourned, and wept.  Wherefore they threw ashes and dust upon their heads, and put sackcloth upon their loins, and went crying out through the town of Mansoul; the which, when the rest of the townsfolk saw, they all mourned and wept.  This, therefore, was a day of rebuke and trouble, and of anguish to the town of Mansoul, and also of great distress.

After some time, when they had somewhat refrained themselves, they came together to consult again what by them was yet to be done; and they asked advice, as they did before, of that reverend Mr. Godly-Fear, who told them that there was no way better than to do as they had done, nor would he that they should be discouraged at all with that they had met with at court; yea, though several of their petitions should be answered with nought but silence or rebuke: ‘For,’ said he, ‘it is the way of the wise Shaddai to make men wait and to exercise patience, and it should be the way of them in want, to be willing to stay his leisure.

Then they took courage, and sent again and again, and again, and again; for there was not now one day, nor an hour that went over Mansoul’s head, wherein a man might not have met upon the road one or other riding post, sounding the horn from Mansoul to the court of the King Shaddai; and all with letters petitionary in behalf of, and for the Prince’s return to Mansoul.  The road, I say, was now full of messengers, going and returning, and meeting one another; some from the court, and some from Mansoul; and this was the work of the miserable town of Mansoul, all that long, that sharp, that cold and tedious winter.

Now if you have not forgot, you may yet remember that I told you before, that after Emmanuel had taken Mansoul, yea, and after that he had new modelled the town, there remained in several lurking places of the corporation many of the old Diabolonians, that either came with the tyrant when he invaded and took the town, or that had there, by reason of unlawful mixtures, their birth and breeding, and bringing up.  And their holes, dens, and lurking places were in, under, or about the wall of the town.  Some of their names are the Lord Fornication, the Lord Adultery, the Lord Murder, the Lord Anger, the Lord Lasciviousness, the Lord Deceit, the Lord Evil-eye, the Lord Blasphemy, and that horrible villain, the old and dangerous Lord Covetousness.  These, as I told you, with many more, had yet their abode in the town of Mansoul, and that after that Emmanuel had driven their prince Diabolus out of the castle.

Against these the good Prince did grant a commission to the Lord Willbewill and others, yea, to the whole town of Mansoul, to seek, take, secure, and destroy any or all that they could lay hands of, for that they were Diabolonians by nature, enemies to the Prince, and those that sought to ruin the blessed town of Mansoul.  But the town of Mansoul did not pursue this warrant, but neglected to look after, to apprehend, to secure, and to destroy these Diabolonians.  Wherefore what do these villains but by degrees take courage to put forth their heads, and to show themselves to the inhabitants of the town.  Yea, and as I was told, some of the men of Mansoul grew too familiar with some of them, to the sorrow of the corporation, as you yet will hear more of in time and place.