The Holy War, Made by King Shaddai Upon Diabolus, for the Regaining of the Metropolis of the World; Or, The Losing and Taking Again of the Town of MansoulBunyan, John
ReligionChristian
The Holy War, Made by King Shaddai Upon Diabolus, for the Regaining of the Metropolis of the World; Or, The Losing and Taking Again of the Town of Mansoul
Bunyan, John
Christian fiction; Soul; Spiritual warfare -- Fiction
_Godly_. Nay, pray interrupt me not. It is true the town of Mansoul was
strong, and, with a _proviso_, impregnable; but you, the townsmen, have
weakened it, and it now lies obnoxious to its foes. Nor is it a time to
flatter, or be silent; it is you, Mr. Carnal-Security, that have wilily
stripped Mansoul, and driven her glory from her; you have pulled down her
towers, you have broken down her gates, you have spoiled her locks and
bars.
And now, to explain myself: from that time that my lords of Mansoul, and
you, sir, grew so great, from that time the Strength of Mansoul has been
offended, and now he is arisen and is gone. If any shall question the
truth of my words, I will answer him by this, and suchlike questions.
‘Where is the Prince Emmanuel? When did a man or woman in Mansoul see
him? When did you hear from him, or taste any of his dainty bits?’ You
are now a feasting with this Diabolonian monster, but he is not your
Prince. I say, therefore, though enemies from without, had you taken
heed, could not have made a prey of you, yet since you have sinned
against your Prince, your enemies within have been too hard for you.
Then said Mr. Carnal-Security, ‘Fie! fie! Mr. Godly-Fear, fie!—will you
never shake off your _timorousness_? Are you afraid of being
sparrow-blasted? Who hath hurt you? Behold, I am on your side; only you
are for doubting, and I am for being confident. Besides, is this a time
to be sad in? A feast is made for mirth; why, then, do you now, to your
shame, and our trouble, break out into such passionate melancholy
language, when you should eat and drink, and be merry?’
Then said Mr. Godly-Fear again, ‘I may well be sad, for Emmanuel is gone
from Mansoul. I say again, he is gone, and you, sir, are the man that
has driven him away; yea, he is gone without so much as acquainting the
nobles of Mansoul with his going; and if that is not a sign of his anger,
I am not acquainted with the methods of godliness.
‘And now, my lords and gentlemen, for my speech is still to you, your
gradual declining from him did provoke him gradually to depart from you,
the which he did for some time, if perhaps you would have been made
sensible thereby, and have been renewed by humbling yourselves; but when
he saw that none would regard, nor lay these fearful beginnings of his
anger and judgment to heart, he went away from this place; and this I saw
with mine eye. Wherefore now, while you boast, your strength is gone;
you are like the man that had lost his locks that before did wave about
his shoulders. You may, with this lord of your feast, shake yourselves,
and conclude to do as at other times; but since without him you can do
nothing, and he is departed from you, turn your feast into a sigh, and
your mirth into lamentation.’
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:—
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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