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
Then said the golden Prince, ‘All that the Father giveth me shall come to
me; and of all that he giveth me I will lose nothing—no, not a hoof nor a
hair. I will not, therefore, grant him, no, not the least corner of
Mansoul to dwell in; I will have all to myself.’
Then Loth-to-stoop said again, ‘But, sir, suppose that my Lord should
resign the whole town to you, only with this proviso, that he sometimes,
when he comes into this country, may, for old acquaintance’ sake, be
entertained as a wayfaring man for two days, or ten days or a month, or
so. May not this small matter be granted?’
Then said Emmanuel, ‘No. He came as a wayfaring man to David, nor did he
stay long with him, and yet it had like to have cost David his soul. I
will not consent that he ever should have any harbour more there.’
Then said Mr. Loth-to-stoop, ‘Sir, you seem to be very hard. Suppose my
master should yield to all that your lordship hath said, provided that
his friends and kindred in Mansoul may have liberty to trade in the town,
and to enjoy their present dwellings. May not that be granted, sir?’
Then said Emmanuel, ‘No; that is contrary to my Father’s will; for all,
and all manner of Diabolonians that now are, or that at any time shall be
found in Mansoul, shall not only lose their lands and liberties, but also
their lives.’
Then said Mr. Loth-to-stoop again, ‘But, sir, may not my master and great
lord, by letters, by passengers, by accidental opportunities, and the
like, maintain, if he shall deliver up all unto thee, some kind of old
friendship with Mansoul?’
Emmanuel answered, ‘No, by no means; forasmuch as any such fellowship,
friendship, intimacy, or acquaintance, in what way, sort, or mode soever
maintained, will tend to the corrupting of Mansoul, the alienating of
their affections from me, and the endangering of their peace with my
Father.’
Mr. Loth-to-stoop yet added further, saying, ‘But, great sir, since my
master hath many friends, and those that are dear to him, in Mansoul, may
he not, if he shall depart from them, even of his bounty and good-nature,
bestow upon them, as he sees fit, some tokens of his love and kindness
that he had for them, to the end that Mansoul, when he is gone, may look
upon such tokens of kindness once received from their old friend, and
remember him who was once their king, and the merry times that they
sometimes enjoyed one with another, while he and they lived in peace
together?’
Then said Emmanuel, ‘No; for if Mansoul come to be mine, I shall not
admit of nor consent that there should be the least scrap, shred, or dust
of Diabolus left behind, as tokens of gifts bestowed upon any in Mansoul,
thereby to call to remembrance the horrible communion that was betwixt
them and him.’
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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