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
Now, when they went to petition this third time, they were not without
thoughts that, by often coming, they might be a burden to the Prince.
Wherefore, when they were come to the door of his pavilion, they first
made their apology for themselves, and for their coming to trouble
Emmanuel so often; and they said, that they came not hither to-day for
that they delighted in being troublesome, or for that they delighted to
hear themselves talk, but for that necessity caused them to come to his
Majesty. They could, they said, have no rest day nor night because of
their transgressions against Shaddai and against Emmanuel, his Son. They
also thought that some misbehaviour of Mr. Desires-awake the last time
might give distaste to his Highness, and so cause that he returned from
so merciful a Prince empty, and without countenance. So, when they had
made this apology, Mr. Desires-awake cast himself prostrate upon the
ground, as at the first, at the feet of the mighty Prince, saying, ‘Oh!
that Mansoul might live before thee!’ and so he delivered his petition.
The Prince then, having read the petition, turned aside awhile as before,
and coming again to the place where the petitioner lay on the ground, he
demanded what his name was, and of what esteem in the account of Mansoul,
for that he, above all the multitude in Mansoul, should be sent to him
upon such an errand. Then said the man to the Prince, ‘Oh let not my
Lord be angry; and why inquirest thou after the name of such a dead do—as
I am? Pass by, I pray thee, and take not notice of who I am, because
there is, as thou very well knowest, so great a disproportion between me
and thee. Why the townsmen chose to send me on this errand to my Lord is
best known to themselves, but it could not be for that they thought that
I had favour with my Lord. For my part, I am out of charity with myself;
who, then, should be in love with me? Yet live I would, and so would I
that my townsmen should; and because both they and myself are guilty of
great transgressions, therefore they have sent me, and I am come in their
names to beg of my Lord for mercy. Let it please thee, therefore, to
incline to mercy; but ask not what thy servants are.’
Then said the Prince, ‘And what is he that is become thy companion in
this so weighty a matter?’ So Mr. Desires told Emmanuel that he was a
poor neighbour of his, and one of his most intimate associates. ‘And his
name,’ said he, ‘may it please your most excellent Majesty, is Wet-Eyes,
of the town of Mansoul, I know that there are many of that name that are
naught; but I hope it will be no offence to my Lord that I have brought
my poor neighbour with me.’
Then Mr. Wet-Eyes fell on his face to the ground, and made this apology
for his coming with his neighbour to his Lord:—
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account