Laurence Hope et al - "India's Love Lyrics"

Samuel Johnson - "Johnson's Notes to Shakespeare Vol. I Comedies"

J. Cuthbert Hadden - "Haydn"

Jacob Abbott - "History of King Charles II of England"

New Philadelphia Book Publisher Highlights Local Talent
Book and Publishing News from Publishers Newswire(tm)

Looking for Child to be on Cover of a New Book, 'The Model Child'
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. -- The Philadelphia literary world will celebrate the launch of two new players today, April 10th: Kay Square Press, a new publishing company focused on Philadelphia-area artists, their stories, and their art; and Kay Square's first release, 'With the Rich and Mighty: Emlen Etting of Philadelphia' (ISBN: 978-0-9815129-0-7), a critical biography by Kenneth C. Kaleta.

FlatSigned Press Alleges Don Imus Remarks Damage Legacy of President Gerald R. Ford
NEW YORK, N.Y. -- Nathan Yungerberg, an accomplished model scout and professional child photographer is launching a nation-wide casting call to find the cover model for his highly anticipated book release, 'The Model Child: A Parents Guide to the Child Modeling Industry' (ISBN: 978-0-9817018-0-6).

Books: The Works of John Bunyan Volume 3

J >> John Bunyan >> The Works of John Bunyan Volume 3




In this war there is no combination of souls to resist Satan, nor
can any human powers in any way assist us in the trying battle.
Here, O my reader, you and I must stand alone far from the aid of
our fellow-men. We must call upon all the resources of our minds,
and while there is unity within, no resisting or treason--while the
Holy Spirit strengthens and inclines the will, the understanding,
the conscience, the affections, and all our powers are united
to resist Satan, God fights for us, and the heart is safe under
the gracious smiles of our Emmanuel. May we never forget that
our spiritual life is totally dependent upon him, in whom, as to
the body, we live, and move, and have our being. But when doubts
enfeeble us, and Bloodmen harass us, there is no help from man.
No pope, cardinal, archbishop, minister, or any human power can
aid us; ALL our hope is in God alone; every effort for deliverance
must be by fervent prayer and supplication, from the heart and
conscience, directly to God. Our petitions must be framed by the
Holy Ghost, and presented unto Shaddai, not by priest or prelate, but
by our Emmanuel, Jesus Christ, the only intercessor and mediator.

The attentive reader of Bunyan's works will notice the difference
between the trial of Faithful in the 'Pilgrim's Progress,' and
that of the prisoners brought to the bar as traitors in the 'Holy
War.' The judge and jury are particularly overbearing to Faithful,
much more so than to the Diabolonians. Still there is one very
strong feature in which they all agree. The prisoners are all
brought to their trial, not that their guilt or innocence might
be proved, but in order to their condemnation and execution. All
are brought up in chains, a custom which then was very prevalent,
if not universal, but which is now only read of as a cruel practice
of a bygone age.

There are a few riddles or questions arising out of this narrative,
the solving of which may afford instructive amusement to the
reader. What is meant by the drum of Diabolus, which so terrified
Mansoul? Refer to Galatians 3:10; Hebrews 6:4-8; 1 John 5:16; Hebrews
12:29. Why were the troops numbered at forty thousand, that came
up to alarm and convince Mansoul of sin, or righteousness, and of
judgment, while Emmanuel's army is not numbered? See Joshua 4:13;
Hebrews 12:22. When the Doubters are slain or driven from Mansoul,
after her conversion, they go straggling up and down the country
enslaving the barbarous people (the margin informs us that the
unbeliever never fights the Doubters). Why do they go by fives,
nines, and seventeens? Do these odd numbers refer to the nine
companies of Doubters, and eight of Bloodmen, who were under
the command of five fallen angels--Diabolus, Beelzebub, Lucifer,
Legion, and Apollyon? Fearful odds against a poor fallen sinner,
five evil spirits, or nine classes of doubts, or these nine doubts
united to eight kinds of Bloodmen or persecutors.

In a work so highly allegorical, and founded upon a plain narrative
of facts in the experience of the author, the editor deemed it
needful to add numerous notes. These contain all that appeared to
be explanatory or illustrative in other commentaries, with many that
are original; obsolete terms and customs are explain; references
are given to about fifty passages in the 'Grace Abounding,' that
the reader's attention may be constantly directed to the solemn
truths which are displayed under this delightful allegory. The
editor has the consolation of hoping that the result of great labour
can do no injury. Those whose deep experience in the spiritual
warfare enables them to understand and enjoy the allegory, can
pass them by; while many of the poor but immortal souls engaged
in this warfare, who are not deeply experienced, may receive aid
and encouragement to persevere, until they shall exclaim, The
battle is fought, the victory is won, eternal praises to the great
and gracious Emmanuel.

Reader, I must not detain you much longer from the pleasure of
entering upon a narrative so deeply interesting to all who possess
the understanding heart--an allegory, believed by very many to be
the most beautiful and extraordinary that mere human genius ever
composed in any language. O consider the worth of an immortal soul!
God sent his servants, Moses and the prophets, with their slings
and battering-rams, their great and precious promises to the early
prophets, who have faithfully handed them down to us; and then came
Emmanuel and his heavenly army, and all this to conquer Mansoul!
Without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sin. The
blood of bulls and of goats cannot wash out our stains. We must
be found in Christ as part of his mystical body, and thus in
perfection obey the Divine law, and then, through the sin-atoning
offering of Emmanuel, God's equal, eternal Son, a fountain is
opened for sin and uncleanness, in which our souls, being purified,
shall be clothed with the garment of salvation. Who can calculate
the worth of his immortal soul, that God himself should pay so
costly a price for its redemption! May the desire of every reader
be, O that my soul may be engaged in this holy war, my ears be
alarmed by the infernal drum of Diabolus, that my Heart-castle
may receive the King of salvation, and Christ be found there the
hope of glory. Then may we feel the stern necessity of incessant
watchfulness and prayer against carnal security, or any other
cause of backsliding, with its consequent miseries.

Well may the world wonder, how a poor travelling tinker could
gain the extraordinary knowledge, which enabled him to become the
greatest allegorical writer that the world ever saw. The reason is
obvious, he lived and moved and had his being in the atmosphere
of God's revealed will. It was this that enabled him to take the
wings of the morning, and fly not only to the uttermost parts of
the visible but of the invisible world; to enjoy scenes of light
and glory, such as Gabriel contemplated when he came from heaven
to Nazareth, and revealed to Mary her high destiny--that her Son
should be the promised Saviour, who should bear the government of
the universe upon his shoulders--whose name was Wonderful--Counsellor--the
Mighty God--the everlasting Father--the Prince of Peace--Emmanuel,
God with us.

Bunyan's industry and application must have been intense, he could
not by possibility for a single moment say, 'soul take thine ease,'
inglorious, destructive ease. His hands had to labour for his
bread, and to provide for a most exemplary wife and four children,
one of them blind. There was no hour of his life when he could have
said to his soul, Let all thy noble powers be absorbed in eating,
drinking, being merry--mere animal gratifications. The Holy War,
the solemn results depending upon it, salvation or eternal ruin,
the strong desire to glorify Emmanuel, the necessity to labour
for his household--that blessed industry left him no opportunity
for weaving a web of unmeaning casuistic subtilties, in which
to entangle and engulph his soul, like a Puseyite or a German
Rationalist. The thunders and lightnings of Sinai had burnt up
all this wood, hay, and stubble, and with child-like simplicity he
depended upon the Holy Spirit, while drawing all his consolations
and all his spiritual supplies from the sacred Scriptures.

Bunyan's narrative of the Holy War, from its commencement in the
fall of man to that splendid address of Emmanuel with which it
concludes, has been the study of the Editor for more than forty
years, and he hopes that no future year of the residue of his life
will be spent without reading this solemn, soul-stirring, delightful
narrative.

GEO. OFFOR. Hackney, April 1851




TO THE READER.

'Tis strange to me, that they that love to tell
Things done of old, yea, and that do excel
Their equals in historiology,
Speak not of Mansoul's wars, but let them lie
Dead, like old fables, or such worthless things,
That to the reader no advantage brings:
When men, let them make what they will their own,
Till they know this, are to themselves unknown.
Of stories I well know there's divers sorts,
Some foreign, some domestic; and reports
Are thereof made, as fancy leads the writers;
By books a man may guess at the inditers.
Some will again of that which never was,
Nor will be, feign, and that without a cause,
Such matter, raise such mountains, tell such things
Of men, of laws, of countries, and of kings:
And in their story seem to be so sage,
And with such gravity clothe ev'ry page,
That though their frontispiece say all is vain,
Yet to their way disciples they obtain[6]
But, readers, I have somewhat else to do,
Than with vain stories thus to trouble you;
What here I say, some men do know so well,
They can with tears and joy the story tell.
The town of Mansoul is well known to many,
Nor are her troubles doubted of by any
That are acquainted with those histories
That Mansoul, and her wars, anatomize.
Then lend thine ear to what I do relate
Touching the town of Mansoul and her state,
How she was lost, took captive, made a slave;
And how against him set, that should her save.
Yea, how by hostile ways, she did oppose
Her Lord, and with his enemy did close.
For they are true; he that will them deny
Must needs the best of records vilify.
For my part, I (myself) was in the town,
Both when 'twas set up, and when pulling down,
I saw Diabolus in his possession,
And Mansoul also under his oppression.
Yea, I was there when she own'd him for Lord,
And to him did submit with one accord.
When Mansoul trampled upon things Divine,
And wallowed in filth as doth a swine;
When she betook herself unto her arms,
Fought her Emmanuel, despis'd his charms,
Then I was there, and did rejoice to see
Diabolus and Mansoul so agree.[7]
Let no men, then, count me a fable-maker,
Nor make my name or credit a partaker
Of their derision; what is here in view,
Of mine own knowledge, I dare say is true.
I saw the prince's armed men come down,
By troops, by thousands, to besiege the town.
I saw the captains, heard the trumpets sound,
And how his forces cover'd all the ground.
Yea, how they set themselves in battle-ray,
I shall remember to my dying day.
I saw the colours waving in the wind,
And they within to mischief how combin'd,
To ruin Mansoul, and to make away
Her primum mobile[8] without delay.
I saw the mounts cast up against the town,
And how the slings were placed to beat it down.
I heard the stones fly whizzing by mine ears,
What longer kept in mind than got in fears,
I heard them fall, and saw what work they made,
And how old Mors did cover with his shade
The face of Mansoul; and I heard her cry,
Woe worth the day, in dying I shall die!
I saw the battering rams, and how they play'd,[9]
To beat ope Ear-gate, and I was afraid
Not only Ear-gate, but the very town,
Would by those battering rams be beaten down.
I saw the fights, and heard the captains shout,
And each in battle saw who faced about;
I saw who wounded were, and who were slain;
And who, when dead, would come to life again.
I heard the cries of those that wounded were,
While others fought like men bereft of fear,
And while the cry, Kill, kill, was in mine ears,
The gutters ran, not so with blood as tears.
Indeed, the captains did not always fight,
But then they would molest us day and night;
Their cry, Up, fall on, let us take the town,
Kept us from sleeping, or from lying down.
I was there when the gates were broken ope,
And saw how Mansoul then was stript of hope.[10]
I saw the captains march into the town,
How there they fought, and did their foes cut down.
I heard the prince bid Boanerges go
Up to the castle, and there seize his foe,
And saw him and his fellows bring him down
In chains of great contempt quite through the town.
I saw Emmanuel when he possest
His town of Mansoul, and how greatly blest
A town, his gallant town of Mansoul was,
When she received his pardon, lived his laws!
When the Diabolonians were caught,
When tried, and when to execution brought,
Then I was there; yea, I was standing by
When Mansoul did the rebels crucify.
I also saw Mansoul clad all in white,
And heard her prince call her his heart's delight.
I saw him put upon her chains of gold,
And rings, and bracelets, goodly to behold.
What shall I say?--I heard the people's cries,
And saw the prince wipe tears from Mansoul's eyes.
I heard the groans, and saw the joy of many:
Tell you of all, I neither will, nor can I.
But by what here I say, you well may see
That Mansoul's matchless wars no fables be.
Mansoul! the desire of both princes was,
One keep his gain would, t'other gain his loss;
Diabolus would cry, The town is mine;
Emmanuel would plead a right Divine
Unto his Mansoul; then to blows they go,
And Mansoul cries, These wars will me undo.
Mansoul! her wars seem'd endless in her eyes,
She's lost by one, becomes another's prize.
And he again that lost her last would swear,
Have her I will, or her in pieces tear.
Mansoul, it was the very seat of war,
Wherefore her troubles greater were by far,
Than only where the noise of war is heard,
Or where the shaking of a sword is fear'd,
Or only where small skirmishes are fought,
Or where the fancy fighteth with a thought.
She saw the swords of fighting men made red,
And heard the cries of those with them wounded;
Must not her frights then be much more by far,
Than theirs that to such doings strangers are?
Or theirs that hear the beating of a drum,
But not made fly for fear from house and home?
Mansoul not only heard the trumpet sound,
But saw her gallants gasping on the ground;
Wherefore, we must not think that she could rest
With them, whose greatest earnest is but jest:
Or where the blust'ring threat'ning of great wars
Do end in parleys, or in wording jars.
Mansoul, her mighty wars, they did portend
Her weal or woe, and that world without end;
Wherefore she must be more concerned than they
Whose fears begin and end the self-same day:
Or where none other harm doth come to him
That is engaged, but loss of life or limb,[11]
As all must needs confess that now do dwell
In Universe, and can this story tell.
Count me not then with them that to amaze
The people, set them on the stars to gaze,
Insinuating with much confidence,
That each of them is now the residence[12]
Of some brave creatures; yea, a world they will
Have in each star, though it be past their skill
To make it manifest to any man,
That reason hath, or tell his fingers can.[13]
But I have too long held thee in the porch,
And kept thee from the sunshine with a torch.
Well, now go forward, step within the door,
And there behold five hundred times much more
Of all sorts of such inward rarities
As please the mind will, and will feed the eyes
With those, which if a Christian, thou wilt see
Not small, but things of greatest moment be.
Nor do thou go to work without my key
(In mysteries men soon do lose their way),
And also turn it right if thou wouldst know
My riddle, and wouldst with my heifer plough.
It lies there in the window,[14] fare thee well,
My next may be to ring thy passing-bell.

JO. BUNYAN







A RELATION OF THE HOLY WAR

[CHAPTER I.]

[CONTENTS:--The original beauty and splendour of the town of
Mansoul, while under the dominion of Shaddai--Its noble castle
described--Its five gates--The perfection of its inhabitants--The
origin of Diabolus--His pride and fall--Revenge meditated--A council
of war held to deliberate on the best means of seducing the town
of Mansoul--Diabolus marches to the town, and sits down before
Eye-gate--His oration--Captain Resistance slain--My Lord Innocence
killed--The town taken.]

In my travels, as I walked through many regions and countries, it
was my chance to happen into that famous continent of Universe;
a very large and spacious country it is. It lieth between the
two poles, and just amidst the four points of the heavens. It is
a place well-watered, and richly adorned with hills and valleys,
bravely situate; and for the most part (at least where I was) very
fruitful, also well peopled, and a very sweet air.

The people are not all of one complexion, nor yet of one language,
mode, or way of religion; but differ as much as, it is said, do
the planets themselves. Some are right, and some are wrong, even
as it happeneth to be in lesser regions.

In this country, as I said, it was my lot to travel, and there
travel I did; and that so long, even till I learned much of their
mother-tongue, together with the customs and manners of them among
whom I was. And to speak truth, I was much delighted to see and
hear many things which I saw and heard among them. Yea, I had (to
be sure) even lived and died a native among them, so was I taken
with them and their doings, had not my Master sent for me home to
his house, there to do business for him, and to over-see business
done.[15]

Now there is in this gallant country of Universe a fair and delicate
town, a corporation called Mansoul. A town for its building so
curious, for its situation so commodious, for its privileges so
advantageous--I mean with reference to its original--that I may say
of it, as was said before of the continent in which it is placed,
There is not its equal under the whole heaven.[16]

As to the situation of this town, it lieth just between the two
worlds; and the first founder and builder of it, so far as by the
best and most authentic records I can gather, was one Shaddai;
and he built it for his own delight.[17] He made it the mirror
and glory of all that he made, even the top-piece, beyond anything
else that he did in that country (Gen 1:26). Yea, so goodly a town
was Mansoul when first built, that it is said by some, the gods,
at the setting up thereof, came down to see it, and sang for joy.
And as he made it goodly to behold, so also mighty to have dominion
over all the country round about. Yea, all were commanded to
acknowledge Mansoul for their metropolitan, all was enjoined to
do homage to it. Aye, the town itself had positive commission and
power from her King to demand service of all, and also to subdue
any that anyways denied to do it.

There was reared up in the midst of this town a most famous and
stately palace. For strength, it might be called a castle; for
pleasantness, a paradise; for largeness, a place so copious as to
contain all the world (Eccl 3:11). This place the King Shaddai
intended but for himself alone, and not another with him;[18] partly
because of his own delights, and partly because he would not that
the terror of strangers should be upon the town. This place Shaddai
made also a garrison of, but committed the keeping of it only to
the men of the town.

The wall of the town was well built, yea, so fast and firm was it
knit and compact together, that, had it not been for the townsmen
themselves, they could not have been shaken or broken for ever.

For here lay the excellent wisdom of him that built Mansoul, that
the walls could never be broken down, nor hurt, by the most mighty
adverse potentate, unless the townsmen gave consent thereto.

This famous town of Mansoul had five gates, in at which to come,
out at which to go, and these were made likewise answerable to the
walls, to wit, impregnable, and such as could never be opened nor
forced but by the will and leave of those within. The names of the
gates were these, Ear-gate, Eye-gate, Mouth-gate, Nose-gate, and
Feel-gate.[19]

Other things there were that belonged to the town of Mansoul,
which, if you adjoin to these, will yet give farther demonstration
to all of the glory and strength of the place. It had always a
sufficiency of provision within its walls; it had the best, most
wholesome, and excellent law that then was extant in the world.
There was not a rascal, rogue, or traitorous person then within its
walls. They were all true men, and fast joined together; and this,
you know, is a great matter. And to all these, it had always--so
long as it had the goodness to keep true to Shaddai the king--his
countenance, his protection, and it was his delight, etc.

Well, upon a time, there was one Diabolus,[20] a mighty giant,
made an assault upon this famous town of Mansoul, to take it, and
make it his own habitation. This giant was king of the blacks
or negroes,[21] and a most raving prince he was. We will, if you
please, first discourse of the original of this Diabolus, and then
of his taking of this famous town of Mansoul.

This Diabolus is indeed a great and mighty prince, and yet both
poor and beggarly. As to his original, he was at first one of the
servants of King Shaddai, made, and taken, and put by him into
most high and mighty place; yea, was put into such principalities
as belonged to the best of his territories and dominions. This
Diabolus was made son of the morning, and a brave place he had
of it (Isa 14:12). It brought him much glory, and gave him much
brightness, an income that might have contented his Luciferian
heart, had it not been insatiable, and enlarged as hell itself.

Well, he seeing himself thus exalted to greatness and honour, and
raging in his mind for higher state and degree, what doth he but
begins to think with himself how he might be set up as Lord over
all, and have the sole power under Shaddai! Now that did the King
reserve for his Son, yea, and had already bestowed it upon him.
Wherefore he first consults with himself what had best to be done,
and then breaks his mind to some other of his companions, to the
which they also agreed. So, in fine, they came to this issue,
that they should make an attempt upon the King's Son to destroy
him, that the inheritance might be theirs. Well, to be short, the
treason, as I said, was concluded, the time appointed, the word
given, the rebels rendezvoused, and the assault attempted.[22]
Now the King and his Son being ALL and always EYE, could not but
discern all passages in his dominions; and he having always love
for his Son as for himself, could not, at what he saw, but be
greatly provoked and offended; wherefore, what does he, but takes
them in the very nick; and, first trip that they made towards
their design, convicts them of the treason, horrid rebellion, and
conspiracy that they had devised, and now attempted to put into
practice; and casts them altogether out of all place of trust,
benefit, honour, and preferment. This done, he banishes them the
court; turns them down into the horrible pits, as fast bound in
chains, never more to expect the least favour from his hands, but
to abide the judgment that he had appointed, and that for ever (2
Peter 2:4; Jude 6).

And yet, now, they being thus cast out of all place of trust,
profit, and honour, and also knowing that they had lost their
prince's favour for ever, being banished his courts, and cast down
to the horrible pits, you may be sure they would now add to their
former pride what malice and rage against Shaddai, and against his
Son, they could. Wherefore, roving and ranging in much fury from
place to place, if perhaps they might find something that was the
King's, to revenge (by spoiling of that themselves) on him (1 Peter
5:8); at last they happened into this spacious country of Universe,
and steer their course towards the town of Mansoul; and considering
that that town was one of the chief works and delights of King
Shaddai, what do they but, after counsel taken, make an assault
upon that! I say they knew that Mansoul belonged unto Shaddai; for
they were there when he built it, and beautified it for himself.[23]
So when they had found the place, they shouted horribly for joy,
and roared on it as a lion upon the prey, saying, Now we have
found the prize, and how to be revenged on King Shaddai for what
he hath done to us. So they sat down, and called a council of war,
and considered with themselves what ways and methods they had best
to engage in, for the winning to themselves this famous town of
Mansoul; and these four things were then propounded to be considered
of. First. Whether they had best all of them, to show themselves
in this design to the town of Mansoul. Second. Whether they had
best to go and sit down against Mansoul, in their now ragged and
beggarly guise. Third. Whether they had best to show to Mansoul
their intentions, and what design they came about, or whether to
assault it with words and ways of deceit. Fourth. Whether they had
not best, to some of their companions, to give out private orders
to take the advantage, if they see one or more of the principal
townsmen, to shoot them; if thereby they shall judge their cause
and design will the better be promoted.

First. It was answered to the first of these proposals in the
negative, to wit, that it would not be best that all should show
themselves before the town, because the appearance of many of
them might alarm and fright the town; whereas a few, or but one
of them, was not so likely to do it. And to enforce this advice
to take place, it was added further, that if Mansoul was frighted,
or did take the alarm, it is impossible, said Diabolus--for he
spake now--that we should take the town; for that none can enter
into it without its own consent.[24] Let therefore but few or but
one assault Mansoul, and in mine opinion, said Diabolus, let me
be he. Wherefore to this they all agreed, and then to the second
proposal they came, namely,