So episode 75, by the direction of Mr. Godly Fear, Mansoul sought the help of the Lord Secretary to draft a petition to Emmanuel, their prince. The Lord Secretary would only write it if Mansoul was present with both their will and desire. Mansoul agreed. The Lord Secretary drew up the petition and then advised the town to have Captain Credence deliver their request. They read the first humble and truthful paragraph to him and continued, furthermore, oh gracious prince, we have weakened our captains and they are discouraged, sick, and of late, some of them grievously beaten and defeated out in the field by the power and force of the tyrant. Yes, even those of our captains in whose valor we formerly used to put most of our confidence, they are as wounded men. Besides, Lord, our enemies are lively and they are strong. They brag and boast themselves and threaten to part us among themselves for booty. They have also fallen upon us, Lord, with many thousand doubters, such as with whom we cannot tell what to do. They are all grim looking and unmerciful ones. They defy both us and you. Our wisdom is gone. Our power is gone. It is because you have departed from us. We have nothing we may call ours but sin, shame, and confusion of face for sin. Take pity upon us, O Lord. Take pity upon us, your miserable town of Mansoul, and save us out of the hands of our enemies. Amen. This petition, as was touched upon before, was written by the Lord Secretary and carried to the court by the brave and most stout Captain Credence. Now, he carried it out at Mouthgate for that, as I said before, was the sally port of the town, and he went to Emmanuel with it. Now how it came out, I do not know, but for certain it did, and that so far as to reach the ears of Diabolus. Thus I concluded that because the tyrant had it presently by the end, he charged the town of Mansoul with it, saying, you rebellious and stubborn-hearted Mansoul, I will make you stop petitioning. Are you still petitioning? I will make you stop. Yes, he also knew how the messenger was carried. how the messenger was who carried the petition to the prince, and it made him both fear and rage. Therefore he commanded that his drum should be beat again, a thing Mansoul could not stand to hear. But when Diabolus had his drum beat, Mansoul must abide the noise. Well, the drum was beat and the Diabolonians assembled. Then Diabolus said, Oh, you stout Diabolonians, Let it be known to you that there is treachery hatched against us in the rebellious town of Mansoul. For although we possess the town, as you see, yet these miserable Mansoulians have attempted to dare and have been so hardy as yet to send to the court to Emmanuel for help. This I give you to understand, that you may yet know how to carry it to the wretched town of Mansoul. Therefore, O my trusty Diabolonians, I command you to distress this town of Mansoul still more and more. Vex it with your wiles, ravish their women, deflower their virgins, slay their children, brain their ancients, fire their town, and do what other mischief you can, and let this be the reward of the Mansoulians from me, for their desperate rebellions against me. This, you see, was the charge, but something stepped in between that and their execution of his command, for as yet there was but little more done than for them to rage. Moreover, when Diabolus had done thus, he went the next way up to the castle gates and demanded that, upon pain of death, the gates should be opened to him and that entrance should be given him and his men who followed after. To whom, Mr. Godlyfear replied, for it was he who was in charge of that gate that the gate should not be opened unto him, nor to the men who followed after him. He said, moreover, that when Mansoul had suffered a while, she should be restored, confirmed, strengthened, and established." Remember what the castle was, right, young people? It was the heart of Mansoul. Then Diabolus said, give me then the men who have petitioned against me, especially Captain Credence, who carried it to your prince. Deliver that varlet into my hands and I will depart from the town. Then the Diabolonian started up, whose name was Mr. Fooling, and said, my lord's offer to you is fair. It is better for you that one man perish that your whole then that your whole Mansoul should be undone. But Mr. Godly Fear made him this replication. How long will Mansoul be kept out of the dungeon when she has given up her faith to Diabolus? As good lose the town as lose Captain Credence, for if one is gone, the other must follow. But to that Mr. Fooling said nothing. Then my Lord Mayor replied and said, oh, you devouring tyrant, let it be known to you. We shall hearken to none of your words. We are resolved to resist you as long as a captain, a man, a sling, and a stone to throw at you shall be found in the town of Mansoul. But Diabolus answered, do you hope? Do you wait? Do you look for help and deliverance? You have petitioned to Emmanuel, but your wickedness sticks too close to your skirts to let innocent prayers come out of your lips. Do you think you shall be prevailers and prosper in this plan? You will fail in your wish. You will fail in your attempts, for it is not only I, but your Emmanuel who is against you. Yes, it is He who has set me against you to subdue you. For what, then, do you hope? Or by what means will you escape? Then said the Lord Mayor, we have sinned indeed, but that shall be no help to you, for our Emmanuel has said it, and that in great faithfulness, and whoever comes to me, I will never cast out. He has also told us, oh, our enemy, that every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven to people. Therefore, we dare not despair, but we'll look for, wait for, and hope for deliverance still. Now, by this time, Captain Credence had returned and come from the court of Emmanuel to the castle of Mansoul, and he returned to them with a packet. So my Lord Mayor, hearing that Captain Credence had come, withdrew himself from the noise of the roaring of the tyrant and left him to yell at the wall of the town or against the gates of the castle. So he came up to the captain's lodgings, and saluting him, he asked him of his welfare, and what was the best news at court. But when he asked Captain Credence that, tears welled up in his eyes. Then said the captain, cheer up, my lord, for all will be well in time. And with that, he first produced his packet and laid it by. But that, the Lord Mayor, But that the Lord Mayor and the rest of the captains took for a sign of good tidings. Now a season of grace having come, he sent for all the captains and elders of the town who were here and there in their lodgings in the castle and upon their guard. to let them know that Captain Credence had returned from the court and that he had something in general and something quite special to communicate to them. So they all came up to him, saluted him, and asked him concerning his journey and what was the best news at the court. And he answered them as he had done the Lord Mayor before, and that all would be well at last, Now, when the captain had thus saluted them, he opened his packet, and from it drew out several of his notes for those whom he had sent for. And the first note was for my lord mayor, wherein was signified that Prince Emmanuel had taken it well that my lord mayor had been so true and trusty in his office. and of the great concerns that lay upon him for the town and people of Mansoul. Also, he bid him to know that he took it well that he had been so bold for his Prince Emmanuel and had engaged so faithfully in his cause against Diabolus. He also signified at the close of his letter that he should be continued. Excellent. Did you notice that when Diabolus, or Diabolus, but Diabolus, he feigns that, well, he says that, well, you know, Immanuel is sovereign Lord. He's the one who sent me to you. And Psalm 42.10 says, you know, David's psalm, as he penned that, that the enemy would do that. David's crying out, you know, you're what my enemies are saying against me, that you're against me. And young people, this is something, in fact, even older young people, this is how the enemy would like to discourage us even further. Convincing you that you're not worth it, that your salvation is just a casual, thing to the Lord Jesus. It's not. He has given his life for us and so his convincing, attempting to convince us and in a weakened condition when we haven't had, have forsaken like Mansoul did, forsaken the fellowship that we've had with With the Lord and now are repenting before the Lord. This is what the enemy will do the principalities and powers of the Unseen realm they'll convince us and we'll get a whisper in the ear. Oh, why are you even calling out for him? that's Often how it happens. I'm sure none of you have had that happen to you before It only happens to me, you know a regular person or any questions or comments on the Holy War.