The Holy War, Episode 17. Be it known unto you, O unhappy and rebellious man-soul, that the most gracious king, the great King Shaddai, my master, has sent me unto you with commission to reduce you to his obedience, said Boanerges, showing the talent of his broad seal. And he has commanded me, in case you yield upon my summons, to carry it to you as if you were my friends or brethren. But he also instructed that if, after summons to submit, you still stand out and rebel, we should endeavor to take you by force. Then stood forth Captain Conviction. His were the pale colors, and for a shield he had the Book of the Law wide open, etc. He said, Here, O Mansoul, you, O Mansoul, were once famous for your innocence. Now, however, you are degenerate and have declined into lies and deceit. You have heard what my brother Captain Boanerges has said, and you'd be wise and should be happy to stoop to and accept the conditions of peace and mercy when offered, especially when offered by the one against whom you have rebelled, from one who has power to tear you to pieces. And this is none other than Shaddai, our king. For when he is angry, nothing can stand before him. If you say you have not sinned nor acted in rebellion against our king, all of your doings since the day you cast off his service, which was the beginning of your sin, will sufficiently testify against you. Why else would you listen to the tyrant in order to receive him as your king? What other reason do you have for rejecting Shaddai's laws and obeying Diabolus? Yes, why else would you take up arms against your king and shut your gates upon us, his faithful servants? Be ruled by my brother's invitation. Accept it now and don't lose this merciful opportunity. Agree with your accuser quickly. Ah, Mansoul, don't allow yourselves to be kept from mercy, to be run into a thousand miseries by the flattering wiles of Diabolus. Perhaps his deceit may cause you to believe that we seek our own benefit in this our service, but know that our undertaking is because of obedience to our King and love for your happiness. Again, I say to you, O Mansoul, and consider, is this not amazing grace that Shaddai should so humble himself as he does? Now he by us reasons with you and pleads with sweet persuasion so that you would subject yourselves to him. Surely you need him. Does he have need of you? No, no, but he is merciful, not desiring Mansoul's death, but to turn to him and live. Then stood forth Captain Judgment, whose colors were red, and for a shield he had the burning, fiery furnace. He said, O you, the inhabitants of the town of Mansoul, who have lived so long in rebellion and acts of treason against the king, should I know this, We have not come today to this place in this manner with our message from our own minds or to revenge our own quarrel. It is the king, my master, who has sent us to subdue you in obedience to him, which if you refuse in a peaceable way to yield, we are commissioned to compel you by force. and never think yourselves nor allow the tyrant Diabolus to persuade you to think that our king, by his power, is not able to bring you down and to lay you under his feet. For he forms and makes all things, and if he touches the mountains, they smoke. Nor will the gate of the king's forgiveness stand open forever. For the day that shall burn like an oven is before him. Yes, it is swiftly dispatched and is not asleep. O Mansoul, is it little in your eyes that our king offers you mercy and this after so many provocations? Yes, he still holds out his golden scepter to you and will not allow his gate to be shut against you. Will you provoke him to do it? If so, consider what I say. It will not remain open to you forever. If you say you will not see Him, yet judgment is before Him, therefore trust in Him. Yes, beware lest wrath entice you into scoffing, and let not the greatness of the ransom turn you aside. Will he esteem your riches? No, not gold nor all the forces of strength. He has established his throne for justice. For behold, the Lord will come in fire and his chariots like the whirlwind to render his anger and fury and his rebuke with flames of fire. Therefore, O man's soul, take heed lest after you have fulfilled the judgment of the wicked, justice and judgment should take hold of you. Now, while Captain Judgment was giving his speech to the town of Mansoul, some observed that Diabolus trembled, yet the captain continued with his parable and said, oh, wretched town of Mansoul, will you still not open your gates to receive us, the deputies of your king and those who would rejoice to see you live? Can your heart endure or can your hands be strong in that day when he shall deal with you in judgment? I say, can you endure to be forced to drink, as one would drink sweet wine, the sea of wrath that our King has prepared for Diabolus and his angels? Consider, before it's too late, consider to be continued. And for questions, I have three groups of questions here from today's episode. Boanerges is the Aramaic name the Lord Jesus gave to James and John, calling them the sons of thunder, from Mark chapter 3 verse 17. Now I had asked this question back in episode 14. However, now that two more captains have spoken, why do you suppose Captain Boanerges must lead the way in capturing Mansoul for God's glory? the second set of questions. As Captain Conviction and Judgment have spoken and have given us clues as to the work of God's Spirit in the salvation of man, how does this help us understand how the Word of God works in bringing about faith to a lost soul? Read Romans 10, verse 17, and how does this verse apply? And finally, in the last paragraph of today's episode, Diabolus trembled at the words of Captain Judgment. Why do you suppose this happened? Read James 2, verse 19, and how does this inform your answer?