Sermon II

Betwixt Babylon and Jerusalem there is no Peace, but a continual War. Each City has its King. The King of Jerusalem is Christ our Lord; the Devil is the King of Babylon. And now, because one of them delights to Reign in Justice, the other in Malice, the King of Babylon draws such Citizens of Hierusalem as he can, into Babylon; and by his Ministers unclean Spirits, seduces them, to make them serve iniquity to iniquity, Rom. 6. Hence a Watchman or Espial upon the Walls of Jerusalem seeing one of her Citizens made a prey of, and leading Captive into Babylon he gives notice of it to the King. Now the King of Jerusalem calling to him the Spirit of Fear, a notable Souldier in such occasions; Go, says he, and rescue our Prisoner. He, as one always ready at all the commands of the King, with all speed pursues the enemies, and on the sudden there was made in their ears a sound as it were of a vehement wind coming towards them. For Fear thundred over them, and at the voice of his Power all the strength of his enemy trembled, whom now put to flight, Fear did not far pursue them, but endeavoured to carry back to his own City his rescued fellow-Citizen. But one of the adversaries, the Spirit of Sadness was not with them when Fear assailed them. He seeing his Companions on the sudden flying, rises out of the ambush in which he had hid himself, makes to them with all speed. All this is done, say they, by Fear alone, and it is a disgrace to us all. But he; be not afraid of that Fear, for I know what's to be done. I will go, and I'll be a lying Spirit in the corners of the ways, and will feign my self to be a friend of Fear. For I know the man, and he is not to be dealt withal by force, but by craft. But do you wait the issue. He did as he had said, and taking the neerest way, got before Fear. And returning back upon the way, by which Fear was going, he met him; and entertaining him with kind, but very mischievous discourses, began to seduce him; so that Fear, ignorant of his designs, confidently follows him. And he was now just upon the point of precipitating him into the ditch of Despair. But the Spial signifies to the King what was a-doing. The King makes one of his Souldiers, Hope, to be called, and commands him to make haste to the succour of Fear, carrying with him the Horse of Despair, and the Sword of Joy. The faithful Souldier going forth at the word of command, when he was come to the place, brandishing the Sword of Joy, he put Sadness to flight. And so having delivered his fellow-Citizen, and put him upon the Horse of Desire, going before, he draws him forward with the cord of the Promises: and Fear following behind, lashes him on with a little whip made of the small cords of his sins. The free Horse goes on a-main, drawn before, and urged hehind; but in so rapid a course, there was reason to fear an incursion. And indeed the Souldiers of Babylon gathered together a Councel, saying; What do we, when he has so escaped, whom but now we possessed with security? How is the jubilation of Hell turned into mourning, and joy made in the Heavens for the delivery of their fellow-Citizen by only two Souldiers? How is it that the cunning of the Diabolical fraud has perished? But one of them more wicked than the rest, suggested profane and wicked counsel, saying; You know nothing, nor do you understand, how that now he is more easy to be taken, and if he be taken, more hardly will he be taken from us again. Do you therefore follow a-loof off, and I'll transfigure my self into an Angel of Light, and under a shew of teaching them as strangers, and ignorant of the way, will deceive them. The Trapan being thus ordered, the Scoutwatch signifies to the King, that indeed the Captive is returning, and upon the Horse of Desire, but that he makes too much haste, for want of a Bridle and Saddle. The enemies, says he, pursue him a-far off, and some of them inveterate in evil, cut the way short. But, and just now, I see one who seems to wear our Arms, but I am sure he's gone out from us. It's needful somebody should go and ask him, are you ours, or do you belong to our adversaries? Moreover the King, whose mind is continually solicited with the care of Souls, sends forth two of his Councellors, Prudence and Temperance. One of which, Temperance puts upon the Horse the bridle of Discretion, and perswades Hope to go a more moderate pace. But Prudence chiding Fear, and accusing him of headiness, admonished him of the future: and set upon the Horse the saddle of Circumspection, that his Rider might not fall backwards, but might rest behind on confession of Sin past, before on meditation of Judgment, on the left-hand on Patience, and on the right-hand on Humility. Moreover Hope and Fear gave spurs, Hope on the right-foot, the expectation of Reward; Fear on the left, the dread of Punishment. And delay being made, it now growing towards evening, and the day being far spent, the enemies are gathered together again in multitudes to fight them. Fear trembles, Hope accelerates, but scarce at length Prudence and Temperance makes them hear councel. And Prudence, you see that the day is gone, and the night has overtaken us: and he that walks in darkness, knows not whither he goes. Moreover you have a great way yet to go, nor is the number of your enemies small. But our King has a very faithful Souldier, whom I know very well, and he has a Castle here hard by, and a very strong Habitation; because he has made his nest in a Rock. Let us, if you please, divert unto him, for it is good for us to be there. My Armor-bearer, Reason, shall go before us; for he is skilful in the ways, and known to Justice, to wit, of his kindred. Reason then leading the way, the rest following, he got to the Castle before them; and having saluted Justice, gave notice of the Guests that were a coming. Justice enquires who they are, asks whence, and for what they come. And being informed concerning their King, rising up, goes out to them with provision of Bread, and meets them as an honoured Mother, and taking the Soul off from the Horse of Desire, affectuously lodges him in the inmost chambers of his House. The enemies Army follows, and surrounding the Castle on all sides, seeks out, if possible, some entrance or other; and, as a Lion, goes about seeking whom he may devour. But finding it fortified on all sides, they pitch their Tents, and order Watches, that no body may be able to go in or out; and that the morning being come, they may assault it, and with their prepared machins throw it down to the ground. In the mean time Fear, timerous, and not slothful in solicitude, nor ever secure, excites his fellow-Souldiers, convenes Justice, enquires about the fortification of the place, and how they are prepared with Arms, and adds, if perhaps there be a sufficiency of provisions for their sustenance. To these things Justice answers; The scituation of the place, as you may observe, is strong and inaccessible, nor does it fear assaults, with the arms and machins of the enemies. But because it is a dry place, it has but few Inhabitants, whom it sustains in some manner with the dry food of Barly-bread. And we have now only left five Barly-loaves, and two Fishes. And what, says Fear, are these amongst so many? He began therefore the more to fear, and to be irksomly weary, and blaming the Soul for coming off the Horse of desire, often commemorated, that the last things of that man would be worse than his first. For that forward Horse, now committed to the guidance of only reason, with his swift course did fly to the City. Thou thy self, says he, shalt see, if it was not better with thee then rather than now. And so Fear had almost risen up against Hope for thinking contrary things; but Temperance called in Prudence. Prudence being come, reprehending the unruliness of Fear, says; Let thy Sword, O Fear, shew its cruelty upon the adversaries. Doest thou not know that our King is the King of Vertues, the strong and powerful Lord, the Lord powerful in Battel? Let therefore a Messenger go, who may make known the necessities of his Servants, demand Help, bring Auxiliaries. And who shall be able to go? says Fear. Darkness has covered the earth, and a watchful multitude of enemies encompasses the walls, and we all ignorant of the way, as in a Country far from home. They called therefore Justice, their Host. If in any thing, say they, thou canst, help us: To whom Justice; Be of good heart. For I have a very faithful messenger to the King, well known at Court, to wit, Prayer, who is not unskilled through unknown ways, in the secret silence of the night, to penetrate the secrets of Heaven, and to go to the King's Bedchamber, and by an opportune importunity to incline the pious mind of the King, and is wont by a pittiful supplication to impetrate help for the distressed. Let him go if you please, for lo he is here present at hand. And when they had all answered, It pleases us: Prudence dictating what he should insinuate to the King, Justice commanding him that he should act faithfully, and be sure not to return empty; the rest, but especially Fear, beseeching him that he would make all haste possible; he was sent away through a secret postern of the wall. And he securely penetrating the thickest files of the enemies, swifter than any Bird, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, came to the very Gates of the new Jerusalem. Which when he had found shut, and had knocked, the Porters taking it ill, that in the silent dead of night he should fill the City with clamours, and not be afraid to be importune even to the King himself, he continued knocking, and moreover spoke, saying; Open to me the Gates of Justice, and being entred into them, with my mouth I will confess to the Lord our King, according to the multitude of my dolours which are in my heart. This, says he, is the Gate of my Lord, Justice sent me unto you, that I may be introduced to the King, for I have secrets to reveal to him. The voice of the Turtle was heard in our Land. And when it was understood that she was a Messenger from Justice, he was commanded to be brought in. Prayer entring in unto the King, adored, and said; O King live for ever. And he: Are things well with thy Lord and his concerns? And Prayer: Well, O Lord, through your Grace. Yet one thing is needful. Your servant, which by your Royal command was snatch'd away from the horns of the Unicorns, has turned in unto your Champion my Master; and it is a Southerly and dry Land, and it has no provisions. May my Lord give his benediction, and our earth give his fruit, and our enemies are gathered together in multitudes to fight against us. Give us, O Lord, help concerning our tribulation; because there is no other to fight for us, except thou our God. Then our King, whose nature is goodness, moved with these fears, said; Whom shall we send? To whom Charity: Lo here am I, Lord, send me. But the King asked concerning her Companions; but Charity answered, her own Domesticks were sufficient. Charity therefore goes out, together with her noble Train, Joy, Peace, Patience, Longanimity, Benignity, Goodness, Meekness. The renowned Captain attended by these, marches forward, and assured of the Victory, lifting up the triumphal sign, he passed the first and second Watch of the enemies. And being come to the Gate, it opened to her of it self. At whose entrance, great joy was made in the Town. And when at the perswasion of joy they all lift up their voices, and cried out with acclamations, the clamorous noise terrified the Camp of those without. And they; what is that voice of Exultation that sounds in our ears from the Tents of Israel? It was not so yesterday, and the day before. Perhaps aid is come to them, and they will sally out, and assault us. Wherefore let us fly Israel; for the Lord fights for them against us. In the mean time Charity, impatient of delay, commands her Army to be put in array, the Gates to be opened, and the enemy to be pursued; openly professing, and saying; I will go to the gates of Hell. So at one sally the whole Army of Charity goes forth, whose force the Babylonians not being able to bear, they fly, but do not escape. On the side of Fear fall thousands, and on the right-hand of Charity ten thousands.