The Holy War – John Bunyan

'Besides, I am not come to put Mansoul upon works to live thereby--
should I do so, I should be like unto thee--but I am come that by me, and by
what I have and shall do for Mansoul, they may to my Father be reconciled,
though by their sin they have provoked him to anger, and though by the law
they cannot obtain mercy.
'Thou talkest of subjecting of this town to good, when none desireth it at
thy hands. I am sent by my Father to possess it myself, and to guide it by the
skilfulness of my hands into such a conformity to him as shall be pleasing in
his sight. I will therefore possess it myself, I will dispossess and cast thee
out: I will set up mine own standard in the midst of them: I will also govern
them by new laws, new officers, new motives, and new ways. Yea, I will
pull down this town, and build it again, and it shall be as though it had not
been, and it shall then be the glory of the whole universe.'[14]
When Diabolus heard this, and perceived that he was discovered in all
his deceits, he was confounded and utterly put to a nonplus--; but having in
himself the fountain of iniquity, rage and malice against both Shaddai and
his Son, and the beloved town of Mansoul, what doth he but strengthen
himself what he could, to give fresh battle to the noble Prince Emmanuel? So
then, now we must have another fight before the town of Mansoul is taken.
Come up then, to the mountains you that love to see military actions, and
behold by both sides how the fatal blow is given: while one seeks to hold,
and the other seeks to make himself master of the famous town of Mansoul.
Diabolus, therefore, having withdrawn himself from the wall to his force
that was in the heart of the town of Mansoul, Emmanuel also returned to the
camp; and both of them, after their divers ways, put themselves into a
posture fit to bid battle one to another.
Diabolus, as filled with despair of retaining in his hands the famous
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