The Holy War – John Bunyan

with thy good and happiness. And when I had gotten a complete conquest
over thee, I turned it to thy advantage.[7]
Thou seest also what a company of my Father's host I have lodged
within thy borders, captains and rulers, soldiers and men of war, engines and
excellent devices to subdue and bring down thy foes; thou knowest my
meaning, O Mansoul. And they are my servants, and thine too, Mansoul.
Yea, my design of possessing of thee with them, and the natural tendency of
each of them is to defend, purge, strengthen, and sweeten thee for myself, O
Mansoul, and to make thee meet for my Father's presence, blessing, and
glory; for thou, my Mansoul, art created to be prepared unto these.
Thou seest moreover, my Mansoul, how I have passed by thy
backslidings, and have healed thee. Indeed I was angry with thee, but I have
turned mine anger away from thee, because I loved thee still, and mine anger
and mine indignation is ceased in the destruction of thine enemies, O
Mansoul. Nor did thy goodness fetch me again unto thee, after that I for thy
transgressions have hid my face, and withdrawn my presence from thee. The
way of backsliding was thine, but the way and means of thy recovery was
mine. I invented the means of thy return; it was I that made an hedge and a
wall, when thou wast beginning to turn to things in which I delighted not. It
was I that made thy sweet, bitter, thy day, night; thy smooth ways thorny;
and that also confounded all that sought thy destruction. It was I that set Mr.
Godly- fear to work in Mansoul. It was I that stirred up thy conscience and
understanding, thy will and thy affections, after thy great and woful decay. It
was I that put life into thee, O Mansoul, to seek me, that thou mightest find
me, and in thy finding, find thine own health, happiness, and salvation. It
was I that fetched the second time the Diabolonians out of Mansoul; and it
was I that overcame them, and that destroyed them before thy face.
And now, my Mansoul, I am returned to thee in peace, and thy
transgressions against me, are as if they had not been. Nor shall it be with
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