The Holy War – John Bunyan

and make thyself by my law straight steps for thy feet; so shall thy King
greatly desire thy beauty, for he is thy Lord, and worship thou him.[11]
Now that thou mayest keep them as I bid thee, I have, as I before did tell
thee, provided for thee an open fountain to wash thy garments in. Look
therefore that thou wash often in my fountain, and go not in defiled
garments; for as it is to my dishonour and my disgrace, so it will be to thy
discomfort, when you shall walk in filthy garments (Zech 3:3,4). Let not
therefore my garments, your garments, the garments that I gave thee, be
defiled or spotted by the flesh (Jude 23). Keep thy garments always white,
and let thy head lack no ointment.
My Mansoul, I have oft-times delivered thee from the designs, plots,
attempts, and conspiracies of Diabolus, and for all this I ask thee nothing, but
that thou render not to me evil for my good, but that thou bear in mind my
love, and the continuation of my kindness to my beloved Mansoul, so as to
provoke thee to walk, in thy measure, according to the benefit bestowed on
thee. Of old the sacrifices were bound with cords to the horns of the golden
altar. Consider what is said to thee, O my blessed Mansoul.
O my Mansoul, I have lived, I have died, I live, and will die no more for
thee. I live that thou mayest not die. Because I live thou shalt live also. I
reconciled thee to my Father by the blood of my cross, and being reconciled
thou shalt live through me. I will pray for thee, I will fight for thee, I will yet
do thee good.
Nothing can hurt thee but sin; nothing can grieve me but sin; nothing
can make thee base before thy foes but sin; Take heed of sin, my
Mansoul.[12]
And dost thou know why I at first, and do still suffer Diabolonians to
dwell in thy walls, O Mansoul? It is to keep thee wakening, to try thy love, to
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