CiTIZEN OF MANSOUL? WHAT'S UP WITH THAT?

John Bunyan is most noted for his great allegorical work, THE PILGRIM’S PROGRESS. But he also wrote another allegory which is not as well known, THE HOLY WAR.

In my opinion, The Pilgrim’s Progress is one of the greatest works in Christian literature and should be read by all. But, that having been said, I would encourage all to read, THE HOLY WAR.

I am bringing this up because it is from this book that, for those who may have been wondering, I created the title of my blog: CITIZEN OF MANSOUL. Here is a very brief overview of the book:

Very cleverly John Bunyan married two words into one, MAN(S) SOUL. So what is Mansoul?

Mansoul was built by SHADDAI. It was constructed for His glory. It was constructed to showcase His glory. But the enemy, Diabolus, won the hearts of some of the townsmen and thereby lost full control of the town. As a result, there is a constant battle going on from within and from without. This battle, against Diabolus, is being waged by Emmanuel, Shaddai's Son. He is seeking to win back the town of Mansoul for His Father.

I have found that the book can at times be seen on two levels, one, a personal level (the individual Christian) and two, on a corporate level (all saints, the church). The names of the cities’ gates will help to show what Bunyan intended to illustrate in this allegory. Here are the names: Ear-Gate, Eye-Gate, Mouth-Gate, Nose-Gate, and Feel-Gate.

We (Christians) are under constant attack. The enemy of our souls seeks to tempt and wear us down by appealing to our senses, what we hear, see, speak, smell, and feel. This is on the individual level. On the corporate the attacks are the same.

Even though we know that the gates of hell will not prevail against us, the enemy is still attacking. Anything he can do to hinder the work of the Lord he will try. Both the enemies of Emmanuel and the friends of Emmanuel live side by side in the town of Mansoul. Emmanuel wants full control of Mansoul (Man’s Soul) and will stop at nothing to save his beloved elect town. Diabolus wants full control of Mansoul (Man’s Soul) and will stop at nothing to try to keep it.

I would encourage the reader to get a copy and read it. You will easily identify with the struggle. It gives a good picture of the spiritual battle that is taking place all the time, even when we are not aware of it.

“Thy righteousness is in heaven.”

I was recently skimming through my copy of an allegory by John Bunyan – The Holy War. It has many great pictures of the life of the believer and also the final return and rescue of the Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

My copy of this book has an biographical sketch of John Bunyan. For a portion of his life he was tormented and tempted by the enemy. It was very overwhelming for him. It was in the midst of one of these attacks, when he seemed hopelessly lost, that the following quote from this sketch reads,

This experience was about the last of his misery. A voice seemed to say to him, quoting from the First Epistle of John, “This sin is not unto death.” This brought comfort to him, and then came the words, “I have loved thee with an everlasting love.” When renewed doubts came to assail him as to whether the blood of Christ was adequate for saving his wicked soul, suddenly the words sounded in his heart, “He is able.” “Methought this word “able” was spoke aloud unto me – it showed a great word – it seemed to be writ in great letters.” One day as he was passing into a field suddenly this sentence came powerfully into his soul, “Thy righteousness is in heaven.”

“Now did my chains fall off my legs indeed; I was loosened from my afflictions and irons; my temptations also fled away. . . ‘Twas glorious to me to see His exaltation, and the worth and prevalency of all His benefits; and that because now I could look from myself to Him, and would reckon that all those graces that now were green on me were yet like those cracked groats and fourpence-half-pennies that rich men carry in their purses, when their gold is in their trunks at home! In Christ my Lord and Saviour. Now Christ was all; all my righteousness, all my sanctification and all my redemption. Now could I see myself in heaven and earth at once. In heaven by my Christ, by my Head, by my righteousness and life, though on earth by body or person. Now I saw Christ Jesus was looked upon of God; and should also be looked upon as that common or public Person in whom all the whole body of His elect are always to be considered and reckoned; that we fulfilled the law by Him, died by Him, rose from the dead by Him, got the victory over sin, death, the devil, and hell by Him.” Bunyan’s times of torment were over. His soul entered upon a peace which was hardly ever afterwards to be disturbed. He had suffered great torments of mind and soul; now with the peace of God flooding his heart he was soon to experience physical suffering in a serious illness, and shortly after this a long, hard, heartbreaking imprisonment which, however, did never rob him of peace and joy in the gospel.