The town of A fundamental difference in method and motive surfaces between Diabolus and Emmanuel. Each one had taken over Mansoul and set up a certain order in the town. But Diabolus did everything by deceit and for his own gratification because he hated Shaddai and wanted revenge. Emmanuel defeated Diabolus and now establishes His own order in Mansoul for the glory of His Father Shaddai and for the benefit of the town.
Emmanuel appoints new leaders in Mansoul and renews the town’s charter. This new order is to provide for the maintenance of Mansoul that the town might continue to flourish. The Prince promoted Mr. Experience, a young gentleman of Mansoul, as captain over a thousand men. After announcing a new covenant with the happy town, Emmanuel establishes a regular ministry to teach the people the will of His Father. The town gladly agrees to this.
The teaching ministry was to be carried out by two instructors, one from Shaddai’s court and one from Mansoul. The teacher from the King’s court is the Lord High Secretary, “a person of no less quality and dignity” than the Father and the Son and who is one with them in nature. He is to be the chief teacher, without whom the people cannot know the will and ways of Shaddai. The people should submit to His teaching and do nothing to grieve Him. Obedience in this will ensure that the Secretary will shed abroad Shaddai’s love in their hearts and make them wise.
Emmanuel then promoted old Mr. Conscience, the former town recorder, as the teacher from Mansoul. He must submit himself to the teaching of the Secretary and not presume to be a revealer of those mysteries that Shaddai has not seen fit to disclose. Following the teaching of the Lord High Secretary, Mr. Conscience and all the townspeople will know the things that Shaddai has revealed about Himself, and they can revel in His teaching.
Next, the people of Mansoul are to guard against certain dangers. They should not neglect or resist Emmanuel’s captains, who had fought for them against Diabolus, but should nourish and encourage them. The captains cannot continue to perform their duties without the people’s support. Then Emmanuel warns them to remain vigilant in their fight against the Diabolonians hiding in the city. They are loyal to their old master and will seek the town’s harm. They will continue to be a threat as long as the city’s walls remain standing. So the Prince warns the people to familiarize themselves with the King’s laws so they can recognize, apprehend, and execute these villains whenever they are found.
The Prince then gives Mansoul a badge of honor to distinguish them as His people. He clothes each one of them with a shining white robe, which they are to keep clean for Emmanuel’s honor. He also makes Himself accessible to everyone in the town, visiting them and allowing them to come see Him in the castle. If any townspeople didn’t see Him for a while, He would knock at their door and visit them. If He found any sick, He laid hands on them and healed them.
Emmanuel finally appointed a new governor in the town, not a native of Mansoul, but one from Shaddai’s court, Mr. God’s-Peace. He was to rule over the whole town, especially the castle. As long as the people followed Emmanuel’s new order, the whole town was peaceful and happy. In fact, they had never known such harmony and peace and joy before. This happy condition lasted the whole summer.
In this section of The Holy War, John Bunyan is still showing the believer in his first love. The feeling of God’s forgiveness is fresh upon his heart. But there must be regular maintenance in the Christian life to keep things pure, peaceful, and joyful. So the Lord has established His order in the life of His people, the Church.
A Scripture passage showing this order and the results it produces is Ephesians 4:11-16 (NASB)—
And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.
Bunyan pictures the regular ministry of the gospel, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, giving us knowledge of God and His ways and strengthening us to live holy lives unto the Lord. The minister is an undershepherd, submissive to the teachings of the Holy Spirit, who reveals the meaning of God’s Word. The Spirit is equal to the Father and the Son, and God’s people must follow His teaching and be careful not to grieve Him through disobedience. The gospel minister must be careful to speak only what the Spirit has spoken in the Word and not try to be a revealer of those mysteries that God has kept closed to us. The minister must carefully and faithfully apply the words of God to himself and the people that we may truly know God and be pleasing to Him.
God’s people may revel in the teachings of the Word and speak of these things among themselves. It is for equipping the saints for the work of service that God has given these gifts to the church. And this glad service builds up the whole Body of Christ until we reach full maturity.
In this day of “Jesus, yes; the church, no,” when everyone is doing what’s right in his own eyes, we need to see this order of worship as established by God for our benefit. Before Mansoul experiences trouble from the remaining Diabolonians, Emmanuel gives the town ministers and services that will enable them to maintain their devotion and joy. We face wilting opposition from the unbelieving world and even from within ourselves. Without God’s provision for our continued maintenance and blessing, we stand no chance of pleasing Him and distinguishing ourselves as His people. But all these gifts the Lord will use to help us keep our robes clean and white and maintain that first love, that joy in the Lord, along with His peace that passes understanding.
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