Who is Lord Willbewill?

The first part of the name “Willbewill” confirms that the name describes the human will. The will is the motivating force of our lives. Just as Eve consented to take the forbidden fruit (Genesis 3 v 6), so Mansoul consented to allow Diabolus into the town.

“The wall of the town was well built, yea so fast and firm was it knot and compact together, that had it not been for the townsmen themselves, it could not have been shaken or broken for ever. For here lay the excellent wisdom of him that builded Mansoul, that the walls could never be broken down, nor hurt by the mighty adverse potentate, unless the townsmen gave consent thereto”.

Later on in the narrative, the conscience, the Will and the Understanding confess to the Prince that they chose to disobey.

“Are you the men that did suffer yourselves to be corrupted and defiled by the abominable one, Diabolus?” and they said “We did more than to suffer it, Lord: for we chose it of our own mind”.

And so it is that if we live our lives without faith in Christ we will be held responsible for wilful disobedience. God commands all men everywhere to repent (Read Acts 17 v 30).


However there is more to the name than that. What are we to make of the “bewill” part of the name? I would like to venture the following explanation. The human will is strong but fickle. In the state of innocence the Will is subject to God. After the fall it becomes subject to Satan. Emmanuel brings the will back into subjection to God according to the supreme sovereignty of God. Therefore “willbewill” could be interpreted in the colloquial sense of “whatever will be will be”. That Emmanuel brings back the will into subjection is shown in the narrative when Captain Execution seeks out Lord Willbewill.

“Captain Execution…hunted the Lord Willbewill sorely; he suffered him not to rest in any corner. He pursued him so hard, that he drove his men from him and made him glad to thrust his head into a hole”.

And so it is that the sinner finds himself hunted out by God. Where-ever he goes he meets Christians. Whatever he thinks about reminds him that there is a God, so that eventually he has to say “Lord I surrender! I believe in Thee”.




That Emmanuel brings the will into subjection is also shown in the narrative when Lord Willbewill faints at the feet of Emmanuel.

“now, the prisoners when they did hear the gracious words of Prince emmamuel, and had beheld all that was done unto them, fainted almost quite away… Yea, my Lord Willbewill swooned outright…”.

The newly converted Christian is so overwhelmed by God’s grace and kindness that he wants to obey the Lord. His will becomes subject to Christ.

Lord Willbewill has been overpowered by Emmanuel. Emmanuel has informed Mansoul (through captain Boanerges) that he will take the city by force and this he has now done.
“And he (Shaddai) hath commanded me, in case you yield upon my summons, to carry it to you as if you were my friends or brethren; but he also hath bid, that if, after summons to submit, you still stand out and rebel, we should take you by force”.

Thus we see that the fall of Mansoul to Emmanuel is through the power of God. If God has ordained a matter it will happen and no man can stop it. The re-capture of Mansoul had been agreed upon by Shaddai and Emmanuel long, long ago and therefore was inevitable.

“ but by that they (the royal courtiers) had heard the whole of the story, it would have amazed one to have seen, had he been there to behold it, what sorrow and grief, and compunction of spirit there was among all sorts, to think that famous Mansoul was now taken: only the king and his son foresaw all this long before, yea, and sufficiently provided for the relief of Mansoul, though they told everybody thereof”. And a little further on “Well, when the king and his son were retired into the privy chamber, there they again consulted about what they had designed before, to wit, that as Mansoul should in time be suffered to be lost, so as certainly it should be recovered again; recovered, I say, in such a way as that both the king and his son would get themselves eternal fame, and glory thereby. Wherefore, after this consult. The son of Shaddai…having stricken hands with his father, and promised that he would be his servant to recover his Mansoul again, stood by his resolution, nor would he repent of the same. The purport of which agreement was this, to wit, that at a certain time prefixed by both, the king’s son should take a journey into the country of Universe, and there, in a way of justice, and equity, by making amends for the follies of Mansoul, he should lay a foundation of her perfect deliverance from Diabolus , and from his tyranny”.
The salvation of Mansoul as the corporate body of Christ and an individual believer is therefore pre-ordained. Is it possible for salvation not to happen when Christ Himself has promised the Father that he will go onto earth and secure it? No!


The word “Lord” also is important. The Will is a highly motivating factor in the human life. In Mediaeval times the Lords could escape justice because of their money, influence and “friends in high places”. After Lord Willbewill is taken prisoner Bunyan tells us that

“The town was also greatly troubled for the men that were committed to ward, for that they were their stay and their guide, and for that they believed that , if those men were cut off, their execution would be but the beginning of the ruin of the town of Mansoul”.

Emmanuel is very gracious to Lord Willbewill and rather than executing him promotes him.
“Emmanuel called the Lord Willbewill to him, and gave him the militia into his hand, and a special charge to withstand all insurrections and tumults that might be made in Mansoul against the peace of our lord the king, and the peace and tranquillity of the town of Mansoul. He also gave him in commission, that if he found any of the Diabolonians lurking in any corner in the famous town of Mansoul he should forthwith apprehend them, and stay them or commit them to safe custody, that they may be proceeded against according to law”.

Even after conversion the human will can cause us difficulties. We can sin by wilful disobedience. Lord Willbewill still continues to exert his authority over us.