Who is Mansoul?

Mansoul is the Bride of Christ, the invisible church, the gathering of all Christians. The last passage in the Holy War gives us the key to it. The passage annotated “Emmanuel’s speech to Mansoul” states “For yet a little while, O my Mansoul, even after a few more times are gone over thy head, I will take down this famous town of Mansoul, stick and stone, to the ground. And I will carry the stones thereof, and the timber thereof, and the walls thereof, and the dust thereof, and the inhabitants thereof, into mine own country, even into the kingdom of my father; and will there set it up in such strength and glory as it never did see in the kingdom where it is now placed. I will even there set it up for my Father’s habitation, for, for that purpose if was first erected in the kingdom of Universe; and there will I make it a spectacle of wonder, a monument of mercy, and the admirer of its own mercy”.

Compare this with the description of the city of God in Revelation 21 v 2. “And I John saw the Holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband” … v 12 “And had a great wall and high and had twelve gates; and at the gates twelve angels, and names written theron, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel. On the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates. And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb” Therefore in the analogy the invisible Christian Church is represented by the bricks and mortar of the city of Mansoul. This is consistent with the building analogy in the Bible. See 1 Peter 2 v 5 “Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house”. Also in Hebrews 11 v 10 we read “For he (Abraham) looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God”. The Lord Jesus himself has told us in John 14 v 2 “In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you”. Christ Himself is the corner stone of this building. Mark 12 v 10 (and Isaiah 28 v 16) “The stone which the builders rejected is become the head of the corner”.

Mansoul is referred to as “She” which is consistent with Mansoul being the Bride of Christ. On p 62 we read that Shaddai says “If now poor Mansoul would humble herself”. In the Old Testament the type of the invisible church is Jerusalem, Israel’s daughter (Lamentations 2 v 8), and the daughter of Zion (Lamentations 2 v 13). In the New Testament Mansoul is the Kingdom of God in the hearts of believers. Luke 17 v 21 “The Kingdom of God is within you”.

Bunyan also uses the word “they” when referring to Mansoul. The invisible church is made up of individual believers. On P 112 we read Now, what death they should die, and how long they should be in dying, was that which most perplexed their heads and hearts; yea they were afraid that Emmanuel would command them into the deep, the place that the Prince Diabolus was afraid of, for they knew that they had deserved it”.

Would you not like to live in this heavenly city? It is beautiful, richly decorated, eternal and fully furnished with all your needs. It is full of God’s people, each of which lives in a mansion. But this heavenly city is not here on earth, it is in the world to come. You only have one opportunity to live on this earth, and one life in which to repent of your sin, ask for forgiveness and have faith in Christ’s vicarious death. Do not put it off! Turn today to Christ for repentance.