Thoughtf. O that I could believe! my sins! my sins!
No sooner had Godliness showed him what it was to open the door, and laid before him the necessity of Faith, in order to union with God, but Apollyon, with the Old Man, and other cursed enemies, began to cause dreadful Combustions in his house; for nothing doth the Devil fear more than true Faith; and Thoughtful finding it very hard to believe, Wilful-will being such a stubborn, crooked and perverse fellow; also Apollyon tried his skill many other ways to undo him, so that he was hard beset; but when Apollyon saw none of those ways were like to do, he laid before ⟨p. 140⟩him the outward danger he would be in, if True Godliness was embraced; he told him, he was like to suffer great Persecution, it being the portion of all who entertained True Godliness, in so much that his very life might be in danger; but Godliness comforted him sweetly with many precious promises; telling him also he had such a glorious Retinue to attend him, which he would bring into his House with him, that he need not to fear any difficulty, provided that he would but let him in; but he seeing he was not able to open the door, his enemies being too strong for him, notwithstanding his own strength: To his joy he told him, there was one friend of his, whom, if he could prevail with to come into his assistance, he would soon make the way clear, and open the door. Who is that? said Thoughtful, Godliness then discovered immediately, the excellency of his Person, and the nature of his Operations, by which he soon understood it was the Holy Ghost; upon this he was not a little glad, but presently cried out as one whose life is in danger, to God to send the Holy Spirit to assist him, O Lord, the Spirit, the holy Spirit, now Lord! thus he cried, and presently there was strange strugglings indeed, yea, such a conflict, that he never met with in all his life, Judgment in the combat behaved himself bravely; Consideration was not wanting; Conscience laid on home blows, being backed with Endeavour, alias Laborious; but at last, in the middle of the battle, in comes the Holy Spirit, and with him Faith, and some other of Godliness's Attendants, and the door flew open, and Old Man immediately went to the walls, crying out quarter, pleading his great Age, but had no mercy showed ⟨p. 141⟩him.
Thoughtf. O that I could believe! my sins! my sins!
No sooner had Godliness shewed him what it was to open the door, and laid before him the necessity of Faith, in order to union with God, but Apollyon, with the Old Man, and other cursed enemies, began to cause dreadful Combustions in his house; for nothing doth the Devil fear more than true Faith; and Thoughtful finding it very hard to believe, Wilful-will being such a stubborn, crooked and perverse fellow; also Apollyon tryed his skill many other wayes to undo him, so that he was hard beset; but when Apollyon saw none of those wayes were like to do, he laid before ⟨p. 140⟩him the outward danger he would be in, if True Godliness was embraced; he told him, he was like to suffer great Persecution, it being the portion of all who entertained True Godliness, in so much that his very life might be in danger; but Godliness comforted him sweetly with many precious promises; telling him also he had such a glorious Retinue to attend him, which he would bring into his House with him, that he need not to fear any difficulty, provided that he would but let him in; but he seeing he was not able to open the door, his enemies being too strong for him, notwithstanding his own strength: To his joy he told him, there was one friend of his, whom, if he could prevail with to come into his assistance, he would soon make the way clear, and open the door. Who is that? said Thoughtful, Godliness then discovered immediately, the excellency of his Person, and the nature of his Operations, by which he soon understood it was the Holy Ghost; upon this he was not a little glad, but presently cryed out as one whose life is in danger, to God to send the Holy Spirit to assist him, O Lord, the Spirit, the holy Spirit, now Lord! thus he cry'd, and presently there was strange struglings indeed, yea, such a conflict, that he never met with in all his life, Judgment in the combate behaved himself bravely; Consideration was not wanting; Conscience laid on home blows, being back'd with Endeavour, alias Laborious; but at last, in the middle of the battel, in comes the Holy Spirit, and with him Faith, and some other of Godliness's Attendants, and the door flew open, and Old Man immediately went to the walls, crying out quarter, pleading his great Age, but had no mercy shewed ⟨p. 141⟩him.
