3. It begetteth and continueth in the soul a great reverence of
God, his Word, and ways, keeping it tender, and making it afraid
to turn from them, to the right hand or to the left, to anything
that may dishonour God, break its peace, grieve the Spirit, or
cause the enemy to speak reproachfully.
HOPE. Well said; I believe you have said the truth. Are we now
almost got past the Enchanted Ground?
CHR. Why, art thou weary of this discourse?
HOPE. No, verily, but that I would know where we are.
{371} CHR. We have not now above two miles further to go thereon.
But let us return to our matter. Now the ignorant know not that
such convictions as tend to put them in fear are for their good,
and therefore they seek to stifle them.
HOPE. How do they seek to stifle them?
{372} CHR. 1. They think that those fears are wrought by the
devil, (though indeed they are wrought of God); and, thinking so,
they resist them as things that directly tend to their overthrow.
2. They also think that these fears tend to the spoiling of their
faith, when, alas, for them, poor men that they are, they have none
at all! and therefore they harden their hearts against them.
3. They presume they ought not to fear; and, therefore, in despite
of them, wax presumptuously confident.
4. They see that those fears tend to take away from them their
pitiful old self-holiness, and therefore they resist them with all
their might.
{373} HOPE. I know something of this myself; for, before I knew
myself, it was so with me.
CHR. Well, we will leave, at this time, our neighbour Ignorance by
himself, and fall upon another profitable question.
HOPE. With all my heart, but you shall still begin.
CHR. Well then, did you not know, about ten years ago, one Temporary
in your parts, who was a forward man in religion then?
HOPE. Know him! yes, he dwelt in Graceless, a town about two miles
off of Honesty, and he dwelt next door to one Turnback.
{374} CHR. Right, he dwelt under the same roof with him. Well,
that man was much awakened once; I believe that then he had some
sight of his sins, and of the wages that were due thereto.
HOPE. I am of your mind, for, my house not being above three miles
from him, he would ofttimes come to me, and that with many tears.
Truly I pitied the man, and was not altogether without hope of him;
but one may see, it is not every one that cries, Lord, Lord.
CHR. He told me once that he was resolved to go on pilgrimage, as
we do now; but all of a sudden he grew acquainted with one Save-self,
and then he became a stranger to me.
{375} HOPE. Now, since we are talking about him, let us a little
inquire into the reason of the sudden backsliding of him and such
others.
CHR. It may be very profitable, but do you begin.