Page:The Pilgrim's Progress, the Holy War, Grace Abounding Chunk3.djvu/23

Rh that was the poor man I spoke of before. But about this time he also turned a most devilish renter, and gave himself up: to all manner of filthiness, especially uncleanness. He would also deny that there was a God, angel, or spirit, and would laugh at all exhortations to sobriety. When I laboured to rebuke his wickedness, he would laugh the more, and pretend that he had gone through all religions, and could never hit upon the right till now. Wherefore, abominating those cursed principles, I left his company forthwith, and became to him as great a stranger as I had been before a familiar.

45. Neither was this man only a temptation to me, but my calling lying in the country, I happened to come into several people's company, who, though strict in religion formerly, yet were also drawn away by these ranters. These would also talk with me of their ways, and condemn me as illegal and dark, pretending that they only had attained to perfection—that could do what they would, and not sin. Oh, these temptations were suitable to my flesh, I being but a young man, and my nature in its prime; but God, Who had, as I hope, designed me for better things, kept me in the fear of his name, and did not suffer me to accept such cursed principles. And blessed be God, who put it into my heart to cry to him, to be kept and directed, still distrusting mine own wisdom; for I have since seen even the effects of that prayer, in his preserving me not only from ranting errors, but from those also that have sprung up since. The Bible was precious to me in those days.

46. And now I began to look into the Bible with new eyes, and especially the epistles of the apostle St. Paul were sweet and pleasant to me. And then I was never out of the Bible, either by reading or meditation, still crying out to! God that I might know the truth and way to heaven and glory.

47. And as I went on and read, I hit upon that passage, "To one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; to