and so of spiritual comfort; for to such ‘there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins’ (Heb 10.26). I did also desire the prayers of the people of God for me, but I feared that God would give them no heart to do it; yea, I trembled in my soul to think that some or other of them would shortly tell me, that God had said those words to them that He once did say to the prophet concerning the children of Israel, ‘Pray thou not for this people,’ for I have rejected them (Jer. Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners is published in his sixth year in prison. The Bible says "work out your salvation with fear and trembling for it is God that works in you..." This book describes the fearsome existential battle fought within the heart of John Bunyan as he worked out what it meant to be converted to Christianity. 75. Now could I see myself in heaven and earth at once; in heaven by my Christ, by my head, by my righteousness and life, though on earth by my body or person. That every man in the world had the spirit of Christ, grace, faith, etc. For after the Lord had, in this manner, thus graciously delivered me from this great and sore temptation, and had set me down so sweetly in the faith of His holy gospel, and had given me such strong consolation and blessed evidence from heaven touching my interest in His love through Christ; the tempter came upon me again, and that with a more grievous and dreadful temptation than before. This book is not for the fearful or those who think the cost of discipleship is easy belief. 1.18; 1 Thess. 175. 4.17, 18. how would my heart, at such times, put forth itself with inexpressible groanings. 41. Referrer URL (if available): (none) Now was I in great distress, thinking in very deed that this might well be so; wherefore I went up and down bemoaning my sad condition, counting myself far worse than a thousand fools, for standing off thus long, and spending so many years in sin as I had done; still crying out, Oh, that I had turned sooner! 214. This also have I taken notice of with thanksgiving; when I was a soldier, I, with others, were drawn out to go to such a place to besiege it; but when I was just ready to go, one of the company desired to go in my room; to which, when I had consented, he took my place; and coming to the siege, as he stood sentinel, he was shot into the head with a musket bullet, and died. This thought had no sooner passed through my heart, but the words began thus to kindle in my spirit, ‘Thou art my love, thou art my love’, twenty times together; and still as they ran thus in my mind, they waxed stronger and warmer, and began to make me look up; but being as yet between hope and fear, I still replied in my heart, But is it true, but is it true? But I was not without my temptations to go back again; temptations, I say, both from Satan, mine own heart, and carnal acquaintance; but I thank God these were outweighed by that sound sense of death and of the day of judgment, which abode, as it were, continually in my view; I should often also think on Nebuchadnezzar, of whom it is said, He had given him all the kingdoms of the earth (Dan. Wherefore I began to sink greatly in my soul, and began to entertain such discouragement in my heart as laid me low as hell. They also parted the hoof; I thought that signified we must part, if we would be saved, with the ways of ungodly men. one sentence of the Scripture did more afflict and terrify my mind, I mean those sentences that stood against me, as sometimes I thought they every one did, more, I say, than an army of forty thousand men that might have come against me. Indeed, I little thought that Satan had thus assaulted me, but that rather it was my own prudence, thus to start the question; for, that the elect only attained eternal life, that I, without scruple, did heartily close withal; but that myself was one of them, there lay all the question. These items are shipped from and sold by different sellers. Blessed be God for unsearchable grace. 60. Chapter 6. Thus I continued above a year, and could not find the place; but at last, casting my eye into the Apocrypha books, I found it in Ecclesiasticus 2.10.