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than to be in his presence by the illumination of his holy Spirit. Beſides, Judas could never have repented, how long ſoever he had lived; for grace was quite taken from him, as it is now with me!
O Spira, ſaid they, you know you are in a ſpiritual desertion; you must therefore not believe what Satan ſuggests: He was ever a liar from the beginning, and a mere impostor, and will cast a thousand lying fancies into your mind, to beguile you withal; you must rather believe those whom you judge to be in a good ſtate, and more able to discern of you than yourself.- Believe us, and we tell you, that God will be merciful unto you.
There is the knot! ſaid Spira. Would I could believe, but I cannot.
Then he began to reckon up what fearful dreams and visions he was continually troubled with! That he ſaw the devils come flocking into the chamber and about his bed, terrifying him with ſtrange noises! That those were not fancies, but that he knew them as really as the by-standers. And that besides these outward terrors, he felt continually a racking torture in his mind, and a continual gnawing of his conſcience, being the very pangs of the damned.
Cast away these fancies, ſaid Gribauldus, these are but illusions; humble yourself in the presence of God, and praise him.
"The dead praise not the Lord, ſaid he, ⟨not⟩ they that go down to the pit,” We that ⟨are⟩ drowned in despair, are dead, and already ⟨gone⟩ down into the pit. What hell can be ⟨worse⟩ than desperation, or what greater punishment The gnawing worm! urquenchable fire! ⟨horror!⟩ confusion! and, which is worse than all,
