thought--any dislike of me.

But as to myself and the work begun in me, I found it was not enough
for me to cease to do evil, though that was a good and a great step.
I had another lesson before me, which was to learn to do well; which
I could by no means do till I had given up with full purpose of mind
to cease from doing evil.

And when I had done that, the enemy took advantage of my weakness to
mislead me again.

For whereas I ought to have waited in the light for direction and
guidance into and in the way of well-doing, and not to have moved
till the divine Spirit (a manifestation of which the Lord has been
pleased to give unto me for me to profit with or by), the enemy,
transforming himself into the appearance of an angel of light,
offered himself in that appearance to be my guide and leader into
the performance of religious exercises. And I not then knowing the
wiles of Satan, and being eager to be doing some acceptable service
to God, too readily yielded myself to the conduct of my enemy
instead of my friend.

He thereupon, humouring the warmth and zeal of my spirit, put me
upon religious performances in my own will, in my own time, and in
my own strength; which in themselves were good, and would have been
profitable unto me and acceptable unto the Lord, if they had been
performed in His will, in His time, and in the ability which He
gives. But being wrought in the will of man and at the prompting of
the evil one, no wonder that it did me hurt instead of good.