as his Word.

Come we next to his expecting our Performance to him; tho' he is not so
just to us, yet, it seems, he never fails to come and demand Payment of
us at the very Day appointed: He was but a weak Trader in Things of this
Nature, who having sold his Soul to the _Devil_, so our old Women's
Tales call the Thing, and when the _Devil_ came to demand his Bargain,
put it off as a Thing of no Force, for that it was done so long ago, he
thought he (_the Devil_) had forgot it. It was a better Answer, which
they tell us, a _Lutheran_ Divine gave the _Devil_ in the Name of a poor
Wretch, who had sold himself to the _Devil_, and who was in a terrible
Fright about his coming for his Bargain, as he might well be indeed, if
the _Devil_ has such a Power, as really to come and take it by Force.
_The Story (if you can bear a serious one) is this._

The Man was in great Horror of Mind, and the Family fear'd he would
destroy himself; at length they sent for a _Lutheran_ Minister to talk
with him, and who after some Labour with him, got out the Truth (_viz._)
that he had sold himself to the _Devil_, and that the Time was almost
expir'd, when he expected the _Devil_ would come and fetch him away, and
he was sure he would not fail coming to the Time to a Minute; the
Minister first endeavour'd to convince him of the horrid Crime, and to
bring him to a true Penitence for that Part; and having as he thought
made him a sincere Penitent, he then began to encourage him, and
particularly, desir'd of him, that when the Time was come, that the
_Devil_ should fetch him away, he, the Minister, should be in the House
with him; accordingly, to make the Story short, the Time came, the
_Devil_ came, and the Minister was present, when the _Devil_ came; what
Shape he was in, the Story does not say; the Man said he saw him, and
cry'd out; the Minister could not see him, but the Man affirming he was
in the Room, the Minister said aloud, _in the Name of the_ living God,
_Satan, what comest thou here for?_ The _Devil_ answer'd, _I come for my
own_; the Minister answer'd, _He is not thy own, for Jesus Christ has
redeem'd him, and in his Name I charge thee to avoid and touch him not_;
at which, says the Story, the _Devil_ gave a furious Stamp (with his
Cloven-Foot I suppose) and went away, and was never known to molest him
afterward.

Another Story, tho' it be in it self a long one, I shall abridge (for
your reading with the less Uneasiness) as follows.